Happy New Year Everyone and Welcome to 2013!! Hope you all had a great holiday. I thought it appropriate for my first post of the year to take a look back and feature my makeup and beauty favorites from the past year. These are products that I either discovered and fell in love with in 2012 or just products I've used and loved consistently throughout the years. I've come across so many great products in the last year and not all of them have made the cut, if they had this post would be ridicuously long so I've really tried to narrow it down and pick only my top of the tippy top products for you. As a side note I've put links on the product names throughout the post so you can research/purchase them for yourself. So let's get on with it shall we?
Hair Care:
Starting with haircare I have three products that I've really enjoyed using. I do not have a shampoo or conditioner favorite because I'm a bit of a shampoo slut and I switch it up every time I use up a bottle. I've used all kinds of shampoo/conditioners this year and none really made me say, 'Wow! I like that!' Maybe some day I will find a brand that I like and can stick too. I just recently purchased a set of Biolage because I know I really liked it in High School but haven't used it in years since, so I don't know maybe I will love it again maybe not, I will get back to you on that! Anywhoozes I have fine curly brown hair that I've been trying to grow long so moisturizing products have been really important to me to keep the ends of my hair split end free and all that jazz.
The first product is the Macadamia Deep Repair Masque which is a really nice hair mask you use in the shower in place of your conditioner once a week. Its smells gorgeous and leaves my hair so soft and bouncy like a Victoria's Secret model. The mask features a lot of good for your hair oils such as macadamia, argan, and tea tree oils.
My hair tends to get tangled so I got It's a 10 Miracle Leave-In Product which has been the best detangler/leave-in conditioner I've ever used. I spray it on lightly right after my shower and comb it through my hair. Keeps my hair from getting tangled later and also smells pretty great too.
Finally, I have liked Alterna Bamboo Volume Uplifting Root Blast. I don't style my hair much but when I do have the occasional evening out or fancy party this product has just helped give my thin hair the little extra oomph it just doesn't normally have. I spray it on my roots before styling or curling my hair and it helps keep my hair from falling flat. It also puts a little texture in my hair so that if I'm working with bobby pins its helps them grip and stay put so they don't slide out as easily. It's not sticky or anything and my hair stays touchable which is nice. Before trying this spray I truly hated any kind of holding spray or gel type stuff. I just don't like crunchy curls you know?
Skincare:
A little about my skin before I get into the skincare. I do suffer from adult hormonal acne and it has been a real journey to find products that work. I think I might do a future more in depth post on what I use to treat and prevent my acne but number one on my list is this face wash. the best face wash I've ever used is First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser. It's super gentle, great for calming redness or irritation and still manages to take everything off my face and leave it clean.
The only thing it doesn't remove is waterproof eye makeup and for that I've discovered Mac Cleanse Off Oil. This is just a travel size because when I bought it I was just testing it out, plus I do travel fairly often so I do like my products to come is smaller sizes. I've tried lots of eye makeup removers and this one is just by far the best. I suppose it shouldn't be a surprise if you've ever seen anyone who works at Mac....umm...yeah they must have some industrial strength to take off those masks.
Since I do suffer from acne I tend to have scarring especially in my cheeks where I've had some deep pimples. Clinique Even Better Clinical Dark Spot Correcter has been an awesome product for getting rid of dark spots and I must warn it was an investment. It's pricey but I've been using it a year and I'm still on my first bottle. You only use a tiny amount at a time and I don't use it every day. I use it for about a week after a really bad breakout and it works magic to help fade away spots.
Since it is pricey I also have First Aid Beauty 5 in 1 Face Cream. This stuff is an awesome multipurpose product. I use it when I'm not using the Clinique because it also helps fade dark spots but it also moisturizes pretty well and has an SPF 30 which is awesome because SPF is pretty important when you are trying to get rid of scars and prevent wrinkles.
