One thing that I love about Januaries is that most beauty gurus of youtube post their favourites of the year. I find it very interesting to have a review of the entire year and compare what was my own favourites in comparison to theirs. Now, I don't have a youtube channel (you've been spared, trust me) but I thought I still could give you a sneaky peek of my favourites of the last year, the blogging way.
I've chosen skincare because that's mostly where a (drastic) change happened to be quite honest. I've obviously discovered tons of new make-up as well, but that's what a beauty blogger/addict/obsessed does right ? Plus, I find skincare products particularly clever to share; who knows, if those products worked for me, maybe they could work for you, too.
Fair enough, let's move to the heart of the subject; my skin saviours. Bare in mind that my skin type is between combination and oily, more on the oily side and pretty damn sensitive. I have a blemish/imperfection prone skin, that thanks God become more and more manageable with time (and efforts). In other words, I'm normal, fortunate enough not to suffer from severe acne, but never spared by that oh-so-wonderful time of the month. Aren't we lucky to be women?
1. CLEANSERS
To do things in order, let's begin with cleansers. Like most of the products that I'm going to share with you here, those are no strangers - most have been featured in many blog posts, youtube videos and for a reason; they do work. So don't expect any life-changing surprise if you're already a subscriber of youtube's beauty community, but it never hurts to have another opinion.
1. BIODERMA MICELLAIRE WATER : Do I even need to talk about it ? It has been everyone's "micellarious" holy-grail for years now, so I'll make it short; it is a very clever product that is brilliant at removing eye make-up (if not waterproof) and at pre-cleansing. YES I said pre-cleansing, if you still use it as a one-step-cleaning, then stop reading, and go back here.
2. LIZ EARLE CLEANSE & POLISH : That's a winner, year after year, no matter what skin type you are, it works for everyone. Haven't seen any bad reviews on this baby so far, so the love needs to be shared: if you have a dry or normal-ish skin, you'll love it's creamy consistency, very nourishing, not ripping at all. If you have a skin type more similar to mine, you'll love it too, as it is particularly gentle on the skin. It's meant to be applied on dry skin, and removes any trace of make-up (I still like to use a separate eye make-up remover though).Whenever my skin freaks out, I go back to this as I know it will calm everything down and get it back on the right track.
3. REN CLEARCALM CLARIFYING CLAY CLEANSER : The entire line is a miracle for blemish-prone skin; like Liz Earle's this one is very gentle on the skin and like it's name says, calming. While healing the current breakouts, it prevents others from pointing their nasty nose. You can't go wrong with this one really.
4. CLINIQUE TAKE THE DAY OFF CLEANSING BALM : In winter, balms are a definite must have, especially if you have dry skin; if you haven't tried it yet, go for it, but be prepared to fall in love. As for oily skins, please get over that myth that you should stay away from oily products; it is true that oil-free moisturisers are more appropriate, mostly to provide a matte finish, more adequate as a make-up base as well as to keep those pores unclogged. But most of oily skins are as dehydrated as any other could be and treating your skin with good oils can really, really help. To sum it up, this balm is amazing at taking all of your make-up off (makes wonders with mascara !) in the smoothest way possible.
2. TONER
2. TONER
MICHAEL TODD BLUE GREEN ALGAE TONER : This is an easy one, Michael Todd's toner is the only one that made it through the year really. I've tried several, such as Liz Earle's, but this one is by far my favourite. It works pretty well at maintaining a clear, imperfection-free skin as it is an anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory toner. 'Loving the smell, the effect and the price. A definite keeper.
3. SERUMS/TREATMENTS
3. SERUMS/TREATMENTS
1. HEALGEL : I've talk about this product before and not much needs to be said really, it is impressively effective at reducing stubborn scars and healing the new ones. AND it doesn't clog pores, like so many rich treatments do.
2. ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR : Again, you've read about this little one before; one of the most loved serum ever. It is great at, like its name says, repairing any kind of damages. I find it especially brilliant at fading breakouts and scars as well as helping dull complexions (hello hangover saviour) You can bet that this one is going to be featured in many favourites posts to come, if not all of them.
3. ROSEHIP OIL : Rosehip oil is known for helping to tone the complexion in general, reducing redness, restoring a balance and sometimes even to fade scars. I love to use it at night as a moisturiser whenever my skin is in trouble, to weak up with a healthier-looking skin.
