When I decided to do a favorites post, I wasn’t aware that I have so few or that most of them were products that I discovered over the last few months. When I say favorites, I’m not talking about products that I used in the past and that I keep using, but rather about products that were new to me this year. Just so that we’re clear. So, after carefully revisiting my blog posts because my memory is not what it used to be, I picked the beauty products that I consider to be the best of the best from what I’ve been using this last year.

Alfaparf Milano Benvoleo Conscious Daily Shower & Shampoo

I loved this product so much as a shampoo that it even started my obsession with using solid shampoos only, but the next one that I tried wasn’t as good. I don’t know what it is about it, but it made my hair soft and smooth like a liquid shampoo while still helping my hair roots to not become oily as fast as usual. Unfortunately, it’s expensive and it’s also not available in al online shops where there are Alfaparf Milano products for some reasons. This was a beauty box find and I’m afraid it’s not that widely available in Romania. But I would still recommend this solid shampoo, it’s a 10/10 for me.

Wet Brush Shine Enhancer

It’s not exactly a beauty products, but it’s still a product I use for my hair care and it was a game changer for me. I have it for half an year now and I wouldn’t go back to basic hair brushes after having own this Wet Brush.

Origins GinZing Glow – Boosting Mask

I use face masks all the time, be it the ones that you wash off, thick masks that you massage into the skin or sheet masks but few are really effective to make a difference in the morning. This face mask does make the skin glowy and plump and I loved it. I never bought the full size though because Origins is an expensive brand, but this mask is really good.

essence mascaras

I’m not mentioning just this Call Me Queen mascara because it’s not the only one that I used, but essence mascaras were definitely the best I used this year and the ones that I will continue to purchase. They’re cheap and they work just as good as those more expensive ones that are still from drugstore brands but that cost twice or even more than essence mascaras. I would highly recommend essence mascaras all the time.

Bell HYPOAllergenic Fresh Bronze Powder

My go-to bronzer because it’s soft, it’s buildable and it’s matte, none of those sparkly bronzers that look more like highlighters. Also, it’s not that hideous orange shade that most bronzers tend to have and that look bad on fair skin.

essence Magic All In One Face Cream

This is like a BB cream or a tinted face cream but done right because it’s not orange. It gives the face a nice glow and it adds just the tiniest hint of color which I love for my pale white skin during winter. It doesn’t look like tanning lotion, it just adds a light color to the skin and it does have a blurring effect. I just love it.

essence Quick Wing! Stamp Eyeliner

I don’t love it because of the stamp but because it’s an eyeliner that doesn’t smudge and that is very easy to apply, even for someone who was troubles with winged lines around the eyes like me.

Balea Niacinamide Night Cream

For me, it’s the perfect night cream and it’s also cheap, so I always have now back ups at home because it’s easy to just grab one if I’m shopping at DM or if I place and online order.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sultry Mini Eyeshadow Palette

I’m biased because it’s the only eyeshadow palette I got this year and it’s not perfect., but it has the perfect color scheme for my liking because it’s a neutral cool-toned palette. Also, I like that it’s a mini because I don’t want to have bigger eyeshadow palettes since I’m never able to pan them, not to mention of using them up.

That’s about it for my favorites. This year was definitely the year when I rediscovered essence makeup and when I gave Balea skin care a chance. Now, I also have a day cream that I’m waiting to start to use and I won’t stop there.

I learned that I can be frugal when it comes to my beauty products and I don’t have to spend a lot to find good products, I just have to pick and choose the right stuff. I’m still not happy with my hair care routine but at least I found a good brush. I don’t have any bath and body care products on my favorites list because I just didn’t find something that could truly amaze me. Maybe next year.