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| Beauty Favorites of 2016! |
Hair Products:
-Amika Nourishing Mask
This was one of the last products that I purchased in 2016! It's honestly life changing! My hair just feels and looks so healthy! This mask really nourishes and smoothens your hair! I have super frizzy hair, but this stuff actually tames it! It also takes me less time to straighten or style my hair now! I've seen a huge difference since I've been using this mask!
-Tangle Teezer
I feel like this product had been around for awhile now, but it just never interested me, until Jaclyn Hill raved about it! My hair always has knots. I hate using a comb to undo them, it just pulls and damages my hair. However, this stuff gets rid of knots without having to pull your hair! It's just so gentle! I've been obsessed with it and it's just so easy to untangle your hair! It keeps my hair smooth!
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| Must Haves! |
Skincare
-Glamglow: The Magic Box of Sexy
This was definitely one of the best sets of the year! It was an amazing deal! I've tried 2 or 3 Glamglow masks before and I really liked them, so I wanted to get more. My skin has legit been looking it's best, because of these masks! My favorite ones are the GravityMUD, SuperMUD and the YouthMUD. It was actually because of the GravityMUD that I became so interested in Glamglow! I saw instant amazing results after the first use! I won't go into depth, because I already mentioned them on my blog, but honestly, it's worth every penny! Always check out Sephora during the holidays for Glamglow sets! They have some amazing sets!
-Nivea: Body Milk
This is honestly the best moisturizer I've ever used! This stuff really does keep your skin nourished and hydrated throughout the day! It also adds this sheen to your skin, which makes your skin look and feel so healthy! It's also inexpensive! It works better than most brands at Sephora! I was actually using Vaseline before, which was good, but Nivea definitely beats it! Trust me nothing lasts all day like this stuff! It's a life saver!
-Soap & Glory: Heel Genius
I've mentioned this already a million times, but I have really dry feet! I never had a foot cream or anything that actually worked until I came across this product! This stuff really smoothens your feet! It keeps them hydrated throughout the day! It's very nourishing! It doesn't have a strong scent! It's just been doing wonders for me!
-Rodan+Fields: Micro Dermabrasion Paste
One of the hardest products to find is something that'll help improve skin texture. I have these tiny bumps on my skin, they're not super visible, but you can see them when I have no makeup on. I always wanted to find a way to reduce them, but I had no luck. However, when I received this product to review, I was so impressed! You guys this stuff has been improving my skin texture! It's definitely a product that requires time for you to see the results, but it works! I only discovered the brand Rodan+Fields this year, but I've been impressed with them! If you ever have any skin concerns, check out their products! I've reviewed this paste on my blog, just click here.
-Jeffree Star: Velour Lip Scrubs
Who knew lip scrubs would be so fun to use? Jeffree Star released these lip scrubs in multiple flavors that are in fact edible! I picked up mine in Spearmint and Mojito, which I've been obsessed with! These are the best lip scrubs that I've ever used! Not only do they taste good, but they're inexpensive and they really do exfoliate your lips. It leaves my lips feeling super soft! It gets rid of all the dead skin! Like, my lips look so much better after I use this! My full review is here.
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| Skincare is so important and I'm glad that I found the right products last year! |
Foundation
-L'Oreal Infallilble Pro Glow
You guys know that the Infallilble Pro Matte is my ride or die, but this one is also up there! It just adds such a beautiful glow to your skin without it being too much! I'm in the shade Sun Beige and it matches me really nicely! The formula is exactly the same as the Infallilble Pro Matte, but this one has a dewy finish. It's medium coverage and it's definitely buildable! It's also long wearing and it feels light on the skin! For the price and quality, you can't beat this! I just wish that they would expand on the shade range!
-Cover Fx: Custom Drops
I mean why haven't I tried this earlier?! This stuff is amazing! It's full coverage, so the smallest amount goes a long way! It blends really nicely! It's super long wearing! It legit blurs out everything! You can use this on it's own or mix it with another foundation to darken or lighten the shade! I'm in the shade G60, which is a tad bit dark, so I always have to mix it with a lighter shade. It's a expensive product, but you get your moneys worth!
-Make Up For Ever: Duo Mat Powder Foundation
This is another ride or die product! This powder is full coverage! It's buttery smooth and blends into your skin so effortlessly! It's super long wearing! What I like about this powder is that it doesn't dry out your skin and it doesn't appear "powdery". It just wears so beautifully! Normally, I wear a liquid foundation and I top it with this powder. It just looks so nice and it legit lasts all day! This has been around for awhile, but I only "discovered" it this year!
