8 Holy Grail Beauty Products Every Irish Gal Needs In Her Life

Sarah

Us gals (or guys who take care of their skin, go you!), are constantly searching for the foolproof products that will make their face look glowy and clear every single day of the year.

Sure, breakouts happen and we all have the odd night where we only barely manage to wipe off our makeup, but for the most part a good skincare routine can be easily managed.

I have what would be called ‘normal/combination’ skin, which means it’s fairly grand until I get either mad dry flakes or angry breakouts – whatta joy.

So like most skin obsessives out there, I’ve tried my fair share of so-called “Holy Grail” products, only to be left feeling disappointed with the results and seriously feckin’ broke, too.

What I have found though, are eight amazingly excellent, skin-clearing, dry patch quenching, dead skin rubbing products that will never, ever leave my bathroom cabinet. Here’s the true Holy Grails you should all be trying…

1. Liz Earle – Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

I would be DEAD if this got discontinued. Sounds dramatic, but this hot cloth cleanser is the only cleanser I use – it takes off even the most stubborn of waterproof eye-makeup, comes with a muslin cloth that sloughs away dead skin and leaves your face beautifully silky smooth.

I’ve used the 200ml tube (get the tube rather than the pump as you can squeeze more out of it!), and it lasts me a good six months.

2. Elizabeth Arden – 8 Hour Cream

This smells ever so slightly medicinal, in a strange sort of herby way, but omgggg does it work magic.

A super rich nourishing balm, I use this on dry patches, as lip balm for cracked lips, on my hands as hand cream, over shaving nicks on m’legs… The uses for this are endless. A true miracle, and a little goes a long way.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream 1 7 Ounce Box 1

3. The Body Shop – Chinese Ginseng & Rice Clarifying Polishing Powder

I used to be obsessed with a different rice scrub from The Body Shop, but for some insane reason they stopped selling it… I was devo, until I discovered this new one that’s almost as fantastic.

You simply mix the powder into your hands with a bit of water, and it gently exfoliates your skin like a dream. I use this daily as it’s really easy-going.

Chinese Ginseng Rice Clarifying Polishing Powder 1 640X640

4. Lancome – Galateis Douceur Cleanser

The ultimate cleanser for when you just don’t feel like washing your face, this creamy beaut has been my go-to ever since I stole it from my mam as a teen.

Foundation, blush, mascara and lipstick all dissolve and disappear with just one swipe of this on a cotton pad, and the smell is super luxurious. Wanna feel fancy af? Get yourself some of this and bask in the joy that is having a baby soft face.

5. St. Ives – Invigorating Apricot Scrub

The one scrub I always go back to, for two main reasons: it’s insanely cheap (like €6 or so), and it is one of the hardest working scrubs you’ll ever try.

You can really feel your skin become soft after a good scrub of these gritty apricot granules, and my top tip is to use it in the shower when your pores are nice and open. Bonus points for the fact that it smells soo apricot-y <3

6. Neutrogena – Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser

This is going to sound odd, but this feels like after-sun for your face, in a really good way.

The moisteriser is a really silky gel, that somehow manages to soak into your skin and leave it full of moisture without clogging up pores and making your T-Zone go aggro. ‘Hydro Boost’ is exactly what this nifty product does.

7. Lush – Mask of Magnaminty

I originally bought this for my bf, and then somehow ‘forgot’ to give it to him… Purely because my skin NEEDS this okay?

This tingly minty mask has Kaolin clay and peppermint oil rid your pores of debris, giving you a delightfully clean sensation, and soothes irritated areas in mere minutes. Plus, it’s a gorge green colour and smells like a mint Aero bar.

I’d recommend buying the bigger tub of this as it’s better value, and you will be using this all the time.

B350Fcbd055C1Ee5Fa9C758D3Fde89E7 Lush Cosmetics Makeup Junkie

8. Lidl – Cien Q10 Anti-Wrinkle Night Cream

Yes, genuinely, Lidl the supermarket skincare. No joke.

This heavy duty cream is what I always reach for when my skin needs some TLC and is dry and dull. It’s thick so make sure you spread it evenly, and the smell is ever so slightly old lady-ish, but hey, that’s what happens when you hit mid-20s and suddenly become obsessed with anti-aging products.

Prevention is better than cure xox