Before I get into this, can you believe that 2017 is over? I remember spending Valentine's day with my boyfriend and then all of a sudden - poof! The holidays are over and we're counting down from 10. I'll let you know that my holiday was amazing - I spent it cuddled up with Vlad, duh... It was the first time I spent this time away from my family, and while it was a bit scary, I got acclimated fast and enjoyed every moment.
Anyway, this isn't about the holidays, this is about the makeup of the year. I wanted to give everyone a list of what I was blown away by this year and stuck with longer than I expected, and what I trashed, donated, or took back almost immediately. Without further adieu.... let's get started with the best:
1. Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette
This palette was totally left field for me, because I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Jaclyn Hill or endorsing her in any way. Admittedly, I don't like the way she presents herself and never really have, so I was hesitant on my purchase. However, the color scheme was so unique, warm, and inviting that I snagged it up the second I saw the third restock and thought nothing more of her raking up the commission money from me. What I absolutely love about this palette is the quality of all of the colors and how multi-seasonal it is. I can use the warm tones for fall, the pops of color in the corner for summer, the pale pinks for spring, and the cool tones for winter. The quality exceeds that of most any other palette that I have - some of the shades even feel like creams to the touch, which amazes me - and the fact that there are 35 perfected shades speaks volumes about Jaclyn and Morphe's work ethic.
2. Fresh - Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
Let me tell you - this is miracle skincare in a bottle. No matter what, it seems as though Fresh always knocks it out of the park. Between their masks, their toners, their cleansers, and then all of the different ingredient bases, I'm more than willing to spend money on Fresh. I was debating hard if I would put the Rose Face Mask or the toner in this list - I'd like to include both, but I want to keep it versatile - but I went with the toner because of it's fast acting ingredients. The results I saw came so quickly on both me and the friends I encouraged to try it, and collectively we were all flabbergasted. Redness reduced as well as the appearance of pores and any signs of irritation/inflammation due to acne. With how little you need as well, it is very worth your dollar. I use this as a staple in my nightly routine and I'm so thankful for it.
3. Milk Makeup - Blur Liquid Matte Foundation
This was actually sent to me complimentary through Influenster, and I'm so grateful that I was a part of the campaign. On my combo-oily skin, this foundation settles itself beautifully without exaggerating any fine lines or pores, it gives a radiant finish on the skin (so definitely not matte) and it smells like lemon cake. I love their shade range and how it focuses on undertones instead of just color, so when it's blended out it looks like it belongs. I also love how you can choose whether you want the coverage to be medium-full or full, and it all depends on the amount you use during your initial sweep. A little goes a long way with this product, so start with two drops and work your way up!
4. LipSense - SeneGence (Independent Distributors)
You know her and love her, my friend Jodie who is also a distributor of SeneGence products and the ACE of Shades 😜 hooked me on LipSense! If you guys don't know what it is, feel free to join her Facebook group which I've linked above so you can ask her anything you'd like! Anyway, I love the product so much. The fact that there's a lipstick that does above and beyond what a regular lipstick does when it comes to longevity is incredible! I love the array of shades that they have and the different finishes they provide for the gloss toppers. It's my favorite go-to for long days where I can't be caught dead touching up my lipstick!
5. Anastasia Beverly Hills - Matte Lipstick (Buff)
Leave it to ABH to make my favorites list (as if this was surprising). I want to talk about their matte lipsticks, because I feel as though they just aren't loved enough by everyone and I'm left speaking to the void when I decide to throw it out there. Seriously guys, these lipsticks are creamy, fully opaque, and LONG WEARING. When I say I sat through a Buffalo Wild Wings date with sauce all over my face and it didn't move an inch, I mean it. Retouch is minimal when it comes to the ABH matte lippies, and that's only the beginning of the wonderful qualities it has. Unlike the other Anastasia liquid matte lipsticks - these aren't liquid, which means that they won't dry out your lips and offer all the quality of a matte lipstick. They are comfortable to wear, beautifully colored, and don't smear around like other lipsticks. What more can you ask for?
6. KISS - Lash Couture
Really, there's no specific style that I've been obsessed with, I just love these lashes. As I mentioned earlier this year, I just entered the false lash world this year. It's always been difficult for me to try them because my contacts don't agree with most and I find most styles useless. Usually they're just as long as my lashes with mascara so I don't see the point. Enter KISS Lash Couture: These are some of the first drugstore faux mink lashes with excellent quality and contact friendly materials that I have fallen head over heels with. If you follow my Instagram (@Lys_Glitz) you'll know that in almost every photo, I'm using some style of these lashes. That's because they're comfortable, cute, and affordable! My favorite style is Gala, followed by Midnight, and it goes on from there. There are many different styles that KISS came out with, so give them a try and see for yourself what I've been loving about them!
Those are about all of my staples and must-haves throughout 2017, and I'm actually glad my list is small. It gives me the opportunity to find new loves and not feel guilty about retiring some other products.
Let's move on to the worst....
