For twindlytuesday, we’re planning to feature three things that we’re really excited about each week. That can be whatever crosses our paths – new makeup items, immediate releases, rediscovered golden oldies, exciting articles – a mixed bag of goodies basically! This week’s edition shows our skincare holy grail products – products we buy again and again and would be heartbroken if the beauty gods would decide to discontinue them.

Dorit’s picks

 

Pai Rosehip BioRegenerate Rapid Radiance Mask

pai rosehip bioregenerate rapid radiance mask
pai rosehip bioregenerate rapid radiance mask

 

You know all those face masks that smell kind of nice, feel nice, and after rinsing them off you squint at the mirror and doubtfully say ‘yeah, I think it did something’? This is not like those masks. Because it really does something. It doesn’t come with all the bells and whistles of super-nice scent (I can’t detect any, in fact) or gimmicky texture (it’s a slightly orange balm). But after applying it and letting it sit on my skin for about 10 minutes, I always find that some of the mask has already sunk in. The rest I gently wipe off with a damp cloth the mask comes with. I then apply my usual moisturizer and go to bed. In the morning my skin is more even, a bit plumper, more radiant. I love it. And the ingredients are very good (but then, all of pai’s products have excellent ingredients) – see them here. It’s 40€/30£ at www.paiskincare.com.

 

Beyer & Söhne Hautcreme+

Beyer & Söhne Hautcreme+
Beyer & Söhne Hautcreme+

 

I’ve used this moisturizer since I first saw it on fab forties blog about two years ago and I think I’ll use it for a long time to come, and my skin thanks me for it. ‘Skin Cream+’ was developed by Berlin pharmacist Hartmut Beyer who wanted a moisturizer with high-quality ingredients, but without the ‘bad stuff’ like fragrances, mineral oils, silicones, dyes, emulsifiers and conventional preservatives. Years later, his two sons founded the small company and now have a small line-up of their moisturizer for different skin types, a body moisturizer, a face oil and a special wash cloth. The thing is that there’re no filler ingredients in their products (ingredients that don’t do anything for your skin), but a lot of good stuff like vitamins A,C,E, squalane, panthenol, and retinol. (Find incis here.) If you’re looking for a very, very good moisturizer for a reasonable price (39,90€) – this is it. You can also order samples from their website, and they ship nearly everywhere. Gooooooooo!

 

L’Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Reinigungsfluid Mizellen-Technologie

L'Oreal micellar solution
L’Oreal micellar solution

 

AKA the micellar water by L’Oreal (called 3 in 1 Purifying Micellar Solution in English speaking countries). Micellar waters are a staple in my cleansing routine both in the morning and in the evening. In the evening I never use them to remove the bulk of my makeup, but as a second cleanse to make sure that really everything is removed from my face without any residue. This micellar water is great for that – gentle, but thorough. It doesn’t remove my eye makeup (waterproof!), but for me, it doesn’t has to. It’s cheap as chips (about 3,50€), and I don’t see any difference to the Bioderma one. It’s a great work horse product for me, and I’ve already gone through unnumbered bottles of this. (It’s also great to remove swatches from your hands and arms!) (Get it from amazon, feelunique, boots or dm.)

L’Oreal Skin Perfection 3 in 1 Reinigungsfluid Mizellen-Technologie – Incis

 

Astrid’s Picks

 

When it comes to skincare, Dorit’s recommendation is something I would always listen to. She’s sort of my skin twin ;). I own the first two products she mentioned (Pai’s mask and Beyer & Söhne moisturizer) and I do like them both. A lot. Just not holy grail status, simply because (1) I don’t use masks that often (2) I miss having a slight fragrance in my face cream. Here are the products I absolutely love at the moment:

Skincare Holy grails
Astrid’s skincare Holy Grails

 

Aesop’s Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser

Aesop Purifying Gentle Crema Cleanser
Aesop Purifying Gentle Cream Cleanser

 

Ever since Avene discontinued their Gentle Gel Cleanser, I’ve been on the quest for a new face cleanser. It needs to be one I could use in the shower and have a unisex smell so the hubs and I could use the same thing. Another criteria is I’d like it to not strip away all the moisture off my face while leaving it feeling clean. Not too easy, as it turned out. I’ve tried many (drugstore, pharmacy, high end, organic) and it’s either too soft, breaking me out, or dried out my skin. Enter the Aesop Purifying Facial Cream Cleanser!

I’ve to admit I was skeptical at first (especially for their 31€ price tag), but then the store gave me quite a generous sample to try it out so I did and I caved in. I just had to have it. It doesn’t dry out my skin so far! Love.

 

Santa Verde Aloe Vera Gel

Santa Verde Aloe Vera Gel
Santa Verde Aloe Vera Gel

 

I use this almost every single time I have a mild problem with my skin. It’s made of 90% aloe vera, and it’s really good for when I have a bit of chillburn. You can find it on Santa Verde’s own site here, or at Douglas, amazon and at various online pharmacies.

 

SkinCeuticals Ultra Facial Defense SPF 50+

Skinceuticals SPF50
Skinceuticals SPF50

 

It’s everything I ask for in a sunscreen. Lightweight, doesn’t leave even a teensy bit of a white cast (this is not so easy when you’re of a darker skintone!), and works well under the makeup. You can find it here, at online pharmacies, physical pharmacies – basically at a lot of places!

 

So here you have it – our skincare HGs! What are yours?