There’s nothing more disappointing than adding that latest must-have skincare launch to ‘cart’, only for it to arrive and not live up to all the Instagram hype. Equally, I’ve fallen for so many beauty products recently that have taken me years to actually want to try out. From skincare ingredients I assumed were merely marketing fads to pricey beauty gadgets that I never thought could rival professional salon visit, here are the beauty products I’ve changed my mind on this year… and it might even change yours!
Gua Sha
Delve into my ‘giveaway’ beauty cupboard last year and you are more than likely to come across a mountain of baby pink gua shas, all untouched unused and unopened. Why? Well I never really understood the benefits…or cared enough to learn how to use one. A few Youtube tutorials later and I’m sculpting my brow bone and carving my jawline most evenings (fun to do just in front of the TV!) For me it’s mainly about tension release, even typing this out is making me ancy to run upstairs and grab it! Oh and top tip, get yourself a rose quartz one as they always stay cold. My favourite is by Odacite, the Crystal Contour Rose Quartz Gua Sha.
IPL Hair Removal
Prior to laser hair removal, my hair grew at a relentless pace. Thick and dark, and was crippling my confidence especially during the summer. So £1,000 and 12 sessions later, my leg and bikini line hair is softer, patchier, and could even be described as fluffy! As 2020 started to unfold (yikes) I was eyeing up at home hair removal devices that I could use as maintenance, and all the options for at home use were pointing towards IPL. I’d always heard of IPL, and as it’s much cheaper than laser (and notably not as powerful) it was just never something I thought of investing in.
You’ll understand if, like me, you’re the type of person that couldn’t comprehend why anyone would use the lower heat setting on a straightener, or choose the light as opposed to dark fake tan shade?! Why would I ever choose IPL when there’s big strong lasers to be had?! First up, IPL is safe for home use, is pain free, and actually does work! And for someone who’s endured 12 sessions of electrifyingly strong laser beams up their bum crack, you’ll be pleased to hear when I say pain free, I mean it! I’ve been trialling the latest Philips Lumea Prestige, and as Philips are already a brand I trust and use, it was the obvious choice. I’ve noticed a dramatically slower rate of hair regrowth and even less hair, I couldn’t recommend it enough.
CBD (Cannabidiol)
No man woman or child was safe from the super cool trendy millennial trend that is CBD. I admit, I absolutely hated the idea of it at first. Even more so hated the not so subtle marketing that beauty brands were doing to associate CBD with weed. Bear in mind, I’m someone that could never dream of drinking more than one diet coke in a day as it makes me feel ‘weird’…you can see why that kind of vibe just does not appeal to me (lol).
It was only after doing some research into CBD, and its benefits in skincare, that it won me over. I’m applying it to my skin every day now, literally every day. It was actually the Aurelia CBD Super Serum that convinced me of it’s results. That and their newest launch CBD Super Serum + Probiotics, are absolute sensitive skin saviours in my opinion. I particularly reach for them when having a spot flare up, CBD is incredibly powerful at working as an anti-inflammatory, so I’ve traded in drying spot treatments for calming soothing and hydrating products like these. Top tip: when looking at CBD products, look to their ingredients list, for it to contain CBD it must say Cannabidiol somewhere on there – otherwise it’s in the marketing, but not in the formula!
Designer Skincare
There is something about skincare that is so intrinsically scientific to me, and something about designer brands that is often superfluous that meant that I couldn’t convince myself that a designer brand could fully deliver results driven skincare. The skincare industry has been so saturated with social media start up brands, both affordable and efficacious, it almost felt like designer brands didn’t hold a place in the running. The most recent launch from Dior, Capture Totale Super Potent Serum, has completely changed my perspective. Of course it’s packaged in their signature luxurious boxes, ribbons and bags, but their latest launch (something I would never have sought out if it hadn’t been sent) is unbelievably impressive, where it actually matters – the formula.
A skim read of the ingredients list was enough to convince me that they definitely know their audience (niacinamide, hyaluronic acid, seed oils, squalane to name a few). The scent is noticeable (and beautiful) but not overpowering, which is another unexpected win for me as often strong potent perfumed skincare puts me off straight away. It’s actually been the first designer skincare launch that I feel works as well on my skin, as it looks on my shelf. And if you’ve seen their packaging, you’ll know that’s saying something!