Beauty Products I’ve Loved, (And Finished), During Summer 2020

I’m no expert on make-up and beauty, but I do know what I like and what works for me. I’m fortunate because I get a lot of PR samples and gifts which gives me the opportunity to try new products from new, (to me at least), brands. There are very few things I don’t like. I finish pretty much everything that I open, with the exception of an occasional wrong-coloured lipstick or foundation. But these are the things I love. Products that I’ve bought myself, or products that have been gifted that I like so much I will buy myself.

My Favourite Beauty Products Of Summer 2020

I’ll start at the top with Ange ou Demon perfume by Givenchy. Ian chose this for me from the airport when he was travelling. I’d never tried it before and I love it. So much so that he bought me another after I finished it, so this is the second finished bottle.  It’s described as: “A aromatic and woody fragrance. It contains mandarin, white cumin, saffron, lily, Maxillaria orchid, ylang-ylang, rosewood, oak moss, tonka and vanilla.” 

To the right of that is the Hydration Injection Mask by award-winning brand Ark. Beauty expert and blogger Hayley Hall introduced me to this brand, and, via her, they sent me a whole selection of products to try. They are all excellent and I actually finished off an Ark cleanser and a night cream when I was in Crete and have restocked both. This moisturising mask is an absolute treat to use and it makes a noticeable improvement to the softness of my skin.

Next is the UpCircle moisturiser which was also gifted. This is a super vegan brand that started off, by using, and therefore recycling, discarded coffee grounds from London coffee shops.  This waste-not ethos has led the brand to grow and to make use of other materials that would otherwise be thrown away. This moisturiser uses finely powdered discarded argan shells. I expected it to be grainy but it wasn’t. It was super smooth and smelled absolutely lovely. 

Despite hardly wearing lipstick because of face masks and because we hardly go out, I’ve managed to almost finish my favourite ever lipstick, Dior Rouge,colour 999. This is the most perfect red I have ever found. It has an orange-y undertone so makes my teeth look whiter and it just transforms my face. This was the fourth one I’ve finished. 

Like many women, mascara is my desert-island product. For years, I used Maybelline Go Colossal mascara but when I went to buy more, there was a new one on promotion which looked good. (This was pre-Covid when testers were available- I liked the look of the brush). Maybelline The Falsies is THE best mascara I have ever had and I stock up every time it is on 3 for 2 (which it is at Boots at the time of writing). I absolutely love this and rave about it to anyone who is prepared to listen. 

No7 Hydrating Skin Paste is designed to be used two or three times per week as a night treatment. It was a gift but I’d definitely buy it myself. It feels lovely and I enjoy using it. I can’t get any more technical than that!

If Dior Rouge 999 is my all-time favourite lipstick, then Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy in Dynamic, (below), is my favourite nudish-neutral-lip -colour-y lipstick. Again, it makes my teeth look whiter and is the sort of colour that goes with everything. 

I never know whether or not eye creams make a difference. However, the dual-phase Hyaluronic Tripeptide gel-Cream for Eyes by Strivectin was very nice to use. It’s lightweight, gentle and it seemed to make my under-eye area look a little lighter and brighter. It was a gift but I’d buy it again. 

When I look in the mirror I think my mouth and lip area show more signs of ageing than my eyes. Therefore anything that promises to improve the appearance of that area piques my interest. Ark Advanced Action Plumping Lip Cream keeps its promises and it has become part of my nightly ritual. It was gifted along with the other Ark products, but I have just restocked. 

I know these reviews aren’t of the technical variety. It’s hard to give a quantitative beauty review and even a qualitative one is difficult. All I can say is that they work for me, for my skin-type and for my requirements. And for those reasons, I recommend them all.