Best skincare products of 2017

I cannot believe that I am doing this post on my best skincare products of 2017!! It feels like not so long ago, I was putting together my top picks for 2016! I’m excited though, because I LOVE the ‘best of’ series by other bloggers and YouTubers. I end up binge watching and reading these posts for a whole week! Their lists end up giving me items to add to my wishlist for 2018 😉 My plan is to break up the ‘best of’ into different categories, so skin care, makeup and hair products.

When I just started wearing makeup, it was to hide or mask what I felt was wrong about my skin. In the last year though, I started realising that I needed to start taking better care of my skin, so I have the same confidence with or without makeup (even though I actually don’t have an issue being makeup free). 2018 is dedicated to getting clearer, smoother and healthier skin! At the moment, my skin is far from perfect, but I do feel the following products have helped me in getting it into much better condition. So without further ado……

Cleanser

The Vichy Normaderm foaming cleanser has been my absolute favourite this year. I have repurchased it a few times and I will continue to purchase it. This also treats breakouts and I find it definitely is not drying on the skin at all. A little goes a long way and I love that the foam doesn’t disappear as soon as I rub it into my skin. You can read a bit more here.

Exfoliator

This was a difficult one, because I really love my liquid peel from The Body Shop, but the winner for me in 2017 was definitely the Dr Brandt microdermabrasion. The tiny beads do not feel overly abrasive on my skin, but it leaves my skin feeling polished and smooth. This is quite a pricey brand, so I was really happy to receive this in a previous Boxycharm. Dr Brandt is stocked online on the Foschini website. I hope to try more from the brand in future.

Toner

I recently purchased the Clarimatte Clarifying toner from REN skincare. I have already gone through half a bottle. This doesn’t leave my skin feeling stripped. If anything, my skin feels smoother and really looks cleaner…clearer (??) after using this toner. It’s a bit pricey, but I got it on the Black Friday promotion, so I ended up saving quite a few bucks on my order.

Moisturiser

In case you haven’t noticed the trend, I am very much into products that keep my skin matte and also treats the occasional breakout or blemish. The Vichy Normaderm range ticks all those boxes, and it’s why I actually use 3 products from the range in my skin care routine. The Aquagel feels so refreshing on the skin and doesn’t leave any sticky residue. I use this as my ‘moisturiser’ some days or even as a primer underneath my makeup. I love stocking up on these products when Clicks has their 3 for 2 promotion on.

Facial Spray

I had been wanting to pick up the Elizabeth Arden 8 Hr hydrating facial mist for a long time, so when I eventually got my hands on it…I was really excited. If you click on the link to the post, I go into all the details on the ingredients and what it’s supposed to do for your skin. I just find this is so refreshing on my skin, especially on hot days and also when I just want to ‘refresh’ my makeup after a few hours.

Serum

I plan to do a full review post on the Clarins Double Serum soon, because it’s that good…it deserves its own post, so I won’t be saying too much here. I love how this sinks into the skin and how soft and youthful it makes my skin feel. Personally, I believe the claim that after just 7 days you’ll see a difference in your skin, because I feel like my skin has improved since using this. Just do yourself a favour and pick up a 7 day sample at your nearest Clarins counter and you’ll soon feel the way I do 😉

Sometimes the snow comes down in June…. 

Sometimes the sun goes round the moon….

Just when I thought our chance had passed….

You went and saved the best for last……

Do you know this song? Well if you don’t…it’s by Vanessa Williams…and gals…today I have saved the BEST FOR LAST! This isn’t a fair entry, because I technically received it 2 to 3 weeks before the close of 2017, but I don’t care. I’ll cheat…because this has got to be the most revolutionary addition to my skin care routine, albeit a late addition. I also plan to do a full blog post on it, but…drum roll…..the final item/product is the Clarisonic Mia 2.

I told myself that for my birthday this year, I would be treating myself to the Clarisonic. I’ve seen Tati rave about it time and again, and my favourite local blogger, Luzanne from Pink Peonies, also sings its praises. I messaged Luzanne a few months ago as I was desperate for a device like this and I asked her if I should just get something else seeing as Clarisonic wasn’t really available in SA anymore. She told me to rather save my coins and that there would be a new stockist. I held tight and eventually Clarisonic got in touch and gave me the link to their new online store. They were running a 33% off promotion and my husband told me to order it immediately. (He was planning to order from another website at almost double the cost, so I’m glad I told him about my plan and in the end saved us both some cash.)

Long story short, this baby arrived literally 24hrs after we ordered it! How is that for service? I have used it twice a day since I received it, and combined with the above products (and especially my Double Serum), I feel that my skin is looking better than it has in years! There are no dry patches and the texture of my skin feels more even. My skin feels so clean and clear. Today is my first day back at work and I was asked if I am pregnant, because my skin is glowing…and I ain’t wearing any makeup;) For the record…NO BABY ON BOARD!

That’s a wrap for my best skin care products of 2017! I hope you enjoyed reading it. Let me know what your top skin care products are currently. Also, is there anything on my list that has caught your eye?

PS I’m going to do face masks in a seperate post later in the year, because there are so many that I love that I could not just choose one. 

PSS Welcome back to the blog and thank you for the patience while there was a scarcity of blog posts around here <3