Best of Beauty 2018

We have finally made it to the weekend, hooray! To kick off the weekend I wanted to share my best of beauty post with y’all! For the past three years I have rounded up my favorite beauty products of the year (click to see 2015, 2016 & 2017) and I’m excited to share this year’s version with you! Each of these products have been used all throughout the year and are my tried-and-true favorites! Some of them I have been using for years and years, while others are new to the list for this year! I hope y’all enjoy this post – I always have. great time putting them together.

best of beauty makeup picks

PRIMER – Smashbox is my favorite when it comes to primers. Every single one that I’ve tried has been great. I tried the Smashbox primerizer this year and really like it because while it locks in my makeup it also hydrates my skin.

FOUNDATION – I have not strayed from this L’Oreal Pro-Glo foundation since discovering it last year. Y’all it is the BEST and it’s a great price point. This foundation has great coverage and a little bit goes a long way.

CC CREAM – For the days when I want a non-makeup makeup look, then I immediately reach for the It Cosmetics CC Cream. It’s the perfect amount of coverage.

CONCEALER – I have not found another concealer that I like more than Tarte’s Shape Tape. The coverage is great for dark circles, pimples, and uneven tones.

LOOSE SETTING POWDER – I have used Laura Mercier’s setting powder for quite a while, but decided to try Make Up For Ever’s setting powder and really like it. It feels much lighter on my face and it’s a bit cheaper!

POWDER – If you want flawless skin, pick up the It Cosmetics powder ASAP! It gives your skin an almost flawless look while providing great coverage that stays on all day!

BRONZER – I have heard such great things about this Benefit Hoola bronzer that I finally decided to give it a try this year. I love the coloring of it, as someone who is pale, some bronzers are TOO bronze for me!

HIGHLIGHTER – This is my holy grail highlighter by Becca. The pigmentation is SO good and it gives a gorgeous glow. I use this on my nose, my cheekbones & sometimes in the arch of my eyebrow for an additional glow. I use the color moonstone.

BLUSH – Becca blush is my favorite because of the pigmentation and the wide array of colors. Every color that I have tried has been beautiful. I love flower child and camellia.

EYELINER – I picked up this eyeliner when I forgot mine on a trip and have been using the NYX eyeliner ever since. I love the “hella fine” tip for a precise line.

BROW DUO – Is there a better eyebrow duo than the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Duo?! The colors are great and I love the brush that comes with it. It’s slanted brush gives a natural looking brow.

EYESHADOW STICK – I all but gave up on doing eyeshadow this past year. I am happily admitting that I am NOT good with eyeshadow, so thank goodness for the Laura Mercier Caviar Stick. It makes eyeshadow easy, plus it’s easy to travel with!

MAKEUP BRUSHES – It Cosmetics makeup brushes may be the softest brushes I have ever used. The brushes last forever, too!

MASCARA PRIMER – If you’re wanting additional volume and length with your lashes, be sure to start with this mascara primer from L’Oreal!

MASCARAS – I am a total mascara junkie. I can never choose a favorite! I am one of those gals that layers mascaras to ge the perfect look. A few of my favorites include Marc Jacobs Beauty Volumizing mascara, L’Oreal Voluminous X-Fiber mascara, and the It Cosmetics Superhero mascara.

LIP BALM – I have at least one Supergoop Lip Balm in every room of our house. It’s my favorite lip balm because it keeps my lips from being chapped, the formula is thick and lasts for a while, and it has SPF in it!

LIPSTICK – I’m a big fan of nude-light shades of lipstick (no bright pink or red for me usually!) so I love the Urban Decay Vice lipsticks. They have a wide range of colors – both bright and neutral – and the lipstick itself is moisturizing and stays for quite a while. A few of my favorite shades are naked and backtalk.

best of beauty hair & skincare picks

FACE OIL – Face oil is one product I introduced into my skincare routine religiously in 2018. It is a great way to help hydrate my skin. I love the Beautycounter facial oils. There are three different kind to meet your skincare needs.

