Wednesday 1 January 2014

Top 13 Beauty Favourites of 2013

HAPPY NEW YEAR GUYS! I'm not even going to try to understand how 2013 passed by so fast but it was definitely a huge year in terms of change for me. For one, it was the first year in my adolescent life that I began to invest in beauty products. Over the past 12 months, I have accumulated a substantial collection of makeup and skincare items, some of which I've used once or twice and others that I cannot live without. Personally, I prefer to use higher end makeup if it has an effect on my skincare routine. In terms of lip products, I just gravitate towards pretty packaging. Therefore, my makeup collection is made up of products that be can easily found at Sephora, department stores and drug stores.  For this post, I will be sharing with you my top 13 beauty products of the year.

Click  photos for link to products 

Skin Care
Clarisonic - Mia2™ Skin Cleansing SystemBlue Green Algae Toner


My skincare routine is definitely somethings that needs constant adjustments but these 3 products have keep their place throughout this year. I usually wear no more than foundation or powder, eyeliner and some type of lip product on a daily basis so the Bioderma cleasing water takes off my makeup perfectly. Even on the rare days I wear mascara, I just press a cotton round soaked in Bioderma on my eye and it takes everything off. It is honestly one of my holy grail products. I received the Clarionic Mia 2 for my birthday in the middle of 2013 and used it religiously for a couple of months until I noticed the it was time to replace the brush. I finally purchased the replacement head so I'm super excited to get back to using it again. It leaves my skin feeling baby soft and definitely reduced the size of my pores. I use the Micheal Todd blue algae toner every morning and night so it is an essential step in my skincare routine. It makes my skin feel super clean and also gives off a tightening effect. Also, it doesn't irritate my skin like some other toners that are alcohol based. I will try to post up my skincare routine as soon as I decide on a moisturizer and cleaner that stays in my routine for more than a month.

Face Makeup
beautyblender - beautyblender®      
These two products are very recently discovered but are now permanently part of my makeup routine. The beauty blender is my dream foundation and concealer applicator in one. I absolutely love the look of how the Chanel Vitalumiere, which has light to medium coverage, looks when applied with the beauty blender. It can be easily buildable but remains looking natural. I also really enjoy the scent of the foundation. Also, the foundation leaves my skin looking dewy but not greasy so a powder is not necessary unless I'm going for the matte look. Another thing I noticed about the foundation is that it doesn't cover your skin but enhances it by blurring out discoloration and imperfections.
Tarte - Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush
The Tarte Amazonia 12-hour clay blush is probably one of the most long lasting blushes I have ever tried. It is extremely pigmented but easily blendable. I normally go for a pinky peach blush but now I really want to try a deeper pink or red tone colour.

Eye Makeup
Anastasia Beverly Hills - Brow Wiz
Anastasia Brow Wiz
Now my eyebrows are something I take pride in. I think they have a pretty nice shape on its own but I really enjoy the look of thick brows. The Anastasia brow wiz is a product that I've been resisting for months on months but I finally received it for Christmas and it is amazing.
Kat Von D - Tattoo Liner
Kat Von D Tattoo Eyeliner
Liquid eyeliner is another essential in my makeup routine. I purchased the Kat Von D tattoo eyeliner at the beginning of the year and it is still going strong. I love how you can draw the thinest line and it also lasts a long time even on my oily lids. It has definitely replace my very loved Stila liquid liner. However, I think I am ready to move on and try the Marc Jacobs gel liner once this one runs out.
Urban Decay - Eyeshadow
Urban Decay Eyeshadow in Smog
There is no question that Urban Decay eye shadow palettes are the most discussed and desired makeup products of the year, especially after the release of the Naked Basics palette and Naked 3. Personally, I am very lazy with my makeup and have no time or patience for a complicated eye look so often times, I opt for a single lid colour. I really enjoy the texture and pigmentation of UD eye shadows and my most used shadow is definitely a medium brown shade. I feel like it looks great by its self all over the lid or in the crease with a lighter shade on my lid.

Lip Products

Yves Saint Laurent - Rouge Volupté Shine
YSL Rouge Volupte Shine
It was extremely difficult to pick two of my favourite lip products and if you see my lipstick collection, you would understand why.  One of my biggest makeup splurges this year is the YSL Rouge Volupte Shine. I have been lusting over this product for months and finally caved during my states trip. I absolutely love how creamy it feels and the luxurious smell it has. I chose a neutral pretty pink shade that is versatile but I refrain from using it too frequently. However, the biggest factor that somewhat justified the ridiculous price is the gorgeous packaging; I can stare at it for hours. I think it is one of those items that every makeup lover needs in their collection. But if you are not willing to put down the $44, a great drugstore dupe would be the Revlon lip butters. They have a similar consistency and lasting power at a fraction of the price.

Buxom - Buxom® Full-On™ Lip Stick
Buxom Full-On Lip Stick
The Buxom Full-on lipstick might just be my most used lip product this year. I mentioned it in one of my summer favourites post and my thoughts on it remains the same.

Other

Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche
The Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche has been the only perfume I reach for since I discovered it earlier this year. It can be worn in every season as it is a delicious unification of fruity, floral and fresh. The scent is very subtle but distinctive which might be the reason why I get compliments on it so often. It is the perfect day to day fragrance and universally accepted by most people. 

Remington Epilator
The epilator might look like a torture mechanism to some but it is a miracle device for me. I have a pretty high pain threshold so I'm really not sensitive to it as some people may be. Honestly, if you think shaving is the biggest pain (I'm sure every girl agrees with me), this could change your life. It's as effective as waxing but without the mess and stickiness. Also, it is portable so you can easily bring it along on vacations. 

So there are my most loved beauty products of 2013. I have decided that my main New Years resolution is to be more open minded about people and things so I will definitely be trying out new products this year. Look out for my next post as I will be discussing my resolutions in more detail and hopefully inspire some of you to make goals of your own.