End of the Year Beauty Favorites

I haven’t made a beauty post in a little while but, I wanted to write one for this week’s post. There have been a few products and things that I’ve been enjoying for the latter part of the year, and I thought I would share.

Tom Ford Lip Color in 16 Scarlet Rouge

As the name would suggest, this shade is a vivid scarlet. It applies smoothly and has a satin finish. A really nice shade for this time of year, and honestly, I’ve been wearing this when I’m feeling festive at home.

bareMinerals Lashtopia Mega Volume Mineral-Based Mascara

This mascara has been a pleasant surprise. This mascara gives my lashes a fluttery look and with no smudging nor flaking throughout the day. While I generally go for drugstore mascaras, I do like this one a lot.

Shiseido Eyelash Curler

Up until recently, I never thought much about eyelash curlers. I’ve heard good things about this classic eyelash curler from Shiseido. I decided to try it, despite my belief that eyelash curlers don’t make a huge difference and are generally a waste of time. But wow, was I wrong! This makes mascara application smoother and keeps lashes curled throughout the day. Overall, this tool in combination with the bareMinerals mascara has been 👍

Cover FX The Perfect Highlighting Palette in Light-Medium

I was looking to get a highlighting palette with both cream and powder highlighters. I found this from Cover FX. Since I got this, it’s all I’ve been using for highlighter. I like the pearly-champagne shade Celestial for this time of year. I haven’t tried the golden shade called Moonlight yet, but I imagine it would be great in the summertime. I like to apply the cream first, then apply the corresponding powder for a lovely highlight. But you can use the cream or powder separately for a less intense look.

Isle of Paradise Self-Tanning Drops in Medium

I’ve always been wary of using self-tanner and having the end result look disastrous. But this self-tanner is incredibly easy to use. I just mix it with my unscented body lotion and apply. I personally use about six drops to give myself a golden glow. I also love that I can use this with lotion I already own. Which allows me to control the level of tan I want. And as for the smell, some people have said this is unscented, but I think there’s a slight fake tan mixed with a floral fragrance. But nothing overbearing which is great! If you’re a novice to self-tanning like I am, you should definitely give this a shot.

The Ordinary AHA 30% + BHA 2% Peeling Solution

I’m pretty late to the hype around this product. However, every time I would go to purchase it, it was always sold out. It’s quite a scary looking product as it appears red on the skin. I’ve only used this a couple of times (which is a good thing considering its potency) but I’m impressed. My skin feels smoother and looks noticeably “brighter” for lack of a better word, the next day. Another win from The Ordinary. And definitely, follow the directions when using this product, and it could be a bit too strong if you have never used acids for exfoliating the skin. A good one that I like is their Glycolic Acid 7% Toner.

I hope you enjoyed reading this post on some of the beauty favorites I found towards the end of this year. Have you used any of these products before? Also, there won’t be a post next week as I will be taking the time to relax at home and catch-up with some of the people in my life from far away. I hope you have an amazing and safe week! Thank you for reading!

Where else to find me: Instagram

My Makeup Collection if I Could Only Keep One Thing

I recently came across this blog post from KatieEmmaBeauty and thought I would do my take on it! The products featured in this post are basically my all-time favorites and are the ones that I keep going back to.

I was thinking about choosing a palette when it came down to deciding eyeshadow. I’ve been using single eyeshadows more than palettes, and it has become my preference for a while now. So I’m going to cheat on this question by choosing a cream and a powder eyeshadow. 😉

Tom Ford Cream Color For Eyes in Spice

Probably my favorite single eyeshadow! It’s the perfect metallic bronze shade and can be built up or sheered out depending on the kind of look you’re going for. I like the consistency of this product as I don’t feel like it drags across my eyelids, but a smooth and even application.

Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Nutty

On the other side of the price spectrum, this single eyeshadow is one of my favorites. It’s a cool taupe brown, and it’s honestly better than some higher-end eyeshadows I’ve tried.

As for mascara, I wouldn’t say I’m faithful to one kind or brand, so I couldn’t pick one. I do like L’Oreal and Maybelline mascaras. It seems like every time I go to purchase a new mascara, either of these brands will have something new to try.

Urban Decay Afterglow 8-Hour Powder Highlighter in Sin

This is the perfect everyday highlighter if you’re looking for something with more intensity than the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders but less intensity than the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfectors.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze Light

I think if all of my bronzers disappeared, I would probably repurchase this one. It’s a beautiful bronzer that gives a natural-looking warmth. It’s hard to go overboard with this bronzer.

