Best of 2018

The mere five products I selected for this post boosts my confidence for No Buy 2019: I'm less interested in purchasing slews of stuff and more interested in using what I love, and I've become a lot more particular about what I love. I didn't just enjoy these products in 2018; they became actual staples, items I use almost daily and repurchase without hesitation. Without further ado, here's the five best of 2018!

Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35

I can't remember what, exactly, prompted me to buy this moisturizer. It promised more than SPF15 and great hydration while containing none of no-no ingredients, sure, but so has every other day cream that's absolutely wrecked my face. Whatever the reason, I'm beyond glad that I took the chance. As far as day creams go, this thick lotion is rich and hydrating without feeling heavy or looking greasy on my skin. It works wonderfully under makeup and never seems to break me out or irritate me. And it's proven its worth as a day-to-day sunscreen: the only time I burned during our Toronto vacation was when I forgot to apply this moisturizer in the morning. I'm actually at the end of this tube and am therefore rationing it until it's back in stock at Sephora, but when it does come back, I might get two tubes so I don't run out again. Thanks, Skin Laundry, for creating a day cream I love.

Glossier Lash Slick

"Another year, another Glossier favorite" seems to be a running theme on this blog, and 2018 was no different: I fell in love with Lash Slick mascara. I was a little surprised when they launched this product, actually, because it's not the barely-there lash tint I expected, but rather a fiber mascara that lengthens and separate. While the effect is nice, what really made me fall in love with this mascara is that it doesn't smudge or flake as horribly as almost every other mascara I've tried. I can swipe it on at 8:30am, work all day, and come home at 6:00pm with next to no black specks or racoon-y smears. As an added bonus, the stopper inside the tube works perfectly, getting off every extra bit of product so you can go straight from the tube to your lashes. Glossier has produced some questionable products, but Lash Slick is a definite winner.

Jordan Samuel Hydrate Serum

Objectively, most people shouldn't spend a lot for hyaluronic acid: it's a cheap ingredient that's easy to use in a range of formulations. Unfortunately, most of the cheap, readily available hyaluronic acid serums and essences seem to break me out or irritate my skin--I'm thinking there's a common carrier ingredient that my face doesn't like. I'm willing to shell out $29 a bottle for Jordan Samuel's serum because it gives my dry, dehydrated skin the help it needs without any irritation, and it never pills under my other skincare products. I'm about to start my third bottle, which, based on how frequently I use it, suggests that each ounce of serum would last about 3 months with daily use. My favorite way to apply this? I mist my skin with a little distilled water, pat 2-3 drops of serum in to my damp skin, then top with moisturizer. Magic.

Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint

While this jar packaging continues to be the bane of my existence, I've loved the tinted sunscreen inside. It's weightless, it looks like skin, and it's easy to slap on when I'm half awake and still glugging coffee. And despite containing SPF, this skin tint never turns white in flash photography, making it great for outdoor special events; I've worn it to several weddings, for instance.

Charlotte Tilbury Beauty Light Wand

It wasn't so much the hype that made me buy this highlight as it was the absolutely stunning photos of glossy-cheeked YouTubers and Instagrammers. That mixture of dewy and high-shine can be tough to achieve, but the Beauty Light Wand makes it a breeze. It's fairly flexible as well: you can use the tiniest dot for a more natural glow, or you can layer it on thicker for cheeks that look outright wet in pictures. My only qualm? Last I checked, there was just one shade, a light champagne gold. Expanding the shade range would make this an absolute Holy Grail for me.

Honorable Mention: That Sequin Fabric

Remember when I always had a television or some other janky nonsense in the background of my pictures? That finally stopped when I got a yard of sequin fabric on sale and JoAnne Fabrics. I know it's not to everybody's taste, but I finally brought that fabric back with me to our new apartment, and I couldn't be happier. In my opinion, it helped my photographs look more professional and more consistent in 2018. I'm hoping for more of the same in 2019.

