Hi everybody!  If you were reading this blog last year around this time, I wrote a post about my “Best of 2016”.  Not much has changed since last year—and much has!   My favorite makeup remover remains the same:  Albolene.  I’ve yet to find anything as wonderful as this when it comes to getting rid of my makeup.

Best Makeup Remover:  Albolene for a second year in a row!

I gotta say, there’s nothing better than this stuff.  It remains my favorite makeup remover.  Now–although I don’t use this as a cleanser, it is an integral part of my evening routine.  The makeup literally melts off.

Although I haven’t found a “great” eye shadow palette that warrants the “Best of” for this past year, Mally’s Nude Attitude Palette remains my favorite eye shadow palette.

Best Eye shadow Palette:  Second Year in a row. Mally’s Nude Attitude

This photo is from last year. OMG–I’ve hit pan on so many of these shadows.  I’ve got a backup that I haven’t opened yet but boy, this is the best shadow palette ever!

Primers have changed.  Last year I had e.l.f.’s primer and as good as the actual product is, I’m so disappointed in the packaging, about a tablespoonful for six bucks is no value.  Shame on e.l.f.  They are off my list—but I have a few more primers that I’ve added!

Maybelline must have done something with the formula for my former best of mascara, The Falsies.  It has been replaced.  But—another disappointment this year in the mascara department has been Lash Paradise by L’Oreal.   The product dried out within two weeks and flakes more than a pie crust made with lard!

What a major disappointment this mascara turned out to be for me.  Despite the raves, I found that this mascara dried out way too quickly, flaked like crazy and that brush–it’s so difficult to work with!  Thumbs down on this.

And the Bestidy Spoon brushes remain favored brushes throughout 2017—the Morphe brushes that I tried out this year—I wasn’t impressed.

Best Brushes–Another Second Year Term!  Bestidy Spoon Brushes.

I love these brushes.  And I’ll be writing a bit more in the post about the larger one! I have these on my new Influencer List on Amazon!  Go to Atypical60 on Amazon.com. The list is new but I’ll be adding more items!

Anyway, without further ado, here’s my “Best of” list for 2017.  For reference, here’s the “Best of for 2016”

Best Beauty Blending Sponge:  Real Techniques Blending Sponge.

My apologies for not taking a photo of the one I have, but Chippy started snacking on it. It’s the fourth one he destroyed.  He loves them as much as I do.  I have to buy another one tomorrow.  Seriously, I find this to be better than the more pricey Beauty Blender brand sponge.  And the price is far more purse-friendly.  If Chippy ate the more expensive ones, I would be in the poor house by now!

Real Techniques sponges–best makeup applicator sponges of 2017. And God knows, I’ve gone through enough of these!

Best New Scent/Brand for 2017.  Adopt’ –Oud Ambre

It’s no secret that I have three favorite scents that I rotate throughout the year.  Guerlain’s  L’Instant and La Petit Robe Noire, as well as Fragonard’s Fleur d’Oranger.  The three remain my signature scents. BUT–and a huge one here.  I discovered this brand during the summer of 2016 while we were in France.  I picked up a couple of spray falcons for less than 7 Euros each.  This summer I repurchased.  The Oud Ambre is a great fall/winter scent. It’s woodsy, earthy and very masculine. I like a masculine scent when I’m wearing heavier clothing.  And although I don’t know if this brand is sold in the States, I HIGHLY recommend if you are traveling to France anytime soon or in the future, scout this parfum brand out.  The selection is huge and the price is right.  Here’s the website–it’s in French but if you can translate, you may find the site interesting–especially for future reference:  Adopt’ Parfum

This may be my favorite Adopt’ scent but there is a huge selection to chose from. I contacted the company to see if they sell in the States–will let you know!

Best New “Setting” Product:  Mally Evercolor Poreless Face Defender

Ladies.  I don’t even know where to begin with this.  It sets your makeup and is the most unusual and unique product I’ve found this year.  It’s a siliconesque cake of product in a compact.  It comes with a sponge that you tap into the product and then tap onto your face to set your makeup.  It works!  And works very well.  For those of you who cannot use face powder because of dry skin (Raises hand!), this is a fabulous fabulous alternative.  I love this stuff. My only “thing” with it is that the packaging could have been better. The sponge doesn’t store in the compact–so you have to keep everything in the box which means you can’t carry it with you during the day.

