Hey folksickles. The moment when I award my favoritism to the products I used in 2017 that I would hands down buy again and recommend or buy for a friend. Are we ready or are we ready? I will say that I don't have photos of the products here because many of them I've used up and thrown away but... there's always Google and in the instance that I've reviewed a product, the product name will be clickable and you can take a gander at the review.
Before I get on to product reviews here are a few other favorites from the year.
Music: Bands/musicians in general - Phantogram, Purity Ring, Bear Mountain and Ben Howard stand out to me most .
Music: Bands/musicians in general - Phantogram, Purity Ring, Bear Mountain and Ben Howard stand out to me most .
Shows: Inuyashiki is an anime that explores justice and the unsung hero, radical differences in what people are capable of when given immense power. That's just scratching the surface, I found the anime to be gripping and it's only 11 episodes long so it's fairly easy to get through.
Erased (Boku Dake ga Inai Machi) - another anime but alas, this one explores the ability to change the past and how that drastically alters the future, although I found out early on through spoiler comments (tsk tsk tsk people, don't do that!) who the killer was the way things played out was quite interesting to see. It's a bit of a mystery but at the same time it's also a very heartwarming story about a boy who cares.
Bob's Burgers: I almost didn't mention it because idk what in the world I was thinking! I was probably thinking "I've been watching this show for years" because it certainly feels that way but I ONLY actually watched it last year. It's amazing, it's worth binge-ing, it will give you everything your life is missing. Go, go watch it NOW!
Bob's Burgers: I almost didn't mention it because idk what in the world I was thinking! I was probably thinking "I've been watching this show for years" because it certainly feels that way but I ONLY actually watched it last year. It's amazing, it's worth binge-ing, it will give you everything your life is missing. Go, go watch it NOW!
and now...
1. e.l.f. Total Face Palette in Beautifully Bare - My wife gave me this for Christmas on account of it being too light for her and you know, me being ghostly it would probably work for me. Well it does and I LOVE it so much, I have been using this literally every. single. day. that I've worn makeup since I've received it. When she gave me it she'd just swatched it lightly but I'm sure y'all can see that dip in the highlight in the above photo, that's all me. :P
2. Femme Fatale Shadow Stair - This is an absolutely GORGEOUS soft, understated polish with a twist and I have to say I love that. It looks like a nice gray but has this beautiful pink shift and soft silver glitter particles. It makes me feel like I'm wearing a neutral yet getting away with having a bright on. Overall it's just a really beautiful, unique shade of nail polish and I like it a lot.
3. Ahmad Jasmine Romance Tea - A repeat favorite, I really love this particular jasmine tea as it has a nice pronounced jasmine flavor and is very smooth.
4. Belif the True Cream Aqua Bomb - It melts right into the skin and is cooling/refreshing. I adore it. Plus it's literally great for all skin types and is soothing on the skin.
5. My Lash Classic Faux Mink Lashes - These are my new favorite lashes, they're super full and fluffy, make my eyes look wide open, are easy to apply, and look natural. Plus it was $9 for 3 pairs. Score!
6. Formula X For Sephora Latte Run Cupcakes and Cashmere Nail Color - It's silly how much I love this nail polish given that it's just a "basic" nude but I feel like it's so elegant and works well with anything you'd want to wear it with - outfit or occasion-wise. It makes the nails look really nice. I like it a lot.
7. Boscia Super-Charge Overnight Moisture - If I'm going to be honest I really dislike the idea of having separate moisturizers for day and night; I get that you get more so it's worth the expense and it's not that hard to put two moisturizers on your nightstand. That said, I'm just lazy. Haha. That rambling aside, this moisturizer is so lovely, it has this really silky, fluffy, soft, cushion-y texture that just melts into the skin. It feels rich without feeling heavy and I absolutely love that about it.
8. Guerlain Terracotta Jolie Teint Powder - This powder is really lovely; it gives a sheer sunkissed hint of color to the skin without making you look discolored in any way (unless you really pile it on) but my favorite thing about it is its finish - it's inexplicable how different this is from other powders; it just glides on over the skin without emphasizing texture in any way, it leaves the skin looking smooth with a unique lit-from-within glow that's not shimmery or glimmery in any way but isn't that intense bright matte effect you'd get from a "baking" powder. I feel like this powder lasts forever as well, I've been using it since the end of July/beginning of August and there's hardly a dip in it.
