Core Collection: My Winter 2019 Favorites

Spring is officially here, so it is time to go over my favorites from the 2019 winter season. I like to call these my core collection items, because I find myself reaching for them over similar products in my stockpiles. These are items I am still working on, so they will not make the Empties article for this season. Each is still worthy of discussion, so this is the place I like to do that. Items I am still in love with once I empty them become FabuFinds. While I cannot promise I will ever finish these (some products expire before I can empty them) and I cannot promise I will still love them enough to label them as FabuFinds upon completion, I loved them throughout this season. Many of these items are serious contenders for my Best of the Year article. There were seven items I really enjoyed this winter.

Like my FabuFinds, these are items I consider great deals. The deal discoveries do not need a discount to earn their value (although I will always try to find one if I can). Most of the time they are new to my collection. That is mostly due to the large amount of new products I try each year. Sometimes, they are items I’ve tried in the past but love more upon rediscovery. While I try to edit mini reviews into any article I mentioned these items in, I like to dedicate more time and attention to items I feel are worth the extra effort.

My Dollar Tree Rose Petal Blush DIY Creation was a hit. It only took four products to make it, but click on that link to see how I did it. The main product was the Colormates Mauve Alous Blush & Brush Compacts in mauve alous. While the blush alone is just okay, it is certainly worth the $1 I paid for it. With its beautiful color and fantastic presentation, I found myself using it a lot this winter. Considering its low-cost, it even lasted on my cheeks about the same amount of time as more expensive products. It does take a little extra blending, but it is worth the effort.

The Physique 57 Massage Roller is the product from the FabFitFun Spring 2018 Box I was sure I would get the least amount of use from. For the longest time, I did not really use it often. It is really helpful on larger parts of the body I can easily reach like my thighs and lower back. I do need help to use it on my upper back, but this is so much better than an unskilled person trying to use hands alone. It’s helped me a lot over the past two months. A good massage roller can help between spa appointments or take their place if you cannot afford them.

I pulled out the NYX 3 Steps to Sculpt Face Sculpting Palette to try the contour on a day where I was using a different highlighter. It was immediate love. The fair shade is so perfect for my skin tone. Whether I use it for bronzer or contour, it seems to work, so the tone is also nice (not too gray or too orange). Although, I prefer it for contouring. After using the contour shade many times, it dawned on me, I still need to try the highlight and illuminate shades. Even if I hate them, I would purchase this again on the strength of the contour powder alone. NYX should sell it separately. 

I was really reluctant to place the LANEIGE Lip Sleeping Mask in my Winter 2019 favorites, because it also made my Fall 2018 Favorites and my Top 10 Beauty Products of 2018. Once I finish it, which will take a while given how much product comes inside, I am positive it will make FabuFind status. It did not seem fair to leave it off the list. On the few nights i did not apply this, my lips felt the difference. If I consistently used it many days in a row, I did not get dry patches. Even in the winter when trying a liquid lipstick, there was not a dry patch in sight. As I’ve already dedicated an article to reviewing this, I will only say here that this stuff is legit. Not only is it a winter essential, but I will keep using it through all the upcoming months.

I was attracted to the colors in the HUDABEAUTY The New Nude Eyeshadow Palette. After watching countless positive YouTube Reviews, I decided to buy it. This was my first palette from her brand, and I agree with the positive reviews. Most shades are very easy to work with. They blend out beautifully and last all day. The mattes are a little powdery, so there is fall-out. I have not tried the concealer or the two glitters, but I love shimmer-drenched hues. Spraying them with a liquid base and adhering them with a glitter glue only adds to how beautiful they look and how long they last. It became my new go-to palette for pinks and purples, and I used it a lot this winter.

The Honest Beauty Revive + Refresh Elevated Hydration Mist has a less than stellar mist. I have to hold it really far back from my face to avoid over-saturating. It smells so alluring akin to a meadow, without any allergic reaction. My face really feels more hydrated when I use this. Whether I use it alone or over makeup, it settles into my skin nicely. Even though most winter days are cold, this still felt so refreshing. This is a sample size, so I can only hope the mist on the new, full-size bottle is better. Once I make it through some mists in my collection Including the rest of this and another sample of this), I will purchase the full-size and find out.

The Living proof.® STYLE|LAB® Prime Style Extender is revolutionary. I only started using it a few months ago, but it has transformed my hair. My hair used to get oily by the evening when I washed it that morning. With low porosity hair, I have trouble getting products to absorb. This results in dry hair with an oily scalp that tries to overcompensate for it. Even when I forget to apply this (adding a new step to our routine is not always easy to remember each time), my hair can go multiple days without looking oily. It just looks and feels more clean even on second or third day hair. Before this, I never dreamt of going three days between washes. Though I typically opt for two, I can push it to three.

What do you think about my seasonal favorites? Do you like any of these? Are there any you hate? Let me know below. See all favorites articles. Subscribe to the blog to get updates on all posts. View my main page for the guide map to the site and deeper deal exploration.

Disclosure: Direct and Affiliate Links