little white truths

I recently posted on my updated 2016 makeup wishlist (see here) - a post that wound up being long enough on its own - so I thought I'd do my skincare picks separately.

Do note that what won't be included in the below is any of those limited edition travel packs that often come out in the lead-up to Christmas: I haven't seen many of those yet and I'm sure more are coming, so do keep an eye out because they're often good-value and they allow you to try a bit of everything without committing to a full-sized product that you might get bored of all too quickly.

For my last wishlist post that included skincare, see here. You'll note that plenty has changed, which is one of the reasons why I hold off on buying things for a while: something better always comes along and it's usually only those things that stay on the list for more than a month that I'll buy.

So, in no particular order...

Ren

Ren is one of those brands that tends to release holiday packs so I'll hang out for those before making a purchase. But I've recently finished off my HG Ren Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask so I'm looking to buy that again, perhaps as part of a set or on its own.

You also may have heard me mention the Ren Wake Wonderful Nighttime Facial, which I've tested a few times now and already know I love - it's one of those rare products that works on me straight away - so I'll definitely grab that sooner rather than later.

There's also a new product out, the Ren Flash Hydro-boost Plumping Emulsion, which looks like something I'd like so I'll grab a sample next time I'm in Mecca (maybe when I buy the above ; ) ).

Finally, there's the Ren Bio-Retinoid Anti-ageing Cream, which I know works for me because I received a decent sample in one of my Mecca Beauty Loop boxes, so I'll keep an eye out for any sets containing that because I'd love to explore it some more before committing to the full size.

Darphin

This brand is a newer interest of mine and it's one I'm keen to explore in 2017. I've already tried the Darphin Hydraskin Intensive Moisturising Serum and know it works wonders on my dry skin, so I'll pick that up sooner rather than later and see if there's anything else in the range that grabs my eye.

I'm currently testing the Darphin Hydraskin Rich Cream to go with it, and also the Revitalising Oil and Age Defying Dermabrasion. There's a toner too (the Refreshing Cleansing Toner) that I might grab to go along with anything I buy, since I do like trying a brand's products in one hit whenever I can.

I've seen Caroline Hirons rave about Darphin before and the brand seems to be well-respected, but not many people talk about it so perhaps it deserves more recognition than it's getting. Apparently it makes a great facial oil, so I'll have to look into that too.

Antipodes

I'd heard good things about Antipodes before but it wasn't until I wound up with the Antipodes Chia & Kiwi Seed Superfood Serum via Maslow & Co that the brand landed firmly on my radar. While I did drop into Priceline last time they had a fifty per cent off all skincare sale, by the time I got there, most of the Antipodes stuff was gone so I only managed to buy two things from my list.

I won't include all the Antipodes stuff on my wishlist because we'd be here forever - but in particular I'd like to try the Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream and the Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream, as well as the Kiwi Seed Oil Eye Cream and the Aura Manuka Honey Mask. Oh, and the Juliet Skin-brightening Gel Cleanser as well. The list could go on...

Good news is, it's not a super expensive brand to start with and it's even cheaper if you wait for the half-price sales, which I plan to do. From memory the next one's in January, so I'll hang tight until then.

I've had my eye out for some heavier duty products to add to my skincare routine for a while. While I've learned to steer clear of harsher, more abrasive scrubs because they can damage your skin, I still want to find an at-home microdermabrasion product that does the job without irritating my face because, when you find a good one, the results are amazing.

I've got my eye on the one from Darphin mentioned above, but I'm also keen to test one from Dr Brandt again because that worked well for me and I'd like to compare the two side-by-side. Do let me know if you have a microdermabrasion product you love: they're pretty thin on the ground but I'm keen to find one that works without breaking the bank.

As for a retinol product, Sunday Riley's Luna is too much for my skin so I can't use it, and while the Ren product mentioned above does work for me, I still think I could do better. Again, let me know if there's any product in this category that you love - retinol products tend to be pricey so I'd like to sample a few and be sure of my choice before committing to buying it.

That's my updated wishlist! Just looking back over it, it's not a massive list, is it? That's partly because I've already managed to buy a few things from my last list, and partly because quite a few products have been removed for one reason or another.

Let me know what's on your wishlist at the moment, or whether you have any suggestions for things that are amazing - I'd love to hear : )