Favorite Makeup Products of 2018

So, it's the end of the year, and everyone is making their lists of the best and worst makeup of 2018. The older I get and the less involved with the "influencer" side of the beauty industry I become, these lists matter less and less to me. That also might be because we are so inundated with new releases that it's hard to hold onto a few select products as "the best." And even if they do make that cut, where will they be six months or a year from now?

I didn't try a ton of new makeup this year. I did buy some things and I was gifted a few things, but I was generally less concerned with buying.

Because of this, it didn't make much sense to me to create my own "best of 2018" list, since I didn't buy many new releases and mainly just used and loved what I already had. And then it struck me—that's the entire point of this blog. To encourage mindful shopping and using what you already own.

So I decided to write a post on my favorite makeup items of 2018—most of which I acquired before 2018.

FACE

Foundation: Fenty Pro Filt'r 

I talked in depth about this foundation in a recent post, but this is a really fantastic foundation. It gives my skin a light, skin-like finish and provides a lot of coverage while also not looking like a mask. I love the shade range, and it is a brand that I feel good supporting. 

Primer: Australian Gold Tinted Sunscreen

I've used this sunscreen as a primer for a while, and despite trying several different primers this year, it still came out on top for me. My previous favorite foundation (It Cosmetics CC+) had SPF 50 within it, so it is even more important to me now to have SPF in my primer. I've raved about this sunscreen before, and I will continue to do so. It's non-greasy and yet really holds onto foundation well. I love it. 

Multi-purpose spray: MAC Fix+

I have used MAC Fix+ for many years, but I used it more this year than any other. And that's because I finally started wetting eyeshadows. This was never something I was all that interested in, mainly because I didn't feel I should have to wet an eyeshadow in order for it to work. And I still agree with that (I'm looking at you, Makeup Revolution The Emily Edit). However, some shadows still perform dry but pack a little more punch when wet, and those are the ones for which I don't mind putting in the additional effort. To wet shadows, I'll only use Fix+. This product was also heavily used when I was finishing my Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder and my face looked like it was caked in product. Fix+ took down the powder look and made my skin appear a bit more natural. 

Bronzer: Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light

It's not surprising that my favorite bronzer is from Hourglass, since all of my favorite powder face products are from Hourglass. I didn't use bronzer for years (I didn't understand the point of it, to be honest), and I still only use a small amount, but I have come to really love the warmth it gives my face. With that said, I'm unsure how anyone ever finishes a bronzer. I have had this product for a long time, and I use it almost daily, and I have only made a small dent in it. 

Setting powder: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder

This is a relatively new product to me, so it might be a little unfair to call it a favorite already, but I don't care. It is. I purchased this powder to replace my One Heck of a Blot powder when it was finished, and I absolutely love it. It makes my skin look airbrushed. That shouldn't be surprising—so many Hourglass products do that. I feel like you might not notice a huge difference with this powder (and other Hourglass products) until you stop using it. That happened to me with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, and I just couldn't understand why my face looked so dull when I didn't use it. I feel the same about this. 

Finishing powder: Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

I've talked about this product so much at this point, so all I will say here is that I can't really see anything ever topping this powder for me. I plan on using it as long as Hourglass makes it. 

BLUSH

I have a sizable blush collection (though it probably appears small when compared to a large number of beauty content creators), and these four are the ones that stood out to me this year as the best. 

Marc Jacobs Lines and Last Night

Lines and Last Night is a perfect peach/orange blush for my skin tone, and it lasts all day without fading. I have two other Marc Jacobs blushes in this formula, but neither are quite as special (on me) as this one.

NARS Exhibit A

I've talked about this blush several times before, but this is my all-time favorite and the blush I wear the most.

MAC Gingerly 

This blush is such a great color, but unfortunately, the staying power isn't the greatest on me. I really like to pair Gingerly with a yellow-gold highlighter and warm nude (on me) lipstick. It also looks great with green or mustard eyeshadow!

Hourglass Mood Exposure

Next to Exhibit A, this is my favorite blush. Whenever I can't quite figure out what blush to wear, I go for this one. When I'm traveling, this is usually the only blush I take. I think what everyone else loves about Tarte Exposed is what I love about Mood Exposure.

HIGHLIGHTER

I firmly believe that a highlighter is a highlighter is a highlighter. I picked my three favorites from the year and the three I've worn the most, but honestly, while there are differences between them, I think they all look pretty similar on the skin—like almost every highlighter. 

Becca Vanilla Quartz

For years, Becca Moonstone was my top favorite, and it probably still is, but I wore Vanilla Quartz the most in 2018. I like that it has a yellow/peach base instead of a champagne base, which sets it slightly apart from Moonstone. Becca highlighters will likely always be my favorite, and Vanilla Quartz is a stunner. 

Physician's Formula Butter Highlighter in Pearl

I've recently talked about Pearl, but I have to say that I'll never understand why people seemed to have skipped over this highlighter. This is the only highlighter from the Butter line that I personally felt was unique, but performs at a level that is far above its price range. I would think people would rave about the Butter line, but unless I'm missing something, I haven't heard anything. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills X Amrezy Highlighter

This highlighter was given to me as a gift at a time when I really wasn't wearing much makeup or focused on anything other than recovering from 5 years of unhappiness and environmental depression as a result of living in New York City. So, it took me quite a while to use it. But since then, I have worn it a lot, and it has become a favorite.