9. Bath & Body Works Blushing Pink Rose Petals Scented Candle - This has a really lovely floral rose scent, it's not to sweet but it's not herbal either. It smells like really lovely perfume and springtime; I find it to be refreshing yet also feminine and pretty.
10. Absolute Sailor Moon Blanket: You can pick one up here. I bought this on Look Human which I have to tell you, has some pretty gosh darn awesome merch, so if you want a blanket but the design isn't up your alley, there's plenty of others. This isn't a cheap blanket and I believe I bought the larger size option. That said, these blankets are fantastic, they're mega cuddly and don't get matted or gross after you wash them. They're lightweight. I like to snuggle up in mine to watch movies or to read but you could also snuggle up with a cup of tea or... it's just a really nice snuggly blanket and it's Sailor Moon so like... what's not to love. It brings me such comfort. :D This blanker will never NOT be in yearly favorites because it's just so great and worth every penny I paid for it!!!!
11. Guerlain Lingerie De Peau BB Cream: This is super pricey but so worth it. I took this to Puerto Rico with me because I wanted something lightweight and hydrating but that would also have good coverage. I wasn't expecting much because in any case, this is still a BB cream so I wasn't expecting it to hold up too much in the heat and humidity and what really blew me away was that it did. That in and of itself is amazing, this covers well but feels lightweight, is hydrating, and gives the skin a gorgeous glow. Another thing that just keeps making it into favorites because of how good it is. It's all the things I've mentioned and it gives almost full-coverage too so my skin always looks fantastic.
12. Bath & Body Works Sweet Honey Bee Scented Candle- This has such a lovely clean honey smell. I can't describe it; it smells authentically of a honeypot yet there's a ginger note in this that keeps it smelling really clean and not cloyingly sweet. It's so perfectly balanced!
13. Bath & Body Works Pineapple Mango Scented Candle - This candle is a repeat favorite, you can't go wrong with it if you like tropical fruity scents. It's a perfect balance of pineapple and mango, slightly sweet, slightly tangy and sour, slightly fruity. I love this so much.
14. Inglot 353M: I use this so often I think it's kind of unfair to it to not get a shoutout. My favorite matte highlight for the brow-bone, utter perfection. I love it so much, I've had it for years and I still haven't hit pan (this remains accurate).
15. Bath & Body Works Tea & Lemon Scented Candle - I'm so sad that I used this candle up already. It smells beautiful - literally like sweet lemon tea, it's refreshing and cozy at the same time. I absolutely adore it.
17. Bath & Body Works Honeysuckle Scented Candle - I have been burning this candle like crazy lately. I love the smell of honeysuckle as it's always reminiscent of spring and summer to me. It's a nice sweet floral.
18. Ito En Oi Ocha Hojicha Tea - I've raved about my deep love of Hojicha tea in the past and that hasn't changed. This tea has a very roasty flavor to it, almost honey-like, which I adore.
19. Nature Republic Bulgarian Rose Moisture Emulsion - This is a really great moisture boost to apply under moisturizer. It smells beautiful - it has a honey-rose-apple aroma that's divine and has a beautiful lightweight lotion texture that absorbs into the skin quickly.
16. Belif First Aid Overnight Brightening Mask - To be honest with you guys, I don't even know if this mask works to brighten my skin. What I love about it is its divine texture, it's such a silky, cushiony, moisturizing feeling and feels great when applied to the skin.
17. Sephora Collection Black Magic Makeup Remover Cloths - This is very similar in action to the Makeup Eraser but I actually prefer this because it's slightly less expensive (for a pack of 2, no less) and feels so cuddly on the face and eye area, it's like nuzzling a teddy bear that removes your makeup. What's fantastic about both of them is they actually remove long-lasting liquid lip products very easily with minimal pulling or tugging, leaving your lips feeling soft and comfortable.
