First off, make up remover. My go to make up remover used to be Estee Lauder's Gentle Eye Make Up Remover, but I have discovered an even better one which is Clinique Take The Day Off Make Up Remover and I can happily say this is my new favourite. The Estee Lauder one doesn't remove waterproof mascara and neither does this, but it removes regular make up much more quickly. I use Lancome Bi-Facil for waterproof mascara that I only wear very occasionally, so for my everyday needs this is perfect.
Keep reading to find out which other skincare products I loved this year!
When it comes to exfoliating my skin, nothing beats Mac Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. I absolutely love it. I use it for exfoliating my lips with as well as my face, it works really well. Sadly this was a limited edition product a couple of years ago, so not available to buy anymore, but luckily I have quite a few back ups. I actually thought I'd reviewed this before in the "Finished!" blog posts, but bizarrely I couldn't find it, which must mean that it lasts for absolutely ages. I think I must have finished one shortly before I started my "Finished!" blog posts and I have just finished my second one. I also love Mac Volcanic Ash Thermal Mask which came out at the same time as the exfoliator and was also a limited edition product. Luckily I have some back ups but not as many as the exfoliator, so I use it more sparingly. I usually alternate with yet another discontinued product (that is a lot easier to come by though and is a lot cheaper) by Avon, namely the Anew Rejuvenate Mineral Facial Rinse-Off Treatment. Both of them have been reviewed before, so just click on the names for the links!
I have also mentioned this product in more than one post I'm sure and rightly so because it's bloody brilliant. I got a sample of Lancome Genifique Youth Activator serum around the beginning of the spring and ever since I started using it, my skin has been much nicer, less prone to acne and its oiliness has been reduced greatly too. I have now used up a few small samples and finally got myself a full size (30 ml) bottle which I have been using since September and it still has probably one third left in it. Not cheap at £55 for 30 ml but to me it's been worth it ten times over.
I have been using the same eye cream for a good few years now (with the occasional cheating with Guerlain eyecreams that didn't actually work out for me sadly, but probably luckily for my purse) and it's another product from Avon, Anew Clinical Eye Lift. It's a cream/gel duo and it has a really nice texture, and it helps keep my eyelids firm-ish and my eye area relatively wrinkle free. Not a miracle product, but works very well for me. There seems to be a "PRO" version of this available at Avon now (I don't know what the difference is) and it's on offer at £11.50 right now, but I actually usually get mine from eBay, you can get it for as little as £5!
The next product I have been using for a while now and to be honest I don't even know if it works or not, but it is so wonderful to apply and smells gorgeous, that for those reasons alone I've included it in my favourites. This is Guerlain Midnight Secret, a late night recovery treatment. You're supposed to use it when you know you're not going to get a good nights sleep and it's supposed to help with your skin recover, alas is a beauty sleep in a bottle. I can't really say if it lives up to all it claims, but I love using it when I go to bed late because I can use it instead of my Genifique and face cream and be done in a minute. It's not greasy and sinks in immediately and even my husban has commented on how nice it smells. :) If he knew it costs £62.50 he might not like it quite as much though. It does last for a long time though, I finished my last bottle this time last year.
Although I am not too faithful to any brand when it comes to face creams (mostly because I have many unopened samples), I did come across a very good night cream I used for most of the year. Nivea Visage Anti-Wrinkle Q10 Plus is a very nice budget face cream, it costs around £10 and the 50 ml one lasted me for ages. It's nicely hydrating but not greasy, I really really like it.
The next product is something I absolutely swear by and think everyone should try it. I used to get chapped lips in the winter, but ever since I started using Vaseline Lip Therapy a couple of years or so ago, I've not had any dryness at all. I have these little pots scattered around the house, I keep one in my handbag too. Not much else to say really other than they're brilliant and go and buy one and try for yourself!
Last but definitely not least my new best friend, Rapidlash. If you've been reading my blog for a while you wil have seen my Rapidlash challenge and if not, go and check it out. I went from teeny tiny thin lashes to pretty nice, long-ish, quite noticable ones in 3 months. I really didn't think it would work for me and it does take patience (rapid it is not), but once it works, it works. £41, so not cheap, but so worth it.
This concludes my favourites posts for 2011. Hope you enjoyed reading them as much as I enjoyed sharing them with you, and feel free to let me know in the comments what you thought of these products if you tried them.
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