Honestly, I wouldn't have purchased this highlighter myself, and I debated even including it in this list. And the reason for that is because Amrezy is not a person who I personally feel comfortable supporting. I understand that she and Norvina of ABH are friends, but I don't think she's a good candidate as a brand ambassador.

The highlighter is really pretty, and I was surprised by how much I liked the strong yellow-gold color. I pair this highlighter with MAC Gingerly, and I think the two make a really nice combination.

EYESHADOW PALETTES (NEW)

The irony here, of course, is that my two favorite eyeshadow palettes that released in 2018 (or at least were new to me) are pretty far apart in terms of price. I purchased NYX Grind for $12 (when it was on sale), and the Pat McGrath Decadence palette was a hefty $125. 

NYX Grind

I've heard next to no one talk about this palette, and I really don't understand why. I think it's really fantastic and one of the best color stories to come out in a while. It performs at a level that is much higher than its price range, and I don't have to work to make the shadows perform. They are just high quality. It's always a treat to use this palette. 

Pat McGrath Mothership IV — Decadence 

I bought this palette as a "Congrats, you survived New York" gift to myself. Decadence is the nicest makeup item I have ever owned. (I was then gifted another Pat McGrath palette—one of the smaller ones—and I was not impressed with that.) I have no concept why Decadence was the only limited edition Mothership palette. That makes no sense to me because I feel like it's the best one. And I think it's really disappointing that people can't buy it anymore. 

I had a slightly hard time tracking it down (it was sold out online and I had to put this one on hold at a Sephora near me and then race to buy it), but I never made the connection that it was limited edition (and not a false scarcity tactic). I remember the Sephora employee gasping when I gave my name and said what I was picking up. And I remember thinking that was weird. 

This is a beautiful palette, and these are the highest quality eyeshadows I have ever used. That's especially why I was disappointed in the smaller PM palette as it doesn't seem that the quality is consistent across the board. Decadence is the perfect name for this palette. I only wish it was still available for people to purchase. 

EYESHADOW PALETTE (NOT NEW)

BH Cosmetics Zodiac 

Up front, I need to give a disclaimer. As I detailed in my last post, I'm not sure that I will ever buy from BH Cosmetics again because I have recently had the worst customer service experience to date after purchasing from them. Long story short: They took 28 days to ship a product to me, lied to me, ignored me, and then blamed the USPS for their errors. I was incredibly disappointed by how I was treated, and when I went onto their social media, the comments were littered with people like me who were being ignored and were frustrated. Customer service is a big deal to me (and most consumers), so, at present, this is not a company that I can or do recommend purchasing from. 

With that said, the Zodiac palette is my favorite palette in my collection. And I'm including it in this post because if you already own this palette, I wanted to maybe remind you of how great it is and encourage you to get more use out of it. Zodiac is a fantastic palette, and it performs better than a lot of high-end palettes that I've tried. It is beyond disappointing that BH Cosmetics handled their customer service so unprofessionally because I really do love a lot of their products. 

SINGLE EYESHADOWS

If you've read my blog for any period of time, you'll know that I love single eyeshadows. Reflecting upon which are my favorite of the year, I found that there was a nice mix of new and old shadows. They are:

Marc Jacobs Copperazzi

Fyrinnae Rapunzel Had Extensions

Fyrinnae Serendipity 

Urban Decay Space Cowboy

Marc Jacobs The Big O!

Hourglass Foil

Fyrinnae It Beautifies! 

I have talked about all of these shadows in previous posts, so I will just say that these are the singles in my collection that really stand out, either because of color, texture, or finish. 

SINGLE EYESHADOWS (HONORABLE MENTION)

This might be cheating, but I wanted to give a mention to my giant palette (from Coloured Raine) of single shadows that I either purchased individually or depotted from palettes. This giant collection of singles helps me dupe so many new releases, and my desire to own new things gets immediately curbed. Largely, I don't think singles get enough love, but they are the best tool I have to resist buying something unnecessary. Singles will forever be one of my favorite products. 

LIPS

If I'm honest, I haven't always been a huge lip product person. That's largely because:

• I drink coffee all day and hate getting lipstick all over my nice mugs
• I typically only apply lipstick in the morning 
• I very rarely reapply my lipstick throughout the day

But, even though I might not wear it as much as I would like, I still apply some kind of lip product most days, and these are my favorites.

NARS Barbara

The NARS Audacious lipstick formula is one of my all-time favorites, and Barbara is my go-to warm nude (on me) that I pair with bold eyes, MAC Gingerly, and the ABH highlighter. 

NARS Anna

I think this is a perfect lip color for me and my skin tone, and it feels like the lipstick version of Hourglass Mood Exposure. 

Estée Lauder Shock & Awe

This has been in a monthly favorites post before, and I continue to love it. On me, it's not as bright as it looks in the tube, and I find it to be a really wearable and pretty pink. 

Pat McGrath Antidote

I bought this lipstick at the same time that I bought the Decadence palette, and I absolutely love it. I don't have anything even similar in color, and I love wearing it with a matte mustard eye look. 

Tom Ford Fetishist 

I wrote about this lipstick in a recent post, and I will say that despite the staggering price tag, it's a great lipstick. Its staying powder is like none other in my collection (including liquid lipsticks!). The color is deep and romantic, and it feels every bit as luxurious as you would expect from Tom Ford (and its price!).

Recent Favorites: Elegant Makeup

I haven't been posting any "Recent Looks" posts lately, and that's largely because I've been favoring a much more simple makeup aesthetic. I doubt it's very interesting to read a post where the same two or three looks are done, and it has honestly been really nice to just focus on a look I really enjoy and let it be easy. 

