MY TRIED AND TRUE BEAUTY FAVES, AS WELL AS SOME WARDROBE AND LIFESTYLE ESSENTIALS I CANNOT LIVE WITHOUT
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil
I classify this treatment as a miracle in a bottle. It’s the kind of product that just works — it makes my skin appear more youthful, while at the same time reducing acne scars and pigmentation. If you’re a newbie to this cult product, Luna is a retinol oil containing a bunch of cold-pressed seed oils that work together to hydrate, heal and restore your skin. This night time product targets wrinkles, hyperpigmentation and the overall appearance of skin tone and complexion by amping up collagen production and restoring distressed and dehydrated skin. Grab yourself some Luna if you’re concerned with sun damage, acne scars and signs of ageing — you won’t regret it.
Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream
If you’re looking for an ultra-hydrating moisturiser that won’t break you out, this is it. It’s such a beautiful, thick formula with the most enticing scent of vanilla. I really love picking up this cream when I want my skin to feel and smell heavenly. It also works well if you’ve run out of eye cream and need something thicker than your average moisturiser to get you through the day — I just apply a thick layer of this under my eyes and let it sink in and work it’s magic.
The Ordinary Niacinamide + Zinc
This is really beautiful serum that is gentle enough to use daily. The combination of niacinamide and zinc regulates oil production in the skin, reducing the size of pores and preventing breakouts. A great one to try if you’re struggling with problematic skin and are just starting out with serums and targeted skincare products.
Weleda Skin Food
A super moisturising balm that hydrates and soothes dry areas on your skin. I apply this to my feet and hands before bed, but it’s also a really great treatment for chapped lips and exceptionally dry skin in the winter months.
Sukin Hydrating Mist Toner
My favourite mist toner — beautifully gentle yet effective. Something I’ll always have on hand, no matter the season.
Sunday Riley Good Genes Glycolic Acid Treatment
Now that I’m in my late twenties, I’m reaching for products that are as effective as they are gentle. I’m hyper-aware of the fact that my skin doesn’t recover from harsh treatments as well as it used to, which is why Good Genes is such a fantastic product. I’ve incorporated this gentle exfoliating serum into my evening routine a few nights a week, and it’s the best way to remove dead skin buildup to reveal glowing, smooth skin underneath. Proper exfoliation is paramount to reduce breakouts and skin texture, while at the same time providing a clean canvas to apply other serums and retinols to. You’re wasting your time applying expensive retinols and oils if you are not first removing the layers of dead skin on your face, and that’s a fact.
Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin Brightening Eye Cream
The perfect hydrating eye cream for every day. The formula is so thick and beautifully nourishing, while light enough at the same time to wear under makeup. I’ve fallen in love with this eye cream over the past year, and I really feel like it’s made a difference to my under eye area.
Sukin Foaming Facial Cleanser
I’m not usually a fan of foaming facial cleansers as they can be quite drying, but my skin loves this one. I use this cleanser daily — morning and night — and love how effective it is at removing the day. It’s also really good as a second cleanse, after I’ve removed my makeup, and I find it catches the things I might have missed with my first cleanse. Lovely, affordable and effective.
Sunday Riley Saturn Sulfur Acne Treatment Mask
If you suffer from painful, under the skin spots — this is the product for you. I only get blind pimples every so often, but if I apply this on them as soon as I start to feel one appear, they disappear within a day or two. I’ve never used a spot treatment that’s quite as effective as this one, especially as I’ve always struggled with painful blind pimples my entire life and it feels like I’ve tried almost every product on the market. Be warned, this product smells kind of crazy, but it works and that’s all that matters.
Sukin Cream Cleanser
If you’re in need of a gentle, reliable and soothing cleanser for your face — look no further. I’ve been using this cream cleanser for years now and it’s a dream. No irritation, no dryness and it never breaks me out. Affordable, too!
