Best of Beauty 2019 – Skincare

After sorting through all of the comments on my 12 Days of Giveaways post, I realized that I was long overdue for a beauty/skincare post sharing all of my favourite beauty finds. To kick of this little series of my favourite products from 2019, I decided to refer back to my “#EMPTIES” highlights on Instagram to see if there were any particular products that stood out, that I rebounded back to time-after-time, and that I thoroughly enjoyed or were surprised by. So to start it all off, I wanted to share some of my favourite skincare products of the past year.

When I finished reviewing the products, I noticed that with my favourite skincare products of 2019, I had some how curated a skincare routine. Now I had by no means ever utilized this entire skincare routine at any specific point throughout the year (though many products have been utilized in conjunction with each other), so I wouldn’t necessarily recommend trying this out as a skincare routine on its own, but I can definitely attest to each and every single product as well loved.

I guess that I should also provide a brief summary of my current skin qualities and what sort of conditions I’m dealing with so that some of the products that I used make more sense. I’ll also include a brief mention as to why each product was essential to the skin conditions that I’m dealing with in each description.

My current skin verges on combination where I have a fairly oily T-zone, jaw line, and chin. I’ve been dealing with adult acne for the past 7-8 years or so, but for some odd reason my jawline and chin have been acting up more than usual within the past year. I’ve read online that it can be related to hormonal acne, but I have yet to seek a dermatologist to specifically determine what is going on with my skin. I’ve also been recently dealing with bouts of cystic acne and more white heads than usual, but less black heads than usual. I guess it’s also quite evident by now that I’m in my late twenties, and with the aging comes with the changing of my skin conditions. I’ve noticed that my skin luster and pigmentation does not recover as quickly from scarring as it used to compared to when I was in my teens, so I’ve recently been seeking out the help of certain products to do that! So let’s get started and jump right into some of my all-time favourite skincare products of 2019!

Make Up Remover – Shu Uemura POREfinist2 Cleansing Oil

I have been obsessed with Shu Uemura’s Cleansing Oils for as long as I can remember, but this specific one has definitely got to be my all time favourite. Not only does it have a lovely scent, but the consistency is nice and runny enough that it doesn’t take forever to massage into my skin and to melt away the makeup. I particularly love that it does a phenomenal job at removing my waterproof makeup (eyeliner and mascara) without me having to forcibly scrub at my skin and risk creating micro tears. The packaging is also phenomenal for travel as the pump can be locked (though I’d still recommend storing it in a separate bag just in case it leaks), and there’s so much product in it that though it is a little pricey, it literally lasts forever!

I’ve been enjoying this makeup remover particularly because it’s gentle on my skin but really does the job. Though I would recommend following up with a cleanser to double cleanse your skin as it does leave a slight oily residue even after rinsing it off with water.

Toner – Caudalie Vinopure Natural Salicylic Acid Pore Minimizing Toner

I would mention a cleanser but there wasn’t one specific one that stood out to me out of all of the ones that I used this past year so we’ll jump straight into a toner. I’ve used many different toners in the past, but Caudalie’s Vinopure one specifically stood out as one of my favourites. Not only does it have an extremely gentle scent that quickly fades, but the toner leaves a refreshing and cooling sensation on your skin. I know that the sensation itself doesn’t necessarily do much in relation to my skin, but I love that feeling of minty freshness to help wake me up first thing in the morning. It’s one of those aspects that you never knew you would like until you try it.

But not only does the sensation of the toner feel nice, but it also does its job. I mentioned that I was no longer seeing any black heads this year and I would definitely have to attribute that to this toner. I swear that it really did help to minimize the size of the pores on both my nose and across my cheekbones. I used to get the largest black heads on my nose, but now they’re almost non-existent. Though this toner is a bit pricey, it’s well worth its value since it did exactly what it claimed to!

Face Mist – Caudalie Beauty Elixir

Now this isn’t exactly a product that everyone needs in their skincare routine, but ever since I began incorporating it into mine, I just can’t seem to live without it! Caudalie is a brand that I recently discovered within the last year, and it’s a brand that I had heard much about before, but never got the chance to experience their products for myself because they’re fairly expensive within the Canadian skincare market. Hope over the pond to France, and you’ll see this brand in all of their local drug stores! Regardless, I’m willing to pay the price because similar to the toner, this facial mist blows all other facial mists out of the water.

Not only has the atomizer that distributes the product been so perfectly engineered to deliver the finest mist, but it also covers the entire surface area of your skin with just one simple pump! You never have to do multiple pumps to cover your face, which makes the product in itself last almost forever. And for that price, you definitely want your product to last as long as possible. The product also left a very nice refreshing and cooling sensation (similar to the toner) which I believe is from the eucalyptus extract in it, so once again a great way to wake yourself up in the morning!

