My 2013 Makeup Favorites

It is only fitting that the momentous nature of a first blog post be dedicated to the stand out products of 2013. In this post I have included my makeup favorites and the next post will have some of my skincare and body care favorites to round out the list. So without further ado, here they are ...

FACE:

Favorite Foundations:

(L to R) High End: Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation | Drugstore: Rimmel London Match Perfection Foundation

Before investing in a higher end makeup product, I like to do a lot of research to make sure the product lives up to it's price tag. After hearing many youtube and beauty bloggers sing this foundation's praises, I purchased the Giorgio Armani foundation. I have combination skin: my T-zone gets oily while my cheeks remain relatively dry. This foundation had a good reputation of setting down to a natural matte finish while gliding over dry patches. To say that this product ticked every single box on my foundation checklist is an understatement. It's really easy to blend and I love the natural finish it gives my skin. My dry patches are hidden away while the rest of my skin is left with a nice medium coverage.  The best part about this product is that I can use it both for day and nights out because it contains no SPF (flashback solved). After years of buying both high end and drugstore foundations that clung onto every single one of my dry patches or left me looking like an oil slick, I have found the perfect foundation that still looked like skin after applied. For more of a day to day foundation, I found the Rimmel Match Perfection to be a great alternative. It lasts through my long college days without me needing to touch up which is a definite plus and it conceals my breakouts really well.

Favorite Blush, Bronzer, & Highlighter:

Bronzer: Too Faced Matte Bronzer 'Milk Chocolate Soleil' | Highlighter: Too Faced Candlelight Glow Highlighting Powder Duo | Blush: NARS Desire

I must admit, I get sucked into most beauty products for the packaging. Not surprisingly, once I smelled the Too Faced bronzer and was met with a chocolatey aroma, I was sold. I am fair skinned (MAC reference: NW20) and most bronzers are really noticeable on my skin and can often look muddy. With this bronzer, I can apply as many layers as I want and it will never look overdone. It's fool proof! The NARS blush in desire was my first purchase from this brand and although I've had it for 3 years now, I still haven't hit pan. You need the tiniest amount in order to achieve the perfect flushed cheek color. The pigmentation of this blush outcompetes any of my other blushes and although it might look too bright in the pan, this blush will suit a wide range of skin tones. I was introduced to this Too Faced highlighter when I was getting foundation matched at a Sephora. The moment the makeup artist applied this product to the tops of my cheekbones, my face instantly looked more radiant and I knew I had to have it in my makeup kit. This product also gives you a choice between sliding your brush across only one of the sides for either a pink or gold highlight or a mixture of both by swirling your brush throughout. This product can't be beat.

EYES:

Favorite Eyeshadows:

 (L to R) MAC 'Soft Brown' | MAC 'Satin Taupe'

This pairing was on my eyelids for most of the year. With not a lot of time in the mornings to get ready, I needed a quick eyeshadow combination to keep me looking presentable without requiring a lot of steps. Sweeping satin taupe all over my eyelids and blending soft brown in the crease gave me a wearable daytime eyeshadow look that complimented my green eyes.

Favorite Primers, Mascara, Concealer, & Brow Powder:

(L to R) MAC Pro Longwear Paintpot 'Painterly' | Urban Decay Primer Potion | Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara | MAC Pro Longwear Concealer | Anastasia Brow Powder Duo

For years, whenever I applied mascara on my upper lashes, by the end of the day, it would always smudge on my brow bone, just underneath my eyebrows. I always used a primer but found that when I doubled them on top of each other, it created the magic formula to keep mascara smudges at bay. I begin by priming my eyelids with Urban Decay's primer potion followed by dabbling MAC's painterly paintpot right above that, and voila, a match made in eyelid heaven. I have tried many mascaras in the past but never really found one that stood out above all the rest, except when I found Clinique's bottom lash mascara. This miracle product eliminated any under eye smudging for me, someone who constantly suffered from sporting panda-eyes halfway into the day. I know having a separate mascara for the bottom lashes may seem unreasonable but once you've tried this little gem and see how well it lengthens and separates your bottom lashes, you'll never want to put it down. Anastasia's brow products are amazing and deserve all the praise they get from the youtube beauty community. Since perfectly chiseled out eyebrows aren't my preference, I fill in my brows with a powder rather than use a pencil. This powder stays all day and fills in sparse areas incredibly for natural, yet polished brows.

LIPS:

Favorite Lip Balm, Lipstick, Lip Treatment, & Lip Liner:

(L to R) Revlon Lip Butter 'Sweet Tart' | MAC 'Creme Cup' | Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment | Jordana Easyliner for Lips 'Tawny'

When the Revlon lip butters came out, I was wary of the color section because I prefer to wear more muted colors for everyday. Upon hearing reviews saying they gave the perfect wash of color, I decided to give the color 'Sweet Tart' a try. I was pleasantly surprised by how subtle and natural this color looked on my lips. It added color to them without the opacity and bold nature of a lipstick. I will definitely be purchasing more colors from this collection, so if you have any suggestions, please let my know in the comments. I have always associated lip liners as being matronly and unnecessary but when I purchased MAC's 'Creme Cup' I noticed that although it was a beautiful lip color, I wanted more definition around the perimeter of my lips, so I went to Walgreens in search of a basic lip liner. This retractable liner from Jordana was only $2.99 and is the perfect match for my lip color and keeps my lips defined, even when wearing a nude lipstick. Of course, all these lip colors need an even and well-moisturizer canvas to adhere to. Enter: Fresh. I received a sample of the Fresh sugar lip treatment from Sephora as a 100 point perk and it completely transformed my chapped lips into a smooth and hydrated pout. It's definitely on the pricey side, but its definitely worth the splurge.

Stay tuned for Part 2!

xx Yuliya