I discovered a lot of new favorites in 2015 for skincare. I’ve compiled a list of items I consider game changers that have made a significant difference for my skin over the past year improving texture, clarity, and smoothness. I struggled over 2014 with lots of stress with some life changes and didn’t take the best care of myself health-wise. It impacted my skin and took months to recover. In 2015 my husband also went outside of his comfort zone to try more in skincare and grooming. We’ve rounded up our favorites for the past year. First up, best skincare picks for me:
Shown above featured from left to right:
- Le Mieux 4-in-1 Ultrasonic Anti-Aging Skin Perfecter* (review here) best cleaning device tool discovered this year, helps to clean pores and with gentle extractions that won’t break the skin
- Glamglow Supercleanse Daily Clearing Cleanser (review here) best daily cleanser to help clarify skin, clean pores and help prevent breakouts
- Tatcha Indigo Triple Recovery Cream* the entire Tatcha Indigo Line actually should be on the list as I’ve found every item I’ve tried to be a game changer for my sensitive skin. It’s great for those who have eczema, for me it helped moisturize and soothe irritated and inflamed skin on flare up days, you can try the entire line in the Soothing Indigo Mini Set
- Charlotte Tilbury Magic Cream (review here) one of my top day creams
- Eve Lom Brightening Cream* (review here and here) also in the top day creams which really helped with brightening the complexion and lightening dark spots and acne scars
- Kate Somerville Dermal Quench and Dermal Quench with Retinol * (review here and here) experiencing the Kate Somerville line in person this year at the clinic in Los Angeles changed my life, I had always been interested in the line but didn’t know where to start, having an in person assessment and facial helped me pick out what would be best for my skin, the Dermal Quench items have been game changers to improve skin texture for day and night, helps give the skin a lift and also reduce redness
- Hourglass Equilibrium Biomimetic Skin Active Serum* (review here) I wrote about this back in February after giving it a thorough 50+ day test (or night that is), it comes with a hefty price tag but I found it to be the biggest game changer for my skin, at the beginning of the year I had horrible skin texture, lots of dark spots from acne scars, breakouts on the chin area – nothing I tried seemed to restore my skin and at that point I was too scared to use anything with retinol. This completely restored my skin in a gentle non-irritating way. It’s a night treatment that helped with resurfacing and rebalancing. I continued using it weekly throughout the year as needed and I’m almost finished with the bottle. Whenever I feel my skin starting to act up this has hands down been the best treatment to help improve texture.
- Tatcha Pore Perfecting Sunscreen* (reviewed here and here) best sunscreen I’ve ever tried that doubles as a matte primer, helps smooth skin, doesn’t look white on the face, keeps oil controlled
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream* back in November, my skin suffered a serious allergic reaction to Neosporin. I put it on a couple scabs that I had picked from acne to help with the healing process, instead my face literally blew up into a serious rash with tons of deep red bumps and swelling. It took around five weeks for my face to recover (it wasn’t bad enough for any prescription treatment, I was told the only thing to do was wait for it all to heal). The First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream was one of the few creams I could use for my irritated inflamed skin. My friends swear by it. I really love it.
- L’Occitane Divine Youth Oil* best facial oil that I like to use at night or weekends on no makeup days, helps restore the skin’s glow and moisturize without being too greasy, bottle lasts forever as a little goes a long way
- Chanel Sublimage Eye Cream after all the eye creams I’ve tested this is still my favorite
For my husband, best in men’s grooming:
Men’s grooming favorites shown from left to right:
- Clarisonic Alphafit (review here) is the first Clarisonic made for men, I bought this for my husband earlier in the year, he was skeptical that it would do anything but he loves it and says it’s helped reduce oil and is instrumental in prepping his face for shaving
- Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Face Wash for Men – I bought this Starter Kit for my husband earlier this year and he discovered a lot of new favorites, the Facial Fuel Face Wash is something I borrow from him from time to time, cleans the skin and makes it feel refreshed, he says it’s good for oily skin but doesn’t dry out the face
- Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Heavy Lifting Eye Repair – my husband’s vote for best eye cream to help with wrinkles and dry patches around the eyes
- L’Occitane L’Occitan Roll-On Deoderant – best alcohol-free roll-on deoderant that really prevents odor, he likes the way the entire L’Occitan line for men smells
- Jack Black Turbo Wash – his favorite body wash, I can’t count how many times I’ve repurchased the large size that comes with a pump
- Jack Black Epic Moisture MP 10 Nourishing Oil – best pre-shave oil he’s tried this year (review and more details on his thoughts in this post here)
- Edwin Jagger DE89Lbl Lined Detail Chrome Plated Double Edge Safety Razor – my husband did a lot of research on razors this year and tried half a dozen, this one is his favorite for getting a close shave, the handle is heavy weight so it’s easy to hold and glides along the face and everything is well balanced for an easy shave
- Baxter of California Shave Tonic – one of his daily skincare essentials, review here
- Chanel Bleu de Chanel – favorite cologne of the year
- Kiehl’s Oil Eliminator 24-Hour Anti-Shine Moisturizer for Men – this is something new he’s been testing for the past couple of months, he put it on his favorites list because it really does help smooth the skin and prevent shine
- Kiehl’s Facial Fuel Energizing Moisture Treatment for Men – on his list for his favorite daytime moisturizer
- L’Occitane L’Occitan After Shave Balm – best aftershave balm for texture and scent
What were your skincare favorites? Any new discoveries that you found to be game changers?
Press samples featured with a * indicator next to the product names.
