It is that time of the year again. I’m going to tell you what I liked in 2018 – in beauty, books, style and everything else. It is obviously a highly subjective take, as even with my level of obsession, there is a limited amount of stuff I can try. There are also no objective criteria to assess perfume or literature, so everything here and in the posts to come is biased towards my very particular taste. To keep things manageable, I have only included things that were launched in 2018 or tried by me for the first time this year. I have also been relatively strict and only included one item per category with the exception of cleansers where I have gone completely over board, again.

1. First cleanse: Mahalo The Unveil. I always need to have a balm cleanser in my arsenal and this bright green ridiculously good-smelling take was my favourite this year. It is not as good at removing makeup as some other balms I know, but it’s still good, and the sensory experience is simply wonderful. Green luxury lovers take note.

2. Second/morning cleanse: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser. I wasn’t incredibly impressed when I tried this for the first time. And then I promptly went and used it all up (considering that I have about 15 cleansers, this is a significant sign). I like the texture and it’s just so effortless and never causes any trouble. Of all things Glossier, this and the Cloud Paints are my absolute favourites.

3. Universal cleanse: Jordan Samuel After Show Cleanser. I have nothing but love for this decently priced indie cleanser. It has a jelly-balm texture that I love, it removes makeup like a boss and it’s such a pleasure to use. First cleanse, second cleanse, whatever you like (I generally use it as a first cleanse or in the morning when my skin is feeling sensitive). The only downside of this product is that it can be bought from the USA only. Fortunately, it was entirely hassle free when I did that. Origins Jelly Cleanser is similar (and also very good), in case that is easier to get for you.

4. Surprise Cleanser: Biologique Recherche Lait VIP O2. I really did not expect to like this: I don’t like cleansing milks and I’m not sold on all Biologique Recherche products, especially considering their price. I only bought this because so many proper skincare obsessives are crazy about this cleanser, so I felt it was my duty to give it a go. And what can I say, it’s now one of my favourite cleansers. I use it almost exclusively as a second cleanse (it does remove makeup, but there are better options) and it leaves my skin hydrated, plump and revitalised. It is one of the very few cleansers I’ve tried that I truly feel has skincare benefits other than exfoliating, which is the usual additional benefit beyond cleansing. Consider me converted.

5. Toner/mist: Josh Rosebrook Hydrating Accelerator. This is another product in the line-up that skincare fans have praised for ages and, as it turns out, with a good reason. There are very few mists that I like, even the ones I get excited about at first tend to turn into disappointments. Most of them don’t really hydrate properly and if they don’t, what’s the point? This one does, though. It is the only mist I can spray on cleansed skin, not do anything else for hours and NOT feel dehydrated. The ingredient list is also impressive enough for this to function as an essence or even a serum. Good stuff.

6. Serum: Joanna Vargas Daily Serum. I wasn’t initially going to include this, as it isn’t as active as most serums I like. I usually go for stuff with a serious vitamin C or retinol content, this one is more low key (although it has both vitamin C and A and other nice stuff). But the truth is I miss it and everyone needs a nice everyday serum that improves things without being too powerful.

7. Oil: Odacite Wild Carrot Serum Concentrate. Oils are another category I’m very picky with, I think I truly like only Vintner’s Daughter and Kypris Beauty Elixir II – and even these I prefer mixed with serums or moisturisers. Joining this exclusive club is this tiny vial of carrot seed oil that promises glow and indeed instantly gives life to my always dull complexion. Works perfectly mixed with the Joanna Vargas serum and smells heavenly, too.

8. Moisturiser: Alessandra Steinherr x Primark. I just wrote about this line in more detail and I’ve been so impressed with both moisturisers I tried that I decided to include them in my best of 2018. If you don’t want to spend much on skincare, moisturisers are one of the best places to save, especially if you use very active serums. The other reason I decided to give a shout-out to this collection is that while 2017 was the year of The Ordinary, 2018 has been the year of affordable skincare in general. Others have been catching up and that can only be a good thing. This is also why I have included The Inkey List’s retinol in the picture,to represent another great cheap skincare line.

9. Mask: Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Sukari Babyfacial. There could easily be several Drunk Elephant products in this post, but I try to mix the brands and two of my big favourites – B-Hydra and C-Firma – were already featured last year and of the remaining ones, Babyfacial is my fave. (Come to think of it, I probably should have included C-Tango in the eye cream category that I had completely forgot about until now). Anyway, this is a potent acid mask (25% AHA and 2% BHA) and even on my elephant skin (apologies for the awful pun) it has a noticeable effect. I would not recommend this to anyone who is sensitive or just starting to use acids; it is excellent for advanced users, however. Unfortunately, because of the high acid content, it is only sold in the USA and not in Europe.

So here you go, my skincare year in a nutshell. What did you discover this year?