Best Of 2012: Skin Care

Time to reveal which were my top skin care products in 2012! Those of you following me for a while know that I have had some issues with my skin up to August of last year; for those of you who are new here, I basically started getting a whole lot of zits on my face and I thought it was all due to starting my job etc... turned out I was using too much products to try and eliminate the spots and I ended up making matters worse. That is until I only used La Roche Posay products.

So here are the winners in the Skin Care Category! La Roche Posay Effaclar Foaming Cleansing Gel...honestly, the best cleanser I have ever used that is specifically targeted for my skin type. It doesn't dry out my skin whilst doing an excellent job at cleansing away excess sebum; paired with La Roche Posay Effaclar Mat Moisturizer, they really do care for my skin and it has now become less oily and I am getting spots much less frequently and they tend do disappear quicker.  The moisturizer has a very nice skin mattifying effect and is also an excellent make-up base!

Roberts Rose Water has been my choice of toner this year as with its gentle action, it cares for my sensitive skin yet it refreshes my skin effectively with a light rose fragrance.  Nivea Visage Young Mild Exfoliating Scrub continues to be a winner with me as it is mild enough to use everyday to keep my skin peachy smooth!

As for make-up removal, besides the above products, I like to use Nivea Refreshing Cleansing Lotion and Lycia Make-Up Remover Wipes to remove eye make-up effectively without irritating my eyes. The wipes need no introduction and I am very fond of the cleansing lotion simply because unlike other make-up removers, it doesn't leave an oily residue.

Lastly, a little shout-out to this Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash that I have been using while in Paris because of it's compact size.  While the smell is definitely not pleasant, I like the fact that the product is of 98.8% natural origin and it didn't break me out or leave my skin overly dry. Since this was a freebie with Glamour magazine, I cannot get it in Malta so I will enjoy it while it lasts!

And those, dear readers, have been my favourite skin care products in 2012!













Part 1: Nails

Products marked with * were either gifted to me or else sent by respective companies' PR for review purposes.

Review: Lycia Make-up Remover Wipes

Do you ever feel so lazy after a night out that you do not want to go through all the cleansing and make-up removing steps but you just want to collapse onto your bed and sleep right away? If the answer is yes, read on! 

We all have had the famous preach about threatening pimples and puffy eyes if you do not take off your make-up before you go to sleep at some point in our lives so here's a skin saver product that is just perfect to clean up your act in one go! Enter, Lycia Make-up Remover Wipes!

I have been looking for some good facial wipes that do not irritate my eyes for like forever and now that I have found them, I really hope Lycia will never think of discontinuing them!

Basically you get normal fabric wipes that are nicely moistened and contain amongst other ingredients, camomile and provitamin B5 which are both beneficial to your skin.  These wipes are really effective in removing all my make-up even the toughest of products as well as waterproof make-up.  For me, one wipe is enough to remove all the make-up from my face and I am talking about a full make-up application here including foundation, eyeshadow, etc...

The formula I chose is for dry and sensitive skin as my skin has shifted to being more dry this winter thanks to the weather.  It works beautifully in toning and hydrating my skin although I still apply a moisturizer afterwards to help hydrate my skin even more.  I have also noticed that these wipes have never irritated my eyes, unlike other brands that I've tried.

You can find Lycia wipes in most drugstores and there are different formulas available so you can get the ones that suit your skin most.  I cannot remember the exact price for these but they sure weren't expensive at all :)

Review: Lycia Depilazione Soothing Milk with Pure Soothing Oils

Ever wonder what is it that when you have your unwanted body hair removed professionally, the results seem to last longer? No, it is not the fact that at home you use a razor whilst the beauty therapist uses warm wax! It is the cream/oil they apply to the area afterwards!! I only visit the beautician when I want to be pampered or have a special occasion or if I want to get rid of body hair from a hard to reach area so I thought I'd look for a hair minimizer to use at home. This is a supermarket find which I'm so happy about. Ladies, say hello to Lycia Depilazione Soothing Milk with Pure Soothing Oils.

Here's what's written on the back of the bottle:

'Lycia Post Depilazione milk is a soothing milk that guarantees an immediate sensation of well-being because its soothing oils prevent and soothe reddening, helping to restore the skin's natural softness and effectively removing any wax residue. The soothing milk makes your hair removal treatment las linger as the Larrea divaricata extract slows down hair re-growth.'

When I looked up what Larrea divaricata extract (the image shows the L. divaricata flower) is, I was a bit worried as there were a lot of negative things being said about it. Most of the sites I looked up said it is not good for pregnant women and those suffering with kidney disease amongst other conditions. However, according to cosmeticsdatabase.com, this is only the case when exposed to the ingredient on its own, not products containing it. Larrea divaricata is an extract of the chaparral and it has been reported to be used in hair growth inhibitors, facial cleansers and lip balms to mention a few. I was still hesitant to use this product though so I tested it on a small patch of skin to see if I were allergic to it but nothing developed after 24 hours so I continued using it.

The white cream comes in a 150ml format tube, so you are guaranteed that this will last a long time as you only need a small amount. I've had mine for like two years.

I have noticed that hairs are growing out finer and also take more time to grow so I guess this cream is doing it's job. Also, it has no particular smell to it.

On a finishing note, I think I will buy this again, provided I keep seeing the results.

Have you ever encountered Larrea divaricata as an ingredient in some product or other? If you'e ever used a hair minimizer, what do you think about their action?