Hopefully everyone had a wonderful holiday season and had a great start to the new year! I decided that I needed to keep up with this blog more, so that's one of my resolutions for the year. A lot of my favorite beauty bloggers and vloggers are revealing their favorites from 2012, and I thought it would be a fun way to kick off 2013 and end 2012.
My favorite eye products of the year were Wet N Wild Creme Eyeliner in Black, Milani Liquif'Eye eyeliner pencil, and Tarte Lights, Camera, Lashes mascara. This creme eyeliner was the first I had ever tried - I was a bit skeptical, but I loved it even more than a liquid eyeliner. It went on so easily on the top lash line, the color was extremely black, and it lasted for hours! I bought this online at drugstore.com, but I'm sure most Wal-Marts and other drugstores have them. The Milani Liquif'Eye was my water line's best friend this year. I spent so many years using a cheap black eye pencil and suffering through the pulls, tugs, and splinters! I had heard of this liner on many beauty vloggers YouTube videos, and I had to jump on the bandwagon. I was an instant fan of this extremely black liner that is easy to apply (almost easy as liquid!), and actually stays on my water line for hours. While I love this pencil, I didn't love the price ($8, Walgreens), and I may try cheaper variations this month, but if none of them stack up to this, it's worth the price!
My last, but certainly not least, favorite eye product the year was Tarte's Lights, Camera, Lashes. I had received a sample size (the small tube in the picture) with an eyelash curler set, and was excited to try it. The only mascaras I had ever used were Maybelline's Volume Express line, which I thought were pretty decent. I found that Tarte's mascara is a little dryer than other brands, but that happened to be a good thing! This mascara makes my lashes really POP, and I am constantly getting compliments on how long my lashes look - it makes your lashes look like faux lashes - in a good way!!!! Unfortunately, the full size of this mascara is $19. I had to go for it anyway because it is definitely my ulltimate favorite - and I'm still using the sample right now!
Last year I tried a TON of lip products! It seemed like every time I went to Wal-Mart I ended up buying a new lip product. My favorites from the year were: Maybelline Baby Lips, Revlon Lip Butters in Fig Jam and Sugar Plum, and the combo of Rimmel's Stay Glossy gloss in 120 Non-Stop Glamour and Rimmel's Lasting Finish lipstick by Kate Moss in 14.
I have done a review of the Baby Lips before - they are extremely nourishing while adding just a tint of color - perfect for everyday. The Revlon Lip Butters are currently an obsession! I had been searching high and low for a great-looking plum lipstick and Sugar Plum is the one. I had my doubts about the brownish color called Fig Jam, but it ended up being very sexy and pretty for fall. I love that you do not need to wear a chapstick underneath nor a lip gloss on top - these Lip Butters are all that in one! I'm dying to try more this year.
I started to obsess over the nude lip last year. I loved the look with an intense smoky eye. I found the perfect combo in Rimmel's 120 Non-Stop Glamour over Rimmel's Lasting Finish lipstick by Kate Moss in 14. the lipstick is a beautiful nude color, but a bit dry on it's own. My lips are always dry anyway, so it didn't look so hot. I added the shimmery nude lip gloss over it and perfection!
The makeup products that I have been loving for the face include Tarte's Clean Slate Poreless Perfecting Primer, Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind Dark Circle Eraser, and Elf's Eyelid Primer. I had tried other primers, but I didn't really like any of them except for Tarte's Poreless version - I wasn't even a fan of Tarte's Brightening version! This primer practically evaporates into the skin and feels like nothing is there - but it completely masks my pores and other little skin flaws with my foundation on top. It's not greasy and it doesn't leave your skin shiny or with a residue.
Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind is probably my favorite concealer that I used this year. It's easy to apply, covers great, and I like the packaging. While I do love this one, I may try other concealers by Revlon and Maybelline to compare.
Elf's Eyelid Primer is definitely my #1 eyelid primer. I also tried Urban Decay's Primer Potion, which was good, but I thought that Elf's version was just like it! My eye makeup lasts all day without smudging all over the place. I'd rather pay the $1 than the $20. Yes, I know UD's Primer Potion is legendary, but I'm on a budget! Besides, like I said, there's hardly a difference between them.
I used a ton of different shadows last year, my ultimate favorite being Wet N Wild's Comfort Zone. This palette was a big hit among YouTube beauty vloggers, and rightfully so. Every color is beautifully pigmented and blends well. I was so in love with this that I bought an extra one for back up!
