The Best Beauty Products Of The Year

A huge perk of my life for the last decade-plus has been the fact that I get sent a lot of new beauty products to try. And even though I'm a creature of habit who has a habit of sticking with products I already know and love (so maybe not always trying as much new stuff as I should), I made a very conscious effort to try more things this year. And it paid off! Here are eight new-for-2018 products that I tried--and totally fell in love with. 

Love Beauty Planet Soothing Lavender Deodorant: I've been wearing aluminum-free deodorant almost exclusively for over a year now, and I don't think I'll ever go back. Even though I know there is no "proof," there are just too many questions about aluminum for me. I'm nervous about its potential effects, and once I found a couple of very effective clean formulas, I no longer felt the need to chance it anymore. What I hadn't found until now, though, is an aluminum-free formula that works great and feels great. But this one does. I mean, this one feels insanely good. Totally smooth, totally clear, zero white residue, zero crumbliness. It glides on, really, truly works, and smells amazing. 

Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen: The texture of this sunscreen is incredible. It's a lotion-gel hybrid that feels cool to the touch, and disappears instantly. (Really.) There is zero chalkiness and no endless rubbing. I wear it on both body and face, and it comes in SPF 30 and 50. (I wear the 50, obvs.)

BareMinerals BarePro Full-Coverage Concealer: This stick concealer is the closest thing I've found to the cult-favorite Cle de Peau concealer, which is amazing, but ridiculously expensive ($70!). This one is about a third of the price ($24) and very similar. It's got that same creamy stick texture, works equally well on dark circles and pimples, and really stays put. I'm obsessed.  

Benefit Gimme Brow: Because I am constantly being sent new beauty products (or am "calling in" a refill of a favorite that I've run out of), I barely ever actually buy a beauty product anymore. (Don't hate me.) But this one I actually bought myself--and I'd do it again! I discovered it while having my brows done at the Benefit brow bar in Chelsea. The woman doing my brows (Pamela--she's amazing!) suggested this product when I explained how I wanted my brows to look full, thick, a little darker, and groomed but still natural and not too "done." She tried it on me, and I loved the results, bought it on the spot, and have been obsessed ever since. It's a tinted cream that you brush on to hold your brows in place and add the slightest bit of fullness and color. It makes a huge difference in your brows, but it's somehow subtle--they still look super natural and not at all like you're a YouTube star with super sharp, super dark, super exaggerated brows. I mean, there are people who can rock that look, but I'm not one of them--nor do I want to be. This does just enough, but makes a world of difference. I'll be buying it again and again and again.

H2O+ Coconut Verbena Body Wash: I love, love, love the scent of this product. Citrus-y body washes are my favorite, and this one has that with the verbena but also adds an undertone of creamy coconut that is just perfect. It also seems (to me) like it has a hint of musk, which I am all about. The scent is fresh-meets-beachy-meets-clean and I adore it. You can also get the scent as a body butter, a scrub, and more. (Note: Ulta is having a buy-two-get-one-free sale on the line right now!)

Lancome Skin Feel Good Skin Nourishing Foundation: This was my go-to foundation for most of 2018. In fact, it's probably my favorite formula I've ever found. It has amazing coverage, evens out your skin tone perfectly, but still manages to somehow look sheer and un-makeup-y. It also hydrates and has SPF. (FYI, I still wear sunscreen when foundations have SPF, but it does add a little extra, which I'm into.) Bonus: I apply this one with my fingers versus with a sponge or brush. It goes on like a more pigmented tinted moisturizer and is pretty much impossible to mess up. 

Nars Climax Mascara: I read one ehh review of this early on from a blogger I trust, so I kind of dismissed it. But then I had to try it for a story I was writing and found out that it was actually awesome! The formula never clumps, flakes, or runs, and the big, bushy brush leaves my lashes looking long and super thick, but in a natural (not crazy dramatic) way. I love it!

BareMinerals BarePro Liquid Foundation: Long story (which I will get more into another time), but I had to switch out a lot of products in my routine towards the end of the year after I discovered I had a mild allergy to--get this--fragrance. Since there is fragrance in pretty much every thing you put on your face, this was a problem. My derm wanted me to cut out fragrance for at least a month, so unfortunately, one of the things that had to go was my beloved Lancome Skin Feel Good Foundation since it does contain fragrance. Since I loved the BareMinerals BarePro concealer so much, I decided to try the foundation, too, since it is fragrance-free, and I'm happy to report...I love it! It's very buildable and can be sheer, medium, or full depending how much you apply. It really stays on and hides everything I need to hide. Definitely a keeper!

Have you guys tried any of these products? And did you have any 2018 favorites that didn't make my list? If so, tell me below so I can try them out!

