It's finally time to sit down and share with you my most used beauty products of 2017. I decided as I've already written about my favourite cult products of the year I didn't want to repeat myself but instead share the products that have seen the most use this year!
These are the products that clearly are my most loved and relied upon which sometimes would be different to what I'd consider my 'favourites'. I wouldn't hesitate in recommending any of the below-mentioned products so I hope you find some new products to try out in the new year ahead!
MAKEUP
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation
This is the foundation that made the cut for my Cult Product of The Year and I had to include it again as it is my go-to foundation all year. Although I also own Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation which is nice for the summer months I still couldn't resist using Magic Foundation through all seasons. The gel-like formula glides over the skin requiring very little blending and really does lighten and diffuse the skin. It also lasts really well on my oily T-zone which is another reason I prefer it over my stash of foundatios that are now sadly collecting dust. Just a wonderful foundation for oily/combination to normal skin! Read my full review here.
Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer
While I've used so many different concealers this year the one I always can rely on for both my under eye circles and blemishes is this one. It's pale enough for my skin tone, creamy and easy to blend, feeling more like a high-end concealer than a high street one. It did take me some time to try out this concealer even though I'd read rave reviews from fellow bloggers as I was wary that it may lean too yellow as the Bourjous foundations tend to do but I really shouldn't have worried as it's neutral in tone. The only thing I will say it that I desperately hope Bourjois bring out more shades than the current three on offer in 2018!
theBalm Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer
Again, I've been spoilt for choice with highlighters this year and have played a lot with liquid formulas but still my go-to remains theBalm Mary Lou highlighter. This light champagne powder highlight seems to work well on all skin tones and simply picks up the high points of the face in both a natural and intense way depending how much you want to build it up on the skin. I also really like to use it as an inner eye eyeshadow/highlight. This really is as good as all the reviews say!
Makeup Geek Eyeshadows
Deciding on what my most used eyeshadows were for the year was tough as I do like to rotate as much as I can, however, it was a toss up between a few Urban Decay Naked palettes and my custom made Makeup Geek palette. However as I always go for a Makeup Geek base on the eyes, I had to go for them over UD shadows! To the end of 2016 I picked up my first Makeup Geek eyeshadows and my first ever Z palette to store them in, fast forward to now and I own around 15 shades and find they all get a lot of use. The reason these get so much love is not only down to the shades but the formulas with the foiled shades being creamy and beyond pigmentated and the mattes blending so well and again offering great pigmentating - also neither formula gives such fall out at all! Unlike eyeshadow palettes you can decide to only buy the shades you really love the look of and that's exactly what I did. So while all my foiled shades such as Grandstand, Flamethrower and Untamed get a lot of use, I love my matte shades just as much, with Peach Smoothie and Creme Brulee as my base shadows and Bitten and Cocoa Bear working really well in my crease. I also can't get enough of Shimma Shimma as an inner corner highlight shade. 2018 will definitely be the year I grow my collection even further. You can see a part of my Makeup Geek eyeshadow collection here.
Kat Von D Tatoo Liner
2017 has been the year that I've pretty much ditched black kohl eyeliner and all other black liners for that matter as I found my holy grail with Kat Von D's Tattoo Liner. Although this is a liquid eyeliner slightly more pricey than I would normally buy I soon realised it was worth it. Not only do I like the flexible nib but this is the most pigmented black eyeliner I've ever come across. This shows particularly well when going over foiled shades along the lash line as most eyeliners would look on the grey side, while this maintains it's opaque black colour pay off. And as the name suggests it lasts all day on the eyes without smudging!
Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Mascara was another tricky category to decide on as once I open a mascara I like to keep it rotating so that it doesn't end up drying out before I've used it more than a handful of time. However, the one that saw the most use and the one I continuously would prefer to go for was this Too Faced Better Than (I prefer to call it that instead of it's name because.. just nope!). As I'm a fan of volumised and lengthened lashes, Too Faced Better mascara ticked the boxes for me being amazing at adding volume without looking clumpy and never flaking throughout the day. I have however just discovered It Cosmetics Superhero mascara which I absolutely love and may be a contender for my favourite mascara in 2018.
Soap & Glory Fabulipstick Powder Coat in 'Super Nude'
If you know my love for Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks this entry may come as a surprise as this is a pretty budget lipstick and one I don't often talk about on Makeup Savvy. However, this blog post is all about most used products and this specific lipstick goes with me everywhere and is my easiest nude lip to wear. Although my pale skin thankfully suits quite a lot of nude lip colours this one suits me the best and I love the creamy matte formula. Thinking about it I really should try out a few more shades from the range! But yes, this is definitely my most worn nude of the year and one I will continue to opt for over more luxury lip products.
Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat in Pillow Talk
While it took me 28 years to see the point wearing lip liner, I'm now fully on board with them and have a nice collection mainly consisting of varying nude shades. However my most used and most loved is Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheap in Pillow Talk. This was the first higher priced lip liner I bought and since then there hasn't been a need to purchase anything similar in price. I often wear this alone all over my lips and of course under nude lipsticks to add definition and lasting power but the reason why I love it so much is that it so easily corrects my wonky lip line around my cupid's bow (I have a lack of pigmentation in that area as well) so this really has been an amazing buy for me. A product I know I will always repurchase and stockpile if it ever gets discontinued?!
SKINCARE
Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip Cleanser
Onto skincare now, starting with my most used cleanser which is Sunday Riley's Ceramic Slip Cleanser. Yes, cleanser is pretty boring but it's certainly necessary and this PH balanced one has done wonders for my oily t-zone. While I do believe the ph balanced no sulphate formula has made my skin happier, in general, I really think the clay in it has helped balance out the oil production of my pores. I now find I'm a lot less oily around my nose and chin and don't have flare-ups where I have excess oil for a week or so. This is a pricey cleanser but one pump as a morning cleanser and 2 pumps as a 2nd cleanser in the evening is enough so it's lasted me a really long time. My skin really does love this stuff!
Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Moisturiser
Another product my skin has loved this year is this lightweight gel moisturiser! This is probably the lightest feeling day cream/moisturiser I've ever used on my skin and it's worked so well for me. The formula instantly sinks into the skin and I find it's so hydrating and never clogging. I've repurchased this 3 times this year but always find it half price so it's definitely an affordable option. Something I've recommended to quite a few people with oily skin and they've loved it!
The Ordinary Salicylic Acid 2% Solution
While I've used a lot of products from The Ordinary this year and been pleased with them all the product I've consistently used and have already repurchased (the larger 30ml size is currently on it's way to me) is this one. This is both a spot treatment and a serum that can be applied to larger areas as well as spots to reduce the risk of blocked pore which can result in new blemishes. While this isn't as potent as say Origins Spot Remover it is effective when applied daily to blemishes and cuts down how long they linger for by half. I also like that it doesn't dry out the surrounding area of the spot or even the spot itself which makes applying makeup over the top of it much easier.
I also feel The Ordinary Lactic Acid 10% + HA 2% also deserves a mention as while I'm loving a higher volume of lactic acid in another serum type product this worked really well for me as an overnight exfoliating treatment. Another product from The Ordinary worth trying out if you haven't already!
Let me know your own most used beauty products this year in the comments or if your favourites match some of my own.
Here's to lots of new makeup discoveries in 2018! Wishing you all a very happy new year!
Fee xo.
