Favourite skincare/body products in 2010

Cleanser
Ye Olde Staple, Clarins Cleansing Milk with Gentian. I have been buying this for several years now, and though I dabble with other cleansers regularly, I always come back to this one. I've bought bottle after bottle after bottle - it's great to stock up on when there's a GWP going. Love it!

Toner
There are two I use regularly, and I can't really decide which I like better - Paula's Choice Skin Balancing Toner, and Clarins Lotion Tonique. I get whichever one has a deal/GWP going or is on special. Again, these are products I buy over and over and I rarely venture beyond them.

Eye product
Nivea Triple Action Soy+ Eye and Lip Care. After Jacie posted photos on her blog of her road test, I had to have this. And it was less than $20AUD at the supermarket! Sorry, NeoStrata Bionic Eye Cream - I still love you, but you can't compete with that price. I've been using this for three or four weeks now and taking pics - I can definitely see a lifting of the eyelid and a reduction in the crow's feet. Awesome. I also use it on my lips, and it did wonders getting rid of a deep line that suddenly appeared overnight.

Serum 
L'Oreal Youth Code Concentrate. The texture of this is really more of a cream than a serum, but it's the same kind of product. I was really impressed with both the concentrate and the moisturiser (not so much the eye cream) in this range when they were sent to me earlier in the year to review. I would have bought more if not for the fact that I have a bazillion other serums and moisturisers to slog through first.

Moisturiser
I've been using Paula's Choice RESIST Barrier Repair at night for a few months now, and I really like it. I've read reviews by people saying that they can only use a really tiny bit or their face burns, but I haven't found any issues with it at all. It's a lovely, light lotion that sinks in really easily - great for summer when you don't want heavy night creams. My only complaint is that the pump pack is completely opaque so there's no way to tell how much product you have left. I hate that.


Primer
Face Of Australia Face Base is my tried and true favourite. It doesn't really fill in lines and whatnot the way something like Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch or Joey New York Correct-A-Line does, but it provides a lovely smooth, light base for foundation. It's not too heavy for hot weather, but it's hydrating enough for cold weather.

Treatment
Alpha H Liquid Gold. I was so unimpressed when I first started using this, and it took ages to do anything, but the change - when it finally happened - was very noticeable. Since then, I've only become more and more enamoured of it. It definitely helped even out my skin and left it feeling soft and smooth. Unfortunately I don't have any at the moment, and since I'm on a No Buy and have other similar products to use up, I can't buy any either. Soon, my pretty... soon.

Exfoliant
I didn't really use scrubs much this year, except for the occasional go at the cheapo Nivea one in the shower; I mostly went for AHA and BHA products. However, I think the most effective exfoliating product I used this year was my Clarisonic Mia. I've only had it for a couple of weeks so I'm going out on a limb here, but I've been using it religiously and it is amaaaaaazing. My skin looks clearer and more even and my pores look way smaller. I love it to death.

Mask
As with scrubs, I didn't really use masks that often. I tried (with limited success) to avoid overloading my face with products this year. However, one that I tried a couple of times and really liked for its pore-refining qualities was the good old aspirin mask.

Body wash
Bathing products are just not something I get all that excited about, but I did like the Philosophy Vanilla Cake Batter Shower Gel and I intend to buy more of the Philosophy shower gels in the future. Bonkers price for what is basically a soap, though.

Body scrub
I love the idea of body scrubs - I buy them regularly. However, I rarely use them because a) I'm lazy, and b) they seem to always come in jars which are awkward and annoying to deal with in the shower. The one that I liked best and used most often this year came in a tube, and that's probably why I liked it best and used it most often - Frederic Fekkai Shea Butter Body Polishing Moisture Scrub.

Shampoo
Again, shampoo isn't really something I get into all that much. As long as I have something with which to clean my hair, I'm happy. I did like the MOP Lemongrass Volume Shampoo I bought at the hairdresser earlier this year, though. It had a nice, fresh scent and it cleaned my hair well without leaving any residue.

Conditioner
This answer is going to be Terax Crema every year. Nothing else measures up to it for me.

Hair treatment
I have very fine, thin straight hair so I don't use a lot of products, because I don't like it feeling sticky or heavy or weighed down. I was really impressed with Moroccan Oil - I would never have gone near such a thing had the hairdresser not tried it out on me. It left my hair feeling beautifully soft but not fluffy and fly away. My only complaint about it is the glass bottle - when one is splashing oil around, one doesn't want to be dealing with glass in slippery, oily hands. I'm always terrified I'm going to drop it on the bathroom floor.

Hand Cream
The Alpha-H Age Delay Hand And Cuticle Cream was hands down (see what I did there?) my favourite this year. Must get some more of that.

Special mention
The Skin Physics Photon LED Photo Rejuvenation System is an excellent product that pretty much lives up to its claims. My only complaint about it is that it takes dedication to keep it up, and I'm too lazy! One of my New Year resolutions is to get back into using it regularly.