Now that we're about a week or so into 2016, this post seems a little outdated, but I thought it would be a fun post to share nonetheless.
2015 was a big year for me in terms of makeup exploration (just check out some of the looks I've done here). I have grown a lot as an artist, and I'm a lot more confident in my own skills and abilities.
With that, I've also cycled through a pretty alarming amount of makeup products (let's not talk about it...) and have tried a number of products, which means that my favorites for 2016 are pretty selective! Here are the ones that I have loved and will definitely stick with me throughout the new year.
Without further ado:
My Favorite Lip Products of 2016:
During 2015, I actually really started wearing lip products. Before that year I was not as interested in lips as I was in other makeup--especially eyeshadow.
I bought a dang large amount of lipsticks throughout 2016 from all sorts of brands, but here are my three absolute favorites: the Maybelline Creamy Matte lipstick in Touch of Spice (my favorite lipstick color and formula EVER--had this for about two months and I've worn it almost every day), the L.A. Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss in Secret (I also have the color 'Fleur' that I love), and the Milani Color Statement lipsticks (I own more than 12 different shades, both regular and matte versions, and I love them all).
My Favorite Cream/Liquid Eye Makeup Products of 2016:
Starting with eyeshadow bases, I loved the E.l.f. Smudge Pot in the color "Cruisin Chic." It's the perfect taupey-gold shade and it's a very pretty, wearable color. The formula is perfect--it's much creamier than the Maybelline Color Tattoos (I have quite a few of those), but it's not overly creamy to the point where it would slip and slide around. I'd still probably wear it under eyeshadow, but I think it's a very versatile base. I also started using the NYX jumbo pencils and BLACK BEAN CHANGED MY MAKEUP GAME. Up until I got it, I pretty much always put shadows over a neutral or white base, and I never realized how intense some shadows can look over a black base (try it for your duochrome eyeshadows)! Now, I use it all the time and I'm obsessed. I use the E.l.f. gel liner in Coffee for my eyebrows as a sort of "dip-brow pomade" dupe and I love it and have used it for about an entire year, if not more. For my liquid liner, I have tried all sorts during 2015 but the two that remain my holy grail are also the cheapest: N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner and Wet n' Wild MegaLiner.
My Favorite Eyeshadows of 2016:
I'm happy to say that I've started to really move away from the neutral toned makeups and delve into more vibrant colors. I usually never buy high-end makeup for myself, but I thought the Urban Decay Electric Palette was a reasonable investment, since I know that I will get much use out of each one of the colors. I've already used it a couple of times and I'm in love. Check out the looks on my instagram. I also got a lot of use of this Wet n' Wild Single Shadow in Panther as you can see (I need to press it again because it keeps shattering). It's an awesome black color, and perfect for keeping up the crease in makeup looks. I already bought a backup because I love it so much and it's only $1. Finally I tried this Jesse's Girl Eye Dust in Kiwi Rose. I haven't tried any of the other Eye Dusts, but I enjoy this so much because it has a green-gold tint. It's not very opaque, so I'm not that interested in the other shades, but this one is perfect as an eyeshadow topper (especially in the center of eyeshadow looks) and in the inner corner. I have used this A LOT. Think of it as a cheap, green-yellow version of Sugarpill Lumi pigment.
My Favorite Face Products of 2016:
As you can see, Wet n' Wild gets the cake for my highlight and contour products. I really love their products, and the contouring palette in Caramel Toffee (Note: they have since reformulated the product and I do not like the new formula), the Reserve Your Cabana highlight, and Hollywood Blvd Shimmer Palette (my favorite highlight ever). For everyday face makeup, I usually just throw on this Pond's BB Cream (which has been discontinued but I stocked up!). It gives me a more even coverage and definitely has a bit of a luminous finish which I really enjoy. I don't like wearing foundation daily as my skin starts to breakout when wearing it for too long (I worked at Macy's over the summer and I had SO many breakouts from wearing foundation everyday). I recently picked up the Kleancolor Spotlight blush in Sable for $1 from Shopmissa.com and have been wearing it nonstop. It's such a beautiful warm peachy tone, and it's super pigmented and easy to blend. Finally, I'm a contouring addict, so the NARS Ita brush is a must for me. It makes getting a sharp but blended contour line super easy. It's a pricey buy, but I definitely recommend it as it's my favorite brush of all time (and I've used about a hundred different brushes over this year alone)!
