Ahhh I know I am late on this and it is now closer to mid January, but “better late than never” right 🙂
I loved so many products this year so picking even a couple was really hard. I chose 15 products to ring in 2015.
This one came in December and really really surprised me how much I would use it, that I don’t see myself ever functioning without it.
15) First off is the Dry N Shape, WOW, love how I can put my brushes in it to travel and especially love how it really does cut my drying time in half. I wash my brushes after every use so sometimes I hate when the brush I want to use is not dry yet so this is perfect for those scenarios An extra perk I love about this is I started to notice my brushes weren’t drying back to their originally form and I started to worry I may need to purchase new ones of my favorites, but all of these worries have sudsided. This thing has brought all my brushes to their originally glory/form and LOVE it for doing that ❤ The only negative is that not all my Real Techniques brushes fit, but I still am able to put the bristles part so it is fine.
14) Sigma Spa Brush Cleaning Glove-this came with the Dry N Shape in a set. I would say it was the perfect duo for me because like I mentioned I wash my brushes after every single use and this glove has seriously reduced my cleaning time to less than 10 min. My brushes come out squeaky clean and the dual side (one side for face brushes and the other for eye brushes) makes it perfect for every single brush out there 🙂
13) Now because I wash my brushes so much I love this Dr. Bronner’s Magic Soap. I get mine from Trader Joe’s and they sell the big size 2.5 lbs for $12, on Dr. B’s site they sell it for $18. I love the Peppermint smell and love even more that I have had this since August and I am not even half way thru with it.
12) I never heard of Sigma until our friend Eleanor mentioned it and told me to look for the store at Mall of America. I am so happy she did because I am slowly building my face brush collection with their copper brushes and love them! People always have an opinion on brushes so I am not going to advocate these are the best since for example some people love MAC brushes and I find them to shed on my face a lot and people can say the same about Sigma. It is honestly just personal taste and I have found these specific brushes to not shed on my face yet. It helps that they are gorgeous brushes and I love doing my makeup with them and just looking at them
11) 2014 was the year of NYX for me 🙂 My first NYX purchase was Copenhagen Soft Matte Cream and that was certainly love at first swipe. Wow!! Do these have amazing pigmentation and lasting power. I love Copenhagen and I immediately starting to buy more of the Soft Matte Creams. Ibiza, Prague, and Monte Carlo have all been loved and adored equally, but Copenhagen will always have a soft spot for me since it was my first love from NYX
10) Another late comer but has certainly found it’s way to close to Holy Grail status 🙂 Mac Pro Conceal and Correct, words cannot describe how much I love this palette. When I actually take the extra 10 minutes to properly apply this I feel it covers all of my redness and dark circles. Even if I just use the color correctors at the bottom I feel it is enough to make me feel put together. Love this thing and once I run out I will certainly repurchase it
9) Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler. My old Tarte one was pinching and pulling out my eyelashes that after much research and debating in my head I caved and bought it back in September. $20 well spent and after they had a 25% off everything for the holidays and free shipping I bought a couple of more ❤ That’s when you know you love something so much you buy dupes for when it runs out or breaks lolol
8) Another recommendation from our friend Eleanor was this Urban Decay All Nighter Spray. I bought the duo pack back in the fall since one cost $30 and for 2 it cost $39 I couldn’t resist. I love how this sets my makeup and I do feel it makes my makeup last longer. Mainly I am happy my foundation and blush stays put even after 10+ hours of wear. I have not used it for 16 hours so I cannot say it lasts that long, but I love it! They had the duo up again the last weeks in December so I bought another duo pack and received a traveling one for my birthday. Like I said when I love something I fall hard and need multiples.
7) Ahhh Real Techniques brushes how I love them. It started with Sam’s pics then individual ones then Nic’s pics and now it is out of control. I love how affordable these brushes are, how soft they are, and the colors are such bright fun colors. I am tempted to buy the new metallic ones, but I have resisted so far and only one really catches my eye. Time will tell if I cave and buy some though because these really are great brushes and get the job done beautifully ❤
6) I own a good collection of MAC lipsticks, but these topped the charts this year. From the top….