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| I've been using these non stop! |
Concealers/Correctors
-Nyx Full Coverage Concealers
We all know that color correcting was huge this year! We saw so many brands that came out with correctors! My personal favorites are the Nyx Full Coverage Concealers. These come in little jars in all the color correcting shades. I own the Orange and Green ones, which I'm obsessed with! These are super full coverage, but blend out really nicely! The texture is smooth and it's super long wearing! These are inexpensive and come with a ton of product! Even though you have to get a separate jar for different shades, it's worth every penny!
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| These are amazing! |
Bronzer
-Guerlain Terracotta Terra Magnifica Bronzing Powder Contrast Highlighter
I've been beyond obsessed with this bronzer! It's pricey, but worth every penny! This bronzer is just so natural! It has the right amount of warmth, so that it doesn't appear too orange or muddy on the skin! The powder is super silky and blends really nicely! It's also long wearing! It has a really nice scent to it, which isn't overpowering. It just gives you such a beautiful healthy finish! If you have dark skin, this will be too light for you!
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| Love this bronzer! I've been obsessed! |
Highlighters
-MAC Nutcracker Sweet Copper Face Compact
I'm so happy that MAC decided to relaunch Whisper of Gilt in this limited edition compact! I bought this just to get my hands on WOG, since I don't have it in my collection! I honestly love WOG! It's the perfect light gold highlighter! It's a part of the Extra Dimension Skinfinish line, which is one of my favorite formulas by MAC! It's just so pigmented and long wearing. It also blends really nicely. It's pure perfection! This compact also came with a blush called Pleasure Model, which is a medium-dark coppery orange that I also been loving! It's also a part of the Extra Dimension Skinfinish formula. This shade looks so stunning with a bronzey face!
-Clionadh Cosmetics Highlighters
I mean I've already spoke about this brand a million times, but their highlighters are just out of this world! They have an amazing formula! It's super rich in pigment! They feel super silky and blend like a dream! They're also super long wearing! This brand carries an amazing shade range! They have the typical highlighter shades, but they also carry a lot of fun shades! They even let you customize your own highlighter! My full review on their highlighters is here. I'm honestly so impressed with this brand! Like, everyone needs to try their highlighters!
-MAC Extra Dimension Skinfinishes
MAC tends to release the Extra Dimension Skinfinishes in limited edition collections that sells out really fast! It doesn't give everyone the chance to purchase them. That's why I'm so happy that MAC came out with the In the Spotlight Collection! This is a permanent collection featuring 4 different shades! They're all so stunning, like I don't know which one is my favorite! The Extra Dimension Skinfinishes have a really unique formula, that basically feels like gel (it's liquid to powder). They're super long wearing! They blend really nicely! I hope MAC releases more shades this year!
-Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kits
I swear ABH has been on a roll this year! They released so many new products! There's nothing, but great reviews on everything, like this brand is huge now! I remember before when they only had eyebrow products, now they've expanded so much! Their Glow Kits you guys are just amazing! The formula is amazing! They're so smooth and blend like a dream! You can get that opaque highlight with these or sheer it out for a more subtle look! Each Glow Kit comes with 4 different shades that make them suitable for any skin tone! There's literally something for every skin tone! They're also huge in size! You get a lot of product for the price! My favorite Glow Kit is That Glow, but I also own Gleam that I really like! I think I'm going to need to get my hands on all their kits!
-MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Otherearthly
This highlighter was legit my favorite for months this year! This is such a unique highlighter that MAC released in a limited edition collection! It comes with 3 shades; bronzey gold, iridescent pink and silver. It gives you the option to wear them individually or mix them together to create a custom shade! The formula is really nice! It's super pigmented and shimmery. It blends out really nicely! It's also long wearing! If you love that opaque highlight, this is definitely a must have! I hope MAC releases something similar this year!
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| So many new highlighters last year! |
Face Palette
-Smashbox Master Class Palette: The Lightning Theory
I wasn't sure which category to place this palette in, but this is the perfect palette! It comes with correctors, bronzers, highlighters, blushes and eyeshadows! I've got great use out of all the products in this palette! The cream products are all creamy and buttery smooth. They blend really nicely! All the powder products and eyeshadows are also really pigmented. They also blend really nicely! Everything is long wearing! The shades in this palette compliments multiple skin tones! It's just a really good palette to have! It's just so handy! This has to be Smashbox's best Master Class Palette yet! It's really hard to find a palette that has everything like this one with an amazing formula!
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| A super handy palette to have! Perfect to travel with! |
Glitter
-Violet Voss Glitter in Champagne Kisses
This glitter is just so stunning and it goes with any look! It's a light champagne gold with holographic shimmer! It's perfect for an evening glam! The Violet Voss containers are also big, so you do get a lot of product for the price! It also doesn't get too messy! Everyone needs this shade in their collection!