Spring 2018 Favorites

Technically speaking, summer doesn't begin until the end of June. I'm stubborn, though, and I insist on saying a season starts and ends when certain events or temperature changes occur. It's in the high 70s, low 80s on the regular now, and there are plenty of thunderstorms--that means summer is starting. Hence, it's time for spring favorites!

I'm thrilled to say that two of my three beauty favorites for this past season are sun protection products. The first is the newest SPF in my collection, the Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35. As the name suggests, this is a lightweight day cream that provides a little hydration and the perfect amount of sun protection. It does have a slight sunscreen smell, but it fades quickly, and it's much lighter and more hydrating than a standard sunscreen. Oily skinned people will likely find this too heavy or greasy, but if you have very dry skin like me, give this one a shot!

For incidental exposure, I'm loving the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint SPF20. It provides SPF20 (though no UVA2 protection) and light coverage that looks incredibly natural and smooth on my dry skin. Now that I'm self-tanning my neck and upper chest for these warmer months, this is my go-to base product. Frankly, I'm so shocked by how good this is that I find myself peeking at other Philosophy beauty products, despite the fact that I've paid next to no attention to the brand for the last decade. That's the power of a new favorite, I suppose! I'm still not over the terrible packaging, though, and yes, I'm going to whine about it every time this product comes up.

For my SPF-free beauty item, I was pleasantly surprised by how voluminous and black YSL The Shock Volumizing Mascara made my lashes look. This mascara has the natural bristle wand and creamy formula that I prefer. The one bummer about this is that it does flake a bit and smear a little, but only "a bit" and "a little," and that's better performance than what I get from most mascaras. I don't think I'll ever cough up the money for a full size tube, but I'll gladly grab every sample available to me.

Like most Americans, I was blown away by the music video for Childish Gambino's "This is America." It took me a half dozen viewings to pick out most of the references I could find, and even then, there were several that popped up in analyses that I totally missed. It's a richly textured video that provides more commentary in four minutes than some films do in two hours.

Lastly, a book! As I mentioned in my previous favorites post, I've had a lot of ups and downs with my reading choices this year; not much is wowing me, and I've finished a number of "meh" and disappointing books. An exception to this was Leigh Bardugo's "The Language of Thorns: Midnight Tales and Dangerous Magic," a collection of updated fairytales and folklore. These stories are apparently linked to Bardugo's Grishaverse books. Since I haven't read those yet and I feared I wouldn't understand these short stories as a result, I almost returned the book to the library unread. I'm glad I didn't, though, because these stories stand on their own. Each tale is a delight, though I'm particularly fond of "The Too-Clever Fox." There are also a ton of absolutely beautiful illustrations by Sarah Kipin.

Product List:

Skin Laundry Daily Moisturizer SPF35, $25

Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint, $39

YSL The Shock Volumizing Mascara, $29

Childish Gambino, "This is America" single, $1.29

Leigh Bardugo, "The Language of Thorns," $12.34

REVIEW: Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint

I bought the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint a couple of months ago with the expectation that summer would be on its way. Well, we're almost finished with April and it's not even 50° Farenheit outside, so this ended up being a bit premature; it's still cool enough for me to wear a regular foundation without feeling like I'm sweating under it, and I'm not outside enough to warrant daily sunscreen use. Yet I've worn this tinted sunscreen quite a bit in April because I like it despite its foibles.

What foibles, you ask? Well, there are several, but the most egregious is the packaging. Philosophy dumps their Skin Tint in a jar with a plastic cover, and while that jar might fit with their brand aesthetic, it's a giant mess. A lot of the product sticks to that lid and seeps around the edges; opening and closing it always leads to Skin Tint smeared on your fingers, no matter how careful you are. You could get rid of that little plastic cover once you've scraped all of the product off of it, but I wouldn't recommend it, because then you'll have an even bigger mess--you can see the product that's gotten on the lid even though I've used the cover.