18. Shiro Cosmetics Cake! - I decided since this was a sample size I'd go ahead and use it up so it's not laying around forgotten. This makes such a pretty glowy highlight - it's a cream off-white base shade with a beautiful pink pearl and white-gold glitter bits. Sadly this is a discontinued shade but I like it a lot. I love these warmer bases with pink pearls versus ones that read cooler. Can we talk about how said I am that I USED IT ALL UP. :'(
19. Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Palette in 20 - It is an absolute staple and must-have in my collection or for a professional kit. In my opinion this is by far the best and easiest contouring palette for fair skintones in particular; although other colors are available for deeper skintones. Firstly, I love that the contour shade is cool-toned, thus providing a shadowed appearance rather than being orange-y/warm and off-colored like a lot of other palettes can be; which is why I think the fair-toned option is great, it's difficult to find cooler-tone contour tones for very fair skin, or very deep skin for that matter. The colors in here work fantastically together and create a truly harmonious-looking, sculpted glowing cheek/face look. Plus the texture is absolutely sublime, this glides onto the skin and blends like a dream. In my humble opinion, if you need a cream contour palette - this is it. Plus it's sleek so you can take it on the go easily.
20. MAC Eyeshadow 6 in Graphic Garden - This is my palette of the month and it has been an absolute joy to play with. I love the mint and turquoise shades in it (no one is surprised) but it's structured perfectly - it has shades I can use to blend out with, it has a deeper definer shade and a highlighter. In fact the highlight in here and that lilac-ish shade work well as a blush and highlight for the cheeks, which makes the palette really travel friendly. The colors are all well-pigmented and pretty easy to blend. I was sad to put this palette away and I really love it a lot.
21. Clarisonic: So I had a debacle where the charger for my Clarisonic broke and it was a pain in the ass finding a working replacement which I finally did. I was getting those cursed under-skin breakouts and this got rid of them in a jiffy.
22. L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup: HOW IN THE BLOOD HELL DID THIS NOT MAKE IT INTO A SINGLE FAVORITES?!? This foundation is so incredible in my humble opinion! It's got a nice, natural dewy finish; glides onto the skin like butter and blends out so beautifully. It's got a buildable medium to full coverage. It just looks so gorgeous on. In fact I got two of my friends to buy it just because it's so friggin good!
25. Wet N Wild Photo Focus Concealer: This is another incredible item and is fairly comparable to the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer, again, for a fraction of the price. It does a wonderful job of covering my under-eye circles and I don't even need to layer it on most days either.
26. Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Mask Honey Treasures: This is by far one of the best hair masks that, again, is just as good as more expensive brands. It really leaves the hair feeling hydrated ,manageable, silky, and shiny without weighing it down. As someone with occasionally dry but always essentially anorexic baby fine hair I appreciate that.
27. Juju Aqumoist Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Washing Foam: Another item that I am shocked didn't make it into any monthly favorites. This is a fantastic moisturizing cleanser, it leaves the face feeling soft and smooth yet really clean and I find this to be really gentle. I love it.
Please let me know if you have any comments or questions.
11. Guerlain Lingerie De Peau BB Cream: This is super pricey but so worth it. I took this to Puerto Rico with me because I wanted something lightweight and hydrating but that would also have good coverage. I wasn't expecting much because in any case, this is still a BB cream so I wasn't expecting it to hold up too much in the heat and humidity and what really blew me away was that it did. That in and of itself is amazing, this covers well but feels lightweight, is hydrating, and gives the skin a gorgeous glow. Another thing that just keeps making it into favorites because of how good it is. It's all the things I've mentioned and it gives almost full-coverage too so my skin always looks fantastic.
12. Bath & Body Works Sweet Honey Bee Scented Candle- This has such a lovely clean honey smell. I can't describe it; it smells authentically of a honeypot yet there's a ginger note in this that keeps it smelling really clean and not cloyingly sweet. It's so perfectly balanced!
13. Bath & Body Works Pineapple Mango Scented Candle - This candle is a repeat favorite, you can't go wrong with it if you like tropical fruity scents. It's a perfect balance of pineapple and mango, slightly sweet, slightly tangy and sour, slightly fruity. I love this so much.
15. Bath & Body Works Tea & Lemon Scented Candle - I'm so sad that I used this candle up already. It smells beautiful - literally like sweet lemon tea, it's refreshing and cozy at the same time. I absolutely adore it.
16.Bath & Body Works Strawberry Mimosa Scented Candle - To me, this smells like pink lemonade with strawberry in it. It's citrusy, refreshing, and bright.
19. Nature Republic Bulgarian Rose Moisture Emulsion - This is a really great moisture boost to apply under moisturizer. It smells beautiful - it has a honey-rose-apple aroma that's divine and has a beautiful lightweight lotion texture that absorbs into the skin quickly.
