Favorite beauty products in 2014
Written By Jenny Wu on
I’m very picky when it comes to makeup and skincare products – I may like a lot of products well enough, but to become a favorite, it’s got to be pretty darn amazing. So today, I’d like to share with you my favorite beauty products from the past year.
- L’Oreal Total Repair 5 Multi-Restorative Dry Oil
I love using this after I style my hair, as it tames the frizziness and makes my hair soft + shiny. Because it’s a “dry” oil, it doesn’t weigh down my fine hair or give it that greasy look.
$5.99 at Amazon - DHC Deep Cleansing Oil
Of the many oil-based cleansers I’ve tried, this one works the best by far and it feels the least “greasy”, if that makes any sense. It does an excellent job of removing even the toughest makeup, and I love the way my skin feels after I use this – soft, moisturized, and clean.
$28 at Amazon - CREMORLAB Sun Protective SPF35 PA++
My mom gave this to me when I went back to Taiwan in March, and while I found it a bit rich during the warmer weather, it’s perfect for the fall and winter. It does an excellent job of hydrating, softening, and protecting my skin against the elements, and it also has brightening + anti-aging properties!
$9 at Amazon - Biore UV Aqua Rich Watery Essence Sunscreen SPF 50/PA++++
This stuff is AMAZING. If you hate greasy sunscreen, you need this. The lightweight texture absorbs instantly into your skin without any of the stickiness or whitish cast of traditional sunscreen. This is my go-to sunscreen in the warmer months.
$9.45 at Amazon - e.l.f High Definition Powder in Sheer
I bought this because I heard it’s a great dupe for the MUFE HD Microfinish Powder, and it quickly became a staple in my makeup routine. When used all over after foundation, it helps minimize any lines and pores and gives my skin a soft glow. I also love using it to set my under eye concealer.
$6 at Ulta - Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pink Transformer SPF 35/PA+++
Of my 11 beauty favorites, 3 are sunscreens, so clearly I’m a bit obsessed with sun protection. This offers the perfect amount of hydration for my combination skin, making it ideal to use year round. On top of that it also does an amazing job of brightening dull skin and giving it that dewey glow!
$12.50 at Amazon - Dermalogica Skin Hydrating Booster
I love using this with my foundation or BB cream, it just makes them so much easier to apply and absorb into my skin! On days when I feel like my skin needs a bit TLC, I’ll also mix this with my moisturizer for some instant hydration.
$59 at Nordstrom - Chantecaille Luminous Gloss in Fig
This gloss pretty much has it all: incredible shine, beautiful color, medium/full coverage, no stickiness, and a yummy cupcake scent! When my lips are especially dry and I need something more forgiving, this is my go-to lip color .
$34 at Net-a-Porter - Dior Crème de Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm
Are you sick of hearing me rave about this yet? I don’t know what else to say about this other than that it’s amazing and that it works. And if I do have dry, cracked lips, it’s only because I forgot to apply this lip balm the night before.
$28 at Sephora - Urban Decay Naked Palette
I’ve pretty much stopped buying eyeshadow since I bought this, with the exception of the Naked 3 palette. The shadow quality is excellent, and the shade selection is so versatile that I can pretty much create any day/night look I want with this palette. Between this and Naked 3, this wins hands out.
$54 at Sephora
I realized after I took the pictures that I forgot to include the Borghese Fango Active Mud Mask! It’s definitely a beauty favorite in 2014, and you can read more about it in my Beauty Docket review.
If you’d like to see an in depth review for any of these products, please let me know and I’ll add it to my Beauty Docket. I have several product reviews lined up already, so stay tuned!
Passionate about science-based skincare. Tested hundreds if not thousands of products since my 20's. Working regularly with brands like iHerb, Ulta, CurrentBody, and MedStar Health to share my knowledge and experience in all things beauty. Learn more.
Skin profile: 35+, dry/combination, focused on well-aging, hydration, and a healthy glow ✨
Comments & Questions
Wake Up For Makeup
Ooh! Good picks! Ya can't go wrong with a Naked Palette! I'm glad to see you like the e.l.f. powder because I usually use the MUFE one but I'd LOVE a $6 dupe :)
Jenny Wu
Thanks! I agree, the Naked palette is amazing, no wonder the product is selling so well!
