Best of 2015
I know it is almost the end of January, but it took me a while to get all the photos uploaded and labeled correctly. Anyway, this is a list of my favorite products that I discovered in 2015! Let’s get started…
Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Pink
I was never ready to bite the 46 dollar bullet on this one, but for my birthday my Grandmother wanted to get me some nice make up and she picked this up for me! I love every part of this, the packaging, the colors, the feel. You can mix all the colors, or just a few depending on the look you are going for. It can be built up to be very intense or blended out to be relatively subtle. This color and package design is limited edition and I’m not sure if it is still available, but there are permanent shades that can be purchased. I am going to save up and buy some more because they all look so beautiful.
Laura Mercier Matte Baked Radiance in 01 Highlight
This is, hands down, the most stunning highlighter I own. It is so subtle and smooth it doesn’t look glittery or over the top at all. If you buy one high end highlight, let it be this one. The baked consistency makes this powder feel so smooth and it never clings to any pores or dry spots.
Colourpop Super Shock Cheek Highlight in Wisp
For those on a budget, this Colourpop highlight is the perfect solution. I own a few of these and love them all, but this color is my absolute favorite. It is such a beautiful rose gold that looks different on everyone. The consistency is almost moussey, so it’s great for those with dry skin. This blends out smoothly and doesn’t remove the makeup underneath it. I like applying this with my fingers and then buffing it out with a dense brush.
Laura Mercier Loose Setting Powder in Translucent
I use this exclusively to set my concealer, and it does the best job out of anything I’ve tried. My under eyes can get very dry and flaky, and most powders make it worse. When I set my concealer with this, it lasts all day and never creases. I use this daily and still haven’t made a dent in the product, there is so much. I believe they came out with a smaller travel size container for those wanting to try it out without spending almost 40 bucks.
Chanel Le Blush Creme in Presage
Unfortunately, this blush is no longer made, but I could’t resist including it because its just so perfect. The Chanel Creme blushes are so amazing, I don’t understand why they are being discontinued. I found mine on Glambot, and I’m sure there are places you could find some, but you might not want to pay the over inflated price. Mine is in the color Presage, which is such a unique salmon peachy shade, I have nothing close to it in my collection. The cream turns into a powder once on the skin, and it lasts all day, longer than any blush I’ve ever used.
Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Foundation in 115
I will never stop talking about this foundation. I had it before the reformulation, and I actually like it better now. I wear the shade 115, and it is a perfect match for me. When I apply this foundation with a damp beauty blender, my skin looks as close to flawless as I have ever gotten. I can apply layer after layer and it never looks cakey, and once I set it, it lasts throughout the day. I’m not one to shell out a bunch of cash for foundation, I’m happy with my drugstore stuff, but I will always make an exception for this. I love wearing this at night when I plan on taking pictures, because there is no flashback whatsoever.
NARS Radiant Creamy Concealers in Vanilla and Honey
I have repurchased this in the shade Vanilla multiple times, and I plan on continuing to do so. I love using this concealer for both my under eyes and blemishes. Some people say that this creases on them, but if I set it after applying I don’t find it creases on me at all during the day. I mostly use the shade Vanilla because it brightens up my face, but I sometimes use Honey under my eyes to color correct my dark circles.
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Smoothing Primer
I am slowly collecting all of the travel size versions of these primers because $37 is just too much for me to spend. I love this primer for filling in the pores and lines around my nose and forehead. It goes on smooth and my makeup applies beautifully over it. I really want to try the hydrating version of this, but sadly they don’t have a travel size version yet.
Bobbi Brown Single Matte Eye Shadows in Bone and Camel
Bone is my everything. I use it daily all over my lid to set my primer and it has never let me down. It looks very light when swatched, but on my lids it matches my skin tone perfectly and evens everything out. It provides a great base for blending my other shadows and it does not cling to any flakes or dry spots on my lids. Camel is everything that I wanted MACS Uninterrupted to be. Mainly, still available. This looks like such an ugly baby poop color but on the lids it is the perfect transition shade for a million different looks.
Kat Von D Shade and Light Eye Palette
Since buying this palette, I’ve barely touched anything else. I love matte shadows, I reach for them for almost every look, especially for class. This palette makes it so easy to build a simple eye look in many different color combinations. The shadows are so buttery and blendable and the packaging is really sleek and looks great on your vanity. The Kat Von D brand was a total breakout start this year, can’t wait to see what else they have in the works.
NYX Tres Jolie Gel Pencil Liner in Black and Brown
I bought these after hearing Kathleenlights rave about them and I was not disappointed. My eyes tend to water really badly when I try to tight line, especially my lower lash line. These pencils are gel so thy go on creamy, rich and smooth so I’m not tugging on my eyes for minutes. These remind me a lot of the Marc Jacobs Highliners, but I actually like these better. Some of the Marc ones have chunks of glitter that really irritate my eyes, but these don’t. The lasting power is impressive, even on the lower waterline where stuff rubs off almost instantly on me. They only have two colors (black and brown) but hopefully NYX will expand the selection sometime soon.
Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Sweet Nectar
While nothing can replace the Maybelline mattes, this is a close second for my favorite drugstore lipstick. These smell like watermelon candy and they apply so creamy and opaque. This color is my favorite because I love orangey reds.
NARS Audacious Lipsticks in Raquel, Vera, and Bette
These are without a doubt the best formula in a lipstick I’ve ever tried. They are so creamy and smooth, but also crazy pigmented and long lasting. I want to one day have them all, but at 32 bucks a pop, I don’t see that happening any time soon. If you are looking for a fancy lipstick, go try these out immediately, you will never spend money on any other high end lip products again.
Ofra Cosmetics x Kathleen Lights Liquid Lipstick in Miami Fever
I adore Kathleenlights, if that wasn’t obvious. When she came out with her own liquid lipstick, I didn’t think twice before buying it. I love this color because it is so damn weird. I have nothing like this at all. Its like a warm, fall day and a pumpkin pie all rolled into one color. I especially love using this over a dark brown lipliner, which deepens it and brings out the brown undertones in it. Ofra makes one of my favorite liquid lipstick formulas, they feel so comfortable on the lips. I have a few other colors and I hope to expand my collection in the near future.
Girlactik Matte Lip Paints in Bashful, Posh, Allure, and Demure
On the topic of liquid lipsticks, I have to share my absolute favorite formula out there. These Matte Lip Paints are so amazing, I can’t recommend them enough. They go on smooth and don’t settle into the lines in my lips and don’t crack throughout the day. Once these dry down, I can barely feel them on my lips. The shade range is always expanding and I can’t wait to get my hands on more of these!
Thanks for reading!
Glowingly yours,
Jess
