My 2015 Skincare Favourites

2015 Favourites continues, and just like I did in my makeup favourites, this is more of a random picks that I've loved than a "Hall of Fame" type set up. I think skincare has taken over in the last few years as my favourite element of beauty so I own and test a lot of it but I have some definite favourites this year.

My cleansing favourite through the year has been the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. While in the very last week of the year I've found something that I think may top it (trust me, I'm just as surprised a regular readers) this has been with me all year and while I've been using it sparingly, it always makes my skin look amazing and the experience of using it is blissful. Will continue to use this in my rotation even if it does eventually fall of that top spot.

For makeup removal there is nothing more worth the money than the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. The packaging is pants but the actual product inside is amazing. Removes makeup quicker than anything else out there. I do like traditional eye-makeup removers but I prefer this of any of them.

I feel a bit of a cheat for including 3 "cleansing" products in this round up, but for a convenient skincare product, the Garnier Micellar Water has been something of a lifesaver for me this year. It's not something I use daily and it's not something I recommend as your "cleanse" step. But in scenarios where you've got home late or your up early and your general tone is "can't be bothered" this is a great cheat. My skin won't look it's best if I use this as my only cleanser for a few days but for occasional use it's fine and I like to keep a bottle on hand for emergencies.

My facial spritz of the year has been the La Roche Posay Serozinc. I'm so happy that this product finally made it's way onto the UK high street and while there are more luxurious spritz's out there, this one is both the most effective and the most affordable. I love the calming spray and it does keep my break-outs a bay when I'm using it. It's one of those products that I keep in backup.

Best serum is an easy one: Indeed Labs Hydraluron. The Sarah Chapman Skinesis Hydrating Booster is pretty similar for effect but feels a bit nicer going on if you're feeling a bit spend-y or you're wanting a bit of a treat. But bang-for buck? Indeed Labs every time. I've repurchased multiple times. It's in the backup drawer. It's used at least 3 times a week. Absolute must-have. I always stock up when it's on offer in Boots.

For my moisturiser step, I flit between them all the time depending on how dry/oily my skin is, whether I'm wearing makeup ect. So rather than pick a favourite I'd just mention a few that have worked great for me over the last year: the MV Organics Rose Plus Booster, the Clarins Lotus Facial Oil, the N-Spa Oil-Free Moisture Gel, Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial, Omoravicza Illuminating Moisturiser and the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser. There's probably some that I've missed out but they've all been great for me in 2015.

Check back on Friday for the "Other Beauty Bumf" edition of the 2015 series. :)

Treat Week - High End Skincare Favourites

Part 2 of the Treat Week will be focused on my favourite beauty category: skincare. For me, skincare is the area of beauty that really gets me going and I do think it's really worth investing in your skincare routine. That being said, if you're looking for products on a budget I do have a post with my top 15 low-cost skincare products as well (clicky link here).

So firstly, lets get this one out of the way because regular readers will have seen this one coming a mile off: the Oskia Renaissance Cleasning Gel. I've been testing out a lot of products lately and trying to use up other things so this hasn't had as much use lately, but it's still an amazing cleanser that I will rush out to repurchase once I finish it.

Another cleanser that get mentioned quite a bit on here is the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm. I don't like this quite as much as the Oskia but it's still nice. It has a lovely fresh citrus-y scent to it and it's a tiny bit bitty on the skin compared to the Oskia, but it works well as a first, second or morning cleanse.

I love a good serum and one that I always come back to when my skin is going through a rough time is the Esteé Lauder Advanced Night Repair. It's a thin jelly-like texture that spreads well on the skin and it's basically good skin in a bottle. I like it for when I maybe have a few break-outs forming or some serious redness going on.

I think I'm getting myself a reputation as a collector of facial oils and I have 3 from the high end that I love and would repurchase until the cows came home. Firstly, my morning-in, pamper routine facial oil is the Sarah Chapman Morning Facial. This is a lovely citrus-y oil that's very nourishing on the skin and while it can be used under makeup, I prefer to use this on mornings where I won't be doing anything and apply quite a decent layer and let my skin absorb it slowly throughout the morning.

My second facial oil pick is also an AM oil: the Clarins Lotus Face Oil. As this oil is specifically formulated for oily skin this is the one I wear under makeup quite a lot of the time. It seems to have some oil-controlling properties to it and I do notice that my makeup doesn't break down as quickly when I use this as my morning hit of hydration.

And then the oil that regular readers might have known was coming: the MV Organics Rose Plus Booster. I'll prefix this mini-review with a quick disclaimer: this product is trés expensive, and if it's out of your budget, try one of the other 2 I've recommended (or actually, the Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial is a goodie too, this one just pipped it to the post in my opinion). It's a real treat and I use it sparingly because it's eye-wateringly expensive for such a tiny vial of product. That being said, it is actually twice the amount of product as you get in the Sarah Chapman range for less than double the price, so if you do some girly maths, it works out a good deal *scrambles to justify a repurchase*.

I wasn't really sure if Indeed Labs Hydralyron counted as a "high-end" product, after all it is something you can buy off the shelf in Boots, but it was outside my £15 budget for my high-street post and I wanted to make sure I hammered home my love for this product. I've already repurchased this once despite having other serums in my rotation to use up but it's just a good'en. Very hydrating, again a slightly jelly-ish texture. Much love, and much better than the Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster if you ask me.

A couple of mask picks now, for an overnight hit of hydration, the well known blogger hyped Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is a good'en. It's essentially a really intensive PM moisturiser that smells delightful, (even the boyfriend likes the smell of this one). It's not one I reach for all the time at the moment but it's something I crack out a lot in the colder months.

My absolute favourite mask at the moment is the REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial. It's just so quick. I put a light layer on in the evening, brush my teeth and then remove,it's such an easy one and it leaves the skin silky smooth and not stripped at all. A real hero product in my stash.

And hen finally, a surprise product that's relatively new to me: the Skyn Iceland Glacial Cleansing Wipes. Now don't get me wrong, I am definitely not saying that you could use these as your main source of cleansing for the rest of forever and you'd have amazing skin, and generally, I'm anti-face-wipe. But there's a time and a place. I take these with me when I'm camping or staying somewhere where hogging the bathroom for a double cleanse routine isn't an option and they're lovely. They're very saturated wipes and they're actually a little bit bubbly, I think these are the closest I've come to actually cleansing with a face wipe.