Sunday 29 December 2013

The Best of 2013: Makeup

As 2013 is drawing to an end, I am honored to present my favorite makeup products of the year. 2013 has been the year of many beauty discoveries and it was quite difficult for me to narrow it down to just a few products. In choosing my favorites, I went for products that received heavy usage and that are excellent in formulation. I'm not going to go too in depth with describing each product or this post will be ridiculously long. Here's the breakdown!
Top Base Products

Best Primer: Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer is a lovely primer that I like to use under long-wearing foundations and it helps to smooth out the skin and increase the wear-time of foundation.

Best Foundation: Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation is definitely one of my most worn foundations of the year. I think it's a gorgeous foundation with light coverage that has such a beautiful finish on the skin. I wore this most during the spring/summer months but I have recently brought it out again to wear on my dehydrated winter skin (and I am loving it).

Best Tinted Moisturizer: I really wasn't into the idea of a tinted moisturizer at first. I never had an issue with wearing foundation and I'm a girl who likes a bit of coverage. That was, until my aunt introduced me to Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturizer. This product actually feels comfortable on the skin, and at the end of the day my skin feels plump and moisturized as opposed to dried out and cakey. Perfect for weekends, heading to class and hangovers.

Best Concealer: Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer is such a gorgeous product for illuminating tired eyes and adding extra radiance to the high points of the face. I use this product every day and despite some new concealers falling into my makeup bag, I keep going back to this one. An added benefit is that it's really affordable!

Best Powder: I am incredibly picky with face powders because I have a shiny T-Zone that is difficult to mattify while the rest of my face doesn't require anything more than a light setting powder. Clarins Ever Matte Powder is my favorite for controlling oil on my forehead and is light enough to set undereye concealer without looking cakey. It's the best I've found!

Best Cheek Products

Best Bronzer: I've spoken about this bronzer so many times, so I won't repeat myself. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer is the best bronzer I have ever used. It is matte, not too orange and looks so natural on the skin.

Best Blush: I think blush is my favorite beauty product of all time, and by that I mean NARS blush. Nars Deep Throat (Pardon my french!) is such a beautiful rosey pink blush that I used on countless occasions in the past year and it definitely takes the cake for my favorite of 2013.

Best Eye Products:

Best Eye Primer: Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion is a cult classic for a reason. It is fabulous at keeping eyeshadow on the lids ALL day long and helps prevent smudging. I wear it every single day because I notice such a difference without it.

Best Eyeliner: The entire shade range of Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Kohl Kajals are fantastic. Awesome liners with a gorgeous gel formulation that last all day and don't budge. I recommend these to all my friends because they are the best.

Best Eye Crayon: Clinique Chubby Sticks Shadow Tint for Eyes are the best eyeshadow crayons I have used! They are perfect to swipe over the lids and blend with the fingers for a wash of color the lasts all day. I have Whopping Willow which is a mossy antiqued green.These are great for busy days and rushed mornings.

Best Eyeshadow: This won't come as a surprise. I have banged on about this eyeshadow since the moment I bought it and I am still singing it's praises. Dior Diorshow Fusion Mono in #661 Meteore is the most beautifully textured eyeshadow and it's an absolute treat to use (easily applied with the finger straight on to the lid). I feel so glamorous when I use this bronzey grown-up glitter and I won't be getting tired of it any time soon.

Best Brow Pencil: This was the perfect in-between pencil for my ever-fading brown tints. Lancome Powder Pencil for Brows is an excellent brow pencil because of it's powdery texture that looks so natural on the brows.

 Best Lip Products:

Best Lipstick: Lancome Rouge in Love in #300B is my most loved lipstick of 2013. It is the perfect mix of browny-pink with a touch of coral that looks so natural and flattering. It's super hydrating and comfortable on the lips and leaves behind a stain that lasts for hours. I cannot recommend these lipsticks enough.

Best Gloss: I wasn't really crazy about lip gloss until I discovered this Lancome offering. After becoming so obsessed with the Rouge in Love lipsticks, I was curious to try the matching gloss to see if it compared. Lancome Gloss in Love in #312 is the best gloss ever. It has lovely pigmentation and a slight sparkle with absolutely NO sticky feel to it. Such a lovely product.


So that's the lot of them! I feel like there are so many other products from the past year that deserve honorable mentions but I'm trying to stay concise. If you have noticed a void in my favorites, it is because I do not have a favorite highlighter, and this is on my to-do list for next year (my beauty resolutions post will being coming soon).

What are your most loved makeup products of 2013? Please let me know in the comments below. I wish you all a happy and safe new years celebration, and I'll talk to you again in 2014!

Thanks for reading :)


No comments:

Post a Comment