The Best Beauty Products of 2019

The older you get, the faster time goes. This is always how I feel around this time of year. This is made especially true given that my birthday is in December. A 36 year old is writing this!

I always enjoy writing these yearly roundup posts, reading through favorites posts from the past year, scrolling my Instagram, reminiscing about the greats in beauty. Naturally, I end up reflecting on the entire year in general.

On a personal note, I think many can agree that not every year is wonderful. However, I can honestly say this year was full of many more wonderful things than I ever could have imagined. I worked harder this year than I ever have. I learned several lessons because of it and I wanted to share them with you.

2019 Life Lessons

Dive in and do it. If you don’t do hard things, you’ll never fully know what you are capable of. I found out this year that I can really hang.

Love is not finite. Until we adopted 2 kittens in July, I didn’t think your heart could expand, that you could love more than you already do. I’m sure that you parents understand this heart-expanding phenomena all too well.

Don’t always believe your brain. You will always be able to do more than you think you can. Your brain is rarely right when it comes to what you can/cannot achieve.

Health is a lifelong journey and experiment. I didn’t eat carbs for almost 2 years. Then I did a sugar detox. Then I tried a behavior modification app. Now? I’m just trying to find the balance.

The show must go on. I’ve gone to work in real rare form this year. I showed up to a wedding job with a severe allergic reaction, my top lip swollen up to my nose and my body covered in painful welts. I did political reporters’ makeup after a chemical peel with skin hanging off my face. There’s no way I’d ever put my own appearance before anyone else’s though so ya get what ya get.

So what products make the cut?

These products are not necessarily new releases in 2019, but products I personally discovered this year. These are the beauty products that I find little to no flaws with, that consistently deliver, day after day. They are the things I would/will repurchase and they make my beauty routine easier, better, cooler.

Makeup

You need only look to the title of my blog to know that this is my favorite category.

I love this so so much. The formula is so perfectly blendable, looks luminous, feels hydrated without being sticky and somehow doesn’t pick up the foundation below when tapped on. I love the shade Werk, a dusty rose that works beautifully on fair to medium skin tones. I also have the shade Perk but find that Werk is more pigmented and I reach for it more often.

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As soon as I tried this , I knew it was an instant favorite. I love so much that it’s one of my holy grail, ride-or-die mascaras. I love the lush volume and length it gives, without looking thick, clumpy or fake.

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Milani Easyliner Lipliner-Most Natural

I’ve met my perfect nude liner, and it’s all thanks to my mom. She bought this Milani lip liner while on vacation, didn’t like it and gifted it to me. You know what they say; one woman’s impulsive vacation purchase is her daughter’s perfect nude liner.

This liner is truly the ideal shade and formula for sculpting and shaping my lip line, especially for a fuller appearance as I show in this IGTV video. I love the formula so much I bought it in the plum shade as well.

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Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel

I’m still loyal to Glossier Boy Brow, but honestly, this became my lil BFF all summer long. Dipbrow Gel gives you a more “filled” look than Boy Brow, in about the same amount of time. I reached for this 9 times out of 10 because it made my routine go way faster, throughout the busiest seasons.

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Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation

While I was hesitant about Stay Naked foundation’s launch, being that Urban Decay phased out Naked Skin in it’s place, I was really impressed once I tried it. The shade range, wear time, coverage, packaging, it’s all a win for me. I am most impressed with Stay Naked’s wear time. I have dry skin so I don’t even set this with powder and still get better wear than I do with any other foundation in my rotation.

Full review

I’d read somewhere that everyone needs this Fenty lipgloss and I totally get it. They do. You do. It’s rose gold shade is flattering on anyone, the geometric packaging is dope, it feels great on and the scent is like fruity bubblegum. Fenty Gloss Bomb is great for when you need something on your lips, but don’t want to think about and still need to look pulled together. It’s the icing on the cake.

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Skincare

Peach Slices Acne Spot Dots

Not to be overly dramatic, but these zit stickers have basically saved my life. These are little pimple patches that use hydrocolloid power, popular in wound dressing, to absorb the fluids from zits you may have messed with.

I often tell my clients, I can cover redness, but I can’t cover texture so these acne spot dots are key. You will wake up with a flattened blemish in the morning that is far easier to cover with makeup. It doesn’t take all the redness away, but the flattening factor makes a world of difference.

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I don’t know how to describe the results of this serum other than to say, my skin just looks better. Peptides basically tell your skin to do anti-aging things. This peptide booster is readily absorbed, scent-free and easily integrated into your existing routine.

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Thayer’s Lavender Witch Hazel

I grew up using T.N. Dickinson’s witch hazel because of my mom. Thayer’s has been getting more popular in recent years, likely because it looks something from a cute little small town apothecary, a la Rose Apothecary!

I love Thayer’s Witch Hazels because they are alcohol-free; not all are. I use it after cleansing, for a midday refreshing via their spray version and always after tweezing or shaving my face.

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Glossier Bubblewrap

This Glossier eye cream launch took me by surprise. Their skincare has been hit or miss, many serving as simple basics without any major, earth-shattering results.

Glossier’s eye cream Bubblewrap has totally broken that stereotype for me. I find that Bubblewrap truly does plump up the under eye area. It hydrates completely without heaviness, thanks to Hyaluronic Acid, Squalane, and Avocado Oil. It’s also quickly and readily absorbed, packaged in a hygienic pump packaging and honestly? There’s nothing I don’t like about it.

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Thank you all for being here this year. It was one of my favorite years honestly, and you have a lot to do with that, whether you know it or not.♥️ 

November Favorites

October Favorites