At this price point ($39 for 1oz), I think a tube would be easier to control and still reasonably attractive. Be kind to us, Philosophy; most of us still own at least one white shirt or beige bag we'd like to keep stain-free.

Natural light on top, fill flash in the middle, ring light on the bottom. From left to right: Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint in 2.5 Ivory, Maybelline Fit Me Dewy + Smooth Foundation in 110 Porcelain, Buxom Show Some Skin Foundation in Tickle the Ivory, The Ordinary Serum Foundation in 1.0N.

The shade range is another puzzler. On the Sephora website, 2.5 Ivory looks to be the lightest shade; the little color square is quite light and yellow, and of course, it's the lowest number. I was damn shocked when I opened the jar, though, because the product looks much darker and more beige. It's lighter on the skin, but it still is darker than the online swatches suggest, and it has a peachier undertone than what I'm used to seeing. I'd peg it at a MAC NC/NW15 at the lightest.

Also, while the color squares make 2.5 Ivory and 3.5 Sand look very different in terms of depth, the swatch pictures make 3.5 look lighter. Let me demonstrate:

To be clear, I swatched 3.5 Sand in a Sephora in JC Penny's, and it could be darker than 2.5 Ivory. But I honestly couldn't tell in the store lighting, and these swatches on the Sephora website just add to my confusion. What gives, Philosophy? Am I using the right shade? Why are the shades on the website so different from what's in the pot? And while I'm asking questions, what is the airspeed velocity of an unladen swallow? (Oh, God, I really am 30 now, aren't I?)

On the bright side, the shades range from light to dark. They could definitely use more variety in their undertones, though, especially since this isn't quite as sheer and shade flexible as you might think. This also oxidizes, getting about a half shade darker roughly 15-20 minutes after initial application.

Despite the fact that the Philosophy Skin Tint is much darker than what I normally go for, I've been able to wear it because I've started self tanning my neck and I'm using less product now. When I first tested this tint (above left), I used a bit more than ¼ teaspoon, which made it look a heavier and dryer than it should, and it also made my un-tanned neck seem even lighter by comparison. These past two weeks (above right), I used a little less, and combined with the self tanning I've done on my neck, I got a pretty good match.

Now, it is generally recommended that you use ¼ teaspoon of sunscreen or a "nickle-size dollop" on your face. As my dermatologist pointed out, however, one size does not fit all; people have different face shapes and sizes, some formulas are easier to spread evenly than others, etc. As somebody with a relatively small face who keeps a ¼ teaspoon on her desk just to measure product amounts, I think that the slightly-less-than-a-fourth-teaspoon, closer-to-a-penny-size of product I apply is fine for me if I wear a hat and only get incidental exposure. You might apply more because you have a larger face or want more coverage, or you might apply even less for a barely-there finish. Just keep in mind that you may not be getting complete sun protection.

Philosophy calls this a "whipped water-gel makeup and skincare hybrid," and I think that's a fair assessment. While it looks like it will be quite rich and thick in the jar, it actually has a bit of a "fluffy," airy texture, and it feels smooth and weightless on the skin. It's very easy to blend with both fingers and a Beauty Blender; a brush gave me some streaking. Again, I have found that a penny size amount works best on my skin; it gives me a smooth, even application with light coverage that doesn't cling to dry patches or majorly emphasize fine lines. You can build this to a light-medium sort of coverage, but if you have dry skin, more product will mean more clinging.

One of the best things about this tinted sunscreen is that it also works well on dehydrated skin. I did look a bit dryer and more matte on the most dehydrated parts of my face at the end of the day, but it wasn't my usual "shriveled prune, dusty cabinet" sort of look. Because it's not mattifying, though, I'd hesitate to recommend it to truly oily skin. Combination skinned folks will definitely want to use a mattifying primer or some powder on their oily spots to cut back on shine.

From left to right: 15 minutes after application, 3 hours of wear, 7 hours of wear. The day went from cloudy to sunny in between pictures 1 and 2, hence those differences in lighting; picture 3 was taken at night with no natural light.