With the recent Sephora sales and promotions, I did buy a few new makeup items—mainly single eyeshadows—and they have quickly become some of my favorite products that I've come across in years. And what's interesting is that I personally haven't heard any influencers talk about them. I heard about the eyeshadows from a real-life friend who loves makeup just as much as I do. It has been really refreshing to have a friend recommend a product that they've been loving and then buy the product and have the same reaction. It's what YouTube used to be, when I really loved the content and the community. Now, it's PR packages and hidden sponsorships and contracts, and the only brands that get mentioned are the ones that pay and play the game. 

My recent favorites aren't really talked about, except for the Fenty foundation. And when I gathered all the products to take a picture, I noticed that they all look elegant. This is sophisticated makeup meant for adult women. This is not unicorns and mermaids and alien heads marketed toward children. 

Here are the products that I have been loving:

Fenty Pro Filt'r Foundation

If you read my last post, you'll know that I have been looking to replace my all-time favorite foundation, It Cosmetics CC+ cream. I have loved that foundation for years, but the shade range is unacceptable and so heavily favors light skin, and it's not a product or a brand that I feel comfortable supporting. If you've read my blog for a while, you will know that inclusivity is very important to me, and that factors heavily into my purchasing decisions. I can no longer be ignorant about the people who are excluded by the makeup industry and continue to support products that will only work for me as someone with light to medium skin. 

I honestly didn't think I would find a foundation that could replace the CC+ cream. I have hated nearly all of the foundations I have ever used, and none of them ever gave me the skin-like finish of the CC+ cream. I recently finished all three of my foundations in a project pan, so I decided to buy the Fenty Pro Filt'r foundation. Fenty was honestly one of only a few brands that had an extensive shade range that I felt comfortable supporting. The other brands I considered—MAC, Make Up For Ever, and L'Oreal—all have not worked for me in the past. MAC foundations clog and irritate my skin, Make Up For Ever foundations look too dry and matte on me, and L'Oreal foundations have caused my skin to break out. So, Fenty it was. 

Honestly, I absolutely love this foundation, even more than the CC+ cream. It came as a complete shock to me—even though the product has fantastic reviews—because nothing has ever come close to the CC+ cream. I immediately told my aforementioned friend about it, she purchased it, and loves it too. She was looking for something to replace the old formula of the Estée Lauder Double Wear Light, and she said the Fenty was a great alternative. 

I couldn't be happier that I found a foundation that I like even more than my all-time favorite, and the fact that it is from an inclusive brand makes it that much more thrilling.

NARS Exhibit A

In an era where we are always looking on the horizon for the next new thing to come out and dazzle us for a few moments until we're bored, I think it's nice to reflect upon those staples in your collection that will never be knocked off their throne. And for me, that's Exhibit A.

This is not a new product to me, but it has been my go-to blush for the past month. Every time I wear it, I always wonder why I own any other blush. This is my number-one—the blush that most flatters my skin. Exhibit A has been a part of my life for many years, and after my original blush got to be too old, I purchased this one. I only use a tiny amount because of how pigmented it is, so I find it impossible to think I will ever even hit the pan of it. But I use it, and I love it. And I don't think anything will ever replace it. 

Marc Jacobs Omega Shadows in Perfect-O! and The Big O!

Up front, I need to say that these shadows have really dumb and cringey names. But, if you can get past that, they are utterly gorgeous. The pans are huge—about the size of shadows in Juvia's Place palettes—and they are a "gel powder" formula. I love the texture and payoff of these shadows, but the colors themselves are not unique whatsoever. They come in matte, satin, and shimmer finishes, and I have one matte (The Big O!) and one satin (Perfect-O!), which performs like a matte. I use these as everyday, workhorse shadows, and I like having them as singles in individual packaging. I wear The Big O! almost every day in my crease, and Perfect-O! on the brow bone:

Fyrinnae Serendipity (over Pixie Epoxy) on the lid.

As of now, this line of shadows doesn't have many colors, but I think the range is nice, especially for being so limited. I'll be interested to see if they make other colors in the future, but for now, these were the only two that I felt warranted buying since they are everyday staples in my collection. I wouldn't use the other colors every day, and I already own several dupes of all of them, so I don't see myself buying any more unless the range expands. 

Hourglass Scattered Light Eyeshadows in Smoke, Reflect, and Foil 

When I mentioned to my friend that I was really interested in sheer washes of sparkle and shine, she told me I should try the Hourglass Scattered Light eyeshadows. I bought three colors—a taupe, champagne, and gold—but truthfully, the taupe (Smoke) and champagne (Reflect) look very similar. Reflect also looks almost identical to another shadow in the line, Aura, which is supposed to be pink. So, unfortunately, these shadows don't have a ton of individuality. 

If you're looking for intense pigment, these are not for you. If you hate sheerness, these are not for you. If you hate the idea of a "shadow topper," these are not for you. However, if you like intense shine, these are really pretty and worth considering. 

Reflect:

Smoke:

Foil:

As you can see, Smoke and Reflect are very similar. There is a slight difference between the two, but I wouldn't say that it's strong enough to warrant buying both colors. But these are very beautiful shadows, and although the colors are not exactly unique, the payoff is unlike anything else in my collection, and I have been loving them with a bold lip. 

