Fashion and Beauty Best of 2017

Hey gals! Wednesday’s post was my serious New Year’s share and I thought I’d balance it out by making tonight’s really light-hearted and fun. 🙂

One of the great parts about blogging is trying a LOT of different brands from beauty products to clothes. For most of this year I had a subscription box specifically to test out new beauty items and share the ones I loved with you. And when I look back at the amount of clothes I’ve tried on and purchased, it’s a little staggering even to me. 🙂

The cool thing about constantly trying new stuff is seing patterns and being able to find the “best of the best” is in each category. Below are my 2017 winners for everything from lipstick to leather jackets. When thinking through “the best”, I like to think of the value equation “benefits divided by price” (sorry, super nerdy Marketing 101 concept that’s stuck around since college)- in other words what you’re getting for how much your you’re spending. Here goes:

Beauty/Skincare

Best neutral lipstick: Smashbox “Be Legendary” cream lipstick in Primrose (full blog post + review here)

Best nude lipstick: MAC Viva Glam II.

Best eyeliner: Maybelline Eye Studio Master Precise Liquid Eyeliner

Best setting powder: It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores Silk HD Anti-Aging Micro Powder
Best contour palette: Tarte Tartiest Pro Glow to Go Highlight and Contour Palette (full review and tutorial here)

Best eyeshadow: Tarte Tartelette Clay Matte Eyeshadow Palette
Best concealer (under eye and elsewhere): Tarte Shape Tape Contour Concealer. This one is probably my favorite 2017 beauty discovery!
Best foundation: Giorgio Armani Power Fabric Foundation. My runner up is the Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless Foundation. It is an amazing foundation for the price.
Best foundation primer: Smashbox Pore Minimizing Foundation Primer
Best blush: NARS Blush in “Orgasm”
Best eyebrow product (pomade + brush): Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade and Anastasia Beverly Hills Duo Brush #12

Best mascara: Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara
Best mascara primer: L’Oreal Double Extend Mascara (comes with primer + mascara, but the primer in my favorite)
Best “extra” beauty product: Yves Saint LaurenTouche Eclat Radiant Touch. This one is a bit more expensive but it’s pure magic. When I have a little extra time in my beauty routine I put it in the corners of my eyes, under my eyes, down the front of my nose and at the arches of my brows. The effect is AMAZING.
Best luminizing drops: Sephora Collection Radiant Lumizing Drops in “champagne”. The dropper that releases the drops is a little clunky but the product itself works so well. I dab a little on my cheekbones every day for a really pretty glow.

Best makeup applicator: the BeautyBlender makeup sponge. I’d heard about this thing forever but always shied away from it due to price ($20 for a makeup spong seemed crazy to me!). Well, I finally got it in June and I’ve been hooked since. It works SO much better thant the various cheaper makeup sponges I’ve purchased in the past.
Best brushes: Bestope Makeup Brushes. The whole set is only $8 and the quality of brushes you get is absolutely mind-blowing! They’re the only makeup brushes I’ve been using since I got them in April and they’re still going strong.
Best face wash: Exuviance Age Reverse BioActiv Wash. This one I think depends on your skin type, but for my oily/combination skin it has worked wonders to keep my acne in check and smooth my skin’s texture.
Best “extra” skincare product: Riley Sunday “Good Genes” lactic acid treatment. This product is pricey but what it did to my skin was incredible. It smooths, hydrates, diminishes dark spots and evens skin tone in a very obvious way with just a few uses.

Clothing

Best leather jacket: BlankNYC Moto Suede Jacket (slightly different version 40% of here). If you follow other bloggers, you’ve probably see this jacket a dozen times. 🙂 There is a reason for it, though- this thing is amazing. I got it for the amazing style back in March but have been really surprised at how well the quality (it’s genuine suede) has held up and just how versatile it is.

Best denim jacket: Kut From the Kloth
Best boots: Stuart Weitzman Hiline Over the Knee Boots (full review here). These boots are pricey but they will last forever. Of everything I have purchased this year these boots are probably my favorite.

Best jeans: I think this category is a bit subjective since everyone is shaped a little differently and some brands fit some shape better than others (see this post on how to find the best jeans for your body). That said, my favorite jeans have been AG Jeans, and especially this pair. I’ve worn these more than any other jeans I own since I got them in February and despite too many washes to count, they still wear as well as the day I got them.
Best short sleeve tee: Lush Deep V Neck Tee. I ordered two white ones this year as I was afraid it would be discontinued someday! I noticed some sizes are out of stock at the moment, but I noticed this is an item Nordstrom is constantly restocking.
Best long sleeve tee: BP Side Slit Tee. I have this in a couple colors. It’s incredibly soft and comfy, not to mention layers perfectly.

Best cardigan: Free People Saturday Morning Cardigan. If I could only have one sweater for the rest of my life this would be it! The crochet pattern is gorgeous and it’s shockinly warm (something that really surprised me, given the open knit design).

Best pullover sweater: Express Oversized Deep V Neck Tunic Sweater

Best belt: Gucci Marmont Double G Logo Belt. I got this belt in July and have worn it like crazy since. It has an uncanny ability to take a basic tee and jeans look from a 3 to a 10 in an instant! (I did a full review here).
Best workout leggings: Alo Yoga. I purchased my first Alo leggings two years ago (these black ones) and they still look like new after probaly 150 times in the washer. I got them for Pure Barre but I love that the can be worn as leggings under a sweater as well. I recently got this moto pair and love them equally. Besides the quality, what I love most about Alo leggings is the way they fit- they hug you in all the right places!

Best dress pants: Express Columnist Ankle Pant. I have these in four colors and will probably get a few more next year (photos here and here). Of all the dress pants I’ve tried, Express ones are the best. Since they have several 40 or 50% off sales during the year, I usually just wait for these sales.
Best dress shirt: Express portofino shirt (photos here and here).
Best pumps: Cole Haan. I find Cole Haan pumps as comfortable as most flats…they are so well designed! My black and my nude Cole Haan pumps are my go-to for work but for a lot of off duty outfits too.
Best wedges: Steve Madden Jaylen wedge sandal.