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!).

March Favorites

In terms of makeup, I had a good March. I discovered some great new products and thoroughly enjoyed old favorites. Even better than that, I can't remember the last time I was tempted by a new release. That's the fun thing about getting to know your collection and really allowing yourself to enjoy it. Once you do, you realize you have little to no need for anything else new. 

Colourpop Lumiere lipliner and Estee Lauder Shock & Awe lipstick

When I ordered a few Colourpop pressed shadows a while ago, I also added two lip pencils since those are generally reviewed positively. I have never really been a lipliner girl, but that's because until the past nine months or so, I've never really been much of a lipstick wearer. And by that I mean that, historically, I haven't really liked to reapply lipstick throughout the day. I started a "project pan" of sorts in the summer, and one of the items I was trying to use up was a Burberry lipstick. (A project pan, for those of you who aren't familiar, is when you try to use up makeup items.) I did finish that lipstick (and loved it), and since then, I have been a lipstick wearer. 

I really love the color of Estee Lauder Shock & Awe lipstick:

But on me, it felt a little intense to wear to work. I decided to pair it with Lumiere lipliner (I apply the lipliner all over the lips first, not just around the edge of the lips), and the combination is so perfect. It's a beautiful berry color, but more specifically looks like a purple cherry. I love it, and somehow, it's slightly more neutral than Shock & Awe on its own. I have worn this combination almost every single day in the past month. The only days I haven't worn it are when either my eye makeup or shirt clashes with it. And the best part is that even through two cups of coffee, water, and lunch, I don't need to reapply throughout the day. I put it on before I leave in the morning, and the color stays for about nine hours. 

The only downside is that I am burning through Lumiere lipliner. I'm not a huge fan of Colourpop on the whole and don't really want to order more from them, so I hope I can find a suitable replacement soon. To show how much I've used, I've put it next to the lipstick:

Becca Moonstone

As you can see, this highlighter is certainly a favorite of mine, and this has been my primary highlighter for the past month. I've mentioned before that I have many highlighters, but if I was only allowed to have one, this would probably be it. I think the champagne tone is just so lovely, and I think it gives a solid highlight without it looking cartoonish like a lot of the highlighters right now. This is a classic to me, and I love it. 

Marc Jacobs Daisy

If I ever had to describe my "signature scent," it would be Daisy. And that's funny to me because the first time I ever smelled it, more than seven years ago, I really didn't like it. I was living in the UK at the time, and my friend drove us to Cardiff. (We lived in a small town, and I really wanted to go "for real" shopping, so we had to go to a bigger city.) We went into some department store (probably so I could look at makeup), and we stopped in the fragrance section. She tried Daisy and completely fell for it. I smelled it and thought it smelled a little too strong and didn't like it at all (I can't for the life of me remember why I thought that). We both ended up leaving the store empty-handed, but she never stopped talking about Daisy. Many months later, my visa was up and I needed to go back home. I was utterly devastated since I had made so many close friends there, and the day I left remains one of the hardest of my entire life. I was in Heathrow airport, numb from having cried for hours getting there, and I had time to kill before my flight back to the US. I went into one of the Duty Free shops and spotted Daisy. I sprayed it on myself, and immediately I was brought back to that lovely trip to Cardiff with my good friend. And more than that, I was reminded of her. So I bought the biggest bottle of it they had. And since then, it has become my favorite perfume, and as I mentioned, my signature scent. 

In the "project pan" I mentioned above, it was my goal to get through four perfumes this year. This bottle of Daisy was a couple years old, and I wanted to use it up and then use up some of my other perfumes before buying it again. Even though this bottle was a couple years old, it had barely been used. And that's because Daisy is such a precious scent to me that I never wanted to be without it. I decided to throw that out the window this month and use it as much as I wanted, and I ended up using the entire bottle. The scent didn't last too long on me, which isn't something I like about the product, but I did love every second of wearing this. I can't wait to get through some of my other perfumes and then only have the two or three perfumes I most love—one of which will be Daisy. (Also, I said I've never wanted to be without Daisy, so I still have a rollerball of this currently in my collection.)

