2017 was a Big Year for the skin care game, y’all. So many products hit shelves and transformed (my) skin, so of course I have to do a round-up of all my new favs. These are the products that held up to the hype, kept me coming back for more (and more and more and more), and I would absolutely 100% buy again.
Ulta Dual Action Cleansing Brush System ($25) – This is the product that inspired me to do this list. I have pretty sensitive skin, so the idea of putting a brush to my face sounds like genuine torture to me, but I picked up this tool during one of Ulta’s super regular Buy 1 Get 1 Free sales, and I am SO GLAD I did. This is hands down my favorite new skin thing that I picked up all year. Its basically a super cheap Clarisonic, and I don’t know why you’d ever buy the real thing when Ulta’s version is so killer. I use it every other day in the shower (it’s not waterproof, but it’s nearly a year old and it hasn’t died) and it has officially replaced my exfoliating routine. My skin is softer and smoother than ever, and it doesn’t irritate my skin at all.
Face Halo ($22 for 3) – Ahhh, Face Halo, how I love you so. My girl Chloe Morello backed this brand and introduced us all to the amazingness that is Face Halo. These little microfiber cloths are a legit game changer for removing makeup. Goodbye, makeup remover wipes. Goodbye, double cleansing my face. Goodbye, tiny pimples from invisible makeup residue. Just wet the cloth and wipe your face – ALL your makeup will be on the Face Halo (seriously. ALL OF IT.). Plus you can wash them and reuse them up to 200 times! WHAT. I use expensive cleanser (hey, Drunk Elephant), and this basically just doubled the life of my face wash. I can’t speak highly enough of this product!
Drunk Elephant Sukari Babyfacial ($80) – I’m pretty sure Drunk Elephant is leading us to the fountain of youth (or at least inventing their own) one incredible product at a time. I’ve had exactly one pro facial in my life, and it left my sensitive skin looking and feeling like I had stuck it in a pot of boiling water. Ouch. So when this product launched and they swore it was good for ALL skin types, I relied on my deep trust of All Things Drunk Elephant to give it a shot, though I was hyper-ready to scrub it off my face at the first sign of burning. The burning never came, but radiant, baby-soft skin did. With 25% AHA, 2% BHA, and a cocktail of glycolic, tartaric, lactic, citric, and salicylic acids, I thought for sure my skin couldn’t handle it – but now it has become part of my weekly routine. It really is a baby facial – it’s not as intense as a spa peel, but it’s perfect for regular resurfacing and somehow also super hydrating? Unsure how they’ve managed to swing that, but it’s one impressive product.
Belif Moisturizing Eye Bomb ($48) – I have been on a quest for The Perfect Eye Cream for about a year now. I’m 35 and just starting to get some fine lines around my eyes, so obviously I would like to put a stop to that ASAP. I’ve been a long time fan of the Belif Aqua Bomb and more recently the Moisturizing Bomb, so when the Eye Bomb launched it was pretty inevitable that I would own it before long. I use it every night, and my eyes look approximately 100 years younger (give or take). It tightens up and fills in fine lines, plus plumps my under eye area to mask how exhausted I am. It’s basically a magic trick in a jar.
The Cottage Greenhouse Carrot & Neroli Shower Oil & Body Wash($22) – This was a product I got in a Popsugar box, so I have no idea if it actually launched in 2017. The point is that it launched in my shower in 2017, so that’s all that matters. I had never heard of carrot oil before this amazing stuff showed up, but man do I love it now. This body wash is super thin like body oil, but foams like a champ and leaves your skin feeling ultra hydrated. In addition to the carrot oil, there is coconut butter, coconut oil, honey, and beet root extract. It smells a bit herbal and is so luxurious to use. Popsugar put a bunch of their overstock on sale for something like 75% off last year, so I grabbed a ton of these for just a few bucks. I felt like I had won the lottery!
The Ordinary – Full disclosure, I haven’t fallen in love anything from this brand (yet). I have my favorite products and it’s super scary for me to stop using them in order to try something new. However, The Ordinary really deserves a shout out here. They took high-end skin care, simplified the packaging, branding, and formula (you know, the shit that jacks up the price), and brought products to the market for 1/4 the price of their competitors. I think it’s awesome that a beauty company is delivering solid products at an accessible price point (we’re talking $7-15) for people who want to grab good skin treatments or even experiment with new ones. I’ll get around to trying some of their products when I am braver and run out of my current regimen. They even have a peel similar to my beloved Babyfacial for $7.20 (!!!!!!!!). SEVEN DOLLARS AND TWENTY CENTS. I can’t even. They also have foundation and primers, plus are expanding their products to include sun care. Their skin care can be a little science-heavy, but don’t worry – if you’re not up to date on your skin chemistry, they have a helpful guide to help pick the right products for your skin. (Lauren’s Note: I’ve tried several products from The Ordinary! I have a few new faves that I’ll discuss in later blogs. Stay tuned!)
I can’t wait to see what 2018 brings. With the release of the new Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream and some other new promising products from awesome brands coming up soon, I have high hopes that we have more amazon skin care on the horizon!
Tell us your favorite 2017 products! What did we miss that you love?
xo,
Jill
I bought these products, all opinions are my own. Post contains affiliate links.