How the hell is it January already?!? 2017 was a crazy-fast year for me, and it seems that I packed about three years of stuff into it. In fact, when I was thinking back over the year, brainstorming for this post, there were a handful of items that I feel like I’ve been using forever, but nope. So, I decided to edit the list of ‘my favorites’ down to my favorite new (to me) products of the year. So … without further ado, I present my best gals of 2017.
Best of Skincare 2017
I just recently finished up my first bottle of Sekkisei medicated lotion … that I’ve used religiously, twice a day, since just after New Years this year. That was one long lasting bottle! I have a new bottle already in the rotation because this has quickly become a ride-or-die product for me. This is considered a quasi-drug in Japan: more effective/powerful than regular drugstore products, but not enough to require a prescription.
This specific product is meant to “offer clear, snow-white, fine-grained skin that is both moist and translucent.” Fancy. What it does for me is fade my acne scars and even my skin tone. Literally nothing has ever made a dent in my post-acne pigmentation issues before this … it would be six months for redness from one pimple to finally fade. That’s a long time, especially when your acne flares up like mine did.
This retails for 5,000 yen for a 200 ml bottle in Japan, but it’s literally ALWAYS on sale. Keep an eye out right after the first of the year for super nice fukubukuro, or lucky bags, from Sekkisei in the department stores. Generally they will have clear ones … where you know exactly what you’re getting, and they will package a full-size and lots of other goodies together for the price of just the full sized product. And be careful; you want the bottle labeled “medicated,” which means it’s been proven to show results.
Chronologically, the next big find for me is this clay mask from Korean skincare brand innisfree. This doesn’t make my skin feel super tight and dry like many clay masks. I don’t use it for miraculous pore suctioning, because it’s not a miracle worker there (what is? If you know one, let me know!). What it does do is brighten and even out my skin amazingly. In one use. If my pores are especially gross (when are they not), I will use a BHA toner like Stridex maximum strength pads or the one from COSRX before putting this on. After using it, my skin is already brighter. I then do whatever skincare steps like normal, and go to bed, and in the morning … poof … good skin day. I bought mine direct from innisfree, but Amazon also sells it (and a ton of other k-beauty goodies).
This time last year, I had never heard of P50. For the uninitiated, P50 is an acid toner from French company Biologique Recherche. It’s a true cult classic, referred to by its fans sometimes as “Jesus in a Bottle” or “Trash Face.” The latter is due to the scent which is potent (mostly vinegar and it goes away). It’s expensive … real expensive … at $65 for a bottle, but like Sekkisei, it lasts for a super long time. So, why would anybody spend that for a bottle of stank ass toner? Because it really is a facial in a bottle. Use it at night, and wake up looking like a damn miracle. I promise.
Best of Makeup of 2017
Again, these are the best products that I’ve discovered this year. There are tons of others out there that I can sing a thousand praises for but these are the best of 2017.
In order of application, the Shiseido Ibuki Smart Filtering Smoother is still a huge winner for me. I was skeptical of how tiny this bottle was in my original review but I’m just now almost finishing it so … it’s tiny but mighty I guess. This is great at blurring the skin without leaving a thick, silicone layer like a lot of pore smoothers do (this means it plays nice with more foundations than a regular silicone primer does). It also absorbs excess oil without drying your skin out. You can apply it later in the day over makeup as well to blot oils.
Estee Lauder’s Double Wear Nude Water Fresh Makeup (why is this name so looooooong?) is another big win for me this year. I HATED the OG Double Wear. It looks like a matte mask on pale people. This is the complete opposite. It evens out redness and discoloration and looks like your skin. It’s comfortable to wear, doesn’t cling to dry spots or accentuate pores. Not too matte or too shiny. It’s just terrific. Downside: despite being an expensive foundation at $, it doesn’t come with a pump. Can we please peer pressure the cheapos at Estee Lauder to quit with not including a hygienic pump with their foundations? Dude, even drugstore foundations are including them now.
The friend that mailed me my gateway into P50 also sent this highlighter: the essence pure nude highlighter. This is a beauty blogger and influencer favorite for a reason. It’s less than $5 from Fred Meyer or Ulta and it is hands-down my favorite highlighter (including my expensive ones from Sephora). There is no glitter or metallic element to it at all, it just makes your skin glow like a young person’s. You can use it just on your cheekbones, on all the high points, or even all over your face. I’m very excited to pick up a backup while I’m in the states since we can’t buy it in Okinawa. ** edit: you may have to order; I’ve been to four stores in two states and can’t find it in stock anywhere!
Finally, you probably know my undying love for Heroine Make mascara, the mascara that will never let you down. Seriously; my friend messaged me recently telling me that she had worn it during her 34ish hour labor and delivery of her twins last month, and at the end of it all, her lashes were still in full effect.
But this is a favorites of 2017, and 2017 is the year of Loreal Lash Paradise. Clocking in at about $8, it’s a really pretty mascara. It holds a curl pretty well, and thickens and lengthens without looking clumpy or spidery. My mom asked me if I had gotten lash extensions when she face timed me while I was wearing it (of course, face time resolution probably helped my lashes out in this case). I have the waterproof one and it’s still not 100% transfer-proof (it is also difficult to remove, but Heroine Make’s mascara remover destroys it because … Heroine Make, man). It’s not going to take Heroine Make’s spot in my summer mascara spot, but it’s perfect for the winter. I love it.
That’s a wrap for the best of the best this year. Have you tried any of these? What would you add to the list?