Hello friends! As you may know, 2019 was the year I dove into clean beauty, and I’ve been trying out a lot of different products. So, I’m excited to share today a rundown of my clean beauty hits and misses. These are all products that I tried multiple times in the past year, and was either impressed or underwhelmed by the result. Hopefully my experience and reviews below will help you out if you have your eyes on any clean beauty products in particular!

The hits listed below are products I will definitely buy again or already have bought again because I truly love them. The misses are products I definitely will not buy again. Keep in mind these my opinions, based on what worked for my skin type (sensitive, with dry and oily patched). Some of my misses could totally work for you! There are also plenty of beauty products I use and like that fall some where in between the hit and miss spectrum. Those aren’t mentioned because I really tried to focus this list on my true, recent favorites and the products I have been most unimpressed with.

>> CLEAN BEAUTY HITS

Note: The clean beauty hits listed below are in no particular order!

Tula Classic Purifying Face Cleanser

Saying that I love this cleanser feels like an understatement. I use it every night, and for someone whose skin can get dry, especially in the winter, it has never left my skin feeling dry. It’s gentle, has a lovely subtle scent and leaves my skin feeling clean, radiant and perfectly primed for the rest of my evening skin care routine. If you have sensitive skin that can get dry, I definitely recommend trying this!

Revlon Volumizer

So this is more of a hair tool than a beauty product, but it has transformed my hair-washing days, so I can’t not mention it! The Revlon Volumizer Hair Dryer is a hybrid of a bristle brush and hairdryer that allows you to easily style and dry my hair in less than 10 minutes. I love how it makes me feel like I got a professional blowout and my hair isn’t left feeling frizzy. Because of the way this tool is designed, Revlon claims it’s able to distribute air quickly and evenly to your hair, which allows your hair to dry faster with less heat damage.

Pixi Glow Tonic

Perhaps one of my favorite skincare products, I use this stuff every night because I love how it makes my skin feel. It has a gentle exfoliator and leaves my skin glowing – hence the name! I was so skeptical of toners and afraid they would dry out my skin until I found this one. This one is alcohol-free so you don’t have to worry about it being too harsh. Plus it has aloe vera in it which feels so soothing!

Simple Water Boost Micellar Cleansing Water

I first learned about micellar water from the Forever 35 podcast, and was intrigued instantly. Fast forward, I now use it day and night with a cotton pad or wash cloth. It is a simple way to hydrate your skin while also removing any dirt or left over makeup from the day. I use this before putting on any moisturizer or serums and I swear it helps lock in those products and leave my skin feeling more fresh than if I don’t use it.

Raw Sugar Body Butter (Raw Coconut + Mango)

This body butter is such a steal, especially for the quality you get. I’ve used plenty of high-end and expensive body butters, and this one is just as good. The coconut mango scent is amazing — natural and fruity but not overpowering. I also prefer the body butter over Raw Sugar’s body lotion because it melts right into my skin. The whipped consistency is creamy and applies on the skin beautifully. It does not leave a greasy or oily feeling, and does not leave any residue like some body butters do. As an added plus, I love that Raw Sugar donates a bar of soap for every product purchased.

Beautycounter Dew Skin Tinted Moisturizer (Number one)

I’ve been the hunt for a cleaner tinted moisturizer to switch out for the Laura Mercier one I have loved for over a decade now. This one is the best, most similar option I have found. Like a good tinted moisturizer should, this one delivers lightweight hydration and a beautiful glow. The more sheer coverage is perfect for everyday. I love that the formula includes SPF 20 and vitamin C to enhance skin brightness.

Pixie Endless Endless Silky Waterproof Pencil Eyeliner (CopperGlow)

This eyeliner is amazing – enough said. I grab it ALL the time! It comes in several shades, but the CopperGlow shade is so pretty, and would look great with any eye color. I like that this eyeliner is also waterproof, and the pencil is soft, making it SO easy to apply.

OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Penetrating Oil

I started using this hair oil to save my split ends and prevent more damage. Though I was skeptical because I’ve tried a lot of hair oils, this one has helped my hair so much. I don’t know the last time my ends were this healthy, and I really appreciate that the oil doesn’t leave my hair feeling or looking greasy.

OGX Coconut Miracle Oil Conditioner

For reasons similar to what’s mentioned above, I decided to try out this conditioner when I felt like my hair was starting to dry out over the summer. And while I still like to experiment with different shampoos, this conditioner has quickly become a favorite. I wash my hair right away when I shower and let this conditioner soak in while I wash and shave. Since I started doing this, my hair has been SO healthy, soft and smooth. The coconut scent is amazing too!

Beautycounter Lip Sheer (Lily)

The ultimate everyday lipstick, this silky-smooth and ultra-moisturizing formula gives lips a sheer wash of color and a touch of polished sheen. It also includes jojoba esters and carnauba wax to condition and hydrate lips and no synthetic fragrance—just a sophisticated hint of natural vanilla. The shade range is designed to complement all skin tones, and the formula is super buildable—layer it on to intensify the color, or try it under Lip Gloss for a more lustrous look.

Beautycounter Radiant All-Over Bronzer (Dune)

I have been searching for a solid bronzer that blends easily, and adds the right amount of warmth to my skin tone for a long time. So, I’m really happy I finally found one that does it all. The dune shade is perfect for my fair skin and I love how easy it is to blend and build. A little goes a long way too, so I’m sure I won’t need another one for a long time!

Related: Clean Makeup for an Easy Everyday Routine

>> CLEAN BEAUTY MISSES

OZNaturals Vitamin C Serum

For a product with so many good reviews, I was super excited to try this vitamin C serum. I tried this many many times, hoping for a different, better outcome, but I kept noticing the same problem – little whiteheads. Yuck! Apparently some people get whiteheads with vitamin C serum, and I guess that’s how it is for me. I’ve honestly been to deterred from this serum to try another vitamin C serum. So, I can’t say for sure if my whiteheads are just a result of this particular vitamin C serum or if I’d have the same outcome with other ones.

Beautycounter Countermatch Pure Calm Cleansing Milk

I tried out Beautycounter’s entire Countermatch collection and this was the one product I know I won’t purchase again. The cleanser is nice and calming for the end of the day, but I wasn’t impressed by its inability to remove my makeup, especially my waterproof mascara. The Tula cleanser just does a much better job removing my makeup, so I wouldn’t recommend this cleanser.

Intelligent Nutrients Refining Micro Polish

I got this in my FabFitFun box and was excited to try it out since it has great reviews. After a couple uses, it’s easy to say this exfoliating face scrub is underwhelming. The texture of it is not great. There are bigger “beads” in the formula that don’t feel great when you scrub. After using, my skin didn’t feel noticeably softer like it does with my favorite exfoliator!

W3LL PEOPLE Nudist Lip Butter (Wine)

I grabbed this lip butter in search of a hydrating lip product with pigment, but it ended up being a disappointment. It smells kind like a cheap, super toxic lipstick I played with as a kid, which is ironic given how clean it is! If you can get past the smell, it is a hydrating lip product with a pretty color. But overall, I won’t be buying this again. I’d grab the Beautycounter lip sheer over this any day!

If you’re looking to incorporate more clean beauty products into your skincare routine this year, I hope this helped! I would love to know if you have any recent clean beauty hits or misses, too.

Cheers!