Every year I love looking back at my favorite beauty purchases of the year and whittling down the best of the best for this post. One of my favorite perks of wit & whimsy is the amount of beauty products I can test through the year.
I try a lot and many never make it to the blog or my Instagram because they’re just OK. You know if I am sharing something it is GOOD. It is why I talk about the same products over and over again, too. And 2023 was a year of very, very good beauty discoveries for me.
In 2023 I largely shared my favorite beauty discoveries with my newsletter community in a (mostly) monthly series. On the blog, I continued to share more in-depth reviews of brands and products like my Tower 28 Product Review, Lys Beauty Review, Victoria Beckham Beauty Review and I also kept past popular reviews like my Westman Atelier Review and my Merit Beauty Review refreshed as I tested out new launches from the brands.
I also penned more seasonal round ups like my favorite products for summer glow and updated popular posts like my favorite fragrances and my favorite beauty tips + tricks.
Best Beauty Products I Tried in 2023
1. Gucci Sun-Kissed Glow Bronzer
bronzer designed to deliver a natural, sun-kissed glow that blurs fine lines and pores.
I wear shade 01.
2. Gucci Luminous Matte Beauty Blush
Annnnd I liked the bronzer so much that I tried the Gucci Blush when it went on sale during the spring Sephora sale. It quickly became in regular use in my rotation of my favorite go-to blushes.
I wear shade Rosy Beige and love to layer it over the Merit Flush Balm in shade Beverly Hills.
3. Lys Beauty Triple Fix Serum Foundation & Lys Beauty Triple Fix Full Coverage Brightening Concealer
This foundation is like a true filter for your face. It’s got a serum-like texture that effortlessly melts into the skin. I was amazed at how well it concealed redness, blemishes and dark spots and loved the buildable light-medium coverage. My skin looks instantly better upon application. Radiant, glowy and not overly matte or overly dewy.
Available in 35 shades and I wear shade LP4.
Similar to the foundation, this concealer is so, so good. It’s got an amazing texture that is oh so creamy and therefore it blends out to conceal dark circles, blemishes and dark spots almost too easily. The vegan formula was designed to be buildable and I found it really has the best skin-like finish without any caking. I love, love, love this concealer.
Read my full Lys Beauty Review
4. Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Shine Lipstick Balm
I almost always had one of these “lipstick balms” nearby me in 2023. I wore shades 9 and 150 and 44 constantly all year long. This is my ideal kind of throw on and go lip product – medium-coverage and hydrating with a high-shine, balm-like texture that conditions and moisturizes the lips. It has a very je ne sais quoi quality to it.
5. Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette
This palette makes doing a glam eye so, so easy. I have to say, Charlotte Tilbury is a conventional makeup brand I really can’t quit. I feel like she makes glam makeup easy and not intimidating and when I really want to feel my best self, I reach for her products. In 2022 I fell in love with this palette in the shade Exaggereyes and then in 2023 went on to purchase The Golden Goddess as well. Both are great and I bring one or the other whenever I travel.
6. Amika Fluxus Hairspray
My go-to hairspray for touchable hair with hold. I lost count of how many bottles of the travel size I went through in 2022!
7. SkinMedica AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser
I set out to find a good chemical exfoliating cleanser this year and this fit the bill. It combines alpha and beta hydroxy acids to remove dead cells and other impurities for a smoother and brighter complexion. I reach for it whenever my skin is feeling lackluster.
8. NUXE Very Rose Micellar Water for Sensitive Skin
After a hotel in France gave me a sample of this, I came home and bought the full size and have loved how gentle and yet effective it is as a second cleanse in the evenings.
Read: 29 Best French Beauty Products
9. Victoria Beckham Posh Gloss
I absolutely love this gloss! It’s cushiony and has a super high-shine. I found it really lasted on the lips and love the subtle plumping it gave alongside the mirror-like finish.
It comes in eight shades and I have shade Bikini which is a great dusty, cool pink. I already plan to purchase more shades this year.
10. Victoria Beckham Lip Definer
I love the color payoff on this pigmented liner. It lays down color without a lot of effort or tugging at the lips. I really love the creamy texture of it. And it definitely contributes to a fuller looking pout! It has Vitamin E to condition lips and is a waterproof formula for added wear.
It comes in seven shades and I have shade 03 which pairs really well with the Posh Gloss and Posh Lipstick shades I own. The three together is such a good lip and a combo I came back for time and time again last year.
Read my full Victoria Beckham Beauty Review
11. Rhode Peptide Lip Treatment
With over 10,000 five star reviews I was intrigued to buy this and then went through it in record time. It makes lips super pillowy soft and feel extra hydrated – particularly in dry weather. It feels super restorative and I love having a go-to unscented nourishing balm for my lips. I just re-ordered it!
12. Victoria Beckham Matte Bronzing Brick
I nearly didn’t buy the Victoria Beckham Beauty Matte Bronzing Brick but I am so glad I did. I was really impressed with it! It gives a warm, sun-kissed radiance to the skin and has a soft matte finish. I love that it comes with two shades and doesn’t leave any white cast thanks to it being talc-free.
