above: Marble + Brass Stand (how I put it together here)
Happy New Year! Wrapping up 2023 with my 2023 Beauty Favorites! A huge thank you to every one of you for your love and kindness. Every kind gesture no matter how big or small has meant so much to me. I have appreciated it more than I can express in words! I’ve really loved connecting with so many fellow beauty lovers – I’ve loved reading your messages. Thank you for sharing your beauty loves, pics of your fur babies, new discoveries and more!
This year’s favorites list has a mix of new launches and long-time staples. Here is what I loved the most in 2023.
Best Base/Face Products
Here were my favorites in 2023:
Best Skin Tint: Too Faced Born This Way Healthy Glow Skin Tint (I wear Warm Beige)
Best Concealer: Natasha Denona Hy-Glam Concealer (I wear Shades N6 to N9 depending on how bright I want the look)
Best Glowy Multi-Tasking Primer: e.l.f. Halo Glow Filter (rotate between Shades 3 and 4, in action here and here)
Best Setting Powder: Givenchy Prisme Libre Loose Powder (I wear Shade 3, in action here)
Best Foundation: Westman Atelier Vital Skin Foundation Stick (I wear Shade VI or VII depending on how light/tan I am, in action here)
Best Cheek Products
So many new favorites in this category, I have left out so many but tried to edit my list to one in each group!
Best Highlighter (Powder): Chanel Symboles Oversize Highlighters (review here)
Best Highlighter (Liquid): Gucci Illuminateur de Beaute (review here), most under-rated liquid highlighter, I don’t know it hasn’t gone viral!
Best Blush: Gucci Blush de Beaute in True Pink (new shade, in action here and review here)
Best Cheek Palettes: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Face Palettes, my favorite was Leopard (review here)
Best Bronzer: Chanel Healthy Glow Les Beiges Cream Bronzer (review here)
Best Eye Makeup
Best Eye Palette: Natasha Denona I Need a Nude Eyeshadow Palette (review + swatches here)
Best Eyeliner: Sisley Phyto Kohl Matte (swatches here, still a favorite!)
Best Mascara: Tarte Tartelette Tubing Mascara (best formula that holds a curl)
Best Lip Products
Favorite Lipgloss: Dior Addict Lip Maximizer reformulation (swatches here, new shades in action here and also here)
Best New Lipstick: YSL Rouge Pur Couture Lipsticks (review here, in action here)
Best New Lipstick Formula: Chanel 31 Le Rouge (the colors are very limited in shade range, but the formula is one of the best I’ve ever tried though! review + swatches here)
Runners Up: Tarte Maracuja Juicy Lip Plump and YSL Candy Glaze (review here)
Perfumes
Most Worn Perfume: Celine Parade (also love Dans Paris, Black Tie and the new Cologne Celeste) – review of all the scents in the discovery set here
Second Most Worn Perfume: Phlur Missing Person (also loved Father Figure and Vanilla Skin)
New Favorites: Guerlain Perfumes are also big hits, but I only rediscovered them at the end of the year, I’m still working my way through the Floral Discovery Set. I also think the Iconic Discovery Set has amazing options and if you’re willing to splurge and treat yourself the Advent Calendar Hive of Wonders has an amazing selection too. (More details in this blog post here).
Skincare & Body Favorites
This was a very basic year for me in skincare. I pretty much stuck with my tried and true staples. This year I hope to be a little more adventurous.
Favorite Moisturizer: La Mer Soft Moisturizing Cream
Go-To Moisturizer #2: Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
Best Spot Treatment: Bliss Clear Genius Acne Gel (Andrew loves this too, it’s strong enough to work as a good acid acne spot treatment but doesn’t leave red marks on the skin)
Best Smoothing/Resurfacing Treatment: Sunday Riley Good Genes
Best Cleanser Splurge: Chanel Sublimage L’Huile Cleansing Oil (feels so soft and smooth, this is the one I repurchase over and over again)
Best Thing To Keep Skin Clear/Smooth: Eve Lom Muslin Cloths (any muslin cloth will work) but using this helps ensure all the dirt, oil and any cleanser residue are removed
Best Body Products: Chanel L’Huile is the best body oil I’ve tried (I love Vanille) and the Prequel Barrier Therapy Skin Protectant Body Cream has been a life saver for dry skin flare ups.
Best New Try: Botox! I did it for the first time in May and I really loved the results. We went to @marissathepa in Boca Raton (she’s great!) I got 40 units for the first time and it lasted for a good 3.5 months. I fully intended to do it again but didn’t plan far enough in advance and when we were in Miami in December they were fully booked. Debating whether to find someone local or wait until we’re back (I think I’m going to wait).
Hair Care Loves
Best Hair Tool: ghd Platinum+ Styler is my go-to for smooth sleek hair or soft waves. I love this one because it turns off automatically, it’s set to a single temperature, plates have sensors to maintain a constant temperature, the edges of the plates don’t touch the skin so I never burn myself with this. See in action here and here.
Most Used Hair Care: Oribe Gold Lust Shampoo + Conditioner – I use these so much I ended up buying the liter pump bottles and have since repurchased the liter refills, definitely a huge OUCH to the wallet, but the formulas are my favorite
Essential Hair Styling Product: R&Co Dart Stick for my baby flyaways as my hair is going through regrowth this year, I usually order from Neimans or Amazon, it’s small enough to keep in my purse.
Miscellaneous
Best Launch of the Year: Chanel Code Couleur Mirrors, Nail Files, Brush Sets were so fun, I wish I had bought all of the colors, I hope they do something like this again! These sold out almost instantly, review here.
Most Worn Polish: Olive and June Quick Dry Nail Polish in Sandy (this is the best sheer baby pink that dries quickly and the one that got the most compliments this year). Many shades are available at Target but it seems this one is only available at Olive and June.
Thank you again for following along. I’m looking forward to the new year! I know New Year’s Day is really just another day but I feel like it’s a great time to reset and get a fresh new start. The past 12 months have been challenging and incredibly difficult for me personally so I really can’t express how much your kindness has meant to me.
Would love to hear about your favorites!