Happy New Year!
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Wishing everyone a very happy, healthy and blessed new year. Here is to 2012 and ringing in 2013!
Helping women 50+ look beautiful, feel confident, and embrace the age they’ve earned - with honest beauty advice that actually works.
Welcome to Beautiful Makeup Search, where beauty isn't about looking younger, it's about looking and feeling your very best at every age. For more than 25 years, I've been sharing honest reviews, real-world beauty tips, skincare discoveries, makeup favorites, and inspiration to help women navigate the ever-changing world of beauty with confidence. Whether you're searching for the perfect foundation for mature skin, effective skincare that delivers results, or simply a trusted voice who understands the joys and challenges of aging, you're in the right place. Here, we celebrate beauty without filters, embrace the age we've earned, and focus on what truly works, not what's trending.
— Teri Cosenzi, creator
My Favorite Things 2012.
/Where has the year gone? I cannot believe that 2012 is coming to a close already. It has been a beautiful year, and I am blessed to be a part of your lives everyday.
While it is a privilege for me to get to try so many wonderful products every day, I do keep going back to some really great products and even stock up on some of these beauties. Here are the products that take up space on my vanity as I use them more than any. These are my favorite things of 2012.
MAKEUP
- MAC Lipglass - I am a lipgloss queen, and I never go wrong with the many MAC formulas that I have, but the original Tinted Lipglass is my all time favorite. I have loads of this on hand, but I am constantly re-purchasing Oh-Baby, C-Thru, Underage and Oyster Girl.
- Urban Decay NAKED Basics - This is a very new palette that made its debut only early this month. I think I have used it every day since I received it and already want to re-purchase because it is made with a wonderful, long-lasting crease proof formula, with colors that are basics that I will use everyday.
- Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder - I use bronzer everyday t warm up my color, and this one is perfect. It is silky soft, applies without ever streaking, lasts all day and give my skin that touch of radiance and warmth I want when using bronzer.
- Giorgio Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation - Even though I do use different foundations throughout different times of the year, I always have Luminous Silk Foundation on hand for special events or occasions when I know I need to look my best. Other foundations have come close but have yet to replace this newer favorite of mine.
- COVERGIRL Clump Crusher by LashBlast Mascara - Another new entry into the beauty world, I love this mascara as I use it more and more. It has now become an every day staple. It goes on easily as it builds up lashes in length and volume. Multiple coats to add even more definition are never compromised as it does as the name suggest - never clumps.
- it Cosmetics Brow Power - This waxy pencil fills in and defines my brows everyday - in the most perfect universal shade of color. The pencil glides on and doesn't budge when once applied.
SKIN CARE
- Clarisonic Skin Cleansing Brush - I swear that my skin looks so much better when use this every morning in the shower. It has made a such a difference in the cleanliness of my skin as it is simply more radiant. I use it with Purity (below) faithfully each day, and change the brush head every month.
- Philosophy Purity Made Simple - This cleanser makes my list every year as it is the facial cleanser that I swear by. It removes every trace of dirt, oil, makeup with just a very small amount. I have yet to find another cleanser that works as quickly and effectively on my face, while keeping it soft and smooth.
- Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes - I use makeup removing wipes every night before bed. I usually have to use two wipes or one wipe and then still cleanse. One single Bear Naked Wipe removes every trace of makeup from my face and my skin is ready for my night time skin care. These are super effective, and smell so good.
- Talika Lash Conditioning Cleanser To remove eye makeup in the evening, I use this on a cotton square. It is extremely gentle to my eyes, makes my lashes feel great, and leaves behind no residue or oil - just fresh, clean skin.
- Algenist Complete Eye Renewal Balm - This eye cream does it all. It hydrates, decreases puffiness and plumps up lines until they are barely visible. This is my daytime eye cream and I am on my second jar this year.
- SkinCeuticals Phloretin CF Gel - This gel-like serum is the ultimate in skin protection, as it works hard with it's anti-oxidant properties to both protect and repair. My skin doesn't feel or look as good during the day when I do not use it, making this expensive step definitely worth it.