I found this tint comfortable for a full day's wear. It was totally weightless and never itched or burned. I definitely got shinier on the oily parts of my face, namely my nose, but the product didn't really break up or get patchy. (I am wearing powder in my t-zone in the above photos, but I found the wear to be roughly the same with or without powder.)

It photographs well in natural light and in artificial or studio lighting, but it does turn a little white in flash photography. I will gladly wear it to my friends' upcoming daytime summer wedding, but I certainly won't wear it for a night on the town. It also seems to have a sort of "skin blurring" effect, probably because there's a decent amount of silicone in the formula.

The verdict: I love the Philosophy Renewed Hope in a Jar Skin Tint way more than I expected. I can see it becoming my go-to summer base, thanks to its lightweight texture, ease of application, and SPF protection. But no product with packaging this shitty can earn 5 stars from me. Work on that container and the shade range, Philosophy, and then we'll re-assess your value.

RATING: 4 out of 5

I purchase Philosophy products from Sephora.

Beauty Sightings: Sex and the City, seasons 4 and 5-ish

I accidentally listed my season 5 and season 6 shots under the same filenames, so you may actually be getting a few season 6 sightings at the end here. My bad!

It was VERY hard to get these opening shots of the ladies' purse contents, but I tried my very best! This is an unidentified lipstick tube and a MAC lipglass in what appears to be Ample Pink laid out on Charlotte's bed.

A very blurry shot of Samantha's cabinet. There are some unidentified polishes, a MAC lipstick, and what appears to be high-end skincare. Anybody recognize it? EDIT: A helpful reader has pointed out that the jar might be Clarins. Thanks, Basille!

Carrie applying some of her clear gloss. I thought this was MAC Clear Gloss, but Makeup411 suggests that it's actually the Elizabeth Arden Crystal Clear tube gloss, which looks uber-similar in terms of packaging.

This will always and forever be my favorite makeup sighting: Kevyn Aucoin's cameo in the episode "The Real Me." I don't think his line was launched just yet, but I've been told that the  red-packaged items are KA prototypes. You can also see one of Kevyn's books and his trademark Polaroid shots, plus Q-tips and a pot of La Mer face cream.

Carrie's bejeweled panties, plus some NARS loose powder, a few polishes, and some lotion. Seriously, those nail polishes are KILLING me! Anybody recognize the bottles?

A quick shot of Miranda's sink. There's a NARS lipstick and what may be a Laura Mercier compact, though it's hard to see.

Perfumes!

Carrie rushing out for a date. The Elizabeth Arden gloss is on the table, plus another one of those white-tube lipsticks and a lip or eye liner.

A back shot of Carrie's bathroom table. You can catch a glimpse of her NARS loose powder off to the right. EDIT: Bertie says that these black-capped nail polishes are by Delux Beauty. Thanks, Bertie!

Samantha applying a nude chubby pencil sort of lipstick. Again with that white packaging...I feel like these "simple white packaging" items are from a brand I don't generally use.

Some Philosophy hair spray and a Clinique bar soap.

Part of Samantha's retail therapy after her bad breakup includes a visit to Paula Dorf.

Charlotte writing on her mirror with a perfectly good red lipstick (!!!).

Carrie patting on some lip color from a silver compact. I couldn't catch the logo, but I think it might be Laura Mercier or Paula Dorf.

The spread during Carrie's book cover photoshoot. The products appear to be almost all MAC.

Samantha applying Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream to her traumatized skin.

Charlotte dabbing on what is most likely a NARS lip lacquer to look extra-cute in front of her (first) divorce lawyer.

Miranda's surprisingly basic skincare includes Vaseline and baby oil. EDIT: According to Claire, the blue and white bottles are Mustela, high-end brand baby products. Thanks!

Another shot of Miranda's bathroom. Anybody recognize these products?

Miranda's tower-o-skincare from another angle. I definitely recognize some Kiehl's products.

A vanity shot. What beautiful skincare and perfume bottles!