| My most used makeup products in 2016! |
2017 is fast approaching and as the current year is drawing to a close I've been reflecting back on the year. Being the beauty addict that I am, I've not only been reflecting back on memories and events throughout the year but I've also been thinking about all of my most used products in the past 365 days. This is the first of my 2016 favourites series as I'll be doing a reading roundup and beauty & lifestyle favourites so they're coming to a computer screen near you during the first week of January. But for now, grab a cuppa and pen & paper because this post might have you feeling spendy.....
Foundations:
I tried and tested a vast array of foundations throughout the year but the three standouts were Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, Revlon Colourstay and L'oreal True Match {review of all 3} The CT offering has a medium but buildable finish so it covers my imperfections without the need for a concealer {except when there's a large crater on my face - You know what I mean *wink wink*} It has a demi-matte finish which is quite unique to anything else in my collection. It provides a matte finish to the skin but it also perks up a dull complexion, making skin appear fresh and healthy looking. It's perfect if you like a matte foundation but your skin is looking a little lacklustre.
The Revlon foundation is a very full coverage foundation and I was obsessed with it when my skin was breaking out during the leaving cert. The formula is less thick than the CT foundation so it's really quick and effortless to apply, making it a great everyday foundation if your skin isn't behaving.
L'oreal True Match is a lighter base that provides a light to medium coverage. It gives a flawless natural look to the skin and the satin finish is beautiful. It's a great everyday foundation and it's been a firm favourite in my makeup bag this year.
Concealers {Read My Top 5 Concealers Post}:
I couldn't go a day without even a little bit of concealer and the best concealer discovery of the year for me is without a doubt the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer. This lightweight concealer feels like you have nothing on and doesn't crease or fade throughout the day. It's one of very few concealers that I use on both spots and imperfections as well as under the eyes. Most concealers I own are good for doing either but this provides amazing results for concealing all areas of the face.
Another concealer favourite was the Catrice Camouflage Cream concealer. This is a heavy duty concealer that I use to cover spots. It's full coverage so it covers even the worst spots so if you have acne or blemish prone skin then I'd highly recommend it!
My last concealer favourite is a highlighting option for under the eyes as well as cream highlighting. I am of course talking about Mac's Prep & Prime Highlighting Pen. It's great for brightening up the complexion and it has a medium coverage so it conceals dark circles as well as brightening under the eyes.
Complexion:
If you're a regular around here then you'll know that I bought the Becca Champagne Pop Highlighter {review} this year and at this stage, I think I've mentioned it at least hundred times on my blog and social media. It's honestly the best highlighter ever! The pigmentation is out of this world and I love the golden peachy shade. I've heard a couple of people who have pale skin say they don't like the shade of this one but the Becca highlighters come in a wide variety of shades so there's something to suit everyone. Personally, I think it looks really nice on my pale skin but it's definitely on the warmer side so if you prefer a cooler toned highlighter then Moonstone or Opal is probably the best option for you. They're both on my wish list!
Nars do the best blushes in my opinion and the one that I found myself reaching for a lot this year was 'Luster'. A gorgeous golden apricot shade that looks amazing in both the Summer and the Winter!
Palettes:
I've had quite a few palette additions to my collection this year - sorry, not sorry! - but one of my most used was The Pippa Palette {review}. The palette contains 6 matte eyeshadows, a blush, a highlighter and a bronzer so it's really handy to have everything in one neat compact palette. If you travel a lot or if you frequently do your makeup on the way to work, school etc then this is ideal for you! I'm obsessed with all of the eyeshadow shades as they're perfect for everyday wear and the bronzer, blush and highlighter are incredible too!
This will probably come as no surprise to most of you but another palette that wowed me was the Hourglass Surreal Light Ambient Lighting palette {review}. Five beautiful light-reflecting powders housed in marble print packaging to add radiance to lacklustre skin {thanks Winter!} as well as looking pretty on top of my dressing table - The most important function of a product, am I right? *insert winking emoji*
Eyes:
I received the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde mascara for Christmas last year and it was my most used mascara of the year. It basically does everything from providing volume to length as well as curling the lashes. It's an incredible budget mascara!
I bought the Sleek Brow Kit in 2015 but it wasn't until this year that I started to use it on a daily basis. I wasn't that keen on it when I first tried it but when my brow product that I was using at the time ran out this was the only product I had and I didn't have time to go to Boots. I'm so glad that I rediscovered it as the wax in the kit is amazing for providing defined, fuller looking brows.
My favourite Autumnal palette for creating a warm smoky eye was the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita quad. I had never tried CT eyeshadows before this year but I wasn't disappointed! The quality of the shadows in this quad are extraordinary and I have a few of the Eyes To Mesmerise shadows and Colour Chameleons on my wish list for 2017 so hopefully they'll be as good as the palette.
For a neutral everyday look, I wore my Nars eyeshadow duo in 'St-Paul-De-Vence'. The sleek minimalistic packaging that Nars are known for houses a pinky rose-gold shade and a matte brown. The two eyeshadows look perfect together and I love wearing the look with a burgundy lip during the colder months.
Lips:
2016 saw an expansion of my nude lipstick collection - you can never have too many! - and the standout combination was Mac Brave Lipstick paired with Mac Soar Lipliner. The perfect nude combination to achieve that famous 'Kylie Jenner Lip'!