Although this is one of the best products I’ve used this year,  Mally needs to rethink the sponge–its too thick and the compact needs to be redesigned so that the sponge fits into the compact. Regardless–this is one great product for setting makeup!

Best Foundations and Primers of 2017.  Fenty Beauty Primer and Foundation.

I’m sure you’ve heard the hype for the new Fenty Beauty brand by Rihanna.  The brand is a winner!  Not only is does the foundation have a massive 40-shades available, but the foundation is wonderful.  The primer is also excellent.  The primer glides on beautifully, giving a nice finish and soaks into the skin quickly.  The foundation blends in so effortlessly to match your skin tone.  Both of these products are definitely a “Best of”

Ever the foundation junkie, I was thrilled with how exceptional this foundation is.  Despite some reviews of oxidation, if you are matched correctly with your skin tone/foundation and shake this foundation before use, it will NOT oxidize.  It blends in beautifully to give your face a nice finish.  It doesn’t cake up during the day and stays put.  The primer is also wonderful.  At the price point of $32 for the primer and $34 for the foundation, it compares to more expensive luxury brands.  I am a complete fan of Fenty!

More Best Primers/Foundations: The Ordinary

Much has been said and written about Decium’s  “The Ordinary” . The hype is real.  The Ordinary’s foundations and primers are life! I first found out about “The Ordinary” from Wayne Goss.  He being the best beauty guru of all time. Anyway, he raved about the foundations.  Just my luck, The Ordinary sent me a few products to try.  Among the products were the Full Coverage foundation, the Serum Foundation,  the Silicone primer, the liquid fluid primer and the Hylamide blur.  (My blog post review:  The Extradordinary Ordinary)

I can’t say enough about these foundations and primers.  The foundation is literally like a second skin. And the price–you just cannot beat the price.  With the escalating price of drug store foundations rising into the teens, at less than seven dollars per foundation, this is an absolute steal. And the same with the primers.  I’m blown away.  These are absolutely some of the greatest products of 2017.  And the blur can be used alone as a primer or mixed in with the foundation for that something extra–although you don’t really need it!

The Ordinary–the simple packaging helps to keep the cost of the products down but boy oh boy are these products out of this world fantastic!

Best Drugstore Foundation:  Wet ‘n Wild PhotoFocus Foundation.

I need a moment here.  You know how I feel about the rising price of drugstore cosmetics.  Well, thank God I watched Tati Westbrook’s review about this foundation.  She raved on so much that I had to make the purchase.  Of less than five dollars!  Yes. I purchased this foundation for $4.97 on sale at Walmart and I’ve never looked back.

This foundation is, hands down, the best drugstore foundation of all time.  Like The Ordinary, this foundation blends like a second skin.  Honestly. It does. In fact, whenever I wear it, Bonaparte always compliments me on “not” wearing makeup–that’s how natural the foundation is.

One tip.  This foundation blends much, much better when applied with the Bestidy Spoon Brush (or any spoon brush–I happen to have Bestidy’s). The brush’s density works like magic to give you the look of airbrushed skin!  The foundation dries to a bit of a matte finish but I swear to you it does not look dry!  This is the craziest and greatest inexpensive foundation.  The selection isn’t a big one, but buy a couple of foundations and blend them to give you the color you want. Let me tell you, at this price, its worth it to buy at least three shades!

Nude Ivory and Peach Natural–blended together, these give me the perfect blend. At around five bucks, this is a steal!

Best Concealer:  Maybelline Age Rewind.  

2017 is the year that I started playing around with concealers.  I like to brighten under my eyes–especially since I wear glasses.  Most concealers are just too heavy and pasty for mature skin. Our skin gets thinner under the eyes and any thick makeup will make lines more visible.  This goes on so lightly.  The product itself is more of a liquid–but it dries quickly and is as light as a cloud with great coverage.  And the sponge tip gives a good area of product on the face.

Let’s hope Maybelline never discontinues this gem.  I keep going back to this–I’ve purchased three of these so far and it is a valuable concealer!

Incredibly mature-skin friendly!  Added bonus–you can actually see how much product you’ve used–so you’ll always know when to repurchase!

