For the past couple of years, some of my most popular posts were my Best Buys of 2015 and Best Buys of 2016 posts, so of course I wanted to keep the tradition going! Each year I round up the absolute BEST product in each category that I bought all year. You'll see that there are a few products that have made the list all three years, but quite a lot of new products too! All of these have my 100% stamp of approval, and none of these are sponsored. :)
Let's start with makeup!
BEST BEAUTY PRODUCTS OF 2017
Best Lip Balm: Dior's Creme de Rose Smoothing, Plumping Lip Balm was my favorite lip balm of 2016 and 2017. I blogged about this lip balm in my night routine post, I've been using it for the past couple of years now and absolutely love it. The scent is so feminine and very calming, and the formula is really smoothing - it also has SPF 10 in it so it's a good option to wear under your day-to-day lipstick.
Best Lipstick: Without a doubt, MAC's "creme cup" would have to be the best lipstick I bought all year. It's a beautiful, creamy pink/nude shade that is so flattering on any skin type! I wore it in a lot of blog posts this year, but it's also the color I reach for daily whether I'm out running errands or going on date night.
Best Primer: I started using MAC Prep + Prime this year and fell in love with it. This product is weightless, helps fill in imperfections and makes my makeup last 10x longer than without it - even in tropical climates!
Best Foundations: I had two favorites this year. For the past couple of years I've been hooked on L'Oreal foundation because it's inexpensive and you can find it in pretty much every drugstore (so it's easy to pick up while you're traveling). Lately I've been applying this foundation in #107 and this one in #307 right on my face, then use a foundation brush to blend it all together. One of the reasons I like these two products together is that they're very matte so your face doesn't get shiny during the day. My other favorite foundation from this year would have to be Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation - it doesn't smudge and lasts all day (it's basically just a high-end version of the L'oreal Infallible!).
Best Bronzers: A year-long favorite was Benefit's Hoola Bronzer. The brush it comes with is really convenient, I use it for contouring my cheekbones, around my forehead and nose. It's the PERFECT bronzer for contouring.
Best Mascara Primer: I'm still using this mascara primer and it's the absolute best!! One tube will last you several months, and it makes your lashes look so much thicker and longer when you put mascara on top.
Best Mascara: While I still love Too Faced's Better than Sex Mascara, I actually found another one that I love just as much!! This one is new this year and it makes my lashes SO full and voluminous - if you love Better Than Sex then you HAVE to try this one!
Best Makeup Palette: It Cosmetics' Complexion Perfection Palette is a staple in my makeup bag. It contains a gorgeous pink blush, highlighter, bronzer and setting powder. I use every powder except the bronzer (I use my trusty Hoola Bronzer instead). I could rave about each powder for days - the blush is gorgeous and the highlighter is BRILLIANT and so pigmented.
Best Setting Powder: This is a new one! I realized that my previous setting powder wasn't working very well on a trip to Aspen - my face was shiny in all of the wrong places, even after applying multiple rounds of powder. So I switched over to Laura Mercier's translucent setting powder and never looked back. The finish is smooth, matte and easy to apply and the best part is that my face no longer gets shiny (even on a recent trip to Mexico).
Best Brushes: I made the switch over from Sigma brushes to It Cosmetics brushes this year. Really all of them are amazing and give your makeup an airbrushed look! I recommend this kit for starters - I have it and in addition to the brushes, the carrying case makes the perfect case for traveling! I take mien on every single trip I go on :)
Best Brush Cleaner: This Sigma Brush Cleaning Glove is, once again, the easiest method I've ever found for cleaning your makeup brushes. I put this on my left hand and clean my brushes at sink with a little bit of dish soap - the grooves in the glove really get out every bit of makeup debris in the bristles.
BEST SKINCARE & HAIR PRODUCTS OF 2017
Best Bubble Bath: This lavender bubble bath is without a doubt the best bubble bath product I've ever used in my life. It makes your whole bathroom smell wonderful like a spa, and it bubbles up really nicely! The best thing about it, though, would be that the scent lasts for a while afterward so you continue to smell the nice lavender scent throughout the day, like a subtle perfume.
Best Body Lotion: I purchase a jumbo Creme de Corps every summer and it lasts for a full year. It's the only body lotion that I've ever religiously used - it doesn't have a strong scent, it moisturizes really well and it's not oily at ALL - I hate feeling oily and sometimes strongly scented body lotion can give me headaches. I love this one so much that I carry around mini bottles in my handbag!
Best Deodorant: I shared this deodorant on snapchat a looong time ago, you may remember it from then! It might seem crazy to spend this much money on a deodorant, but don't knock it until you try it. It is hands down the most wonderful, heavenly smelling deodorant you've ever smelled.
