Today starts the end of year wrap up posts that I hope you all enjoy! I wanted to kick it off with the best of beauty this year! Beauty products have been such a big part of my life from makeup to tools to body and lotions. So below are my favorite in each category!
I'm not super loyal to any primer really but if I had to pick my most used/favorite of the year, it would be this one from Charlotte Tilbury. It gives a wonderful glow to your skin and does a nice job as a base for your makeup!
This year was all about a lighter face base and I fell in love with a tinted moisturizer. I loved the natural look it gives. You can apply it with your hands, brush or sponge and it just gave the appearance of amazing skin without heavy makeup.
This has been a favorite for years now and while I have tried others, nothing seems to compare! I will sometimes go for a Nars creamy concealer or an It Cosmetics Bye Bye undereye but this has been my tried and true.
As for Carmindy, I was super surprised by how much I've loved this concealer. I love the idea of a stick concealer for the extra dark spots as the coverage is heavy and thick! I use this over my Tarte/foundation as an extra spot conceal.
I use this in the color Lavender and it's the best. All of the Fenty line is actually truly amazing but this is one of the best powders I've ever used for brightening. I have pretty pale skin and this does a nice job of lightening the area without making me look ghostly.
I've loved this powder for many years (it's still going strong!) in the color Peche and it gives the perfect glow (I'm all about the glow) for setting the face. It's so subtle so it's not anything crazy and sets the face wonderfully!
So, this isn't actually a bronzer but a face powder in a darker shade that I use for bronzer. I'm very pale and finding something that doesn't make me look muddy or orange is harder than you would think! This gives a great color for me and it also helps hide any imperfections + set my foundation since it's a setting powder! (I wear shade #3)
WHERE would I be without this blush?? UGH it's so good and it's one of the few that is actually matte and stays for most of the day (why does blush always seem to be the first to go?). I got it as a sample/GWP and haven't looked back.
This is a late addition to the year but when I think of the best, I think of this. It packs a punch and is only $10. The formula is amazing and it has all the perfect shades to create an awesome nude/brown look to make your eyes pop. Plus it's a mini palette so it's great for traveling.
I'm a big fan and supporter of lash primer even though it's not for the faint of heart! What stands out to me about the Marc Jacobs one is that it's more of a nude color (instead of white) so it's easier to cover up and, of course, the brush. It's so good!
This one was tough. Because I love my Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir -- it was my go-to almost all of the year. Especially with the lash primer, my lashes were thick and long. But it's expensive for mascara and I get that not everyone loves the thick lash look. On the flip side, since I've been using the Essense mascara, I haven't looked back. I love how it applies and the coverage it gives. It's also really affordable ($5) and you don't need a primer with it! So I had to pick it to win as it is truly a stand out of the year but just know that it was not an easy decision!
This was the year of ditching the brow pencil and I've never been happier. I loathe doing my brows and I've always been a fan of the bushy natural look so tinted brow gel was right up my alley. I was able to fill in and shape without the hassle or mess. This has been by far the best brow gel I've ever used -- it stays really well, it's clean, and it gives serious color pay off.
2019 was all about the subtle glow vs blinding highlight. I actually hate how strip highlights look now and I've been all about the "omg is that just her skin glowing naturally??" look. Hourglass Ambient light is just that. I've been using it almost exclusively this year and I even wore it on my wedding. I love the glow.
For the base face (or when you're using all liquids), I'm here and fully love + support the flawless filter highlight from CT. I'll use this a lot of the times when I'm doing little to no makeup as a hint of coverage and glow. Charlotte Tilbury is the best.
I think it's no surprise here that Prose has changed my hair (and life) a ton this year. I was never one to fully support or commit to any shampoo until now and I could not imagine looking back! My hair and scalp have never been happier and I'm really happy to hear so many of you have also tried it and loved it.
Guys, if there was one break out product of the year, it's this dry shampoo. I have never used anything that works better and that's saying a lot because I LOVE dry shampoo. I think I'm such a fan because it's really finely milled, it absorbs without leaving a major white cast, it has NO sent and it's a pump (vs aerosol)
This has been my ride or die since high school and I worry I'll never try anything else. It just smells so good and does a great job protecting and nourishing my hair.
Best $11 spent on a random beauty tool this year. I'm not really a fan of the traditional eyelash curlers and I feel like this does a much better job at curling anyway! Karly Kloss turned me on to it and I feel like I need to share it with the world.
Not a new product for 2019, but still an all-time favorite. I use the ice roller all the time for my acne as it helps reduce inflammation and redness but it also has a ton of other great benefits you can read about in my full review here.
I've been using Billie for a little over two months now and I'm obsessed. Fully on board with the Billie fan train and tell everyone I know to try it. I mean it's only $9 and it's the sharpest thing I've ever used! You can read my review on it here.
I've been using this every day for the past two and a half years. Not only is it acne-safe, but it has the right amount of SPF needed for your everyday. If there was one thing I could share with the world, it's to wear SPF every. single. day.
These have changed the game in terms of growth for my lashes and my brows. I haven't used them since the wedding as I feel like I no longer need to, but you can see the results here for yourself! It truly works and it takes about a month to really see a difference. You can read my review of the lash serum here and the brow serum here.
I am VERY into sun protection and love to try new sunscreens to see what works best for my skin and lifestyle. I decided randomly to test out this Beautycounter mineral one and I absolutely love it. It is super easy to rub in and apply, it's totally clean, and it doesn't leave a sticky feeling on your skin!
Again, big fan of SPF and wanted to protect my hands more (as they are just as delicate as your neck!) and found this Supergoop lotion. It not only protects but it hydrates and doesn't leave a sticky lotion feel!
