El of The Beauty Isle, Simone of Fashion Runs the World, Monica of Jersey Girl Texan Heart, and yours truly
We beauty bloggers are very opinionated. Ask us anything about BB creams, dry shampoos, or how to get eyebrows like Cara Delevingne and we’ll give you the 411 on what to buy, what to avoid, and how to emulate your favorite supermodel. That’s why I brought together some of my favorite bloggers – whose opinions I trust – for a collaborative post on the best and worst products of the last year. But first, here are my favorite and least favorite beauty products I discovered in 2014.
Best
Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish with Hot Cloth Cleanser
Ok, I’ve raved about this cleanser from Liz Earle before so naming it my favorite beauty goodie of the year shouldn’t come as much of a surprise. The creamy texture is gentle and moisturizing, unlike other cleansers that strip skin of essential oils. Best of all, the complementary muslin cloth renders makeup removers completely unnecessary by obliterating even the most stubborn waterproof mascara, which is really saying something if you’ve ever used a potent mascara.
And it’s the hot muslin cloth that makes this product a win. It makes me feel like I’m getting spa treatment anytime I’m just washing my face. The process works like this: wet face, lather the cream cleanser, then gently cleanse with the hot muslin cloth. The result is soft, smooth, and clean – but not squeaky clean – skin.
In case you were wondering, the solution is gentle on eyes as well, plus it works on all skin types – acne-prone, phentermine 37.5 oily, combination, dry – you name it. The downside? Keeping the muslin cloth clean. The instructions suggest washing it in the laundry but I hand wash with soap and water and let it air-dry.
And now for my least favorite product of 2014…
Worst
I don’t spend too much time writing about beauty products I dislike (after all who wants to come off as a hater?), but there’s a lot of value to expressing your honest opinion especially when that opinion is negative and in the minority. Case in point: Davines Love Curl Enhancing Shampoo, a sample I received from Birchbox last summer. Like a lot of curly-haired people, I always examine the ingredients list of a shampoo before sampling, and I was disappointed to find that this one contained sulfates (the gluten of beauty products).
I tried it anyway. And like many other shampoos that contain harsh sulfates, this one left my tresses severely parched and more prone to breakage despite claiming to strengthen hair. It’s one of the few Birchbox samples I let go to waste.
It had one redeeming quality, though: it helped control frizz in the middle of summer. All of that said, I wish this shampoo were available without sulfates because then I’d totally use it. Judging by the reviews a lot of curly-haired ladies love this product, so don’t let my experience deter you from trying it.
I’d love to know what your favorite and least favorite beauty products. Don’t forget to check out the links above to find out what products other bloggers are loving and not-so-loving from the past year. xx
