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!).

Project Pan Finale: Empty Products

A few months ago, I decided to embark on a project pan to use up or hit the pan of several makeup items. My goal was to finish 12 products before Christmas/the end of 2018. And as you will see below, I not only hit that goal, but I surpassed it! I used up/hit the pan of 19 makeup products!

In this post, I'll walk through all of the products I used up and discuss if I plan on repurchasing or not.

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot
Goal: Finish
Status: Will not repurchase

As you can see with this dirty pan, I accomplished my goal of finishing the setting powder. The powder developed hard pan, which made it difficult to use, so I needed to repress it to get rid of the hard pan and give myself an even pan again. This is what it looked like before repressing:

And after:

Once I repressed the powder, it was much less densely packed, which meant that I picked up more product with my brush. While I liked this product and I think it does a good job of keeping the face matte, with the loosened product, I found that it left a white cast on my face and make me look really powdery. This didn't happen until I repressed the product, which, again, was generally difficult to use before repressing. 

I don't like to keep more than one powder in my collection at a time, so I have replaced this product with the Hourglass Veil translucent powder. So far, I really like that one. 

Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: Will continue to use, but will likely not repurchase

Back when I was living in New York and using makeup as a coping mechanism, I purchased the very expensive and not at all inclusive Chanel Soleil Tan de Chanel cream bronzer, which is also known as the "universal bronze." This is not a universal bronze. This is the first and only cream bronzer I have ever used, and while I think it's a good product, I have to really blend it out or else it leaves my face with an orange/brown stripe. Obviously part of this could be my application or user error, but the shade just isn't right for me or what I would want. With that said, the product works, and I would like to use it up since there is nothing wrong with it and I spent quite a bit of money on it. 

Generally, I find that I prefer my powder bronzer (Hourglass Luminous Bronze Light), so while I intend to use up this product, I doubt I will repurchase. 

Tarte Exposed blush

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: Will continue to use, but will not repurchase 

This may be the only powder blush I have ever hit the pan of, and the only reason I have is likely because I have to use so much product just to get any color payoff. I do like the color of this blush, but Tarte is not a brand that I want to support. I'm tired of how non-inclusive the brand is, and until that changes, I don't want to purchase anything for them. I don't know if Exposed will stick around in my collection long enough for me to use up the entire thing, but if it does, I will not repurchase. 

Physician's Formula Butter Highlighter in Pearl

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: Will continue to use

I have a lot of highlighters in my collection, but this is one of my favorites. I'm not a huge fan of the twist packaging or the swirl design, but I really love the product. It has a duochrome finish, and I find that it lasts longer on my skin than many mid-range or high-end products. I don't hear a lot of people talk about this, but it's certainly a product that I love. This is only the second highlighter that I have ever hit the pan of, and the other is Becca Moonstone, which is my all-time favorite. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light

Goal: Hit the pan

Status: All-time favorite

After I finished my Dim Light powder last year, I immediately replaced it with this one. I love this product. I use it as an all over finishing powder, and I find that I just don't like my makeup without it. I will continue to repurchase and love this product. 

Physician's Formula The Healthy Foundation and Milani Conceal + Perfect

Goal: Finish

Status: Will not repurchase 

I am usually a huge proponent of "do not use a product that you hate just to finish it," but I made an exception for these two foundations. In an attempt to find a more inclusive foundation to support (we will get into this more in the next product), I purchased both of these foundations. On their own, I hated both of them. Mixed together, I hated them less. The worst offender of the two was The Healthy Foundation. This looked so dry on my skin, and I have combination skin. The coverage was very thin, and while I don't like full-coverage foundations, this one didn't even seen to be able to provide an even layer of coverage at all. The shade I purchased was also too light for my skin tone. Conceal + Perfect, on the other hand, was way too full coverage for me, and the shade I purchased was too dark. I was able to mix the two of them together for shade and coverage/texture, and while that was better than either on their own, it still wasn't great. 

It's worth noting that the cap on The Healthy Foundation continually broke and splintered off as I worked through the bottle, which made this miserable to use. I can see both of these products working for people with skin types that are different from mine, but I will not repurchase. 

