Best Beauty Products of 2018

Friday, January 11, 2019
2018 has been a fairly good year (check out my 2018 highlights post) and I've discovered so many new products that I've been loving for months! The products range from items I've bought, subscription boxes goodies and products I was kindly sent throughout the year. There's a variety of products to talk about from haircare, indulgent bodycare products, makeup, skincare and more.

Haircare & Bodycare 
Let's start with the most recent haircare favourite and that's the Percy and Reed Wonder Balm which I received in the gorgeous LookFantastic Advent Calendar (it was one of my favourite pieces of blogger mail ever!). I haven't tried much from Percy and Reed but this balm has been fantastic for my dry, frizzy and unruly hair as it manages to tame frizz (on the whole), smooth my hair and make it feel incredibly soft!

One of the most indulgent and divinely scented bath products is the Feather and Down Melting Shower Cream, I cannot recommend it enough. Feather and Down has to be one of my favourite brands of the year and it all started with my love for their gorgeous pillow mist which is another product I'd highly recommend.
I have a couple of other haircare favourites including the best dry shampoo I've ever used! I have tried so many dry shampoo options but none of them worked for my dark hair until I tried the heaven sent Colab Dry Shampoo which was created by Ruth Crilly at A Model Recommends (I love her Youtube channel, she's so down to earth and informative). The Colab Dry Shampoo helps to eliminate oil, boost volume and stops my hair from looking like I've dowsed it in hair oil.

My final haircare favourite of 2018 is one that I loved so much, I bought two! I previously had The Wet Brush in an animal print design but I've replaced it with this cute purple one and I cannot recommend it enough. As I said, I have dry hair and it's fairly thick so it is prone to horrendous, 'I might have to cut my hair' level of tangles but this brush makes detangling and simply brushing my hair so quick, easy and painless.
Now onto my body care and pampering products and let's start with the most luxurious and moisturising shower gel I've ever used, the Freshly Nourishing Shower Gel. Freshly products are natural and suitable for vegans which is amazing; they are also very gentle but effective. A shower gel might seem like an unusual and simple product to be raving about but this one leaves my skin so incredibly smooth and moisturised!

Another body product that has a very similar effect is the Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner which smells heavenly, leaves my skin so smooth and helps to keep dryness at bay. I adore Lush products, I need to start using them more as I used to use their products almost exclusively a few years ago and I need to get back to it.
There are two body lotions that I've been loving throughout 2018 and those include the most divinely scented body butter ever, the Crabtree and Evelyn Lavender and Espresso Body Cream (which I cannot get enough of) and the equally as gorgeous Rituals Magic Touch Body Cream, both of which I cannot recommend enough, especially for this time of the year. I am so lazy when it comes to using body lotions and creams, I don't know why, but both of these are so lovely to use. If you're looking for a body cream that smells amazing, leaves your skin super soft and doesn't leave a heavy or greasy residue on the skin then look no further than these!
Skincare 
Let's start with one item that mixes skincare and makeup to create an amazing BB cream for those with incredibly dry skin as I do, the Dear Klairs Illuminating BB Cream from Koja Beauty. I was kindly sent it months and months ago and I've been using it pretty much very single time I wear makeup as it's the easiest, no fuss option. Another BB cream I've been loving is the Skin 79 BB Blemish Balm which I received a sample of in a LookFantastic box and I had to buy the full size!

One of the most important skincare items, for me, is my moisturiser. Eczema has many awful 'symptoms' but one of the most inconvenient (as well as the burning irritation, flakiness, inflammation) is the perpetual dryness which makes finding a deeply effective and gentle moisturiser so important but this year I've found three that my skin loves.

The first, and my favourite of the three, is the First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream. It is a brand I've wanted to try for ages and I'm so grateful to the lovely people at LookFantastic as this full sized cream was part of their advent calendar in 2018. I also loved the Advanced Moisture Boost from Vitage which came as part of an amazing blogger mail package and it's a cream I'm finally finishing now. The final moisturiser is the Rio Rosa Day and Night Cream, all three of which I'd definitely recommend especially if you have very dry and sensitive skin as I do.
Makeup & Tools
I love applying my makeup, it's such a relaxing process but removing it can be a little annoying especially as I have to wear waterproof mascara thanks to the ever drizzly Manchester weather but there's one product that I have used numerous variations of all year that has been helping me remove my makeup with just water in seconds! I utterly adore these microfibre cleansing cloths, the original being the Makeup Eraser one (I believe) but every variation I've tried has worked so effectively for removing every little trace of makeup, even stubborn waterproof mascara. My latest variation is the fantastic Magnitone Cleansing Cloths which I cannot recommend enough, particularly if you have sensitive skin as I do.