I do wish that it came in a different bottle as opposed to glass though because as a frequent traveler, I can’t always pack it with me since it’s quite heavy and may potentially break in my luggage. But besides that, I found that the cooling sensation really helped me on days when my skin was flairing up and feeling ‘warm’.

Vitamin C – SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF

I debated adding this to my favourites list because SkinCeuticals is an extremely expensive skincare line that isn’t the easiest to get ahold of unless you’re willing to venture to a medical spa. You won’t readily find this line in Sephora or Ulta because the ingredient concentration in their products are significantly higher than what you’re able to purchase on your own that you require a physician’s recommendation to purchase. But don’t worry, it’s not as difficult as it seems. You can purchase any of their products at any medical spa that stocks it easily, though I would highly recommend getting a consultation at the same time to ensure that you’re picking up the right product for your skin type.

Skinceuticals also stocks another vitamin C serum (CE Ferulic) which is another formulation that includes vitamin e that is perfect for dryer skin types. I actually gave this one a go and it actually broke me out because the additional vitamin e was overly moisturizing for my skin and ended up clogging my pores. What I needed was just the Phloretin CF formulation which would help to increase my skin cell turn over rate so that any pigmentation and scarring would disappear faster. As I had previously mentioned, I have recently begun noticing that scars take longer than usual to disappear so I’ve recently begun enlisting the help of vitamin c to do just that!

I’ve found that the Phloretin CF formulation really helps to brighten up my skin colour, it helps to fade my acne scars, and overall really balances out my skin tone as well. I no longer have strangely deeper red patches and brighter patches throughout, but rather a more even skin tone that requires less foundation to even out on days when I want to wear makeup.

Moisturizing Serum – Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Synchronized Recovery Complex II

I’ve probably gone through more bottles of Estee Lauder’s ANR than I can count and with good reason! This is literally a moisturizing facial in a bottle! I would probably best compare this to a night cream, because you apply it at night underneath your moisturizer and wake up in the morning with the softest skin ever. It’s almost like you were given a whole new face over night while you were asleep. I know that this may sound insane and a little bit creepy but this serum does exactly that.

I not only use it at night time but also during the day underneath my moisturizers as well to give my skin that added boost of moisture that it lacks to prevent from over producing oil. You don’t need too much of it each time you apply the product, so I’ve found that it lasts quite a while, though I don’t necessarily love the design of the bottle as I’ve always found it a little bit tricky to get every single last drop out of it. Though I am impressed with it’s square design, making it really easy to store on my bathroom shelving, and packing when traveling. Why don’t all brands package their products in square packaging?!

Summer Moisturizer – Dior Hydra Life Fresh Hydration Sorbet Crème

Another thing that I’ve noticed about my skin as I’ve gotten older is that it requires a completely different routine from the summer to winter. During the summer months, my skin produces significantly more sebum so I can’t use heavy creams. I much prefer a gel or even souffle formula, and recently discovered Dior’s sorbet creme which nails the texture perfectly on the head for my summer time requirements. It not only melts seamlessly into the skin within seconds of applying, but keeps my skin hydrated without feeling oily or sticky.

The one thing that I didn’t love was the strong fragrance, but I did notice that it faded away quickly upon application so I let that aspect slide. All-in-all, it was a moisturizer with the perfect texture and consistency for the hot and warmer months of the year when I needed something light but moisturizing.

Winter/Night Moisturizer – Lancome Absolue Regenerating Rich Cream

So now that we’re currently in the winter months, I like to switch up my daily moisturizer to something that’s a little bit thicker and richer in order to combat with the dry air and additional heat in our homes. I absolutely loved the formulation of Lancome’s Absolue Rich Cream as I found that it did a similar job to Estee Lauder’s ANR serum, but provided it during the day time when I was out and about a sorbet cream wasn’t sufficient in providing me adequate moisture. I’m also a fan of anything rose scented to it really got me when I sniffed it for the first time.

Because the scent is quite strong, and the moisturizer is quite thick, I wouldn’t recommend applying too much to your skin. A little goes a long way, and you don’t want to walk outside looking like a grease ball! Even though it was thick, I found that this moisturizer really did a great job at keeping me hydrated all throughout last winter without breaking me out.

Face Oil – Biossance Squalane + Vitamin C Rose Oil

As someone with fairly oily skin, you may be surprised to find that I enjoy using face oils. This is something that I only began incorporating into my skincare routine about 4-5 months ago but it has significantly changed the quality of my skin that I just had to mention it (especially during the winter time). When using the right oils, it actually creates a barrier between your skin and the outside environment such that it locks in all of the good skincare products that you’ve used on your skin and locks out the bad impurities that may be floating through the air.

