Ok friends, let’s talk about favorite beauty products of 2016 as the year comes to an end. First, let me start by saying I am NOT a huge make-up person BUT I love love love trying new products, especially ones that will keep my skin looking young as I age or simple make up that I can throw on in 5 minutes and look refreshed and clean faced without it being so much work, cause let’s be real who has time for that anyways? My skin is generally dry in the t-zone area especially in the winter so I’m always trying to find the perfect product to help in the winter and this year I’ve finally found that product! So if you have dry skin keep reading! I’m definitely not a make-up artist in the slightest (I couldn’t be if I tried) and I am VERY picky about make-up artists work but I have 2 recommendations for AMAZING make-up artists in the San Francisco Bay Area (who both also happen to do hair), should you need one and one outside the Bay Area.  (I’ve linked them here.)

Here are my favorite makeup artists:

On Set Beauty -They did the makeup in this Muir Beach wedding

PMA -Professional Makeup Artistry

Amanda Williams (A very successful Younique makeup artist who has the BEST makeup tutorials. I’ve learned so much from her!)

Now on to my absolute favorite products that I’ve discovered in 2016 that I can’t function without and some tips on some of them to make them work even better and different ways you can use some of the products as well. I love products that have multi-uses! More bang for the buck right?! I’ve listed the products in order of usage and some things might actually surprise you. Although I buy most of my stuff from department stores or Sephora as opposed to drug stores, there are a few Target and Trader Joes must haves. There is only 1 think I absolutely will ONLY buy at a drugstore/Target…lipstick. I just feel like spending $20+ on lipstick is insane and they are usually just as good as the products you find at Target for 1/2 the price or less. Pencil lipsticks are my jam right now. I know everyone is into Lipsense but I have a hard time spending $55 on a kit with 1 color but the ever lasting color is enticing so maybe next year I’ll try them out. Anyways! I digress…..On to my favorite products of 2016! And trust me you’ll want to go all the way to the end because I saved the best for last with my real secret weapon to amazing skin. 🙂 P.S. I’ve linked every product for you!

First up: Cleansers-  Ok, I’ll admit I was really skeptical about the Clarisonic until a friend told me it was a must have and she was right. It takes off all the dead skin cells and makes your skin so fresh looking. I do this about once a week in the shower and I usually use Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Micro Cleansing Foam.

On the other days I use these towelettes from Trader Joes. They are $3.99 a pack and let me tell you, I have tried several different wipes and these are by far the best especially for dry skin. I first started using these when I would go camping but they ended up becoming my staple face cleaner.

THIS girls, THIS is the product I FINALLY  found that keeps my skin hydrated all year long. Neutrogena’s Hydro Boost Gel Cream. I’ve tried SO many different high end brands and nothing has compared to this. In the winter time I pair it with Estee Lauder’s Night Repair (listed below) and the two combined is a power house of hydration without being too heavy. I can put this on and apply make up within minutes afterwards. Make sure you get the Hydro Boost gel cream and not the other one. They are both in the same packaging but the other one stinks and doesn’t work nearly as well as this one. This runs $17.99ish at Target. I first got this little tiny bottle as a sample and was instantly hooked. Estee Lauder’s Advanced Night Repair is what I use with my face moisturizer above. But here’s a secret, if you have dry skin, put just a dab with your foundation and it keeps your skin hydrated. I don’t do it in the Summer but it definitely helps in the winter. The best part, the big bottle lasts forever! My fiancee got the big bottle for me two Christmas’s ago and I’m just about out now. It’s a bit expensive at $92 but well worth it especially for how long it lasts. I keep the smaller bottle and re-fill it as needed for trips.

Another item I got as a sample is dr. brandt’s pores no more primer and it’s hands down the best primer I have ever used. I can put this on and not even need to put foundation on if I didn’t want to. My skin gets a little red and blotchy looking and this evens it out perfectly. Because it’s kind of expensive at $45 for 1oz I only use it when I’m going out or if I just need a quick cover up. Tip: You can get 1/2 an ounce for only $17 at Sephora which is obviously way cheaper than buying 1oz at $45. So I try to stock up on the .5oz ones because sometimes they run out.

Another favorite primer is one you would never expect but it actually works really well and I usually use this as my day to day primer. Nivea Men post shave balm is amazing! And the best part, it’s only $6 and it lasts forever!

