2019 Favorites

2019 Favorites

I’m late but I’m here! This took a lot of contemplation— what a year! Started this blog, and began to look at beauty in a whole different light than I had before— in any facet. I’ve always had phases or looks, but now I’m looking toward the future as a career in beauty becomes more real; what is my philosphy on beauty? What are my staples— if I were to have them? As I become an adult and leave childhood behind, will I choose to get bolder as I had always thought, or stick to the classics? I’m still trying to get a grip on these questions, and how the answers will morphe and change in the years to come. But for now, the easiest thing to do is find awesome products. Here are my 2019 favorites!

Makeup: 

2019 was the year that made me fall in love with makeup again— I got so into skincare, I forgot how fun it was to play around with different colors, textures and techniques. Definetly a big year for eyes— I had a falling out with eyeliner in 9th grade when I realized that applying black eyeliner thickly around my eyes made them look small, only to renounce all colors and techniques of the product. I continued to fall in love with blush, and get into brighter, bolder shades while learning to have a lighter hand. Euphora played a huge part in getting me to get comfortable with bright colors while staying in my comfort zone of my classic everyday application. Overrall, a big year! I had a lot of fun, especially with these products. 

Glossier Cloud Paint in Dawn/Storm: These blushes will be the death of me— and I’m still going to request the coroner to put it on for my wake. I was nervous to try out these shades because it appeared to me that they were Glossier’s answer to those with darker skin tones who wanted an awesome blush (totally understandable and deserved)— and I thought they would be too dark for my fair skin tone.It wasn’t until I acutally tried them out in the Flagship store and realized that like with everything else in makeup, blending is the key. Dawn is a beautiful, bright apricot that dominated my color mood this past year, and Storm is a dark, rosy blush that gives the perfect flush when blended out. Find them here.

Glossier Boy Brow in Clear: I had been buying Boy Brow in Black for all of 2018 and most of 2019, but something in me changed. I had been growin my eyebrows, and I realized that I could now achieve the feathery, brushed up brow look that I see all the models and instagram gworls doing… but its really, really hard to do with a colored gel. I tried it out, and I’m forever changed! This is the best brow gel/pomade on the market, and I will debate anyone who thinks otherwise (the Maybelline Great Lash Clear Gel is a strong contender and a great afforrdable option, but Boy Brow always takes the cake for me). Find it here. 

Glossier Wowder in Very Light: I’ve never been a powder girl— I tried my best and the best powders reccomended by every list and beauty Youtuber, but they never worked out for me. I felt cakey and dry, and by midday I look greasy with filled pores. NOT cute. But of course, I found my answer in Glossier. I think it may be impossible to overpowder with this— no matter how much you apply, it leaves a soft, velvety finish that lets the skin breath/show through, and it wears beautifully throughout the day. 10/10. Find it here. 

Glossier Play Colorslide in Stable Relationship/Brack: I also got the shades Hardcore Velvet and Disaster Class, but I picked Stable Relationship and Brack because I felt like I just liked them more— with my eyecolor and for everyday wear. Stable Relationship is a beautiful fern green that is perfect smudged under the lashline— I can’t wait for the warmer weather to come back because it makes me feel like Florence Welch about to attend a fae gathering :) Brack is what I needed but didn’t know I needed— the perfect mixture of brown and black! Not too harsh, not too natural. Looks great on the lower lashline or on the upper outer corner of the eye to create the illushion of thicker, fuller lashes. Find them here. 

*Mary Kay CC Cream Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 15 in Very Light: This is a great inbetweener product— for those who want more than the tinted moisturizer, but less than a light-coverage foundation— and can be blended or layered to reach those coverages mentioned. Also, I love a face product with SPF. The finish is velvety, and you could go without powder if you really wanted to— but you could make it matte with powder or go glowy with a sh*t ton of moisturizer inbetween. Like I said, a great inbetween. I wish the shade range was better for sure, but I know that CC/BB Creams are typically more forgiving due to their blendability. Find it here. 

*Mary Kay Precison Brow Definer in Black Brown: Really similar to Anistasia Brow Wiz, or any other slim, twist up brow definer. I really like this formula, because it’s a neutral brown-black, because I feel like brow products are typically warm and almost...reddish? I dig this, it gets the job done well. Find it here.  

Lancôme Color Design Lipstick in Sugared Maple (gifted): Shout-out to my good friend Gephart, who gave me 2 amazing products in a gift set this past Christmas. This lipstick is a new everyday favorite— can be patted on for a my-lips-but-better shade, or fully applied for a beautiful rusty nude with shimmer that never feels gritty. Find it here. 

Lancôme Le Crayon Khol Smokey Eyeliner in Black Ebony (gifted) : Also from Gephart! A
creamy, pigmented khol liner that stays is able to be blended out or create a thin line that won’t smudge… it does it all! A great option for a black pencil liner— I know that market is already pretty crowded, but this one is probably my favorite out of many in my collection. Find it here. 

Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel Bronzing Makeup Base: I was skeptical of this splurge— only seen in Vogue/Glossier Get Ready With Me videos— I was worried of wasting my money… No way. My favorite bronzer. Creamy and blendable, it looks great whether applied with a brush or fingers. It has a slight shimmer to give a glowy look but doesn’t look glittery, warm enough to give the face a good warmth but cool enough to contor, and looks great on the eyes as well. Also, it’s bigger than a hockey puck, so you’re sure to get your money’s worth. Find it here. 

Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes Washable Mascara in Very Black: There’s nothing in this world like a drugstore mascara. I typically use this on the outer corner of the eye on top of another mascara (think Glossier Lashslick)  to add thickness— the dark, creamy formula applies nicely there with the heart-shaped applicator. Find it here. 

Mac Matte Lipstick in Russian Red: I had heard about this lipstick for YEARS, so I finally fell to peer pressure and bought it— worth it! I’m not ususally about a matte lip, but something about a dark blue-red in a matte formula… I typically wear it blotted/in the “just bitten” lip look, where it's more of a dark pink. Really versatille, really cute, really iconic. Find it here. 

Rituel De Fille Inner Glow Crème Pigment in Delirium: I know I mention this product all the time, but it’s SO GOOD!! The shade, the formula, the glow it gives you that makes it a blush and highlight all in one!!!! I feel like I’ve already made it clear my weakness to apricot/nectarine cream products, so it’s not really a surprise. Find it here. 

Skincare: This was REALLY hard. I’ve played around with so many awesome products this year, and I really struggled to come up with a list. I only picked products that changed my skin, or what I thought about the type of product. With one exception, these are also products that I found in 2019, and with one other exception these will all become staples in the routine. 

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid 2% + B5: Amazing— one of the products that definetly changed my skin for the better. I had used differrent hyaluronic acid serums beforre, but they didn’t have the pure ingredient like this one. Really hydrates and plumps the skin— a new favorite that I know I’ll be using for a while. Find it here. 

Heritage Store Rose Water Spray: The exception in terms of time; this is an og skincare product. I can’t say enough good things about this spray, so I hope 5 (wow!) years of continued use will speak for itself. I love the plain rosewater or the Rosewater and Glycerin, but I’ve been sticking to just the rosewater for quite a bit as of recently. Moisturizing, nourishing, great under serums or over makeup. The Holy Grail of Rosewaters— no fragrence or foolishness. Find it here. 

Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Cleanser: I wrote a whole review on this— read it here. A gentle cleanser that doesn’t strip but removes makeup/dirt and leaves you feeling real clean. Find it here. 

Glossier Futuredew: I don’t even know how to describe this product… a face glaze, that doesn’t get sticky or in the way of makeup? They aren’t lying when they call it “Glossier Skin in a bottle”. A oil-serum hybrid, it’s the first of its kind. Super awesome, and would reccomend to all in the search of the glazed-doughnut look. Find it here. 

La Roche Posay Antihelios AOX Antioxidant Serum SPF 50: My favorite SPF— in a great formula. I know that it’s best to wear antioxidant/vitamin c serums in the morning, but then you have to apply extra SPF and it’s a whole thing that I don’t feel like dealing with. Not a problem with this! Super silky, applies like a dream (or a serum), and you get SPF with it as well! I love it under makeup too— perfect under something with SPF for the best sun protection. Find it here. 

Laneige Eye Sleeping Mask: Wrote a review on this product on this as well— find it here. Beautiful formula, with an applicator that I will for sure keep after as an eye-bag massager. Find it here. 

Tools: 

Tweezerman Lash Curler: I acutually bought this a couple years ago, but I never really used it until this past year. I now cannot believe that I didn’t do it before— a blush-level realization. Lifts/curls the lashes, and gets the job done. Find it here. 

Mary Kay Liquid Foundation Brush: I had been applying face products with my hands, which of course work well, but I wanted to try getting into brushes. I felt like it looked streaky with my hands, and beauty sponges kind of weird me out because I feel likeI can’t really get them clean. This brush is dense in the way you want a brush to be. I feel like it’s really great in terms of stipling and blending, and the angle makes it really great for bronzing and contour. Find it here. 

JOAH Makeup Brush: Brow : I struggle with double-ended eyebrow brushes because they’re typically flismy (NOTE: I usually buy cheap ones because I’m cheap. You think I got the money for a brow brush after a skincare spree? YOU THOUGHT!) This is the best one I’ve tried in years— for $4! Thick, sturdy spooly and a clean, angled brush on the other side. Find it here. 

Glossier Blade: A “german-engineered” pencil sharpener to be the match-made-in-heaven for Glossier Play Colorslide. Me? I use it for all pencils, because its a really good sharpener, and for a damn good price. My favorite part is the waxy purple stick that come with it— to use inbetween sharpens so I don’t get my Brack eyeliner on my nude lip pencil, and vice versa. Find it here. 

I hope you enjoyed! What were your favorite products this year? Did you find anything in the past year, or are your favorites ol’ reliables that you’ve had forever? 

*: my mom is a Mary Kay consultant so I do get these products for free. However, I do give my honest opinion, and if I wasn’t feeling them I wouldn’t use them. 

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