By Kimberly

It’s time for the Best in Beauty for 2019! Part of the reason we try new things is the thrill of the hunt. We all want to discover a holy grail or made for me product and are willing to gamble on the unknown. At times, the risk pays off, and we find things worth talking about. Those are the items we want to shout about from the rooftops. Deal shoppers do not always try things the moment they release, because we like to read reviews and wait for sales. The items on this list were not necessarily released in 2019. I did not discover their greatness until 2019 though. This is a list of the 10 best products I tried for the first time this year. While it is amazing when we find drugstore items that perform as well as high-end ones, and I sample products from low-end to luxury with that goal in mind, this list is only indicative of the best products (not the best in their price range).

Top 10

I try so many new things each year, because I love testing products. Limiting this list to the 10 best products I tried this year was hard. Thankfully, I had a harder time curating this list than I did with my worst list. That means I loved more than I hated this year, and that is always something I am thankful for. No one wants to spend hard-earned money on a bunch of duds. While I like the idea of the top 10, I am thinking of expanding this next year, so I do not have to leave so many worthy contenders off the list. Until next year rolls around, I am unsure what format I will use.

10 Clinique Even Better Refresh Hydrating and Repairing Makeup

I received this as my Diamond Welcome gift from Ulta in mid November, and I have not used another foundation since I received it. The main reason I selected it is my skin is really dry, and a foundation with hydrating and repairing in the name intrigued me. The shade I selected is CN 10 Alabaster, which is very fair with cool, neutral undertones. I think the shade is a pretty decent match for my skin tone. You can see my full review to view what my face looks like with and without makeup to compare. If you have dry patches or texture (both of which I have), it will cling. That is not a deal breaker in a foundation as I do not expect it to make my skin look flawless. This does feel extremely comfortable and looks mostly natural. Anything that does not dry my skin out in the cold winter weather is something I will keep reaching for. Those are the two things I want most in my foundation. It gets bonus points for hanging on all day. Hanging on in cold weather is easy though. The real test will come when it is hot outside.

9 Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Very Victoria

This gorgeous taupe, nude shade is my current favorite. Whenever I get a shade close to my lips, this formula just gives off my lips but better vibes. You can see what this looks like on me in the article I reviewed it in. I am really into matte formulas right now as well. As my tastes change, the lip products I am into will as well. What I love about this matte formula is it is not drying at all. It  is a formula that does not highlight dry patches but it does accentuate lip lines (as matte formulas do). The color wears off evenly, and it lasts on the lips for a long time. You will not get butthole lip the way you do with most liquid lipsticks.

8 Rituals The Ritual of Sakura zensational foaming shower gel

I’ve been obsessed with the Rituals foaming shower gels from the moment I tried my first one. It was a sensory experience I will never forget. The aroma fills the shower, the foam expands in your hand, you can hear the soft crackling as you work the bubbles into your body, and you feel so moisturized. Every aspect of it felt like pure indulgence. Whenever I had a big event or wanted to pamper myself, I used one of these. That made the experience even more special. Given that they were $15 each, I could not use them everyday. They were just priced out of my reach. Then, Rituals lowered the price to $9.50! Now, I will use them a lot more often. This smells like cherry blossoms, so I get so much pleasure from using this. All of the scents I’ve tried are amazing, but this os my favorite. I have full sizes of other scents, but I only have a sample size of this scent for the photo.

7 Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel

I’ve actually been in love with this for years, but I had never actually finished one since I started the blog. Getting through a full size is hard for me, because I do not wear makeup everyday. Nothing holds my brows in place better. This is like hair spray for brows. Once it sets, they do not move at all. It can look and feel a little stiff, but I find brushing them out to evenly disperse the product helps a lot. Because I had never placed it in an Empties, I never considered it for a Favorites. When I was considering favorites for this year, I realized I would repurchase this before I would a lot of the new things I tried this year. Thus, it was time I righted a past slight by leaving this off the list.