Antipodes Culture Probiotic Night Recovery Water Cream
First things first: the smell. This hydrating, luscious cream smells like a combination of musk and rose turkish delight, so if you want to be told continuously that you smell incredible, pick this product up. Additionally — if you’re looking for a thick, protective moisturiser for when your skin is a little troubled, I’d recommend this product to you in a heartbeat. It’s one of those moisturisers that you can actually still feel on your skin in the morning when you wash it off your face — it’s not the kind of product that disappears from your skin in an instant. For that reason, I turn to this product solely when I know my skin is in need of a protective barrier that only a recovery cream like this can provide. Sunburn? This cream works wonders. Dryness and irritation? Yep, it’s great for that too. It locks in everything you apply underneath it, so I also love smothering my face in this when I’m applying harsher products like retinol or high percentage acids.
Sunday Riley U.F.O. Ultra Clarifying Face Oil
If you’re like me in that you struggle with oily skin, large pores and recurrent breakouts — you absolutely need to try this product. It’s an exfoliating and purifying oil, which basically means that it contains salicylic acid as well as a bunch of other ingredients that specifically target oily skin and acne. You guys — this oil cleared up this one annoying cystic spot that kept coming back each month on my jawline [I’m serious — same exact spot every single month!] while also reducing my pore size and making my skin way less oily throughout the day. I can actually keep a full face of makeup on until 7pm without having to continuously apply powder or blot my face! This is a major for me, and something I have always struggled with. I consider this to be a miracle, couldn’t live without product. A must-try for anyone struggling with acne.
Sukin Micellar Cleansing Water
I’ve tried a bunch of micellar waters before and this is by far my favourite. It removes all types of makeup — even waterproof! — and doesn’t irritate my eyes or skin. It’s also got this really beautiful, subtle scent of vanilla that makes removing makeup an enjoyable experience.
The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid + B5
A year-round skincare essential. Hyaluronic acid is a great ingredient to incorporate in your skincare routine if you’re suffering from dry, tight skin and irritation. It’s a humectant, which means it absorbs external moisture and locks that within the skin it has been applied to. I advise applying a hydrating facial mist that contains glycerine prior to using this product on your skin. That way, it’ll lock in all the moisture you applied with your mist and give you maximum results.
Aesop Control
A gentle but effective spot treatment that wears well under makeup. This isn’t a miracle product, but it does what it says on the tube: soothes, cleanses and reduces inflammation. It’s also anti-bacterial, so it works well on surface spots to prevent further infection. I use this on healing spots and I love it how soothing it is.
Antipodes Divine Face Oil
The combination of rosehip and avocado oils in this product leaves the skin super hydrated and provides a really beautiful, smooth base for makeup. I love this oil when my skin is needing some extra nourishment.
Antipodes Aura Manuka Honey Mask
Another spot-treating wonder, this one in mask form. This stuff if what I would call a miracle product — I truly cannot believe how restoring it is to the skin around healing breakouts. Less acne scarring, here I come! You can use this multi-tasking product as an all-over face rescuer, or as a targeted post-blemish treatment. I mainly use it for the latter as I don’t struggle with dry skin that often, but I do find that I reach for it a little more than usual in the cooler months.
The Ordinary Lactic Acid + HA
This lactic acid is a great chemical exfoliant to try if you’re new to the skincare game. Simply apply a few drops to your face and neck a few nights a week and wake up with baby-soft, smooth skin. It’s one of those products everyone needs to try — and it’s super affordable too.
Sukin Facial Moisturiser
This moisturiser has worked wonders for my sensitive skin. It’s gentle enough that it doesn’t cause my skin to break out in the middle of summer, but hydrating enough to keep my skin soft and soothed throughout the winter. I’m such a big fan of utilising Sukin products as staples in my routine.
The Ordinary Rose Hip Seed Oil
A really wonderful single-ingredient oil to try if you’ve got dry, troubled or stressed out skin. Massage it into healing blemishes, apply it all over your face before moisturising, or rub a little into your stretch marks for quicker fading time. Super affordable, super high quality. What’s not to love?
Shiseido Eyelash Curler
If you’ve got short, straight or fine eyelashes [uhhh, or all of the above like me], this eyelash curler is going to change your life. It curls my eyelashes to the point where it looks like I’m wearing strip lashes, doesn’t pinch or pull, and creates a curl that lasts literally all day. I’m obsessed!
NARS Pencil Sharpener
A makeup bag essential. It sharpens both standard and chubby pencils and leaves a super sharp tip for precise application. This sharpener is one of those things you don’t even realise that you need until you actually have one. It’s truly the best pencil sharpener ever.
