Best of Beauty 2013

Happy New Year everyone! 2013 was such a great year for me; my husband and I truly had a whirlwind of a year. If you would have told me at this time last year just how much my life would change, I wouldn't have believed you. 

In February we moved 90 miles back home to the town both my husband and I grew up in. I started a brand new job which I absolutely love. We spent 7 months living with my parents, and in September we moved in to our very first home - something Jake and I are so proud of. We rang in the New Year with my parents, eating Greek food, putting a puzzle together and flipping between Dick Clark's Rockin' New Year's Eve and (my personal favorite) Anderson Cooper & Kathy Griffin's New Year's Eve special. It was nice to have a quiet night in with family.

2013 was so good to me and my family, and I'm going in to 2014 feeling positive and wishing for the best year yet! 

--

2013 was not just awesome personally, but there were some great beauty products that stuck out as true gems this year. Here are the items that were my go-to from head to toe all year long.

• Moisturizer: CeraVe Moisturizing Cream -- My #1 this year. You've probably seen it mentioned many times that I was on medication that dried me out completely, and this thick cream was just the trick to keep my face hydrated. I especially love that it has hyaluronic acid in it. 

• Foundation: Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation -- I think I beat this foundation over all of your heads this year. I seriously love this stuff. It's super full coverage, and it doesn't budge. You can wear it all day without it wearing off. Amazing stuff.

• Powder: Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder -- I have used this for years, and 2013 was no different. I've repurchased it countless times. It keeps you matte without looking cakey or powdery, and it won't break the bank!

• Eye Primer: theBalm Put A Lid On It -- I received a sample of this in one of my Birchboxes and fell in love with it. This stuff is no joke; if you want your eyeshadow to stay on all day long, this will do the trick. 

• Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay Naked 3 -- Hands down, this is the best $52 I spent all year. I got so much use out of my Naked 2, but Naked 3 has the rose-gold tones that are perfect for my fair skin. Unless something major comes along, this might very well make the best palette of 2014, too! 

• Mascara: Covergirl Clump Crusher by lashblast -- This mascara performs like a high-end brand, and you can pick it up at Target! It lengthens, volumizes and separates but NEVER clumps... even after 2-3 coats!

• Eyeliner: Milani Eye Tech Extreme Liquid Eyeliner --For the longest time, Wet n Wild's Mega Liner was untouchable in my world. But this year, Milani's Eye Tech Extreme swooped in and changed my mind. It's convenient and super easy to use.

• Bronzer: Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer -- Oh my gosh, this smells like chocolate!! Even though I've used it for over half the year, I still can't get over the chocolate smell! I have the chocolate soleil bronzer in milk chocolate, the perfect color for lighter skin tones. This is a matte bronzer that warms the face up for a healthy glow. 

• Blush: NYX Blush in Peach -- Clearly I've loved this blush as I've almost hit pan on it! This blush is a gorgeous matte pinky-peach color. It blends really nicely in to the skin and the best part? It's super affordable. 

• Highlighter: NYX Illuminating Bronzer in Narcissistic -- So I guess "technically" this is a bronzer (but what fun is makeup if you don't make your own rules now and then?), but it's far too shimmery, for my taste, to use all over my face. I use this as a dewy pop on the top of my cheekbones . It has a tiny bit of glitter, but it won't leave you looking like a disco ball. 

• Lips: NYX Butter Glosses -- I can't pick just one of these as my favorite... I seriously love them all! I've got a good few of these, but featured in this picture are Peaches and Cream and Strawberry Parfait. These smell absolutely amazing and they leave your lips with a creamy pop of color that's hydrating and exceptionally comfortable to wear.

• Hair Spray: CHI Farouk Royal Treatment Ultimate Control Volume Shaping Spray -- A former boss of mine swears by this hairspray, and she got me swearing by it as well. I dare you to find a hairspray that smells as amazing as this one. It holds without being crunchy and won't make your hair feel weighed down. 

• Hair Care: Macadamia Natural Oil Healing Oil Spray -- My former boss also turned me on to this product and it has stayed a staple in my hair care collection since. It smells so good (I seriously want to bathe in the scent of it) and it will leave your hair silky smooth. Don't let the steep price scare you away; this little bottle will last you ages as a little goes a long way.

What products did you love in 2013? Let me know in the comments below! I love hearing from you!