Last year was the year that I started to get into a really good routine with all of my beauty products. I found the skincare products that constantly deliver results for me and the style of makeup that I love for a daily basis. I had a better idea of what I was looking for from my beauty products and the kind of finishes that I not only like but also suit me. That said, I still discovered plenty of new products over the 12 months that have worked their way into my routines and are now considered staples.

Of all the new products that I tried last year there are a couple that really stand out to me. These are the ones that I have reccomended time and time again to friends & family and the ones that I have gone back and repurchased once I realised I couldn’t be without them.

When it coms to makeup there are two clear stand-out products for me this year, a foundation and a mascara. I find these the trickiest types of products to buy as there is so much variety on offer and finding the perfect ones for you can seem a bit of a task. Both of these have become staples in my routine though and with such affordable price tags I’m more than happy about that.

The first is The Ordinary Serum Foundation. I wear shade 1.2N and this is more of a summer/fake-tan shade for me but as it’s a lighter coverage it can work well when I’m a little plaer to add a glow to my skin. It’s pretty much all I wore on my skin from about May through until October and it’s still my favourite formula. It’s incredibly lightweight but offers enough coverage to even out your skintone and give some added radiance. It doesn’t have a heavy or oily texture to it that I sometimes find with radiant foundations. It’s also free from any shimmer particles in the formula (a pet peeve of mine). It blends into the skin perfectly with fingers, a brush or a makeup sponge.

I’m always on the hunt for the perfect mascara and when the L’Oréal Paris Paradise Lash Mascara launched earlier this year I wasn’t quite ready to buy into the hype. But boy is this mascara worthy of it! If you like a super natural lash then this one probably isn’t going to be the one for you but if you prefer thick and dramatic lashes on a daily basis you will adore this. The formula almost feels a little dry when you first use it so it’s the perfect texture for building up a really impactful look. It’s super black so helps to define every lash and sits perfectly all day long.

Skincare was probably the thing I tried the most of this year. At the start of the year I discovered The Ordinary AHA BHA Peeling Solution. It was all over Instagram and, again, I didn’t want to buy into the hype. But as far as acid exfoliators go this is one of the best I’ve tried. I started to reach for it every Sunday evening and used it for between 5-7 minutes, building up over the course of a couple of months. It’s strong so if you’re new to acids or have sensitive skin then be careful and start with just a minute or two. If you skin can handle it though the effects are incredible.

Towards the end of this year I started to encounter a few different skin issues, mainly an eczema flare up. This changed up my winter skincare quite a bit (you can read about that here) but one thing it did was introduce me to the La Roche Posay Toleriane range. The two stand-out products for me have been the eye cream and moisturiser. The eye cream is incredibly gentle, is amazing at sooting tired or irritated eyes and has helped my eye area to look much more youthful than it did post-eczema attack. The facial moisturiser is similar in that it is also incredibly gentle, keeps my skin feeling soft and supple for hours but they both work so well under makeup. This means I could easily incorporate both in the morning and evening and I think that these have a large part to play in the healing of my skin.

Finally, a fragrance discovery - of course. It’s no secret how much I love fragrance and whilst I have discovered some beautiful ones this year (Baccarat Rouge 540 will always be a dream and I feel like Cartier Carat will really come into it's own during the spring) there is one that not only took me by surprise but is pretty much all I wore throughout the autumn. The Zadig & Voltaire This Is Her! perfume was quite a surprise to me. It’s a sweet scent and generally these don’t appeal to me but the inclusion of sandalwood and vanilla mean that it’s a little warmer and almost has a “burnt” sweet scent to it. Describing scent is not my fortay but go and give it try because depsite being a very sweet scent it is still sophisticated, it isn’t too heavy and is the perfect every-day scent to lift your mood.

These items have managed to assert themselves well into my routine over the past 12 months. They’re the ones that are now true staples to me and that I am pleased I have discovered. There are of course some other products I have disovered this past year, including the Isle Of Paradise tan, the Fresh Vitamin C Nectar range (more on this coming soon), the Charlotte Tilbury bronzing powder and Hourglass Unlocked palette. These are also much loved steps in all of my routines and are worth checking out but when it comes to the things that changed the game for me it has to be these.