Another nude lipstick favourite was the Nars Velvet Matte lip pencil in 'Sex Machine'. I bought this last year but I only fell in love with it this year. The pink mauve shade is the perfect everyday nude and the pencil applicator makes it very easy to use. I love the formula of these pencils as they glide on effortlessly and last a good few hours.
Foundations:
I tried and tested a vast array of foundations throughout the year but the three standouts were Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, Revlon Colourstay and L'oreal True Match {review of all 3} The CT offering has a medium but buildable finish so it covers my imperfections without the need for a concealer {except when there's a large crater on my face - You know what I mean *wink wink*} It has a demi-matte finish which is quite unique to anything else in my collection. It provides a matte finish to the skin but it also perks up a dull complexion, making skin appear fresh and healthy looking. It's perfect if you like a matte foundation but your skin is looking a little lacklustre.
The Revlon foundation is a very full coverage foundation and I was obsessed with it when my skin was breaking out during the leaving cert. The formula is less thick than the CT foundation so it's really quick and effortless to apply, making it a great everyday foundation if your skin isn't behaving.
L'oreal True Match is a lighter base that provides a light to medium coverage. It gives a flawless natural look to the skin and the satin finish is beautiful. It's a great everyday foundation and it's been a firm favourite in my makeup bag this year.
Concealers {Read My Top 5 Concealers Post}:
I couldn't go a day without even a little bit of concealer and the best concealer discovery of the year for me is without a doubt the Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer. This lightweight concealer feels like you have nothing on and doesn't crease or fade throughout the day. It's one of very few concealers that I use on both spots and imperfections as well as under the eyes. Most concealers I own are good for doing either but this provides amazing results for concealing all areas of the face.
Another concealer favourite was the Catrice Camouflage Cream concealer. This is a heavy duty concealer that I use to cover spots. It's full coverage so it covers even the worst spots so if you have acne or blemish prone skin then I'd highly recommend it!
My last concealer favourite is a highlighting option for under the eyes as well as cream highlighting. I am of course talking about Mac's Prep & Prime Highlighting Pen. It's great for brightening up the complexion and it has a medium coverage so it conceals dark circles as well as brightening under the eyes.
Complexion:
If you're a regular around here then you'll know that I bought the Becca Champagne Pop Highlighter {review} this year and at this stage, I think I've mentioned it at least hundred times on my blog and social media. It's honestly the best highlighter ever! The pigmentation is out of this world and I love the golden peachy shade. I've heard a couple of people who have pale skin say they don't like the shade of this one but the Becca highlighters come in a wide variety of shades so there's something to suit everyone. Personally, I think it looks really nice on my pale skin but it's definitely on the warmer side so if you prefer a cooler toned highlighter then Moonstone or Opal is probably the best option for you. They're both on my wish list!
Nars do the best blushes in my opinion and the one that I found myself reaching for a lot this year was 'Luster'. A gorgeous golden apricot shade that looks amazing in both the Summer and the Winter!
Palettes:
I've had quite a few palette additions to my collection this year - sorry, not sorry! - but one of my most used was The Pippa Palette {review}. The palette contains 6 matte eyeshadows, a blush, a highlighter and a bronzer so it's really handy to have everything in one neat compact palette. If you travel a lot or if you frequently do your makeup on the way to work, school etc then this is ideal for you! I'm obsessed with all of the eyeshadow shades as they're perfect for everyday wear and the bronzer, blush and highlighter are incredible too!
This will probably come as no surprise to most of you but another palette that wowed me was the Hourglass Surreal Light Ambient Lighting palette {review}. Five beautiful light-reflecting powders housed in marble print packaging to add radiance to lacklustre skin {thanks Winter!} as well as looking pretty on top of my dressing table - The most important function of a product, am I right? *insert winking emoji*
Eyes:
I received the Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde mascara for Christmas last year and it was my most used mascara of the year. It basically does everything from providing volume to length as well as curling the lashes. It's an incredible budget mascara!
I bought the Sleek Brow Kit in 2015 but it wasn't until this year that I started to use it on a daily basis. I wasn't that keen on it when I first tried it but when my brow product that I was using at the time ran out this was the only product I had and I didn't have time to go to Boots. I'm so glad that I rediscovered it as the wax in the kit is amazing for providing defined, fuller looking brows.
My favourite Autumnal palette for creating a warm smoky eye was the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita quad. I had never tried CT eyeshadows before this year but I wasn't disappointed! The quality of the shadows in this quad are extraordinary and I have a few of the Eyes To Mesmerise shadows and Colour Chameleons on my wish list for 2017 so hopefully they'll be as good as the palette.
For a neutral everyday look, I wore my Nars eyeshadow duo in 'St-Paul-De-Vence'. The sleek minimalistic packaging that Nars are known for houses a pinky rose-gold shade and a matte brown. The two eyeshadows look perfect together and I love wearing the look with a burgundy lip during the colder months.
Lips:
2016 saw an expansion of my nude lipstick collection - you can never have too many! - and the standout combination was Mac Brave Lipstick paired with Mac Soar Lipliner. The perfect nude combination to achieve that famous 'Kylie Jenner Lip'!
Another nude lipstick favourite was the Nars Velvet Matte lip pencil in 'Sex Machine'. I bought this last year but I only fell in love with it this year. The pink mauve shade is the perfect everyday nude and the pencil applicator makes it very easy to use. I love the formula of these pencils as they glide on effortlessly and last a good few hours.
Shop The Post:
What were your favourite makeup products in 2016?
Love,
Cliona xx
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