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I hate to be a downer, but I think collectively 2017 was not our best. Personally for me, it was a year of struggle for many reasons. But I have a few wonderful things to be thankful for in 2017: we moved back to my ‘home’ in New Jersey to be closer to friends, celebrated a few amazing weddings, and my husband and I bought a dental practice (he is a dentist)! As far as beauty goes, I was very lucky to be exposed to many stand out brands because of Brighter, Darling and meet a lot of incredible lady bosses from all over the country. I want to share 15 of these top 2017 beauty favorites today, say goodbye, and look forward to a new year in 2018.
marc jacobs dew drops* | This gel-formula light gold highlighter lays on the skin in the prettiest way. Beautiful on more oily or textured skin and the first liquid highlighter that I ever liked! See Marc Jacobs Dew Drops Review.
marc jacobs eye-conic palette*, glambition | Another winner from Marc Jacobs, his newly reformulated eyeshadow palettes! These slim, convenient palettes come in a variety of finishes and shade selections and the formula is the most blendable eyeshadow I’ve tried in a very long time. If ever. See 3 Looks Using the Marc Jacobs Glambition Palette.
by terry palette, savannah love | I swore by this face palette all summer that I hit pan on multiple shades. It works wonderfully on the face and the eyes and was ranked one of my top Instagram looks of 2017. See Summer Makeup Look.
benefit brow products | Can’t pick just one when it comes to my love for Benefit brow products. If it wasn’t for this brand, I would not have been able to grow in my brows this year and I’m forever thankful. Standouts include Precisely My Brow, Gimme Brow, and Ka Brow. See How I Grew In My Brows.
missha perfect cover bb cream | Another must have from the summer (and on quick makeup days). This BB Cream is my preferred BB/CC of choice because the undertone is more olive/golden compared to others – like the IT Cosmetics one. Also about half the price and with similar skin benefiting ingredients. See Easy Summer Makeup Look Using 6 Products.
estee lauder highlighter, heatwave | The hype is real on this one! The prettiest bronzey gold highlighter that I love wearing on my cheeks and on my eyelids. The perfect complement to getting that JLo/Gisele type of glow. See Loving Lately.
dose of colors liquid lipstick, stone | After watching several of Stephanie Nicole’s YouTube videos comparing liquid lipsticks, I decided to finally order a Dose of Colors liquid lipstick and I understand her adoration now. These are the most comfortable liquid lipsticks ever and the applicator is super plush. These are now sold at Ulta, too! See Dose of Colors Review and Look.
jaclyn hill x morphe palette | It took me awhile to buy into the craze around this palette but it’s an incredible bang for your buck and the number of looks you can create is seriously endless. Also now sold at Ulta. See Jaclyn Hill Morphe Palette Looks.
nyx epic ink liner | It’s been YEARS since I’ve purchased a liquid eyeliner from a high end brand. The NYX Epic Ink Liner is an amazing dupe for the Kat Von D Trooper liner because it has that same fine brush tip applicator but with a SUPER jet black formula at half the price. Get it at Target.
charlotte tilbury blush, ecstasy | The latest favorite on this list, I couldn’t NOT include it because I have been wearing it nonstop for the last three months of 2017. The shade is intensely flattering on my skin tone and I mostly love how well this lasts on the skin all day long. See Holiday Makeup Look.
biologique recherche masque vivant | I credit this product to truly helping transform my skin this year. It helps manage congested, problematic skin and when used weekly, helps with anti-aging. Such a staple of my skin care. See New Skin Care Additions.
ren perfect canvas serum to primer* | The first primer to truly make me change my mind about what primers can do for foundation and the skin. Good for all skin types and NOT just under makeup. See November 2017 Beauty Favorites.
harry josh ultralight pro dryer* | For years, I debated the need for a $300+ hairdryer (particularly because I have thick, wiry hair). I got the opportunity to try this Harry Josh dryer and did a comparison against my Conair Pro Infiniti dryer to find out once and for all. See blow dry time comparison.
kenra intense brightening mask | As a natural brunette who has highlighted her hair blonde for almost two decades (!!!), the brassiness was REAL for me until finding this product. I swear by it and constantly repurchase to keep my blonde as ashy as possible. See How To Keep Blonde Hair Ashy.
defineMe fragrance* | I’ve talked about these fragrances a million times this year. Not only is the brand full of the sweetest employees, but the oil-based fragrances last FOREVER on the skin and they recently launched a hair fragrance that’s alcohol-free. I love Clara the most! Also sold at Ulta.
Morphe
They were gaining momentum before the Jaclyn Hill palette, but with that collab came a ton of new curiosity for this affordable brand. Their 25-pan palettes are the same formula as Jaclyn’s palette and both are amazing from what I’ve tried. Their brushes are decent for the price but don’t expect them to last a lifetime like higher end brands.
Marc Jacobs
I swear, anything I’ve tried from Marc Jacobs has been a solid release if not a huge hit! The LE summer bronzer, new eye-conic palettes, Dew Drop highlight, comfortable liquid lipsticks and Velvet Noir mascara received top reviews and I’m really excited to try more from the designer brand in 2018.
Dose of Colors
Indie brand turned Ulta exclusive, Dose of Colors makes a collection of products that have a high-performance look and feel. With their stunning collab with YouTubers Desi + Katy, they gained even more of a following. Now that Dose is in Ulta, I look forward to what more consumers think of the brand and I’m happy to have finally tried them in 2017.
ColourPop
Another Indie brand turned mass retailer – this time SEPHORA! ColourPop is a brand I have talked about for awhile and I’m excited that my friends, family, and readers can get their hands on the line at Sephora. Nearly everything is under $10 (if not $5-6) and their eyeshadows and Ultra Satin lipsticks are simply amazing – not just FOR THE PRICE, but DESPITE the price.
Fenty Beauty
Although I am not a huge fan of the products in the brand (yet), I give major props to Rihanna for launching this brand. I think she’s definitely stepped out of the box with her product offerings and look forward to seeing what else FENTY releases in 2018.
If you’ve been reading this blog for awhile, thank you for sticking with me. This blog is still (and will be for a very long time) a 100% labor of love from yours truly, exclusively. Everything I write about is selected specifically by me because I personally was interested in it or felt it would bring value to you – my reader.
Over the years, I’ve grown and improved. I’ve been able to make a bit of money from my influence and although it is not much, I can promise you 99% of it goes right back into this platform. Whether it’s investing in workshops to improve my photography, SEO skills, or simply purchasing new beauty products and paying my website hosting fees… I’m committed to growing this blog and my reach so I can obtain MORE opportunities for us to all stay ahead of the beauty curve.
As a thank you, I like to host an extra special giveaway this time of the year. Included in this year’s goodie bag (or train case this time), the winner will get:
Total value: $215 USD
To enter, you must have permission from a parent if you are under 16 years of age. Open internationally. This giveaway will run from JAN. 5, 2018 – JAN 19, 2018. I will contact the winner within 48 hours after the giveaway closes via email (so provide a valid email address). I also verify all entries – no cheating; I will disqualify you. Enter below:
a Rafflecopter giveaway
NOW CLOSED – THANK YOU TO ALL WHO ENTERED AND CONGRATS TO GINA!
