What do your beauty products say about you? I know we’re a couple of weeks into the new year but I thought it would be fun to break down the last year into beauty products, highlighting which beauty products defined the months for me. To be honest, it was a bit of a tough one trying to remember some of the highlights of the 2021. A year is a long time!
I suffer with persistent acne so I started the year on antibiotics and prescription cream. I managed to have relatively clear skin up until August when it came back, only worse. By October, I was feeling really self conscious, my mental health was deteriorating rapidly and I went back on antibiotics which is where I am now. Back to square one. I have a dermatology referral in the summer (annoying but going private could turn out to be really expensive). I wrote an acne update back in 2020 but I think another one is due soon!
So, after spending an embarrassing amount of time trying to remember my year, here is a breakdown of my 2021 in beauty products:
January, Epiduo // New year, new set of skin care issues. I had a really bad acne flareup January and had to go back on medication again. I tend to phone my doctor when it gets to the point I can't manage it at home and it's affecting my mental health. Alongside the antibiotics I was on, the doctor also prescribed me EpiDuo, a benzoyl peroxide and adapeline cream. My skin doesn't agree with Benzoyl Peroxide and so my start to the year didn't quite go off with a bang. You can read about my experience with acne so far, here!
February, Avène Cicalfate // Back to basics and barrier repair for me. Cicalfate contains calming ingredients which help to soothe the skin and reduce redness. I was still using the EpiDuo cream in February which made my skin quite red so I gravitated towards calming skincare products.
March, Bondi Sands SPF50 // This sunscreen absorbs like an absolute babe. No, seriously, it absorbs very well into the skin without a white cast. The only issue I have is that it can sting your eyes if it gets too close.
April, Cerave SA Smoothing Cleanser // My acne isn't just contained on my face. I also suffer with body acne which had flared up at the same time as my face. I wasn't applying the EpiDuo cream to my chest as I was not about to risk my pyjamas having the same fate as half the towels in my house— covered in bleach marks. Per some recommendations on Instagram, I decided to try out the SA smoothing cleanser by Cerave. I still use it today, applying it in the shower with about 30-60 seconds contact time before I wash it off. I also apply iD care Barrier Cream to my chest after when I've dried off. This combination helped to clear my chest and back acne— something I need to get back into now I'm going to the gym.
May, Garnier Anti dark spots and anti pollution super UV SPF50 // Summer time arrived, well it popped up to say hi, and I picked up this suncream from Garnier which is perfect for wearing under makeup. It dries matte so your makeup can sit perfectly on top. I use this sunscreen exclusively for when I wear any form of coverage. I also picked up its sister SPF spray for suncream top ups.
June, GOW Alpha Arbutin 2% & Kojic Acid 1% Serum // My friend bought this to me for my birthday as it had been on my beauty Wish List for a little while. Kojic acid is meant to be really good for reducing hyperpigmentation and lighten skin discolouration. The product also comes highly recommended by my favourite skincare Twitter accounts. Check out them out here!
July, Chanel Vitalumíere Aqua foundation // For my graduation ceremony, I decided to treat myself to a little bit of luxury and splurge on a Chanel foundation. I prefer water-based foundations as it allows my skin to breathe and is so much easier to apply. You can check out my full review here!
August, Altruist SPF50 // If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Yeah, I didn't listen to that. My beloved Bondi Sands ran out and since it's such a pain to find in store, I switched to Altruist which my friend gifted me back in June. I have very strong mixed views on this SPF. Let me break it down for you: Pro’s: contains Zinc, doesn’t sting my eyes, high SPF. Cons: absolutely useless when applied to slightly damp skin, mostly absorbs (but wouldn't recommend to anyone with a darker skin tone), beads up and transfers onto everyone's clothing.
September, Nivea Irresistible Smooth Dry Skin body lotion // I love the smell of Nivea products! The smell reminds me of my first ever skincare routine which was made up of their cleanser, toner and moisturiser. I used to love their primer but I think that was discontinued. Anyway, I picked up the body lotion for typical body lotion purposes.
October, Eucerin Urea repair (with 5% Urea and ceramides) // This is my favourite ever intense moisturiser for super dry skin. The Urea repair normally comes with 5% urea which isn't quite as rich as the one with ceramides. It makes a wonderful night moisturiser too.
November, Differin // Following a severe acne flare up in August, I reached out to my doctor again to try and get some medication. My mental health was suffering really bad and my skin was the worst it had ever been. I asked for Differin cream instead of EpiDuo to avoid causing my skin further irritation.
December, Rituals foaming shower gel // It’s like magic! I have so much fun in the shower using this foaming gel. I love the way it comes out as a gel and you can watch it foam up. It’s really gentle and hydrating on the skin. I even picked up a couple of bottles for my friends and now I have lots of free samples of the stuff!
And that's my year in beauty products.
