Like my style, my beauty consumption has also settled down. Not really to normal levels, but somewhat closer to it. Perhaps it’s simply an age thing? The most important elements of my skincare routine are Vitamin C in the morning and retinol at night, which do not change much, and then I can play around with the rest. My makeup tends to be relatively minimal (if I bother at all) and softer than in the past, so there isn’t too much to report on that front either. That said, I do have a number of things I enjoyed using this year – some new, some older. Here they are:

Tatcha Indigo Cleansing Balm. My favourite new cleanser of the year was by Tatcha and I really do love it – the texture is soft and lovely, the colour is a beautiful light blue and although it’s fragrance free, it has a pleasant faint smell. It’s effective, too, but I like it mostly because it’s very kind to the skin. My skin isn’t particularly sensitive, but it does get irritated sometimes and I occasionally mess up my barrier function with strong actives. The indigo cleanser is perfect for such occasions. And as we are on the topic of Tatcha products, let me add a shout-out to Indigo Overnight Repair – again perfect if you have upset your skin or it’s dry and sensitive to begin with. It is rich, luxurious and soothing, but not heavy at all.

Milky toners. When people are asked which step in skincare they find the most unnecessary, almost everyone says ’toner’. And I get it, it definitely isn’t a mandatory step and it’s certainly less important than a cleanser or SPF. HOWEVER. I personally find milky toners very useful: they generally have a more heavy-duty ingredient list than regular toners and many of them are also more hydrating-moisturising (thanks to the addition of ceramides and such). If your skin is dry and/or dehydrated, this additional layer of moisture can really help. Milky toners have been all over TikTok this year and I don’t mind, as that means lots of choice. I love them all – the classic Laneige, the slightly exfoliating The Ordinary, the nourishing Dr Ceuracle. I have not tried the viral Rhode Glazing Milk, but I’m pretty sure I’d love that, too.

Sisley Black Rose series. Perhaps surprisingly, I do not often buy skincare from luxury brands. While I do buy expensicve products, they are usually either from medical or niche brands, as I’m more interested in performance than I am in the presentation. But this year I have been craving some of my luxury favourites and the Black Rose series is a case in point. I have loved the four products – the skin infusion cream, the eye fluid, the oil and the mask – for years. I may have mentioned in the past that I particularly love mixing a couple of drops of the oil into the moisturiser. It smells amazing, the texture is beautiful and the results are great, too. As my actives are generally in my serums, I don’t need the final step of the routine to do any heavy lifting, providing moisture and pleasure is enough. There is no denying that these products are expensive, so it is worth to look around for post-Christmas sales.

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Setting Spray. As I mentioned earlier, it is not often that I wear proper makeup these days. But when I do, I would really like it to stay put, which can be a problem – my theory is that as my skin is very dehydrated, it just eats up the makeup, too (I am sure that this is incredibly scientific). I have no patience for primers and haven’t noticed a meaningful difference with makeup sprays now. But the Charlotte Tilbury one really makes a difference. So on days when I bother to do a full face, I use this to make it last longer.

Huda Beauty Faux Filler Extra Shine Lip Gloss in Coco. I am not really a Huda Beauty girly, as their aesthetic doesn’t appeal to me. Frankly, if I had known what this product is called, I would probably not have bought it. Which only goes to show that it’s stupid to be a snob, because this lip product is excellent. I bought it entirely randomly as part of a gift set and only because of the colour. And the colour is, indeed, fantastic – it is a neutral-cool brown, which sounds difficult to pull off, but thanks to the glossy finish and relative sheerness, it looks great (I was complimented on this at work, and trust me, I do not often get compliments from auditors). Of course, it’s probably not the perfect colour for everyone, but it’s easier to wear than it might seem. I like the formula, too, and am seriously considering getting another one in Bombshell and/or Posh.

