Beauty Holy Grail Products

It is fair to say that these days, we are surrounded by a plethora of beauty products. Each one of them promising to make us younger, sexier, brighter, more awake and generally happier. While we have to take many claims with a pinch of salt, some products do us good and help improve our skin, wellbeing and confidence. If you're lucky, it will do all of the above.

Here is my list of ride or die beauty products that I return to time and time again that work for me. Whilst they don't turn me into Gigi Hadid, they do help. For context, I am thirty five years old and have dry to combination skin with a few lines around my eyes and forehead, from all of the frowning, I mean smiling, that I do. The products stated below are all cruelty free and are a mixture of price points from high end to drugstore.

Skincare

I am going to start with skincare, as to me it is the most important step in comparison to makeup for instance. To make a beautiful painting, or at least a semi-presentable one, you need a good canvas. So always research your skin type and what kind of skin care will work for you.

Cleanser

I am a big believer in the double cleanse and the host of benefits it provides for your skin. An oil based cleanser will remove all of the surface junk and gunk, including makeup, whereas the second cleanser will really treat the skin.

My go to is Elemis Pro Collagen Cleansing Balm. Whilst on the pricier side, a little goes along way and is a great multitasker. It feels gentle and luxurious on the skin and is generally suitable for all skin types. I would be cautious if you have very sensitive skin as it contains a base of natural oils. You take a small amount and massage gently over the face and neck. Add a little water, massage some more, boosting the circulation, before removing with a warm face cloth. My skin never feels dehydrated or dry after, just clean and fresh. You can then go in with the balm again for your second cleanse or move on to your next cleanser. The balm can also be used as a hydrating, soothing mask or an overnight treatment. So really, when you think about it, it's three products in one.

Serum

One of the most important steps of any good skincare routine, is a serum, as these really can be tailored to each person. They also reach much deeper into the skin's layers as opposed to just moisturiser. As I am well into my thirties, sigh, I focus on anti ageing ingredients that are going to keep Yoda like skin at bay for as long as possible.

There are two serums I cannot live without, the first of these being Beauty Pie's Super Healthy Skin Daily Vitamin C Defence Serum. This is my daytime serum and is chock full of antioxidants that fight external aggressors like pollution. It also has a brightening affect; lack of sleep anyone? It contains no irritating fragrance, parabens or sulphates and makes my skin feel soft and smooth.

Night time is when I use my other holy grail serum, which is retinol based and one I have used consistently. The Ordinary Retinol 1% in Squalane. As with all retinols, you do need to build up to this strength gradually, but it's definitely helping against fine lines.

An extra serum I can't live without as someone with dehydrated and dry skin, is the Inkey List Hyaluronic Acid. Hyaluronic Acid attracts a thousand times it's own weight in water, so floods the skin with moisture. This in turn, plumps and hydrates the skin, which is exactly what a tired, stressed, dehydrated, caffeine addicted thirty five year old needs...alot. As it is a fairly simple formula, it's a great add on with other serums, day and night, and the price is amazing.

I don't have a ride or die moisturiser, or a least I haven't found one yet but I do have an indispensable facial oil. Rosehip oil. Soothing, hydrating and anti ageing and lightweight on the skin; if it's good enough for Miranda Kerr, it's good enough for me. It contains omega 3, 6 and 9 which are essential fatty acids and antioxidants which maintain optimum skin health. A really good one is Trilogy Certified Organic Rosehip Oil.

Finally, the last skincare product that I am going to shout from the rooftops about is the Innisfree Super Volcanic Pore Clay Mask 2x. Whenever my skin feels yuck and congested, I slather my sorry complexion in this. It draws out any impurities and after rinsing, my skin feels so refreshed and brightened. Importantly it does not dry my skin out.

So now on to my war paint Holy Grail products.

Makeup:

A foundation that I have lost count of how many times that I have purchased, is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation. It is so lightweight on the skin, yet gives me all of the coverage that I need. I hate thick, cakey foundations and this product is not that. It's demi matte so doesn't make the face look flat or mask like, which is instantly ageing. A little goes a long way and it comes in 20 shades from ultra fair to deep.

On the back of that, my next Holy Grail product is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away Concealer. Unless you're a seventeen year old youtuber or instagrammer, thick, heavy concealers are a no go for me. They are extremely ageing and drying for everyday wear and the Magic Away Concealer is not that and one I keep coming back to. Although it states it is full coverage, I would say that it is more medium buildable. It covers redness, blemishes and dark circles and is extremely moisturising with light reflective particles. The packaging can get a little messy but I happily put up with that for the formula. I find that it doesn't crease as much as heavier formulations and easily blends back out with a finger tip if needs be. I've even got my hairdresser on to this product who says he loves how brightening this is.

Right, face powder is a product that can make or break a look. My all time hero powder for your consideration is RCMA's No Color Powder. This stuff is literally amazing and the price point is unreal. It's so finely milled it goes on like a dream, blurring pores and setting makeup. You do not need to use alot at all, plus nobody likes an over powdered Elizabethan face. Although the powder is stark white, no fear, literally everybody can use it. The pale skinned amongst us like myself can use it to the deepest of deep skin tones with no white cast. Importantly too it leaves no flashback in photographs, so no 'ghost face'. As a working makeup artist, I use it on all of my clients, especially brides.

So there we are, my Holy Grail beauty products, my essentials, my life savers. There may be products here that you love too, or some that you hate. This is what I love about everyone's favourite beauty products, as everyone has different tastes and needs. What works for one may not work for another, but these are the products I will cannot live without. Let me know what you think.