2023 Beauty Favorites

I spent half of 2023 pregnant so that means I had to keep things pretty simple and gentle in terms of skincare. As for makeup, I also kept things easy and quick. That probably means many of you will love this round up 🙂 Who doesn’t love simple, easy and quick for 2023 beauty favorites!

This beauty favorites list is not EVERYTHING I used, but it’s the stand out products I repurchased and made a difference in my beauty routine.

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2023 beauty favorites

skincare

skinceuticals simply clean cleansing gel

Double cleansing is a pretty well known technique these days (where you cleanse your skin with a cleansing oil/balm first, then wash with a second type of cleanser), but for the last three years, I’ve been double cleansing with regular foaming/gel type cleansers. The first time, you’re washing off makeup, Second time is actually cleansing the skin. This cleanser is so thick a little goes a long way and it does an incredible job deep cleaning my pores without drying out my skin. Lasts forever!

skinceuticals CE Ferulic serum

During pregnancy, I knew many of my favorite active ingredients were off limits – as were fancy facials. So I invested in the MOTHER of all vitamin C serums to prevent aging. This one is VERY very good. Worth the hype. The price is wild, but when you’re not splurging on very many other skincare products or treatments, I felt it was justified (lol). I really could tell a difference in the brightness and pigmentation in my skin when I stopped using it briefly before repurchasing.

beautycounter overnight resurfacing peel

Beautycounter is known to be the leader in clean beauty and all of their products are pregnancy safe. This serum is a chemically exfoliating product I used once a week on Sunday evenings to keep my skin clear and fine lines at bay.

ole henriksen strength training peptide moisturizer

I think I bought this moisturizer three times in 2023. I really LOVE it! It’s thick but in a unique gel/cream texture but as someone super sensitive and acne prone but also looking at anti aging benefits, this moisturizer gets two huge thumbs up from me.

makeup

benefit fanfest mascara

It isn’t often that I repurchase a mascara sent to me in PR, but this is one that I did! I also don’t typically love traditional bristle brushes or non tubing formulas, but this one… I do! Tells you a lot. This brush really grabs my lashes and fans them out, layers well, gives volume and length and best of all – does not smudge one bit.

rose inc tinted serum foundation

This year, I focused heavily on ingredients in my makeup and skincare that were clean and also acne safe and this super sheer/light coverage foundation/serum was my go to allll spring through fall… until I needed a lighter shade (it’s actually arriving in the mail this week). I could slap this on so fast and it evened out my complexion and left a plump bounce to the skin.

natasha denona hy glam concealer

The concealer of the year! Incredible coverage, great on the dryer, more mature eye area and an impeccable shade rage.

makeup by mario transforming skin enhancer bronzer

One of those products I completely finished and repurchased. I use shade Medium. It is glowy, but doesn’t look like makeup – looks like a true tan to the skin. Doesn’t melt away and disappear either.

DIBS beauty sticks

Indie beauty brand I tried this year… picked up two of the Desert Island Beauty sticks and am almost finished with one of them. These are great for travel and blend out super easily – like butter. Great for those new to cream makeup.

dior lip oil in coral

She’s a splurge and there are others extremely similar for less money, but I really enjoyed this one in shade Coral. Wore it almost every day in the summer. I also own it in the original pink shade. When I have more than one of the same product, it means something 😉

haircare

living proof advanced clean dry shampoo

I’ve tried so many dry shampoos from Batiste to super clean beauty brands and everything in between… this one is cleaner yet does something none of the others do: it doesn’t leave my scalp overly dry and flaky! I prefer the Advanced formula because it’s not as gritty/texture-y, more conditioning.

olaplex blow dry mist

As someone with thicker heavier hair, I like volume and fluff without it being weighed down. This mist leaves NO stiff residue but gives hair that extra bouncy look while providing heat protection.

k18 peptide prep shampoo

I feel like every shampoo and conditioner I own I rarely finish because I’m over it before the bottle is empty. But this one I completely finished and repurchased! It does such a nice job of cleaning my hair and rinsing super clean… leaving hair bouncy and soft.

vegamour revitalizing conditioner

Hand in hand with the K18, I repurchased this conditioner, too. I started using it to help prevent post partum hair loss and although I have no idea if it helped, I do feel like my hair loss was less this second time around and it pairs really nicely with the K18 shampoo. It does smell sort of strong though (even though it’s cleaner beauty).

kerastase hair oil

I get the mini size of this hair oil because a little goes a long way, but this is the best hair oil for before blowdrying. Leaves the hair smooth and soft without weighing it down. I also love running it through the ends after drying for shine.

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That wraps up my 2023 beauty favorites! Have you tried any of these? What did you think was your favorites of the year? Let me know! If you try any of these, tag me on IG @ brighterdarling. Happy 2024!

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-Steffanie