-Lit Cosmetics Glitter in Vegas
I mean Lit Cosmetics are big on glitters! They're definitely one of my favorite glitter brands! This year I've got great use out of the shade Vegas! It's a stunning true yellow gold with holographic glitter! When I do a glittery look on my clients, most of them ended up picking this shade. It's just such a stunning gold glitter. It compliments multiple skin tones. It just looks so stunning for a evening glam! It puts any look together!
-Urban Decay Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliner in Midnight Cowboy
This is the perfect glitter liner! It's so pigmented and precise. You can create the perfect wing with it! I also use it all over my lid as eyeshadow. It's perfect and doesn't cause a mess! It's super convenient! I love the shade Cowboy, it's a light beige gold. I've paired this with multiple looks! It's a really nice universal shade! If you love glitter, this is definitely a must have!
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| My top glitter picks! Got great use out of these! |
Eyeshadows
-MAC Dazzleshadows
I mean how did I only discover these this year?! I'm obsessed with these! They're super shimmery eyeshadows with a opaque finish! They're rich in pigment and have a beautiful glittery finish! There's also minimal fallout to them! They blend nicely and they're also long wearing! If you add MAC Fix Plus to these, they stand out even more! If you love glitter, these are a must have!
-Makeup Geek Duochrome Eyeshadows
I forget when Makeup Geek came out with these, but these are really stunning! They shift to a different color as the light reflects! Makeup Geek has a really nice shade range for their duochrome line! My personal favorite is Ritzy! These are also pigmented, blendable and long wearing! There's no fallout to these! They're the perfect eyeshadows if you want to be a little more creative and unique! It definitely gives you a break from the basic shimmery eyeshadows!
-Anastasia Beverly Hills Eyeshadows
These have been around for awhile, but I only purchased them in 2016! I love the formula of these! They're super pigmented and buttery smooth! They blend really nicely and they're long wearing! There's no fallout to them! I love the shade range and the different finishes that ABH carries! There's a little bit of something for everyone! The neutral shades are absolutely to die for! This is definitely a great edition to the ABH line!
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| Love these eyeshadows! |
Eyeshadow Palettes
-Morphe 35F Eyeshadow Palette
This year, I bought a ton of eyeshadow palettes. One of my favorite has to be the Morphe 35F Palette! First of all, look at how much you get for the price! Like, it's insane! The color scheme is also perfect! Like, this palette has the word fall written all over it! I'm living for these orange tones, reds, berries, purple tones and copper shades! You have a ton of shimmery shades and gorgeous matte shades! You can create infinite looks with this palette! The formula is also amazing! They're all super pigmented and creamy smooth! They blend like a dream! They're also long wearing with minimal fall out! This is a palette that everyone needs!
-Lorac Unzipped Gold Eyeshadow Palette
This palette quickly became my go to when it comes to freelancing! I mean look at the shade range! It's perfect for bridal makeup! The shimmery shades all have a gold tone and they're super opaque! The formula is very creamy and long wearing! They also blend like a dream! The matte shades are also really nice! They're the perfect crease shades! This is such a handy palette! I'm obsessed with it! Most of my clients always pick a lid shade from this palette! I'm telling you this palette has the perfect gold shades!
-Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette
I mean I think it's safe to say that this palette made it into everyone's favorites! Who doesn't love this palette?! It has a beautiful range of red, berry, orange, neutral, mauve and gold shades! This palette compliments any skin tone and the formula is also amazing! In the past, I wasn't a fan of the ready made palettes by ABH, the formula was different than their single eyeshadows. I always found them dry and patchy with fallout. However, that's not the case with this palette! It's super rich in pigment and they're very smooth! They also blend really nicely and they're long wearing. There's very minimal fallout! This palette let's you create your typical neutral looks, but it also has fun colors to help you step out of your comfort zone! You really can't go wrong with this palette!
-Tarte's Tartelette in Bloom Eyeshadow Palette
This right here is my ride or die! I mean it has the perfect neutral shades! This Tartelette Palette came with 3 shimmery shades, which I really like, because now I can literally create any makeup look with this palette! I'm not only restricted to mattes (like the original Tartelette Palette) and I don't have to carry another palette with me! I've created so many different looks with this palette you guys! It's perfect for any occasion! The eyeshadows are a bit firm, but they blend like a dream! They're also really pigmented and long wearing! There's almost no fallout to them! It compliments any skin tone! I legit bring this with me everywhere! When I don't know what look to go for, I always reach for this palette! Everyone needs it!