NARS Powder Blush in Amour

I love the bright flush of pink this shade gives. I have to be careful when applying so I don’t go overboard. It doesn’t take much to get the job done with this product, so this will probably last me a while. In general, I really like NARS blushes, and I would definitely keep a blush from them if I could only have one blush in my collection.

It Cosmetics CC+ Cream with SPF 50

This foundation or CC cream covers well without looking too overdone. If I set it with a setting powder or spray, it will wear well throughout the day.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer (not pictured)

I’m currently going without this concealer because I’m using something else, but I really miss using this. It has perfect coverage without looking too cakey, especially in areas like underneath the eyes.

Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Mattifying Powder

This does a great job of setting my makeup and isn’t too expensive. It keeps my complexion from looking shiny, and it’s not cakey or powdery looking on the skin.

NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Stockholm

Choosing a lip product was a difficult one, but if I had to pick only one, it would be this. I think this shade goes with a lot of different makeup looks, plus I love the feel and formula of the Soft Matte Lip Creams. Also, this is one of the few full-sized lip products that I have used up. A really close runner up would be something from Bite Beauty, probably their lip crayons or lipsticks. And like Katie Emma’s answer, probably MAC lipsticks, too. So much for just choosing one.

What would your makeup collection look like if you could only keep one thing of each category? Thanks for reading!

My Favorite Makeup for Spring

Note: Since I’ve been staying at home these days, my makeup usage has been minimal and on most days I’m makeup-free. Before this happened, these were the products I was reaching for and would still recommend.

A new season calls for a makeup switch-up, I love it when a new season approaches because it allows me to shop my stash and rediscover old products like they are new again. As spring approaches I become excited about using brighter colors and lighter formulas for my everyday makeup.

Lacome Monsieur Big, Tom Ford Spice, Hourglass Luminous Flush

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spice: I’ve mentioned this on the blog before but I really love this warm, bronzey, metallic eyeshadow. I wear this one regularly but I thought it should receive another mention as it reminds me of the warmer days ahead. This color carries over into summer quite nicely, too. This eyeshadow’s texture is a little more “slippery” than other cream eyeshadows I’ve tried but I think that makes it easier to apply to the eyelid.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Luminous Flush: I love this blush because of its warm pink-coral shade. It may look very pink in the pan, but the coral tone definitely comes through when applied. This sounds like a hard color to wear but it is actually very easy because this blush blends very smoothly without being powdery. No need to worry about a saturated blotch of color when using this! As the name would suggest this blush gives a subtle luminous glow to the skin without emphasizing pores.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara: I’ve gravitated towards this one over others as of recent. It applies easily and gives my lashes a dramatic effect with no flaking or smudging. As far as more expensive mascaras go this one is one of my favorites.

Bite M70, L’Oreal Confession, Urban Decay Stash, Soap and Glory Coy Toy

Bite Beauty Changemaker Supercharged Micellar Foundation: If you read my review on this foundation you’ll know that it is the foundation that I’ve been reaching for. I like this due it’s lightweight and unheavy makeup feeling formula which is perfect for spring heading into summer. As an added bonus this foundation is vegan and contains antioxidants that are good for the skin.

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Stash: I was looking for a green eyeliner that wasn’t too out there. With that in mind, I found exactly what I’ve been searching for in Urban Decay’s “Stash” which is a shimmery dark green. The green is noticeable but easily wearable with many looks and a nice way to change up your look from the standard black or brown eyeliners. Urban Decay’s eyeliner formula is very smooth and creamy when applied with no dragging on the eyes.

L’Oreal x Balmain Lipstick in Confession: I have wanted this lipstick ever since I first saw this lipstick featured on Alix of ICovetThee’s YouTube channel. (anyone else?) Fast forward a few years later where I randomly found it on a L’Oreal x Balmain stand at Ulta and have since enjoyed its peachy-nude shade for spring! It’s a matte formula that is non-drying it’s only cons are it was limited edition and it is quite fragrant.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump XXL in Coy Toy: This was passed on to me by a family member. I’m not really a fan of lipgloss but I did like the look of the color in the tube. It has a subtle shimmer with and looks really good when paired with the Confession lipstick. I’m not a fan of the slight tingling that it gives your lips but that feeling doesn’t last too long.