MAC Alluring Aquatics Lipstick in Mystical described as a “mid-tone creamy rose with a Cremesheen finish” is exactly that and I can’t seem to put it down. The packaging alone is beautiful but the lipstick itself goes on so smooth and a perfect everyday color. My only regret is that I didn’t buy more of this shade because I really should have 😦
MAC Heirloom Mix No Faux Pas described as “hot pink with a Matte finish” is such a gorgeous hot pink. The glittery packaging is a plus but the color itself omg rocks my world. I am partial to pink and red lipsticks but I was so surprised how much this pink would stand out in my collection. This is another lipstick I reach for at least once a week. I did not make the same mistake as I did with Mystical and bought an extra of this, that’s love indeed ❤
MAC Girl About Town is a beautiful bright fuchsia that also rocks my world!!! It is my favorite pink of all time from the MAC line and I just discovered it early 2014 and since then I have already finished one and this is my second. Whenever I just need that pop of color in my life I put Girl About Town on and instantly feel complete
MAC Playland Red Ballon lipstick described as “hot fuchsia with Amplified finish” was my favorite lipstick during summertime. I used it at least 2xweek and another I regret not buying a double of 😦 I lost it at the end of summer and it was a very sad day, (I may have fallen on my knees and cursed the world,) but no worries I found it in November in a purse I hardly used and as I danced my happy dance I put it away in a safe place. I cannot wait for the Spring and Summer to come and wear this on repeat again.
5) NYX lip liners are my favorite lip liners of all time! They are so affordable at $3.49 each but I love waiting for Ulta sales for either 40% off all NYX products or buy one get one for 50% off. I left a couple back at my parent’s house but I want them all because there is a shade for every one of my lipsticks and I need them. I love these so much that they even have their own sharpener and have their own special holder
4) I discovered and fell hard for beauty sponges in 2014. The Real Techniques one I used so much that this is already my second one and I just started to use the Beauty Blender and love it! I do not like the pink dye that made me break out so I will be exchanging these for the white ones but I love the finish it leaves. It is my favorite to just use for concealer and use at the end to just set everything. How I never jumped on the Beauty Blender Bandwagon is beyond me because I need these always in my makeup bag 🙂
3) I was not joking when I said this was the year of NYX for me. I love their lip products so much. I have tried to venture to their other products but every time I go to the NYX section I immediately gravitate towards their lip stuff. Nothing “wowed” me more than their butter glosses. From their cute dessert names, to the yummy smell, and finally to their not sticky gloss finish made me love them so much I hope to own the whole collection. I am just waiting for a good sale and enough points saved up to buy them all. Moving forward at least one of these is always going in a gift from me because I think everyone needs to experience some NYX butter gloss in their life. I always carry at least one of these in my purse because they just give a beautiful tint. Even when I am too lazy or don’t have time to apply lip liner then lipstick a simple application of a butter gloss leaves me feeling satisfied with the color of my lips
2) Nothing surprised me more than the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette at being on my number 2 spot of the year. I swatched this on my hand and didn’t love it but with encouragement from Jacqueline I decided to get it and now regret not buying a second one for backup. All three shades are beyond beautiful and the packaging is so gorgeous that it is another I just love to stare at ❤ I use this almost everyday and every blush has been put on the back burner and some do make an occasional appearance but if I had to pick one blush it would be this palette. LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE it!!!
1) If you read our blog, my number 1 should not surprise you at all. Nars Audacious lipstick came into my world like “a wrecking ball, I never hit so hard in love.” It all started with my husband surprising me with Janet and since then I have bought these any time I can. I admit I am obsessed and addicted and want them all, it is borderline crazy but I love them so much. I own 18 so far with 2 in the mail, yikes, half of the collection, but they just are so smooth, creamy, pigmented, long lasting, and just beautiful I can’t stop until all 40 are mine. This is not an unusual thing for me to get crazy obsessed I can think of Beanie Babies, Pokemon, Nail Polish, etc I just fall and I fall hard and need as much as my little pocket can afford. I left 3 at my Parent’s house but the running joke Dan has is that I always leave something back home to ensure we go back because I won’t stop asking until we go back and I am reunited. My mom surprised me with the 3 missing-Leslie, Sandra, and Liv 😦 I used 2 out of the 3 but they are patiently waiting for me until I can go back and play with them and hope I don’t forget them again.
Top row from left to right
Lana, Janet, Michiyo, Anita, and Angela
Middle row from left to right
Fanny, Greta, Grace, Rita, and Anna
Bottom row left to right
Jeanne, Raquel, Charlotte, Carmen, and Vera
***Honorable Mentions***
-MAC Prep + Prime BB Beauty Balm with SPF 35
-Laura Mercier Portable Colour Palette
-Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in Velvet Underground
-Coconut Oil for my hair tips and hands
-ELF Lip Exfoliator
-Bite Beauty Best Bite Lip Pencils
Have a great Monday! Sorry for the super long post lolol I just loved writing about my favorite things 🙂
Janet