Marc Jacobs See-quins Eyeshadow in Copperazzi

Because I loved the Hourglass Scattered Lights so much, my friend recommended I look at the Marc Jacobs See-quin shadows, which she said are supposed to be like the Scattered Lights. I wouldn't say the two are very similar, to be honest. Yes, they both have almost a gel-like consistency and work best applied with a synthetic brush, but the Marc Jacobs shadows are full of multi-dimensional glitter whereas the Hourglass have intense shine. 

As you can see, like the Hourglass shadows, there is a ton of reflect and shine to Copperazzi, but it also has a lot of glitter, which the Hourglass shadows don't have. In photos, this shadow honestly doesn't look that impressive, but in person, especially in the light, this is one of the most brilliant, multi-faceted eyeshadows I have ever seen. It also has quite a bit more pigment than the Hourglass ones, so, between the two, I would say the Marc Jacobs shadows pack more of a punch. 

Tom Ford Fetishist

I went through a period for the last several months were I didn't want to wear any lipstick at all. If I wore something, it was usually a tinted lip balm. That's likely because I had been wearing really intense, colorful eyeshadow, and I liked a light lip to balance things out. Now that I have been wearing lighter eye makeup, I have been really liking my lipstick to bring the drama, and Fetishist has been my go-to. This is the only Tom Ford lipstick I have ever purchased, and I can say that this lipstick stays on longer than any other lip product I have ever used, including liquid lipsticks. When I purchased this color (online), I thought it was going to be brighter and more berry, but it is actually quite deep, almost like oxblood. It put me off for a while, but the color was pretty, so I chose to not return it. Since then, I have come to really appreciate this color, especially paired with a light eyeshadow and NARS Exhibit A blush. 

Bésame Cosmetics Red Velvet

Since I've been loving Fetishist, I decided to pull out another dark lipstick favorite, Bésame's Red Velvet. I really love Bésame lipsticks because they have fantastic staying powder as long as you blot and apply two coats (note: the Tom Ford lipstick does not requite this to last all day). Red lipstick always feels intimidating to me because of the upkeep (and, yes, I still worry if I have gotten red all over my face throughout the day), but I really love the depth of this color. Like the name suggests, it is a deep red instead of a cherry-red, and like Fetishist, it looks fantastic with a light eye and NARS Exhibit A blush. 

Best Makeup of 2017

This is a little bit of a different "Best of 2017" makeup post because I don't have a "best" product for every makeup category, and I very specifically won't mention any base products like primer, foundation, concealer, and powder. And that's simply because I did not encounter any this year that impressed me enough as a standout. Eyeshadow is my favorite part about makeup, and that is what dominated my interests this year and mainly what I'll talk about in this post. There are also favorite products of mine that have been favorites for years, but those will also not be included here. 

These are the products that I discovered in 2017 that stood out to me as being the best and products that I look forward to using for years to come. 

Duped Just Peachy Mattes

 The original post on how I made this palette is here.

I've written about this palette so many times since I first made it, and without doubt, it is my top pick for best makeup product of the year (and to be clear, that's referring to my duped palette, not the one by Too Faced). What I love so much about this palette, other than the fact that it's gorgeous, is that it was the first palette that I made with shadows already in my collection. I feel like it's important to mention that the majority of the shadows in this palette are from Colourpop, and Colourpop first launched their pressed shadows in January 2017. That means that I bought the majority of this palette in 2017 and didn't have these shadows just hanging out in my collection before last year. This is important to note because I couldn't have made this palette without the Colourpop shadows—I didn't have duplicate shades elsewhere. With that said, I bought all of these shadows individually throughout the year because they were pretty and unique to my collection and I was drawn to them. I didn't buy them with the purpose of trying to duplicate a palette. When Too Faced released the Just Peachy Mattes palette, I was so drawn to it and wanted to buy it. But then I saw it in person and realized that I already owned that palette, and I decided to assemble it. And then I customized it further to create this palette that I love. This was such a huge lesson for me to really dive into what I already own before bringing something new into my collection. It was also a great lesson because the quality of my palette is better than the original from Too Faced. I was therefore able to get the cool new palette with the color scheme I loved, but I got a better version of it and I didn't have to pay for it (depending on how you look at it). I still use this palette on a weekly basis, and it is my favorite product of the year.  

Duped Desert Dusk

The original post on how I made this palette is here.

Speaking of duped palettes, this was my other favorite palette of the year, which is another one that I made with products that I already owned. This palette made the list for several reasons: I love the color scheme, I love that I am getting use of out shades in my collection that were being neglected for one reason or another, and I love that this palette got me hooked on wanting to recreate palettes with singles in my collection instead of buying the new palette. Like the duped Just Peachy Mattes palette, I like this one more than the original from Huda Beauty, and I feel like the quality of mine is better as well. This is also a striking reminder that we really do buy what we already have so often. 

Colourpop Yes, Please! 

