Best of Beauty 2017
2017 was a wonderful year for beauty discoveries. With new launches, new brands and some cult products making their way onto the scene, onto my skincare shelf and into my makeup bag, this post is solely dedicated to the stand out products of 2017 that for me, are the best in class. Grab a seat, a cup of tea and get stuck in, this is a long one.
Beauty
Best of the bases, eyes, cheeks and lips in 2017...
Base/
It only seems right to kick things off with my makeup favourites and first things first, there's a few base products that knocked my socks off this year, starting with the Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation. Seamless, impeccable and flawless skin at it's finest can be created with this mega handy twist-up style foundation stick from Hourglass. Due to it's immensely pigmented formula, the coverage is extremely build-able and can be anything from a light daily base to something a little more heavy duty for a day or night long of makeup. The weightless formula of the product enables easy application and with such high pigmentation, blemishes, dark circles and redness are covered in a few circular buffs with your favourite brush. Another couple of bases, one a whole lot more liquid-y and glowy than the other; introducing the BECCA Aqua Luminous Foundation. Perfect for those effortless days when makeup needs to be easy and skin needs some glow pumped back into it. The sheer fluidity of this foundation blends beautifully with fingers or a damp makeup sponge for maximum 'luminosity' and longevity. Next up, a foundation that makes creating an even, natural looking base within minutes in the morning happen with it's handy pump/brush applicator; By Terry Click Expert Foundation, incredibly brightening, light reflecting and really build-able. It looks natural and like your skin, with just a smidge more coverage than a tinted moisturiser. I brought back a golden oldie base product into my routine last year, one I've had for a while but rarely use however after the first application, I was obsessed all over again. The product? Kevyn Aucoin's Sensual Skin Enhancer, not to be confused from a first glance as a thick, heavy foundation. This pot of joy is an incredibly multi-tasking skin enhancer that works at pin-point concealing to cover imperfections or under eye dark circles, a highlighter when used in a shade lighter or as a foundation. For foundation, I mix it in with a few drops of face oil to really thin the product out and create a tailored light coverage, glowy base to meet my needs. It's magic and you only need the tiniest amount due to the immense pigmentation so one pot will last you forever.
To conceal, I've been using pot concealers that are creamy and hydrating but work wonders at covering dark circles and any blemishes. The Laura Mercier Secret Concealer has been an all year around favourite, it's the best and an essential for covering pesky dark circles that just won't go away but for ore heavy duty coverage, especially around the face, I reached for the Becca Ultimate Coverage Concealing Creme towards the end of the year. The cheek product of the year for me goes to Glossier Haloscope, an incredibly glowy, balmy and hydrating highlighter that mimics the look of naturally glowing skin and adds a lit from within finish to any makeup look. I had a bit of a bronze moment in the makeup department last year and loved any golden, champagne and bronze hues but also reached for some more muted, matte shades; the Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder. I use the shade medium which is a muted, matte, grey toned shade; perfect for contouring and giving believable, strong cheek bones. Handy.
Eyes/
I don't tend to focus much on my eyes when it comes to daily makeup and only really take time with eye shadow when I have an outing or event/dinner to attend and want to spruce my makeup routine up. However, when I do reach for eye shadow, the BECCA Ombre Rouge Eye Shadow Palette was my most used last year. It's earthy, muted, matte tones make it super wearable and suitable for day and evening makeup looks, whether I simply blended the lightest shade over the lid for a wash of colour or built up 2-3 together for something a little more smokey. Either way, it's a winner and the pigments are so deep, they blend like a dream. I've been obsessed with one mascara and it's the Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume. The brush is super fluffy and round ensuring each lash is coated, lengthened and drama is added all round. The brow is one of my favourite steps in my makeup routine as I find it really pulls a look together and defines the face. I always stick to brow gels for how quick and easy they are to use and the one I've reached for almost every makeup look last year, is the Delilah Brow Shape. Tinted and precise, it adds definition, shape and keeps any straglers in place all day, without the crispy finish.
Lips/
Lips have been pretty low key all year around to be honest, I very rarely wear lipstick these days and instead, use a heavy lip balm or tinted balms to create a super natural looking lip that has colour, but remains hydrated. Some of my favourite hydrating balms of 2017 have been By Terry Baume De Rose, a luxe treat that is always immensely cherished and the Avène Cold Cream Lip Balm*, a much more affordable option of a similar texture just in a tube style and without the rose. For hydration and tint, I adored using the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments* for their easy to application and wearable colour range and the Burts Bees Lip Balms* for the huge array of flavours available and the amount of moisture they give.
Skincare
Best of the cleansers, oils, serums and masks in 2017...
