Hi! I am back with another blogpost! I apologize for being MIA for months. 2017 flew by way too fast and I achieved and learnt so many things this year. This year was a really busy year for me.
Anyway, here are my favourites of this year. Most of them consist of skin care products as I have mentioned before, I limit myself to only buying 5 makeup products in 2017, which was not really a difficult challenge as I thought it would.
Skin Care
1. Cosrx Salicylic Acid Exfoliating Cleanser
I featured this in one of my posts (Summarized Skin Care Reviews Part II) earlier and I mentioned how excellent worked for me. This cleanser not only cleanses your face, it exfoliates and helps reduce acne breakouts. I could see a notable difference with my skin texture and also, the amount of pimples I get are much less than before. I highly recommend this for those who get frequent acne breakouts and need the occasional exfoliation.
2. Neogen Green Tea Foam Cleanser
Another cleanser that I loved in 2017 is the Neogen Green Tea Foam Cleanser. This was gifted to me by my bestie for my Christmas present in 2016 and boy, this product is so good. This cleanser is very gentle and feels really soft on the skin. After rinsing, I noticed my skin got smoother and softer. Moreover, this cleanser has green tea leaves, and green tea is known to be an anti-oxidant that calms the skin and has anti-aging properties. This cleanser is very calming and soothing on the skin, and does not leave the skin feeling squeaky clean. Plus, it smells so good.
3. The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10%
I tried the 5% version earlier this year and then later, I tried this one, the 10% version. I have to say, they are only a few cents different in price, so I highly recommend getting the 10% version over the 5% version because it works two times better than the 5% version and it's way more effective and stronger. If you're a beginner, try out the 5% version as it's lighter. This really exfoliates the skin well and it peels off all the unnecessary dry skin or dead skin on the face. Best part about this is that it works instantly, plus, it's affordable.
4. The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
I also recently mentioned this product in one of my blogposts. I absolutely love this because it calmed all my acne breakouts and reduced the size and the amount of my blemishes and pimples. My face also got less redder. I recommend this product to those who also get frequent acne breakouts.
5. The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1%
Do you need a product that can help minimize pores and reduce blackheads? Look no further because this product can achieve all that within a couple of uses. I noticed my pores became much smaller and my blackheads slowly faded (not completely but it is not as noticeable anymore) away after trying this out for a couple of times.
6. Sarining Bhuana Green Clay Mask
I bought this in Bali last month and tried this out when I had a really serious sunburn, and holy crap, this actually reduced the redness on my face. I was actually not expecting that because usually, clay masks help reduce pore sizes and blackheads, but this also calmed my face instantly within one use. It was a very huge difference and everyone noticed that. This can be very drying, but it easily comes off when I rinsed my face with water. I am really impressed with this product, however, it is not easily accessible because this is a local product I purchased from Canggu Shop.
7. Innisfree The Green Tea Seed Eye Cream
If you're looking for a reasonably priced eye cream that works wonders, check out this product! This eye cream contains green tea, which is an excellent antioxidant that helps to reduce puffy eyes and dark circles. This product is also really moisturizing and I definitely noticed that my eyes feel softer, smoother and more hydrated within a week or two.
8. Cosrx Oil-Free Ultra-Moisturizing Lotion (with Birch Sap)
One of the best moisturizers I've ever used. It really moisturizes the skin from within and does not leave the skin feeling greasy and oily. My skin also feels smooth upon using this product. My skin glows, but it is not oily. It also helps to maintain water on and under the skin and water is very essential for the skin so it's very hydrating.
9. Cosrx Aloe Soothing Sun Cream SPF 50+ PA+++
Sun cream is really important for the skin as your skin needs UV protection and sun cream helps to protect your skin from sun rays and protects your skin from any damages that can be caused by the mighty sun. This product has SPF of 50 so this will really protect your skin from the sun rays, which is excellent. Moreover, this product is very moisturizing, but it also does not leave a greasy or oily film on the skin. This product beautifully absorbs into the skin as well. It also has aloe vera, so it has soothing and calming skin properties.
10. Klairs Rich Moist Soothing Mask Sheet
This is one of the best sheet masks I have ever used in my life, along with another sheet mask that I will be mentioning later. It is super moisturizing and hydrating for my skin, and I noticed a beautiful, soft glow on my face, but it was not like the oily and greasy kind of glow. It is much like the glow from within the skin. My skin felt smoother, softer and more supple and plump after using this for two nights. I swear by this sheet mask and will be continuing to purchase this over and over again.