Tangle Teezer Wet Detangler Brush
Fine haired girls, unite! This is the brush to use if you’ve got fine, limp hair like me and use a lot of dry shampoo to add volume and body to your locks. This brush is the secret for an even coverage of dry shampoo at the roots while also removing the excess so you don’t look like you’ve tipped a bag of flour on your scalp. The best part? You can take this brush in the shower with you to comb your conditioner and treatments through wet hair, while at the same time cleaning the dry shampoo residue off the brush itself! I’ve noticed a lot less hair breakage since using this brush, which I think is due to the super flexible bristles. I love it so much that I actually bought one for my cats too — it’s that gentle!
Orbitkey Ring
Say goodbye to broken nails and painfully trying to remove one key from your keyring. The Orbitkey ring totally changes the game for key organisation and functionality and I couldn’t live without it. I use them for my car keys, random house keys and everything in between — they’re a great gift too. Definitely something everyone needs, especially those who struggle with regular keyrings.
Apple AirPods
AirPods are a game changer for me! While I usually opt for my noise cancelling headphones while working, I love using my AirPods for everything else — hiking, cooking, cleaning and running errands. I listen to podcasts every day and these are my go-to for that because I can still hear what’s going on around me and they don’t feel like I’m wearing anything in my ears at all. All day comfort and wearability with zero cables — ideal!
Orbitkey Organiser
The Orbitkey Organiser is something I use every day. I mean, it holds all of my keys, so it makes sense that it’s a daily essential, but I’ve had mine for almost three years now and I’m still just as in love with it as I was on day one. My keys are totally silent and handbag safe and I just couldn’t recommend this thing more.
Status Anxiety Insurgency Wallet
An ideal wallet for travelling and constantly being on the go. This wallet has space for everything — even a tube of lip balm or an emergency tampon! I always use this wallet when I know I’m going to be out for the entire day and will need all of my cards and cash handy. Plus, it’s super chic and minimal. Love that.
Kindle Paperwhite
I’m obsessed with my Kindle and here’s why: I read so much more than ever before. It’s lightweight, waterproof, backlit and the battery lasts me a month at a time! Picking up my Kindle to sneak in a few chapters before bed has never been so easy.
Incipio Organicore iPhone 12 Pro Case
The cutest neutral case for your phone, made from plant and bio-based materials. It’s also 100% compostable too. What more could you want?
Glasshouse Fragrances A Tahaa Affair Candle
The most beautiful, sweet scent for the home. I love burning this candle in the living room because the caramel vanilla smell makes the entire space feel super cosy, and it lingers for hours after you extinguish the flame.
Nespresso Essenza Mini
One of those couldn’t-live-without items. I love my Nespresso machine for it’s ability to make consistently delicious coffees in a matter of seconds while taking up very little bench space in our kitchen.
Aarke Sparkling Water Carbonator
My secret to staying hydrated is sparkling water. The Aarke carbonator [I have the matte black and it’s so chic] allows me to make sparkling water in a matter of seconds at home, without filling up my recycling bin with plastic bottles. I could not live without my Aarke.
Glasshouse Fragrances Coney Island Candle
A slightly fresher scent for the home, with lashings of vanilla blossom and caramelised fig. This candle has always been a favourite of mine, and it’s one that is mellow enough to burn in my office while I’m working — especially great on rainy days when things get a bit stuffy and uninspiring.
Bed Threads Linen Robe
The epitome of luxe is a linen robe, and I won’t hear any different. My favourite colour is the charcoal, but the oatmeal is equally stunning.
Emu Australia Mayberry Slipper
The perfect casual at-home slipper to keep your feet snug. There’s not much else to say, really, except for the fact that these slippers are equal parts comfy and chic, and I love that.
Slip Silk Eye Mask
I swear by this eye mask for nights when I’m struggling with insomnia and anxiety. It forces my eyes closed and stops me reaching for my phone. It’s also great for travelling or when you’re visiting family and sleeping in unfamiliar rooms with weird lighting and shadows.
Reliquia Star Sign Necklace
I’ve had this necklace for years and it still looks brand new. It’s one of my favourite pieces of jewellery in my collection and I wear it every chance I get.