4. MOISTURISERS
1. REN CLEARCALM REPLENISHING GEL CREAM : Like I said, I'm the biggest fan of the entire Clearcalm line. It is brilliant at both clearing and calming your skin. This moisturising gel has been a total skin-saviour during the past few weeks, especially during my exams - 'cause there's no better occasion for breakouts than stressful periods, 'ya all know how it works. It definitely helped calming down angry blemishes while preventing new ones from appearing. I'm pretty sure it helped with the scaring process too, as I have a damn sensitive/thin skin and spots usually left their mark on my skin for aaagees. Well, not anymore my friends, the war against breakouts has started. Ren has your back.
2. KORRES WILD ROSE BRIGHTENING MOISTURISER: This baby hasn't been in my collection for that long, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, because it is amazing. I have the combination/oily formula, and it's perfect as a day cream, even though you could totally wear it day'n night. I'm in LOVE with its rosy scent and its texture,it gets on smoothly and gets absorbed by the skin in no time, leaving a shine-free, smoother, brighter skin. Nothing bad to say about really, even its price is seductive (you can find it here).
3. ORIGINS GINZING ENERGY-BOOSTING MOISTURISER: 'Gonna sound a bit shallow and obsessed with scents here, but this moisturiser smells just as heavenly as the previous one. Now, I know, it doesn't mean a product is any good, plus strongly fragranced products usually break me out. Thank god those ones don't. As suggested by it's vibrant orangy packaging, this moisturiser has a divine fresh scent that instantly boost you - it's the best when it comes to early moody mornings or hangovers. I fell for its gel-y consistency, that makes it lighter on the skin. It is not formulated for oily skins, but I've been just fine with a good mattifying primer on the top if I really want to wear make-up. I have to admit that I just followed the hype for this one, it was everyone's choice last summer and I just couldn't stay away from it - and honestly, I'm glad I didn't.
5. LIP CARE
1. EUCERIN ACUTE LIP BALM: A winner if you suffer of chapped, dry and seriously damaged lips - we've all been there right? It even beats Carmex.
2. LUSH LIP SCRUB: A cult product, if you've never heard of it, where the hell have you been ? Smells good, works good, it even taste good.
3. FIGS & ROUGE : My personal favourite. Now, I picked the coco-vanilla scent, and I won't lie to you, it stinks. Maybe it's only me, but I got seriously put off by it, so much that when I purchased it I left it in the back for a while. What a mistake. If my skin in general is quite sensitive, my lips are super sensitive, can't even tell. ANYTHING breaks me out. Yeah, I break out on my lips. The odds are on my side though, because I haven't been in too much trouble with lipsticks, but as soon as I try some fancy lip balm such as the so hyped Nuxe Rêve de Miel, bam, break out. Why is this balm different ? I don't really know, maybe because it is 100% natural? It is definitely thick, the kind of product you want to apply before heading to bed. And man, it's so cheap ! There's no way I'm falling for the By Terry Baume de Rose trend, I swear.
6. MASKS
4. MOISTURISERS
1. REN CLEARCALM REPLENISHING GEL CREAM : Like I said, I'm the biggest fan of the entire Clearcalm line. It is brilliant at both clearing and calming your skin. This moisturising gel has been a total skin-saviour during the past few weeks, especially during my exams - 'cause there's no better occasion for breakouts than stressful periods, 'ya all know how it works. It definitely helped calming down angry blemishes while preventing new ones from appearing. I'm pretty sure it helped with the scaring process too, as I have a damn sensitive/thin skin and spots usually left their mark on my skin for aaagees. Well, not anymore my friends, the war against breakouts has started. Ren has your back.
2. KORRES WILD ROSE BRIGHTENING MOISTURISER: This baby hasn't been in my collection for that long, but I thought I'd mention it anyway, because it is amazing. I have the combination/oily formula, and it's perfect as a day cream, even though you could totally wear it day'n night. I'm in LOVE with its rosy scent and its texture,it gets on smoothly and gets absorbed by the skin in no time, leaving a shine-free, smoother, brighter skin. Nothing bad to say about really, even its price is seductive (you can find it here).
