Ahhh lip products! When I sat down to really hash out what my favorite lip products of 2017 were, it was a bit of a process. Did I want to choose my most reached for, the formulas that impressed me most, or just go with my gut? Ultimately, I kind of did a mixture of all three of those things. My lip collection is pretty big and there are a lot of products that I really love. Ultimately, though, once I had assembled my favorites there was no question that these five products were the ones that really stood out for me the most in the past year. They were constantly reached for and loved products that I have little complaint about.

So without further adieu, let's get to the products!

NIVEA Essential Lip Balm

I literally always have a tube of NIVEA Essential Lip Balm near me. I have one on my nightstand, in my purse, in my desk at work, in my living room... It's actually probably the biggest staple product that I reach for consistently in my life and thus far no bullet style lip balm has been able to compete with it. In fact, my boyfriend also has a tube of this at work and one in his winter coat, because my influence is strong. This really isn't a lip balm that's going to blow minds or perform miracles, it isn't one that I would use to treat serious chapping or cracking in the colder months, but it is one that I use almost as a part of my skin care routine to keep my lips looking and feeling hydrated and healthy. It's a bit of a workhorse product and I love it. Not exciting, but absolutely necessary for me.

BITE Beauty Agave Lip Mask

When it comes to the colder months, I feel like I basically have to make sure that I'm using a more intense lip treatment overnight to really combat the dry air that I'm existing in here on the prairies and this year my most reached for overnight lip treatment has been the BITE Agave Lip Mask. This is a very, very thick balm that I apply before bed and can still feel remnants of on my lips the next morning, and it really helps to hydrate and protect my lips through the night. While the performance is obviously the most important thing about this product, another thing that I really love is that it really smells and tastes pretty delicious as well. But don't eat it! It's such a good lip treatment that it would definitely be wasted that way. I'm actually planning on doing a little bit of a smack down on overnight lip treatments in the coming weeks, so keep an eye out to see if this stacks up to some others that I haven't tried yet.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipsticks

I have to admit that one of the reasons that this lipstick edged out some other options is that it's just so damn beautiful. The rose gold tube and the unique shape of the product itself just gives a really luxurious feeling to the lipstick that I really think can't be denied. This is absolutely, 100% a luxury product. But what actually cemented it in my favorites was the shade Walk Of Shame, which was an absolute favorite over the past year. It's the kind of shade that I want to reach for constantly, and one that I don't really have anything in my collection to compare to it. I actually find it really interesting that the two Matte Revolution Lipsticks that I own, Walk Of Shame and Very Victoria, are both really wearable shades that could almost seem run-of-the-mill but actually tend to really stand alone in my collection. I love that about them.

essence Matt Matt Matt Lipsticks

I have to say that one of my absolute favorite drugstore releases of 2017 was the essence Matt Matt Matt lipsticks. They're insanely affordable but have a formula that is just undeniably gorgeous, full colour, and comfortably long wearing. I mean... What more could a person ask for? I believe I own 8 of these lipsticks, 6 from the regular collection and 2 bold shades that were limited over the summer, and I think that I would pretty much buy any shade that they released in this formula in the future because I love it that much. I actually don't love a lot of drugstore bullet lipsticks, whether because I find the formulas too thin or can't handle the smell and taste of them, but even against the others that I love these stand apart for me and I suspect I'll end up picking up a backup of shade 02, which lives in my purse, just in case!

L'Oreal Infallible Pro Matte Liquid Lipsticks

2017 marked the year when we actually started to see mainstream drugstore brands putting out longwearing, budgeproof liquid lipsticks... and I have to say that I feel like this particular formula (as well as the Maybelline Matte Ink formula, which is edged out just slightly by this one) actually perform better for me than anything I own that's higher end. These lipsticks are just absolutely stunning. The formula is really easy to apply and gives one-swipe full coverage on the lips, and the wear time is without a doubt that best for me of any liquid lipstick that I've ever tried. I literally have full coverage for at least 12 hours and have worn these lipsticks for up to 16 hours with them basically looking flawless. I'm not even exaggerating, this formula is incredible. If you're looking for a comfortable, beautiful matte liquid lipstick at an affordable price, I seriously don't think you'll regret picking these up!

Wow... As I wrote this, I began realizing that this might be the most reverential of all of my 2017 favorites posts... but I just can't help it. I really am absolutely in love with these five lip products, even the boring NIVEA Lip Balm, and I can't say enough good things. Clearly my personal tastes run towards matte lip products, which they actually have ever since I was in high school, and I'm not much of a shiny lips kind of girl, so my favorites were clearly going to run more matte, but I think that's why the balms fit really well here. Constantly wearing matte lip products does require a little bit more maintenance to keep your lips in good shape... but once you've got the right products, you're good!

I'd love to hear about your personal favorite lip products in the comments!

Thanks for reading! More favorites still to come... Will it ever end?