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Favorite Products of 2013

Another year has come and gone. It's scarily true that when you get older, time seems to speed right past you. Anyway... onto the goods that made the cut for the favorites of 2013.

Covergirl 3-in-1 Stay Fabulous foundation - I kept going back to my drawer of makeup thinking, "this can't be my favorite of the year... it's from the drugstore." Yet here we are. It lasts, it evens out my skin tone, and it matches perfectly. I've heard a lot of great things about this foundation and it lives up to those claims. And honestly, I haven't heard that many bad reviews. So you need to go get it.

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Light Plus - Ok ok ok. I know this is just a powder and you could totally find something at CVS for less, but I'm here to say that this is worth the extra few bucks. First, it's lasted me a good while. Second, it offers enough coverage that I can wear this on the weekends when I'm not needing a ton of makeup. Third, it's really smooth - some drugstore powders can be, well, powdery and dusty. Ya need it.

Rimmel Blush in Pink Sorbet - This dinky little packaging holds a great blush. It's a light flush color with a hint of sparkle that really brightens up your complexion. The container is a fail, but pretty easy to travel with and it hasn't broken yet so maybe they are onto something. Cheap, pigmented, easy to find blush that any teenager, 20-something would look great in.

NARS Blush in Sin - This may look a little scary in the packaging for the non-makeup-obsessed, but do not be fooled. This wine colored blush with gold and bronze sparkle packs a huge punch. Great for fall and winter, it gives a deeper hue than the bright pinks we are used to in the summer. I bet this would look awesome on a darker, olive skin tone too. Trust me, try it.

Revlon Colorstay Concealer - I'm not a huge concealer junkie... meaning I can't tell a huge difference between them. This ones easy to use, dries quickly, stays in place, and matches my skin tone. That's all I could really want so this one stays in my every day routine.

Wet-n-Wild Eyeshadow Trio in Silent Treatment - Beautiful. Soft. Pigmented. These shadows rival all the higher end ones and honestly I reach for this over the one Chanel eyeshadow I have. Super easy to use and travel with. I really like all the Wet-n-Wild trios, but this color is super flattering on my eye color if I do say so myself. And I bet it would look good on you --- so get it (it's only $3.99 so stop dilly dallying!).

MAC Eyeshadow in Wedge - The perfect crease blending color. Just a bit darker than my skin tone, I put this in the crease every day to make other shadows blend easier. Instead of having a light shade on the lid and a super dark shade in the crease, you put a light brown in the crease first to make the transition easier.. more on that later. But first, find your crease color.

Loreal Liquid Eyeliner Linear Intense - With this brush tip applicator, I could do liquid eyeliner in my sleep. Ok not so fast, Sabie. But it is super easy to use and to control. Felt tip liners on the other hand...I think they have a vendetta against me. Anyway... I recommend this to anyone, especially ones who aren't used to liquid because it's really easy to catch on. Go.

Anastasia Brow Wiz - Alright. Another one that I heard a ton of people singing its praises... and I gave in. Seriously great though. My only problem with brow products is I feel like I go through them so quickly and I don't even have thick brows. It's very thin and therefore looks super natural. I want to compare this and the Mac one because I know I liked the Mac one in the past, but now, Anastasia, you make me second guess my likes.

Jordana Best Lash Extreme - I thought I would be let down by the hype of this mascara. By hype I mean one person loved it, but still. Fab. U. Lus. Clumpy (come on you know you want a teeny bit of clump) in all the right places, defining and lifting in all the nooks and crannies. You can find this at Walgreens for $3.19... I think.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Plum Jam - Apparently this brand is from the UK and they have loads of stuff over there. Us Americans get few products, but the ones we get are great. I've tried a few different skincare things and they are pretty dang good. This lip gloss stick thing is similar to the other ones on the market but it is not a stain and has a sticky glossy feeling, which I happen to like. The color is perfect for throwing on with any look, dressy or casual. Just an easy, go-to product for me this year!

Living Proof Full Shampoo and Conditioner - Holy dang. This stuff is freakin' fabulous. It's got quite a heafty price tag, so I save this for going out nights, or special days. Usually a couple times a month. Huge volume. Not drying. Not heavy. Smells great. I love it. I haven't tried the rest of this Living Proof range but I bet it's awesome. Just try one of them... treat yo' self.

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Do I even have to explain? I go through these things like it's my job. Less than $10 for a bottle of the best dry shampoo I've used? Ok, done. You can find this at Ulta and TJ Maxx.

