Now we are fully in the swing of 2020 I thought now would be a good time to share my 2019 go-tos! Now I want to stress that I have found some great products which I use weekly or on special occasions but I want to run through my every day essentials, products I have ran out of and re-brought, products that if I go away I ensure they are in my bag and products that if i cannot find i freak out and throw a proper teenage tantrum. So without further ado here's my 2019 hot list!
I'll start with my Skin Care routine through to my Make Up bag. So, first up is my Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanse & Polish, this has been a daily ritual for me for the past year, I'll admit I am better at using it in the evening than in the morning but this cleanser paired with the muslin cloth is my skin savoir. Armed with a botanical scent, its longevity & ease of use is a dream and I am convinced this will be in my skin care routine for a long, long time (I am currently on my 5th bottle). Another firm skincare favourite has been my The Ordinary 0.2% Retinol in Squalane, not only is this power player great for fine lines it has been proven to improve uneven skin tone too! I use this serum most evenings, smothering my face in it (word of warning pillow cases do get ruined) and I really feel like this makes a difference to my skin. I would recommend starting low percentage if you are giving this a try as it is powerful and test this on a small part of your skin, i was so cautious to start with but now I have built up tolerance to this I can probably handle stepping it up to a higher percentage once i've ran out of this bottle, please always pair with an SPF the next day if you are going to give this a try.
A 'twice a week' ritual for me was to use Vitamin C to inject some radiance into my skin by working on brightening my complexion. I purchased, again The Ordinary; Vitamin C Suspension 23% + HA Suspension 2% early 2019 and blimey I really did feel this tingle on my skin with just a small amount! But the results were amazing! I tend to use this midweek and a Friday evening before the weekend. I have discovered the Ole Henriksen Vitamin C cream prior to Christmas and love this too so I would say I am not necessarily loyal to a brand but I am saying Vitamin C is staying put for 2020! The last member of my go to skincare has been my... wait for it.... Lidl Cien Q10 Night Cream. I ran out of an Olay one I was using and read some great things about this (a dupe of Nivea Q10) and i love it! I wouldn't say it has worked dramatically to reduce fine lines (sometimes it can be hard to attribute a particular product when you use many) but this rich night cream goes on like a dream and smells lovely and most importantly i wake up with my skin feels nice & plump which leads me to believe it has been working some magic whilst i get my beauty sleep. With a tiny price tag below £3 its a great find and i'm sure I will repurchase!
On to my Make Up bag... I have had some solid staples this year and I want to start with my Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser, this should belong in my skincare section but I consider this as part of my make up, this has replaced my primer in 2019 due to its beautifully light consistency paired with the fact this keeps my skin slightly tacky, ready for my foundation or concealer. I love this moisturiser and use it daily, it hydrates my skin and is easy to blend around my face without sinking straight in to my skin. You can also pair the moisturiser with an Active Cartridge (ID) tailored to your skincare needs, I currently have the Concentrate for Fatigue which is armed with Taurine, claimed to energise & revive my skin, the two together I really recommend for any busy ladies looking for a daily injection of life into your skin! Next is my Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, I do not have a solid contender for a foundation this year but I am on my second purchase of this concealer and most days don't bother with foundation to allow my skin to breathe. I use both shades Light Vanilla 2 & Custard, depending on day or night or if i have a tan. This concealer is perfect for my sensitive under eye area, gone are my thick concealers and in with the light and creamy one! I use this to conceal dark circles under my eyes and around redder areas or blemished areas around my face for a little pick me up, by buff this in with my stippling brush I get great coverage with this concealer, I highly recommend adding this to your make up bag!
Another make up product I used daily was my Benefit Hoola Bronzer. I feel like I am about 10 years behind in discovering this, from memory I think this was in a Birch Box and I now use this daily, I luckily received another in my Beauty Advent Calendar and was so pleased... so technically I haven't paid for this product yet! I use the original shade but Benefit have released another shade for anyone who finds this shade a little too orange toned. I find it blends like a dream! Sticking with Benefit, their Roller Lash Mascara has been a staple in my make up bag, I am on my 2nd. I love the look of my lashes after using this, I feel like it gives me a really wide eyed look, a bit like a more dramatic set of LVLs (lash lift), in fact, pairing this with LVLs really packs a punch! Give this mascara a go if you want a wide eye long lash look.
I want to also mention my Morphe Eyeshadow Palette. I purchased this on a whim, £24 from Cult Beauty, their range of palettes makes it quite tricky to choose but I brought the 35V Stunning Vibes Artistry Palette which features 17 matte colours, 16 shimmer and 2 duo-chrome finishes (picture nudes, golds, blues, greens & purple tones). If i compare this against Urban Decay I can honestly say I am way more impressed, pigment, tick, colour selection, tick, doesn't fall down my face when I apply it, tick and at the lower price tag I was so impressed! I don't wear eye shadow daily, but when I do I reach for this palette, always. The only thing i would say is this is not easy to take away with you, its pretty large but i'm sure they do smaller palettes if needed.
Last but not least my lipstick go to last year was my Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in shade Pillow Talk, oh how unique of me! But i really can see what all the fuss is about. Beautiful packaging, lovely colour, a dark nude for me with brown tones and doesn't dry my lips out, this beauty was my little pick me up of 2019 when I felt my lipstick or my outfit was a little basic.
I hope you've enjoyed my 2019 Beauty round up, i used a lot of products throughout the year, some on more of a weekly basis or every so often but I wanted to share my daily favourites and anything that I wouldn't of lived without last year!
Do you have any firm favourites from 2019 that you are bringing in to 2020? Let me know, I am always looking to try new products!