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream

Goal: Finish

Status: Will not repurchase until the shade range improves 

If you've been a longtime reader of my blog, you'll know that this is my all-time favorite foundation. Truthfully, I would be very happy to just use this foundation and not even try another one. But, this foundation shade range is unacceptable, and I cannot support it. Until recently, there were only four shades in this range, and none of them were dark enough for deep skin tones. The range has expanded to 12 shades, but seven of those are meant for light skin, three for medium skin, one for dark, and one for deep. So, even though the range is slightly better, it still skews too heavily toward light skin, and it is not something that I am comfortable supporting. 

To replace this, I have recently purchased the Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r foundation, and I absolutely love it. 

Elf Mineral Face Primer

Goal: Finish

Status: May repurchase one day, but not now 

I used up a few primers during this project, and I think this one is good value for the money. I liked it just as much as the Make Up For Ever mattifying one, and think it gives generally similar results to the Hourglass Mineral Veil. I didn't love it, however, and I have found other primers that I like more.

Samples: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer, Becca Backlight Primer, Becca Blurring Primer

Goal: Finish

Status: May repurchase Becca Backlight Primer

I had three primer samples, so I used them all up in this project. 

Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Instant Retouch Primer: I hated this primer. It was impossible to pump (but that may just be the sample), the smell was off-putting, and the texture was very waxy and thick. It clung to the foundation and my Beauty Blender—making it impossible to wash—and I did not like the results on my face. 

Becca Blurring Primer: I also hated this primer. I left behind a powdery residue on my fingers and face after application, and I found that it didn't work well with my foundation. 

Becca Backlight Primer: I've purchased this before and didn't care for it or notice any difference with it, but it looked absolutely gorgeous with the Fenty foundation. I am currently using the Australian Gold mineral tinted sunscreen as a primer, and I love that, but I can see myself buying the Becca Backlight again soon. 

NARS Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased 

This is my all-time favorite eye primer, and one that I will continue to repurchase. I have finished several bottles of this primer, and I will continue to repurchase it. 

L'Oreal Lash Paradise Base

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased

I haven't tried too many mascara primers, but I loved this one. I use it with Benefit Bad Gal Bang mascara, and I love the effects of it. I finished up this entire bottle (even before the two month expiration date) and immediately repurchased another. I love how it makes my lashes look. 

Sample: Benefit Bad Gal Bang 

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased 

I received a sample of this mascara, and, in an unusual act for me, I used up the entire thing. I have long loved many Benefit mascaras (They're Real and Roller Lash have been favorites of mine), but I always find that I get tired of paying the high price, and then I'll buy a drugstore one for a while. That tradition may continue, but I really love the combination of this mascara and the L'Oreal Lash Paradise primer. 

Physician's Formula Eye Booster

Goal: Finish

Status: Have already repurchased 

This is another boring one to write about as this has been my all-time favorite eyeliner for years, and it continues to be. I have used up many of these eyeliners, and I always immediately repurchase another. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Definer 

Goal: Finish

Status: Undecided 

I find that I'm always torn on brow pencils. On the one hand, I really like the smaller brow pencils (like ABH Brow Wiz), but on the other, I hate how quickly I use those up. The ABH Brow Definer certainly lasts longer, but I like the precision that smaller pencils provide. This is the second Brow Definer that I have used up, and likely won't be the last, but I do like smaller pencils better.

NYX Micro Brow Pencil
Goal: Finish
Status: Will continue to use

A while ago, I was gifted several of these NYX brow pencils, so this is what I will be using until I finish all of them. I love this pencil and have purchased it before, and this is the size of pencil that I prefer to the ABH Brow Definer. The negative with this pencil and others like it is that there is so little product, and I go through it very quickly. Even during the time I started this project, I was able to use up two of these pencils (that were brand new) in a shorter amount of time than I used up the ABH Brow Definer that was more than half-finished. But, I'm happy to have a nice supply of them, and I will continue to use. 

Weekend Looks: NYX Air and Notoriously Morbid

I'm still unable to get myself to stop using my custom "Just Peachy Mattes" palette, and I wanted to use NYX Air again and get a better sense of how the overall palette performs. This has been a really good week for me getting back into the swing of regular blogging, and it has made me really happy to receive many messages from people saying that they are enjoying the regular content. 