This is the only actual premade palette that made it onto the list this year, and I've included it for several reasons. The first and most obvious is that I love the color scheme and love how warm it is. When other brands were turning out "warm neutral" palettes filled with slightly warm browns, Colourpop came out with a warm palette with a deep red, bright orange, and strong yellow gold. I also like this palette because it basically dupes the Natasha Denona Sunset palette. Now, typically I really hate it when one brand blatantly rips off another (Makeup Revolution, I'm looking at you), but I loved the comparisons between Yes, Please! and Sunset. What it ultimately boiled down to for many people is that there wasn't much of a difference between the quality and payoff of the two palettes. But there was a difference of over $100 in price. Yes, Please! showed us that we don't need to pay $129 or even $60 for a great quality, on trend palette. Colourpop really won the 2017 makeup game as far as I'm concerned (which is especially cool to me since I had essentially written them off in 2016), and I hope they change and challenge the industry as well. Companies will continue raising prices as long as they know people will pay them, but then Colourpop comes along with great quality makeup at a fraction of the cost. So now people might not be so gullible to think there really is something all that special about Natasha Denona or Tom Ford or even Urban Decay and Too Faced to justify the high prices. If Colourpop can produce great quality makeup at a low cost, why can't other brands? So Yes, Please! is a winner this year for delivering a killer palette for $16 and reminding me that many brands are kind of screwing us as consumers. 

Fyrinnae eyeshadows and Pixie Epoxy

In 2017 I discovered the wonders of indie makeup, and it's hard for me imagine that it took me this long to get on board. Not every product I tried from indie brands was a winner, but the vast majority of what I purchased ended up being incredible. And if I had to pick one indie brand that didn't disappoint, it would be Fyrinnae. I don't think there has been a single eyeshadow that I've tried from Fyrinnae that I didn't love, and I always have so much fun when I play with these shadows. In my opinion, the indie shadows I own are the most unique and beautiful in my collection, and it floors me that more people don't talk about them. Pictured here are just a few of my favorites, which include Winter, Again; It Beautifies!; The Alchemist; Serendipity; Rapunzel Had Extensions; and Mephisto. I also had to include Pixie Epoxy since these shadows don't really work without it. I've used PE with many other shadows in my collection, including Tom Ford quads, and it's a product that I'm very happy to own. 

Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter and Glow

This is one of the few products in my life that I purchased before there was any hype and then had subsequent hype. I hadn't heard anything about the Stila Magnificent Metals when I was in a Sephora and spotted them. I swatched Rose Gold Retro and knew that I would not be leaving the store without it. Since then I have purchased a few more (pictured here are Rose Gold Retro, Sea Siren, and Next to Notte), and I have to say that these are my all-time favorite liquid eyeshadows as well as my all-time favorite glitter eyeshadows. There is just nothing quite like these products, and in the year since they first released, many brands have tried to replicate them. I didn't wear these for the longest time because I didn't feel they were "work appropriate" (I hate that term), but I love the bold statement that they make. This is also the kind of product that is exciting to see from brands—it's original, different, and, most importantly, performs well! It truly was an innovative product that brought something new to the beauty community (unlike countless warm neutral palettes), and I've really enjoyed these. 

Bobbi Brown Camel

It was difficult for me to pick individual shadows that were favorites this year, but when I looked at my collection, there were two ultimate standouts. One was Bobbi Brown Camel. I know that it looks like a brown. And it is. But it's also the most unique brown in my collection. I had been wanting a mustard brown for ages, but no color was quite right. I finally bit the bullet and bought Camel, and I could not have been happier with it. There was a period of time during the spring where I was wearing nothing but Camel in my crease, and I was amazed how it looked great with almost every color. Even colors I never would have thought paired beautifully with Camel. Since there are a few brands now that offer incredible eyeshadow at low costs, I don't really believe in breaking the bank for high-end singles. But some shades, like Camel, are just that special. 

Illamasqua Cascade

And this is the other standout eyeshadow of the year. Cascade is a white/blue duochrome shadow, and when I first put this in my inner corner, I knew my makeup "game" had changed. For the better part of the year after that, I only put this or another duochrome shadow in my inner corner. In recent weeks I've started incorporating Make Up For Ever Pearl again (which had previously been my all-time favorite inner corner highlight), but I still go back to Cascade several times a week. I know that I haven't hit the pan on this shadow and that I have on Urban Decay Roadstripe (which I also use in the inner corner), but that's only because this shadow has been repressed and is delicate, so I never put my brush in the same place when I use it. (The shadow arrived completely shattered, and Illamasqua only offered a refund for the shadow, not to send a replacement, which meant I would have had to pay international shipping costs again. I therefore chose to accept the refund and repress this one.) It's difficult to describe just how gorgeous and brightening this shadow is, but if I could only have one shadow for my inner corner, this would be it. Like Camel, I absolutely think this shadow is worth its price tag. 

Wet N Wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder in Botanic Dream

At this point, I have a lot of highlighters. And between gifts and a couple purchases this year, I have more than I could ever want. Throughout the year, I have really focused on only three highlighters: Becca Moonstone (my all-time favorite), Wet N Wild Botanic Dream, and one that creeped in at the very end of the year that I really can't stop using because I love it so much—Physician's Formula Butter Highlighter in Pearl. I wanted to include PF Pearl in this post, but since it came into my life at the tail end of the year, I didn't think that was appropriate. Regardless, I used the heck out of Wet N Wild Botanic Dream for months, and it was all I brought several times while traveling. I mentioned that I did five women's makeup for a wedding in early fall, and this was the only highlighter I had. I used it on all of the women, and it looked stunning on each of them. Wet N Wild released some really great new products in 2017, and, like Colourpop, I like the standard that they bring to the community. Wet N Wild is arguably one of the least expensive brands in the drugstore, and yet they very often produce better makeup than the most expensive drugstore brands as well as mid-range and high-end brands. This highlighter performs incredibly well, and it remains one of the most beautiful in my collection. 

