the 22nd journal
2024 favourites and beauty predictions
Hello, hi there and a very warm welcome to the 22nd edition of the journal! Thank you for coming back, we have some super fun beauty talk ahead of us.
For the first journal of 2025, I wanted to spend a minute looking at all the very best products from 2024 - the new ones I tried and loved, as well as some perennial favourites that continue to perform and stay in my routine.
I also had a look forward with some of my predictions for what might happen in the beauty world for 2025. Personally, I think it’s an exciting time ahead in beauty and the rather intense cycle of trends and new product launches might slow down a bit to reflect the shift in consumption. But I guess we’ll see as we get into it!
Enough chit chat; let’s talk beauty.
Beauty Predictions 2025
The last few years in the beauty industry has felt like an insane cycle of trends and new releases, but coming into 2025 there are a few predictions I have for the upcoming year. Some of these are based on what products are still getting hype, some are guesses and some are just what I’d love to see.
More peptides
I don’t think peptides, as an ingredient/buzzword/product name are going anywhere. We’re seeing them mostly in lip treatments and moisturisers, but I think this year will be even more in serum and treatment options. To be fair, nothing wrong with peptides, they’re great for the skin and well tolerated by all different skin types, so I have no issue with more peptides popping up,
Less new releases, more shade expansions
It has been a dense few years with new formulas and products launching all the time, so I think this year we might see some brands start to introduce new shades for existing products. With such an intense development cycle going on, I think brands will be wanting to expand on what they know works rather than continuing to risk so much on new formulas.
Shift from glowy, dewy to finish to more semi-matte or demi-matte
As much as I still love a glowy, dewy finish, I think we’re going to see a general shift back to a more matte finish on base products. The pendulum continues to swing back and I think we’re well on our way to a more subdued, airbrush style base being the go to (and also the trend in new base product releases).
Return to more bold lip colours, like cherry reds and away from the ‘clean girl’ neutral aesthetic
I am almost certain we have brat summer and the rise of cherry red to thank for the embrace of a bold and almost brash approach to the shades used in our beauty looks. It’s been a good few years of the neutral aesthetic, so I think we’re heading back to the land of the bold and bright.
Big year for toner and mask releases
Looking over the skincare releases and specifically the type of products we’ve been seeing, I think toners and mask/treatments inspired by Asian beauty will be on the rise. Think more milky toners and maybe featuring ingredients like rice protein.
US TikTok exit = big impact on virality
Whether TikTok truly closes down in the US is yet to be seen, but if it does I think it will have a massive impact on which products and brands become popular, as well as trends in general. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say that the US is really the market leader in most cases, so I think it will be a welcome shift to see a trends and viral products come from more regional brands.
Rhode starts shipping to Australia
This is just a personal plea to Mrs Hailey Bieber to please start shipping Rhode directly to Australia.
12 Products I Tried and Loved in 2024
Skincare for me in 2024 was about a few priorities: sunscreen, tackling pigmentation and reducing sensitivity. This meant a focus on simplifying, keeping ingredients like ceramides and niacinamide at the centre of my routine and then *finally* making sure I had a retinal and vitamin c working their magic.
Here are the products that I tried for the first time and loved in my routine this year:
What really stood out to me for each of these products was how quickly I enjoyed the benefits and the fact that I kept reaching for it. I try and use a lot of products, but I try and keep my core daily routine quite edited so that I’m not overwhelming my skin. If it’s something that I’m reaching for and enjoying every single day, then you know it’s truly a fave.
TL;DR? Watch this instead:
Why tanning should never be a trend
In deeply unsettling news, tanning and tanlines seem to be popping back up again as a ‘trend’, so here’s your reminder about why it shouldn’t be.
Tanning achieved by spending time in the sun is not safe, causes stress and damage to your skin and increases your chance of developing skin cancer or melanoma. Instead, wear your sunscreen, cover up when you’re out and about (especially at the beach!) and avoid prolonged sun exposure. If that doesn’t get you, know that damage caused by UV rays directly contributes to the common signs of aging, such as reducing elasticity + bounce.
