For the past few months I have revealed my monthly favourites over on the old Insta Stories but, technology consistently worked against me and the result was out of sync. All the way through. Rage.
Hence this blog post! I have so many favourite products from last year that I want to include, but for the sake of your viewing pleasure, I’ve limited my choices, as I did with make up, to items I have used most often. When you gather as many cosmetics as I seem to have, you tend to only go back to products on a frequent basis if you love them, so with this notion as my guide…let’s get started!
(By the by, these are not new releases from 2017, but products that I either purchased within that 12 month period, or items I found myself reaching for.)
As ever, if you want to know more about or even purchase some of these beauties for your own skin’s pleasure, click the links in pink!
Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm £39.00 for 100g
If you love a pamper session when you remove your make up each evening, this is the ultimate luxury. Fellow oil slick gals, do not be put off by the fact that this is a balm. Opulence in a jar! A small amount, warmed between the hands to turn the product from a balm to a silky smooth oil, patted on the face and then massaged in circular motions, will not only calm the senses but melt away the thickest of make up gently and effectively. Expensive? Yes. An everyday essential? No. Decadent treat for a Friday facial or after a challenging day? Absolutely. I can also highly recommend her cleansing cloths too. Perfect partners!
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish– prices range from £14.50 for 100ml to £26.00 for 200ml
The good and faithful. I dare say this will always be a favourite of mine, for nostalgic reasons as much as the benefits it gives to mon visage! I won’t go into detail here. Most of you know the deal with me and this beauty. If you don’t, click here.
P.S and by the way, this is obviously a special edition version of the cult classic (and my personal favourite when I can get my hands on it!) but regardless of scent, they all do an amazing job.
Neal’s Yard Remedies Honey and Orange Facial Scrub £18.00
Over the summer of 2017 I was kindly allowed to try a little pamper hamper from a Neal’s Yard rep. A basket full of goodies from a brand I had heard of but never tried. The greatest triumph of this hamper was the face scrub. Oh…my…goodness! This has ruined ALL other exfoliants for me. I will panic if I run out of this and don’t have a back up. I firmly believe this kick started the ‘change for the better’ I’ve been experiencing with my skin. You’ve no idea how happy this actually makes me! I use this once a week, maybe twice if I feel I need it. Black heads be gone! Little bumps and lumps, banished! The consequence of this is a smoother, longer lasting make up application! I LOVE this product a ridiculous amount. (Gently does it by the way, or you’ll resemble a beetroot!) If all other exfoliants seem to leave you and your boat race feeling and looking underwhelmed, YOU NEED THIS!
If you’d like to know more about Neal’s Yard click here.
The Ordinary Niacinamide and Zinc Solution£5.00 (Not even joking!)
Has a skincare brand ever hit the market and grown with such velocity as this??? If you aren’t familiar with The Ordinary, I’m not sure where you’ve been! The brand aims to bring high quality skincare, rooted in science, to the masses but at more than reasonable prices. Think drugstore prices with luxurious results. I would advise doing your homework on each product. Some of them pack a real punch and, if not used correctly or in conjunction with other necessaries, you could do some damage. Get it right, and it’s oh so good. This little bottle of goodness is a treatment designed to target excess sebum production and blemishes. Zinc and I had a tumultuous relationship a few years ago in the form of a daily supplement, that cleared my skin but also stripped the lining of my stomach with dire side effects, but applying it topically to the face…revelation! I use this in the morning, before moisturiser, to help maintain a largely spot free face. It gives a little bit of extra insurance that my make up won’t have disappeared by elevensies!
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser £12.99
If you have oily skin, you need a water based moisturiser. Plain and simple. A cream base will be too rich for you. Water based is just right. Don’t skip on the moisturiser altogether, thinking you don’t need it. Your skin will fight back with extra oil to compensate for the lack of moisture! A previous favourite from Tarte provided the perfect level of hydration for my skin’s needs, but it’s only available from QVC and costs £30+. I gave this a go in 2017, initially wasn’t sure and now, I love it! I’m guessing it’s pretty much the same thing but for a fraction of the cost. It’s lightweight so you can’t feel it sitting on the skin and absorbs quickly. Great little product.
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + £12.00
This is a strange little product. In all honesty, I’m not entirely sure what this is supposed to be, but I can tell you what it has been doing for my skin. I have been using this in the evenings after cleansing, as a replacement for moisturiser. I think, in actual fact it can be used solely as a moisturiser for oily skin types. This has magically started to reduce the look of dark acne scarring, some of which I have been the owner of for years, gradually but effectively. It’s designed to be an anti-blemish treatment but, let’s face it, there are just certain days of the month that no matter what we girls throw at our skin, those wee buggers will continue to wriggle their way through to the surface. All the same, I’m excited to see what this gem will do with long term use. In conjunction with my current skincare regime, this is supporting the skin transformation I’ve been hoping for!
Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate £38.00
2017 saw me try oils much, much more than in previous years and my favourite, by far, has to be this one. It’s a bit of a cult among beauty enthusiasts, and with good reason. Once or twice a week I apply this over the top of my Effaclar Duo+ for an extra boost of hydration and to add a ‘je ne sai quoi’ to the appearance of my complexion. By morning, I feel my skin is at its best after using this. A touch brighter, less congested and well maintained. All from a little bottle!
Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm £20.00 and Dr Paw Paw Balm £6.95 for the full size of 25ml
I pair these two together because I don’t think you really need both but I love both. My beloved Elizabeth Arden has been on my bedside table for many moons now and never has it failed me. Without doubt, the most moisturising and effective lip treatment I have EVER used. Apply before going to sleep and wake up not only feeling a film of moisture remaining (yes even after 40+ winks) but also lips that are comforted and nourished. A MUST have if you suffer from dry, cracked, bleeding, stingy lips, particularly at this time of year.
Now the Dr Paw Paw is almost as effective, but not quite as luxurious or intense. I use this in the morning when applying my make up and then keep it in my handbag for top ups throughout the day. If you experience some crackage but nothing too drastic, then this wee one may well be enough for you. It’s also available in a couple of scents and tints if that’s what you’re into.
So there we have it! These handful of products will, most certainly, be favourites throughout the coming year and I’m excited to see what results they yield with continued use!
I have to add, a few of these faves have been the stars of my scales back skincare routine that my visage has been LOVING for the last couple of months. It’s such a satisfying feeling when you find a combination of products that actually work!
So here is to 2018…the year of the skin!
J x