6 Egyptian Magic All Purpose Skin Cream

While I was thinking about products that should have made the list years ago, I remembered that this product barely missed the cutoff in 2015. Since then, my love for it has only grown. Thus, it was time to right another wrong. This is one of my favorite beauty products of all-time. I love this product so much that I dedicated an article to this amazing multi-purpose balm. There are so many wonderful uses for this magical product I go over in the article. My personal favorites are eczema patches and cracked heels. Whenever I stop using this, my heels start cracking. If I start using it again, they start healing. My skin, especially on my feet, is exceptionally dry. It usually heals my boys eczema patches within 3-4 applications. Other people like it for tattoo care, makeup removal, facial moisturizer, hand cream and more.

5 MILK MAKEUP Cooling Water

The main thing I like this for is a refresher under my eyes, but I have used it on my face. It instantly refreshens my skin. Whether I am wearing makeup or not, I find myself reaching for this. I prefer it without makeup, because it will not move any product around around. This does help de-puff eyes, but it mainly just cools and rehydrates. The small stick is the perfect size for the under eyes. I would not recommend the large stick unless you want to use this on your face. Because I use it on my face so rarely, I know the large one would be a waste of money. I have to twist this one around the corner to maneuver it around my eyes. There is no way the large one would work.

4 Sol de Janeiro Brazilian Bum Bum Cream

Bum Bum cream smells like butter cookies, which would almost be enough on its own to scream, “buy it.” It is supposed to make people think of a tropical locale, but I always think about Christmas. That is likely because I feel like I am indulging in a tin of butter cookies families place out every time the holidays roll around. The smell invigorates the senses (for those who enjoy it), so we are left feeling very satisfied. It does a great job in spring and summer at providing moisture (but is not rich enough in fall or winter) for my dry skin. The scent always makes me think of winter, so it is a pleasant reminder. Of every scented moisturizer I’ve ever tried, this is one of the longest lasting. You can still smell it over 24 hours later. That is great for those who love the fragrance and not good for those who don’t.

The thing that really makes this moisturizer special is missing in the very fine, micro glitter. You can only see it when the light hits your skin just right. It gives the skin a little luminosity. I like feeling like Edward Cullen for a second when the light hits it perfectly. This subtle glitter is so nuanced that it is almost imperceptible indoors and radiates perfectly outside. There is no way to describe this propriety glow other than just plain gorgeous. See the article where I compare this to the other Sol de Janeiro formulas.

3 Paula’s Choice SKIN PERFECTING 2% BHA Liquid Exfoliant

This is the third product on the list I fell in love with before 2019. Unlike the other 2, I stopped using it for a while. My skin really felt its absence. That is why it scored a higher spot than the other two. It gets really dry patches, and I find that it needs regular exfoliation. Though physical exfoliation helps reduce my dry patches, chemical exfoliation is more effective for my skin. BHA is an exfoliant it responds really well to, and this Paula’s choice one is great. I love the price and the formula. Whenever I use it regularly, even in the winter, I do not really get dry patches. It makes my skin look and feel radiant, because it keeps it clear (other than hormonal breakouts). It just helps my skin glow and look less dull, because it really cleans out my pores.

2 Marc Jacobs O!Mega Bronzer Coconut Perfect Tan Tan-Tastic!

Ever since Too Faced discontinued Endless Summer, I’ve been searching for a bronzer to replace it. That bronzer had a slight sheen, which was between a shimmer and a matte. I find no bronzer has come as close other than Sweetie Pie, also by Too Faced, which I also love. As I fall more in love with matte products, this bronzer moved to the top of my list. The color is perfect for me, and it is something I’ve reached for many times this year. This works well as a bronzer, but I can use this for some light contouring. It is one of the few bronzers I own that can double as a contour. Most are too bronze.

1 Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette

The Urban Decay Palettes are polarizing. There is only one I do not really love, and I own all of them, even the minis. This one is by far the best. It has my favorite colors, and I feel the formula just keeps getting better. Most of the shades in this palette are really smooth. For the most part the shadows transferred onto the eyes the way they swatched. I have all the swatches and my looks with the palette in the dedicated review. I did not get any creasing with any of the looks I created. Considering I have hooded, oily lids, that is a major accomplishment. There was no fading either.

What do you think of my 2019 best in beauty choices? Let me know below. Now that you’ve seen the ones I love, see the ones I hate. See all of My Best Awards. 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.

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