i might be too late posting this but i want to round up my favorites from 2019. not all of them i tried in 2019, but they are my favorites for the last year, or at least the most used product in 2019. i will separate them in 3 categories, hair & body products, makeup and skincare.
hair & body
body products:
- the body shop body butter: i have dry skin and the only thing that can moisturize my skin well is the body shop body butter. i forgot to bring them when i travel to japan during spring time, and i suffered a lot. since then, i always buy a travel size body butter so i can bring them on my holidays. my favorites are strawberry, argan oil, shea butter and limited edition candy apple (i was disappointed when they changed it into spiced apple and then not releasing any apple scented product this year).
- the body shop hand cream: on holidays and on my no-maid days, i wash dishes and clean my house so i keep washing my hands repeatedly, hence drying my hands. and the only thing that can help with my dry hands is the body shop hand cream. i've tried other hand cream, but some of them are too thick for my taste. the shea hand cream is the right consistency for me.
hair products:
- hair dye: my favorite will be liese bubble hair dye. i've tried several shades and i like them all, but i never try the blonde shades.
- hair shampoo: i've tried numerous shampoo, but lately i've been more selective with my choice. i start looking for non SLS shampoo, and going vegan or cruelty free if i could. my favorite so far is petal fresh one. unfortunately, there's no waste bin for recycling the product in my city just yet, so i won't repurchase due to that reason. i do hope that those recycle organization will open some branch or at least have drop boxes in my city.
- hair conditioner: my favorite for 2019 would be aussie conditioner. i notice it softens my hair and it comes in big size. again, i won't repurchase it since i couldn't recycle the bottle, so now i'm testing the conditioner from other brand.
- leave in conditioner/ hair oil: my favorite would be ogx kukui hair oil and loreal extraordinary oil. i've used loreal one years ago, and i began to use it again several months ago and i still like it. the ogx is hard to find since the supermarket near me sometimes have it, sometimes they don't, so loreal is a more readily available than ogx.
- hair mask: i've tried several masks, but this year i really like the body shop shea hair mask. in fact, since i tried it, i decided to give the conditioner a try. it might be the most expensive hair mask that i've tried, but it comes in a big tub and i can bring back the tub to the store to be recycled, so another plus for me.
- tools: for years, i use ordinary hair dryer since i didn't think that it would make any difference. but i've seen people using dyson everywhere and for quite some time, i wanted to persuade my husband to buy me one. but it seems ridiculously expensive so i never said anything to him. but i told him to buy me new hair dryer since the one that i have is not powerful enough to quickly dry my thick hair, so he told me about xiaomi hair dryer. honestly, i never knew xiaomi made hair dryers! so he showed me some videos about the hair dryer, and the plus thing about this hair dryer is the ionic system that supposedly make your hair softer. and it works! my husband told me that my hair looks softer and sleeker after using the hair dryer. and it's very affordable.
makeup
okay.. this year, i decided to carefully buy things that i need, and at least finish one before buying another one. so i probably won't have much things to tell here as i'm finishing old products in some area.
- foundation: i have none since i'm finishing my bb cream and foundation, both were okay, but i don't love it. if you're curious, i like the catrice foundation better than the japan bb cream.
- concealer: i've repurchased catrice concealer since it works well for me, but i bought a shade darker and it works better for no makeup makeup day.
- powder: i open two powders, one of them is a finishing powder, but i don't see the difference it brings, so definitely a no for me. then the other powder is the body shop clay powder and i like it, so i definitely will put it in my rotation list.
- bronzer: the physician formula is my favorite for this year. although i wish my husband could find the bronzer shade, but light bronze works well for me too. but probably won't repurchase since it's not sold here.
- blush: no new thing that i like so for me my favorite is still my makeup revolution blush palette. it's super pigmented so even though i've used it for months still there's no dent in it!
- highlighter: i really need to go through my stuff and make a list of products that i haven't reviewed yet. so, this is a new brand for me, it's a local brand, and i've been using it on and of for this last 3 months, especially when i'm travelling since i usually use cream products for travelling. it's their halolight highlighter in moonlight. i love it, the shade is perfect for me, and the glow is just enough for me.
- eyebrow: i've tried several eyebrow pencil but my favorites for this year is elf brow pencil. the shade is okay for me and the spoolie is not scratchy. but it's hard to find, so probably i will try to find something new.
- eyeshadow: though i bought milani eyeshadow palette this year, but it's just okay for me. i still like my MUR naked chocolate better.
- eyeliner: i've used liquid eyeliner since i tried japanese eyeliner, and my favorite this year is dolly wink liquid eyeliner.