Nobody wants all of the free radicals floating through the air to be absorbed into your skin if it’s only going to cause you harm. And there’s no reason to allow your skincare products to fade into the atmosphere if you can do something about it. Enter your face oils. I’ve been obsessed with Biossance’s squalane oil as it not only locks in all of the hydrating properties of my skincare routine, but it also provides an additional nourishing value by tightening my skin texture with the help of squalane. The only downside that I’ve noticed is the packaging design, in that the dropper doesn’t quite reach the very bottom of the bottle, making it difficult to extract out the last few droplets. Though it can be easily remedied by flipping the bottle upside down.

Sunscreen – Alumier MD Sheer Hydration Broad Spectrum Sunscreen SPF 40

If there’s one skincare product that I’ll never leave the house with, it’s sunscreen. I’ll admit that I only recently hopped onto the sunscreen train within the past year or two, but boy do I wish that I did it earlier. The reasoning behind why it took me so long to incorporate sunscreen into my skincare routine even though I knew that it was integral was because of the smell. I absolutely hate the smell of sunscreen. Not only does it bother my nose, but it drums up bad memories of sunburns and feeling dirty while being on a beach. It has taken me almost forever to find a sunscreen without that sunscreen scent but I’ve finally located one and it’s amazing!

Not only does the Alumier MD sunscreen provide sun protection without the wonky scent, but it’s also tinted so on days when I don’t want to wear makeup, I can still strut outside with a protected face that has some sort of even skintone. If you prefer non-tinted sunscreen, they also carry it, but the deciding factor as to why I loved this one the most was specifically because of the unscented and tinted aspect of it. I’ve finished 2 tubes of this and would gladly go back and purchase more.

One thing that I did want to note is that Alumier MD is also a medical spa brand, so you won’t be able to easily locate this line in your local Sephora or Ulta. But similar to Skinceuticals, if you make an appointment to see a specialist at a medical spa, you’ll be able to purchase this easily!

Body Mosturizer – CeraVe Moisturizing Cream For Normal To Dry Skin With Pump

Regardless if it’s winter or not, I’m always reaching for my CeraVe moisturizers to keep my skin hydrated. I have this ritual where after every single shower, I always cover my body from head-to-toe in their Moisturizing Cream and now can’t fathom leaving the bathroom without doing that. My skin just feels dry at the idea of not hydrating.

They recently introduced a pump to make the process of extracting the product that much more hygienic—which I love! I’ve also brought this tub with me on a few trips due to how easy it is to pack (the pump locks in place), and I’ve yet to deal with any spills in my luggage.

I also have fairly sensitive skin that breaks out in extreme hot/cold, and have found this cream to be super moisturizing without irritating. There isn’t much of a scent, so I can comfortably lather it all over my entire body without smelling like I’ve poured an entire bottle of perfume on me, making this body cream a go-to anytime my skin is feeling dry.

Lip Mask – Bite Agave Lip Mask

Dry skin seems to be a recurring theme for me, because besides having dry legs and elbows, I also have chronically dry lips. I’ve probably gone through countless tubes of this lip mask, and with fairly good reason. Not only does each tube last me almost an entire year, but you only really need a tiny bit each time. The product sheers out extremely well so that your lips don’t feel sticky, and it doesn’t wear off at an exponentially fast rate that you feel like you need to constantly reapply. Every person with chapped lips can appreciate a long lasting lip product! That hot burning sensation is something that you want to frequently deal with if possible.

Bite also produces this lip mask in some other tinted shades as well, so if you’re someone who prefers a little bit of colour to their lips, then there is also that option! I constantly recommend this lip mask to any of my friends that have chapped lips and have always received amazing feedback from them as well!

Eye Cream – Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Retinol Eye Sleeping Mask

I’ve often found it hard to like an eye cream because I haven’t noticed significant enough results to really worthy a serious recommendation, but I just recently began using this eye sleep mask from Glow Recipe, and it’s very slight retinol concentration has done wonders to my eye bags! No it doesn’t get rid of the bags themselves completely, but for some reason it has definitely helped to illuminate my eyes a bit more such that on days when I don’t get enough sleep, I don’t end up looking like Frankenstein’s sister.

I also only just recently began using retinol, so you may see products creep up on my #EMPTIES throughout the year, but I don’t want to give any in depth reviews on them yet until I’ve had more of a chance to play around with this active ingredient a little bit more.

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Et voila! A collection of all of my favourite skincare products that I had the pleasure of testing out and using throughout 2019. This comprehensive list has been honed down by the tens of products that I’ve run through and I do hope that it provides some insight into what products are constantly in rotation in/out of my skincare routine. Now that I’ve had the chance to really sit down and review some of my favourite products for each type of skincare, I’m actually intrigued at putting them all together into one routine to see if they all complement each other as well as they do separately…