Best Face Wash: Y'all are probably sick of hearing me rave about this bareMinerals face wash but it is hands down my favorite facial cleanser I've ever used. It stopped my breakouts! Read more about it in this blog post.
Best Makeup Remover: This makeup remover is truly the best! My mom and I both use it and swear by it. I use the cleansing water with a cotton pad when I'm at home, but when I'm traveling or at the gym I prefer to use the towelettes.
Best Retinol: My dermatologist recommended Avenue's RetrinAl 0.1 Intensive Cream and I've been using it every since (for the past couple of years). If you don't know much about retinoids, read this article or just do a simple google search on them. My dermatologist said that she recommends it for all women in their late 20s - it's the one product that all dermatologists use themselves and it TRULY helps with the aging process. I use the RetrinAl every single night.
Best Moisturizer: Similar to the face wash, I've probably overtalked about this moisturizer. I really do attribute my clearer skin to both the wash and moisturizer! The bareMinerals moisturizer is really light on my skin, doesn't leave a greasy residue, but I wake up with perfectly hydrated skin. I use it every. single. night. :)
Best Treatment for Damaged Hair: I've blogged about this in the past year, but this olive fruit oil repairing mask saved my hair this year. I use it about once per week (or more if my hair is feeling extra damaged) and it kept it feeling and looking soft and smooth. This is a product I repurchased multiple times this year.
Best Curling Wand: You guys probably know by now how much I love my T3 curling wand (many of these products I have blogged about over and over). I use the 1" straight barrel on my hair in pretty much every single blog post - the curls last for DAYS. Just a warning, it does get very hot! One of my friends in Winston-Salem bought it and loved it, but it accidentally burned through a plastic toilet seat!! (lol) So be careful!
Best Hair Dryer: This year I upgraded my dryer to the T3 Featherweight Luxe and it is AMAZING. This dryer works really fast and makes my hair feel softer. It used to take me forever to dry my hair - now I can dry it in the same amount of time as my mom (who has really short hair!).
Best Hair Brush: You can get a Wet Brush from Target, Sally's Beauty Supply or pretty much any drugstore. I love this brush because you can use it on wet hair without damaging your hair.
Best Hair Clips: I really love these hair clips (an upgrade from what I was using last year!) and I use them daily - if not hourly. They really help when I'm drying and curling my hair to hold up big sections of hair at once - but I also use them throughout the day. Sometimes I clip up the top section of my hair to create volume while I'm getting ready, but they're large enough to hold the weight of my hair when I want to put it up in a messy bun, too. And the best part is that you can go out in public when them in your hair because they're a really pretty tortoise color!
Best Hair Clips: I really love these hair clips (an upgrade from what I was using last year!) and I use them daily - if not hourly. They really help when I'm drying and curling my hair to hold up big sections of hair at once - but I also use them throughout the day. Sometimes I clip up the top section of my hair to create volume while I'm getting ready, but they're large enough to hold the weight of my hair when I want to put it up in a messy bun, too. And the best part is that you can go out in public when them in your hair because they're a really pretty tortoise color!
OTHER RANDOM BEST BUYS
Jeans: This is a new one! The brand Good American completely and totally stole my heart this year. (Fun fact: it's Khloe Kardashian's jean line) I now own three pairs of Good American jeans and the best jeans I've ever worn in my life: they fit really well, are so comfortable they feel like pajamas, and they don't stretch out at all. This pair is my favorite (you will probably recognize them from my pictures!).
Espresso Machine: I made a HUGE splurge this year on the Breville Oracle Touch Espresso Machine - all of my friends and family thought I was crazy at first - that is, until they tasted the coffee :) I use this machine daily to make lattes and honestly it's the best coffee I've ever had in my entire life! I no longer buy Starbucks or coffees out every day because I make them at home - and honestly, it has ruined Starbucks for me because I don't like the taste of their coffee now! If you're contemplating buying an espresso machine - DO IT! You will save money in the long run if you usually buy a coffee every day, and making my coffee has become my very favorite part of the day. This version is a lot cheaper and makes the same quality espresso - the only different is that it's not fully automated.
Luggage: Definitely my best luggage purchase would have to be this Delsey Chatelet luggage set. They're incredibly easy to roll, durable and come with an integrated TSA-Approved lock. I'm going on three (or maybe four?) years now with the same set and they are so durable - they're still holding strong! I have both the large one and the 28" carry-on. Aside from the logical reasons, they're also beautiful! I've literally had someone chase me down in the airport to ask where it was from!
Do you have any products from 2017 that really stood out as your favorites? I would love to know! Let me know in the comments if you have one you think I should try :)
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