My Favorite Beauty Tools of 2016:
My Favorite Eyelash Products of 2016:
In this year alone, I went from owning about 10 or so pairs of eyelashes to an entire big box filled with them. I'm not even kidding, and it is NOT a good thing, I know. But, I'm happy to say that I use and reuse all of them and take good care of them so it's a good investment. My favorite eyelashes are the Kara Eyelashes (and #2 is my favorite style). I buy these off Shopmissa for only $1, which means it's perfect to buy in bulk. I have a very large range of styles, and they are pretty much close dupes for the Red Cherry lashes (even the same number system). I also discovered these Kleancolor Angelic Wink bottom lashes on Shopmissa, and I have about three different styles now. #502 is my favorite out of the three. Like the Kara eyelashes, these work extremely well and can be reused many times if you care for them correctly. On the bottom, I have the 615 Salon Perfect lashes. These have a highly separated look that I was looking for, and are similar to the House of Lashes in Bambi or the Mac 35 lashes. I really like these, though they don't look as good on me as they do on people with larger eyelids! They are still a unique style though, and I'm glad I didn't pay $10-20 on Mac or House of Lashes. My favorite eyelash glue has always been the KISS EverEZ lashes, and I'm on to my second bottle now. It lasts forever, and I've never had problems with lashes coming off. It's also latex-free and pretty much scent-free. And finally, my new favorite mascara is the Wet n' Wild MegaLength. It's a very standard black mascara with a tiny wand that makes it perfect for lengthening, especially on the bottom lashes. It's also only $3, so how could you go wrong? I'm not a mascara fan, but this is perfect on a day that I want to add an extra something to my bare-face.
And that's all! Congrats-you've survived this incredibly long post that has taken me the last hour to write. I'm excited to try new products in 2016 and share them with you all!
2015 was a big year for me in terms of makeup exploration (just check out some of the looks I've done here). I have grown a lot as an artist, and I'm a lot more confident in my own skills and abilities.
With that, I've also cycled through a pretty alarming amount of makeup products (let's not talk about it...) and have tried a number of products, which means that my favorites for 2016 are pretty selective! Here are the ones that I have loved and will definitely stick with me throughout the new year.
Without further ado:
My Favorite Lip Products of 2016:
During 2015, I actually really started wearing lip products. Before that year I was not as interested in lips as I was in other makeup--especially eyeshadow.
I bought a dang large amount of lipsticks throughout 2016 from all sorts of brands, but here are my three absolute favorites: the Maybelline Creamy Matte lipstick in Touch of Spice (my favorite lipstick color and formula EVER--had this for about two months and I've worn it almost every day), the L.A. Girl Matte Flat Finish Pigment Gloss in Secret (I also have the color 'Fleur' that I love), and the Milani Color Statement lipsticks (I own more than 12 different shades, both regular and matte versions, and I love them all).
My Favorite Cream/Liquid Eye Makeup Products of 2016:
Starting with eyeshadow bases, I loved the E.l.f. Smudge Pot in the color "Cruisin Chic." It's the perfect taupey-gold shade and it's a very pretty, wearable color. The formula is perfect--it's much creamier than the Maybelline Color Tattoos (I have quite a few of those), but it's not overly creamy to the point where it would slip and slide around. I'd still probably wear it under eyeshadow, but I think it's a very versatile base. I also started using the NYX jumbo pencils and BLACK BEAN CHANGED MY MAKEUP GAME. Up until I got it, I pretty much always put shadows over a neutral or white base, and I never realized how intense some shadows can look over a black base (try it for your duochrome eyeshadows)! Now, I use it all the time and I'm obsessed. I use the E.l.f. gel liner in Coffee for my eyebrows as a sort of "dip-brow pomade" dupe and I love it and have used it for about an entire year, if not more. For my liquid liner, I have tried all sorts during 2015 but the two that remain my holy grail are also the cheapest: N.Y.C. Liquid Eyeliner and Wet n' Wild MegaLiner.
As you can see, Wet n' Wild gets the cake for my highlight and contour products. I really love their products, and the contouring palette in Caramel Toffee (Note: they have since reformulated the product and I do not like the new formula), the Reserve Your Cabana highlight, and Hollywood Blvd Shimmer Palette (my favorite highlight ever). For everyday face makeup, I usually just throw on this Pond's BB Cream (which has been discontinued but I stocked up!). It gives me a more even coverage and definitely has a bit of a luminous finish which I really enjoy. I don't like wearing foundation daily as my skin starts to breakout when wearing it for too long (I worked at Macy's over the summer and I had SO many breakouts from wearing foundation everyday). I recently picked up the Kleancolor Spotlight blush in Sable for $1 from Shopmissa.com and have been wearing it nonstop. It's such a beautiful warm peachy tone, and it's super pigmented and easy to blend. Finally, I'm a contouring addict, so the NARS Ita brush is a must for me. It makes getting a sharp but blended contour line super easy. It's a pricey buy, but I definitely recommend it as it's my favorite brush of all time (and I've used about a hundred different brushes over this year alone)!
My Favorite Beauty Tools of 2016:
As stated above, I've used so many brushes over the past year that it's hard to choose favorites. However, there are two beauty tools that stood out to me and NEITHER of them are brushes.
The one on the right is a Daiso mini laundry board scrubber. This is more commonly known as the Brush Egg which retails online for about $10. Don't pay this rip-off price!! I found this at Daiso for only $1.50 and it is the exact same thing. It really does do an amazing job at cleaning brushes. I suggest MannyMUA's brush cleaning video to learn how to use it properly.
Another dupe I love is the Precision Blending Sponge. It works exactly like the $20 Beauty Blender, it even expands in water and becomes light and bouncy. I will probably be doing an extended dupe review of this on the blog, so more on that later!
And that's all! Congrats-you've survived this incredibly long post that has taken me the last hour to write. I'm excited to try new products in 2016 and share them with you all!