It's a pretty gross day here in New York City, and usually when that happens, I am drawn to putting all the color possible all over my face to bring a little brightness into an otherwise dreary day. 

Here are two looks I did this weekend.

Look 1: Notoriously Morbid Paradise Island

Paradise Island (over Pixie Epoxy) on the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease as a transition shade, Colourpop Slim Fit and Stay Golden blended into the crease, and Colourpop 143 padded onto the outer corner. Marc Jacobs highliner in Whirl(pool) on the waterline. 

Look 2: NYX Air

8 on the inner lid, 6 on the middle lid, 4 on the outer lid, 5, 3, and 4 blended into the crease as transition shades, 11 blended into the crease on top of 5, 3, and 4, and 9 padded onto the outer corner. 

Notoriously Morbid Paradise Island

Status: Love 

I purchased this shadow a long time ago when the Wonder Woman collection was in stock, but I hadn't had an opportunity to wear it until now, which is a shame because it's a stunning color. Using this color reminded me of how much fun it was when I was first exploring indie eyeshadows, because the colors are truly unique. I don't remember why I had such a personal stigma against indie shadows for the longest time (maybe because most influencers don't talk about them?), but that was certainly my loss. I absolutely loved Wonder Woman (and this is coming from a person who doesn't like most comic book/superhero movies) and even asked several men in my life, "Is this what it felt like to grow up as a boy and have all these badass characters to look up to?" So when I saw that Notoriously Morbid had a Wonder Woman collection, I was interested to see what kind of shades they would come up with. And I love this one. It is such a unique shade as it can look icy blue, green, or purple. I paired it with my duped Just Peachy Mattes because because I literally can't go more than a day it seems without using it, and I have to say that I really love this color combination. Typically, I would have been tempted to pair a color like Paradise Island with other purples or dark greens in my collection, and I probably would have used my Viseart Dark Matte palette, but since I've been so inspired by the peachy palette, I decided to see what it would look like with bright corals. And I loved this look. Putting Colorpop 143 on the outer corner proved to be the only difficult part of this look, and that was because it is very similar to the purple shift of Paradise Island, so I had to really build up that shadow to look distinct and intentional. Overall, this is certainly a favorite look.

NYX Air

I can't decide if I really like this look or if I think it's a hot mess. This look also slightly changed the way I feel about the Air palette, which is why I wanted to try out more than a few shades before giving a proper opinion on it. I used seven shadows in this look, and I was impressed/happy with the vast majority of them. The biggest problem-makers were the shadows I used on the lid. Before I started this look, because I knew I was going to be working with pastel shades, I wanted to put down a base of NYX Milk to really help the shadows pop. But more than that, I wanted to see how the shadows would perform on their own. So, I think what might be most helpful is if I walk through the look and how each shadow performed. 

• First, I applied the blue shade, 5, into my crease as a kind of transition shade. This color packed an impressive amount of pigment, especially considering that I applied it with a fluffy blending brush and wasn't going for intense pigment. 
• Next, I applied the light peachy shade, 3, above the blue shade to warm up the transition area. I've used this shade before, and even though it is a very light color, I still think it performs nicely as a transition. 
• I then applied 8, which is a pinky/lilac duochrome onto the inner part of my lid. These kind of shades are always a little tricky because since they are duochrome, depending on the light, they completely disappear. It's a similar color to something like Urban Decay Roadstripe (which I used on my brow bone and inner corner) or Makeup Geek Phantom, or the violet shade from the Kat Von D Alchemist palette. This is a pretty color, and it was more visible on my lid than in the photo (which, again, makes sense given the duochrome), but it did require a couple layers to build up. 
• Next, I applied 6, which is the mint shade, in the center of the lid. This is the least impressive shade that I have used thus far, but at the same time, I have never met a truly impressive pastel mint. (If you know of one, please let me know!) This required several layers, and I still don't find it all that impressive. I think it would have really popped with Milk as a base, and I'm looking forward to trying it out again and seeing if it performs differently. 
• I then applied 4, which is a purple sheen (not shimmer), to the outer corner. This is also a shade that I think could pack a little more pigment, but I am also not disappointed with it. I then blended this shadow lightly into the crease, just to give the blue a more purple tint. 
• Then I blended 11 in the crease, which is the hot pink. I really love this color. It packs a ton of pigment and doesn't require any building up. It worked beautifully in the crease and blended well with the blue and purple shades to make the crease more purple. I also like that this color peaks through between the shades on the lid and the purple crease. 
• Finally, I applied 9, which is the peachy orange shade, above all the other crease colors. This is a great shade. I love the tone, pigment, and how it blends. It think it added a nice amount of warmth to the look.

