This is more a list of my best skincare discoveries in 2020, and the products I still can’t live without. I have a ton of tried and true favorites that I’ve used every day for years (comment below if you’d like a detailed post on that!), so instead of going through each category, I’ll be listing my ultimate HGs and discoveries from this year. I’m also skipping the haircare favorites because they are literally all the same as 2019 – I still love Bumble and Bumble and everything else I listed so much, and I don’t see that changing any time soon.
Good Molecules Niacinamide Brightening Toner – This toner was my favorite skincare discovery of 2019, and it’s still going strong in 2020! It has continued to make my skin clearer, brighter, and less dry. It’s also $14 for a huge bottle, and I was able to grab a bunch of bottles during a Black Friday sale. My husband loves it too, and it’s one of the only skincare products he consistently uses.
Krave Beauty Kale-lalu-yAHA – I’m still sticking with this as my chemical exfoliant of choice. For only twice a week, it really makes a huge difference for my skin and has kept it super clear and not congested. I’d be surprised if anything comes into my routine that’s better than this one for exfoliation.
Laneige Cica Sleeping Mask – On the nights I use the Kale-lalu-yAHA, I pair it with this sleeping mask so I only use it twice a week. This really helps with any potential irritation that comes with using an exfoliator and makes a huge difference in taming the redness in my skin. I’ve had the same $34 jar I raved about it in my January 2020 favorites, and it’s going strong. I have already bought a replacement though, because I notice when I don’t use it!
Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator – This is the best face mist I’ve ever used – and I’ve tried so many. It’s actually hydrating (like I can use it instead of a moisturizer in a pinch even with my super dry skin), and it smells amazing. Like a lot of other things on this list, I have a bunch of backups now because I don’t want to be without this.
Allies of Skin 1A™ Retinal + Peptides Overnight Mask – After a lot of searching, I have finally found my HG retinol! This doesn’t irritate my skin at all, is somehow hydrating, and still actually does all the things retinol does (smooths the appearance of wrinkles and brightens skin). It’s really a miracle product, and I have already tried so many other Allies of Skin products because how good this is. I love them all so far, and this brand is hands down my favorite brand discovery of 2020!
Farmacy Honey Potion Renewing Antioxidant Hydration Mask – I have to shout out Cate the Great Beauty who convinced me to get this after raving about it over and over again. This mask warms up as you massage it into your skin, so not only does it work to deeply moisturize and calm my skin , it’s also a really great relaxing experience, especially in the winter. It is the perfect mask to use after an exfoliating treatment or just when your skin is feeling extra dry and really is the best face mask of all time. My skin feels so smooth, hydrated, and glowy after using this. It’s my go to for when my skin is feeling stressed, irritated, overly dry, or anything else that requires help. It always comes to the rescue, and 1.7oz jar is still going strong so it was totally worth the investment.
Peter Thomas Roth face masks – My friend Emily surprised me with this masking set (thank you again!), and I am obsessed with them. The cucumber is the perfect cooling mask to add hydration, the pumpkin is so good for quickly exfoliating without irritation, and the gold mask is some crazy magic product that totally transforms my skin. I actually love the pumpkin one so much I have a full size of it as well, and my favorite thing to do is use the pumpkin mask and then the Farmacy honey potion mask for a true skin renewal self-care moment. When I don’t have the time, I use the gold mask because it makes my skin look and feel so good so fast. And if I have even less time, I will use the eye patches for a quick pick me up of my under eye area that I don’t even have to wash off.
Nuface Mini Facial Toning Device – I know this is expensive, but it really works! This device has helped so much with my forehead wrinkles (they were so deep and now they are basically gone between this and the retinol!) and firming up my jawline and my neck. I’m so glad I invested in this now so I can keep using it on my skin for years to come. I have convinced a couple of other folks to get one and so far, they have all had good things to say too!
Clinique Take the Day Off Cleansing Balm – Anyone knows me knows I only have one holy grail makeup remover/first cleanse, and that’s the Clinique Take Off the Day Cleansing Balm. I think I’ve gone through at least 6 of these by now, and I have 3 back ups right now. It gets all my makeup off while hydrating my skin, and it provides a really nice moment of self care massaging it into my skin. I will definitely keep using this as the first step in my cleansing routine. Ulta has this for 50% quite often so that’s when I stock up!
Shiseido Benefiance Wrinkle Smoothing Eye Cream – This eye cream was sent to me to try and review, and I thought at the time “there’s no way I’m going to fall in love with a $70 eye cream.” And now, I’ve repurchased it twice! This is the only eye cream I’ve found that actually works to reduce wrinkles around my eyes without irritation. I was able to find a set of two for $80 which was a steal, so I’m going to keep keeping an eye out because I can’t imagine switching to another eye cream.
I’ll be doing body care next, and let me know in the comments below if there’s anything you want more info about or a post you’d like me to do!
Makeup and Skincare Reviews 