Best Contour:  Fenty Beauty Match Stix in Amber.

Again, Fenty Beauty came up with another winner.  Contour.  It’s really a great thing.  Where our mature face has lost some definition, the contour is an asset.  I’m not going after a chiseled look–I want the illusion of shadow and this contour is wonderful.

For drier skin, the creamy consistency of the stick is stellar.  This glides on well and the shade is a taupe slightly gray one which lends itself well for very pale to fair skin with pink undertones.  I am such a fan of this that I purchased a backup.  This is also a great contour for beginners. It’s foolproof!

Fenty Beauty Match Stix in Amber.  A most beautiful contour. And mature skin friendly!

Another Best Contour and Cream Blush Stick.  Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks.  Las Salinas and Ibiza.

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand that I became familiar with when my friend Jay gave me a makeover at Nordstrom. 

He used quite a few Tilbury products–had I purchased all of them I would be in serious debt.  But two items that I’ve become quite fond of are these two Beach Sticks.  The Ibiza stick,  a bronzer and contour, was one product I waited over a month for because they were sold out. Talk about creamy–this stick is ridiculously creamy!!  The color is a bit on the warmer side for my skintone, however, as a summer contour, when I have my fake tan on, is perfect.  I still use it during the winter months though and it blends in beautifully without looking orange.  It is a great contour stick.  More pricey than the Fenty Match Stix, only a small amount is needed so the price-per-use is still an excellent buy!

The blush–I’m a fan of cream blush.  Powders just do not work at all for me.  My skin is just too dry and the powders have a tendency to appear chalky.  The Las Salinas Beach Stick is a gorgeous coral/pink.  Again, it is so incredibly creamy and gives a luscious hint of color to the cheeks.  Just dot a few times on the cheeks, blend and go.

Charlotte Tilbury Beach Sticks.  The beautiful Las Salinas blush on the left and the Ibiza contour/bonzer on the right.  Money well-spent ladies. Money well spent!

Best Highlighter.  NYX Bright Idea Illuminating Stick in Lavender Lust.

I started getting into highlighters this past year.  On a whim, I purchased this highlighter and I’m glad that I did.  It offers a very subtle highlight–just a touch of illumination–very flirty. On the cheekbones, the cupid’s bow, under the brow and down the nose.  This is a discreet highlighter. Not drawing too much attention.  That’s the way I like it.  If you want to become familiar with highlighters, I strongly suggest this for a first-time user!

 NYX definitely came up with a winner here. This highlighter is subtle and pretty!

Best “Baked” Products:  Laura Geller Brighten products.  Blush n Brighten, Balance n Brighten Foundation, Bronze and Brighten Bronzer.

Where do I start?  I’m not a powder person–and even though these products may resemble a powder–they kind of aren’t.  They are more like a mineral cake.  Can I just say that the three of these products are summer greatness?  Let’s face it. During the summer we sweat.  The humidity can wash liquid foundation right off of our faces.  These products seem to be made for that summer weather.  Non-drying to mature skin.  Not cakey either.  They just blend in like a fine little mist–only in a solid form.

The Apricot Berry blush is a very light blush that looks nice with a tan–whether fake or real.  The foundations and bronzers are also excellent.  I never thought I would be a fan of any baked products except the goods that I bake in my oven–but these are fantastic!

All three products are extremely mature woman friendly.  They are lighter than air and don’t dry out your skin at all!

Best Lipstick: Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick by Kate Moss . Number 08–Tender Mauve.

This is a recent purchase and less than five bucks at Walmart.  Far be it from me that I would add something so recent with a “Best of” but I can’t help it.  Always on the search for “That” special lippie that could be used every day. A neutral that isn’t too bright or too dark.  The versatile lipstick that you can apply with your eyes closed.  This is it.

I took a chance and went back twice to buy more for purses.  I’m blown away by the natural luster and color of this lipstick.  There isn’t much more that I can say other than the staying power is also quite exceptional.  This is a keeper!

An inexpensive lipstick that can hold it’s own against any higher end lip color. The most beautiful neutral ever!

Best Skincare products–Remained the same.  SkinActives Collagen Serum.  Vivant Skincare Mandelic Face Wash and Toner.