Illamasqua Cascade

I'll just start with the obvious. This shadow came completely smashed. It wasn't even broken in large chunks; it was entirely power. I was so disappointed and contacted Illamasqua to send me another, but they issued a refund instead. I didn't want to buy another shadow and have to pay another $8 for shipping, so I decided to repress this and hope for the best. And, honestly, I have no idea how this shadow would have performed in its original state, but I absolutely love it. This has actually replaced my beloved Make Up For Ever Pearl as my go-to inner corner highlight. It's a bright white with a blue shift, and the texture is completely smooth. I really can't say enough good things about this shadow. It's the only one I've ever tried from Illamasqua, so, again, I can't really speak to their formula for the most part. 

Fyrinnae Pixie Epoxy

I had to mention Pixie Epoxy just because I have enjoyed wearing it under shadows since I got it. I absolutely love what it does to my shadows and how it makes them look so foiled and metallic. As a caveat, I don't like products that require a product like this in order to make them work. I think products should be able to perform on their own. That aside, I do love how this works. 

Fyrinnae eyeshadows

Again, no surprise here, and these were probably my favorite items of the month. I have completely fallen for indie shadows, and of the few different brands I've tried, Fyrinnae is my favorite. My two favorite shades have been Rapunzel Had Extensions (left) and Serendipity (right). I am so happy I decided to try these shadows because they have not only calmed any cravings for new mainstream releases, but they have flat out killed them. There is literally nothing out right now that even partially temps me, and I think that's because I know that nothing will be quite as special and lovely as my indie shadows. And I already have my neutrals covered ten times over, so what the hell do I need any more of that for?

What I'm Not Buying: Estee Edit Gritty and Glow Eye and Face Palette Holiday 2016

Estee Edit, Estee Lauder's attempt to be cool and reach a younger audience and faced by Kendall Jenner, has released a magnetic eye and face palette for the holiday season. 

And I won't be buying. 

But to be honest with you, this is an item that tempted me quite a bit. Before realizing I had a problem buying makeup and before I've started critically evaluating all products that interest me, this is the type of product I would have purchased immediately upon seeing swatches. I would not have considered how often I would really get use out of it or look at my own collection to see how many repeat shades I have. I would have just purchased it. 

I like the eyeshadows. I think they are dark and pretty and an interesting selection of colors. 

Photo: Temptalia

I also think they look really similar to the Estee Lauder and Victoria Beckham eyeshadow palette:

When I looked at swatches of the Gritty and Glow palette, I was really intrigued. The colors look gorgeous. But I also couldn't help but notice the similarities with the Wet N Wild Comfort Zone palette:

Photo: Temptalia

The top two colors in Gritty and Glow look like Eyelid and Crease on the left-hand side, the middle left color looks like the left-hand Definer shade, and the bottom right color (when swatched) looks like the right-hand Definer shade. 

Throughout my entire collection, I have a duplicate of every shadow in the Gritty and Glow palette. And really, it's because the shadows are not that unique. The most unique shade, in my opinion, is the shimmery forest green, but I have a color very similar in the Nubian 2 palette by Juvia's place that is even prettier. Added to that, the black shade would be a waste for me. I've mentioned this many times, but black shadows are not my favorite. I know a lot of people like them and use them as liner or to smoke out looks, but a black shadow will easily be the least used in any of my palettes. So whenever a palette includes a black shadow, I have to factor that in to my decision to buy since I know it will likely never be used. 

I also really liked the colors in the face palette:

Photo: Temptalia

To be completely honest, when I first saw pictures of the Gritty and Glow palette, I was most attracted to the face side, but I thought it was an eyeshadow palette. Estee Edit has remarked that these colors can be used on the eye as well as the face, but it kind of throws me thinking of this as a face palette. 

The main thing that confuses me is the size of it. These are the same sized pans as the eyeshadows, but will be used with a much larger brush. Personally, I would find it awkward trying to cram my blush or highlight brush into one of these pans, specifically trying to avoid the other pans. I know I would either mess up my brush pinching the bristles so that they would fit, or I would swipe blush across my cheeks and find I have a random stripe of bronzer as well. 

As eyeshadows I think these colors would be really pretty, but there are two really similar colors to the eyeshadow side of the palette. So you would only really get four additional shades on this side of the palette. And while pretty, these colors are really not that special or unique. They are pinks, bronzes, and coppers—nothing groundbreaking. 