Marc Jacobs Air Blush

I've changed my opinion on what brand has the best blush many times since I first started wearing makeup. First it was MAC, then it was Tarte, then NARS, then theBalm, and now Marc Jacobs. I'll say that I still have at least one blush from each of those brands in my collection, plus one of my all-time favorites, Hourglass Mood Exposure. (Hourglass never made it to the top of my blush brand list because I don't feel any of their blushes are as good as Mood Exposure.) But then I discovered the Marc Jacobs Air Blushes. And I can say without doubt that these are the best blushes in my collection. They truly stay on my skin for an entire day, which is something that no other blush in my collection can do. I now own three of these blushes, but I wouldn't be surprised if I purchase another this year to replace one or two currently in my collection. What I also love about these blushes is that you can get essentially three colors out of them. You can primarily use the light side or the deep side, or you can mix it all together. Some of these blushes I only mix together (like the one pictured), but others I concentrate on different parts of the pan. These are certainly the most expensive blushes in my collection, but I think they are worth it for the staying power. 

bareMinerals Gen Nude Matte Liquid Lipcolor in Juju

And finally, the last product that made the list is a bareMinerals liquid lipstick. I'm not sure if I've ever talked about this lipstick on my blog, but it's always been a staple and something I reach for when I need a quick, pretty lip that goes with pretty much everything. I absolutely detested liquid lipstick before I found this particular one, and it actually inspired me to want to try other formulas. I now have a few formulas that I really enjoy that don't dry out my lips or crack and crust. The only way I can describe this lipstick is just a "go-to." The texture is so whipped and light, and I just love how it applies. This is not transfer-proof, which is important to note as I know that's a feature many people like in liquid lipstick. For me, the fact that it does transfer is what makes it bearable to wear. And I would trade some light transfer over desert lips any day. There have been other lipsticks that I have loved throughout the year, but this has been my favorite. 

Project Perfume 2017 Finale

Last year at this time, I was looking at my perfume collection and felt incredibly overwhelmed. I've seen many perfume collections that are considerably larger than mine, but realizing how quickly perfume expires and how infrequently I wore it made me want to undergo a massive "use it up" project throughout the year and really pare down my collection. 

My goal was to only have three perfumes at the end of the year, ideal for winter, spring, and summer. There were a lot of challenges throughout this project, including that most of the perfumes were essentially full, but I learned a lot about myself and my preferences, and I am happy to say that I achieved my goal. 

Here are the perfumes I used up in 2017:

Taylor Swift Wonderstruck

Status: Will not repurchase

This perfume came as a gift with purchase, and I kept it mainly because I thought the bottle was gorgeous. This perfume has a very strong sweet scent, and while I received several compliments on it, it was too sweet for me. I used up the entire bottle, and out of all of the perfumes, this one took me the longest to go through. 

Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb (mini)

Status: Will not repurchase

This was easily the oldest perfume in my collection. I had kept it because I loved the look of the grenade bottle and was pleasantly surprised to find that it had not yet spoiled. I used to love Flowerbomb, but as I have gotten older, I have grown away from the scent. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy

Status: Will repurchase

Daisy is easily my favorite perfume of all time. If I was a person to say that I have a "signature scent," this would be it. I'm also fond of the story of how this perfume came into my life, which makes me love it even more. About eight years ago, I was living in the United Kingdom, and a friend and I were shopping in Cardiff. We went into a perfume store, and she tried Daisy and absolutely loved it. I smelled it and didn't like it at all. As the months passed, she never stopped talking about Daisy, and in that time, she became a very dear and close friend of mine. Eventually, my visa expired and I had to return to the US, and the day I left was one of the saddest days of my life because I had to say goodbye to all of my friends. I was in Heathrow airport, my face red and puffy from crying, and I went into a duty-free perfume shop. I spotted Daisy and bought a bottle, just to remind me of my friend. Every time I sprayed it, it reminded me of her and all of my friends, and it brought me a lot of peace and happiness. Eventually, I grew to love the scent, and I have since repurchased bottle after bottle. 

I don't ever want to be away from this perfume, and I always want a bottle of it in my collection. The only reason I used up this bottle was that it was getting a little old, and the scent was starting to fade. This perfume was actually the strongest motivator for me to do this project and go through all of my perfumes, because I no longer wanted to have so many perfumes that my all-time favorite could possibly go bad. Now, with less perfumes overall, I can really enjoy the ones I have. 

Bond No. 9 The Scent of Peace

Status: Will not repurchase

I bought this perfume when I found out I was accepted into graduate school a few years ago, into my dream program. I had been lusting after this perfume for years, but it was always way too expensive for me to justify. But when I was accepted, I figured that was worth celebrating. At 3.3 ounces, this was the biggest perfume in my collection. 

You know how scent is one of the biggest triggers for memory? Unfortunately, this perfume triggers memories that I would rather not think about. I've written before about how my makeup addiction was at its worst while I was in graduate school, and it was largely a very unhappy time for me. It's sad that this perfume that I wanted for so long eventually became associated with this hard time in my life, and it's terribly ironic that it's called the Scent of Peace. I'm glad that I was able to use it up, but in all honesty, I'm happy to have it out of my life. 

Elizabeth and James Nirvana White (mini rollerball)

Status: Will not repurchase

I believe I got this perfume as a point perk at Sephora, but I'm not sure. Like the rest of the perfumes in my collection at the beginning of the year, I liked it enough to keep it and use it up, but not enough to ever want to purchase it again. This was the most floral scent within my collection, and I found that it paired nicely with the Scent of Peace. It's a fine scent, just nothing special enough to me to want to buy again. 

