FACE: In terms of face products, of course I have to start with my favourite primer. The Benefit POREfessional has been my absolute favorite primer this year as it does a great job of keeping my makeup in place and also minimising the appearance of the pores on my nose and cheeks. It isn't the most affordable product at £23.50 but it has lasted me so long so I'd say it's worth the investment!
It was hard to choose one favourite foundation as I've loved so many this year but in the end I had to go with the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. This lighter coverage foundation was a must-have during the summer and it has even carried on over the winter months as the finish is just so lovely and natural. The gel formula leaves a nice semi-matte finish and covers blemishes well enough without looking cakey on the skin.
Concealer is one of those products that I'd not really dabbled too much in as I always stuck to the old faithful, but this year I tried out a few more in the hopes of finding my perfect concealer. I'm so happy to have come across the e.l.f Maximum Coverage Concealer this year as it does a great job of covering breakouts without looking like you're caked in makeup.
Powder has been an increasingly important product in my makeup bag as my skin has changed from dry to combination with an oily t-zone, so shiny patches need to be kept under control. I have to stick with my old favourite, the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder, which does a great job of keeping the shine at bay during the day.
CHEEKS:
The selection of my favorite bronzer, blusher and highlighter was made very easy thanks to the gorgeous NARS One Night Stand Palette which I have used every single day (when I've been wearing makeup) since the palette arrived. Laguna is such a great bronzer for me as it's pale enough to suit my lighter complexion and the subtle shimmer adds a lovely glow to the cheeks whether you're contouring or adding a bit of color all over.
It was hard to pick just one blusher shade from the palette as I've been using all 4 depending on the makeup look I'm going for that day, so I'm going to be a bit of a cheat and rave about 2 of my favourites instead! Deep Throat is a lovely peach-toned pink with gold shimmer which does a great job of brightening up your cheeks without going overboard. My other favorite is Goloue, a red-toned pink which has been so perfect for autumn-winter wear because of its deeper color although I'm sure I'll still be reaching for it throughout the other seasons.
I'm not one for wearing highlighter every day as it's one of the steps I usually forget while I'm applying my makeup, but on the days when I do wear it, I've been going between powder and cream formulas. The highlighter shade from the One Night Stand palette, Devotee, has been my favorite powder highlight this year because of its pretty pink-toned shade and subtle finish. In terms of a cream highlight, I've been loving Benefit High Beam which is a pearly pink shade. It is so easy to apply over your cheekbones or anywhere else that needs a bit of emphasis, and the finish really is something special.
EYES:
I've only recently started using an eyeshadow primer (review coming soon) but for the rest of the year I just relied on cream eyeshadows as an eye base and also an all-over color when I was feeling lazy. The Benefit Creaseless Cream in Birthday Suit has to be my favorite as it's such a pretty champagne shade and the formula is just a dream to work with.
2013 was definitely the year of eyeshadow for me as I discovered a love for matte, shimmery and satin eyeshadows. The big turning point happened when I caved in and treated myself to the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette which gives you a selection of 5 neutral mattes and 1 shimmery shade. This palette has been my go-to for eyeshadow this year and for good reason too as you can create so many gorgeous eye looks with these powders.
When it came to eyeliner, it was hard to narrow it down to just one as I use a few for different purposes on a daily basis so I had to include them all. This year I made the move over to gel liner for lining my upper lash line, and the B. Precise Gel Eyeliner has been my product of choice as the formula is great and it's so easy to use. On the days when I want something a lot more natural, I like to just sweep a bit of brown pencil liner over the lash line and my favorite has been the MUA Pencil Eyeliner which is an absolute bargain at just £1. The final liner in my favourites is the Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal Liner in Nude which I've been using to brighten up my waterline and make my eyes look bigger. The pencil is so creamy and does a great job of adding a bit more life to my tired eyes.
I'm pretty loyal when it comes to mascara and tended to stick to my affordable favorite from Natural Collection, but this year's favorite has to be the Revlon Lash Potion Mascara. This mascara does such a great job of lengthening and volumising my short and straight lashes so I'm a very happy bunny. The formula is thick enough to give the lashes a good coating but it doesn't clump which is always good.
LIPS: I've been a big user of lip balm over the last year but my favorite has to be the Maybelline Baby Lips in Intense Care. The Baby Lips range had a lot of hype surrounding it when it finally came to the UK and although I was a bit dubious about the balms, I'm so happy that I went ahead and bought this one. It does such a good job of keeping my lips hydrated during the day and is also great for smoothing out your lips before applying lipstick.
It was so hard to narrow my favorite lipstick down to just 1, so instead I've included the 2 that I've reached for the most during 2013. The Revlon Lip Butters have really impressed me and I had to include the shade Berry Smoothie which is such a natural looking berry shade. The little stub of product that you can see in the picture above is literally all I have left so I'll definitely be repurchasing this shade when it runs out. The other most used lip product for me this year was the very popular MAC Lipstick in Creme Cup. Pink toned nudes and light pinks seem to suit my complexion so well so Creme Cup is an absolute must as it's a really pretty blue toned pink which is so easy to wear.
I'd love to know what some of your standout products have been this year, so please do let me know as I'm always open to recommendations!
