Beauty Favorites of 2012

After seeing Meg from O. is Me's Top 2012 beauty picks, I knew I had to share mine too. Meg always has great makeup tips and products posts, and is the mother to the cutest little munchkin! She inspired today's post about what my favorite products were this past year. Most of them I've talked about on the blog and linked to their reviews, but some of them, this is the first they've been mentioned and  reviews will be coming soon. Most of the products I use I've found from bloggers I follow and before I buy most things, I Google blog reviews!

Suave Professionals Dry Shampoo Spray (review here), Neutrogena Anti-Residue Shampoo (review here), TRESemme Salon Silk Serum (review here)

Neutrogena Naturals Fresh Cleansing + Makeup Remover, Oil of Olay Pro-X (review here), Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub (see my routine here), Complete All Day UV Moisturizer

NYX Matte Bronzer (I buy medium in the summer and light in the winter), MAC Blush in Warm Soul (review here), L'oreal True Match in W3 Nude Beige, MAC Blush in Easy Manner from their Glamour Daze collection

MAC Eyeshadow in All That Glitters and Phloof (they're my everyday and blend awesome with the Naked palettes), Maybelline Lots of Lashes Mascara (review here), Billion Dollar Brows Brow Powder in Taupe (review here), Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer in Brightener 60 (I use this under my eyes, but also down my nose and above my lip), L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen Mascara

Fresh Sugar Lip Balm, MAC Boy Bait, Revlon Lipstick (any color!), Bath and Body Works Mentha Lip Shine in Vanilla Mint

Do you use any of these products? What were your favorite beauty picks from last year?
If you have any questions about my favorite products, ask me below or send me an email!

Wash, Tone, Moisturize

The last couple of weeks I've received some comments and emails about my skin care routine, so I wanted to do a post about the products I use. Some of these items I've done reviews for in the past and have been using for year. Right now I'm using a make-up remover I don't care for, so it's not included, but got some great suggestions I'll be testing out in the future.

Neutrogena Oil-Free Acne Wash Pink Grapefruit Foaming Scrub
This wash is effective enough to fend off acne, but gentle enough to use everyday without drying me out, plus it smells delicious.

L'Oreal Go 360 Clean for Sensitive Skin 
I've been using this cleanser since it came out and I love it. I use it combined with my Oil of Olay Pro-X Cleaner. 

Oil of Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System
I use this cleanser almost everyday, but will skip a day or two depending on my mood. It's a great exfoliater and really helps my skin to glow.

Neutrogena Alcohol-Free Toner
This toner is awesome and because it's alcohol-free it doesn't dry out your skin. I use this every morning before moisturizing.

Oil of Olay Complete All Day Moisturizer for Sensitive Skin

This is my holy grail product, I've used it since high school. I really love all of the Olay brand products and will probably start to use more as I age. Which, you know is happening right now so I should probably hop on it.

Mary Kay TimeWise Firming Eye Cream
This little betty is a gem, I only use it at night because it's a little bit thick and I don't like to layer make-up on top of it.  

My skin is pretty normal, but it's easily dried out so I mostly use sensitive skin products to stay on an even keel. Like, I said above, I've used most of these products for years and don't really care to stray. If I feel like my skin needs something more or what I'm using isn't working anymore, I'll always start to see what else is out there that I can try. 

What does your skin care routine look like? What are your holy grail products?  

Product Review: Olay Profession Pro-X

Olay Pro-X Advanced Cleansing System

Since the Clarisonic became such a huge hit, I've had my eye on getting one. The price tag is kind of hefty, so I never bit the bullet. Then walked in my fave brand Olay with their version. Awesome. Still never bought it though, I just had other things to buy that were bigger priorities like lipsticks, mascaras, and new sandals. My amazing Mother-in-Law remembered how I wanted one and picked me up on for my birthday. Isn't she the sweetest? I'm so lucky to have my in-laws, they're all so fab!

Here's the products details (included in the box):

- 2-speed facial cleansing brush

- Soft bristle replaceable brush head

- Exfoliating Renewal Cleanser (I've been using my regular cleanser)

I've been using this beauty for over a month now, about 2-3 times a week. I love it! It's really made a difference in the length a blemish lasts and has helped to diminish any marks they have left behind. I'm blessed with pretty good skin, but I've still felt an improvement in the overall look and feel of my skin. When I use it, I was my makeup off first, then use my regular cleanser all over my face and use this brush all over my face and neck in a circular motion. I also find it better/easier to use in the shower.

Please note, that this product does not have the same technology as a Clarisonic and I have never used a Clarisonic so I can't compare the two products. This is a great product for it's price and works great as a super exfoliater. Given the condition of my skin, this gives me the boost I need, but if you have more serious skin issues, you may want to look into other products.

Have you used a face brush like this? What was your experience?