11. Papa Recipe Bombee Mask Sheet
Another amazing mask sheet I want to talk about is this mask sheet. I also swear by this because of its effects. Super moisturizing, very hydrating (much like the other mask I mentioned), and the scent is really nice and fresh. It comes with a lot of essence, so you can either smear the essence over the mask, apply it after masking or apply the essence the next day (but make sure the mask is secured and locked in place so no air will be able to contaminate the essence). My skin feels extra soft and smooth after masking with this for a few times as well and leaves a healthy glow on my skin.
Makeup
1. MAC Prep + Prime Fix +
One of the most iconic makeup products from MAC is their setting spray. This setting spray makes a huge difference in my makeup routine. Earlier this year, I did my makeup once without the setting spray and the next day with the setting spray, and the results were very noticeable. I noticed that without this spray, my skin was very dry and my makeup was very cakey and flakey. However, the next day when I used this, my skin was so smooth, well-hydrated and clear. This also made my makeup last a lot longer and sets them in place, so it does not move around. This product is really a game changer.
2. Aritaum Full Cover Liquid Concealer in 01 Light Beige
This concealer has a matte finish with intense coverage. If you have dry skin, I suggest you stray away from this product because it didn't work out for my best friend who has dry skin. If you have oily to combination skin, this may work for you, like it did for me. This concealer covers everything. Dark circles, redness and spots. However, this can be quite difficult to blend into the skin, but it lasts for the whole day. However, because it has a matte finish and the consistency is thick, it creases quite badly. It still gives amazing coverage.
3. NYX HD Finishing Powder in 02 Banana
This was a very spontaneous purchase because I've never heard of this product but I bought it anyway because I really needed a pressed powder. This product actually performed better than I expected. It does not leave a cakey finish (which most powders do), it's not drying at all and feels very smooth and silky on the skin. This powder is perfect for those who have dry skin. However, the lasting power is not very long as I do occasionally touch up every now and then whenever I use this powder. Overall, the powder does its job well and doesn't feel heavy on the skin.
4. Wet 'n Wild Color Icon Bronzer with SPF15 in Ticket to Brazil
I bought this on Christmas day (which was only a few days ago) and this bronzer is pretty amazing. It gives you a really nice peachy, light bronze finish, which is perfect for me because I'm fair (even though I did tan a bit in Bali, Indonesia). It has a beautiful glow and shine (only on the cheekbones) and does not highlight any texture. It is not too warm and it doesn't appear too orange, which is a plus. I really love how easy it was to blend this bronzer into the skin as well. It's also really big, so it'll last for quite some time.
5. Too Cool For School Enlumineur
This is probably the best Korean highlighter I've ever used. Mainly because, it is has a beautiful, wet, metallic finish and the colour is absolutely stunning. It has a light champagne pink shade which is great for those who have fair to medium skin tone. It's not glittery either and it does not highlight texture and crease up. It doesn't last for very long, though.
6. ColourPop Creme Gel Liner in Mr. Bing
This was one of the few collaborations that ColourPop had with beauty guru, Kathleen Lights. First of all, Kathleen Light's collaborations with ColourPop are top notch and on point. All the colours she chose are really pretty as well. Anyway, it was love at first sight with this eyeliner. It's a very rich warm matte brown that is very flattering on the eyes and it is suitable for all skin colour. In addition to that, the formula of this eyeliner is really creamy, pigmented and draws a very smooth and clean, precise line. It does smudge a little and it is not waterproof, but it's very affordable. One of the best pencil liners I've ever used.
7. NYX Micro Brow Pencil in Ash Brown
This is my ultimate favourite eyebrow pencil I've ever used. I'm not exaggerating. The thin pencil creates a beautiful hair-like line, which is perfect for those who want to achieve natural brows. The colour also matches my skin tone and hair really well. It also blends really nicely and it's really to shape and draw my brows with this eyebrow pencil. It also comes with a spoolie.
8. Jouer Cosmetics Lip Creme in Lychee
This is the first Jouer product I've ever purchased and I absolutely love the formula of this lipstick. It is a tie with Jeffree Star's Velour Liquid Lipsticks in terms of formula. I found both of them to be very similar in terms of the formula. It's very soft, silky, not matte but appears matte, easy to apply, creamy, highly pigmented and super long-lasting. It has one of the best formulas for liquid lipsticks and I love it so much! The colour is also really pretty, it is a neutral pinky mauve which is great for every day wear. In addition, I prefer the doe foot applicator over Jeffree Star's because it's smaller and dantier, so it's easier to maneuver and gets into smaller areas very easily, a.k.a the oral commissure.
