And the Best Of series continues to chug along. Today, we are talking about my favourite skincare discoveries of 2025. Honestly, I don’t think there will be too many surprises here. I have been pretty vocal with the skincare that I’ve enjoyed. Especially as of late. And while this line up is smaller than previous years, some of these products are now at Holy Grail status in my routine. So, let’s talk about them.
We’ll start with cleansers, and I only have one to shout out this year. The LANEIGE WATER BANK BLUE HYALURONIC CLEANSING GEL – $41.00 very quickly became a staple of my evening routine. It emulsifies much better than a lot of the gel based cleansers that I’ve tried. And it does such an incredible job at cleansing my skin without leaving it dry or stripped.
I was still a fan of the milky toners in 2025. Having said that, I have since discovered that I do prefer a more liquidy texture for my toners as opposed to the thicker toners that have gotten popular recently. And one that I have particularly loving is the MECCA MAX MILK IT SOOTHING MOISTURE MIST – $30.00 (sent in PR). I actually prefer using this in the morning, after my serums but before my moisturiser to lock everything in. I adore how calming and soothing this mist is.
*Em’s Note* I broke the cap early on. So, I had to improvise. God bless Laneige!
Yeah, might as well get to this one now. If there is one product that stands head and shoulders above the rest, it’s the GO TO SKINCARE CLARIFYING FACE HERO – $56.00. I’ve praised this a ton throughout 2025. It’s the product that I credit the most for getting my skin back in control after a pretty nasty string of breakouts midway through the year (yeah, my skin knows when I’m not using this). If you have angry skin, this is a must try.
Another win for Laneige! The LANEIGE BOUNCY & FIRM SERUM $65.00 is a drink of water that my skin chugs down. I definitely notice a difference in my skin’s texture when I have this as a part of my routine. My skin is smoother, plumper, and just generally happier. It pairs well with all of my other serums. As soon as I ran out of it, I immediately repurchased it.
The IMAGE SKINCARE VITAL C HYDRATING ANTI AGING SERUM – $164.00 (sent in PR) was something I didn’t expect to enjoy as much as I did. This was in my most recent empties, so I can keep this short. But as far as Vitamin C serums go, this made a huge difference in my pigmentation.
On the topic of pigmentation, the LA ROCHE POSAY EFFACLAR AZ GEL CREAM – $65.95 has to get it’s flowers here. This is the other serum that I credit for getting my skin under control for the first time in like 20 years. Azelaic Acid has been an extremely popular skincare ingredient for years. But they’ve only recently made it more accessible to Aussie consumers. With this, I’m breaking out less. And on the rare occasions where I have broken out, they’ve healed much quicker and more evenly. I know that the Effaclar has Hyaluronic Acid and Salicylic Acid to give an extra boost. Which my skin certainly appreciates. This would be a great introduction to Azelaic Acid for those who haven’t tried it before.
Two eye serums that caught my eye in 2025 (pardon the pun). The BYOMA DE-PUFF AND BRIGHTEN EYE GEL – $24.00 was a fantastic option for in the morning. The Hyaluronic Acid and Vitamin C pairing helps hydrate and brighten the under eyes. And for the evenings, I’ve been loving the GO TO DE CREASE – $55.00. This serum has peptides and retinal to help smooth fine lines and make it look like I actually sleep (I don’t).
Lastly, we have the GLOW RECIPE CLOUDBERRY BRIGHT MOISTURE CREAM – $69.00 (sent in PR). It might shock you to see only one new moisturiser in my year end favourites. But the truth was that I had so many holdovers from 2024 that it took me ages to get around to trying anything new (which is also why no night creams made the list this year). The Cloudberry Bright, however, was a lovely surprise that I tried early on in the year. The formula is lightweight, soaks right into the skin, and it works well for my combo skin both in the summer and the winter. I’m glad to have this back in my routine.
And that is a wrap on skincare! OK, this did end up being longer than I thought. What can I say, a girl loves to ramble. Let me know your skincare must have’s in the comments. And on Friday, the series will finally come to an end with my hair care and body care faves.
Cheers and love
Emily xo