17. Sephora Collection Black Magic Makeup Remover Cloths - This is very similar in action to the Makeup Eraser but I actually prefer this because it's slightly less expensive (for a pack of 2, no less) and feels so cuddly on the face and eye area, it's like nuzzling a teddy bear that removes your makeup. What's fantastic about both of them is they actually remove long-lasting liquid lip products very easily with minimal pulling or tugging, leaving your lips feeling soft and comfortable.
18. Shiro Cosmetics Cake! - I decided since this was a sample size I'd go ahead and use it up so it's not laying around forgotten. This makes such a pretty glowy highlight - it's a cream off-white base shade with a beautiful pink pearl and white-gold glitter bits. Sadly this is a discontinued shade but I like it a lot. I love these warmer bases with pink pearls versus ones that read cooler. Can we talk about how said I am that I USED IT ALL UP. :'(
19. Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Palette in 20 - It is an absolute staple and must-have in my collection or for a professional kit. In my opinion this is by far the best and easiest contouring palette for fair skintones in particular; although other colors are available for deeper skintones. Firstly, I love that the contour shade is cool-toned, thus providing a shadowed appearance rather than being orange-y/warm and off-colored like a lot of other palettes can be; which is why I think the fair-toned option is great, it's difficult to find cooler-tone contour tones for very fair skin, or very deep skin for that matter. The colors in here work fantastically together and create a truly harmonious-looking, sculpted glowing cheek/face look. Plus the texture is absolutely sublime, this glides onto the skin and blends like a dream. In my humble opinion, if you need a cream contour palette - this is it. Plus it's sleek so you can take it on the go easily.
20. MAC Eyeshadow 6 in Graphic Garden - This is my palette of the month and it has been an absolute joy to play with. I love the mint and turquoise shades in it (no one is surprised) but it's structured perfectly - it has shades I can use to blend out with, it has a deeper definer shade and a highlighter. In fact the highlight in here and that lilac-ish shade work well as a blush and highlight for the cheeks, which makes the palette really travel friendly. The colors are all well-pigmented and pretty easy to blend. I was sad to put this palette away and I really love it a lot.
21. Clarisonic: So I had a debacle where the charger for my Clarisonic broke and it was a pain in the ass finding a working replacement which I finally did. I was getting those cursed under-skin breakouts and this got rid of them in a jiffy.
22. L'Oreal True Match Lumi Healthy Luminous Makeup: HOW IN THE BLOOD HELL DID THIS NOT MAKE IT INTO A SINGLE FAVORITES?!? This foundation is so incredible in my humble opinion! It's got a nice, natural dewy finish; glides onto the skin like butter and blends out so beautifully. It's got a buildable medium to full coverage. It just looks so gorgeous on. In fact I got two of my friends to buy it just because it's so friggin good!
23. Wet N' Wild Photo Focus Foundation: Another incredible foundation that I just finished and yet somehow never made it into favorites. If you're more of a natural matte than a natural dewy lover than this is the drugstore pick for you. What's great about it is that it comes in a gigantic range of shades and looks absolutely beautiful on. Even if your skin isn't oily this won't highlight any texture or dry patches. The coverage on it is also medium to full coverage and is buildable. It's absolutely incredible and works just as good as $40 foundation.
24. Wet N Wild Photo Focus Eyeshadow Primer: A gem at the drugstore, this works just as well as department store shadow primers for a fraction of the price. Plus the tube lasted me two years. Definitely worth getting.
25. Wet N Wild Photo Focus Concealer: This is another incredible item and is fairly comparable to the NARS Radiant Creamy concealer, again, for a fraction of the price. It does a wonderful job of covering my under-eye circles and I don't even need to layer it on most days either.
26. Garnier Whole Blends Repairing Mask Honey Treasures: This is by far one of the best hair masks that, again, is just as good as more expensive brands. It really leaves the hair feeling hydrated ,manageable, silky, and shiny without weighing it down. As someone with occasionally dry but always essentially anorexic baby fine hair I appreciate that.
27. Juju Aqumoist Hyaluronic Acid Moisture Washing Foam: Another item that I am shocked didn't make it into any monthly favorites. This is a fantastic moisturizing cleanser, it leaves the face feeling soft and smooth yet really clean and I find this to be really gentle. I love it.
Disclaimer: I paid for all these items with the exception of the Boscia,and Guerlain which were provided for consideration. The e.l.f. palette was a holiday gift from my wife.
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