The beginning of the year is the time for lists! So to follow in this fashion, I decided to compile a list of my favorite beauty products of 2013. I did not buy all of these products in the last year, but I feel I got the most use out of them in 2013. I divided my list into different categories, but I figured it was too long for one post so I split it into two parts. So, in no particular order, I present to you my favorite beauty products of 2013! Be on the lookout for part two coming soon!

Hair Products:

got2b Guardian Angel Flat Iron Balm

Whenever I straighten or curl my hair, I always grab this product first. I pump it a few times all over my hair and comb it with my fingers for even distribution. I’m not crazy about the smell, but the product itself works great. I think it adds a nice shine to my hair and protects it well, and it’s only about $7 depending on where you get it.

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray

First of all, this product smells absolutely amazing! If I don’t have time to shower in the morning, or my hair is just looking kind of blah, I’ll spritz this a few times along my roots and comb it through with my fingers. I love it because it’s an aerosol spray that goes on clear, so it doesn’t make my hair look chalky or too dark. And here’s the best part: it’s under $3!

Living Proof Perfect Hair Day

This little four ounce bottle runs about $26, which was a little bit hard for me to get over, but I’m glad I did. This product is amazing when it comes to diminishing frizz and making hair sleek and smooth. You only need maybe a dime-sized amount of product, so I think the bottle will last quite a while. It’s definitely worth the price! I can definitely tell the difference in the overall appearance of my hair if I don’t use it after a shower.

Not Your Mother’s She’s a Tease Volumizing Hairspray

I got a trial size of this great hairspray when I bought a different product from Not Your Mother’s, but a full-size version of this is $6 at Ulta. One reason I love this is the smell. The bottle says it’s infused with apple blossom and bamboo, so it just smells delicious. I think it does a great job of volumizing and holding my hair in place, as well as adding just a bit of shine but not so much that it looks greasy.

HSI Professional 1-Inch Ceramic Tourmaline Ionic Straightener

I bought a Chi straightener about five or six years ago at Ulta, and I loved it, but this year it finally started to go kaput. My mom told me about a straightener she owned that has great reviews on Amazon, so I decided to try it. I think this straightener far exceeded the awesomeness of my Chi. It heats up faster, it has a wide range of heating temperatures and I don’t burn my hand when holding the straightener. It also curls hair very nicely, and does a good job of flipping out the ends and adding volume to hair, so I highly recommend it, especially with the current $40 price tag on Amazon.

Skin Care

Equate Oil-Free Eye Makeup Remover

This Walmart eye makeup remover is the best one I’ve ever tried for removing waterproof mascara, stubborn eyeliner and pretty much any other eye product. I love it! It’s the kind that has an oil mixture on top, so you need to shake it before each use. It lasts quite a while, and since it’s the Walmart brand, it’s pretty cheap. Win-win!

Alba Botanics Natural Hawaiian Facial Cleanser

I found this cleanser at Swanson Health Products for about $9 I think, and I love it. First of all, I’ve had it for about three months or so, and there’s still a good amount of product left. Pineapple enzymes give the cleanser a very pleasant scent, and you don’t need much to make your face feel clean. As a liquid cleanser that lathers once it reacts with water, I feel it does a great job of really getting deep into my skin to get it super clean. It also slightly minimizes my pores, which is another bonus.

 

Sephora Smart Dual Action Exfoliator

I got this on clearance at Sephora last year for about $7, and I love how smooth it makes my skin feel. One reason I really like it is because there are two steps: you take the white side that has beads and massage your face with it in circular motions, and then you take the green side and apply it on top of the white layer in just your T-zone. I think the two steps of this product really pack a big punch. I use this product about once a week or so, more or less.

Olay Oil Minimizing Toner

Toners I’ve used in the past have made my skin feel tight, and they sometimes give off a burning sensation from the alcohol in the product. This toner is nothing like that! I believe it was around $5 or less at Walmart, and I’ve really been pleased with how it makes my skin feel after I use my cleanser. It has a nice, light scent and witch hazel, which is good for the skin as an astringent to tighten and firm skin. It can also help close up pores, so bonus! I just mainly really like how smooth it makes my skin feel after cleansing.

Sephora Intensive Instant Moisturizer

Earlier this year I was on Accutane for my acne for about five months, and my face was so incredibly dry. Uff da. I needed something that was going to moisturize my face all day without being too heavy or cause any flaking, and this product certainly did the trick. It’s $20 for 1.69 ounces, but you don’t need very much product due to its thicker consistency. Despite that thickness, it still feels lightweight and it absorbs quickly and easily into the skin. It also has a light, airy scent that is nice and not overpowering.

Miscellaneous Beauty Items 

 Sephora Daily Makeup Brush Cleaner

I use this on my brushes every day after using them, and I think it does a great job of gently cleaning my brushes. I grab a paper towel and spritz the product on there twice, and then swirl the tip of my brush both clockwise and counterclockwise until most of all of the product has been lifted.

Purity Made Simple 3-in-1 Cleanser for Face and Eyes

I got this as one of the $10 deals at Sephora last year for Black Friday because I heard it was great for cleaning makeup brushes, and I love it. I’ve heard it’s probably not the best product to use on your face, ironically enough, but it’s a great, gentle cleanser that makes my brushes look brand new. I grab my brushes and clean them with this product about once a week, typically on the weekends. I take a nickel-size amount in the palm of my hand, add a little water, and gently swirl the tip of the brush in my palm. Then I hold the brush, tip facing down, under running water to get all the cleanser out and place them on paper towels to dry.

Sephora by OPI in Ruby Without a Cause

When Sephora came out with a new line of nail polishes, called Formula X, all of the Sephora by OPI collection was on sale and I knew I had to snatch up this color. It’s a burgandy-ish color with a gold tint to it, and I think it’s the perfect color for fall or winter. The color is absolutely beautiful, and I love the shiny finish it gives my nails.

OPI Liquid Sand in Alcatraz…Rocks

I picked this polish up from Ulta out of curiosity a few months ago. The color is beautiful: it’s mostly purple with gold overtones, but there are also hints of blue and green once the polish dries. On the bottle it says to apply a base coat and two coats of this color without a top coat. The product goes on shiny like normal nail polish, and it dries fairly quickly. Once it’s dry, it has a bumpy, sandy texture that I think is so unique and it looks gorgeous on my nails. This is also a great color for winter, but I’ll probably wear it on and off all year because I love it so much.

 Here is the OPI Liquid Sand in Alcatraz…Rocks and the Sephora by OPI Ruby Without a Cause.

Vera Wang Lovestruck Floral Rush Fragrance

I love floral scents, so I was all over this one when it came out last year. After getting countless samples of it from Sephora, I finally decided to bite the bullet and buy it. This bottle has lasted me over a year now, and I still have about one-fourth of the product left. I love this scent because it is light and sweet, and the floral overtones are very subtle. This is a great fragrance for every day use.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh Rollerball

A bottle of this perfume can run around $80 or so, which is a bit out of my price range, so I picked up the rollerball for $20 at Sephora. I love this scent because it gives off a hint of floral aroma and it’s a bit stronger than the Lovestruck Floral Rush fragrance. For some reason this fragrance makes me feel more bold and confident when I wear it, probably because it’s a relatively new fragrance for me.