Finally to finish off skincare for the face as night time moisturizer I've been in love with Philosophy Hope in a Jar. Oh, you guys this is soooo nice. The cream feels so silky and smooth when you apply it and in the morning your face just feels nice and awesome. It's pretty basic as far as moisturizers go but sometimes simple is best right? One other thing I would suggest is to purchase the smallest size that they have at Sephora in the little goodie buckets you walk through when waiting in line. You use such a small amount at a time that I found with a larger jar it kind of separated and wasn't as nice after a few months. That could be more because I was traveling with it and it got jostled around and dropped a bunch and made airplane altitude wasn't to good for it. Who knows.
Foundation/Powder:
For foundation I tried a few this year and my favorite has been Clinique Acne Solutions Liquid Makeup. I don't care for heavy coverage foundations at all, I really like to have a natural finish to my foundation and this stuff gives you that. Now I use the acne one because that's what I struggle with but I've also tried a sample of their Even Better makeup which is for clearing scars and I liked it just as much. It will likely be my next purchase after I've used up this bottle. During the summer though I did not wear much foundation as I found in the heat it would just melt off my face and be all horrible.
So for summer I took a chance and tried an authentic Korean BB cream called Skin79 VIP Gold Super Plus Beblesh Balm. Now what is a beblesh you ask? I have absolutely no freaking idea but I know that other similar products are referred to a blemish balms. Now you may have noticed that a lot of American brands have jumped on the BB cream bandwagon but for me they just don't compare to what actual Asian BB cream does. Most American brands have just taken their preexisting tinted moisturizers added some SPF and slapped on a BB cream label. The Asian creams just do so much more. This one in particular has anti-aging ingredients as well as whitening properties. Whitening just means it helps even skin tone and reduce hyper pigmentation caused by acne scarring. Now using a BB cream is a little different from a regular foundation mostly because they tend to only come in one shade that adjust to your skin as you apply it. Still its probably not suitable for darker skin tones, it is marketed for Asian skin after all but I found it works well on my skin. Purchasing these can be tricky, I lucked out and live in a big city with access to Asian markets that carry beauty products but their are some legit sellers online you can get these BB creams from. I linked to the Skin79 one but do you research because there are lots of fakes out there on eBay and Amazon. Do a YouTube search for fake BB creams and you will see tons of videos showing you the differences so Be Careful in general when purchasing foreign products.
For face powder I found the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder was best for setting my makeup in summer and keeping oil at bay. It's just a nice translucent powder that doesn't look too powdery and is great for touching up your face during the day or to take away shine if you are anticipating a photo op. I really used this a lot in summer but not as much in winter just because my skin has been really dry it just isn't necessary.
Eye Makeup:
So this shouldn't be too surprising I too am in love with the Naked Palettes from Urban Decay. I feel like these have been raved about to death on blogs and on YouTube so I'll keep my rave review in check. These palettes are awesome, they have every color you could ever need for a natural eye or a smokey eye. You do not need both by any means, they are equally amazing the difference being the original palette has warmer coppery shades and the Naked 2 has cooler silvery shades. Both nice, decide what looks better on you and go for that one. They are pricey but worth every penny. In fact I would say if you wanted to invest in only one makeup product get one of these palettes, you will not be disappointed.
Moving on with eye stuff I did want to mention that if you aren't quite ready to invest in a Naked palette some really awesome drugstore shadows are the Loreal Infallible Eyeshadows. They come in every color, I own three Amber Rush, Eternal Sunshine, and Bronzed Taupe. Amber Rush is the best color ever! It's a beautiful rose gold that would just look good on anyone. They don't crease, are highly pigmented, and go on smoothly. They are a sort of cross between a loose shadow and a cream shadow so they apply best with your finger and only using a brush to blend.
Next eye product was my first ever purchase from Mac and its a Mac Paint Pot in Groundwork. Yes, I braved the scary masked ladies of Mac just to get my hands on this product. I'm just kidding I don't have anything against Mac it's just that style of makeup is not my taste. The lady that helped me was very nice. Anyways, I bought groundwork upon recommendations from friends and a lot of the Beauty Gurus on YouTube that I follow talked about it a lot. Since buying it quickly became a staple in my makeup routine. I use it as a primer for my eyeshadow but even buy itself its a nice subtle everyday color.