Love, Aoife xo
What do your beauty products say about you? I know we’re a couple of weeks into the new year but I thought it would be fun to break down the last year into beauty products, highlighting which beauty products defined the months for me. To be honest, it was a bit of a tough one trying to remember some of the highlights of the 2021. A year is a long time!
I suffer with persistent acne so I started the year on antibiotics and prescription cream. I managed to have relatively clear skin up until August when it came back, only worse. By October, I was feeling really self conscious, my mental health was deteriorating rapidly and I went back on antibiotics which is where I am now. Back to square one. I have a dermatology referral in the summer (annoying but going private could turn out to be really expensive). I wrote an acne update back in 2020 but I think another one is due soon!
So, after spending an embarrassing amount of time trying to remember my year, here is a breakdown of my 2021 in beauty products:
January, Epiduo // New year, new set of skin care issues. I had a really bad acne flareup January and had to go back on medication again. I tend to phone my doctor when it gets to the point I can't manage it at home and it's affecting my mental health. Alongside the antibiotics I was on, the doctor also prescribed me EpiDuo, a benzoyl peroxide and adapeline cream. My skin doesn't agree with Benzoyl Peroxide and so my start to the year didn't quite go off with a bang. You can read about my experience with acne so far, here!
February, Avène Cicalfate // Back to basics and barrier repair for me. Cicalfate contains calming ingredients which help to soothe the skin and reduce redness. I was still using the EpiDuo cream in February which made my skin quite red so I gravitated towards calming skincare products.
March, Bondi Sands SPF50 // This sunscreen absorbs like an absolute babe. No, seriously, it absorbs very well into the skin without a white cast. The only issue I have is that it can sting your eyes if it gets too close.
April, Cerave SA Smoothing Cleanser // My acne isn't just contained on my face. I also suffer with body acne which had flared up at the same time as my face. I wasn't applying the EpiDuo cream to my chest as I was not about to risk my pyjamas having the same fate as half the towels in my house— covered in bleach marks. Per some recommendations on Instagram, I decided to try out the SA smoothing cleanser by Cerave. I still use it today, applying it in the shower with about 30-60 seconds contact time before I wash it off. I also apply iD care Barrier Cream to my chest after when I've dried off. This combination helped to clear my chest and back acne— something I need to get back into now I'm going to the gym.
May, Garnier Anti dark spots and anti pollution super UV SPF50 // Summer time arrived, well it popped up to say hi, and I picked up this suncream from Garnier which is perfect for wearing under makeup. It dries matte so your makeup can sit perfectly on top. I use this sunscreen exclusively for when I wear any form of coverage. I also picked up its sister SPF spray for suncream top ups.
June, GOW Alpha Arbutin 2% & Kojic Acid 1% Serum // My friend bought this to me for my birthday as it had been on my beauty Wish List for a little while. Kojic acid is meant to be really good for reducing hyperpigmentation and lighten skin discolouration. The product also comes highly recommended by my favourite skincare Twitter accounts. Check out them out here!
July, Chanel Vitalumíere Aqua foundation // For my graduation ceremony, I decided to treat myself to a little bit of luxury and splurge on a Chanel foundation. I prefer water-based foundations as it allows my skin to breathe and is so much easier to apply. You can check out my full review here!
August, Altruist SPF50 // If it isn't broke, don't fix it. Yeah, I didn't listen to that. My beloved Bondi Sands ran out and since it's such a pain to find in store, I switched to Altruist which my friend gifted me back in June. I have very strong mixed views on this SPF. Let me break it down for you: Pro’s: contains Zinc, doesn’t sting my eyes, high SPF. Cons: absolutely useless when applied to slightly damp skin, mostly absorbs (but wouldn't recommend to anyone with a darker skin tone), beads up and transfers onto everyone's clothing.
September, Nivea Irresistible Smooth Dry Skin body lotion // I love the smell of Nivea products! The smell reminds me of my first ever skincare routine which was made up of their cleanser, toner and moisturiser. I used to love their primer but I think that was discontinued. Anyway, I picked up the body lotion for typical body lotion purposes.
October, Eucerin Urea repair (with 5% Urea and ceramides) // This is my favourite ever intense moisturiser for super dry skin. The Urea repair normally comes with 5% urea which isn't quite as rich as the one with ceramides. It makes a wonderful night moisturiser too.
November, Differin // Following a severe acne flare up in August, I reached out to my doctor again to try and get some medication. My mental health was suffering really bad and my skin was the worst it had ever been. I asked for Differin cream instead of EpiDuo to avoid causing my skin further irritation.
December, Rituals foaming shower gel // It’s like magic! I have so much fun in the shower using this foaming gel. I love the way it comes out as a gel and you can watch it foam up. It’s really gentle and hydrating on the skin. I even picked up a couple of bottles for my friends and now I have lots of free samples of the stuff!
And that's my year in beauty products.
Love, Aoife xo
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