These three.  I haven’t found anything this past year to compare to these products.  The Collagen Serum remains the best.  The Mandelic Face Wash and Toner just can’t be improved upon.  I’ve written about all three and will continue to rave about them.  They can’t be beat!

Although I use a LOT of skincare products and have quite the routine. These three remain my best and favored! The serum can be found on Skinactives.com and the Mandelic Wash/Toner on Vivantskincare.com

Best Lip Gloss of 2017.  Fenty Beauty Lip Bomb.

This gloss is the bomb. Literally.  It has warm undertones in it’s golden glow but is flattering on everyone.  My lips are naturally very pigmented and this doesn’t come across as dark.  It adds a nice natural luster to bare lips and over a gloss adds a special golden warmth.  And yes. I love this so much I went out and purchased two more!

Hmmmm. Fenty Beauty came out with many best of’s this year.  This Lip Bomb is the most beautiful gloss of the year!  

Best Wigs of 2017.  Carrie Lace Front Wig–by Uniwigs Lavivid Collection.

I’ve reviewed her a few times both on the blog and on YouTube.  I cannot say enough about the Carrie wig from Uniwigs Lavivid Collection

Ladies.  If you are suffering from hair loss and want a great low-maintenance and natural looking wig–this is the one for you.  It is priced moderately–i.e. it is not inexpensive but not overly expensive.  I can’t say enough. I love this wig so much.  The parting space is exceptional.  The hair itself is just beautiful. It is a dense unit and so well-constructed.  If you are only going to buy one wig for the coming year, go on the Uniwigs site and purchase Carrie!  She is a stunner!

One of the many faces of Carrie.  Look how natural she is.  I want to win the lottery so I can buy a Carrie for every day of the week!

Best Inexpensive Wigs of 2017.  As a wig wearer, I also enjoy the many looks that are available from very inexpensive wigs.   These are wigs may not have the quality of Carrie, but nonetheless, they require more care to make them last for a longer time.  And they need more manipulation to give a more natural appearance–but they are fun, are mass-produced and they look good too!   As  much as I love a bobbed wig, my two favorite inexpensive wigs of 2017 are….

Samala by Janet Collection.  This human blend hair from Janet Collection Brazilian Scent, named Samala, is a great little head of hair.   The hair is dense.  The unit is big-head friendly, the style is flattering due to the layering and the angles around the face.  This is a silky Yaki texture and she wears well.  The only issue is that there is a lot of shedding–thankfully this is a dense wig but still, the wig sheds. A lot.  At $19.50 from ElevateStyles.com, this wig was and is a great buy!

Samala.  This is a very flattering longer unit. And mature women CAN rock a longer wig!  

Konis.  From It’s A Wig.

I dig Konis so much I have three of her.  TT99J/530 is the color of this unit.  A blend of dark and burgundy synthetic hair, she’s so pretty in every way.  I love the cut–a very long bob, if you will.  Maybe a bit longer than a lob.  Whatever it is, the style is simple and not complicated.  Giving a very natural look.  The part came pretty well spaced, I just tweezed a bit.  The density is good–thick but not too thick.  Minimal shedding.  This is akin to a lesser-quality Carrie, but nonetheless still a good wig.  I may have gotten her from either Hair So Fly or Elevate Styles–both online wig companies.

Another inexpensive wig I dig.  Konis is another favorite that always looks great!!!

Best Junk Food, Really-bad-for-you-snack of 2017.  

So darned bad that its great!  I know. I know. eating stuff such as this Takis Fuego, Hot Chili and Tortilla Roll Chips is bad on so many levels–especially if you are on a prepetual diet such as I am.  But the fact is, sometimes you just need to stress-eat, emotional eat or want to pig out.  What better way to do so than with something so hot and spicy that you wake up with such bad heartburn that you think you need to get to the ER!

This is that stuff!  I could polish off an entire bag of this–but I won’t.  I’ll leave it in the pantry to savor each time I get stressed.  Seriously. This is the bomb!  The stomach bomb.  And I shouldn’t be eating this–but I can’t help it.  It is the best bad snack of 2017!

Just for ha-ha’s, if you see this, buy it. And try it. And let me know what you think!

So that’s about it.  I’m going to finish the Holiday baking for today.  Share YOUR faves for 2017 in the comments!!

XOXOXOXO!!!!