MOISTURIZERS – I have pretty “normal” skin, but it gets dry during season changes and when I’m traveling, so finding a good moisturizer is important to me. I love the Olay Whips for winter and anytime I need an extra “boost” of hydration. I have grown to love gel moisturizers in the past year or so. My skin absorbs them so well and I always feel hydrated. My favorite gel moisturizer is the Origins GinZing Gel moisturizer.

FACE MASK – The Charcoal face mask from Origins is a game changer. It leaves my face feeling fresh, smooth, and my pores feel so much smaller. I try to use this mask once a week.

VITAMIN-C SERUM – I use the TruSkin Vitamin-C Serum at night and when I’m working from home and won’t be wearing makeup. It leaves my skin feeling brighter and over time has minimized the look of wrinkles and dark spots.

MAKEUP ERASER – This little thing is a GAME CHANGER. The Makeup Eraser cloth is the easiest way to get your makeup off. All you do is wet your face, wet the cloth and smooth it over your face. It instantly gets the makeup off. It’s great for when you’re feeling lazy after a night out but still want to take off your makeup haha! 🙂

FACE CLEANSER – The First Aid Beauty Face Cleanser has been my favorite for a few years now. It takes off ALL of my makeup (no leftover residue) and leaves my skin feeling smooth and hydrated. It’s also great for sensitive skin, which I have.

BUBBLE BATH – I am a sucker for a bubble bath and the L’Occitane lavender bubble bath is the best way to relax. It smells delightful and my skin always feels incredibly soft after getting out of the bath when I use this.

LOTION – I am constantly using lotion on my body and hands, so I like finding a good one that can be used daily that isn’t too thick. The Beautycounter lotion is the perfect thickness, does a great job of hydrating my skin, and smells SO good!

BODY BLUR – Ok, hear me out on this product if you’re already questioning it haha! My friend Shelby brought this Vita Liberata Body Blur on a recent trip and we were all amazed at how well it quickly tanned her legs and made them look PERFECT. Like bye bye scars, imperfections, bruises, etc. It’s great for photos!

SELF-TANNER – I am SO pale so I like to self-tan to give myself a nice, subtle glow. I love the St. Moriz self-tanner because it doesn’t look unnatural, doesn’t turn my hands a color, and it doesn’t have an orange tint to it like most self-tanners do.

CURLING WAND -I love the T3 Micro Curling Wand Trio for many reasons, but mostly because my curls can last DAYS when I use this wand. Sure, it’s an investment but my hair always looks best when I use this wand. I also have the curling iron and really like it too.

TEXTURE SPRAY – I could write a love story over the Kristen Ess Dry Texture Spray. Y’all, just trust me… this stuff is the bomb. It adds the perfect amount of texture. I sometimes use to “dirty” my hair and other times I use as a finishing spray on my hair.

DRY SHAMPOO – If it’s not broke, don’t fix it. That’s how I feel about the Batiste Dry Shampoo. I have no plans of trying other dry shampoo because I love this brand so much.

BRUSH – I started using a Wet Brush this year and it’s really helped with the breakage of my hair. It feels so much more healthy now.

HAIR TIES – In another effort to help with breakage and damage, I have been trying to use the Teletie and Invisibobble hair ties. They don’t leave creases and are so much better for your hair.

TEXTURE TAFFY – My friend Kate introduced me to this a few years ago and it’s a great product to use when curling your hair. The Kenra texture taffy helps keep your curls separated and not clumped together. It also gives it a nice undone look.

HAIR SPRAY – I am a huge fan of Kenra products, especially the Kenra hair spray. They have a range of sprays, depending on how tight of a hold you want on your hair. The smell is great and doesn’t smell like hair spray, like most other brand do.

HAIR DRYER – I started using the T3 Cura Hair Dryer this year and it’s been great! I like the different heat settings, the volume booster (I can always use extra volume in my hair), and the auto-pause sensor. The auto-pause sensor comes in handy when styling your hair or drying in layers!

PERFUME – The Acqua Di Gioia perfume is so fresh and clean smelling. It makes a great daily perfume.