There are still three shades in the palette that I have yet to try, which is 1 (looks like it will be pink, but when swatched, it looks like a green duochrome), 2 (the pale yellow), and 10 (light purple sheen). I feel like I have a pretty good sense of the palette now, though I still wouldn't say I have a full, complete opinion. However, at this point, I don't think this palette is worth $30. I paid $20 for this palette through an Ulta sale, and I think that is a more appropriate price. (Please note, I think the NYX Fire palette is worth the $30, but Colourpop Yes, Please! is a fantastic alternative for $16.) 

Without a white base, I don't know how well this palette would work on multiple skin tones. I have light to medium skin with a warm olive undertone, and with some of the lighter shades, I feel like they almost disappear into my skin and have to be built up quite a bit. It's hard for me to imagine these shades would perform really well on darker skin tones without some kind of a base. 

At the same time, I also acknowledge that pastel shadows perform like this. Kat Von D Pastel Goth, for example, performs similarly, though those shadows have a darker base. Again, these aren't my final thoughts on the palette as I would like to try them out with a white base, but on the whole I do enjoy this palette. 

Recent Looks: Peachy Eyes—NYX Air, Carli Bybel Deluxe, Juvia's Place Masquerade

It's been a while since I've done a recent looks post, and as I mentioned in an earlier post this week, the reasons have been because of some life events and international travel. I took photos of several of my looks over the past couple weeks, but I also repeated the same looks several days because I liked them so much. 

I will mention this in my upcoming September Favorites post, but my duped Just Peachy Matte palette has been an everyday staple for me, and I haven't wanted to use anything else since I first put the colors together. 

One thing to note, I did replace two of the colors in the "duped" palette for colors I wanted in this palette more. In the top row, far right, I replaced ABH Fudge with Colourpop Slim Fit, and in the middle row, I replaced Coloured Raine Moments with Colurpop 143. 

Here are eight looks I've done in recent weeks.

Look 1: Kiko 208

Kiko 208 on the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease as a transition shade, Colourpop Slim Fit blended into the crease, and Colourpop Making Moves padded onto the outer corner. Chanel eyeliner in Eros on the waterline. 

Look 2: Kiko 200

Kiko 200 on the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease, and Makeup Geek Bitten padded on the outer corner. Marc Jacobs highliner in Whirl(pool) on the waterline. 

Look 3: "Just Peachy Mattes"

Colourpop Making Moves on the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease as a transition shade, and Colourpop Stay Golden blended into the crease and padded onto the outer corner. 

Look 4: Juvia's Place Masquerade 

Juvia's Place Chi on the inner and outer lid, Juvia's Place Zola on the center of the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease as a transition shade, and Colourpop Stay Golden blended into the crease. Marc Jacobs highliner in Whirl(pool) on the waterline. 

Look 5: BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe 

Carli Bybel 4 on the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease as a transition shade, Colourpop Slim Fit blended into the crease, and Colourpop Stay Golden padded onto the outer corner and blended into the crease. 

Look 6: NYX Air

12 on the lid, 3 blended into the crease as a transition shade, and 11 padded onto the outer corner and blended into the crease. 4 on the lower lash line. 

Look 7: Stila Magnificent Metals Sunset Cove

Sunset Cove on the lid, Colourpop The News blended into the crease as a transition shade, Colourpop Making Moves and Stay Golden blended to the crease, and Colourpop 143 padded onto the outer corner. 

Look 8: "Desert Dusk"

Colourpop High Strung on the lid, Inglot peachy shade blended into the crease as a transition shade, Inglot purple shade blended above the peachy shade, Inglot orange shade blended above the purple shade, and Makeup Geek Masquerade padded onto the outer corner. NYX Vivid Brights eyeliner in Vivid Violet. 

