Ok so here are my top skincare picks from 2016. I’ve been relatively *safe* with my skincare buys this year except one fail with Zelens that you can read about on my ‘Beauty Losers of 2016‘ post. I think I have kind of come to a plateau where I just know what brands and ingredients work for my skin so I’ve been sticking around those mainly. A few newbies to my favourites though such as the Dirty Works Micellar Water, the Super Facialist Rose Mask & the SJAL pearl enzyme mask. You can read all about why I loved these products so much and more below.
My skincare winners!…
Let’s kick off with the all-important CLEANSERS. Still hanging around in my cabinets is the DHC Cleansing Oil. I have a hoard of oil-based cleansing balms and a big nod still goes to the Emma Hardie Balm but the DHC is just super quick, efficient with the pump dispenser, and I have found myself using it more than ever this year. It’s replaced my ever-loved Shu Uemura cleansing oils as it’s a lot better value AND you can no longer get Shu Uemura in the UK. For quick and speedy makeup removal and something that I love for travel is the Dirty Works Micellar Water. I have introduced this before on my blog and I really do love it. I think this is my 3rd bottle. Just does what it says on the tin AND only costs £4. The Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel has been my favourite *more fancy cleansers* and I love the fact that it is a hybrid between a liquid oil and a thick balm so it quite literally melts onto the skin and swipes makeup off your face. You also get the ease of use (pump dispenser) that a liquid oil has and the feel of a lovely deep cleanse that a balm gives. It also contains brightening pumpkin enzymes to enliven the skin.
When it comes to FACE OILS we know Sunday Riley has you covered on all bases. I am a bit of a superfan of her skincare and have a lot of the range *cough probably the entire range*. Last year, I went back to the first oil , and her original : JUNO. This is kinda the one that anyone can use, gives the skin a boost with superfood oils and obsession-worthy glowing skin. On paper this probably isn’t my *ideal* Sunday Riley oil, but it’s now my most-used one. Luna was put aside this year for the Pestle & Mortar Superstar oil. Another PM, retinol-based oil that has a lot of similarities to the LUNA but it’s a little cheaper and I found it had a great impact on my skin. You can read my in-depth review of that (& a comparison between it and the SR LUNA right here.)
In terms of DAILY ESSENTIALS , I have been lovin’ the Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Eye Cream, one of the only eye creams that I have been able to consistently use without it giving me milia (I’ve had major problems in the past). It’s nice to finally found something that seems to work for me AND an eye cream that is suitable for people who are oily around that area too. Last year I also splurged on a cream I had been eyeing up for SO LONG after getting a wee sample which is the little-know Dr. Jackson 02 Skin Cream. Don’t be fooled by the un-assuming, slightly dull-looking apothecary-style bottle : This is full of amazing ingredients and organic oils that just work really well on me. On paper, I should have opted for their no.1 cream (better for oily/breakout skin) AND the no.2 is *meant* to be more of a PM cream, but it makes my skin feel amazing and it simply works. Definitely a brand that I will be purchasing more of this year.
Now onto the TREATMENTS : A gorgeous luxury mask that blew my socks off has been the SJAL Pearl Enzyme mask/exfoliator. I am going to do a more in-depth review on this later in the month as there is a few of their products that I really am rating. From first use it made my skin look absolutely unreal, smooth, baby-soft and it’s my go-to face exfoliator for when I want my skin to look it’s utter best. The only thing I don’t like is the price tag GULP. More coming on this product and range soon. Another face mask, on the absolute other end of the budget spectrum AND kind of does the opposite to the aforementioned pearl enzyme mask is the Una Brennan Rose Hydrate Intense Moisture Mask. This is just a really simple, soothing and hydrating mask that is a cream formula you can simply slather on. Has been a godsend for travelling and perfect to balance out all the active, exfoliating, acid-based masks I use on the regs.
Last up is a bit of a multi-tasking balm. I always have a few on the go but this made such a dramatic difference to my dry cuticles that I have to include it. IT’S A GOD DAMN WONDER BALM! I’m going to do a full review of this and show you the before/afters but a long story short, I have this *thing* ; there’s a special scientific name for it, but I basically bite and chew my cuticles until they bleed…..and often even after they have started to bleed. It’s gross but it happens when I get anxiety. I will often have to wear plasters on my thumbs due to the bleeding and to stop me continuing to bite. ANYHOW, I started to use the Purepotions Skin Salvation Moisturising Ointment on my hands and tips to treat the wounds and it literally worked and healed overnight. It has no chemicals in it at all just beeswax, olive fruit oil, hemp seed oil, calendula and other glorious natural plant-based ingredients. Since I first used it on my horrible hands, I have also started to use this simply as my multi-purpose balm – everywhere and anywhere and it is one of the best ones I have used and super cheap at around £8 for this giant tub of goodness. You can buy Pure Potions form health shops, Holland & Barrett, Whole Foods etc. Please get this if you have any kind of sore skin, rashes, eczema, itchy skin etc….you will not be disappointed.
Any of your favourites here? Or perhaps there are products here you haven’t found so good? Let me know!
Psssstt if you didn’t read it already then check out my 2016 Makeup Winners.
