Sunday, December 29, 2013

Best Beauty Products of 2013

If you know me in real life then you know that I am a bit of a beauty junkie. I love researching and trying new products, as well as watching beauty videos on YouTube A LOT (and Ben loves making fun of me for this as well). So, I thought it might be fun to share some of my favorite skin care & makeup products with you all.
2013 skin care favorites

1. Clarisonic Mia: I use my Clarisonic every night to remove my makeup from the day. It does a great job of deep cleaning your skin without being too rough. I can really tell a difference when I go a day or two without using the Clarisonic. My face just does not feel as clean. I've used this thing a thousand times and it still amazes me every time when I look at the brush head and see how nasty it looks! It also helps to open your pores so moisturizers absorb better on the skin. 
2. Philosophy Purity: I use this cleanser both in the morning and at night with my clarisonic. It is very gentle, but does a great job of removing oil and dirt. I purchase the huge bottle during the Nordstrom Anniversary Sale at the end of the summer and it is big enough to last all year. 
3. Oil of Olay All Day Moisturizer SPF 15: This is my go to moisturizer. I put it on each morning and it absorbs well. It's nothing fancy, but it has sunscreen & it's perfect for my needs. 
4. Aquaphor Advanced Therapy: this stuff is amazing for dry skin..I have been using it constantly this winter on my hands and lips. I also use the lotion year around when I get out of the shower. It's really thick, but it absorbs well after a shower & it keeps my skin super soft and hydrated. 
5. Oil of Olay Anti-Aging Night Firming Treatment: I know most of you are thinking "you're a little too young for firming cream", but honestly this cream is just very moisturizing and seems to give my skin that extra boost it needs. I recently started using RetinA in hopes to fade my freckles and repair my sun damaged nose, and this cream has kept my face from peeling from the RetinA. 
6. One more product I forgot to include above: the Aztec Secret Indian Healing Clay Mask: this is one tough mask. It will pull out all the gunk and really helps to remove black heads that otherwise would never budge. Not to mention, it's SO CHEAP! 


2013 makeup favorites
1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation: this foundation is medium coverage, goes on and absorbs easily, and smells like roses. What more could you want with a foundation?!
2. Mac Blush: I have two favorite colors…Well Dressed & Warm Soul. Well Dressed is a pale pink that leaves a nice natural flush. I discovered Warm Soul when I had my makeup done for my 21st birthday..it's a bronzy blush that looks awesome when you have a tan. I'm not a huge blush girl, but I do like the Mac blushes because they are relatively cheap and seem to last throughout the day.
3. Revlon Lip Butters: these are super creamy and have great color payoff. They also come in a ton of colors and vary from super sheen to opaque colors. 
4. Nars Laguna Bronzer: laguna is a matte bronzer so it doesn't look all shiny and glittery, however, you do have to be careful with it because it gives off A LOT of color so you have to make sure you buff it out
5. Lancome Hypnose Drama Mascara: I just discovered this mascara through one of the Sephora 100 point gifts, but I can tell it's going to be a favorite and I already ordered a full size tube. It makes my lashes look super long and full and does not wear off and leave black specks under my eyes like so many mascaras do. It is pretty hard to remove though, so I save it for special occasions. 
6. Clinique High Lengths Mascara: this is a great everyday mascara..it lengthens my lashes without looking too overdone. It also comes off with just water and cleanser at night so thats a nice plus.  
7. Maybelline Gel Eyeliner: this eyeliner is an exact dupe for Bobbi Brown's gel eyeliner at a fraction of the cost. It goes on smooth and lasts all day/night. The jar also comes with a little brush which is great if you do not own a lot of brushes. 
8. Mac eyeshadow: I have long been a lover of Mac eyeshadows. Personally, I think that they are better than any other brand just because they do not have fall out (like Urban Decay does) and the color payoff is phenomenal. Not to mention they come in a billion colors. I de-pot all of my Mac eyeshadows and put them into a palate to make it easier to keep them all together & travel with them. Two of my favorite colors this year were Satin Taupe and Quarry--they look great together! 
9. Buxom Full-On Lip Polish: I discovered this through a friend back in the Spring, and I have been hooked ever since. It does have plumping characteristics and is a bit tingly, but nothing too crazy. It also has a smell likes vanilla, is moisturizing, and isn't too sticky--I can't stand sticky lipgloss!!

So there you have it, some of my favorite beauty products. Am I missing any products that I absolutely need to try? I haven't found an eye cream that I love yet because it seems every one that I try burns my eyes by morning or never actually absorbs so if you have any good recs send them my way!! 

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