Best of 2013: Skincare!

It seems I had more skincare favourites of the year than I expected! If there's a product here that you'd like me to review in more detail, please let me know in the comments! I won't go into too much detail here otherwise we'd both be here until the end of the year, but I will talk about them briefly. It's safe to say I own a lot of skincare, but these are the products that I've been using the most consistently over the course of this year.

ARK SKINCARE PRE SKIN CLEANSE* (£24)
+ This is a really lovely little product. Up until I received this for review I had been using a micellar water & cotton pads to remove my make up, but I don't think I'll go back to that any time soon. I apply a little of this on to dry skin, massage it in and then rinse with warm water, which emulsifies it and removes almost every last scrap of make up. At £24 this isn't the most affordable product in the world and I'm not sure I'll repurchase immediately because I'd like to try some other similar products, but it's something I'd happily come back to!

BALANCE ME CLEANSE & SMOOTH FACE BALM* (£20)
+ For whenever my skin feels a little on the dry side, this is always the cleanser I reach for. There are tiny little pieces of oatmeal within the balm to very gently exfoliate and this leaves my skin feeling super clean & soft. It can leave a little bit of residue on my skin after removing with a warm flannel, so it's one I tend to stay away from if my skin is feeling a little more on the oily side.

GOOD THINGS STAY CLEAR PURIFYING CLEANSER (£4.99)
+ This was originally sent to me for review and I loved it so much I've repurchased and this is my third tube! This is the cleanser I reach for when my skin is feeling normal/oily because it leaves my face feeling super clean, but not dry or tight and there's never any residue left behind. I use this in the same way I use all my cleansers, I massage this all over my face and then remove with a warm flannel. Good Things is one of my all time favourite skincare brands, all the products I've tried have done exactly what they promised and they're incredibly affordable - they're currently 1/3rd off in Boots!

THE ROSE TREE TAHITI TIARE COCOA LIP BUTTER* (£10.50)
+ There are a lot of lip balms I really like, but this one has adopted a permanent place on my bedside table and I apply it every evening and every morning. Packed full of moisturising ingredients this is a balm that really does what it promises to do and even though it's pricey, a little certainly goes a long way!

ORGANIC SURGE MILLION DOLLAR ANYWHERE BALM (£22.50)
+ This is a little bit of a luxury product for me, again I was originally sent one of these for review and it ended up mysteriously disappearing (i.e. my mama stole it from me!) so I purchased a pot for myself. This is a balm that you can use anywhere you have any dry or irritated skin. In the winter this is my hero product & I mostly use it on my hands, elbows and nose whenever I have a pesky cold.

HEAL GEL EYE* (£32)
+ It's very rare I come across an eye product that actually makes a notable difference. I don't use this every single day, even though I probably should, but it's quite expensive and I want to make the tube last for as long as possible. On those mornings I'm feeling especially tired I apply a little of this, go and make my morning cup of coffee and then apply my make up. After letting it sit for a few minutes my eyes look a lot less tired and puffy than they were when I first woke up and it makes a lovely base for my under-eye concealer.

HEAL GEL INTENSIVE* (£37.50)
+ I deliberated for a really long time whether to mention this or the Heal Gel Face, but in the end I think I love this a little more. Another pricey product, but it really does work! I use this mostly in the mornings on my cheeks & nose when it's especially cold outside because this really soothes my skin and gives a little bit of added protection from the elements. I often get a touch of rosacea, which can flare up when it's especially cold outside and this really helps to keep any redness to a minimum.

AMIE SKIN SHIELD DAILY MOISTURISER (£5.95) 
+ This is another product I was sent and then went on to repurchase, this is my second bottle! This is one of the moisturisers I wear a lot all year round because it has an spf of 15. I'll use this in the summer if I know I'm not going to be in the sunshine for very long and in the winter as one of my main moisturisers. It can take a little bit of work for it to absorb completely, but it's really hydrating and worth the extra work I think. Total bargain too!

REN VITA MINERAL DAILY SUPPLEMENT MOISTURISING CREAM* (£19)
+ This is the moisturiser I've been using a lot this winter, when my skin has been feeling a little on the dry side. One pump is enough to do my entire face and neck so I can see this lasting for a really long time. My favourite thing about this is it's really hydrating but it's not thick and sinks in really quickly! This is a really beautiful product and one that I will always have in my stash, a definite repurchase for sure!

GOOD THINGS FACE THE DAY SPF 15 MOISTURISER* (£7.99)
+ I've just finished this tube and it was one I wore a lot at the start of this year before it started getting really sunny outside. My skin was fairly temperamental at the start of the year and this was a really gentle and hydrated my skin just enough without being too oily. I'm not sure whether this still comes with an SPF of 15, it looks like they've changed the packaging a little, but I hope it's still the same product as I'd like to repurchase.

AMIE COOLING CLAY MASK (£4.95)
+ This stuff is amazing! Whenever my skin is being really temperamental I slap a little bit of this on, leave it for 10 minutes and wash it off. The next day my skin looks and feels SO much better. This gives a really deep cleanse and feels incredibly refreshing. I wish it were a little easier to find on the high street, I think it's only available in Waitrose and John Lewis but you can find it online too. It's really worth the extra effort trying to track it down. I'll repurchase this for as long as they keep making it!

REN GLYCOLACTIC RADIANCE RENEWAL MASK (£30)
+ This is a pricey mask BUT it's 100% worth the investment! Another product I was originally sent for review and have repurchased because my skincare routine wasn't the same without it. If you're wanting a boost of brightness and radiance to your skin and/or to decongest and help with blemishes, this is the mask for you! One of the few masks that makes a noticeable difference to my skin almost immediately after use and you only need to use a little at a time to see results, so on a price-per-use basis I think this is totally worth the initial investment!

What has been your favourite skincare product of this year? 

Love, Jennie

xoxo