9. ColourPop Lippie Stix in Poppin
I bought this last year because I was tired of always wearing nude lipsticks and funny enough, I ended up loving this colour a lot! To me, it's a very unique colour because it appears reddish pink on camera but rasberry pinkish red in real life. The colour is super pigmented and pretty. Also, the formula is very creamy, easy to apply and doesn't feel drying or too matte. It's more of a satin than matte even though it's supposed to be matte. It's also long-lasting and affordable.
10. ColourPop Lippie Stix in Sure Thing (Creme)
This product was from their 2017 Valentine's Collection which was limited edition. I absolutely love this lippie stix because it's very wearable, great lipstick for everyday and it's super moisturizing. It feels exactly like a lip balm, because it is absolutely hydrating and moisturizing. My lips do not crack or bleed when I use this and it's really nice and lightweight on the lips. It's super comfortable and pigmented as well. Plus, it's affordable! However, it is not long-lasting and it is not on sale anymore.
11. Biore Makeup Remover Wipes
This is my go-to makeup remover wipes whenever I am really tired or just lazy to remove my makeup properly with a cleansing balm. It effective removes all of the makeup and does not sting my eyes as well. It's also very gentle and the price point is excellent!
Tools
1. BH Cosmetics Vegan Large Powder Brush V1
If you're looking for a really large powder brush, definitely consider buying this one because it's really, really big. I love it because it feels very soft and the bristles/hairs are not harsh and rough. Since it has a huge surface area, it's faster to buff it onto the skin and takes less time compared to using a smaller powder brush. It also picks up all my powders really well. Plus, it's vegan and the handle is really nice to hold.
2. Beauty Blender Makeup Sponge
This is also a real game changer for me and I definitely prefer this over Real Technique's makeup sponge. I usually apply this damp (soaked in water), so the water from the sponge transfers onto my skin and that helps to hydrate the skin. With this sponge, you can achieve a more natural finish (damp) and a full-coverage finish (dry). It's also very easy to squeeze and it works on all my foundations, concealers, powders and even other cream products like cream contours and highlights. It blends really well into my skin and the finish is usually not cakey or drying.
3. BH Cosmetics Vegan Blending Brush V5
Love, love, love this brush a lot. I use this for my crease and sometimes, for transition colours. This blends really well onto my lid and doesn't leave weird, streaky lines. Since it's not dense, it's less likely to mess up your eye look with this brush. The bristles are also very soft and feels very nice on the skin.
Hair
1. Morphosis Sublimis Oil Hair Shampoo
One of the few reasons why I like this shampoo is because of the smell. It's very fresh and pleasant. Also, this washed off most of the dandruff that were present on my scalp and it really cleans the hair properly. However, it is pricey.
2. Morphosis Sublimis Oil All Day Hair Emulsion
If you're looking for a product that moisturizes and hydrates the hair properly, this product really does the job. Besides the amazing scent (which is technically the same scent as the shampoo), it actually performs well. It leaves my hair feeling hydrated, smoother and softer.
3. Watsons Naturals by Watsons Argan Oil Hair Oil
I know a lot of people believe that hair oils will help prevent split ends, and it's actually just a myth. However, this product proved me wrong. I had quite a lot of split ends a couple of years ago until I used this product earlier this year. I had not trimmed or cut my hair for 13 months and I still do not have any split ends, and I believe it is because of this product (even though using hair oils to prevent split ends is a myth). It also nourished and moisturized my dry ends as well.
Nails
1. The Face Shop Trendy Nails in PK111
I've been looking for this kind of colour on a nail polish for a really long time, and I finally found it! It's a really pretty mauve, dark pinkish-brown shade with a cool undertone. It's a really trendy colour and it's gorgeous. It's also quite opaque, but it is recommended to apply two coats of this nail polish. It lasts for a week (with top coat and base coat), so you could say, it's not very long-lasting.
2. Winmax (by Daiso) Matte Finish Top Coat
Looking for a really cheap matte top coat? Well, this will probably work for you (sort of). This top coat is pretty good, for its price, at least. Two to three coats of this on top of your nail polish will do the trick. However, it doesn't last very long. It only lasted me for about a week and then it turns a little bit white and wears off. However, it is only $1, so I did not expect much. It still worked quite well though.
That is all for my 2017 Beauty Favourites! I hope you guys enjoyed my blogpost, and see you all again soon!