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| Love these eyeshadow palettes! |
Eyelashes
-Huda Beauty Lashes in Samantha
There's only one new pair that I've been obsessed with this year and that's the Huda Beauty Lashes in Samantha! These are so stunning! They suit any look! They're wispies, but fuller. They flare out even more at the ends. They're more on the natural side, but they just put the whole look together! I wear these lashes when I do a bold or natural look. The band is perfect, it's not too thick or thin. They can last you for a really long time, if you take good care of them! I've had mine for 3 months and I was wearing them at least twice a week! These may just be my favorite lashes ever!
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| My favorite! |
Lip Products
-Huda Beauty Liquid Lipsticks
I tried my best to pick out my absolute favorite lip products! As you guys know, I'm a total lip junkie and I purchased a lot of lip products in 2016! I'm absolutely obsessed with the Huda Beauty Liquid Lipsticks! I only own 2 shades, which are Flirt and Venus. These shades are honestly the perfect nudes! They suit any makeup! The formula is also amazing! These are super long wearing! I've worn them for 12 hours! Even when you drink or eat, it doesn't fade away completely! You can honestly leave this on all day and you'll need very minimal touch up! They're also really pigmented and you only need to put on one layer! These are more liquid than most liquid lipsticks, so it does take a minute for it to dry, which personally doesn't bother me! They don't feel dry on the lips, they're actually lightweight and super comfortable! The packaging is also really nice! Everyone needs to own at least one liquid lipstick from Huda Beauty!
-Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipsticks
Another formula that I've been obsessed with! These are very similar to the Huda Beauty Liquid Lipsticks! They're also long wearing! I've worn these up to 10 hours and only minimal touch up was needed! Again, super light on the lips and they're really comfortable! It feels like you have nothing on! These are also really pigmented, so you only need one layer! These are a bit thicker than the Huda Beauty ones, but they dry a lot faster! My favorite shades are Iced Mocha and Cher! Gerard Cosmetics have a really nice shade range! They have your typical nudes, but also a lot of fun bold colors! They always have a promotion going on, so be sure to follow them on their social media to take advantage of their sales!
-Anastasia Beverly Hills Lip Gloss in Gilded
When I bought this lip gloss, it was legit my go to for months! It's a beautiful shimmery antique gold. It's the perfect lip topper for about any shade! I've even worn this alone with a nude lip liner and it's absolutely stunning! The formula is also really nice! They're super pigmented and smooth. They're comfortable on the lips and they're not sticky, which is a huge plus! I can't wait to pick up more shades! This may just be my favorite lip gloss formula!
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| It was so hard to narrow down the lip products! |
Other
-Make Up For Ever Instant Brush Cleanser
This may be a boring product, but it's been saving me! Since I freelance, washing my brushes can be a real struggle! Sometimes I have multiple bookings in one day and I don't have duplicates for all my brushes, so I need a instant brush cleanser! I've tried many brands, but nothing beats the MUFE Instant Brush Cleanser! It's super effective and gets rid of all the product! I do have to spray my foundation brushes several times, but for concealer or eyeshadow brushes, it's perfect! They leave your brushes looking like brand new! It also dries within seconds! It's definitely handy for any one that freelances!
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| A must have! |
Brands
-Pat Mcgrath Labs
This year, Pat Mcgrath Labs definitely stood out to me! They released the Metalmorphosis 005 Kits and Lust 004 Kits, which were a huge success! I mean Pat Mcgrath is a very creative makeup artist! She has such a unique vision and her products definitely portrayed her creativity! The formula was absolutely amazing! Everything was pigmented, blended really nicely and long wearing! There was multiple ways to wear all her products and even though they were expensive, you got a lot for your money (in my opinion). You can really get creative with her products! I find it helped me step out of my comfort zone and try new things! For example, glitter lips became huge, because of her lip kits! I don't see myself just thinking about putting glitter on my lips, but when you saw Pat Mcgrath's work, it really pushes you to go for it! Even the pigments, there's so much that you can do with them! I'm telling you, her products are worth every penny! I've never been obsessed with a brand this much before!
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| Look at these pigments and cream eyeshadows! |
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| This is heaven for a lip junkie! |
That's it for my Best of Beauty 2016! It was really hard to make this list! There was just so many new brands and products that came out in 2016! I can definitely say that a few products even made it to my Holy Grail, which I will be doing sometime in the next few months! In the meantime, I have a lot of reviews to post for you guys! So, stay tuned for that! I was thinking about doing Disappointing Beauty Products of 2016, but I'm not sure. So, let me know if you guys want to see that!
