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2019 was the year I started getting back into makeup, beauty and truly taking care of my skin. Makeup was my first hobby that I delved into and consider myself to be pretty good at it. So this year I have a good round up of beauty and skincare favorites to share!
Over the course of the year, I tried a lot of new products trying to find products that I truly love and perform well. Many of these favorites were also used on my wedding day, so you know they are reliable.
In addition to trying new products, I’ve been decluttering products from my collection that I don’t use or are straight up expired. If the products are still in good condition, I do share them with my friends to have it they want.
Something to note, is that I am in the process of going cruelty-free and I chose to only share products that are CF. I do still have a lot of products in my collection that are not CF that I use on the regular, but since I will no longer be purchasing them it didn’t make sense to include them.
I also shared my favorites on my YouTube channel and would love it if you checked out my video and subscribed!
beauty
Too Faced Peach Perfect Comfort Matte Foundation
This was the foundation that I wore on my wedding day and already shared this product in a recent favorites. I know that the dewy/natural/luminous look is what is on trend at the moment, but I personally prefer a more matte/satin finish.
The only complaint about this product, and what most find off-putting, is the artificial peach fragrance. I get that it’s part of the marketing of the product, but it adds no value to performance of the product and most do not prefer fragrance in base products.
BeautyBlender
You can’t go wrong with this sponge. It’s pricier than most makeup sponges available, but it’s 100% worth it. In my opinion, this sponge lasts longer than any other on the market and has the best texture. If you clean and care for the sponge it will last for many months vs. the other sponges I was using that would rip after a few weeks.
Milani Conceal + Perfect Longwear Concealer
This is a longwear, full coverage concealer and another product I used on my wedding day. I like applying this product with a mini-makeup sponge, picking up the product with the sponge itself and blending it in for the most flawless finish.
CoverGril TruBlend Undercover Concealer
This concealer is my go to for work and day-to-day wear. It has medium coverage and is easily to apply with fingers, a brush or a sponge.
CoverGirl Exhibitionst Mascara – waterproof & regular
This mascara was my replacement for my previous regular when I started making the switch to cruelty-free beauty. This CoverGirl mascara is no-fuss and I can always rely on it to perform well. I use waterproof almost every day to hold a curl in my lashes, followed by the regular formula to build volume and length.
NYX Lip Liner Natural
Here’s another product I shared in a recent favorites post and are favorites from NYX in general. I have the NYX lip liner in the shade Natural and love it for pretty much any lip color I own. I wear mostly nude lips and this liner is a my lips but better color so it goes with everything.
Urban Decay Vice Lipstick Ex-Girlfriend
When I first purchased this lip stick, I didn’t think I would enjoy it as much as I do. This is a sheer, shimmer pink color that leans a bit brown, and on my lips it doesn’t show up the best. But with a few layers (and my NYX lip liner in Natural) this is very flattering, every day lip color.
Generally, I keep this color in my work purse because I can easily apply it without a mirror. I also used this lip stick as my touch up color on my wedding day for that reason.
Morphe M536 Under Eye Bullet Brush
I’ve only had this brush for about a month and it’s changed my undereye setting game. This shape of the brush is perfect and applies just the right amount of setting powder without looking cakey. I sometimes even use this to set my T-zone in a pinch and it works great! This brush is exclusive to Ulta so if you’re in the market, I recommend checking it out on your next trip.
EcoTools Blending & Bronzing Brush
This is my favorite brush for bronzing with both powder and cream products. I love the duo fibres to help blend out the product and it also helps from applying too much at a time.
AG: Recoil Curl Activator
Yet another product that I’ve mentioned in a previous post, but it is a favorite for 2019. Along with hair gel, this styler is a staple to my defined curls and holds for multiple days at a time. This product is light in the hair and helps activate (as the name suggests) and enhance your own curls.
skincare
Schmidt’s Moon Flower Deodorant
This past summer I finally made the switch to natural, aluminum-free deodorant – check out my recommendations here. I had tried making the switch in the past,
Despite making the switch to this product and recommending it as my favorite deodorant, this formula does leave staining on my clothes. Most noticeably on my workout clothes. It can also leave staining on my black garments. It’s not enough to make me stop purchasing the product, but it is something to note.
Paula’s Choice Clinical Ceramide-Enriched Firming Eye Cream
I’ve tried a number of eye creams over the year to help with my dry under area and help with signs of aging, and I’ve finally landed on this Paula’s Choice product. When this product is not in my routine, I notice my eye area look less plump and fines lines more prominent.
Mario Bedescu Facial Spray
For a while, I didn’t understand the point of facial sprays, but I’m finally on the train. This year, I’ve been loving this Mario Bedescu facial spray at the end of my skincare routine in both the morning and evening following my moisturizer. I find that a sprirz of this helps lock in the moisture and keeps my skin looking fresh. It’s also great if you put on a little too much powder or after a workout to refresh the skin.
Silicone Face Scrubber
I randomly found these scrubbers on Amazon a few months ago, and it’s been in my shower since! These are great for cleansing the skin and helping to remove my makeup. I use this every day with my cleanser and it does not irritate or over exfoliate the skin.
In my opinion, these are a great alternative to a Clarisonic (of something similar) because they are silicone and will outlast the heads of a Clarisonic that go straight to the landfill after three months. There’s also the cost of the replacement heads. I really love this little scrubber as an alternative and because it’s silicone it should last pretty much forever.
Makeup Remover Towels
In conjunction with the scrubber, I purchased these makeup remover towels from Amazon and they have completely replaced disposable towelettes. After doing a first cleanse of my skin and my eye area, I add micellar water one of these towels and soak the products on my eyes.
These are also great for wiping the skin after a face mask! They are super soft and wash clean after every use.
Woo! That was a lot!
What were some of your favorite products in 2019?