Estée Lauder Bronze Goddess 

Status: Will not repurchase

I quite like the scent of Bronze Goddess, and I think it actually does smell like a perfume version of summer. I thought that this was going to be my perfect summer scent, but I found that I got tired of it rather quickly. As some of you may remember, I had two major surgeries over the summer, so it was generally not a great time for me. Like the Scent of Peace, this perfume is now a scent that is tied to unpleasant memories for me, and I was relieved when I used it up. 

Elizabeth and Janes Nirvana Bourbon (rollerball)

Status: May repurchase in the future

This was the last perfume that I used up in the year, and I originally didn't think I wanted to repurchase. When I thought of my ideal perfume collection, I thought it would include Tom Ford Tobacco Vanille. I swear I have memories of spraying that perfume and being lost in the smokiness of it mixed with gorgeous vanilla. I sprayed it again recently with intentions to buy it, but I did not like it at all. It smelled way too strong for me and was nothing like I had remembered. I do want to have a smoky perfume in my collection, and Bourbon just might be the one I choose. On the whole, I'm not a huge ran of rollerballs, so if I buy Bourbon again, I'm excited to have a spray bottle. 

So that's it! Those were the perfumes I used up in 2017. I should also add that I decluttered two perfumes from my collection that I just did not want to force myself to use up:

• Bond No. 9 I Love New York
• Lavanila Coconut Vanilla (rollerball)

As of January 2018, this is now what my perfume collection looks like:

It includes:

• Tokyomilk Novacaine (winter)
• Marc Jacobs Daisy (spring)
• Brazilian Crush Body Fragrance Mist (summer)

I am so happy with my current collection. Novacaine and Daisy are absolute staples in my collection, and the Brazilian Crush body spray is something I'm sure I'll really enjoy during the summer. As of now, I don't love the Brazilian Crush body spray as much as Novacaine and Daisy, and I wouldn't be surprised if I decide not to repurchase once it is finished. But as of right now, I'm so happy with my small and entirely manageable perfume collection. 

This was my first time ever attempting a yearlong challenge, and I have to say that it really taught me a lot. The main lesson I learned is that even though I didn't have a terribly large perfume collection with dozens of bottles, I had way too many. I also learned that I don't want to have any perfumes in my collection that are "fine" or that I kind of like. I only want perfumes that I love and will want to continually repurchase. With that in mind, I am now very selective with perfume purchases. I feel like I have grown to be a selective makeup shopper since starting this blog, but I am even more strict with perfume. I just don't want to have so much of it hanging around and going bad. I want to have a manageable amount. 

The other main thing I learned about myself is that I don't need as much variety with perfume as I like to have with makeup. I would get incredibly bored doing the same makeup look every day for months, and there's no way I would enjoy just using one eyeshadow palette for an entire year. However, I don't need to smell different every day. I don't need to select my perfume to coordinate with my outfit or makeup. That's just not something I need. 

I am very happy with the progress I made last year in using up my perfumes, and I am also happy that I took an entire year to learn some lessons about myself and my preferences. I know that I will be perfectly happy and far less stressed only having three perfumes in the coming year. 

September Favorites

I know this post is really late, but I figured I would make it regardless as I've wanted to talk about some of these products for a while. September was both a terrible and fantastic month for me, but more than anything, it was pivotal. 

September is usually a hard month for me because it is the beginning of fall. I see so many fall tags going around this time of year, and it seems like fall is everyone's favorite season. And it used to be mine too, until I moved to New York. I am from the Southwest originally, and am used to an incredibly hot climate. When you are facing triple-digit temperatures more than half the year, even the slightest indication that things are cooling off can be very appealing. October was once my favorite month. That was the first sign of cooler weather, which usually meant temperatures in the 80s, or 70s if you were lucky. I loved carving pumpkins and watching Halloween movies, and I was so excited to move into the cooler months and holidays. 

But when I moved to New York City, I discovered true seasons for the first time in my life. And I discovered that I am someone who suffers from seasonal affective disorder, and the season of suffering for me is winter. I lived my entire life never knowing this about myself because I had always lived in an arid climate. I do not feel like myself whatsoever when winter sets in and the little bit of sun that New York City gets disappears for almost eight months. And things that I used to really enjoy, like the holidays, now bring a sense of dread in me. And fall, this time of year I used to love, is now essentially the Jaws theme of impending doom. 

But then I had this thought: What if I don't spend fall and winter in New York City this year?

And my heart filled with peace and happiness. So that realization is my first favorite for the month. 

Now, onto the makeup. 

Duped Just Peachy Matte palette

If you haven't read my blog post on this product, you can do so here. I have to give credit (and thanks) to Lauren Mae Beauty for the inspiration behind this palette. I have been subscribed to Lauren for a few years now and really love her content, and have been really inspired by her "Let's Dupe It!" series. Essentially, in that series, she takes a popular palette and sees if she can dupe it with colors already in her collection. Even more specifically, she uses all single shadows so that people can easily purchase a color or two if that's what they're drawn to. I've always enjoyed watching Lauren's videos, but when I actually put this activity into practice with this palette, I realized how valuable of a tool it really is. 

I talk more about this in the original post, but I was feeling really tempted by the Too Faced Just Peachy Matte palette. It seemed like the perfect color scheme for a companion palette, and I was really considering purchasing it. But when I swatched the colors in store, I was so happy to see that I had duplicate colors already in my collection. Using Temptalia's dupe list for the palette, I put together my own duped palette. 

