Best Beauty of 2018 PART 1: Body and Hair

2018 has come and gone, and I have lots of products I loved.

I am by no means a make-up/skincare expert. I am just a lover of beauty products. I did some de-cluttering, and picked through things I did use or didn't use. I tried to decide why I didn't use them, figured out why the items in my everyday makeup basket were in there and even discovered a few holy grail items this past year. I started this blog post out as one big post covering all the categories, but it was insanely long. I want to describe and discuss each product but it was too much in one post. So I have decided to split it up into Body/Hair Care, Face Skincare, Eyes, Lips, and Face Makeup. Sorry, anyone who knows me, knows that when I am into something I can talk and talk and talk... and talk.

2018 was the year of skin for me.

I didn't wear too much makeup this year, and if I did, I gravitated toward just foundation and face products (I still love highlighter), and mascara. I cancelled my ipsy bag toward the beginning of the year (money is tight around these parts and I wasn't using most items in the bags) and although I missed my little "gift" each month I definitely didn't hurt not having it. I didn't buy hardly any makeup products this year honestly. I made it a goal to use what I had and try to burn through my samples and products I already have. I spent so much on makeup in prior years, I didn't want to just buy buy buy and get rid of it later because I never used it. I was constantly tempted by the latest products people raved about on YouTube, and after I would buy them, most the time they would sit in my bathroom gathering dust.

I quit watching videos, I un-followed most the beauty gurus I followed on social media, I quit taking long walks down the makeup isle, and it was nice! I went back to some old tried and true products I had forgotten how much I loved, and I found some new loves in the products I already had. 

All of these products were LOVED by me, but I starred my must haves for your convenience. (I hope to come back and link where these products can be found eventually, but almost all are inexpensive and easy to find!)

So without further ado, and no more rambling, here are my loved beauty products of 2018. Part 1.

Let's start with the boring stuff, the body products

I don't have a lot of beauty products I use on my body. Maybe I should be better, but I don't know, I'm pretty basic I suppose. The older I get, the more I realize how much I love moisturizer. Most all of my body products are just things that smell good or provide me moisture.

The breakdown:

Bath & Body Works Lotion: Bath and Body Works knows what they are doing. Their lotion has been my go-to for years. Now I prefer the Ultra Shea over the regular, I think they soak into my skin better and don't leave a greasy residue. My definite favorite scents this year were Georgia Peach & Sweet Tea  (Keynotes: Georgia peach, sweet tea, white nectarine, apple blossom, and Jasmine petals), Poolside Coconut Colada (Keynotes: iced coconut, juicy pineapple, Jasmine petals, vanilla cream, and sparkling sugar), and At the Beach (Keynotes: white frangipani, toasted coconut, and bergamont waters essenced with a cool, saltwater breeze).

Okay that last description made me LOL. What is frangipani? How do they put a breeze in the bottle or use its essence? I have no idea. It smells great and like sunshine though.

Although most of these lotions aren't available anymore, you can find them on Amazon still.

Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Skin Therapy Oil: I used this religiously when I was pregnant because I didn't want to get stretch marks. I mean day and night, after every shower, etc. When they tell you stretch marks are genetic, they mean it. No amount of vitamin E oil I used helped. Did it help? I think so. That was in 2017 though. It made it on my 2018 list because after having Townes, I kept using it because I loved the sweet, nutty smell and it made my skin feel so luxurious and soft. It contains all kinds of healthy ingredients and is probably the best thing I do for my body skin. (Body skin? Not face skin. You know what I mean.)

*Boring Goats Goat Milk Lotion: I got this as a stocking stuffer for Christmas and I am IN LOVE. It feels as good and healthy on my skin as the therapy oil. The vanilla scent smells like cinnamon rolls to me. It is amazing on Townes skin as well. If he gets a dry patch or has chafed skin in the winter, I pop this on after a bath and, I kid you not, it is gone in the morning. Need I say more?

B&BW Tiare Monoi Body Oil: This was a random buy at B&BW. It was one of those buy so many of these and get one of those deals. I picked the ultra nourishing one, like I said I'm on a moisture kick, and embraced my inner high schooler and got the shimmery one. I love this stuff! It smells so rich and sexy. I like that it gives my legs or shoulders a glow in the summer without looking glittery.

Victoria's Secret Fragrance Mist: This one is pretty straight forward. Sometimes I like just misting myself with a subtle smell before work or as a freshener and Victoria's Secret and B&BW are always my go to. I've been using this one all year. The scent is Love Spell Lace (Keynotes: drenched plum and sugared musk). 

Drenched plum? Drenched in what? Idk, it just smells subtle and sweet.

This is also available on Amazon if not still offered by Victoria's Secret.

Josie Maran Whipped Argan Oil: This was also a gift and I love it. It is a nice body butter that soaks into the skin and doesn't leave a greasy feel or residue. It has a very unique, but yummy smell. Mine is in the scent Limoncello. Its citrusy and lovely. 

Caress Body Wash: This is the only body wash I used this year. I like trying the different scents, and I really do feel like the smell stays on your skin longer than other body washes. I threw this product in because obviously I loved it enough to purchase it over and over for a year. Worth mentioning.

*Philosophy Fresh Cream and Fresh Cream Warm Cashmere Fragrances: I forgot to take a picture of this when I was taking pictures for my post. I put up all my products by the time I saw I had forgotten it, and it was so important I just photographed it by itself. This was my favorite perfume of this year. I couldn't find the notes for this one, but it really smells like a subtle, sweet, warm, whipped cream smell. Without being too sweet. It is just right. 
I also recently smelled the warm cashmere one and was blown away. (Keynotes: juicy tangerine, cashmere wood, orchid, vanilla bean, creamy sandalwood, skin musk). Skin musk sounds really creepy and gross but I swear I think I like this one better than the original.

Next time I splurge it will be on a full size of this perfume. I am down to the very bottom of my measly sample size and only use it on special occasions. 

Up next, the hair care.

Like I said before, I am not an expert. But, seriously, I do not know anything about hair. This is just what I loved.

The breakdown:

OgX Shampoo & Conditioner: Again, like the Caress body wash, this was all I used this year. The coconut variations are my favorite. I like to switch it up so I don't get used to the smells. It is worth mentioning that it is the only shampoo and conditioner combo I used all year though.

Rock Your Hair Bombshell Big Hair Powder & Eva NYC Zero Gravity Volume Powder: The first one of these was gifted to me by my amazing sister (in-law). I will mention her again later. She introduces me to some good stuff. I added this second product in the same group because I got it in an ipsy bag and they are basically the same thing. She gave me the powder one of the times she gave me bangs and it seriously makes your bangs, bangin'! (Sorry, I know.) They are also good at adding volume to your hair when you need it, or even just a bit of texture. Great product to have up your arsenal. (See what I did there again?)

*Not Your Mother's Beach Babe Texturizing Dry Shampoo: My friends bought me this in a super sweet hospital bag gift when I was pregnant. I have used this brand ever sense. The scents are amazing, I have tried all three, but I always gravitate toward coconut smells. I think I have bought 4 of these since that first one. I have super oily skin and get greasy hair very easily. Bangs are dangerous with my oily skin so I have to have a good dry shampoo on hand, and this one never lets me down.

Well there you have it, part 1 of 5 in my Best Beauty of 2018. 

What did you think? Are any of these products your favorites too? Have any I should check out? Thank you if you made it through this whole blog post, I appreciate it! I would love to talk beauty with you! 

Look out for Part 2: Lips!