If you really want to try out the tanline look, wear your bikini while you apply fake tan and please take sun safety seriously.
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8 Skincare Faves From 2023 that I Still Love
In all honesty, this might be the favourites video that matters most. These are some true favourites that have stayed in my routine year on year and deserved a little shoutout because they are still fantastic and deserving of a place in my routine.
I doubt any of these are too much of a surprise if you’ve been here for a while, because these are the products that I bring up and recommend again and again. There’s also a few here that I’ve recommended to friends and family who aren’t that into skincare and they’ve also raved about them, which really says everything.
TL;DR? Watch the video:
Best in Class: 2024 Makeup
Ooft what a year. I think half my journals in 2024 featured a laundry list of new release products that hit the shelves this year and some of them even made it onto my face. On reflection, this has been a year I have learned 2 important things about my makeup: first, I feel like I finally know what shades and tones sit well on my face and second, I truly wear and use less than I think I do, so I am absolutely going to be more considered with my purchases moving into 2025. Regardless, here is part 1 of the makeup I tried and loved last year:
Ok there absolutely had to be two parts because it was a little overwhelming to try and share it all as one list or in one video. Again, I doubt anything is a surprise here because if I like it, I share about it, so no doubt these are in fact the products you’ve seen me talk about all the time.
The video, if that’s your thing:
The Big Three
Ok, you know how you have your big three in astrology? This is just the beauty product version of that, and yes I think I’m pretty clever thank you very much. The Sun will be something that’s going on my face on the daily, Moon is for the nighttime routine heroes and Rising is for the newcomer or rising favourite of the week.
SUN: OPI SALON THE XPRESSON NAILS IN FLOATING OVER OZ
Ok so we all know that I’m truly terrible at managing with my nails - especially because it’s hard to keep them in good condition with the work I do. But I decided over the Christmas break to give myself a cute little mani moment and went for these gorgeous iridescent finish press ons from OPI.
I haven’t tried a lot of press on nails, but these have truly impressed me - the sizes and shape of where it meets the nail bed are so easy to work with, it comes with everything you need to get sorted and the durability is so good! To be honest, I’m tempted to go buy a few different styles and just rotate through them because it’s easier + has a better effect then when I paint my own nails.
Shop it here.
MOON: CONSERVING BEAUTY FACE OIL
We all know I love a face oil and only have a select few favourites, so it’s a big deal when I tell you that this one is my current obsession. Conserving beauty really nailed it with this one, balancing a need to deliver on being nourishing and calming without breaking you out.
Just a few drops go a long way and it really sinks into the skin to give it the very best glow. I find that it isn’t heavy and has been a delight to include in my nighttime routine to help calm, soothe and hydrate. It’s a mix of oils so you’re getting different benefits and helps load up on beautiful antioxidants. It has definitely been formulated with a protective focus, so not only is it helping your skin with where it’s at now, it’s helping to protect against further environmental damage.
Shop it here.
RISING: LANOLIPS HYALURONIC LIP OIL HONEY
Well well well, if it isn’t another lip oil treatment. To be honest, I probably own enough lip treatments to last a lifetime and already like a lot of them, so I didn’t really need to pick this up. But I did and I’m so glad I did.
It is a traditional lip oil in the sense that is does contain oils to hydrate and nourish, but we also have both lanolin and hyaluronic acid in there to help keep things plump and juicy. It’s non sticky and gives a lovely shine to the lips, absolutely the kind of oil that you can use by itself or over the top of a liner for a combo moment. I wouldn’t say a super strong honey scent, but honestly I didn’t mind that at all.
Shop it here.
And with that, we’ve reached the end of the 22nd edition of Morgan’s Skin Journal! if you’re made it this far, I hope that means you’ve enjoyed it and would consider sharing it with a friend who might enjoy it. There’s so much beauty goodness to come in 2025 and I hope you join me for it. I’ll play myself out with a little song recommendation for your week 💚