Since that original blog post, I have swapped out a few colors that work better for me. In the top row, second shade, I swapped Costal Scents Petal Peach for Colourpop The News. In the same row, but fourth shade, I swapped ABH Fudge for Colourpop Slim Fit. And in the middle row, fourth shade, I swapped Coloured Raine Moments for Colourpop 143. And, I have to say, I absolutely love this palette. 

I have used this palette almost every single day since I first made it, and you can even see that I have hit pan in one of the shades since I first put together that blog post. I traveled recently to several cities and countries in Europe, and this was the main palette that I used. I received so many compliments whenever I wore a look with this palette, and I even had several requests to do other women's makeup (more about that in a moment). I don't think I have ever used a palette this consistently, and I am constantly finding it a source of inspiration to look at color in a new way. I have come up with so may different eye looks because of this palette, and I find the play aspect of it very fulfilling. This palette reminds me of how fun makeup can be. 

And, as a side note, this is not endorsing the Too Faced palette whatsoever. I firmly believe that my duped palette is of higher quality than the Too Faced one, and I actually like the color scheme better and feel like the colors in it are less repetitive. 

Wet N Wild Megaglo Highlighting Powder in Botanic Dream

When I was packing for the aforementioned international trip, something kept telling me to take this highlighter. This is somewhat new to my collection, and it is a light pink highlighter. I've enjoyed using this since I first got it, and it is easily the least expensive highlighter in my collection. When I travel, I usually always take Becca Moonstone. But for some reason, I kept having this nagging feeling that this was the highlighter I needed to take, so I did. 

One of the reasons we made this international trip was to go to some friends' wedding. On the day of the ceremony, four women asked me to do their makeup, including the bride. I was not at all prepared for this and was really shocked by the proposition. But, it was what the bride and her bridal party wanted, so I jumped in and did their makeup. I only had the products I brought for myself (which were very limiting), and this was the only highlighter I had. 

(As a fun side note, I only brought two palettes on my trip—the above peachy palette and Colourpop Yes, Please! Obviously, those are not exactly wedding-friendly palettes. I kept thinking that I wished I just had a neutral palette, and the bride mentioned that she had the Urban Decay Naked palette with her... which I had given to her when I decluttered it from my collection a couple years ago. It was perfect!)

This highlighter looked amazing on all of the women, and skin tones varied from incredibly pale and cool-toned to medium and olive. It was such a champ of a product! I also noticed that it lasted for hours on each of the women, even through crying and dancing/sweating. Considering how inexpensive it is, I highly recommend it for people looking for a pink highlighter. 

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight

I got this as a 100-point perk at Sephora. I'm not really a fan of liquid or cream face products (apart from base products), so I fully expected to not really care for it. Boy, was I wrong. This thing is killer. I don't need to use much product at all to get a crazy intense shine. And if you're not a fan of intense highlighters, it can be diffused for a subtle glow. The only annoying thing about this product was that I needed to apply it after I put on foundation and before I powered. That may seen incredibly high maintenance, but there were several days where I wanted to wear this product, but mindlessly applied powder first. 

The one downside about this product (and it's a big one) is that I would absolutely consider repurchasing this when I run out, but I don't want a giant bottle of it. Unless you wanted to mix this product into your foundation (which I personally do not want to do), I don't see how anyone could finish it. I know they have small bottles out in a holiday set, but I am not going to buy those. Just because I want one small bottle doesn't mean that I want (or need) four small bottles. 

Marc Jacobs Highliner in Whirl(pool)

This is the first colored pencil eyeliner that I have purchased in about seven years. I once had a dark blue and dark shimmery teal eyeliner, but I never used them. After that, I went through a phase of "I only wear black eyeliner in my waterline," and then I went through a phase of "I only wear cream eyeliner in my waterline." Eyeliner has always been a category in my collection that is completely under control, and I have made a conscious decision to keep it that way. 

But it is a category that I feel can get out of control very quickly, either in trying new colors or trying new formulas. I have my absolute favorite black liquid liner, which is the Physician's Formula Eye Booster; my favorite cream liner, which is Rimmel Scandaleyes in Nude; a few NYX Vivid Brights eyeliners ; and a black liner for the waterline. 

But when I saw Whirl(pool) in one of Temptalia's photos, I was completely struck by it. I bought it and have used it consistently since. This is one of the best eyeliners that I have ever used, and it stays put in my waterline all day. It really is a fantastic liner, and I'm glad I purchased it. I now have an itch to check out the other Marc Jacobs colored liners, but that is a slippery slope that I don't want to go down, especially considering how long it takes to use up an eyeliner. 

Rimmel Colourburst Balm Stain in Honey

I'll be honest—I didn't even know they still made this product. This is a long-time favorite for me and was once the only lip color I would consistently wear. The above photo makes it seem like this current product is several years old, but I have only had this particular tube for a few months. That is just how much I have been using it, and it has lived in my purse for a while. 

This is just the perfect color on me. It's a light mauve and looks like the color of my lips, but with just a bit more intensity. If I don't know what lipstick to wear, this is the one I grab. I feel like it can go with anything, from a super neutral look to something bold and colorful. It's also one of those products where I feel confident applying without a mirror because it blends so seamlessly into the lips. 

Something else that I love about this product is that it is just as great as I remember it. There are so many times where I revisit a product that I used to love and find that I don't even like it anymore. So I was happy to see that this is still a perfect lip color.