I feel like I’ve tried every high end foundation known to man but nothing has worked as well as Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Foundation. I actually will mix this sometimes with Make-Up Forever HD Foundation and the two work really well together but lately I’ve just been using Estee Lauder by itself. And again, in the winter, I combine it with the serum so my skin feels moisturized all day. AND this foundation lasts all day. I used to use Mac and by almost the end of the day it was looking all kinds of crazy on my face and it dried my skin out so bad. This one gives your skin a flawless look without looking cakey.

I am terrible when it comes to concealer, pretty sure I was using it wrong but I was watching a make-up tutorial by Jessie James Decker and she used this concealer by Maybelline called Instant Age Rewind so I tried it and it’s AMAZING. I use it as a highlighter on my nose and under my eyes and then tap it in with the BeautyBlender (sorry mine is super used, it used to be purple lol). (I linked Jessie’s YouTube makeup tutorials because they are actually pretty helpful)

Once all that is done I set it with Laura Mercier’s Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Recently I started mixing it with her Secret Brightening Powder and I love how flawless my skin looks afterwards. The loose setting powder is $38 and the brightening powder is $25 but it’s a smaller amount than the loose setting powder.

I’m obsessed with this Highlighter. It’s Laura Mercier’s Matte Radiance Backed Powder in Highlight 01. It runs about $40 but lasts forever!

I just found out about this amazing creamy oil goodness by Josie Maran. Apparently it has multiple uses but so far I’ve just put it on my face which you should only do at night because it really is oily and I’ve used it on my lips and it keeps them hydrated for so long! You can also mix it with your dry blush to make a creamy blush. It runs $28 but can you believe I got this for $5 on one of those Facebook  garage sale sites, brand new! Score!Ok let’s talk hair now….I’m still trying to find the perfect shampoo and conditioner for thick, dry, color treated hair so if you have a favorite, please spill! Comment with what you love! However, when I get out of the shower, I love applying Aveda’s Damage Remedy Leave in Conditioner to my hair before I blow it dry. It just keeps it nice and healthy and it smells soooo good!! Another awesome Aveda product that I swear by is their Beautifying Oil. I apply that to my dry hair before I shower and leave it on for 20 minutes or even over night and it makes my hair so soft and smooth.

A little out of order because I apply this BEFORE my shower but this stuff is crazy good. I’m all out of this favorite but I still wanted to show it. If you are trying to get your hair to grow out faster, Rene Futerer’s Complex 5 oil is the bomb! You apply it to your scalp for about 15 minutes before you wash your hair. It has a very strong citrus smell and it kinda burns (sometimes) but if you use it once a week I promise your hair will grow so much faster and start to get much healthier. It runs about $50.

I also put it’s a 10 miracle oil in my hair before I dry it. Did I mention my hair is SUPER thick and SUPER dry. I need oil!! I also like Moroccan Oil and it smells amazing but I don’t have any right now but it’s a fav of mine too.

I got this sample of Living Proof’s Perfect Hair Day 5 in1 Styling Cream recently and I’m loving it! Yeah I guess I do put a bunch of products in my hair before I dry it but they each have their jobs and my hair is so thick and unruly I need it. You might want to just pick one or two unless you have my hair.

Another sample I just received is Ouai Wave Spray and I LOVE the smell!! Actually that’s the only reason I’m listing it. I haven’t played with it enough to see what actual effect it has on my hair but it sure makes it smell soooo good!!

Ok so by now we all know coconut oil is a necessity in the bathroom and in the kitchen, right?! It’s like the best make up remover ever, if I don’t have my Aveda Beautifying Oil I will lather this on my hair as a conditioning treatment before I wash my hair. And I use it in the kitchen all the time. Google uses for coconut oil if you don’t already know because it’s THE BEST. My feet and my cuticles get SUPER dry so I love to apply Aquaphor to my feet after my shower, throw some socks on and let it do it’s thing. If you are consistent, your feet will be so soft they will literally thank you. Sometimes I’ll put it on a cuticle that’s super dry and put a band aid around it to soak in the moisture.

Ok last but not least….this is obviously not a beauty product BUT it’s probably the best “product” for amazing skin. I’m talking about Juicing. This is celery juice with an apple and sometimes I’ll do cucumber juice with an apple always first thing in the morning. I’ve been juicing for several months now and I have noticed a huge change in my skin. I used to hate my skin without makeup but now it’s so clear and glowing that I don’t mind going out without any makeup on. Mid-day I usually drink another juice with beets, sweet potato, carrots, romaine lettuce and usually an apple for flavor. And these blender bottles are the perfect holder for your juices! I first got into juicing when I was introduced to the Medical Medium’s blog by a friend and he has great advice so go check him out!

So now that you know all my favorite products, what are yours, do you use any of these products?? Comment with your can’t live with outs!