Hi guys and merry (late) Christmas! I hadn’t had the chance to say it yet. It’s been a really busy month with Blogmas, studies and planning (a really weird) gifts and small family gatherings, but it’s finally time I do my favourites of the year. I will be separating them in two posts, in which I’ll mention my 10 favourites for skincare, bath and hair; and then my 10 favourites for makeup. My 20 favourite cruelty-free products of the year, then. This one’s to ending 2020 the right way!

Before we get started, here are the links to previous year’s posts. I won’t repeat any favourites even though I still use some of them a lot and I love them. Last year I didn’t write one as I didn’t get to try as many new products anyway – I was on a low-buy for my Erasmus savings. Check them out:

1. Makeup 2017: Top 10 (Cruelty-free) – Productos Favoritos | Favorite Products {2017}
2. Skincare 2018: The Best Cruelty-free Products of 2018 – Skincare, Bath & Hair!
3. Makeup 2018: The Best Cruelty-free Makeup of 2018 (Top 10)

And now… let’s get started!

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10. Smyle – Brush Mints

€29,96 | 250 brush mints (4 months, twice a day) and Bottle | Cruelty-free | Vegan | Ecofriendly | Natural Ingredients

When I first discovered this brand, I fell in love with it and its values. Their brush mints are great and worked perfectly for me (I tell you more about them in my review, which you can read here!), they are cruelty-free, vegan and eco-friendly. Even the shipment and handling is CO2 neutral, and the packaging is recyclable!

With 1,5 billion toothpaste tubes ending up in our oceans and landfills every year, they are an amazing alternative for traditional toothpaste. One of my resolutions this year is that I want to buy from environment-friendly brands, like them! If you want to give them a try, you can use code FLAWDECAY15 (not an affiliate) for 15% off. You can also read my full review here.

9. Fancy Handy – Calendula Flower Multi-Use Oil

4,99€ | Cruelty-free | Vegan

I’m always sceptical of facial oils because I’m afraid my combination/oily skin won’t react well to them. When I was kindly sent this one from Fancy Handy, I left all of that aside and gave it a try, using it every 3 days or so during the colder months. It’s my favourite now! That place used to be Flower Mill Beauty‘s Botanical Enriched Vitamin C Serum‘s, but it was a bit too expensive, in my opinion. This one retails for 4.99€ and makes my skin look luminous and healthy in the same way! I use it before going to sleep, and I love how I can still feel it in the morning without feeling too heavy.

8. Revox – Expert+ Eye Contour Serum

1,99€ | Cruelty-free | Probably Vegan

This product, which is supposed to have a “botox” effect on our skin, was a huge discovery for me this year. A good friend of mine recommended it to me after using it for the longest time and seeing actual results for her own concerns and undereye pigmentation problems.

It’s really good, it certainly makes a difference if used regularly.

7. Keenwell – Oil-Based Makeup and Nail Polish Remover

28,50€ (Gel-to-oil Makeup Remover) and 15€ (Nail Lacquer Remover) | Cruelty-free | Vegan

If you like double cleansing routines, this one (or two) products are for you. A few months ago, I got to try Keenwell‘s gel-to-oil makeup and nail polish remover and I was shocked by how well they both worked. However, the main reason why I’m counting them as one product is that I’m not sure if I’d repurchase them. They’re both amazing, specially the nail lacquer remover (I hadn’t seen a product like this before), but they are a bit expensive. If I had to pick one, I’d choose the oil-based nail polish remover.

6. Ziaja – Mango Massage Oil

7,99€ | Cruelty-free | Vegan

First of all, this product smells delicious (I’m a huge mango addict) and it’s both cruelty-free and vegan. It comes with a fair amount of product, so it lasts a really long time. It’s also affordable and I love the sensation of nourishment in my skin when I use it. It’s a must-have for me now and I can’t live without it! The only issue with this product, if anything, is that it doesn’t absorb quickly. This is something that doesn’t bother me at all because my body is on the dry side, but I know it can be annoying for some people.