- Murad Age Spot and Pigment Lightening Gel - I am on my second bottle of this gel and it has faded my freckles and age spots while helping to correct my hyper pigmentation. I know I will not rid of my discolorations without a prescription, but nothing has worked at fading more than this gel has. I use just a dab of it on my spots on both my face and hands every night.
- Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - This is the last thing to touch my skin before I go to bed every night. I apply a small dab of this yummy lip balm to the bottom center of my lip and use my finger to spread it over the rest of my lips. My lips are kept soft and smooth all night and keeps them perfectly kiss-able and ready for my lipsticks and gloss.
BODY CARE
- First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream - I received a sample packet of this ultra rich cream with a Sephora order, and quickly picked up a "to go" sized tube to keep in my purse for my hands. Since then, I purchased two huge jars - one that sits on my night stand and one kept by my tub in the bathroom. This thick cream, that absorbs instantly, hydrates the extra dry parts of my skin. I use it on my hands and feet, and quickly apply it to my legs just as I get out of the shower.
- Kiehl's Creme de Corps Light Weight Body Lotion - This body lotion simple hydrates my dry winter skin. The light weight version is perfect for me as it absorbs quickly and never leaves behind any greasy residue.
- Philosophy Amazing Grace Shower Gel - Not only am I am in love with the soft, feminine, sweet with a hint of musk scent, this shower gel makes my skin feel softer and clean after using.
- Bliss Hot Salt Scrub - This self heating heavy duty body scrub works hard to slough off my dead and dry skin. I use it in the shower just once or twice a week to keep my skin primed, super soft, and ready for moisturizer.
HAIR CARE
- WEN Sweet Almond Mint Cleansing Conditioner - I have been on the cleansing conditioner routine for a few years now and will not go back to using normal shampoo/conditioner (on a regular basis) ever again. I have had good hair days pretty much every day since I started using it. My hair colors stays true to color with less damage too.
- Oribe Maximista - After washing and towel drying my hair, I spray Maximista Thickening Spray at my roots and comb it through. This great smelling spray delivers both on the thickness and volume. As I blow-dry, I concentrate on lifting hair at the roots where I sprayed the product, and I watch as hair looks much more lifted and marvel at how it stays that way.
- L'Oréal Paris Elnett Hairspray (Unscented) - This is the best hairspray I have used. Ever. It holds my hair with a super soft touch and brushes out immediately if I so desire to change my style.
What were your favorite products of 2012? Did you discover a new beauty that is now part of your everyday beauty routine?
The 12 Most Popular Posts of 2012 on Beautiful Makeup Search.
/As the year comes to an end, I like to again, re-evaluate things here on Beautiful Makeup Search. I take into account what you, my loyal readers, are reading on the site. Every month I check my most popular posts, and I have noticed that many of them has stayed constant through a good part of the year. I do have a few very popular posts that are still amongst the most read from years past. I will list those at the end of this post, but want to concentrate just on this year now.
Out of 579 posts that I wrote this year, these are the 12 most popular posts on Beautiful Makeup Search from 2012.
- Best Bronzers: 15 Drugstore Bronzers.
- L’Oréal Paris True Match Super-Blendable Makeup.
- M·A·C Marilyn Monroe Collection and Photographs.
- Vaseline Lip Therapy Cocoa Butter.
- L’Oréal Paris Colour Caresse Lip Colour.
- Brow Solutions from Anastasia Beverly Hills.
- L’Oréal Paris Magic Skin Beautifier BB Cream.
- bareMinerals READY Foundation: My Holy Grail?
- COVERGIRL & Olay Tone Rehab 2-in-1 Foundation.
- Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge for Lips & Cheeks Review & Photos.
- Spring 2012: L'Oreal Paris Cosmetics.
One thing I noticed and that I have taken note of (BIG TIME), is that you like reading about the great drugstore beauty finds and buys out there. That tells me a lot. It is like you asked for it and I am listening. I will definitely be including more drugstore beauty products into the blog from now on. I have noticed how much better and better that mass brands have become, and you want to hear more about them. I can't wait to discover more in 2013.
Here are the five most popular posts on Beautiful Makeup Search since I started keeping track about seven years ago. Going that far back doesn't really matter though, as the earliest one is from 2007 and most are from 2009 with one from 2010.
