Making Up Reasons

Favorites of 2014

[All purchased by myself or given by friends.]



I thought I tried a lot of new products in 2014. but it seems like I just branched out more in a few categories and stuck with what I knew for the rest.  I found a couple of new face products loves and had a good year of eyeshadow crayons.  Lip products wise, though, I tried a lot of new things closer to the end of the year and I didn't feel like it was a fair representation to include them in this population, especially since I rotate around lip products so often.

 This year was all about the makeup sponge.  I tried the Beautyblender later in the year but the majority of 2014 was spent using this Real Techniques Miracle Complexion sponge.  I think I have to retire it soon as you can see the wear and tear on it.  I just feel like sponges are easier to clean and faster to use.  They provide a seamless base and gives the product a more skin-like finish.  Sadly, I do think the Beautyblender is my preferred sponge because of its shape, but this was a standout product for me before I purchased the Beautyblender.

Covergirl Outlast Stay Fabulous foundation was a real surprise.  I know a lot of people gave this great reviews, but I was skeptical for a long time because I never liked Covergirl foundations.  The shade range always seemed too pink, so I had to verify that this foundation would have a yellow toned option before I bought it.  This has amazing lasting power but isn't cakey at all.  It isn't heavy like Revlon Colorstay and it blends in like a much lighter foundation.  On a scale of 1-10 I feel the coverage is a solid 5.  It is medium and buildable and is the best option I found this year for my oily skin.

Skin79 BB cream will probably always be my favorite bb cream as I've tried so many and this one always wins.  It has the best combination of texture, coverage and lasting power of the bb creams I have used.  It will probably be forever a favorite.

The Nars Creamy Radiant concealer won my heart this year with its ease of use.  It has high coverage and blends with minimal effort.  Other concealers might be more intense, but this one perfects with just a pat (no brush required).

My favorite powder of the year is the Nars Light Reflecting setting powder in the pressed form.  It contains a lot of silica so it smooths over pores, but it has a great way of mattifying the skin with an undetectable finish.  The only thing I don't like is that (like other Nars products) the top layer can bubble up or harden over.  It makes going through the product happen much faster which is a pain.

The best cushion compact I used this year was this Innisfree Long Wear cushion.  I didn't like the Etude House one on my oily skin but this one provides a matte finish.  It does last for a long time and is a great option for the summer time.  You can touch up for coverage as well as sun protection.

Blush wasn't too fancy this year as I chose brighter options that perked up my complexion.  The Elf studio blush in Pink Passion isn't neon at all, and turns into a mid tone pink that pops against yellow skin tones.  The Etude House Cookie blush was a gift from a friend and the shade Grapefruit Jelly is a very nice matte bright coral.  

For eyes, it was all about the pinks and the eyeshadow crayons.  The Naked 3 was my favorite palette of the year.  You can mix any of the colors together and the look will turn out pretty and feminine.  I also like the mix of sparkles, from larger flecks to metallic.  

I bought the Laura Mercier crayon set from Sephora and it turned out to be a great investment.  Amethyst and Cocoa are my favorite colors and they make an easy look together.  My favorite of the shadow sticks this year is Mally's Evercolor in Bronze.  It looks like a metallic rose gold that can be built up boldly or blended out and used under any of the Naked 3 shades.  

Brows were dominated by the Missha Eyebrow Styler.  It has an angular shape that's simple and effective.  There's a wide shade range for dark brows, and the one in Grey Brown is what I use.

Shockingly I didn't have a ton of lip faves for the year as I transitioned to stains at the end of the year.  Throughout the year though, I had some stand outs.  Bite Beauty lipstick in Rose is a super gorgeous pink with a warm rose flush.  The texture is super pigmented and smooth but almost a little too soft, as it can melt.  You can see where the top smooshed from when the cap fell off in my purse.

Innisfree's Creamy Tint Lip Mousse was another great discovery this year over the summer.  All over the lips it's a super bold (I have shade #4) and dries to a matte finish.  My favorite way to use it is tapped into the middle of my lips with a light pink gloss all over.

Hard Candy's All Glossed Up in Sand Castle is probably my favorite of these pencil balms.  It's pigmented, glossy and leaves behind an impressive stain.  It's also the smoothest and most moisturizing of the balm pencils.