(***DISCLAIMER: WHILE THESE PRODUCTS DID NOT WORK FOR ME, I UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT WHEN THE PRODUCTS WORK FOR OTHER USERS AND AM IN NO WAY DISCREDITING THEIR OPINIONS OR EXPERIENCES. THESE STATEMENTS ONLY REFLECT MY EXPERIENCES AND NOT THAT OF OTHERS. I ALSO DO NOT DISLIKE THE BRANDS AS A WHOLE MENTIONED HERE UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, JUST THE PRODUCT.***)
1. Stila - Heaven's Hue Highlighter
No, no, no. Just NO. I actually got to the Heaven's Hue Highlighters before the major YouTubers did, and while I'm not trying to brag, I certainly felt ahead of the game. The biggest intriguing factor of the highlighter was the awkward putty-like material that it was made out of. My boyfriend and I were both intrigued, and so I picked up the shade "Kitten". I don't have a full review of this product, but I do want to mention a few faults that I dislike about it. First, I don't like how you have to use a finger to get the best effect. As you go down in density, the product's quality decreases as well. Meaning that the payoff is absolutely minimal and it's rather heartbreaking for how beautiful it looks. I sat there making a guinea pig out of my boyfriend for a lengthy period of time, only to uncover that the highlighter was nowhere to be found on his face. To go off this, I don't want to use my finger to apply my highlighter. I don't like how unsanitary that is both to my skin and to the product, so that rules out the option of using it with a finger. When there is an effect, it's very subtle and glittery. Unfortunately, this shine doesn't last very long, as it only took an hour to wear from my face. Such a disappointment, I was very upset.
2. Huda Beauty - Liquid Lipsticks
While I don't have a *huge* problem with these lipsticks and actually love Huda Beauty, there are about two drawbacks that keep me from ever trying another shade. The smell is the biggest flaw - a nauseating aroma of Pinnacle Whipped vodka overtook my nostrils and settled itself into my sinuses, giving me a headache. Bottom line, it smells like alcohol something fierce and I was not living for it. The other problem I have with the lipstick is it doesn't dry down like a matte liquid lip should. Instead, it grows sticky after 5 minutes and will not dry down beyond that. When smacking my lips together, I noticed that they stuck very harshly and in turn caused a lot of dryness on my lips. I felt like I needed the Jaws of Life to pry my lips apart, which was nothing short of a nightmare. No thank you, Huda.
3. Benefit Cosmetics - BeneTint
What even is this supposed to be??? I mean, don't answer that.. I know it's supposed to be a lip and cheek tint, but how am I supposed to use it as such if the product itself doesn't tint anything except whatever I use to apply it? For this I broke my sanitary rule and decided to use my finger to see if this would really perform, and let me tell you... first off, I'm extremely pale so this is just a lose-lose.... If I use this product without any sort of foundation, I run the risk of looking like I have a sunburn, if I use it with foundation, it moves and grabs at the foundation ridiculously. My thoughts on using it as a lip tint? It's cute but it doesn't suit me very well. This is sad because it was one of my first impressions of Benefit, too. I expect much more in my future purchases.
I think that about wraps up my best and worst of 2017, let me know what your favorites and least favorites were by commenting!
Happy New Year everyone!
xoxo,
Lys
Anyway, this isn't about the holidays, this is about the makeup of the year. I wanted to give everyone a list of what I was blown away by this year and stuck with longer than I expected, and what I trashed, donated, or took back almost immediately. Without further adieu.... let's get started with the best:
1. Morphe x Jaclyn Hill Palette
This palette was totally left field for me, because I wanted absolutely nothing to do with Jaclyn Hill or endorsing her in any way. Admittedly, I don't like the way she presents herself and never really have, so I was hesitant on my purchase. However, the color scheme was so unique, warm, and inviting that I snagged it up the second I saw the third restock and thought nothing more of her raking up the commission money from me. What I absolutely love about this palette is the quality of all of the colors and how multi-seasonal it is. I can use the warm tones for fall, the pops of color in the corner for summer, the pale pinks for spring, and the cool tones for winter. The quality exceeds that of most any other palette that I have - some of the shades even feel like creams to the touch, which amazes me - and the fact that there are 35 perfected shades speaks volumes about Jaclyn and Morphe's work ethic.
2. Fresh - Rose Deep Hydration Facial Toner
Let me tell you - this is miracle skincare in a bottle. No matter what, it seems as though Fresh always knocks it out of the park. Between their masks, their toners, their cleansers, and then all of the different ingredient bases, I'm more than willing to spend money on Fresh. I was debating hard if I would put the Rose Face Mask or the toner in this list - I'd like to include both, but I want to keep it versatile - but I went with the toner because of it's fast acting ingredients. The results I saw came so quickly on both me and the friends I encouraged to try it, and collectively we were all flabbergasted. Redness reduced as well as the appearance of pores and any signs of irritation/inflammation due to acne. With how little you need as well, it is very worth your dollar. I use this as a staple in my nightly routine and I'm so thankful for it.
