Thought I’d take a moment to do a round-up of the best products I’ve tried this year, the ones good enough to re-buy. I'm more oriented toward skincare than cosmetics, and I keep my routines pretty simple.

Bronzer (!!): I’ve never thought of myself as a bronzer person, but I picked up some samples of this very creamy bronzer stick from Vapour Organics and I’m totally in love with it. The Simmer (medium bronze) colour is just right for me (light skin, neutral undertones); I bought a tube of it back in June and have used it almost daily. I'll definitely go back for more. The Mirage (light gold) is a bit too light but works well for highlights and may look more natural in mid-winter when I get very pale. Have not tried "Spicy" -- the darker shade. This product goes on very sheer and subtle, though it seems like you could layer it if you wanted to. What’s magical about it is that it neutralizes redness in a way that looks very natural, and it's wonderfully moisturizing (probably not a good choice for those with oily skin, tbh). Glow without shine -- sort of a holy-grail thing, you know? Vapour makes a lot of really nice lip colours too. I’ve been wearing “Tryst” which is sort of a sheer brick red on me. Not the greatest staying power -- typical of natural/organic products -- but super gentle on my lips, which crack easily, especially when I try to wear conventional lipsticks.

Hyaluronic Acid: Jumped on the bandwagon and tried two of The Ordinary’s gentlest products, their Hydration Support serum and Moisturizing Factors lotion. My main skin issues are sensitivity and dryness. I mostly stick to using Aveeno Baby colloidal oatmeal lotion on my face (and body, for that matter) because it’s extremely gentle with no irritants. But I’ve been wanting something that goes on a bit lighter and provides deeper hydration. Hyaluronic acid is a great humectant, and so far my skin is just as happy with this moisturizing regime as it was with the Aveeno, but this gives a nicer finish and makes my skin feel very supple. I've been using these since the beginning of September and I’m going to stick with it as we head into heating season (super dry air) and if I can get through the winter without any chapping/eczema/irritation, then I’ll declare them winners. I’m also looking forward to trying the HA concentrate that Deciem sells as a body moisturizer.

Heel cream: as someone with dry skin, I am always looking for new foot balms and creams, and Heel Chemistry, another Deciem product, is one of the best I’ve tried. It’s a true moisturizer, rather than a dry skin remover (anything that contains a high concentration of urea is really sloughing off the outer layers of skin). Fresh-feeling with a light minty scent, I’ve been using it at least once a day for a month or so and seeing real results. My feet get so torn up by the end of sandal season, and I was just in a show where I had to be onstage barefoot for an entire act, so an emergency intervention was needed!

Suntegrity Sunscreen -- I’ve been devoted to a 30-SPF CC cream from Andalou Naturals for a number of years because it’s affordable, non-irritating, and a decent match for my skin tone. After hearing Suntegrity recommended numerous times, I decided to order samples of their sunscreen and was very pleased with them. I tried both the tinted in the "Light" shade and the standard untinted formula. Nice texture, very light pleasant scent, and the tinted one is a bit nicer than the Andalou -- absorbs more quickly and never looks chalky or greasy. I might splurge on a full-size tube when I start to run low on my current product. I also sampled their tinted SPF lip balms, which were mostly not-great colours on me, but I really like the “Moonlight Merlot” (warmer shade in person than in the photo -- more reddish mauve, less purple) and might give the "Plum Eclipse" another go in the winter -- plum just seems like an odd shade to wear in the summer.

Hope this is helpful to some of you.