My Most Beloved Beauty Products of 2012

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It is the time of the year when we pause to reflect back…blah blah blah, here’s the stuff I was most obsessed with over the past 12 months. :)

beloved products 2012

Hair

My most beloved hair product of 2012 was the HANAair Professional Hair Dryer. As much as I love my T3, the HANAair rocked my world this past year, cutting my hair drying time down drastically. A great hair dryer makes all other hair styling easier, and the HANAair is fantastic. For more info, see my in-depth review here. The dryer is available for $195 at Misikko.

Honorable mentions for other products I loved for my hair go to Redken Extreme Anti-Snap and Shu Uemura Art of Hair Essence Absolue!

Skin Care

I had many beloved products in skin care this past year. I’ve been trying a lot fewer skin care products as I’ve really found some great ones that work for me. To cleanse, my favorite is emerginC Scientific Organics Kombucha Cleanser (reviewed here), a totally unexpected favorite. Another unexpected love, Lancome Tonique Radiance (see my review here) exfoliating toner continues to be a favorite of mine as well. See, those GWP samples really do work because I used my sample of toner up and immediately bought a full size, which I use religiously. And in keeping with the theme of being obsessed with all things Embryolisse-related, my favorite moisturizer has been the classic Embryolisse Lait Creme. I have a mini tube in my purse, a large tube on my vanity, and backups of each so I’m never without it!

Honorable mentions in skin care include Murad Acne Spot Treatment and Lancome Visionnaire!

Color Cosmetics

This has been the year of the Urban Decay Naked Skin liquid foundation. Ever since I first tried it this summer I’ve been hooked. I wear shade .5, which is very good for my skin tone. I really like the finish of this foundation, too. It’s satin-matte. This past year I also jumped on the Revlon Lip Butter bandwagon in a huge way. My personal favorite shade (which I have already repurchased) is Pink Truffle. My other fav lip product of the year was Rimmel Stay Glossy lip glosses. I first heard about them from a video by EmilyNoel83 on Youtube, and they are totally awesome. They have a really unique cushiony texture that feels great on the lips.

Finally in a class all by itself is NARS Blush. NARS products in general have been getting a lot of love from me over the past year, but it all started with blush. I have a bunch of them now (including the much-coveted Danmari palette) and wear them more often than any other brand these days. A close second would be the Senna Cosmetics blush in Clarity that I used and abused all summer. ;) That’s a gorgeous color if you like corals.

Honorable mention in the color category for NARS lip glosses. I would probably have them in the most beloved category except that I only really started wearing them often in the last couple of months. But I can pretty much tell you right now these are going to get a LOT of love in 2013. ;) I can’t wait to see what new shades are released…and I can still hope and dream for a rerelease of Frisky Summer. Right now my favorite shade is Giza, followed by Dolce Vita. I don’t know why more people don’t rave about these glosses! I should do a review/round-up about them soon. ;)

Nails

2012 has been the year of the Julep Maven! I am thoroughly hooked on the Julep Maven program, which is their monthly subscription service. I love the polishes, the extras, and how everything is adorably packaged. I look forward to every box and think they’re a really great company. The few times I’ve ever had an issue where I needed to contact customer service they have been really easy to work with too – a huge plus!

Tools

Unless you’ve been living under a beauty rock, you’ve probably heard at least one mention of Samantha Chapman’s Real Techniques brush line. Sam is one of the gorgeous sisters that make up the Pixiwoo duo on Youtube! The Buffing Brush from the Core Collection is one of my most often used makeup brushes now. It’s perfect for buffing on my Urban Decay foundation for a flawless finish.

Honorable mention in the tools category goes to a brush I haven’t seen much talk about – the esum W35, or Large Round-Angle Eye Contour brush. I realize now it probably doesn’t get too much mention because it’s a $58 eye shadow brush! But it’s absolutely divine for blending the socket and outer v of your eye. It’s a very high quality sable brush, so more of an investment piece in a collection, but if you can afford it or if you’re a makeup artist looking for the crème de la crème of eye brushes, definitely give esum brushes a look-see.

So there you have it! The very most beloved products of 2012. I tried to keep it to just a few, though there were many things I tried and loved over the entire past year!

Comments

  1. Really cute picture. Is that your cat? Does the Urban Decay Naked Skin
    liquid foundation cause you pimples? I have sensitive skin and I’m
    really afraid in using new cosmetics.

  2. Jade says

    Great post! I always like to read ‘favorite product’ lists. I have a mild obsession with Revlon Lip Butters as well :P

    I’ve been thinking of trying the Embryolisse Lait Creme, but my skin is combo/oily, do you think it’d work for me?

    Thank you,
    Jade

    • Alyson says

      Jade…they say it is suitable for all skin types. My guess is you’d have to just use less of it. They say a small amount is good for your whole face if you’re oily. I use a generous slathering lol.

  3. holamango says

    Nice products is these products are useful for me

  4. nice post thanks for this best skin care products
    best dermatologist in islamabad last blogged..Hair removal laserMy Profile

  5. nice article

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