- mascara: i was buying several japan mascara, but this year i tried some essence mascaras because husband was away to europe and US and it's easier to find them there, so i asked him to buy some. my favorite this year is essence lash princess volume mascara.
- lip balm: again, i need to get better with my review. my favorite this year would be canmake lip balm rouge that i recently bought in japan. it gives enough moisture and it's tinted. the shade is perfect for daily too.
- lip gloss: i remember long time ago i like revlon lip gloss, but the shade that i like is no longer available. so i tried essence lip gloss (the vinylicious liquid lipstick) and i like it. i bought two of them but i like the rosy shade better (it's called woody rosy).
- lipstick bullet: i've tried so many lip cream and liquid lipstick mainly because i had baby back then, and i want something that's long lasting and minimal to no transfer, so liquid lipstick is a must back then. but now as the kids grow up, i try ordinary lipstick bullet again, and i love flower beauty petal pout lipstick. i bought two shade, and i like the rosy one better as well (it's called spiced petal).
skincare
oh gee.. it's difficult to narrow down in this department since i try so many skincare products all year long. i never put my skincare products into inventory since i know i would finish them no matter what. so... i need to haul better each year and not scrambling buying everything that i saw in japan.
- first cleanser: my favorite is biore cleansing oil. it's cheap, it works well and it smells nice. i like kose speedy cleansing oil too, but somehow i like biore better.
- second cleanser: i try so many facial foams, but lately since i bought foreo, i like face foam better. my favorite is hadalabo gokujyun facial foam and if i couldn't buy one, i would like muji face foam in second place. another one that i like is firstlab facial foam, but it's not readily foam, so it's so-so for me.
- FTE: i like purito fermented complex essence and i would repurchase it again.
- toner: for toner, there's liquid toner that i like to soak my tablet mask, but as toner, it's not my favorite. but lately i found BCL momopuri toner and i like it! though it's peach-scented, i don't mind the scent. it's hydrating and smells nice.
- essence: i have a few favorites. obviously i like both huxley grab water essence and oil like essence, but i also like firstlab reverse essence that i thought it was a FTE but it's an essence. all of them are hydrating and moisturizing without clogging my pores. huxley ones have scent that is huxley's signature and i like it.
- serum: though i've tried so many serum and ampoule, my favorite this year is benton snail bee serum. it's more moisturizing than the essence and it helps with my acne scars better. and it's cheap as well.
- emulsion: my favorite for this year would be muji milk light for sensitive skin. it's moisturizing enough but not greasy for my skin especially in the morning and it layers well under my sunscreen.
- moisturizer: though i don't try it this year, but i've repurchased it so definitely will put it in my favorite list. it's sana nameraka honpo wrinkle cream (i know.. it sounds ridiculous) and it contains retinoid product, but i can't tell you for sure the concentration for sure. but if you're new to acid or retinol, this is definitely very gentle so you can use it everyday.
- sunscreen: oh my.. i've tried so many sunscreen this year, but the newest favorite would be biore aqua uv essence 2019 formula. another one that i also like is skin aqua gel. the essence is a bit too greasy for me, so the gel is just right for me. though i would say that i will keep looking for new sunscreen since there are a lot of them that i haven't tried.
- wash off mask: since i have oily skin, i always like a good clay mask, and i like freeman black sugar mask for this year. it comes in a tube so it's mess-free and it's not super drying for my skin. plus it's cheap and it smells good?
- mask sheet: this is another department that i have difficulty to pick my favorite since i tried so many. the new mask that i tried recently and i like is obviously BCL momopuri mask, which smells like peach just like the toner. obviously i would put MBD masks in here (the latest one that i try is the grape one and i like it!) and papa recipe (i still love the original, but i tried the green one this year and i like it as well). for mask pack i like lululun precious green, it's moisturizing and it does make me want to use them every day. and it's the first lululun mask that i repurchase!
- tool: earlier this year my husband spoiled me and bought me foreo. i've been using it everyday since then. and i love it! i used to think that i cleansed my face pretty good, but after using foreo i definitely could see the difference. i bring it with me on my holidays. definitely a great investment for me this year!
well.. that's all my favorites for this year. it's been a good year discovering lots of stuff and beauty gadget. but i need to be better with my purchasing. not that i buy things that i don't need, but i need to curb my curiosity and think twice before stocking up. i watched maskaddict story the other day and she told people how she put use of her skincare worksheet. she took note the opening date and when she finished a product so she knew when she would need another one before buying new one. or if you would like to stock up, you would know how many that you'll need for half year, for example. i did take note of my opening date, but i didn't take note when i finish a product. but since i don't have so many stash, there are stuff that i knew i would finish up quickly and which one doesn't. so i need to get better with that stuff and not getting away while there was some sale. especially with makeup. it took me years to finish a product, so i will hold up before buying new makeup next year. hopefully i can do that.. until next year!
