While the shops sell off the dregs of the Christmas sparkle and prepare to re-rack with slightly weird pastels few of us know what to do with, it seems a good time to look back at my best – or favorite – finds of 2015.
Pleasingly, it was the year of the comeback. Clarins wisely resurrected their (once limited edition) Lip Comfort Oils (£18), which manage the rare feat of combining a flattering tint (Honey is my weekend go-to) with lasting moisturization (so many tinted balms fall at the second hurdle). Also saved from untimely death was La Roche Posay’s marvelous Serozinc.
Spray (£8.50) is a highly effective treatment that oily, spotty (and even rosacea) types had taken to scoring abroad. Just spray on after cleansing, then moisturize as usual. If you are drier but are turned off by the greasiness of oils, or have found that Clinique’s famous cleansing balm leaves your face tight (it does mine), then you’ll love its newborn sister, Take The Day Off Cleansing Oil (£22), among my most used launches of the year. It removes absolutely everything in one application, leaves skin ungreasily soft, and lasts one bottle for months.
In terms of skincare advances, 2015 was the year of active treatment oils. Brands discovered a way of adding proven anti-aging ingredients such as retinol into oils instead of just the usual creams and serums. The most celebrated and eye-catching “retinol” was the excellent Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil (£85). Still, in all honesty, I found REN’s Bio Retinoid Anti-Wrinkle Concentrate (£44) effective.
Beauty: nude palettes
A nude palette is a girl’s best friend year-round.
My favorite hair product came from Redken, whose Wind Blown Finishing Spray (£11.40) added volume, hold, and hair texture styled by a speeding convertible. I’m able to name my favorite makeup product of the year without a second’s hesitation. Givenchy’s
Me. Teint Couture Balm (£29) is designed seemingly for women over 35 who once swore by tinted moisturizer but now want more – some line blurring, skin-plumping, increased coverage – without having to wear a face full of proper foundation. It can be slathered on in haste, with zero precision, and solicits multiple compliments for the overall glowiness of one’s skin. It’s brilliant stuff, and it would take an awful lot to trump it this year – through the introduction of darker shades would certainly do it. This is 2016, after all.