For Eyeliner I got the most use out of Nars Larger Than Life Long-Wear Eyeliner in Via Veneto. I tried lots of eyeliners this past year pencil, gel, liquid, and powder. I had lots of issues with smudging until I found this Nars eyeliner. There was one Urban Decay that I liked too but the Nars made the list because it applies smoother. It last forever and does well in my waterline too.
Now this next one was a hard decision. I used lots of great mascaras this year but I'd have to say Benefit They're Real! was just the all around best. It goes on nice, picks up every little baby lash, doesn't clump, and doesn't smudge. The brush has a unique shape that I think has more to do with what makes it so good than the actual formulation of the mascara.
Cheeks:
2012 was the first year I really discovered blushes and bonzers. I've just always ignored my cheeks and felt blush was too much for me. Bonzer I just didn't get and Highlighting was like what for? All that change though with my obsession of watching beauty videos on YouTube and later tutorials found via Pinterest and Blogs. So finding a good blush/bronze/highlight technique was all new to me. When choosing what products to start with I went for a Nars Duo that contained their highest rated colors Orgasm and Laguna. YouTubers rave about the Laguna Bonzer and after using this duo I think I might purchase a full size. The blush takes just the lightest of touch to apply. It is a highly pigmented blush that is easy to get too much of and go crazy. The bonzer was different, I don't the palest of skin I tend toward a medium fair skin tone so Laguna was actually very subtle on me.
With highlighter it was an easy choice because the Sephora I went to only carried one Nars Highlighter in Albatross. I supposed I could have tried others but I wanted to stay in the same family with my blush and bronzer and why not? It turned out to be a great highlighter for me. I use it on the tops of my cheekbones, under my brow bone, and in the inner corners of my eyes on a pretty regular basis.
Lips:
Now I am a lip balm fanatic. I have a drawer full of Chapstick, Burts Bees, and just random lip soothing products. So without getting into too much unnecessary detail my favorite balm for daytime has been the Nivea Milk & Honey and for nighttime I like EOS in Pomegranate. Both are good at what they are for, they leave my lips soothed and moisturizes and smell OK and otherwise pretty boring to talk about. I wont even include links because you can just pick these up in practically any drugstore they are pretty easy to find.
My real discovery in lip balms was Maybelline Baby Lips. OMG I love Baby Lips! These were my gateway lip product this year. I never wear lipstick or lipgloss. I don't like gooey, sticky, brightly colored lips. A tinted lipbalm however has broken me out of my colorless lip shell. I now own every Baby Lip color but my favorite has been Cherry Me which just gives your lips a hint of red. Plus these taste and smell delicious. Nice product.
Now after trying Baby Lips I gained a bit of confidence at adding just a nice hint of color to my lips and upon some more YouTube research I decided to try the Revlon Lip Butters. Now these I do not own every color I only have three. I think my favorite is Creme Brulee which is a nice nude color that I feel safe wearing everyday. I also have Pink Truffle which is pictured and is a nice brownish pink that is more like my lips but better in color. And the third color I have is my boldest which is Berry Smoothie which is a sheer berry color that I could build up and have it really noticeable but I like to keep it sheer and subtle. The nice thing about these Lip Butters is that they are really hydrating and are somewhere between a tinted balm and a lipstick which is great for me.
Body:
These next two products are both holy grail discoveries for me. Honestly I had to give up all my other skincare and just use these to oils for the rest of my life I would be OK with that. They are both very similar in that they are natural nut oils and they both tackle skin related issues, however I find I use each oil for different purposes. First off Kukui Nut Oil was a little gem my husband and I discovered on our Hawaiian Honeymoon. We are both pretty good about applying sunblock and all that but when we went on a snorkeling trip we both burned a little. We weren't lobster red or anything but we were uncomfortable enough to go on a search for some Aloe Vera Gel. We searched several of the ever present ABC stores in Waikiki but had no luck. I finally just asked a store clerk what they did have to treat sunburns and this is what she showed me, she told me its an old Hawaiian remedy which honestly we rolled our eyes at a bit but hey, we were tired of looking and ready to try anything. OMG this stuff WORKS!!! We applied some to our burns before bed and in the morning...like magic....our burns where almost completely gone! It was awesome! So I took some home and kept using it just as a moisturizer and to keep my tan nice and then discovered another nice little benefit...my acne had vanished! At first I wasn't sure if it had been the oil or not but when I did my research sure enough I found that Kukui Nut Oil has some antibacterial properties that can help fight acne, inflammation, eczema, and other skin irritations. Awesome!
