Favorite Face Primers:
Sephora, why did you have to be so stupid and discontinue this?! I went through 2 tubes of this stuff before it was discontinued and replaced with the less-than-stellar Anti-shine primer. Mistake! What I enjoyed about it was that it had iridescent pearl in the primer and it was smooth and gave me a glow. It was also very affordable at $18.
MAC Prep + Prime Skin, $28
This is my current HG primer, and I have gone through a bottle of this so far. This is great for people who have dry, normal and combination skin. It's moisturizing and has ingredients that help reduce redness. There are shimmers in this as well which I really like, but some people might not be keen on it.
Favorite Redness Corrector:
I went out and got this when I saw one of my favorite YouTube makeup gurus, sethakins7, using this for redness correction in his review of Chanel Perfection Lumiere foundation (which just happens to be my current HG foundation as well). Sure you look like a zombie when applied, but it all goes away when you blend it with your foundation! This method works for people with a lot of face redness.
Favorite Foundation:
My current HG foundation! It makes my face look airbrushed and flawless. The only cons about this foundation is it sticks onto skin flakes (so make sure you have a good facial scrub and moisturizer) and that it is expensive. I received this as a present from my boyfriend, but feel free to go to your local Chanel counter and ask for samples! The samples I received lasted me at least a whole week :)
Favorite Highlighter:
This might have to be one of my favorite products ever! Before I got this highlighter I would have to use the NYX Liquid Highlight and Diamond Blush Gold Jewelry highlighter together to get the same effect this gives me. What else I love about this is that it comes in a cute tube and has no mess to it. This is a golden shimmery highlighter, so it would be great for people with medium-dark toned skin. Those with more fair skin should get a highlighter that is more pink or white based.
Favorite Blushes:
I love the Diamond Beauty line of blushes, as their blush in Honey Orange is probably my forever HG blush in the world (but I got that in 2010 so it doesn't count on this list!) This shade is wonderful for the winter and gives me a pretty flush.
I have problems finding blushes that don't get lost in my NW30 skin, but this one was beautiful on me! It's a pretty red with golden glitter in it. This was a great summer blush and is still wonderful as a glamorous blush.
Favorite Eyeshadow Primer:
I still love Urban Decay's Primer Potion, but the older bottles would always crack and dry up on me, so my money would go down the drain! I wanted to try Too Faced's primer since my best friend Alice is a huge fan, so I bought it when it was a 2 for 1 deal at Ulta. I have seen myself grabbing this one over the Urban Decay for the past few months.
Favorite Eyeshadow (single):
I fell in love with this eyeshadow after swatching it at Sephora. I bought this through Urban Decay's Friends & Family sale and use it almost daily on my whole lid. UD describes it as a "medium fawn" color so it's great for daily use and dramatic looks as well.
Favorite Eyeshadow Palettes:
I also grabbed this during the UD Friends & Family sale, which is good because it sold out shortly after the fact! I originally opted to get the Book Of Shadows IV instead of this, but at the insistence of Alice once again, she convinced me to get this. I'm using this a lot and it has a great mix of neutrals and bold colors.
I was very fortunate to get this for FREE at Ulta, because I had accumulated enough points to get $100 off my purchase. I still love this palette and waiting patiently for Naked2 to arrive at Ulta in late January-early February.
Favorite Eyeliner:
After I finished up my Eyemazing Cosmeline Eyeliner and breaking my Clinique Quickliner, I totally freaked out and bought 3 eyeliners using my second $100 off purchase at Ulta. Needless to say, this was the only one I needed! I used to hate pencils you had to sharpen and always went for retractable eyeliners, but this pencil made me a believer. It is waterproof and goes on smooth, just like a gel eyeliner! They're just like the Urban Decay 24/7 Liners, just without the large price tag.
Favorite Eyelashes:
I picked these as my favorite lashes for 2011 because they were the ones I wore the most. I have been through 4 packs of Jewerich No. 03 since they're delicate, but they look really good with my eye makeup. Jewerich No. 02 is on the other side of the spectrum, where I used 1 pair for the span of 6 months! Both are very dramatic and good quality. They aren't the easiest lashes to work with though, so beginners should be wary.
Favorite Lip Products:
These babies retail for $24 EACH, so getting 5 of them for $29 was a steal! I managed to get a set through QVC, since they were sold out everywhere else. They are infused with mint and a lot of moisturizing properties, so they stain your lips with a beautiful color while keeping your lips moisturized. All of the colors are lovely and great not just for the holidays.
I have come really late into the game for these lipsticks, but they come in beautiful colors and go for a great cause. I love how these lipsticks feel on my lips, and they last for a good amount of time (4+ hours). I am hoping to eventually get the whole collection.
These are probably my favorite lip products of the year! I discovered these through NYX's 12th Anniversary sale, which I was fortunate to be able to order from. Tokyo is my perfect pinky nude shade, and these lasts for hours! I also love the fact that they smell like cupcake frosting, and they are kiss-proof!
Favorite Eyelash glue:
This is similar to the D-UP Eyelash Fixer, but I prefer this glue. This glue only requires 5-10 seconds of drying for application, so you can put your lashes on almost instantaneously! It also comes with a pair of free Eyemazing lashes, so the value for these is through the roof! The only con is that the glue does get goopy over time, and might be hard to apply on lashes after awhile. I'm on my second tube of this right now and have a backup waiting for me.
Favorite Makeup Brush:
Yes this makeup brush is pricey and small for a foundation brush, but I absolutely swear by it now! Whether it's a liquid, cream or powder foundation, you can use this brush to apply it! With it being a smaller head on the brush, you have more powder to control the airbrushed look on your face and is easy to use. It does generally take more time to apply foundation with this brush, but it's worth it.
Favorite Makeup Removers:
I generally find most makeup removers to be really oily and sit on my skin weird, but this one isn't oily and is actually moisturizing as well! This is probably my best drugstore buy of the year.
Josie Maran Bear Naked Wipes, $12
These wipes are really pricey for only having 30 wipes per pack, but a portion of the proceeds go to a cause I'm very fond of. These wipes are actually also very good on their own, as I only have to use one wipe to get rid of most of my makeup and it leaves a light grapefruit scent to your face after use. I have gone through 2 packs of these and bought 2 more during Sephora's Friends & Family sale.
Have any of you tried these products or want to try them? What were your favorite beauty finds of 2011?
amazing post! Thank you for making favorite make up products of the year!
ReplyDeleteIts really helpful! :D
@ Stella Lee
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! I hope I helped you a lot, and enjoy your Naked palette and soon to be 15th Anniversary Collection <3
Very nice! But personally, since you already have the original Naked palette, the Naked 2 isn't much different. The shadows are still warm toned and a few are colours that are a mix of a few shades from Naked 1, but I found the shades that are new to be very easily duped.
ReplyDelete@ Julia
ReplyDeleteThanks for letting me know! I will still probably get Naked2, just for collectors sake :) Plus, I have points racked up at Ulta so I can probably get a very nice discount for it when it comes out~ Last time I got the original Naked palette for free!