Who else cannot believe we are almost halfway through 2026? This year has gone crazy fast. And as is tradition, today we are chatting about my five favourite beauty products of this year so far. Now, this year I feel like my favourites will be pretty predictable. Pretty much all of these are products that I have either mentioned in past seasonal favourites or have featured on my TikTok/Instagram. But what can say? I like what I like. And these are the products that have become staples of my routine. Let’s get into it!
KAYALI FREEDOM MUSK MATCHA 45 – $52.00 for 10ml
Yeah, I know it’s been a month since this appeared in my last favourites. I don’t care. Musk Matcha is still my favourite perfume of the year and nothing has really come close. The rich earthy creaminess is unparalleled in my collection. I’ll be shocked if any other fragrance is in my number 1 spot come next January. That’s how down bad I am for this one.
BORING WITHOUT YOU FORGIVENESS GENTLE & SOFT OSMOLYTE GEL CLEANSER – $24.95*
What I’ve realised in my old age is that as much as I love a gel cleanser for my mature skin, I’m super picky when it comes to texture. I need a cleanser that is going to emulsify without feeling gloopy and streaky on my skin. And the Forgiveness cleanser does exactly that. This breaks down everything on my face with ease. My skin feels so refreshed and soothed every time I use it. Davey cooked with this one and I will be buying another one ASAP (yes, this will also be in my empties
RARE BEAUTY TRUE TO MYSELF NATURAL MATTE FOUNDATION – $67.00
2026 has so far been a mixed year for me and foundations. Which is why me placing this in my good list will be no surprise to any of you. The True To Myself Foundation has by far been the best one I’ve tried this year. Medium to full coverage, comfortable natural matte finish, and it wears like an absolute dream. I’ve seen that this foundation has been polarising across the beauty community. But I genuinely love it!
MECCA MAX FANGIRL PANORAMIC TUBING MASCARA – $30.00
OK, maybe this one is the least surprising pick for my faves. Especially when you consider how many people I put onto this mascara when the review for this review came out. In all seriousness though, if you want long, wispy, full fan lashes, this is a must try for sure! Best of all, because it’s a tubing formula, you already know that once it’s on the lashes, it’s staying there. Much like the Musk Matcha, I will be very surprised if I find a mascara I like more this year.
MORPHE SIGNATURE LIP PENCIL – $11.00
Every year, I wind up giving a shout out to a product that I would love nothing more than to gatekeep. And this year’s pick is the Signature Lip Pencil’s from Morphe. Good God, Morphe cooked with these. I mean, for $11, these pencils are so pigmented, so creamy, so long wearing. They easily stand toe to toe with pencils that are double the price. My go to shade is Wifey (cool tone nude). But Berry Cola is stunning for a winter lip combo. I have used these a ton over on TikTok if you want to see them in action.
And that is a wrap on my favourites. I truly cannot wait to see what the rest of the year has in store for the beauty world. Especially knowing that holiday collections are right around the corner. Let me know in the comments what your faves for this year are in the comments.
Cheers and love
Emily xo