2014 Favorite Beauty Products
Goodbye 2014... Hellooo 2015! But before we dive into the goodies that this year is promising us, I thought I'd take a moment to revisit some of the beauty products I fell in love with during 2014 (note: some of them may have been released before 2014). If for some random reason I had to give up all my beauty items at the end of the year and was forced to start the new year with only a handful, these are the ones I would take with me. Here are my 2014 beauty product all stars:
Kat Von D Lock-It Tattoo Foundation ($34 Sephora) - I can't live without this foundation. Yes it is very pricey but it is worth every penny. Specially if you have oily skin and your foundation melts off before half of the day. This is perfect to have for special occasions (although I have to warn you, you will like it so much it may replae your daily foundation). It is oil, paraben and fragrance free. It is full coverage and when blended correctly it can feel very light and comfortable on the skin. I find that I don't even have to use a concealer when I use this foundation.
NYX Mega Shine Lip Gloss in 'Natural' ($5 anywhere NYX cosmetics are sold: Walmart, Walgreens, etc) - This is the perfect nude gloss. It gives that Kim Kardashian my-lips-but-sexier look. I love that it isn't sticky. There is nothing worse than your hair getting stuck to your lips when the wind blows.
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette ($49 Sephora) - This is my favorite eyeshadow palette of the year. I found myself using this palette everyday and even more surprising for going out looks as well. It has the perfect range of colors; from warm to cold tones, neutrals to pops of color, mattes and shimmers. I have used it for bridal looks and smokey eye party looks. Again, a bit on the pricier side, but if you only buy one eyeshadow palette, this one should be it. Oh and did I mention it smells like chocolate?
Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in 'Trooper' ($18 Sephora) - This is the blackest of black liners you will ever try. It has the finest point and glides on super smooth making that winged liner surprisingly easy to do. It dries to a beautiful matte finish and stays on all day. I use eye drops consistently through-out the day so I need eyeliner that will last, and this one is it. It will not move. I know the price is steep for an eyeliner, but let me say I have been using the sample size (which is less than half of the normal size) almost daily for more than 2 months now and it has yet to show signs of running out, so I am confident the normal size will last forever, making the purchase totally worth it.
Philosophy Purity Made Simple Facial Cleanser ($10 Sephora) - I have oily and acne prone skin. Before this face wash, I used Neutrogena's Oil-Free Acne Cleanser for years; which seemed to control my acne and oil but never really got rid of it. I tried to switch to other products but they would only make my acne worse so I would always go back to the Neutrogena. I finally decided to give it one more try and in an attempt to jump on the 'natural' products wagon decided to give this one a try. I haven't gone back since. This product is not intended for acne and has zero acne medication and may not be the solution for everyone, but for me it has worked wonders. My face is much less oily, my breakouts are sporadic (mostly hormonal), and my face feels fresh and clean. It also completely washes off my makeup at the end of the day. I can't wash my face without it.
Wen Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner ($32 Sephora) - While I was still on that 'natural' wagon I decided to give the Wen Cleansing Conditioner a try. I was previously faithful to Head & Shoulders to control itchy scalp and dandruff issues but it did nothing for my frizzy hair issue. Since using Wen my dry scalp issues are almost gone and my hair is much more manageable and healthy. I know, I know $32 for a bottle of hair stuff?! Keep in mind that this Cleansing Conditioner is a two-in-one cleansing system, which means it replaces both your shampoo and conditioner. Trust me no one hates two-in-one hair products more than me. But this one is actually worth it. It doesn't contain sulfates like normal shampoos and due to this it doesn't strip your hair from it's natural healthy oils, leaving your hair to the texture it was meant to be and more importantly frizz and oil free. It takes some while to get used to as it doesn't lather, so you may feel like you aren't washing your hair when you actually are, but once you get used to it you will be amazed at how beautiful your hair is. Make sure to rince thoroughly. This product also replaced any frizz control products I used to purchase. Now I just wash my hair, use heat protectance, blow or air dry and straighten with a flat iron.
The Original Beauty Blender ($20 Sephora) - Believe me when I say I was the last person who wanted to spend $20 for a makeup sponge. I used to use the imitation beauty blender sponges and they were ok, until I saw a video of a beauty blogger raging at how the beauty blender doesn't even come close to it's imitations and she was soo right. I gave in and splurged the $20 bucks on the sponge and haven't regretted a penny. Your foundation goes on so amazingly smooth with this sponge. It gives a beautiful airbrushed finish to your foundation and the tip is the perfect shape for applying concealer; it gets into all the little tight corners on your face. The trick of this sponge is to wet it with water and squeeze it as tight as possible. Using it damp will soak up any excess product allowing the perfect amount on foundation on your face. And best of all, with regular washes this little ball of magic will last a very, very long time.
No surprise that my favorite products almost all seem to be available at my happy place aka Sephora. What are you're favorite products of 2014? Anything you're excited to try out in 2015?