Much like 2016, 2017 turned out to be another slow beauty year and because of that I have again combined the makeup and skincare categories into one post. I didn’t try many new items during the first half of the year, so most of these products were discovered during the second half of the year. And as in previous years, these aren’t overall favorites but rather favorite products I discovered in 2017!

***Products purchased by me. This is not a sponsored post.***

By Terry Cellularose Micellar Water Cleanser - I’ve been off cleansing waters for awhile now. Before trying this one from By Terry, I had been using what I had left only to remove swatches. Not really sure what prompted me to try one again, except it was probably one of those times I was browsing & needed something to fill my cart for a GWP?! Anyway...so here we are...a random purchase that actually has turned out to be a favorite! It's not as hardcore as a bi-phase remover, but I don't wear much eye makeup so this works just great!!

I love the slight rose scent, and it feels really gentle on my skin. It's also not drying, which during the cold weather has been important especially around my eye area. I've been using it as a quick step before a cleansing oil or balm, and still finish off with a regular cleanser - probably seems like overkill, but something about this By Terry micellar water really soothes my skin. I also use it as a step before my cleanser in the morning.

Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Facial Cream - I wrote about the sample in my last post, HERE. And more than halfway through my first container, I still love this moisturizer. It doesn't feel heavy, yet is more deeply moisturizing than the Belif True Cream Moisturizing Bomb. This keeps my skin soft and very moisturized, which is exactly what I was looking for. So far I consider this a fairly basic moisturizer, as I don't notice a difference in my skin except for softness and hydration. But that suits me just fine - with the other actives I use (Tretinoin & acids) I don't want to overdo it and freak my skin out.

I wrote about the IT Cosmetics CC Cream and Burberry Light Glow in Dark Earthy, HERE. The above picture shows them compared to other colors.

I still absolutely love both of these products, and cannot say enough good things about them. I don't know what else to say about IT Cosmetics CC Cream that I haven't said already, except that I recommend it to pretty much everyone ha ha! It covers everything I want to cover without looking heavy, wears amazingly well over my sunscreen and doesn't even crack during the day - it's probably the best wearing foundation I've ever tried! It's lightweight and has the most beautiful, slightly luminous, my-skin-but-better finish. And the icing on the cake is that my shade is available in the little travel size tubes! I've already finished one little tube, and am almost finished with another.

Burberry Light Glow in Dark Earthy is still something I use almost each time I wear makeup (not on the just-foundation-and-highlight-and-lipgloss days), and it makes a subtle but noticeable (at least to me!) difference. I use it as a subtle contour for my cheekbones, which serves to even out the shadows and skintone in that area - plus it gives extra KAPOW-gonna-cut-you-with-my-cheekbones that I've grown to love lolol!! It blends out nicely, but isn't too soft in the pan. Mainly though, I think I've finally found a product that really compliments my coloring.

Tom Ford Cheek Colour in Gratuitous - Honestly, this is the color I've been searching for...for years. Once applied on my cheeks, it's a cross between my old favorite NARS Douceur and my recent favorite Chantecaille Cheek Shade in Ella. This does have some specks of shimmer, but on the cheeks it's not actually shimmery - the subtle shimmer makes it look not flat or matte. It also blends beautifully and can be built up or sheered out quite easily. And it's such an versatile color that looks fantastic with a ton of lip and eye combinations. And it's not a color I would consider a duplicate for anything else in my stash!

Did you have any of the same favorites? If not, what were some of your favorite discoveries for 2017?