Another long term favourite of mine is the Essence Fixing Powder which I've bought at least three of so far as they are so cheap but so effective at setting my makeup, blotting oil and keeping my makeup looking fresh for longer without making my skin looking dry, cakey or overly powdered. Essence is probably my favourite cheaper makeup brand and I will definitely continue to use their products.
I've mentioned a couple of products that I've loved from the LookFantastic Advent Calendar and I have another, the Lipstick Queen Frog Prince Lipstick which is actually green in the tube but it transforms into a beautiful, berry pink on the lips that's fairly natural and gives the lips a very fresh, hydrated and youthful look. The longevity is far better than I thought it would be and I've been using it constantly since receiving it at the end of November. Another lip product I've been using consistently is the Dr Lipp Elderberry Tint which I think I received in a LookFantastic box a few months ago; it's a gorgeous berry tinted lip balm that's ideal for everyday.

For brows, or more specifically brow bone, I've been loving the Eylure Brow Luminizer which in one swipe adds a gorgeous natural, glowing sheen to the skin - it's perfect for an inner corner, cupids bow and brow bone highlight in seconds. Lastly for makeup is a newer addition from the French brand, Avril. As I've said, Manchester receives a lot of rain so I always have to use waterproof mascara but so many of them are incredibly difficult to remove; however, I've found the solution - Avril Waterproof Mascara. It gives me natural fluttery lashes that can survive an English winters day but it is easy to remove with my makeup removing microfibre cleansing cloths.

My final 2018 beauty favourite is one of the most long-lasting nail polish duos I've ever tried, the Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish and Top Coat. I received a red shade and top coat from this range as part of my 'beauty guru' box from Latest In Beauty which I adored; so I had to buy another shade! I purchased the Frill Seeker shade from Fragrance Direct and it's the only polish I've been using for months. The polish combined with the top coat can last on my nails for over a week and after that it only had minor chipping which can then last for another few days! I will definitely be purchasing more shades from this range!

Have you tried any of these products? What were your 2018 beauty favourites? 

19 comments

  1. I can't believe I not tried any of these products! I love First Aid Beauty so must give that moisturiser a go.

    xoxo
    Jess
    The Crown Wings | UK Travel & Lifestyle Blog

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  2. There are some amazing products here!

    Love, Amie ❤
    The Curvaceous Vegan

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  3. These look like some great products

    Candice | NatalyaAmour.com

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  4. I LOVE the wipe out cloths they are SO good! They are so soft, and so lovely to use!

    Erin || MakeErinOver

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  5. So many amazing brands and I adore the formula on Lipstick Queen lipsticks and have quite a few in my stash x

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  6. Some great products mentioned. 🌸💜

    With love, Alisha Valerie x | www.alishavalerie.com

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  7. You found so many great products! It was a dull year for me. I just stuck to what I knew.

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  8. Some fab sounding products here!

    Jenny
    http://www.jennyinneverland.com

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  9. I am going to have to look into some of these items, I think it is time that I treat myself!

    Danielle xx
    https://www.fashionbeautyblog.co.uk/

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  10. Oooooh, love all of these products! I've got a bunch that I would have loved to talk about but I can't get my pictures looking as great as yours! Haha! I'm going to be trying the Feather & Down on Tuesday after seeing their products in Boots! I'll give you my thoughts then! c;

    Daisy
    TheDeeWhoLived

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  11. Lipstick Queen do some of my favourite lipsticks ever x

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  12. Oh I really like Percy and Reid and I am dying to try Feather & Down x

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  13. Wonder Balm is one of my favourite hair products, it's amazing! I used to love the CoLab dry shampoos too but I don't think I've tried that one x

    Sophie
    www.glowsteady.co.uk

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  14. Feather and Down was one of my favourite brands of last year. I NEED to get my hands on the espresso Body Cream - it sounds amazing!

    Roxie | thebeautifulbluebird.com

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  15. The First Aid Beauty Cream is great, and Ro's Argan scent is dreamy!

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  16. Not tried any of these products but Lush Sleepy had to be a contender for my 2018 favourite beauty product x

    Melanie || www.melaniewithanie.com

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  17. Fab products, I’d love to try more of the ones you mention

    http://littlemissmelanie.com

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  18. I really want to try that dry shampoo

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