The Weekly Shop 1.2

Got a hyper-specific beauty concern? Looking for a holy grail skincare product? Need help deciding between two almost-but-not-quite identical red lipsticks? Every weekend I take to Instagram to offer up my personal shopping services pro bono. And every week I record the questions and answers on here - an ever-growing archive of product recommendations. Can’t find the answer on here? Join me for The Weekly Shop next weekend - @thatgracegirl. No dilemma is too big, no request too niche, and no question will go unanswered.

From affordable cleansing balms to maskne recommendations, scroll down for this week’s shopping list.

A lip balm that isn’t minty!

Elizabeth Arden’s 8-Hour Cream Intensive Lip Repair Balm is citrusy not minty, and majorly lives up to the hype.

A cheaper alternative to Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm.

Check out Versed’s Day Dissolve Cleansing Balm, The Body Shop’s Chamomile Cleansing Butter, Upcircle Beauty’s Cleansing Face Balm, and Yes To’s Coconut Oil Cleansing Balm.

A lip exfoliator.

I’ve been using Fresh’s Sugar Lip Polish every morning for months and have barely made a dent. it gets rid of dry skin and makes my lips so smooth!

Byredo makeup. Do I need it?

I haven’t tried it YET but I did place an order on launch day so watch this space. I’m most excited about the Colour Sticks, but the palettes and mascara look SO GOOD.

Spot treatments.

Depending on the type of spot and how far along it is, these are the ones that actually work. Mario Badescu Buffering Lotion on lurking -under-the-skin cystic acne, MyClarins Clear Out for daytime/under makeup, BEAUTY BAY’s Soothe Paste to stop spots in their tracks overnight, and Starface Acne Patches if they’ve come to a head.

A night cream that won’t clog pores or cause breakouts.

Look for gel-textured, water-based formulas like Fresh’s Lotus Youth Preserve Dream Face Cream, Saturday Skin’s Pretty Pop Probiotic Cream, Bobbi Brown’s Water Fresh Cream, or NIOD’s Hydration Vaccine.

Dior lipstick or Chanel?

That’s a tough one. I love Chanel’s colours but I prefer Dior’s formulas... I asked the audience who voted 59% in favour of Chanel.

A product to help with maskne.

Okay, it’s gonna take more than one. Wear spot stickers like the Starface Acne Patches on existing breakouts beneath the mask. Use La Roche-Posay’s Serozinc to soothe inflammation and irritation throughout the day. Mask regularly (try NIOD’s Flavanone Mud), and use a hardworking, fast-acting spot treatment (like BEAUTY BAY’s Soothe Paste) overnight. Also, don’t underestimate the power of moisturiser - you need it to keep your skin barrier strong.

A good micellar water that won’t dry skin out.

Garnier Micellar Water, always! I don’t believe in spending £££ on micellar water because it’s essentially just makeup remover, and you’re going to follow it up with a double cleanse anyway (the balm/oil step will help with dryness if you’re prone).

Best eye cream for wrinkles, puffiness, and dry circles

For wrinkles, NIOD Fractionated Eye Contour Concentrate. For puffiness, Clinique Pep-Start Eye Cream. For dark circles, sleep and water!

Skincare routine to deal with coming-off-the-pill acne.

Post-pill acne can be very intense but it’s important to remember that once your hormones are more balanced it will calm down and return to normal! I would strip your routine back to basics and products that you know and love, but have some blemish-busters ready in your arsenal ready for if/when the breakouts come. Eve Lom’s Rescue Mask, La Roche-Posay’s Serozinc, NIOD’s Flavanone Mud, and BEAUTY BAY’s Soothe Paste are my top recommendations.

A healing/repairing mask for scabby over-picked spots.

Providing the spots aren’t active and it’s just the aftermath you’re dealing with… Plenaire’s Skin Frosting Deeply Hydrating Mask is great for helping skin to recover from textural issues, and it helps to calm and reduce inflammation.