You guys… 2019 came and went. And she took no prisoners. But she did leave me with all this beauty loot. Today I am rounding up my favorite products of 2019 (in no particular order) and because I believe in balance… I am also throwing out some much needed shade on a few products. Some will surprise you.
Lets take it from the top…
Best of 2019
Anything from The ordinary
A friend of mine sent me a text late one night asking if I had heard of ‘The Ordinary.’ So I quickly opened iMusic and searched and replied- nope, never heard of them. After she laughed at me, she told me that The Ordinary was a skincare company that was unbelievably affordable and ‘legit.’ Sold. I added about 6 items to my cart for about $35 and waited for my package. I loved all of it. Peels, retinol, eye serum. All of it. And I especially loved the price.
Brazilian Bum Bum Cream
I will be the first to admit my skin is not great. It needs a lot of TLC. One area that I have had the most problems with is my peach. I’ll spare the details here. But this cream has changed the game. Not only does it smooth everything (I mean everything) but it tightens and smells like a DREAM. The is something I will be repurchasing for years.
Dry Bar Dry Shampoo
New baby means no time to wash. Enter dry shampoo. I tried a lot in 2019, and not a lot worked. One left me with sticky hair (ew) and one left me with a non-removable white cast. Dry Bar won me out by far. I don’t need to use a lot, the spray is powerful, and it dries clear. It’s a perfect match.
Tarte Cheek Wardrobe
I have loved all Amazonian Clay blushes since pre-babies. Yearly, Tarth releases holiday cheek palettes, and some a fine, while others are duds. This past holiday season they hit it out of the park. 9 shades of blush, bronzers, and highlight and they made them compact enough to fit in your daily makeup bag.
Clinique Almost Lipstick
I hate wearing lipstick. I also love wearing lip color. It’s a conundrum. This lippie is a sheer wash of color and feels like a hydrating balm on. No chapping!
Becca First Light Priming Filter
Primers are hard. I have dry, oily skin and need my makeup to last. Primers made for oily skin are very drying, and hydrating primers might as well be re-named to Makeup Slip n Slide. I grabbed this as a sample to try in August and liked it enough to buy a bigger size. I picked it back up in November and haven’t put it down since. I love that it gives a lit from within glow while also helping my makeup last longer.
Beaky Blenders
I changed my daily sponges from the expensive $20 a head sponges to these. I lie these so much better. Not only are they cheaper, but they have a better texture. I apply my foundation, concealer, and liquids all with these.
MAC Shape and Shade Brow Tint
Microblading in a pen. This dual brow pen and powder is amazing. I use the pen to draw on tiny hairs throughout my brow. I use the powder to fill in. I love that the combo of these two makes for a more natural fuller brow.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion
Oh 2019… the year or hormonal acne. My favorite part of postpartum was all the breakouts. Everywhere. I tried a lot of things and this was the only treatment that was fast and effective. I dip a Q-Tip in to the pink substance (is it clay or???) and dab it on any blemishes before bed. And when I wake up they are gone. it’s a miracle worker.
Isle of Paradise Tanning Drops
I love self-tanner in the warmer months. Ok I love it in colder months too. But I don’t love adding it to my face. Enter these drops. I add a drop or two to my night cream every few days and I am left with a more subtle tan than if I had used a mousse. You can use this all over too!
Aveeno Positively Radiant Moisture
I used to use this before I had Brandon and then decided to switch it up. Every other moisturizer I tried left something to be desired OR left my skin greasy. I picked this back up in Fall and have been loving it (Again) ever since. My skin feels more supple and it is less red. Winner.
Worst of 2019
You know how when everyone loves something, you think you need to as well? That’s me with these products. I trued a lot of duds, but these take the cake of being the most WHAT?! items of 2019.
NeuLash Serum
During the Anniversary sale I sale this hyped up just as much as a Madewell cardigan. You know how LashBoost basically tuns anyone’s lashes into the most beautiful things you’ve seen? This is not that. This is nothing in a bottle. It might as well have been water. Or glue. I am just baffled. Pss on this. Find a friend who sells LashBoost and order from her.
Dr Jartt Beauty Balm
I love most Dr jar products. Cicapair was a favorite of 2018. The Ceramidin cream is amazing. This is just awful. The color is purple. I thought at first that this was some sort of color changing BB cream. No… after about an hour I looked in the mirror and was still some god-awful shade of blue/purple that made me look like a Star Trek character. And if that wasn’t bad enough, it falls off my face. Just falls.
Charlotte Tillbury Magic Away
Let me set the record straight. This formula is amazing. I love it. What is the disappointment here is the packaging. For starters, I have the HARDEST time getting the cap off every. single. time I use it. Second, the applicator is a sponge and you can’t clean it without damaging the product. Dear Charlotte…. please change the packaging.
St Moritz Self Tanning Mousse
The alternate name for this mousse should be Zebra. Guys, I tried everything to make this work. I used a mitt,, I used my hands, I tried exfoliating, not exfoliation, and I even tried washing it off after 3 hours. Every time I ended up with streaks…. and I don’t even rub in tanner in a line! I don’t get it. Maybe it’s me?
Milk Hydro Grip Primer
I had some very high hopes for this. I love Milk foundation. It sit on the skin and looks so natural while still covering. I imagined this primer would be just like that, if not better. It’s a slip n slide for your face. After about an hour I noticed shine, ok not a big deal…. Three hours and I noticed all the makeup near my nostrils was… gone? And then by lunchtime… All the foundation was melting away. Not a good look.
Tarte Shape Tape
If you need to send me hate mail, I UNDERSTAND…. But hear me out. This is NOT the kid of concealer you want under your eyes. It is drying, thick, and has a LOT of alcohol in it. I used an entire tube (which lasted a long time) and found my under eye became red, dry, and showed more signs of aging. I stopped using this and started using a more hydrating formula, and wouldn’t ya know.. all my eye issues vanished. VANISHED. I changed nothing else. So I get that people are throwing this in your face left and right… but it not good guys. it’s not.
Phew! We made it through. I would love to know your favorite products too!
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