2018 Beauty Favourites

Hello there! Where has this year gone? There have been so many interesting finds for me this year, some old, some new. Before all the New Year’s festivities, here is a small tribute to the products that have served me so well during 2018.

Makeup

All in all, I used many products both new and old releases, and I can say that I found myself using the old and trusted. I didn’t do it on purpose, I just think that I am not very easily moved by the trends. Let’s begin!

Face

• For foundation, I used my trusty Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua. It evens out my skin, it is lightweight, and it looks nice and natural.
• For concealer, I use the Clarins Instant Concealer. It is such a throwback, I know, but it does a very good job, it is easy to use (I blend my concealer either with a brush or a small sponge) and it lasts for ages (the tube contains 15ml as opposed to 4ml for example of the new Charlotte Tilbury Magic Away concealer).
• I love the Becca shimmering skin perfector in Pearl. It is very subtle and looks natural. My only complaint is that the pump dispenses much more product than I need. I wish they changed it for a pump with the feature of dispensing an amount
• For blush, I discovered the NARS Orgasm. I know you’ll say “what do you mean discovered? It’s been here for years and years”. And I ‘ll agree, but I have to inform you that your girl here does not buy every single hyped makeup product! I can confirm though that It is glorious! Even though I was scared to see the amount of shimmer and glitter in the pan, I decided to give it a try, and I am happy to report that it is not so glittery when you put it on. Plus, you don’t need a highlighter! 😀
• For sculpting, I still love my Kevyn Aucoin sculpting powder in medium. It is just perfect for contouring, it looks like a real shadow on the face.

Eyes

• As far as eyeshadows were concerned, I was really in the mood for blushed nudes and warm brown shades. Too Faced chocolate bar palette deserves an honourable mention here as well as UD Naked 3 palette, but I used them mostly in December. The year-round winner is Natasha Denona Palette 5 in 02 (Did you know that Cult Beauty now brings Natasha Denona? You are welcome! 🙂 ). Her eyeshadows are very beautiful, despite their price, I think you will make good use out of them if you buy the colour combination that you like the most.
• For brows, I loved Glossier boy brow! It looks so natural on the eyebrows. The only issue is that a lot of product comes off when I open a new tube, so I just make sure to apply the product on a spoolie brush that I have (or an old boy brow wand if you prefer) and I brush it through my eyebrows. For my brow technique, you can find more information here.
• For eyeliner, I loved Maybelline’s Master Precise liquid eyeliner! It is very good, it stays put, it is inexpensive and easy to use, what else should I ask for?

Lips

I left my favourite makeup category for the end of the makeup section.

I honestly couldn’t decide! It was so hard, because I am a lipstick lover, and I used so many lipsticks, so I had to include at least two!

• I loved the Tom Ford Casablanca lipstick (which I got with a 40% off during Black Friday!) because it looks like the perfect “my lips but better” kind of colour (and perhaps I should also add “but pink-ier“).
• Also, I fell in love with Lisa’s lipsticks, and I would love to include all three of them, but I chose velvet jazz because I feel the most comfortable wearing it out of the three. They are perfection!
• I would like to add a bullet for three more lipsticks (because I am a lipstick lover, I told you!) for Charlotte Tilbury Legendary Queen, Walk of Shame, and Secret Salma. ( I know I have a thing for berry and rose tones!)

Skincare

• My everyday essentials were Lixirskin Universal Emulsion for everyday skin hydration and Apivita Cleansing Foam for cleansing. The Universal Emulsion is very hydrating, I use it on my face and neck and .The Apivita Cleansing Foam is effective and gentle enough for everyday use. Plus it contains 98% natural ingredients.
• For more special “treatment”, I love the UFO Ultra-Clarifying Facial Oil by Sunday Riley, for the days when I felt there was a spot coming, and Omorovicza Miracle Facial Oil for hydration and soothing. I do notice a difference when I use this oil, it feels gentle and my skin feels smoother and softer afterwards.

I hope you liked my 2018 beauty favourites! Let me know if you want me to do a post with makeup tool favourites of 2018! Thank you so much for being here, it means so much to me!

Have an awesome 2019! Happy New Year!

xo,
Helen