5. Alma Secret – Pink Mango Micellar Cleansing Water

15,50€ – 18,75€ (UK) | Cruelty-free | Vegan | No Alcohol | ECOCERT

I’m not a huge fan of micellar water. Or at least, I wasn’t until recently. The controversies surrounding it don’t help at all, but on top of that I remember using them to remove my makeup years ago and I feel like it didn’t benefit my skin at all. After trying this product, I realized one thing: it’s not that micellar water is bad, it’s just that I was using the wrong micellar water. I don’t want to name names, because it’s not a cruelty-free brand and I don’t want to give them free publicity – even if it’s bad. But if one particularly famous product came to your mind instantly, it very likely is that one (yup, Garnier. Ew).

This one has changed my beauty routine completely though. It’s such an amazing product, it smells like mango (love, love, love) and pomegranate, and it works great. I obviously use a cleanser after it, but this product alone does so much to remove my makeup! Plus, the ingredients are really good and it’s cruelty-free, vegan and eco-friendly, which many micellar waters are not.

4. Grow Gorgeous – Hair Growth Serum

35,00€ – $35.00 | 60ml | Cruelty-free | Vegan | Gluten free | No Parabens, Sulphates, Silicones, Phthalates or Mineral Oil

If someone told me I would be spending so much on a hair serum and that I would love to repeat – I’d laugh. I’m a huge fan of cruelty-free drugstore brands like Spain-based Deliplus, by Mercadona, and most of their products hardly touch the 5 euros price point. However, I got to try this product thanks to November’s Abiby, which I subscribed to because it was that month’s spoiler product, and I was amazed.

Not only is it vegan, cruelty-free and formulated without parabens, sulphates, silicones, phthalates or mineral oil, it also made my hair feel healthier from the very first days of trying it, and it helped with some of my issues, like frizzy hair.

I will give you guys a more insightful review of the product, but for now, I’ll just say that even though it’s expensive (in my opinion), it’s really worth it! I will definitely re-purchase once I finish it.

3. Iroha Nature – Hemp Night Cream

7,95€ | Cruelty-free | Vegan | Natural Ingredients

I love Iroha Nature‘s sheet masks, but I was thrilled to find that their creams are also fabulous! I’ve been using this night cream since September and I love it. It’s nourishing, has a great smell, and it doesn’t feel heavy on my skin. When I use it, I also feel like my skin looks brighter in the mornings.

2. Revolution Skincare – Cleansing Jelly

7,99€ – £6.00 | Cruelty-free | Vegan

I recently finished this product and I’m torn between buying it again or trying a different one from the Revolution Skincare range because lately, I’ve been loving this brand. This cleanser doesn’t make my skin feel tight after using it, and it’s very light and comfortable to use. It’s formulated with glycerin to keep the skin hydrated and prevent moisture loss, which makes it suitable for all skin types. Overall I’m satisfied with how it works, and I also love the scent. And yes, it does have a jelly-like touch when applying water on it, but it’s not like a Lush-type jelly product.

1. Revox – Just Salicylic Acid

5,99€ | Cruelty-free | Vegan

My problems with maskne led me to find this product. I’d heard about similar ones but I never got around to trying them because I was scared I wouldn’t use them properly and they would screw my face up completely. Revox‘s Salicylic Acid, however, was perfect for me. I started using it in September and now I use it almost every day. At first, I would apply it every 3 or 4 days and after two weeks or so I progressively added it to my daily nighttime routine. The results are amazing, even for small pimples!

While it might not be the most appealing product on the list, I feel like the shift in priorities and the acne caused by masks is the reason why I had to make this my number one. I’ve grown to accept pimples and acne over the last few years and I don’t really care for them or pay attention to them – at the end of the day, they’re completely natural. I genuinely don’t get why people get so frustrated with small acne, but I also understand that it’s frustrating to know that masks, which we’re all tired of, are making it worse.

But regardless of how we feel about them… we have to wear them!

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This year has been different, and so are our skincare choices. We’re 4 days away from 2021, and even though it doesn’t look much brighter, skincare can cheer us up a bit… right?

Have you tried any of the products I listed? Are there any favourites of yours mentioned?

I hope you enjoyed today’s post! Before you go, don’t forget to follow me on social media. I try to be more active there, and it’s an easier way to see my follow-ups and updates! ♡

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