The end of the year is the time to look back as well as take the lessons we've learned into a new (and hopefully) more happy, successful year.
So, we hope.
But, like many, I bought a lot of stuff. Mostly beauty. I learned lessons, yes. One lesson? I don't need so many products on my face and want to look as natural and as polished as possible without looking like I'm wearing makeup.
I even made the effort to clean out old products I've held onto for ages and, for the first time, thought I had way too many products. How long did it take to get to that point? It's like the line from Harry in When Harry Met Sally, "I feel like I'm growing."
Baby steps. As you will see...
This year, I bought a lot of new products (apparently to replace the ones I got rid of), continued loving some I've used all along, and some I had to stop using because they no longer worked for me. It happens. Sometimes it's our skin that's changed or a product that's been reformulated. Or, better yet, not realizing a product might've expired.
Here are some products that blew me away in 2023:
Tower 28's SunnyDays SPF 30 Tinted Sunscreen Foundation: I'm so impressed with this product. To begin with, the line is approved by The National Eczema Foundation. That's major. This foundation just applies like a dream. I got the shade Mulholland. (All the LA names are a nice touch.) To apply, I need just a spot on sections of my face and then I blend with either my hands or a brush. It blurs imperfections without looking heavy or cakey. What does Bethenny Frankel say? "It's at the level."
Lip oils: I can't even pick one. (I guess I've not grown enough.) The addiction started with Merit. Such a great formula. True, one has to reapply lip oils often but, I don't really mind. I love reapplying lip products, even in public.
l've bought multiple (!) shades of Dior's, InnBeauty Project's, and - at the last breath of 2023 - Ilia's. Lip oils make my lips feel soft and moisturized and plump. Plus, they don't chap out my lips like some of the plumping glosses and balms. The lip oils I've been wearing are the antithesis of the dried-out and prune-y matte liquid lips.
My favorite shades?
Tower 28's ShineOnLip Jelly in Pistachio: I've waited for this pink-y shade for years. It looks exactly like my lips if they were naturally perfect. It's the shade you have to know when you see someone and find out "Oh, she's not wearing anything on her lips." This is that! Holy Grail found.
Natasha Denona's Hy-Glam Brightening & Hydrating Medium to Full Coverage Crease Proof Serum: I can say with 100% confidence: This concealer is perfect. It doesn't crease. It's easy to apply. I've searched for it my whole life. It's the concealer I reach for most if not every day. I just love it. I can't say enough about it. That's it. The end.
BK Beauty Angie Hot & Flashy A504 Concealer brush: I've been a makeup artist for a while, which means I own a parade of brushes, tons of them. I noticed a newer brush design lately, designed to hug where one applies product. This brush, is like a kitten's paw. It's so soft and applies my concealer perfectly just by tapping. I don't even need all that much product. I just dot concealer under and around my eyes, and then take this brush and do the tap dance. Done. I've tried other brushes with a similar design but they just can't compare to this one. Brush of the year. Angie, you did good.
Happy New Year!
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