1. Byredo Gypsy Water Eau de Parfum
After constantly asking my friend Carly what she was wearing and her constantly telling me it was Byredo Gypsy Water, I bought this perfume in February in Paris and it’s been a go-to ever since. It’s super unique – woody and aromatic that opens with notes of bergamot, lemon, pepper and juniper berries. It basically invites compliments.
2. Byredo Reine de Nuit Extrait de Parfum
When I bought Gypsy Water, the lovely sales associate gave me a sample of their new perfume extracts and I started wearing this one every night in Pairs in February. I was totally hooked on it by the end of the month and purchased the full size as a souvenir of my month there. This is hands down the sexiest perfume I have ever smelled. It’s a warm and spicy and super alluring fragrance designed to allude to the the scent of flowers after nightfall. It is divine.
3. Westman Atelier Liquid Super Loaded Drops
A newer launch for the brand, I looooove these drops. The brand calls this a “supercharged lightweight complexion enhancer” but I just love the instant, ethereal glow that a few drops give to your cheeks and other high points of your face.
It comes in three shades and I have the Soft Cool Rose tone which I love on fair skin.
4. Caudalie Premier Cru Skin Barrier Rich Moisturizer with Bio-Ceramides
My go-to night cream all of 2023. This is a rich moisturizer that visibly repairs the skin barrier and reduces the look of wrinkles with Caudalie’s TET8™ Patent, bio-ceramides and hyaluronic acid. My skin is so happy in the morning whenever I use this.
This cream is pricey but a little goes a long way and after regular use in 2023 I was only half way through my jar which is refillable!
5. Caudalie Premier Cru Anti-Aging Eye Cream for Fine Lines and Wrinkles
Also great is the new Caudalie Premier Cru eye cream that brightens while also helping the appearance of dark circles, puffiness, crow’s feet, fine lines and wrinkles. Bonus: it is fragrance-free.
Read my full Caudalie Skincare Review
6. Clarins V-Facial Instant Depuffing Mask
This mask is so great. It de-puffs in such a satisfying way I found myself reaching for it weekly!
7. Tower 28 Beauty JuiceBalm Vegan Tinted Lip Balm
A great sheer lip balm that makes lips feel extra juicy. I started with shade Mix and then bought Squeeze for summertime lips, too.
8. DermaFlash Luxe+ Advanced Sonic Dermaplaning + Peach Fuzz Removal
Well, 2023 became the year I started shaving peach fuzz that had started growing in on my face. I actually owned this tool for three years before I decided to finally try it. It safely and gently exfoliates for superior removal of dead skin cells, peach fuzz and dulling buildup off your face.
I was relieved it didn’t change how hair grew back in. Makeup went on better and it is safe to say I am hooked on this little device now reaching for it 1-2 x per month.
9. Julep Eyeshadow 101 Crème to Powder Waterproof Eyeshadow Stick
An excellent creme to powder shadow that’s ideal for travel. Shade Champagne Shimmer is a foolproof shade for every day wear.
The It Cosmetics Waterproof Shadow Sticks I tried this year were also great.
10. Tatcha The Dewy Skin Cream Plumping & Hydrating Moisturizer
A rich cream that hydrates & plumps, while improving skin’s moisture barrier & visibly smoothing lines for an instantly radiant, dewy look that lasts.
11. Merit Beauty Flush Balm in Beverly Hills
My most used blush of 2023. I have been using this blush since it came out in 2022 but in 2023 bought and couldn’t quit the newer shade Beverly Hills. I also love Cheeky and Stockholm was my most worn shade for summer – the perfect poppy pink shade.
12. Biologique Recherche Lait VIP 02
A facialist in Paris recommended this cleanser to me and after loving the small bottle I purchased, I bought the full size and have continued to use it to cleanse every morning. She told me that I needed a milky cleanser to balance my PH in the morning and said my preferred gel cleanser was actually too stripping to my sensitive skin.
This cleanser eliminates impurities, calms the epidermis, brightens and unifies the complexion and was designed for those in dry climates, polluted cities and for frequent travelers. It has been so good for my skin.
13. R+CO Pomade Stick
This pocket-friendly pomade stick was a game changer for keeping flyaways in check when I traveled and often had my low-bun in play.
14. Hero Cosmetics Rescue Balm & Red Correct Post-Blemish Recovery Cream
On no-makeup days you’ll usually find this balm on my skin to help with blemish recovery and hide any redness. I love that it both conceals and heals.
Three more items I loved:
Westman Atelier Skin Activator
This stuff is just…pure magic? When I remember to use it after my skincare routine and before my makeup my skin looks oh-so-lit from within. It’s something special and was a bestseller this year for good reason.
Supergoop Bioretinol SPF
I was so proud to work with Supergoop last year to share more about my skin cancer journey. In doing so I tested some of their new products and this SPF became one of my most reached for of the year.
M-61 PowerGlow Peel
These peel pads are so great for resurfacing and revitalizing skin in just one minute. I love that they are individually wrapped so they are perfect to bring with you on the road when skin feels like it needs a boost. They improve skin’s tone and texture while reducing pore size and calming and soothing with chamomile and lavender which is ideal for my redness-prone skin.
Shop the Products
Do you have a beauty product you purchased last year that you can’t live without now? I’d love to hear what it was in the comments below!
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