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.
This year I tried less products than years past. This year was all about refining my skincare routine and really, really nourishing my skin and I was all about glossy lip oils and pretty, flushed cheeks.
In 2024 I continued to 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 Violette FR Review, Makeup by Mario Review and my The Best Chanel Makeup Products guide.
I also kept past popular reviews like my Westman Atelier Review, my Victoria Beckham Beauty 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 the Best French Beauty Products.
In 2024 I also took on finally updating my huge My Holy Grail Beauty Products.
Best Beauty Products Tried in 2024
1. La Bonne Brosse
All my girlfriends in France were raving about these brushes so when they finally landed in the U.S. I opted to try it out and I have to say, I love it. It is designed to help sensitive scalps and I feel like my hair looks and feels healthier with regular use.
I still reach for my Mason Pearson regularly because it is more portable to throw in my bags and I also think it is superior when I am doing my low back buns but for overall hair health, I am really happy with having La Bonne Brosse in my routine.
2. Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palette
This is such a great everyday shadow palette. It’s super portable making it perfect for travel and I can use the shades easily for daytime or amp them up for nighttime looks. A powerful little 4-shadow palette for sure.
3. Rhode Lip Peptide in Toast
The regular lip peptide was one of my favorite discoveries of 2023 so I tried out the tinted lip tints this past year and absolutely loved the Toast shade. The perfect pinky-nude for everyday wear. Leaves lips feeling great.
4. One Size Setting Spray
Go ahead and put your face in a pool and your makeup will stay put if you’ve applied this stuff. It really, really lacquers your makeup on which makes it ideal for long days. I can’t live without it on travel days. I’ve bought so many of the multiples since I discovered it. An instant holy grail for me.
5. Makeup by Mario Sculpting Serum
This is a hard product to describe but it makes your face look sculpted and lifted with very little effort. I use a big fluffy brush to put it on my cheekbones, my jawline, my hairline. I loooove how it blends out and dries down. I use the shade Fair.
6. Chantecaille Cheek Gelee
I was keen to test out this line last year and most products were a let down for the price but this one stood out. It’s such a beautiful, sheer cheek tint that’s ideal for summer thanks to its gelee, gel-like texture.
7. Charlotte Tilbury Exaggereyes Mascara
This was an impulse buy during the last round of the Sephora Sale and I’m so happy I got it as it delivers the fat, fluffy lashes I love.
8. Saie Glossybounce Lip Oil
I was on a lip oil kick this past year and found a lot of formulas I loved. This one delivers bouncy, glossy lips that feel hydrated. I want to try more shades next.
9. Armani Beauty Cheek Tint
Armani Beauty had so many good launches recently and this cheek tint can actually do double duty on the lips, too. I got the shown bright, bright pink and loved wearing it all summer. It’s very buildable, too.
10. Armani Beauty Eye Tints
Another launch I loved were these eye tints that make doing eye makeup so, so easy! My go-to when I don’t want to put forth a lot of effort but need a little something on my lids.
11. Summer Fridays Dream Lip Oil
Another great lip oil I loved trying this year. I saw they are dropping new shades and I already want to try another color.
12. GenSee Glow Stick
If you love the Westman blush, you’ll like this formula (not to mention the price point which is like 1/3 of the Westman one…)
13. Rhode Pocket Blush
This is another great blush launch of last year. It packs a punch of pigment so apply sparingly at first.
14. Saint Jane Lip Oil
One last lip oil I loved last year was from clean beauty brand Saint Jane. The shade Cloud is so wearable and I found myself constantly reaching to apply this because I loved how it made my lips look.
1. Caudalie SPF
I was so honored when Caudalie gave me a sneak peek at their biggest launch of 2024 with this clean, silicone-free SPF. I loved it and they went on to hire me to help share the launch.
Given my history with skin cancer, I have to wear mineral sunscreen and often buy formulas from oversears. So when my favorite skincare brand released their first ever SPF for the U.S., I was pumped about it and really happy with how it wore and performed.
It’s SPF 50 for all skin types, including sensitive skin and has brightening agents so it helps visible signs of sun aging while you wear it. The texture is non-greasy, dries down well despite the mineral formula and is great under makeup.
2. U Beauty Super Hydrator
I have been really happy with everything from U Beauty I’ve tried and my skin adores this serum that is like a big drink of water. If you suffer from any dryness, definitely try this.
You can use code MEGHANDONO to get 20% off your U Beauty order on their site.
3. Youth to the People Body Wash
I am totally, utterly hooked on this body wash’s smell. I still adore the Necessaire one but was ready for a new one to love in my shower routine and this fit the bill perfectly.
4. Crown Affair Finishing Gel
The new key to my sleek, low bun. This has no sticky texture whatsoever, doesn’t flake off in hair and is so easy to apply. Perfect for fighting flyaways. Now I just need them to come out with it in a travel size!!
5. Hourglass Foundation Brush
This makes my favorite foundations go on like a dream. I like the small brush head that has it feel very targeted when applying formulas to the contours of the face.
6. Hourglass Concealer Brush
And the concealer brush is also so good! Ideal for laying down my favorite concealers underneath my eyes but elsewhere on the face, too.
7. Kitsch Brush Cleaner
I spoke about this in my recent Amazon favorites post but it was worth mentioning here, too. It makes me eager to clean out my hair brushes on the regular, tbh. The handiest gadget I can’t recommend enough.
8. Clean Skin Club Towels
I really believe these helped my skin break out less. They are super soft and ideal for acne-prone skin. They ensure you’re not putting a bacteria-filled reusable towel on your skin. My skin improved with regular use.
9. Maison Francis Kurkdjian 724 Eau de Parfum
In the name of research I set out to test out the personalization service available at this French fragrance house on a trip to Paris last year. I found this eau de parfum and it quickly became one of my most-worn fragrances out of those I own.
I love light and airy and floral fragrances that aren’t overpowering. This one feels luminous and vibrant and memorable. If you’ve liked past recommendations of mine when it comes to fragrances, you’ll likely enjoy this one.
. . .
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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