NYX HD Powder Blush in Taupe (pictured in featured image): This product doesn’t really remind me of spring but it’s something I like! I haven’t played around with contouring too much, to be honest. Recently, if I feel like doing something a little extra in my makeup routine I’ll pull this out. This product is not intensely pigmented so I don’t have to worry about the risk of going overboard!

That is my little round-up of products I’ve been liking during the spring season. What are the products that you reach for when spring approaches? I hope anyone reading this is staying safe and feeling healthy and well.

The Best Single Eyeshadows

Eyeshadow is one of my favorite makeup items, aside from mascara, they can really transform a look. If you’re like me you’ve spent most mornings getting ready quickly and don’t have time to fumble around with an eyeshadow palette to create a look. This collection of single eyeshadows are the ones I reach for most days to create an easy, everyday look.

From Top to Bottom: Anastasia Cognac, Tom Ford Spice, Wet n’ Wild Nutty, Kiko 05

Tom Ford Cream Color for Eyes in Spice: Cream eyeshadows, in general, are great and I probably reach for them more when I’m doing a one eyeshadow look because I find them to be quicker to use and I don’t need a brush. This is my favorite cream eyeshadow hands down. It packs an amazing pigment but it can be sheered out for a nice wash of color. The color is a bronzey metallic that just reminds me of summer warmth. Although, I wear the eyeshadows featured in this post all year round. The texture is a little more “slippery” than other cream eyeshadows I’ve tried but I think that makes it easier to apply to the eyelid. And out of all the cream eyeshadow formulas I’ve tried, this one has my favorite texture. It may be expensive but if you’re going to purchase one cream eyeshadow in this post make it this one. I’ll wait for a Sephora sale to cushion the blow!

Wet n’ Wild Color Icon Eyeshadow Single in Nutty: This is probably one the best and cheapest eyeshadows that I’ve come across. I think I bought it for around 75 cents on sale and with a coupon at Walgreens a few years back. It’s a taupe brown color with a frost finish that color shifts depending on the light. While the frosty finish may not be the most on-trend these days it’s still easy to wear and is a beautiful bang for your buck. As you can see by how much I’ve used, it has become a staple in my makeup stash.

Top Left: Anastasia RTW, Top Right: Kiko 06, Lower Left: Wet n’ Wild Nutty Lower Right: Anastasia Cognac

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow in Cognac: I first purchased this eyeshadow because I loved the look of the color in the pan and I’ve heard good things about Anastasia’s eyeshadows. Needless to say, this eyeshadow did not disappoint. Cognac is a shimmery, warm tone coppery-brown that works great as an all over the lid color if you’re going for a darker look. It also pairs well with other eyeshadows. It’s very pigmented so be careful when applying but blends out easily.

Anastasia Beverly Hills eyeshadow in RTW: This is a shimmery, warm, light brown eyeshadow that brings a lot of light when applied to the lids. Like the Cognac eyeshadow, RTW is very pigmented and easy to blend. It pairs very well with other warm-toned eyeshadows like Cognac.

Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadow in 05 Rosy Brown and 06 Golden Brown: I’ve listed an affordable powder eyeshadow now I want to mention two affordable amazing cream eyeshadows. Both 05 and 06 colors match their color names accurately. I think they’re both more sparkly than the other eyeshadows mentioned but I think they’re still wearable for every day if appropriate or if you’re in the mood for that sparkly look on a Tuesday. 05 Rosy Brown is a unique color to my collection and great when I want a subtle rosy eye look. And 06 Golden Brown is what I wanted the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad to the Bronze from way back in the day to be. As much as I wanted to love that Maybelline Color Tattoo, I could blend out the product very well once I applied to my lid. Additionally, the product dried up very quickly in its pot. All that aside, I’m really glad Kiko created 06 to fulfill that want for my eyeshadow collection. Also, I’ve heard these Kiko Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows are comparable to higher-end eyeshadow stick alternatives like By Terry, Laura Mercier, and Bobbi Brown but I haven’t personally tried from those brands so I can’t judge.

Burberry Pale Barley

Burberry Wet & Dry Silk Eyeshadow in Pale Barley: This was one of those eyeshadows that many in the beauty community raved about years back. Today, I still think it’s a great eyeshadow! It’s a very light, golden brown with a sheer finish. It can be built up to more of a medium brown opacity with a golden sheen. This is a good one for very minimal makeup looks or if you’re not interested in a super intense eyeshadow. I personally think this eyeshadow applies best with a synthetic brush.

So those are all of my favorite single eyeshadows, what do you think of my choices? What are your favorite single eyeshadows?