Favorite Beauty Products of 2014

Favorite Foundation -- L'Oreal True Match Lumi Foundation

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I'm not a foundation expert since I've only tried a few, but this is a great easy-to-apply liquid foundation that can be applied easily with fingers or a brush. Takes me only a few minutes to apply and blend, so it's perfect for rushed mornings. 

Favorite Concealer -- Milani Secret Cover Concealer

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One of my greatest discoveries from last year that's carried over to this year. This goes on and blends in with my skin beautifully and it's still the best concealer shade I've found for my skin. 

Favorite Blush -- Milani Baked Blushes

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These blushes have been around for quite a while, but I've only recently tried them myself. I'd say these blushes are some of the best drugstore blushes I've ever tried. At only $8 a pop, they have amazing pigmentation and come in a variety of different shades. My favorites are Rose D'Oro and Berry Amore. The only issue is it's a little difficult to find certain shades in stores, but all of them (and more!) are available online. 

Favorite Eyeshadow Palette - Too Faced Natural Eye Palette

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I decided to give this palette a shot this year after hearing all the great reviews (and especially after losing my beloved Naked palette), and it has now become of my favorite palettes of all time. It's a little pricey at $36, but it's a great neutral eyeshadow palette with a good mix of nudes + shimmers + warm/cool shades. The best part is that it's tiny and compact for traveling, but still has a good amount of product. Easily my most used palette this year, and my top recommendation for anyone looking for a compact eyeshadow palette with a mixture of different shades and textures. 

Favorite Eyeshadow Palette - Wet & Wild Coloricon 8-Pan Palette

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I couldn't do my yearly favorites without mentioning these babies! I've never been able to find a good quality drugstore eyeshadow palette, until trying these. Very very affordable at less than $5 per palette, and amazing quality. They also have 3-shade palettes for less than $3 with different shades and textures. 

Favorite Mascara -- Maybelline Pumped Up Colossal Mascara

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Best mascara of 2014! Love the pink packaging, and the volume this adds to my lashes without any clumping. 

Favorite Lip Balm -- Chapstick Mixstix in Vanilla Candy Cane Milkshake

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Usually I don't really find a particular lip balm I like more than others, but this one was a unique one I found towards the end of the year. This tasted sooo good, just like a peppermint vanilla shake! 

Favorite Tinted Lip Balms -- Maybelline Baby Lips Crystal Collection

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Maybelline finally came out with a range of Baby Lips colors I like! I've never been a fan of previous Baby lips collections because they all go on really opaque and patchy on me, and the colors have looked horrendous on me personally. I love the Crystal Baby Lips because they go on a lot more sheer, add shine, and still retain their moisturizing properties. 

Favorite Lipstick -- Revlon Lip Butter in Peach Parfair

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I've loved the Revlon lip butters for a while, but this has been my new favorite lipstick shade this season. Really really gorgeous shimmery but still wearable pinky-peach color that looks stunning on medium-olive skin tones.

Favorite Lipgloss -- Maybelline Color Elixir in Rose Redefined

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I usually struggle to find pink lip glosses that suit my complexion, but I finally managed to track down a warm-toned pink that looks stunning on my skin. The formulations of these lip glosses are some of the best in my opinion. Very opaque and tacky enough to stick on all day without weighing down lips. Cannot wait to try out new shades this upcoming year! 

Favorite Nail Polish -- Essie Bahama Mama

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For the fall and winter, I decided to venture out and try a purple-burgundy sort of shade, and this has been on my nails for the majority of each season. Very very beautiful, perfect mix of crimson and plum! 

Favorite Nail Polish -- Sally Hansen Insta-Dri in Speedy Sunburst

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While Bahama Mama was on my nails all of fall, this polish was on my nails for the majority of summer. Such a gorgeous hot pink shade! I love neon pink nails, and this is the best drugstore shade. Love love love, probably will be on my toes all of next summer too! 

Favorite Hair Product -- Organix Renewing Moroccan Argan Oil

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Winter is never a fun time for hair, but this oil does a wonderful job at hydrating my hair without making it feel like an oil slick. This product seriously transforms my dry, dull winter hair into gorgeous silky locks, no joke! Definitely would recommend some sort of argan oil hair product for all girls struggling with frizzy hair. I've had frizzy hair for the majority of my life, and this is the only treatment I've found thus far that hydrates my hair. You do have to be careful and apply only a small amount, however, but with practice it's really not a tough feat whatsoever. 

Favorite Face Wash -- St. Ives Green Tea Scrub

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Another miracle product discovery this year! I used the Clinique acne solutions line for the majority of last year and it didn't really help too much with my acne. I used to be a huge fan of the St. Ives scrubs back in high school and college, but stopped using them for a bit when I started using Clinique. I recently went back to St. Ives and decided to give the Green Tea scrub a shot, and oh my god. The rave reviews on this face wash are really true. The beads are gentle enough that you can use this every day, and it seriously dries up all of my acne, and has given me perfectly clear skin for the first time in years. I can even go without foundation on most days, which I haven't been able to do in forever. Love love love this, so glad I decided to give St. Ives another shot this year! Forget $50 face washes, this $5 scrub is literally all you will need for clearer skin. 

Favorite Hand Cream -- The Body Shop Shea Hand Cream

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I usually don't comment too much on hand creams, but this one has stood out amongst others this year. Very very potent hand cream (a little drop goes a long way!), but the best part is its scent. It's a very very pleasant scent that is noticeable, but not overpowering. My hands get dry really quickly since I'm always using Purell and need hand cream to prevent my hands from feeling like a lizard. I've used the Bath & Body Works hand creams in the past, but those are very slippery and have very very overpowering scents. I don't mind strong scents, but at the workplace (especially a hospital), I prefer wearing something that smells more subtle and neutral. This is perfect -- it has a noticeable scent, but it's not strong enough to the point where it's sickening or where you can smell it from a mile away. Definitely will keep repurchasing this baby!

Favorite Candle -- Bath & Body Works 3-Wick Candle in Marshmallow Fireside

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I've finally found a candle to replace my cookie-scented candle obsession! Everyone says this about this candle, but it is literally the most perfect blend of smoky and sweet. Even my mom, who is veeery picky about candle scents, loves this one. You really can't go wrong with this candle. It reminds me of roasting marshmallows over a bonfire, which is a very warm and cozy and comforting scent especially for the cold winter months but also translates well for the summer months. Definitely will be repurchasing and burning this one all year long.