hair & body
body products:
- the body shop body butter: i have dry skin and the only thing that can moisturize my skin well is the body shop body butter. i forgot to bring them when i travel to japan during spring time, and i suffered a lot. since then, i always buy a travel size body butter so i can bring them on my holidays. my favorites are strawberry, argan oil, shea butter and limited edition candy apple (i was disappointed when they changed it into spiced apple and then not releasing any apple scented product this year).
- the body shop hand cream: on holidays and on my no-maid days, i wash dishes and clean my house so i keep washing my hands repeatedly, hence drying my hands. and the only thing that can help with my dry hands is the body shop hand cream. i've tried other hand cream, but some of them are too thick for my taste. the shea hand cream is the right consistency for me.
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| my body butters and hand cream |
hair products:
- hair dye: my favorite will be liese bubble hair dye. i've tried several shades and i like them all, but i never try the blonde shades.
- hair shampoo: i've tried numerous shampoo, but lately i've been more selective with my choice. i start looking for non SLS shampoo, and going vegan or cruelty free if i could. my favorite so far is petal fresh one. unfortunately, there's no waste bin for recycling the product in my city just yet, so i won't repurchase due to that reason. i do hope that those recycle organization will open some branch or at least have drop boxes in my city.
- hair conditioner: my favorite for 2019 would be aussie conditioner. i notice it softens my hair and it comes in big size. again, i won't repurchase it since i couldn't recycle the bottle, so now i'm testing the conditioner from other brand.
- leave in conditioner/ hair oil: my favorite would be ogx kukui hair oil and loreal extraordinary oil. i've used loreal one years ago, and i began to use it again several months ago and i still like it. the ogx is hard to find since the supermarket near me sometimes have it, sometimes they don't, so loreal is a more readily available than ogx.
- hair mask: i've tried several masks, but this year i really like the body shop shea hair mask. in fact, since i tried it, i decided to give the conditioner a try. it might be the most expensive hair mask that i've tried, but it comes in a big tub and i can bring back the tub to the store to be recycled, so another plus for me.
- tools: for years, i use ordinary hair dryer since i didn't think that it would make any difference. but i've seen people using dyson everywhere and for quite some time, i wanted to persuade my husband to buy me one. but it seems ridiculously expensive so i never said anything to him. but i told him to buy me new hair dryer since the one that i have is not powerful enough to quickly dry my thick hair, so he told me about xiaomi hair dryer. honestly, i never knew xiaomi made hair dryers! so he showed me some videos about the hair dryer, and the plus thing about this hair dryer is the ionic system that supposedly make your hair softer. and it works! my husband told me that my hair looks softer and sleeker after using the hair dryer. and it's very affordable.
 |
| my xiaomi hair dryer, hair oil, hair mask and hair dye i've finished everything else |
okay.. this year, i decided to carefully buy things that i need, and at least finish one before buying another one. so i probably won't have much things to tell here as i'm finishing old products in some area.
- foundation: i have none since i'm finishing my bb cream and foundation, both were okay, but i don't love it. if you're curious, i like the catrice foundation better than the japan bb cream.
- concealer: i've repurchased catrice concealer since it works well for me, but i bought a shade darker and it works better for no makeup makeup day.
- powder: i open two powders, one of them is a finishing powder, but i don't see the difference it brings, so definitely a no for me. then the other powder is the body shop clay powder and i like it, so i definitely will put it in my rotation list.
- bronzer: the physician formula is my favorite for this year. although i wish my husband could find the bronzer shade, but light bronze works well for me too. but probably won't repurchase since it's not sold here.
- blush: no new thing that i like so for me my favorite is still my makeup revolution blush palette. it's super pigmented so even though i've used it for months still there's no dent in it!
- highlighter: i really need to go through my stuff and make a list of products that i haven't reviewed yet. so, this is a new brand for me, it's a local brand, and i've been using it on and of for this last 3 months, especially when i'm travelling since i usually use cream products for travelling. it's their halolight highlighter in moonlight. i love it, the shade is perfect for me, and the glow is just enough for me.
- eyebrow: i've tried several eyebrow pencil but my favorites for this year is elf brow pencil. the shade is okay for me and the spoolie is not scratchy. but it's hard to find, so probably i will try to find something new.
