My Current Beauty Favourites: The 10 Things I Can't Stop Reaching For
Okay, one of these ten things is genuinely about to wreck my bank account. One of them is a shoe — and if you know me, you already know that's a plot twist. And the very last thing on this list? I honestly think it might be the most important product I own. I know, I know, that's a big claim for something that isn't even skincare. Stay with me.
These are the ten things I am actually using right now — skin, body, makeup, one very unexpected fashion moment, and a couple of things that have nothing to do with beauty at all. Let's get into it.
SKIN
We're starting where I always start: skin. Four products here, and by the end of this section my face is thrilled and my wallet is not.
1. Maysama AURA LED Masks (Head to Heart combo)
I did a full review of this last week, so I won't repeat the whole thing here, but the short version is this: it's the best LED mask system on the market, in my opinion. For years my rotation was down to two full systems — one from Maysama, one from Currentbody — and both had earned their place. This is the first device that's ever replaced both of them at once. It's the fit, honestly — it's Maysama's Intelligent Micro-pulsing technology, it's cordless with magnetic charging, and I wear it doing real, boring life things like laundry, ironing, typing. That's the actual test for me, and it passed. Red light therapy has a new king in town.
MAYSAMA | AURA Head2Heart LED Combo: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693080 (use code: MARY10 for 15% off)
2. Allies of Skin Sunless Tan SPF 50
This has been a lifesaver for my summer face, which, embarrassingly, is a few shades lighter than the rest of me. It's a two-in-one like nothing else I've tried — stellar SPF protection, and it slowly tans the face over time. Allies founder Nic Travis actually gave me this at dinner and told me to use it for a day, then rest a day or two in between so I don't get too dark. I'm telling you, it works. And the scent alone is worth it.
I want to be clear — I am not a self-tan person. It's huge here in Ireland, but I tend to run tan already, so I've never bothered. But it solves that annoying problem where SPF 50 on the face and none on the body leaves you looking a bit mismatched all summer. I'd never apply fake tan. But I will apply this, and I suspect I'll be wearing it all year long.
ALLIES OF SKIN | Sunless Tan SPF 50 Daily Self-Tanner: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693180 (use code: SOMARY for 20% off)
3. Sage Mason Liquid Gold
I am definitely an oil girl now — thanks, middle age — and for years True Botanicals was my go-to. I still love it, but it has its drawbacks. Then I met Liquid Gold by Sage Mason, a tiny brand out of Southern California, and it sort of changed everything.
I actually got to meet the founder, Rebecca, an industry veteran who spent decades consulting for skincare brands before she made this for herself and slowly started sharing it with friends. Tiny brand, big plans, and I am devoted. Every oil in the blend was chosen for a reason, and my face thanks her for it — it has all the benefit of a face oil with none of the weight. I layer products morning and night, and I can rarely wear an oil in the morning because it's usually too heavy. Not this one. It's not exactly a dry oil, but it acts like one. It's made in small batches, so it's always fresh. I'm back in California next week, and this is one of the very few skincare products coming with me on the plane — spa day in the air is a whole protocol for me, and this is part of it. Fair warning: the packaging and website don't do this product justice. Don't let that throw you off.
SAGE MASON | Liquid Gold: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693259
4. Skinbetter Science AlphaRet Overnight Cream
If the oil is my morning, this one is my nighttime — and honestly, don't get mad at me, because I really wish I'd never met this product. Dr. Laura Lenihan, who has a clinic here in Ireland and an online shop called Phare, sent me this to try. It is the best retinoid I have ever used. It's got retinaldehyde, the strongest retinoid you can get without a prescription, plus glycolic acid for daily exfoliation, but it's so kind to the skin. Peptides, antioxidants, brighteners, soothers — it has it all, and it just feels nice. Soft, smooth, not the usual "function over fabulous" retinoid experience.
Here's the problem: it's about €180. I do not want to want this. But I do. And I'm going to cry actual tears when mine runs out, which is going to be any day now. I may need to reallocate my Augustinus Bader piggy bank to the Skinbetter Science club.