Cleansers/
One of the most important and my favourite steps within my skincare routine is cleansing. I love the feeling of removing my makeup with an oily, hydrating cleanser and a warm cloth to rinse away any dirt and grime. One of my top cleansers in 2017 that I picked up from SpaceNK on a whim, was the Elemental Herbology Vital Cleanse, enriched with Manuka honey, Papaya and Vitamin C, it was the ultimate glow booster for the dull complexion I was suffering with at the time. A very late addition to my routine in December, came a new brand called Ani Skincare, an organic, cruelty free and natural skincare created locally to my home in the Cotswolds, who very kindly gave me a few products to test out over the festive period. The first one being their beautiful Cleansing Balm*. This ultra nourishing cleanser is packed full of beautiful ingredients including; rose geranium, rosemary, peach, olive oil, neroli and avocado that all help to clean the skin, leaving it feeling beautifully soft. Since using this product to remove my makeup I've noticed a huge difference in my skins appearance and overall, it holds much more of a glow and is far healthier looking. A real star product.
Moisturisers/Serums/Oils
Hydration, hydration, hydration... an essential step in my skincare routine. The one skincare product I got through and that saved my skin throughout my 6 week Croatia travel adventure, was the Fresh Deep Hydration Rose Cream*; a pot of pure heaven for any rose scented skincare lover like myself. The beautiful lightweight formula provided me with 24 hour intense moisture, soothed any sun-burn or redness on my face and kept everything cool and under control, post sun exposure. Speaking of the sun, it wouldn't be a 2017 beauty round-up without the SPF that looked after my skin all Summer... Origins Mega Defence SPF45*. Mega indeed, this innovative skin-strengthening product formulated with Cactus Extract is more than a suncream and in-fact, a hydrator, moisture booster and protector from external environmental skin aggressors. Another one from the December skincare shake-up, the Ani Skincare Frankincense & Sandalwood Facial Oil*, a true skincare hero that has saved my skin from any redness and blemish from December onwards so far, despite all the cheese, chocolate and wine consumed. Enriched with skin fighting and protecting antioxidants and vitamins, Sandalwood aids in anti-inflammatory and fighting blemishes whilst the Frankincense helps to heal, soothe and relax. Once my Croatia tan had eventually faded on my face, I wanted to maintain a healthy sun-kissed looking complexion and 3-5 drops of the Tan Luxe Sleep Oil* each night, did just that. Mixed into my night cream or applied alone, these drops gave my skin tone a boost in the right direction, faking a weekend in the sun. A skincare hero for me during the Summer was the Origins VitaZing* and if you follow me on here or Instagram then you would have seen me talking about it over and over again. It's perfect for evening out the complexion whilst adding SPF and moisture. Lastly, a serum I used to the last drop last year was Vichy Aqualia*, an incredibly soothing, cooling and hydrating product that kept my skin topped up with what felt like, pints of water.
Masks/
Applying masks is one of my favourite ways to give my skin a real pamper and at home facial. Top of the list for me in 2017 was definitely the incredibly luxurious Fresh Peony Overnight Mask*, one that works at deeply hydrating and intensely brightening but I also became more and more obsessed with Origins and their mask offerings. Drink Up Intensive* made my hydrated skin dreams come true whilst the Original Skin* gave me a new complexion within minutes. 2017 was also the year of sheet masks for me and Jurlique's latest Purely White Skin Facial Treatment Masks* are luxury in a sheet - oozing with goodness, my skin always look so much more illuminated after one use.
Bath & Body
The scrubs, moisturisers and body washes that kept my skin soft, renewed and hydrated throughout 2017...
Bath/
For ultra relaxing baths towards the end of the year, I poured in some Origins Ginger Float* to help me unwind. The zesty, calming ginger aroma that filled the bathroom each time I used this was super relaxing and I'm now dying to try more from the Ginger range! A very exciting new product discovery for me in 2017 was the Soaper Duper Yuzu and Fig Body Wash* and if you follow me on Instagram, you may have seen the excitable Instagram story that happened when this arrived. Not only is it free from parabens, sulfates, micro-beads and any other nasties, it smells totally delicious from the fig, peppermint, shea butter and yuzu extract. A shower/bath essential that comes in so many other scents I need to try in 2018!
Body/
Body hydrators are just as important as skin and if you read my Bedside Beauty Routine then you'll know how much I love to use the Lanolips Everywhere Multi-Cream* as apart of my evening routine. The pump style applicator makes this super easy to use and it's incredibly thick and rich texture, ensures all dry areas are covered and moisture is restored. For a quick moisturise in the morning however, when I need to get dressed shortly afterwards, I used the GallinΓ©e Beauty Body Milk*; a prebiotic product that soothes, repairs, protects and smells fresh and up-lifting. Body scrubs still remain one of my favourite body products and I always opt for a sugar based scrub that is full of oils and leaves my skin feeling ultra silky and oily post bath. Last year, I loved using the Kind Natured Coconut and Monoi Sugar Scrub* but my favourite ever brand for body scrub is still & Other Stories - the scents are divine and the formula is perfect. Fig Fiction is my go to for a fresh scent and Moroccan Tea for something a little muskier and woodier (both sadly no longer available as scrubs).
What beauty products did you love last year? Let me know in the comments below!
SHOP MY 2017 BEAUTY FAVOURITES
This post contains some affiliate links in the shop section. Products marked with a * have been sent to me for review, however as always, all opinions are my own and I only ever feature products I genuinely love and feel happy to recommend to you guys.