After discovering this awesome natural remedy I did a little more research and noticed that Coconut Oil also popped up a lot as a miracle remedy. It's a much more diverse oil that you can consume as well as slather it all over your body. It is antibacterial, antifungal and antiviral! You can use it to treat anything from colds to weight management to foot fungus! Yummy right? Now I've tried a few different brands but I think I've liked the Trader Joe's variety the best. I use it the most as a body moisturizer, I especially like how smooth and nice it leaves my feet. You can use it for your face but I find the Kukui oil absorbs quicker. I have even swapped out my vegetable oil in my cooking for coconut oil. A lot of health websites really push consuming up to 3 or 4 tablespoons a day to help weight loss and strengthen your immune system and that can be challenging as eating a glob of coconut oil is like eating some melted crayon wax.....ewww! One way I have been able to make it more palatable is to melt some together with a little dark chocolate in an ice cube tray and freeze it to make little coconut chocolate candies. Those are pretty yummy :D OK enough about oils, they could honestly become an entire posts by themselves but let's move on we are almost finished!
Now this product is a little weird and I bought it for a very specific reason but I thought I'd mention it anyways because it is something I've used regularly in the past year. Last March I had a little bit of a health scare and wound up in the ER to check for a DVT or deep vein thrombosis in my right calf otherwise known as a blood clot. Thankfully no clot was found but I was advised to no longer take any form of hormonal birth control as it can increase your chances of clotting. My doctor also told me to focus more on improving circulation in my legs by exercising more and some massage therapy. that pushed me to really focus on my yoga again and to also purchase this little tool the Fat Girl Simulator which is actually meant for cellulite but I got it just as a way to massage my legs in the shower. I found this at a NEX on my husband's base but I think you can also find it in Sephora or Ulta. After using this I believe it really does help improve blood circulation in my legs plus it feels good after an especially tough workout session. My muscles feel less stiff and if you are interested in getting rid or reducing cellulite this tool probably wouldn't hurt. Good circulation is good for weight loss so i can see how it helps in reducing cellulite.
Nails:
Alrighty! Last but not least nail polish! I have gone crazy with my nails this year. I don't my naked nails saw the light of day this entire year. My new obsession even sparked me to take on the Julep Maven subscription which has quickly become my favorite brand of polish. I also love Essie polishes and the occasional OPI but I've found Julep to be especially nice! I would highly HIGHLY recommend the Julep Maven subscription service and if you do it would be lovely if you use my referral code (6129970) or not no pressure :) I do feel though that if you love nails then Julep will not disappoint. Currently I do not own any Julep Topcoats or basecoats which I will try out some day but Essie makes an awesome basecoat and topcoat. The Essie Good to Go! Topcoat is particularly nice because it helps your polish dry faster and really makes your manicure last. The Essie First Base Coat keeps your nails from yellowing so it's really nice as well.
I think that's it! Wow! Well I really want to thank everyone who made it through this whole post! It felt really long and I hope I didn't ramble too much. Now I know a lot of the products I've listed are on the pricier side but remember this a year's worth of accumulation and my purchased were spread out over the months. Plus I think its OK to splurge a little bit on a quality product rather than acquire u bunch of cheap so-so products. This stuff is going on your body after all, doesn't your body deserve quality? Anyways, thakns for reading, I'd love to hear about your favorite products of 2012 or maybe even what products you are excited to try in 2013! Let me know! Check you guys laterzzzzz! Muah!
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