Confession: I have a bit of an ambivalent relationship with beauty. Having worked in magazine journalism for around 8 years, I’ve been exposed to the inner workings of this lucrative industry, and even now, as I watch it from the safety of my fashion bubble, it can feel somewhat intimidating. The sheer number of products is overwhelming, the price points so wildly varying and the advice so often conflicting. Do I need to double cleanse? What’s the right SPF to wear? What’s the deal with toners? It’s a lot to take in.
Personally, I’ve always been quite lazy when it comes to makeup (which, I appreciate, is a luxury) and for about a decade now under-eye concealer, mascara and eyebrow pencil have been my go-tos. This has, however, meant that I’ve ended up becoming more invested in skincare, specifically creating a routine which allows me to spend as little time as possible applying product in the morning. It’s also worth noting that I am a bad sleeper, so it’s often a battle to keep my skin from looking dull and tired, and in the past have struggled with the odd low-level, stress-induced bout of acne (mostly on my cheeks). Although these days this is mostly caused by wearing face masks.
It’s only in the last year or so that I have refined my routine down to a winning edit. I do tend to rotate certain products every month or so, hence the reasonable number of products below. However, I feel like I have finally worked out what my skin does and doesn’t like. What has been the biggest revelation has been discovering the holy grail of vitamin C, retinol and SPF. Since I’ve incorporated this trio into my routine, I’ve found that my skin has been more consistently happy.
Of course, while we don’t like to admit it, a lot of how our skin behaves is down to genes, and I am conscious that I am lucky that, on the whole, mine is quite well behaved. Essentially, everyone needs to use products that work for them and their needs. However, all of the below are tried and tested by yours truly, and I’ve purposefully included a selection of buys that I’ve loved over the last year, so you can pick and choose according to what your skin needs right now. Scroll down to see my full edit.
