*AD-GIFT (This post contains gifted/PR items)
Following on from my last blog post where I shared A Few Realistic Goals for 2021 I have been in a very reflecting phase, which is only natural at the start of a brand new year and with that it got me thinking back to the good old days where i’d share beauty round ups from the year. Although I have steered away from beauty over the last year or so, I still try out new products here and there so I thought i’d share with you a few beauty favourites from 2020 in the hope it introduces you to some new products.
My beauty favourites from 2020 are as follows..
If you have been an avid reader on my little space on the internet this year then you will have no doubt seen that I shared a lot about skincare through 2020. Skincare for me has been a firm favourite of mine through my entire blogging journey and is the area of beauty that I explore the most now as I approach turning thirty (lets not go there). Having said that I did actually try a couple of new makeup products in 2020, which is a surprise to me because I have got to that point in my life where I stick to what I know and like. So without babbling on too much, let’s get into my beauty favourites from 2020.
Skincare
Let’s start with skincare, purely because it’s the category that I am the most excited to talk about. Through lockdown I really gave my skin a bit more of my time as I wanted to attempt to finally clear up my acne that I have always referred to as hormonal and it may well be, but even so I wanted it gone. Safe to say I definitely discovered some products that have massively helped but still the battle continues. A product that I have been wanting to try for the longest time is The Ordinary Peeling Solution (£6.30) as I had heard some amazing reviews on this and how it was really good at clearing acne. I ordered this back in March/April and I am just coming to the end of my first bottle, which goes to show how far this small bottle goes and for the first few months I was amazed. It really worked to zap my acne and I found when using this regularly my acne was a lot less irritated/active, but when I didn’t keep us regular use it would come back just as bad as it had before. Safe to say that I won’t be giving up on this product and I have actually just ordered a second bottle, I just need to ensure to keep up regular use of it to experience its full potential.
Another skincare brand I really enjoyed trying some new products from was the brand Typology. I did an entire blog post on their products of which you can read My First Impressions on Typology Skincare and hear more about a few more of their products, but there was two specific products that I love and still use to this day. The first being the Typology Hydrating Cleansing Bar* (£11.80) which is the first cleanser I’ve used in a soap/bar form. I absolutely love this product, especially when my acne is at its worst because it not only cleanses my skin but just works to not irritate or clog up my pores anymore than they already are. I have always found that when my skin is playing up that you can’t go wrong with a simple soap and this is one i’d really recommend. Another product from them that has gotten a lot of use is the Typology Exfoliating Serum* (£19.80) which is an glycolic acid of which i’m sure any acne/spot sufferers out there know, that glycolic acid is really good for their skin. Although a salicylic acid comes more recommended, I find this to still work wonders on my skin. So much so that I’ve nearly finished up this bottle too!
Makeup
Moving onto makeup and I’ve actually realised whilst typing this up that I’m sharing a product from my Beauty Favourites from 2019 so that goes to show how little I switch up my makeup products and just how much I love this product. The product in question is the TooFaced Gingerbread Eyeshadow Palette which I believe the original I have is no longer available, but I am just speaking about TooFaced palettes as a general here and how amazing they are. I have two of which I love and use both on a weekly basis. The shadows are so pigmented and blend beautifully to make some incredible eye looks. If you’re anything like me and don’t really experiment massively with eyeshadow looks, then these palettes are great because I have created some amazing eyeshadow looks with the least amount of effort possible.
A couple of other makeup products that I discovered in 2020 was from Revlon who I haven’t really tried that many products from before, but I was on the look out for a new foundation as I didn’t want to waste my double wear during lockdown, because 1) it’s pricey and 2) who needs to be wearing double wear when they’re not doing anything? Certainly not me! So after browsing my local Superdrug aisles for a good twenty minutes I settled on trying the Revlon Candid Foundation (£9.99). Advertised as a light weight medium coverage foundation I thought I’d give it a go and safe to say I absolutely love it, so much so that it has become my everyday foundation. I actually ended up buying two shades to mix together during the summer months so that when I was wearing fake tan, I was able to match my face to my tan as I don’t put fake tan on my face. Would definitely recommend if you’re looking for a new foundation! Another product that I picked up at the same was the Revlon Skin Lights Illuminator (£9.99) which is essentially a highlighting primer. I have been using this under my foundation now for around six months and I just love the glow that this gives my skin. It also completely stops my foundation from clinging to any dry patches of my skin and overall just makes it look nice and dewy. Another product I’d really recommend.
Haircare
Being completely honest, I stopped sharing haircare posts a long time ago because they just didn’t go down that well with my readers but one product that I have to tell you about is the Easy Hair Smooth Hair Stick (£12.50). If you really struggle to tame your baby hairs when you’re wearing your hair up and no amount of hairspray will hold them down, then this product is for you! I have been blessed with baby hairs/snapped hair that essentially looks like I have horns on my head and let me tell you, it’s not a good look. For months I’ve been looking for a product to help tame them and when an Instagram AD came up for this product, I was all over it! I’ve been using this now for a good few months and it is amazing. With the use of a bit of hairspray and then using this, the brush really pulls the baby hairs back but actually keeps them there all day. Yes ALL DAY! Honestly I am so glad I found this product in 2020 as it has changed my hair routine for the better.
So those are a few beauty favourites from 2020! I know that I don’t tend to share all that much beauty anymore, but I do really enjoy doing the odd favourites round up and I hope you enjoyed this post too.
What were your beauty favourites from 2020?