SKINBETTER SCIENCE | AlphaRet Overnight Cream 30ml: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693650
BODY
My face is obsessed and my wallet is worried, so let's go somewhere affordable but just as fabulous. We're leaving skincare behind for body care, and this next one might be the simplest, most appreciated product on the whole list.
5. Donegal Natural Soap Company Exfoliating Loofah Bar
The beauty of this is that it does two things at once: it cleans and exfoliates in one step. No mess, no extra product, super quick. Fun fact, because I can't help myself — a loofah isn't a sea sponge, it's actually a fruit. It grows on a vine in the same family as pumpkins and squash, and when it's young you can even eat it like a vegetable. Leave it on the vine to mature, though, and it dries out into that fibrous texture, so every time you use one of these you're technically exfoliating with a very committed gourd.
I also picked up the magnetic piece that goes with it — one side sits in the soap, the other attaches to the shower wall, which helps it dry out completely between uses. That matters more than you'd think. When it's finally done, you can even repurpose it as a cleaning sponge instead of buying a new one. It's a lovely, family-run, small Irish business, and they do ship worldwide. I buy multiples so I always have a backup, and I genuinely haven't used anything else in ages. The only thing I haven't solved is travel — I need a soap container that dries it out and doesn't leak. If you have one, tell me in the comments. I will be your best friend.
DONEGAL NATURAL SOAP COMPANY l Heather Honey Loofah Natural Soap: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694025
MAKEUP
Loofah, sorted. Now back up to the face, but makeup this time. Two products got me through the hottest summer I can remember.
6. L'Oréal Lumi Bronzer Stick
I met this a few months ago when I filmed a full face of drugstore makeup, and it was such a winner. I use it two ways. First, to darken my makeup so my face actually matches my body — because, as I mentioned, I wear factor 50 on my face, so no matter how much sun I get, my face never quite catches up to the rest of me. A little of this on top warms everything up and saves the day. Second, and I do this every single day, I use it as an eyeshadow — my crease and upper-crease colour, no exceptions. It's brilliant for travel. I love her.
LOREAL PARIS | The Sun Face Bronzing Stick: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694103
7. Freck Face Hack Setting Spray
It's no secret I've struggled for years to make my makeup last. Between loving hydrating skincare and misting my face all day (thanks, menopause), my makeup is usually gone by lunchtime. I've tried primers, longwear formulas, finishing powders — this is the only setting spray that has ever actually worked on me. It's weightless, it doesn't dry out the skin, the mist is so fine, and it's basically shellac for your face without you being able to feel it going on. I don't know why. I don't care why. Shame it doesn't come in a travel size... or does it? I'm off to go check right now.
FRECK | Face Hack Setting Spray: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694190 (use code: SOMary15 for 15% off)
FASHION
Face is done. Let's go all the way down to my feet, because there is exactly one fashion item on this list, and it even surprised me.
8. Crocs Miami Toe Loop Sandal
I'm not a heels girl, not a fancy-shoe girl — I'm a flip-flop, biker-boot kind of person, and in summer the flip-flop is basically my uniform. I wasn't exactly looking for an upgrade, despite the fact that flip-flops, however comfortable, are not the prettiest thing in the world. But I stumbled across these, and I'm still shocked to say it: number eight is the Crocs Miami Toe Loop Sandal.
Yes. Crocs. I hate Crocs — at least the traditional kind, and a huge apology to everyone who loves them, they're just not for me. Until now. These are so comfortable, and unless you're up close, they don't even read as polyurethane — I have leather sandals that look basically the same from a distance. I've worn these almost every single day since I got them, through an actual heatwave here in Ireland, which is saying something. I may have tried to wear them to a day wedding in New York in 90-degree heat — Gary vetoed that one, and I wore leather sandals instead, which were, admittedly, more appropriate. But these were the best $35 I've spent in ages.
CROCS | Miami Toe Loop Sandal: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694378
THE WEIRD ONES
The last two things on this list have absolutely nothing to do with beauty or fashion, and Gary thinks I'm ridiculous for caring this much about them. But stick with me, because I promised you at the start that the very last item might be the most important thing on this whole list, and I meant it.