Look 1: Kiko 208

I've written about my Kiko shadows several times, so I'll just say that I really loved this look. I've really enjoyed pairing light golds with bright peachy shades, and I thought this look came out quite pretty. I think it takes a typical neutral look up a few notches without being a super dramatic look. I also paired it with Chanel Eros on the waterline, and while it did kind of make my waterline look a little blood-like, I still thought it was interesting and pretty. 

Look 2: Kiko 200

Despite this being one of my favorite Kiko shadows, I didn't really like this look all that much. Since I have been really infatuated with my peachy palette, I've been wanting to explore and see what colors pair well with the peach tones. And I have to say that I wasn't super thrilled with this combination. I really liked putting Whirl(pool) on the waterline, and thought that gave the look a little bit of interest, but on the whole, I wasn't really digging this. 

Look 3: "Just Peachy Mattes"

I wore this look on one of the worst days I've had in recent memory. And by the end of the night, I had cried all of this off my face. Typically, that would mean that I would never wear this look again because the memory tied to it is so bad. BUT, I really, really, really love this look. So, screw that. That awful day doesn't get to own this look. I do. I wore this look several times while in Europe, and I received more compliments than I have on any other look I've ever done. One woman even stopped me on the street as I walked by just to tell me how much she loved my eyeshadow. So, yeah, this is a new favorite look for sure. 

Look 4: Juvia's Place Masquerade 

What I've shown in the photo above are the only shadows I have left from this palette. I really loved Masquerade, but I felt I had the majority of the shadows in my collection already, for the exception for the very colorful shades. Chi and Zola have always been favorites of mine, and since I couldn't decided which colors to wear that day, I decided to wear both. I really like the look of blues and purples paired with pinks, so I thought this look came out quite pretty. Having to do it over again, I might substitute the peachy crease shades with either hot pink or dark berry.

Look 5: BH Cosmetics Carli Bybel Deluxe 

I mentioned a few weeks ago that following my birthday and double surgeries, I had been gifted quite a bit of new makeup, and this palette was part of that. I honestly haven't used this palette too much because when I've used it, I've only used the same shade every single time, which is the fourth shadow in the top row. This shade is KILLER. The majority of the shadows in this palette are quite pretty, but I am positive that I have duplicates of all of them elsewhere in my collection, expect for this one shade. I would like to use this palette more, but I wouldn't be surprised if I depotted that one shadow and decluttered the palette.

Look 6: NYX Air

So, this palette is unfortunately a result of that aforementioned terrible day. I don't typically buy makeup anymore for emotional reasons (and it is not a behavior that I find exceptionally healthy), but that happened. I was so impressed with the NYX Fire palette (and less so with the NYX Brights palette) and was curious to try Air. I've only used this palette one time, which was to do the above look, so I am going to hold off on giving my "official" opinion of the palette. With that said, every color I used in this look was really great and performed exactly as I would expect based on the Fire palette. I'm looking forward to wearing some of the more colorful shadows next, such as the blue and green shades.

Look 7: Stila Magnificent Metals Sunset Cove

I've written about Sunset Cove before, which is a color that I absolutely love. I have several Magnificent Metals, and they are easily one of my favorite products of the year. This was my other favorite look of the past few weeks, and it was my favorite look I've ever done with one of the Stila Magnificent Metals. This look is also a great example to me of how shadows can blend and layer without looking muddy. It's exciting to me that I created this look with $5 Colourpop shadows, especially when there are much more expensive and hyped alternatives available that don't perform, in my opinion, nearly as well.

Look 8: "Desert Dusk"

Finally, for my last look, I compiled a "dupe" palette of the Huda Beauty Desert Dusk, inspired by Lauren Mae Beauty's "Let Dupe It" video on the same palette. I really like how this look turned out. The shadow I used on the lid, Colourpop High Strung, isn't a "dupe" for any shadow in the Desert Dusk palette, but I added it to my palette because I thought it went nicely with the other shades in it. It doesn't show up too well in the photos, but I loved Makeup Geek Masquerade on the outer corner and lower lash line. I typically only use Makeup Geek foiled shadows all over the lid, so it was fun for me to think (a bit) outside of the box with the look.