3. Milk Makeup - Blur Liquid Matte Foundation
This was actually sent to me complimentary through Influenster, and I'm so grateful that I was a part of the campaign. On my combo-oily skin, this foundation settles itself beautifully without exaggerating any fine lines or pores, it gives a radiant finish on the skin (so definitely not matte) and it smells like lemon cake. I love their shade range and how it focuses on undertones instead of just color, so when it's blended out it looks like it belongs. I also love how you can choose whether you want the coverage to be medium-full or full, and it all depends on the amount you use during your initial sweep. A little goes a long way with this product, so start with two drops and work your way up!
4. LipSense - SeneGence (Independent Distributors)
You know her and love her, my friend Jodie who is also a distributor of SeneGence products and the ACE of Shades 😜 hooked me on LipSense! If you guys don't know what it is, feel free to join her Facebook group which I've linked above so you can ask her anything you'd like! Anyway, I love the product so much. The fact that there's a lipstick that does above and beyond what a regular lipstick does when it comes to longevity is incredible! I love the array of shades that they have and the different finishes they provide for the gloss toppers. It's my favorite go-to for long days where I can't be caught dead touching up my lipstick!
5. Anastasia Beverly Hills - Matte Lipstick (Buff)
Leave it to ABH to make my favorites list (as if this was surprising). I want to talk about their matte lipsticks, because I feel as though they just aren't loved enough by everyone and I'm left speaking to the void when I decide to throw it out there. Seriously guys, these lipsticks are creamy, fully opaque, and LONG WEARING. When I say I sat through a Buffalo Wild Wings date with sauce all over my face and it didn't move an inch, I mean it. Retouch is minimal when it comes to the ABH matte lippies, and that's only the beginning of the wonderful qualities it has. Unlike the other Anastasia liquid matte lipsticks - these aren't liquid, which means that they won't dry out your lips and offer all the quality of a matte lipstick. They are comfortable to wear, beautifully colored, and don't smear around like other lipsticks. What more can you ask for?
6. KISS - Lash Couture
Really, there's no specific style that I've been obsessed with, I just love these lashes. As I mentioned earlier this year, I just entered the false lash world this year. It's always been difficult for me to try them because my contacts don't agree with most and I find most styles useless. Usually they're just as long as my lashes with mascara so I don't see the point. Enter KISS Lash Couture: These are some of the first drugstore faux mink lashes with excellent quality and contact friendly materials that I have fallen head over heels with. If you follow my Instagram (@Lys_Glitz) you'll know that in almost every photo, I'm using some style of these lashes. That's because they're comfortable, cute, and affordable! My favorite style is Gala, followed by Midnight, and it goes on from there. There are many different styles that KISS came out with, so give them a try and see for yourself what I've been loving about them!
Those are about all of my staples and must-haves throughout 2017, and I'm actually glad my list is small. It gives me the opportunity to find new loves and not feel guilty about retiring some other products.
Let's move on to the worst....
(***DISCLAIMER: WHILE THESE PRODUCTS DID NOT WORK FOR ME, I UNDERSTAND AND RESPECT WHEN THE PRODUCTS WORK FOR OTHER USERS AND AM IN NO WAY DISCREDITING THEIR OPINIONS OR EXPERIENCES. THESE STATEMENTS ONLY REFLECT MY EXPERIENCES AND NOT THAT OF OTHERS. I ALSO DO NOT DISLIKE THE BRANDS AS A WHOLE MENTIONED HERE UNLESS OTHERWISE STATED, JUST THE PRODUCT.***)
1. Stila - Heaven's Hue Highlighter
2. Huda Beauty - Liquid Lipsticks
While I don't have a *huge* problem with these lipsticks and actually love Huda Beauty, there are about two drawbacks that keep me from ever trying another shade. The smell is the biggest flaw - a nauseating aroma of Pinnacle Whipped vodka overtook my nostrils and settled itself into my sinuses, giving me a headache. Bottom line, it smells like alcohol something fierce and I was not living for it. The other problem I have with the lipstick is it doesn't dry down like a matte liquid lip should. Instead, it grows sticky after 5 minutes and will not dry down beyond that. When smacking my lips together, I noticed that they stuck very harshly and in turn caused a lot of dryness on my lips. I felt like I needed the Jaws of Life to pry my lips apart, which was nothing short of a nightmare. No thank you, Huda.
3. Benefit Cosmetics - BeneTint
What even is this supposed to be??? I mean, don't answer that.. I know it's supposed to be a lip and cheek tint, but how am I supposed to use it as such if the product itself doesn't tint anything except whatever I use to apply it? For this I broke my sanitary rule and decided to use my finger to see if this would really perform, and let me tell you... first off, I'm extremely pale so this is just a lose-lose.... If I use this product without any sort of foundation, I run the risk of looking like I have a sunburn, if I use it with foundation, it moves and grabs at the foundation ridiculously. My thoughts on using it as a lip tint? It's cute but it doesn't suit me very well. This is sad because it was one of my first impressions of Benefit, too. I expect much more in my future purchases.
I think that about wraps up my best and worst of 2017, let me know what your favorites and least favorites were by commenting!
Happy New Year everyone!
xoxo,
Lys
Comments
Post a Comment