Another palette I used alot (mainly during the summer) was Elf's Essential Flawless Eyeshadow palette. It comes in a variety of tones, but I got the Golden Goddess one. It created the perfect summer eye look for $2! I forgot to take a picture of it, but I have done a post on it before, or you can look it up on eyeslipsface.com.
So I discovered bronzer in 2012. Shoutout to one of my fav YouTube gurus Nicole Guerrero for getting me hooked on Benefit's Hoola Bronzer. I tried a couple other bronzers but none of them really gave me the contour I was looking for. I first got Hoola in a Benefit kit of deluxe samples, and when I found out how much I loved it, I wanted the full size immediately! Sadly, it's out of my budget, but I ended up buying a different Benefit kit and got another deluxe sample of Hoola. I'm still on the first sample, so I believe these will last me for awhile - there's quite a bit of product in these samples, and it doesn't take much as it's highly pigmented!
My favorite blush was Elf's Twinkle Pink. At first I hated this one. It's a light pink-coral color with lots of shimmer. When I dipped my brush into it, there was shimmer flying out all over the place. But I have grown to love this because the color is so pretty on the apples of the cheeks, and the shimmer actually comes off as a great highlight! I've been trying out highlighting products lately, and this blush makes it easy to get color/shimmer in one step.
I just have to say that I die for Elf brushes. That is all. Just kidding. These are my top 5 favorite brushes, although I have alot more favorites. I discovered I love to use dark eyeshadows on my lower lash line smudged out a bit, and the angled liner brush from EcoTools is perfect for doing that.
While I discovered bronzer in 2012, I also discovered the perfect brush for applying it! It's an angled blush brush from EcoTools. I love the angle for applying bronzer because it fits right in the hollows of the cheeks, and it's fluffy enough that I can also buff out extra pigmentation if I apply too much.
Elf brushes in general are amazing, and at $3 each for the studio line, I urge you to try them. They are so soft and professional-feeling, with no shedding. My favs are the tapered blush brush for applying blush, the stipple brush for applying foundation, and the powder brush for powder.
My most-used colors of the year had to be from the Wet N Wild Megalast line. I loved I Need a Refresh-Mint during the warmer months and Haze of Love during Fall. The thick brushes make it so easy to apply the perfect coats, they are fast-drying, and long-lasting!
So with all this makeup, a girl needs some good face products. I have literally been using Yes to Cucumbers Gentle Milk Cleanser ALL year. I have had maybe 2 breakouts since I started using it, which is a huge improvement for me. My skin has stayed mostly clear, and I think I owe it to the fact that this is a milk cleanser, and not anything harsher like a scrub or something that suds up. In combination with the cleanser, when I breakout with a pimple, I immediately treat it with the Yes to Tomatos Acne Spot Stick. This has Salicylic Acid, among other natural ingredients, which works best for my acne. You have to be careful as some people can be allergic to Salicylic Acid. I dab the rollerball stick on my pimple, and it seems overnight it has gone down significantly. These products are a little bit expensive (I believe the cleanser was $9-$11 and the roller ball was $8), but when it comes to the health and look of my skin, it's definitely worth it.
Sometimes I get very dry skin, especially after a shower, so I like to moisturize with a timely favorite from Olay. It is light and non-greasy, it doesn't make me break out, and it has SPF in it, which is very important these days. My grandmother swore by this brand, and it's probably one of the best drugstore products that I trust.
This favorite is a little funny. Through another YouTube guru, Leighann (leighannsays), I discovered this detangling spray from Suave KIDS. Haha, yes, from the Kids line. But it smells amazing (like green apple) and it works so good on my long, thick hair that is usually very tangly after a shower. I think it was like $2, and I dare you to try it!!!!!
My favorite scent from Bath & Body Works has been Winter Candy Apple since my freshman year of high school (I'm 26 now). It is a scent that only comes around during the holidays, and it is AWESOME. Sometime toward the end of October, I believe, I found that the scent was already back, and the store was having a Buy 3, Get 2 Free or something outrageous like that. I ended up stocking up on the lotion, spray, and shower gel, which have improved over the years. I love how the shower gel scent sticks to you long after your shower.
Other scents that I was loving earlier in the year (during warmer months) were Fancy by Jessica Simpson and Too Too Pretty by Betsey Johnson. I had a couple samples which I wanted to use up before getting the full size.
Sorry for being a terribly long post, but I had lots of favorites for 2012. I don't like to do monthly favorites like most bloggers and vloggers do because honestly, a lot of these products that I posted today will probably be my favorites for awhile. I'd rather try new products and review them as we go along. What were your favorite things this year??? Leave a comment and definitely subscribe!!!
