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Saturday, January 3, 2015

Beauty | Best of 2014

Welcome to the world, 2015! How exciting...I can smell the change that this year will bring. However, I'm currently looking back on 2014 and the lovely (and, admittedly, not so lovely) things that occurred during the past twelve months, and there are a lot of really great beauty products that I've found! I figured the best time to review everything would be now, so let's see....



Makeup

tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Airbrush Foundation (not pictured)

    Of course I'd start off with the ONLY product not in the picture, but that's because I used it all up over the summer months and have now moved on to liquid foundation. I LOVE this stuff. I bought it in the shade light beige and it matched my skin perfectly. I have very oily skin, so I needed coverage that wouldn't give my face any more reason to be used as a roller coaster greaser. I bought the kabuki brush along with it, and it worked so well with my skin that I will definitely be looking to repurchase it once the weather gets warmer.

NARS Creamy Concealer in Vanilla

    I've heard the hype about this product for SO long, but have been so resistant due to the price tag. However, after dealing with dark circles and creases in my concealers, I broke down and bought it. Man--I am NEVER going back! This concealer works like a dream, and has made me look more refreshed than ever. I only wish that it served as a corrector as well, but meh...I'll take what I can get!

tarte Gifted Mascara (please ignore the lack of cleanliness...that means it's well-loved!)

   I became a tarte mascara follower earlier in the year when I tried their Lights, Cameras, Lashes mascara (still really great), but when I ran out, I decided to try their new forumla, Gifted. This mascara has minerals and vitamins that keep your lashes healthy and promote lash growth, and I really like how it looks! I strongly recommend it, not only for the how it makes your lashes look, but how it makes them feel!

Lorac PRO Palette

   HOW have I lived without this palette??? Yet again, this is another very popular item in the blogger/YouTube world, and I totally understand why. This is your one-stop shop! The palette has two rows of shadows, one shimmer and one matte and fits any eyeshadow need that you have: highlighter, base, crease, smoky, party, and eyeliner. I've reached for this on my "no-makeup makeup look" days and also for my partying nights. If you are hesitant to put out a lot of money but want a palette that does it all, splurge on this one and you'll never have to worry about it again.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz in Soft Brown

   My eyebrows hadn't lived until I started using Anastasia. However, these little tubes run out fast, so I've been able to experiment with about three different colors this year. What I'm currently using is soft brown, and I think it fits my eyebrow color the best. I probably won't stray from this product, but I wish it lasted longer!

Benefit Cosmetics Blush in Hervana (not pictured)

   I find this blush to be very summery, so therefore it is not at home with me on my winter break. I bought this blush whilst in San Francisco, and since that is the highlight of my year, I cannot exclude it from the list. This blush is absolutely beautiful, and while it does not apply how I originally expected it to, I am very pleased with the color payoff. It looks very subtle and natural, and I tend to have that flushed "glow" when I wear it. 


Tanya Burr Lip Gloss in Picnic in the Park
   When I saw that Tanya had released lip glosses, I knew I had to try some! I got this one and 'Afternoon Tea,' and while that one is also nice, I found myself reaching for this one more. The smell is AMAZING and I love the pigmentation. However, if I could make one critique, sometimes the product became lumpy after I try to reapply. Other than that, I love it!

Clinique Chubby Stick Baby Tint in Budding Blossom
   Working in a location where there is a Clinique counter nearby, I sometimes break down and buy some of their new products as they roll in. This lip crayon smells minty and glides on really well. The formula works in the same way that the Dior Addict Lip Glow does, where the color changes based on who is wearing it. If I'm being honest, I totally like this better than the Dior one (shh, don't tell anyone)!!! It's half the price, and I personally like the color better in this one. Why pay more when you don't have to?

MAC Aquatic Lipstick in Mystical (limited addition)
   Thankfully, I managed to grab a lipstick before this immensely popular line sold out, and I'm so glad I did. First of all, the packaging. I couldn't resist. The product looks like it was just spritzed with water, and I freaking love it. Then, the lipstick is so pigmented and the color serves as that perfect, "everyday" look. I'm in love. I reach for this lipstick at least twice a week, if not more.













    (le swatch...in order)

Skincare

Sephora Triple Action Cleansing Water

   Sadly, my 500mL bottle of Bioderma that I bought in Paris is quickly running out, so I was in desperate need of a new bottle of miscellar water. I thought I was out of luck when I watched FleurDeForce talk about this cleansing water on YouTube---could it be??? Yes! I love this stuff! It has a nice, calming scent to it, and  it takes off my makeup much better than Bioderma(I feel like such a traitor!). I'm in love with this. So in love. Mm.

Korres Wild Rose Buff Cleanser
   As my middle name is Rose, I think I'm internally wired to automatically love everything that is rose-scented. This does not disappoint. It's the PERFECT exfoliator to get me up and moving in the morning. Yes, I exfoliate pretty much every morning, but it just feels so good, ya get me? The smell is also out of this world. I'm on my second container of this and I'm never going back. 

Simple Nourishing Day and Night Cream (I can't find this online but just trust me that it's in every drugstore and Walmart out there)
   I'm going to let you in on a secret: my skin sucks. It's true! For most of my life, I've had skin problems, such as acne, rashes, an allergy to metal, and many illnesses related to skin (chicken pox, I'm looking at you). To this day, my skin still reacts to about 80% of what I try. Therefore, I have to be reallyyyyy careful with any oils, moisturizers, serums, and face masks that I decide to test. Thankfully, after about three moisturizers that continued to break me out, I found this one at my local RiteAid and was not disappointed. This is the perfect moisturizer for me, because it is light enough to not irritate my skin, but also does a really good job at keeping me hydrated. At first I was iffy about the packaging, because it looks very cheap, but then I read more and it turns out that they designed it that way to make it recyclable! Yusss. 


Wildcard
I read a lot of books and drank a lot of tea, but there wasn't really a book that stood out to me, and my favorite teas I purchased before 2014. Therefore, I didn't feel like was justified in rambling on about any. BUT. I made a huuuuuge discovery this year, and that is Diamond Candles!!!! Basically, every candle is $24.95 (without sales...and they have a lot of sales) and inside the candles are rings, which range from $10-$5,000. You don't know what quality ring you're going to unlock (thus far my two rings have been under $100), but you get really lovely soy candles. I'm obsessed. It's a problem. We won't stop. 



Anyways, that's my 2014 favorites! Here's to a fulfilling 2014 and to the game-changing 2015 to come! Expect me soon (as a resolution of mine is to blog more...)!


xx






1 comment:

  1. Awesome of great blogs. I will benefit a lot from reading the content of this blog. Candles with Rings Inside make the perfect gift for many occasions.

    ReplyDelete