There are three categories of non-beauty product I'm constantly testing, trying to find the best possible version of, and once I find it, I never stop buying it: the sleep mask, the travel pillow, and now, apparently, this next one.
9. Blue Sky Hanging Foot Hammock
I need you to just go with me here. I'm short — five feet, exactly — and my feet don't touch the ground in most regular chairs when my back is against the backrest. Apparently the optimum knee height when sitting is at or just below hip level, and that basically never happens for me unless I perch on the edge of my seat. At work I actually have a foot rest to fix this, so on a plane, I use this the same way.
I bought a five-dollar version once and it sagged immediately, more trouble than it was worth. This one is different. It's the premium version, about $25 on Amazon, and it attaches to the tray table in seconds. It's so sturdy — it doesn't collapse, your feet don't buckle. I could not believe how well it worked. It is on the larger side, but it's basically weightless and fits fine in my backpack or travel bag. I don't bother with it flying within Europe, but for long haul, this is now my permanent travel friend. I'm sure Gary is shaking his head right now.
Airplane Foot Hammock: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694662
AIRSLING 3-In-1 Airplane Sleep Support System: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72857343
10. Warmco 7-Inch Travel Fan
If the hammock is for my feet, this last one is for my actual sleep — and it's the one I told you about at the very start. I never sleep without a fan, doesn't matter where I am. At home I've got a Dyson on the nightstand, so that's solved, but the perfect travel fan has eluded me for actual decades. I've bought more than fifteen of them over the last thirty years. So I would know.
This is the Rolls Royce version. I picked it up in New York a few months ago, and it is so good. The one thing I need in a travel fan is compactability — I have to be able to pack it in a carry-on, and for years everything I found was too bulky. This one is so light and so flat I just tuck it inside my clothes and I'm done. It barely takes up any room, but it's still powerful enough to really deliver, and it's quieter than most.
Here's where it got interesting: charging. For years it was C batteries, and replacing those on a single trip was basically extortion. Then came rechargeable ones, except they never lasted the night — you'd be recharging after five hours. So I moved to plug-in fans, except there's too often no outlet within reach. This one is cordless, stays charged over multiple nights on a single charge, running eight hours a night, and it has a digital display so I always know exactly how much battery is left. I charge it in the morning while I'm out, and it's always ready to go by bedtime. I was genuinely flabbergasted. Game changer, people.
WARMCO | 10000mah Portable Travel Fan 7-Inch: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72695403
And that's my ten.
If you made it all the way from an LED mask to a travel fan, thank you for staying with me. I know ending a beauty favourites post on a fan is a choice, but that's honestly the point of this list — these are the ten things I am actually using, actually reaching for, and actually sad about when they run out.
I'll be linking everything I can below. Tell me in the comments which one you're trying first — and if you've got a better travel pillow, or a soap container that dries a loofah out without leaking everywhere, I am begging you to share it.
↠ MAYSAMA | AURA Head2Heart LED Combo: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693080 (use code: MARY10 for 15% off)
↠ ALLIES OF SKIN | Sunless Tan SPF 50 Daily Self-Tanner: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693180 (use code: SOMARY for 20% off)
↠ SAGE MASON | Liquid Gold: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693259
↠ SKINBETTER SCIENCE | AlphaRet Overnight Cream 30ml: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72693650
↠ DONEGAL NATURAL SOAP COMPANY l Heather Honey Loofah Natural Soap: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694025
↠ LOREAL PARIS | The Sun Face Bronzing Stick: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694103
↠ FRECK | Face Hack Setting Spray: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694190 (use code: SOMary15 for 15% off)
↠ CROCS | Miami Toe Loop Sandal: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694378
↠ (similar) Airplane Foot Hammock: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72694662
↠ Handmade Cotton Sleep Mask: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72857194
↠ AIRSLING 3-In-1 Airplane Sleep Support System: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72857343
↠ WARMCO | 10000mah Portable Travel Fan 7-Inch: https://go.shopmy.us/p-72695403
