My Top Products of 2020

Yes, it’s already April, I’m waaayy behind schedule for putting this article together but I finally decided it was worth the post. I have done a round-up of my favorite beauty and skin products from 2020. They cover hair, nails, body and of course skincare. 

I purchased all of these products myself and continue to repurchase when empty. Some of these products are new launches from 2020 and others were just new to me. 

SKINCARE

Dermatica

Dermatica is my tretinoin heaven. If you watch my videos or read my blog you know this potent form of vitamin A (retinoid) is the gold standard in anti-aging products and sits mighty high on my must-have list.

Dermatica is a subscription service that delivers a custom blend of active ingredients to your home every month. Tretinoin requires a doctor’s prescription so instead of regular visits to your GP and then a trip the pharmacy, it’s delivered to you door for only £20/month! You complete an online questionnaire, including your skin problems and objectives, and upload images of your face. They create a blended product just for you.  The prescription is reviewed – with new photos uploaded – every few months to track progress and adjust the prescription, if needed. I began on .05% tretinoin + 4% hydraquinone and worked my way up to .1% tret + 4% niacinamide. Dermatica is THE best.

La Roche Posay Toleraine Ultra 8 Mist

I am a serial mister. No kidding, I must mist 25 times a day. There’s a bottle next the bed, one in the kitchen, one in the living room and one on my desk. And I’m pretty sure it’s the only reason why I don’t look like a raisin. It contains glycerin, which pulls water to the surface of our skin to keep it hydrated and plump. Now that I’m 50 (ahem) I have dehydrated skin. This is the way I combat this. Love me, love my mist. 

Beauty Pie 

If you haven’t heard of Beauty Pie then you’ll be thanking me shortly. They are a prescription service that gives you access to premium products at almost cost. They offer skincare, body care, hair care, candles, supplements and the list keeps growing by the month. The pricing structure is a little confusing, so check out my YouTube video below for some of my favourite products and more importantly, how the membership costs work. They’re products are amazing and the amount of money you save quite frankly is mind-blowing. 

Weleda Skin Food

This is definitely a desert island product and the universal savior for dry skin. Made with sunflower and sweet almond oil, glycerin and beeswax it heels and repairs skin. If your skin starts peeling due to tretinoin usage, this is your guy. If you have super dry elbows or heels, this is your guy. It’s cheap as chips and lasts forever. You don’t need much and the key is to pat, not rub. Weleda, you’re the best. 

Myolift Mini Microcurrent Machine

When you get to be a certain age, things just sort of start going south. And those cute little crinkles (laugh lines) start turning into full-blown wrinkles. And after you hit 30, all the good stuff our body produces starts to decrease dramatically. So I added this device to my anti-aging arsenal this year and wow, am I glad I did.  It’s the strongest at home device you can get (they also make stronger, salon-only versions). 

Basically, the microcurrent stimulates collagen and elastin production, reduces fine lines and wrinkles, repairs sun damage and evens skin tone. It also improves circulation and boosts muscle tone. One setting is used to erase wrinkles and the other is rebuild muscle. I started with 3x per week and then when into maintenance mode, using every few weeks. The sagging jowls are lighted and my cheekbones more defined. 

MAKEUP

Trinny BFF Cream Skin Perfector SFP 30

This has become a fast favorite; I think I’m on my 4th tube at this stage. It’s part skincare, part sunscreen, part makeup. I call it my skin blurrer. It has minor pigment to even the skin tone and adds a lovely sheen that just makes me look healthy. It’s super hydrating, contains porcelain flower antioxidant and contains SPF 30. That’s enough for winter use for me. However in the summer, I’ll layer a 50 under it. It comes in 5 shades and while it does go on white, do no fear because it completely disappears. But let me tell you about the smell…. generally I don’t like any kind of scent in my products. But this is divine. Truly. 

Estee Lauder Futurist Hydra Rescue Moisturising Makeup

For ladies with mature – aka dehydrated, wrinkled, patchy - skin, this makeup is a dream. It’s breathable, hydrating and gives a radiant glow. Personally, I’m a less is more kind of gal and prefer to focus on good skin. I use less than a pump to cover the redness and even my skin tone without looking like I’m wearing makeup. Score. 

It comes in 20 shades and can build to full coverage if that’s what you’re after. It also contains SPF 45, though I’d never use enough to provide the protection I need. 

FEET CARE

I really like to keep my feet in good shape and with no pedicures on the cards (been in lockdown for a year now!)  these 2 products are the combination that truly delivers. I don’t want one without the other.

Margaret Dabbs Professional Foot File

They say it themselves and it’s absolutely the truth – ‘This is the best foot file you will ever use.’ It comes with 4 replaceable pads that seem to last forever. I use this once a week. Cracked heels, what cracked heels?

O’Keefe’s for Healthy Feet

This is not a sexy product, but it’s super cheap and perfect for extremely dry and cracked heels. They are geniuses. I find using every day keeps my feet in great shape. 

NAIL CARE

Manucurist

The only thing I love more than good-looking feet are good-looking nails. But I seem to have a problem….I’m super hard on my polish and can’t seem to make it last more than 24 hours. So I’m constantly testing at-home solutions to give me some longevity. And I love this at-home gel polish kit. 

It’s similar to Shellac in that it takes a base coat, 2 colour coats and a top coat, each stage curing in the LED lamp. It’s super simple to use and it lasts. 

It’s pretty easy to remove, just slides right off and no damage to nails. Heaven! They say it lasts for 10 days but I only got about a week.  But I am so happy with that as I get bored anyway. They’ve a great selection of colours…I currently have 6 and counting.

HAIR CARE

Olaplex No 0 (combine this with No 3)

I truly believe this is a game-changer. If you’re a hair person, then you know about Olaplex. They create products with patented ingredient that repairs damaged hair bonds and protects from future damage. Their strongest products are only sold to salons and used by hair care professionals. 

But this new product contains the highest concentration of that patented ingredient that can be used at home. You apply this to dry hair, leave for minutes and the add No 3 on top for 10 more. Rinse and go. I’ve gone from really dark hair to blond over the last few years to run away from greys and without Olaplex my hair would be in bits. My hair has never been happier. 

That’s it for today. These are products that I started using in 2020 and will continue to use and repurchase.