Embryolisse Creme Riche Hydratante - It's a moisturizer. A basic, no fluff (though you wouldn't know it from the French name) moisturizer. I love that it's just enough moisture but not too much, and that it soaks in quickly. Tip: make sure you let your moisturizer fully soak into your skin before applying primer or foundation... otherwise it will fade faster. Anyway, it's a great everyday item and I usually get it from Hautelook for $20.

Korres Wild Rose Sleeping Facial - This came in a kit with the Wild Rose Buffing Scrub around Christmas time and it was a great value - kinda bummed they don't have it anymore. But they do sell them separately and if I had to choose, I'd pick the sleeping facial. It's basically a night cream that claims to "brighten" and "stabilize vitamin C". I don't know if I believe those claims because I don't really have problem skin, but I do notice that in the morning, my skin is plump and hydrated... a rarity in winter. So I like it and I bet anyone needing an extra boost in winter would too. (not pictured)

So there ya go! Links for all the products are in their name, if you're interested in more information. What were your favorite products this year??

Product I've Used Up | December 2013

Let's go through my trash shall we...

I've used probably 10 packs of these makeup wipes but I didn't keep all the wrappers. I love the Simple brand and CVS brand does just fine too. The purple ones on the left are from Target and they are good but I always forget to pick these up when I'm in the throws of that beautiful store.

Two bottles of Jergens Natural Glow Firming Lotion - I mentioned this in my last post about how I'm not positive if the firming claim is true, but I might as well use it cuz u know we all need sum firmin'!

Shesiedo Cotton Pads - These lil guys changed my mind on cotton. After using these squares, I loathe using regular cotton balls. They are so soft and really get the job done. I used to be ashamed of spending money on them but I am converted. Long live expensive cotton!

This Macadamia deep conditioner took me over a year to finish. My hair is super thin and if I use it more than once a week and more than a nickel size, I have heavy, greasy hair. It is a great product and smells incredible. I really don't need to purchase another one but I may...

This primer came in a Birchbox a while back and I really liked it. I'd never heard of the company before (Mirabella). I would repurchase it, but I've since found an even better one from Hourglass.

Bobbi Brown corrector - you devil. I don't know how to feel about this. I love the effect it gives by brightening under-eye darkness, but I can't seem to have it not settle into my lines. I find myself touching it up later in the day. I may be applying it wrong so I'm gonna keep tryin' (because I already bought another one).

THE mascara of the year: Jordana Best Lash Extreme. I get this at Walgreens for $2.99 and it's the best mascara I've found in a long time. Lengthening, separating, volumizing... you've gotta try it!

The Sheshe Vite top coat is a good un. It's essential when you want your manicure to last more than a day - which is every time for me. This bottle still has a good amount left, but it got clumpy so I'm throwing it out (which is it's only downfall). I have already purchased a new bottle.

Essie Nail Polish in Splash of Grenadine. This gorgeous color is perfect for summer. Again, it dried out so I threw it out... but I bought another bottle.

Garnier Under Eye thing. Yeah... this is still half full but I've had it for over a year so it's time to go. I just didn't love it, I guess.

Joico K Pak Restorative Conditioner. I don't know what I was thinking buying a massive conditioner. Oh, yes I do - it was on sale (I'm such a sucker for a good deal). Anyway this thing lasted over a year and I liked it ok but was ready to get rid of it. I'm not loyal to any hair products really, so I probably will not repurchase at least for a while.

Healthy Sexy Hair Leave in conditioner/detangler. Smelled great. I didn't notice a huge difference in my hair when using it so I won't repurchase. It would be great for a person with crazy curly hair, but I've never had a huge problem with detangling.

I may have a problem. In a matter of weeks I'm throwing out 4.5 bottles of Batisite dry shampoo... and I have three more bottles waiting to be used. IT'S JUST SO GOOD. Cheap, effective, smells great, and unlike the Tresemme, the nozzle doesn't clog. (I buy this at Ulta and sometimes I can find it at TJMaxx)

Urban decay setting spray. Hey girl heyyyy! This stuff rocks my world. I did a post here all about it.

This Soap and Glory Foam Call Shower Gel smells diiiiiiiivine (I love that word). It's a good body wash and I'd repurchase it in the future but I haven't yet. Fun packaging too!

This Bioderma makeup remover was a Christmas gift last year so it lasted just about a year. It is a beautiful makeup remover that has no scent, no feeling at all really. Just is like water melting away your makeup. I can't wait to get some more (It's not available in the USA, but you can get it on Amazon and Ebay).

I use baby shampoo to wash my makeup brushes (instructions here). It's cheap and effective and I'm already about a fourth of the way through a big new bottle.

Nail polish remover - nothing super special here. I always by generic because I don't think it makes a huge difference. I have heard good things about the Zoya one though that I'd like to try.

So that's it! Check out my last post about the product I used up here.