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2024 has been another epic year for me in the Beauty category, one in which I can really say I found MY PRODUCTS (or at least most of them). As a recovering product junkie, I have tried far less products this year than in previous years, and if you follow my Sunday “Empties” series on Instagram (if you don’t, fix it now – here you go!), you will see that a lot of my empties this year have been repeat products from previous years.
In this post, I’m sharing my hero products this year. My beauty superstars. There may be other products that I have tried and enjoyed but this post is reserved for the ones that I have repurchased and/or will definitely repurchase. It’s quite the list I’ve pulled together so I split it into two posts. This post is for Skincare and Bodycare. CLICK HERE for the Makeup, Hair and Fragrance edition. For background – I am 40 years old and have oily/combination skin, hormonal acne and hyperpigmentation issues. Now let’s dive in!
SKINCARE
- Makeup Remover | My go to is Garnier Micellar Water. I buy and then buy and then buy. It lasts ages and comes at such a good price. If I’m using a cleansing balm, it’s The Inkey List Oat Cleansing Balm.
- Cleanser | It has got to be L’Oréal Paris Revitalift Filler Replumping Gel Wash. When I did the empties post for this, I declared I would buy it the moment I saw it in a shop. Actually I meant to say I will buy 5! When travelling I use the Sephora Super Glow Cleansing Powder. It’s a great dupe for the Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant (which I have also used and enjoyed) and it’s affordable.
- Serums
- Vitamin C | Ok here come the big bucks because my current Vitamin C is the most expensive item in my regimen. It’s not just a splurge item, I find it to be absolutely critical to my skin. My skin has NEVER glowed like this before. It’s soooooooo good. It’s Skinceuticals Serum 10. I hate it for me that’s it’s so expensive but it really does its job so I can’t be mad. Their CE Ferulic Serum is even more expensive but I have found it gives similar results. At least the Serum 10 is cheaper so yep, this is me.
- Peptides | I love the No7 Future Renew Serum, Olay Super Serum, Medik8 Liquid Peptides. Each serum is amazing, my skin has never felt so supple and taken care of. Love ’em.
- Niacinamide | It has to be the Naturium Niacinamide serum for me. It’s gentle, calming for my skin, goes on like a dream and does not pill. A repeat purchase.
- Retinol | I approach retinol with fear and trembling because I thought I got used to it and then definitely BURNT my face. For a gentle retinol that I can use multiple times a week, it’s the Olay Retinol 24 MAX Night Serum and for a more potent and visible impact, it has to be the Drunk Elephant A Passioni Retinol Cream – gentle enough not to burn but powerful enough to run the years back.
- Night creams | Arguably my favourite step in my regimen and my favourites are Hada Labo Night Super Cream, Cosrx Ceramide Cream and No7 Future Renew Night Cream. All absolute legends that deliver amazing skin in the morning.
- Exfoliating Toner | The two exfoliating staples in my regimen that are both repeat purchases are Biologique Recherche P50V Lotion and Paula’s Choice BHA Solution. I prefer the BR P50V for results but prefer the price of the Paula’s Choice.
- Moisturisers | Cosrx is the brand I turn to here – Hydrium Moisture Power Enriched Cream. I tend to forego moisturisers in the summer when it’s scorching hot, but I like the Moisture Power Enriched Cream for the cooler months or basically until it gets too hot for too many products on skin.
- SPF | Last but certainly not least I use Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence SPF50 and La Roche PosaySPFs – Anthelios UVMune 400 Invisible Fluid SPF50+ and Anthelios UVMune 400 Hydrating Cream SPF50+ and Anthelios UVMune 400 Oil Control Fluid SPF50+.
BODYCARE
- Moisturisers | for the colder months my go-to moisturiser is Neutrogena Deep Moisture Body Lotion. Comparatively speaking, I find it to be very affordable and gets the job done. You will NOT catch me playing Ashy Larry outside. No suh! It’s more expensive colleague in my beauty cabinet (but still a moisturiser fave) is the Biotherm Oil Therapy Baume Corps. I find it to be a tad lighter than the Neutrogena lotion but still does a wonderful skin hydrating job and is my go-to as soon as the temperature enters positive territory. Negative temperatures are strictly Neutrogena Deep Moisture territory. In the warmer and sunnier months, I use Biotherm SunMilk as a moisturiser. Love love love it, though I won’t lie, the moment I find a more affordable option, I’m out. Been saying that for years but never mind.
- Body Oil | LIHA Idan Oil. I loooooooooooooooove this body oil. It gives me the most soft and silky skin and smells divine. It’s an indulgence for me, and I reserve its use mostly for the winter months when I feel like I need it more.
- Body Exfoliating Body Cream | Skinfix AHA/BHA Renewing Cream is the one for me when it comes to body exfoliating creams. A close second is the Paula’s Choice 2% BHA Body Exfoliant. Been trying to get my head round body retinols still deciding if I need them in addition to the body exfoliants.
- Shower products | Shower wise, long time followers especially on IG know that I am a Radox girlie. Yes, I’ve been fighting with them because of their nonsense scents in recent times but I still check every time I’m in London what their section of the shower gel shelf in Boots is saying. They’re affordable, smell great (usually!) and get you clean. For a rinse off product, what more could you ask for? I’ve also started loving Zara Home’s shower gel products – good products, they smell really nice and you get a lot of product for a relatively decent price. I’m not mad. Poetic Mind is definitely a staple for me – ugh it smells so good! Body scrub has become less of a staple in my routine and more of an indulgence, but when I buy, I always go to Soap & Glory. They do their thing over there and the Smoothie Star Exfoliating Breakfast Body Scrub is my fave.