- eyeshadow: though i bought milani eyeshadow palette this year, but it's just okay for me. i still like my MUR naked chocolate better.
- eyeliner: i've used liquid eyeliner since i tried japanese eyeliner, and my favorite this year is dolly wink liquid eyeliner.
- mascara: i was buying several japan mascara, but this year i tried some essence mascaras because husband was away to europe and US and it's easier to find them there, so i asked him to buy some. my favorite this year is essence lash princess volume mascara.
- lip balm: again, i need to get better with my review. my favorite this year would be canmake lip balm rouge that i recently bought in japan. it gives enough moisture and it's tinted. the shade is perfect for daily too.
- lip gloss: i remember long time ago i like revlon lip gloss, but the shade that i like is no longer available. so i tried essence lip gloss (the vinylicious liquid lipstick) and i like it. i bought two of them but i like the rosy shade better (it's called woody rosy).
- lipstick bullet: i've tried so many lip cream and liquid lipstick mainly because i had baby back then, and i want something that's long lasting and minimal to no transfer, so liquid lipstick is a must back then. but now as the kids grow up, i try ordinary lipstick bullet again, and i love flower beauty petal pout lipstick. i bought two shade, and i like the rosy one better as well (it's called spiced petal).
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| some of my makeup favorites |
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| top to bottom swatch: bronzer, two favorite blush shades and highlighter |
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| lip products swatches (top: flower beauty, middle: canmake lipbalm rouge, bottom: essence) |
oh gee.. it's difficult to narrow down in this department since i try so many skincare products all year long. i never put my skincare products into inventory since i know i would finish them no matter what. so... i need to haul better each year and not scrambling buying everything that i saw in japan.
- first cleanser: my favorite is biore cleansing oil. it's cheap, it works well and it smells nice. i like kose speedy cleansing oil too, but somehow i like biore better.
- second cleanser: i try so many facial foams, but lately since i bought foreo, i like face foam better. my favorite is hadalabo gokujyun facial foam and if i couldn't buy one, i would like muji face foam in second place. another one that i like is firstlab facial foam, but it's not readily foam, so it's so-so for me.
- FTE: i like purito fermented complex essence and i would repurchase it again.
- toner: for toner, there's liquid toner that i like to soak my tablet mask, but as toner, it's not my favorite. but lately i found BCL momopuri toner and i like it! though it's peach-scented, i don't mind the scent. it's hydrating and smells nice.
- essence: i have a few favorites. obviously i like both huxley grab water essence and oil like essence, but i also like firstlab reverse essence that i thought it was a FTE but it's an essence. all of them are hydrating and moisturizing without clogging my pores. huxley ones have scent that is huxley's signature and i like it.
- serum: though i've tried so many serum and ampoule, my favorite this year is benton snail bee serum. it's more moisturizing than the essence and it helps with my acne scars better. and it's cheap as well.
- emulsion: my favorite for this year would be muji milk light for sensitive skin. it's moisturizing enough but not greasy for my skin especially in the morning and it layers well under my sunscreen.
- moisturizer: though i don't try it this year, but i've repurchased it so definitely will put it in my favorite list. it's sana nameraka honpo wrinkle cream (i know.. it sounds ridiculous) and it contains retinoid product, but i can't tell you for sure the concentration for sure. but if you're new to acid or retinol, this is definitely very gentle so you can use it everyday.
- sunscreen: oh my.. i've tried so many sunscreen this year, but the newest favorite would be biore aqua uv essence 2019 formula. another one that i also like is skin aqua gel. the essence is a bit too greasy for me, so the gel is just right for me. though i would say that i will keep looking for new sunscreen since there are a lot of them that i haven't tried.
- wash off mask: since i have oily skin, i always like a good clay mask, and i like freeman black sugar mask for this year. it comes in a tube so it's mess-free and it's not super drying for my skin. plus it's cheap and it smells good?
- mask sheet: this is another department that i have difficulty to pick my favorite since i tried so many. the new mask that i tried recently and i like is obviously BCL momopuri mask, which smells like peach just like the toner. obviously i would put MBD masks in here (the latest one that i try is the grape one and i like it!) and papa recipe (i still love the original, but i tried the green one this year and i like it as well). for mask pack i like lululun precious green, it's moisturizing and it does make me want to use them every day. and it's the first lululun mask that i repurchase!
- tool: earlier this year my husband spoiled me and bought me foreo. i've been using it everyday since then. and i love it! i used to think that i cleansed my face pretty good, but after using foreo i definitely could see the difference. i bring it with me on my holidays. definitely a great investment for me this year!
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| masks galore |
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| some of my skincare favorites |
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