Glossier Ultralip lipsticks. As a good (and very elderly) millennial, I never gave up on Glossier. They have a number of products that I really, really like, including their Ultralip lipsticks. I feel that the older I get, the more difficult it is to wear very pigmented, proper lipsticks. I don’t mind darker or more intense colours, but I find them much easier in sheerer formats and ideally also somewhat smudged for a softer finish. The Glossier lipsticks are perfect for that and my favourite shades are Pony and Cranberry – a wearable brown and a pretty red-pink berry, respectively. I had to buy a second Pony, as I had used up the first, which is practically unheard of in recent years. On a side note, I also adore their Balm Dotcom in Strawberry, my favourite flavour in their line-up.

Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush. This is another lesson in not judging a beauty product by the cover, in this case by the fact that the founder is a celebrity. I have generally liked everything by Selena Gomez’s beauty line, but her liquid blushes are particularly good. I don’t use powder blushes at all, but their advantage over liquids and creams is their longevity. But the Rare Beauty blushes last properly – perhaps not quite as well as good powders, but that would also be too much to expect. The colour selection is wonderful and the blushes are also impressively pigmented. This isn’t important for me personally (as it’s easier to overdo it with a pigmented blush), but it means that one can buy the mini size and it’ll last ages – and fit into the smallest makeup bag. The soft pinch lip oils are also lovely.

Eau de Californie by Celine. I didn’t buy many new perfumes this year and Eau de Californie isn’t new to me either. What was new, though, was the bottle. I bought the Celine travel spray and loved it: it looks gorgeous, is a nice size and the perfume itself has stood the test of time. It was the only scent (plus some samples) I took with me to our US trip this summer and it served me well. It is such an elegant and easy woody perfume that I can wear it anywhere, any time. Since then, I have also bought the red travel spray case and the brown is gorgeous, too.

Victoria Beckham Suite 302. As I said, 2024 wasn’t a big perfume year for me and Suite 302 was actually launched in the end of 302. I am including it anyway, as I think it deserves a mention. It is not the most groundbreaking scent ever, but it is a properly sexy, strong, perfume-y perfume, which I appreciate. It is not cool, but it’s perfectly polished, glamorous and very well packaged – very VB, in other words. It has cherry, leather, tobacco, violet and rose, not that any of the notes is particularly prominent, it’s all well blended. I have not tried the latest one in the line, but considering that it’s a gourmand, I suspect 302 would still remain my favourite. I recommend VB’s perfumes to those who love Tom Ford, but find the line too large and messy these days. Also, I did try the VB ‘cleansing protocol’ this year and it’s very nice (particularly the oil), but considering the price, not amazing enough to include in the favourites.

Thomas de Monaco Eau Coeur. As I was writing the entries above, I realised that there was of course one perfume that I bought in 2024 and that is among my all-time favourites. Eau Coeur is the best magnolia perfume I know, extremely beautiful. There are other things there – osmanthus, woods, pepper -, but they are clearly in supporting roles. I think it’s currently my favourite floral, together with Serge’s Sarrasins. While it’s very pretty, it’s not shy, so I suspect you need to like your white florals to enjoy this as much as I do. If you DO like white florals, this is a must-try (although at this price, not a must-buy).

Color Wow Dreamcoat Supernatural Spray. And to finish, I have a hair product! I cannot be arsed to do much about my hair – as long as it’s broadly the colour I want, I don’t even mind if it’s a bit dry and frizzy. However, it’s of course much nicer when that’s not the case. And I have discovered that if I use this Colour Wow product as instructed, my hair is, in fact, much smoother and glossier. The problem is that proper use means drying my hear while creating tension with a brush, which is at the very limit of my hair-styling abilities. But the results are worth it, so every now and again, I give it a go.

And for those who are curious, my favourite retinols are still from Medik8, favourite Vitamin C serums from Drunk Elephant, Murad and Ole Henriksen, and best sunscreens from Ultra Violette and Beauty of Joseon. My most-used bases are good old Nars tinted moisturiser and Charlotte Tilbury Beautiful Skin Foundation (I did also try the viral Dior foundation stick and it’s very good, but I have not worn it enough to add it to the list). My everyday mascara is Kevyn Aucoin’s volume one and pretty much the only other thing I wear on my eyes is By Terry Ombre Blackstar in Misty Rock.

Did you make any beauty discoveries this year?