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21 Cool Things You Need to Click On Today

Shirt by Catch A Wave Designs; nail color, Deborah Lippman Laughin' To The Bank

This is one of those days when it's tough to write a post like this. The air in this country feels heavy right now. It is heavy right now. And it can feel wrong to focus on "frivolous stuff" when the world feels like it's burning. But at the same time, I know that I use these kind of things as an escape--and I sure as hell could use one right about now. 

I spent most of yesterday glued to my TV watching the live feed of the Kavanaugh hearings. When they would take a break, I would, too. I'd mute my TV and scroll through Instagram or check out some of my favorite blogs. And let me tell you, those few moments of latte art, perfectly styled outfits, and lifestyle tips felt like a goddamn glorious little respite before the next round of heartache began. 

I hope I can be that for you right now. 

Here's a few links I enjoyed this week. I hope you like them, too. Have a great weekend! We deserve it.

• A few months back, I tested the Aveda Invati Advanced three-step hair thickening system for several months. My review is here, but the Cliff's Notes version: In my experience, it definitely worked. My hair was noticeably thicker immediately and over time. Sooo...if you've been thinking about trying the line, this is the time to do it. With the purchase of any two full-size Aveda Invati products (so, say the shampoo and the conditioner), you can get the third step in the system--the Scalp Revitalizer--for FREE, which is a $65 value. Click here to get the deal and use code ALYSSAAVEDA. Enjoy!

• I did a doubletake when I saw these gorgeous rose-gold loafers. They're from Target! And just $22!

• I had read some mixed reviews about the new Nars Climax Mascara, but I tried it this week myself, and I totally loved it! It has a big, bushy brush that grabs on to the tiniest hairs, so it makes you look like you have a million lashes. 

• Looking for something to read? I've read a ton of good ones lately. I finished The Book of Essie a few weeks back and really enjoyed it. It's the story of a teenager who has grown up in a very religious, Duggar-like reality-TV family. Loved the premise and it was a fun read.

• Next, came Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult, which I also loved. It tells an intertwined story from two perspectives--one, a white supremacist and the other, an African-American nurse. Like all of Picoult's book, it's a really good story that's quick to read and definitely tough to put down. 

• Most recently, I finished Yes We (Still) Can by Dan Pfeiffer, a former Obama staffer and one of the hosts of the Pod Save America podcast. It's part memoir of his time working in the White House and part political inspiration for our current times. I loved it, and in an age when it can be hard to feel a sense of optimism, it actually made me feel hopeful. 

• Right now I'm about a third of the way through The Dinner List, which came highly recommend from many of my favorite book people. You know how everyone always asks who you'd have dinner with if you could dine with any five people, living or dead? Well, this is the story of what happens when one woman gets that dinner with her best friend, a college professor, her estranged (and now deceased) father, an ex-boyfriend, and Audrey Hepburn. Really liking it so far, and it's a very easy read, which is nice.

• Love this leather tote bag that doubles as a backpack. So smart!

• Do you remember awhile back when I introduced you to my friend Tia Williams? Well, she just wrote an amazing essay for Glamour about the lessons that black women are passing down to their daughters about hair. A really great piece.

• Remember my quick trip to L.A. this summer? Well, I wrote about what I did there, here: I Got A Facial From Jessica Alba's BFF!

• I shared some of my back-to-school tips with PureWow.

• Funny because it's true: Why is goat cheese packaging so annoying?

• This is one of those stories that seems absolutely unbelievable, and when you realize it's true, you're going to be livid. In nearly all states, it is legal (and common!) for doctors to give non-consensual pelvic exams to patients who are under anesthesia. Yes, really. 

• Another medical story guaranteed to piss you off: For months, doctors wouldn't take this woman's medical complaints seriously. And she died because of it.

• New life goal: Steal this woman's job so I, too, can get paid $6,000 a day to write quotes for Instagram.

• If you've been thinking of joining BJ's Wholesale Club (and this is why you should), for the next one day only, you can get a membership for just $25 (it's regularly $55). Click here to get the deal. So worth it!

• My friend Liana just wrote a powerful essay for Teen Vogue on her time spent at a Catholic girls' school just a stone's throw from Georgetown Prep.

• Are you registered to vote? Are you sure? Go to Vote Save America to double check that you're registered--or to find out what you need to do to get registered. The midterms (which take place in just over a month!) is the most important election of our lifetime. And your vote matters.

And in case you missed it, I..

• Recapped our road trip to Seattle and Portland.

• Gave my tips for getting a great blowout (with inexpensive products!) at home.

• Shared some of my all-time favorite beauty products.

Have a great weekend!

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