The palette is $58 for six eyeshadows and six cheek products or 12 eyeshadows. At 1.62 ounces, it has a ton of product, more than double the likes of the Too Faced Chocolate Bon Bons palette and a pre-made 15-pan MAC palette. Taking the amount of product into consideration, the price tag seems reasonable, but only if this was the sole item in one's collection to satisfy all eyeshadow, blush, bronzer, and highlight needs. If this palette is just one of the many in your collection, it doesn't matter how much product it has. You're likely never going to get through all of it. So paying more for extra product doesn't really pay off in these cases. And looking at it as getting six or 12 eyeshadows for $58, that's quite expensive and much higher than other mid-range palettes. 

Estee Edit on the whole just doesn't do it for me. This was the first item from the line that genuinely interested me, and I was happy to see that it has received generally positive reviews. The first launch of products seemed really lackluster in terms of quality and presentation, so it's nice to see some progress. I feel like the line on the whole is pretty gimmicky, however, and I don't really understand it. Generally Estee Lauder is thought of to be makeup for "mature" women, so I can see the value in hiring Kendall Jenner to promote the line to younger customers. But the price tag is still very high for Estee Edit products, which doesn't really make sense to me. If you're marketing to younger consumers, shouldn't the price be within something affordable for younger consumers? Typically Estee Edit packaging seems unnecessary or complicated, which I think applies to the Gritty and Glow palette as well. I like the general concept of what is going on in this palette, but think the colors are just not that unique or interesting for me to really get full use out of. And I won't be buying.  

What I Did Buy: Estee Lauder X Victoria Beckham Modern Mercury Highlighter

Estee Lauder collaborated with Victoria Beckham to release an incredibly luxe collection, which included Estee Laurder's famous and coveted Modern Mercury highlighter. 

And I bought it. 

I'll address this first: I absolutely, unequivocally did NOT need this product. I have mentioned a few times that I really think a highlighter is a highlighter is a highlighter. Once you have one good one, the effect isn't really all that different from highlighter to highlighter. 

And I'll say that's mostly true about this one as well. But, this is also the best highlighter that I have in my collection. 

Estee Lauder released Modern Mercury years ago. I think it was either in 2011 or 2012, but it was definitely before I moved to New York. I saw someone show it in a YouTube video, and I was absolutely dazzled. I searched high and low for it (it had long since sold out), and was so disappointed to only find it on eBay for criminal prices. 

But I moved on with my life, found Becca highlighters and the Anastasia Glow Kits and realized I was never going to need another highlighter in my life. 

But then Modern Mercury was released again. 

It sold out immediately, and I felt just as I did all those years ago. Temptalia's glowing review of the product didn't help much either. As she mentioned, once she swatched it, she said, "Ooh, that's incredible." And for her to say that, after how many highlighters she has reviewed over the years, told me that this was indeed something special. 

I was about to give up on ever finding it again when I happened to catch it release on Net-A-Porter (a site I love). I didn't hesitate. 

This is a whopping $65 for 0.26 ounces of product. To compare, my Becca highlighters cost $38 for 0.28 ounces of product. So this is one really expensive luxury item. 

But, it is quite luxurious. 

The packaging is by far the most luxe thing I have in my collection. It looks and feels expensive (which it is!) and elegant, and comes in a gorgeous sleek gold and black compact that is a little bigger than the size of my palm. 

The product itself is gorgeous. It is Estee Lauder's Gelee formula, and gives an incredible foiled finish to the skin that really plays incredibly with light. I was stunned when I first put it on. 

However, I will say that is by no means a "must-have" product for everyone. Temptalia listed dues in her review, and I own one of them. It is the Tourmaline shade from the Anastasia Beverly Hills Sun Dipped Glow Kit. 

I swatched both shades on my hand, but it was a little tricky to try and capture the true color in a photo. 

Left: Modern Mercury, right: ABH Tourmaline

(no flash)

This photo most accurately represents the true color of both products. As you can see, they are nearly identical in color. They are not identical in texture or payoff on the skin, but Tourmaline comes close. It is a really beautiful highlighter and has been one of my favorites for a while. 

I absolutely do not regret purchasing Modern Mercury, and it is one product that actually lived up to the hype for me. Although I wasn't looking to add any new highlighters to my collection, this was a planned purchase as soon as I learned that it was re-promoted and received stellar reviews. 

However, I would certainly not fret if you were unable to get your hands on this product. Tourmaline is so close in color, and the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits give a spectacular sheen to the skin. And at $40 for the entire Glow Kit (0.26 ounces per highlighter), it is a much, much better value than buying Modern Mercury separately. 

But for me, this is a special and luxurious product that I will cherish in my collection for years.