My Favourite Beauty Products After Working at Adore for the Last Year (2024)

I’ve never been the best at introductions.

I’ll either go completely blank or tell you all my deepest, darkest secrets – pick your poison.

I’m Ally, Adore’s Social Media Specialist. You might have seen me on your Instagram feeds.

If not, don’t worry, here are some fun facts to get you up to speed.

Sun in Pisces, Moon in Libra and Rising in Aries.
Chronic oversharer - Anyone else?
RuPaul's Drag Race superfan.
Mother of two (cats) - Maddie and Bandito.
Self-confessed culture vulture.
Obsessed with the FYP.
Adore Beauty’s resident yapper™.

My work wife, Jas, would describe me as a “Silly goose”. Enough said.

As I edge closer to my one-year Adore-versary, my hair has transformed from a short bob to a luscious mane, my skin has become more radiant and my lip collection has multiplied (to say the least).

I was recently told I’ve had an “Adore Beauty glow-up”, and it got me thinking, isn’t it about time I made my Beauty IQ debut?

By this point, you should be nodding along at home.

So without further ado, let me introduce you to my crème de la crème of beauty products. Strap in.

1. SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3%.

What: SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3% 30ml

I think this might be my holy grail, which I know is a bold claim, but I truly believe this has taken my skincare routine to the next level.

Upon starting at Adore, my skincare routine wasn’t extensive, but it definitely wasn’t basic.

Cleanser, niacinamide, moisturiser, SPF and a face oil. These products still exist in my routine, but a few (a lot) more have joined the lineup. Retinol is one of them.

I’ll be straight up, I was terrified of retinol.

The term “retinol burn” seared into the back of my brain, hence why I steered very clear of it. But alas, after months of recommendations from my glowing colleagues, I decided to bite the bullet.

In case you’re not familiar with retinol, it works by increasing cell turnover and promoting collagen production. With consistent use over a 3-6 month period, the skin’s structure literally changes.

Cool, right?

Slow and steady they say. I’m currently committed to a pea-sized amount of the SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3% once a week.

This is a low-strength retinol that helps your skin adapt to the ingredients before moving on to higher-strength options.

Not only has this helped minimise my hormonal breakouts (which was a big win for me), but my skin is considerably brighter and more evenly toned.

shop SkinCeuticals Retinol 0.3%

2. Coco & Eve Super Nourishing Coconut & Fig Hair Masque.

What: Coco & Eve Super Nourishing Coconut and Fig Hair Masque

This product landed in my hot little hands thanks to Jas. I mentioned I was desperate to try it and the next thing I knew, it magically appeared on my desk.

Did someone say Fairy Godmother?

I love this product, and so does my hair after 10-plus years of bleach.

I’ll be honest, my hair can tolerate a lot. Bleach? No problem. 210-degree hot tool? Let’s go.

I’m lucky to have never experienced breakage or fallout, but over time, my hair has become dry and dull.

3. Maybelline Lifter Gloss Plumping Lip Gloss.

What: Maybelline Lifter Gloss Plumping Lip Gloss With Hyaluronic Acid

I can’t believe I’m admitting this but we’re all friends here.

I have *at least* four of these Maybelline Lifter Glosses in my handbag right now. I even wore the shade ‘Moon’ on my wedding day in March. Suffice to say, I’m obsessed.

With over 10 shades available on site, these hyaluronic acid-infused lip glosses deliver a high-shine finish that leaves your lips looking seriously plump.

The feature that sold me was just how comfortable these feel on the lips. Thanks to their non-sticky formula and hydrating ingredients, these can be worn all day, every day.

In my current rotation are the shades Moon, Ice and Stone. I love pairing Moon with my trusty M.A.C Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Boldy Bare for a flattering pink pout against my fair skin.

shop Maybelline Lifter Gloss Plumping Lip Gloss

4. Alpha-H Clear Skin Tonic.

What: Alpha-H Clear Skin Tonic 100ml

I’ve been lucky enough to try a lot of the Alpha-H range and let me just say, I’m an Alpha-H stan.

The Alpha-H Clear Skin Tonic rose to the top purely because of the results it yielded for my skin.

Circling back to me being a chronic oversharer, let’s give some context on why I love it.

My menstrual cycle is a bit of a hot mess, riddled with painful menstrual cramps, serious anxiety and hormonal breakouts. And while this product can’t help with the first two items, it’s my saving grace for hormonal breakouts.

It’s a BHA liquid exfoliant featuring antibacterial and supportive ingredients in a multi-targeting formula. It helps to do everything from balancing the skin’s microbiome to clarifying skin prone to oil and breakouts.

Whenever those pesky pimples come out to play, I volley back with a sweep of this product on a relatively drenched cotton pad. My skin has seriously never looked, or felt, better.

One final word of advice, this product has a pretty strong tea tree smell. If this isn’t your vibe, this may not be the right fit for you.

shop Alpha-H Clear Skin Tonic

5. Mermade Hair Blowdry Brush.

What: Mermade Hair Barbie Blowout Kit

I’m going to be honest with you, if you saw my Mermade Blowdry Brush you’d be a little mortified. She’s well-loved, that’s for sure.

This hot tool has truly revolutionised my hairstyling routine.

As a certified lazy girl, I’ve never been one to style my hair on the regular. I’m more of a, “How can I get maximum results with minimal effort?” type of person, and this is the answer.

This hot tool combines a hair dryer and an oval brush, allowing you to dry and style your hair in one. Groundbreaking.

It comes with three heat settings, ionic technology for added shine and is super lightweight.

Translation? A silky smooth blowout without the dreaded arm cramp (IYKYK).

My favourite thing about this product is just how quickly I can transform my hair. So suspiciously fast that one day I decided to time myself. It took less than 10 minutes to style from wet to dry *mic drop*.

Most importantly, my hair is reaping the rewards as it no longer needs to be tightly pulled back in a slick bun for the 67th day in a row.

shop Mermade Hair Barbie Blowout Kit

6. Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser.

What: Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser 50ml

I have a lot of moisturisers in my collection, from budget to bougie, gels to cream, but I always find myself coming back to the Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser.

It’s a fan favourite amongst Adore staff, and for good reason.

It’s a daily moisturiser packed with skin-loving actives including peptides, ceramides, amino acids, collagen, hyaluronic acid, niacinamide, panthenol and more.

Its subtle, citrusy scent lured me in and its melting balm to gel texture left me wanting more. A luxurious feeling moisturiser, this rejuvenates your skin, leaving it supple and bouncy.

FYI: It also pairs great under makeup and its stunning purple packaging doesn’t look too bad on your skincare shelf either.

Shop Ole Henriksen Strength Trainer Peptide Boost Moisturiser

7. M.A.C. Cosmetics Mineralise Skinfinish Natural.

What: M.A.C Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish Natural

This is one of the most recent products to join my overflowing collection of beauty products.

I brought this as a touch-up powder for my wedding day, thanks to a recommendation from our resident makeup artist and Content Manager Megan, and it’s quickly become a staple in my makeup routine.

The M.A.C. Cosmetics Mineralise Skinfinish Natural is a pressed face powder with a natural satin finish. It never feels cakey, thanks to its lightweight and finely milled formula, and leaves a sheer coverage to the skin.

With low-level pearlised pigments, it adds dimension while maintaining a natural finish. In layman's terms, when I wear this, I feel like Edward Cullen entering the sunlight.

In a good way, of course.