"I know what you’re thinking. “Either this bi*tch is crazy, or she’s seriously exaggerating.” To which I respond: “Yes and no!”
As I pack up the apartment I’ve lived in the last two years, I’m realizing I own a lot of stuff. While I’m totally for minimalism in most aspects of my life (I donate clothes about once a month, always go through old books, and pare down the photos stored on my phone quite frequently), my vanity is the one space I’m a full-blown maximalist. I’ll forego a lunch date if it means I can buy that new palette all over Instagram, and I add at least one drugstore beauty product to every Target run (even though I swear I’ll resist every time).
So, I decided to have some fun, and I counted all the beauty products I’ve purchased this year, from makeup and skincare to hair products and body care. And ladies and gents, I’ve tried a lot. (No one tell my mom — I told her I got a handle on the Sephora habit from a few months ago, and it was a straight lie.)
Obviously, not all of those products worked for me. So, what products actually make the cut? That’s why I’m here (yay!). I’m sharing all the new products I’ve tried this year that actually have changed my routine and made their way into my makeup bag. (I tried to cap it at 10, but I decided I don’t need that kind of negativity in my life.)
I didn’t include some of my holy grails (Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter, Hourglass Veil Setting Powder, Olaplex No. 6 Bond Smoother, and my beloved Milk Makeup Kush Mascara to name a few) because, honestly, I feel like I’ve bored you all (my amazing fans) with my love for them over and over again. Now, without further ado, my faves that you should absolutely buy because I want someone to talk about them with:
I get compliments on my makeup every time I wear this, and it’s seriously the easiest eyeshadow on the planet. All I do is swipe it across my lids with a finger tip (brush if I’m feeling like a real professional) and blend the edges (sometimes I even skip this step!). It gives the perfect “I-just-got-back-from-a-vacation-in-Fiji” vibes — glowy, natural, and so flattering! I have the shade "Sun Drenched"!
This article could really turn into “the beauty products I always get compliments on” because this is another one that I get comments from people every time I wear it. I wore this on my graduation day, and it gave me the most gorgeous, almost-natural-but-too-good-to-be-natural glow to my face in photos and IRL. You can lightly dust it on your cheekbones for a radiant, lit-from-within look, or go HAM and make sure the aliens see you from space. I hit a solid middle ground for every day, and it’s become my favorite highlighter of all time. "Skinny Dip" is my go-to shade!
This fine-hair oil is miraculous for anyone who’s hair feels weighed down by other oils. I got this as a sample from Sephora (gotta love those points), and I bought the full size the day after I tried it. I don’t have naturally great hair — it’s fine, damaged, and always could use a little zhushing. When I use this product, I don’t even have to style my hair because it gives such a silky, soft feel to the hair that actually makes my natural texture look good. I refuse to be without this product from now until the end of time.
I’m going to be honest, I just tried this product about a week ago, and I am in love. This has replaced most all of my lip glosses in my collection, and it doubles as an intensely hydrating and smoothing lip balm. It’s so glossy that my lips even look bigger when I’m wearing it. I wore it over another lip product (keep scrolling!) recently and got more compliments on my lip color than I have in a long time.
Although my dad passed down his unfortunately frustrating case of hormonal acne down to me, he did give me some good genes too, such as skin that tans extremely well. A few days out in the sun (even with a high SPF!) will darken my skin tone more than five foundation shades. So, I stick with drugstore products from May to October instead of repurchasing everything in darker shades every other week. This summer, I tried Milani’s newest concealer line, and it’s amazing. I’m usually a radiant concealer girl, but this summer’s heat has proved to be all the dew I need on a day-to-day basis. This has a satin finish that doesn’t crease and stays all day.
When I first saw this blush in stores, I was like “r u srs??? $40 for this???” I never imagined I’d pay $40 for a blush, but during Sephora’s 20% off event in the spring, I finally decided to try it. Y’ALLLLL. This blush is unlike anything I’ve ever tried. If you were ever wondering how to get that radiant, just-blushing cheek look you see all over Charlotte Tilbury’s Instagram, this is it. This blush livens up my face on the days I feel like I walked out of a coffin. I loved it when my skin was a few shades lighter in the spring, and I still love it now with a summer tan. I went from being afraid of the price to wanting it in every color!
Is there anything Rihanna can’t do?? I’ll stand by while you think. Yeah, the answer is no. This bronzer is awesome, y’all. I waited a couple months after the launch to pick this up, and it made its way to my holy grails pretty fast. It blends into my skin so well, and the undertone is key for my olive/yellow skin. I’ll absolutely be buying this in a lighter shade to give my skin some color this fall/winter.
This product has truly saved my skin. I decided to give it a whirl after seeing all of my favorite makeup artists on Instagram talking about it. Earlier this year, I started using a prescription strength RetinA, and while my skin is as clear as its ever been, it’s dry AF. I use this as a nighttime moisturizer, and I wake up with glowy, soft skin every morning. I have zero interest in trying another moisturizer — this $12 one is all I need! (And you know it’s good when a beauty addict like me says she doesn’t want to try anything else.)
That lip product I was talking about? This is it. I’ve about had it with dry, crusty lipsticks that take forever to put on right and then look atrocious as soon as I eat or drink anything. I’ve basically swapped everything in my collection for sheer formulas. I love Bite’s lipstick line as it is, so I grabbed this as soon as they came out. I never thought I’d wear an orange lipstick so much, but this formula makes it as easy to wear as my typical nudes.
Hello, I’m Beth, and I am addicted to Glossier. I’m patiently waiting for their new hoodies to come out because I will buy out their stock. So, naturally, I grabbed a few Glossier Play items the day they launched. This eyeliner is such an easy way to add a little color to my eyes for work or daytime when I don’t feel like going full-glam. It also stays all freaking day, so I don’t have to worry about touch-ups. The. Best. ? ?
One night, I really wanted a new face mask, so I just walked over to CVS and grabbed this. (I’ll never get over the ease and convenience of city life after living in the boonies for 18 years!) I expected it to be a run-of-the-mill charcoal mask that I’d use once and forget about, and boy was I wrong. This is, quite possibly, one of the best masks I’ve ever used. The morning after I used it, I snapped a pic to send to our other Editorial Assistant Maddie because I was so surprised at how clear my skin looked. I’ve used it a bunch of times since then, and it’s made a noticeable difference.
I have literal dreams about owning a Natasha Denona palette. I’m an eyeshadow lover, and her eyeshadows are top notch. However, because they’re made for makeup artists, they contain a lot of product, making the price just too much for my little amateur self to swallow. Finally, Natasha (we’re on a first name basis now that I own a palette) made a smaller palette with the same amount of shades and a little less product in each pan, cutting the cost in half. I am officially a convert — everything Natasha makes is gold, and I’m obsessed.
I asked which eyeliner to buy a couple months ago while taking over The Everygirl Instagram, and truthfully, I went against the grain and picked this UD one. I’m here to say you all were wrong — this eyeliner is amazing. I rub my eyes constantly, making winged liner basically impossible. This legit doesn’t budge. It’s also an easy-to-use brush tip, so I don’t have to spend my entire morning making sure my wings are right. Tip: use an oil-based makeup remover to get this off at night!
I used Sonia Kashuk brushes all through middle school because they were affordable and easy to pick up when my mom let me roam Target. Fast-forward a few years, and these brushes are still as amazing as I remember. I’ve been really into spot concealing and letting my skin breathe a couple days a week, and this brush makes it so easy at such an affordable price.
What have you tried this year? Tell us your favorites in the comments!