3. ORIGINS GINZING ENERGY-BOOSTING MOISTURISER: 'Gonna sound a bit shallow and obsessed with scents here, but this moisturiser smells just as heavenly as the previous one. Now, I know, it doesn't mean a product is any good, plus strongly fragranced products usually break me out. Thank god those ones don't. As suggested by it's vibrant orangy packaging, this moisturiser has a divine fresh scent that instantly boost you - it's the best when it comes to early moody mornings or hangovers. I fell for its gel-y consistency, that makes it lighter on the skin. It is not formulated for oily skins, but I've been just fine with a good mattifying primer on the top if I really want to wear make-up. I have to admit that I just followed the hype for this one, it was everyone's choice last summer and I just couldn't stay away from it - and honestly, I'm glad I didn't.
5. LIP CARE
1. EUCERIN ACUTE LIP BALM: A winner if you suffer of chapped, dry and seriously damaged lips - we've all been there right? It even beats Carmex.
2. LUSH LIP SCRUB: A cult product, if you've never heard of it, where the hell have you been ? Smells good, works good, it even taste good.
3. FIGS & ROUGE : My personal favourite. Now, I picked the coco-vanilla scent, and I won't lie to you, it stinks. Maybe it's only me, but I got seriously put off by it, so much that when I purchased it I left it in the back for a while. What a mistake. If my skin in general is quite sensitive, my lips are super sensitive, can't even tell. ANYTHING breaks me out. Yeah, I break out on my lips. The odds are on my side though, because I haven't been in too much trouble with lipsticks, but as soon as I try some fancy lip balm such as the so hyped Nuxe Rêve de Miel, bam, break out. Why is this balm different ? I don't really know, maybe because it is 100% natural? It is definitely thick, the kind of product you want to apply before heading to bed. And man, it's so cheap ! There's no way I'm falling for the By Terry Baume de Rose trend, I swear.
6. MASKS
Last but not least, let's talk about masks. I'm a huge skincare junkie and I get very excited when it comes to treatments. In 2013 I discovered some amazing new products that deserve to be properly shared (and I swear it was such a pain to choose only five, so bear with me).
1. LIZ EARLE GENTLE FACE EXFOLIATOR: Definitely my favourite scrub - I fell for its relaxing smell and its divine texture. Like fire and ice, this exfoliator is literally hard and butter-y at the same time *sounds very wrong, sorry*. Perfect if you have a sensitive skin like mine, you'll be left with the smoothest skin ever.
2. YSL TOP SECRET GRANULE-FREE EXFOLIATOR: I've never read any review about this product before, and it was the first time I tried a skin care related product from a high end brand such as YSL but I wasn't disappointed. It is very strongly (amazingly) scented, but is suitable for sensitive skin as mine coped with it just fine. It has a very thick consistency, almost waxy, that you have to work on your skin with you fingers until it breaks out into an oil - that's when you know the job is done. It leaves the skin feeling softer than ever and when applied at night, you wake up with a brighter complexion too. It feels and smells very luxurious, and well, so does its price, but I'd definitely repurchase it when I run out of it.
3. REN CLEARCALM CLARITY RESTORING MASK : Aren't ya sick of reading about this Clearcalm line ? Sorry, I've warned you, 'loving those babies. Like the rest of the line, the mask is meant to help freaked out skins by calming down the inflammation, reducing the appearance of those red heads and preventing others. It's amazing, that's all I have to say really.
4. ORIGINS CLEAR IMPROVEMENT MASK : This charcoal mask is what I've been reaching for during the past year whenever I was truly desperate. The Ren one is amazing at calming everything down, but this one is brilliant at kicking the ass of those spots. Very effective at gently drying them out, it really makes them go away faster.
5. AESOP PARSLEY SEED CLEANSING MASK: My first ever Aesop product. I 'no, I'm late on this one. It is a multi-tasking mask that does it all, ideal to use once a week to a) cleanse everything in depth, b) help dull skin and c) heal break-outs. The myth is real you people, go and get it if you haven't already.
YOU MADE IT ! I'm done talking. Well, writing. I know it was a very long post, but I hardly could have cut it down any more. I hope that it gave you some inspiration/motivation to take care of your skin in 2014. If you have any further question(s), please don't hesitate to post a comment, I'd gladly try to help you out.
I'm finally heading back to London on Wednesday, I have no words to express how freaking thrilled I am to go back ! I literally wanted to go back ever since I went on that plane last August. Be prepared, I'll have a LOT to share when coming back. My credit card's gonna hate me forever.
Enough rambling, I hope you started the year well, let me know what were your 2013 favourites !
With love,