Alice B
i saw a picture of maybelline pink transformer and i instantly felt like yelling "YAY IT'S IN JENNY'S BLOGGGG!" because i'm currently using it as my primer. honestly when i bought it, i didn't exactly know what it's for. i know it's not something like bb cream obviously so i thought it's like a primer or uh tinted moisturizer? i'm not sure if i should use it as my makeup base before using foundation or anything on top of it.
i have seen some people using this pink transformer after moisturizer and just end it like that - they said it covers their acne or redness on the face...? weird because it doesn't work on me at all :(
loreal's hair products are niceee~ i love their color protecting shampoo too. it doesn't lie like the other brands ;w;
the DHC cleansing oil has been in my list for so long now. i think i'm gonna buy it next. how is it compared to shu uemura's in terms of result and price? shu uemura in here is so expensive i feel like weeping TTATT
"the first few months it smelled like cat pee" HAHAHAHA omg. i feel like lip colors do carry weird smell, be it lip gloss or balm or lipstick. oh, except for the macaron lip balm from it's skin; they smell amazing, man!
i've been into lip colors lately. excuse my short term memory but have you ever made a post on like top 10 drugstore lipstick or anything like so? it's be fun to hear what your top choices are! :D
the dior lip balm looks interesting. but eh dior is a high end product so i don't think i'm gonna get it.... yet :( my favorite lip product has always been revlon's; gotta love their balm stains *o* always love their choices of colors ;o;
urban decay naked palette is amazing. the day i got it from my cousin was the day i couldn't stop holding onto it like it's my baby. i don't use shadows often but ugh urban decay, man... i asked for the naked 1 and got naked 2 instead -__-;; their shades are quite similar with the nyx nude on nude so i'm like in a dilemma spot here. blah. my cousin thought naked 3 was boring haha
this is such a fun post :P
Jenny Wu
Glad you enjoyed the post! :D
I would say the maybelline pink transformer is more of a primer. I've used it alone without foundation, and while it gives my skin a nice glow, it has 0 coverage, so I'm shocked to hear people are able to cover acne with it! Maybe very mild acne?
The DHC cleansing oil is cheaper than Shu Uemura's, but I've never used the latter before so I can't compare the results. Both have high reviews though, so you can't go wrong with the less expensive option ;)
I think I have a top lip products post, but not one specifically for drugstore lipsticks. I've moved away from drugstore brand because I'm a huge sucker for luxurious packaging, but I still use and love some of my drugstore lippies :) I will add that to my post ideas though, thank you for the suggestion!
Crystal
Ohh, neat! I have to be careful what I put on my face, by I should try some of this lip stuff. Although, I don't know if I could get past that smell. xD;
Jenny Wu
Hahaha, the Khroma lip gloss did have a very offputting smell at first, but good thing it went away! Just hold your breath when you apply it :P
Uglyfish
I've heard so many fantastic things about Elf! I must try some! I have never found a good powder that works for my bumpy skin, so I must try it. The dry oil sounds amazing too. I use tiny amounts of oil in my hair and it still comes out looking greasy, so I'll keep a look out for that too! I use the baby range from Maybelline because it works so well! I have many of the lip balms and two primers and they're so effective for their price! I'm a sucker for honey scented things though, so I'll keep an eye out for the Khroma!
Jenny Wu
Elf's products can be a hit or miss, but the hits are amazing because they're so affordable!
The Maybelline baby lips are great, I just wish they'd introduce the rest of the baby line in the US market :(
Cat
This is a nice list! I like that you say the Biore sunscreen is lightweight without that usual sticky feeling. That's great that it's SPF 50 too. I'm need to try that one when summer comes around!
I actually started using the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil after you reviewed it :) I'm using it a lot now because the cold weather makes my skin dry, and it feels better after using this. Thanks for that recommend!
I'll have to check out the others on your list too!
Jenny Wu
The Biore sunscreen is definitely a summer staple! I'll need to stock up on those when the weather gets warmer!
So glad to hear you like the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil! :D It's definitely a lot less drying than your regular face wash.
Lucy
The deep cleansing oil I got a sample of and loved it. The Elf make-up range is superb and such wonderful value. I have to wear sunscreen so need to try out the Biore sounds great Lucy x.
Jenny Wu
I wish they would sell the Asian sunscreens here in the west - the texture and consistency feels so much better than any sunscreen I can buy in the US!