2019 Beauty Favorites!

Hi all! Happy 2020!

One of my first blog posts ever was my 2018 favorites, so I thought why not kick off this year with a post sharing my 2019 beauty favorites?!

I went through my purchases from the past year, and after taking a moment to contemplate how I allowed myself to spend so much on beauty products, I rounded up my favorite purchases from the year. These are the products that became ride-or-die staples in my routine, and I wholeheartedly recommend each and every one to all of you.

Eyes

Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerize Cream Shadow: This is the best cream shadow I’ve ever tried. It has a whipped texture that’s easy to spread over the lids without tugging on the delicate skin. I have the shade Jean, a subtle, shimmery champagne color that looks perfect on its own from the lid to the brow bone, or as a base for other shadows. This is going to last you a while, too, so the price is worth it.

Hourglass Scattered Light Shadows: This is the best glittery shadow I’ve tried in a long time. The packaging reminds me of those old L’Oreal shadows – it comes in a little jar and looks like a pressed pigment. There’s little-to-no fallout considering how glittery and metallic it is, and pressed onto the lid with a fingertip, it has the most beautiful gleam to it. I have the color ‘Smoke’ and it’s perfect for a nighttime look.

MAC Art Library Palette – Nude Model: I gave my Tartelette In Bloom palette away to my sister this year and replaced it with this palette. It’s amazing for any eye look – everyday wear to night-out looks. It has a great combination of matte shades for transitioning colors to deepening up the crease or even lining the eyes, as well as some beautiful shimmery shades for the lid. MAC shadows never fail, and after going years without using them, I’m happy to have this in my collection. I love that Ulta sells MAC now, too!

Glossier Lash Slick: Another year has gone by and Lash Slick is still my favorite mascara. It’s not flaky, holds a curl without being waterproof, and comes off easily with a little warm water and gentle face wash. No mascara gives me such beautiful wispy length like this one does. I’ve also fallen in love with the Pro Tip liquid liner (lasts FOREVER), but it can be hard to take off – that’s when I pull out the Milky Oil waterproof makeup remover.

Velour Lashes Effortless Kit – No Trim No Measure Natural Lash Kit: I’m not a false lash wearer in the slightest, but I’ve always loved the way they look on others – they seem to pull together a look in a way that no mascara ever can. While I only wore them a few times, these lashes are the only ones I’ve ever been able to apply without looking like a total fool. They have a shorter lash band that only covers maybe the outer 2/3rds of your lash line, but they look amazing on and their length only makes them easier to apply. Definitely recommend if you’re looking to start wearing falsies!

Lips

Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lipstick in ‘Lychee Baby’: It’s hard for me to find pale nude shades that look good on my naturally rosy lips without looking patchy or completely washing me out. This is the only one I love when I’m looking for a pale lip shade. This formula is amazing – it applies like a liquid lip, but it has a balm-like texture that allows for some slip and blending if need be. I like to swipe it on and blend it out with my fingers for a more natural, even look.

Kopari Coconut Lip Glossy in ‘Birthday Suit’: Maggie MacDonald raved about this, so I bought it – and I have zero regrets. This glossy lip balm with a subtle milky-nude tint smells like summer in a bottle. It has a sweet coconut scent and the packaging is to die for. Do you need this? No. It probably isn’t anything groundbreaking. Will you love this? Absolutely.

Lottie London Gloss’d Supercharged Gloss Oil: This was a totally random buy. It’s CHEAP – only $5.95 on Ulta’s website (cheaper here). It’s a super duper comfortable gloss and the oil formula makes it extra nourishing. Definitely the best budget buy of the year. Lottie London also makes a great freckle tint that’s really comparable to Freck! Freck is superior in my opinion, but this is amazing for the price (and amount of product in comparison to Freck).

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner: I’ve been using my Lip Cheat in the shade Pillowtalk for 2+ years now, and it’s my go-to for every day. It’s the perfect nudey-pink shade that goes with almost all of my lipsticks. In 2019 I picked up the shade Bond Girl, a gorgeous natural berry color. While I won’t get quite as much use out of this one, it’s a great shade for fall and looks great on its own or with some of my deeper lip colors. This formula just can’t be beat (although the Sephora Collection gel lip liner is a close second and much cheaper – I have the shade 01 – the nudest). Use the Glossier Play Blade sharpener (the GOAT sharpener) to keep the tip precise.

YSL Zoe Kravitz Lipstick: I couldn’t resist that sparkly packaging. I bought the shade Arlene’s Nude, and it’s the bluest nude-pink I own. It’s a bit of an odd color, and yet it suits me. Maris’ Nude and Honey’s Nude look beautiful as well. The formula is deliciously creamy and the packaging is so luxe. 2019 was the year of luxury lipsticks for me (I tried Chanel, YSL, you name it) and this tops the list. After loving this, I’m dying to try the shade Le Nu from the Rouge Pur Couture permanent collection.

Em Cosmetics Morning Dew Lip Gloss: Dare I say this is the best lip gloss I’ve ever tried? I love my Dior lip gloss for a plumping, beige-toned shine, but this clear lip gloss from OG YouTube queen Michelle Phan’s makeup line Em Cosmetics is simply incredible. It’s the least sticky lip gloss on the face of the earth, has a shine like no other, and the paddle applicator is a favorite of mine. I’m definitely going to try out more products from the brand after this one.

Face

Tatcha The Silk Canvas Protective Primer: I bought this in the mini size in January last year after hearing EVERYONE rave about it. I try to buy minis when I can since it takes me forever to go through a product. Even after a year, there’s still so much left! You’re meant to use about the size of a grain of rice each time. I use the back of my nail to scoop out a tiny bit and disperse it across my face, focusing on areas where my pores are larger (like my T-zone). It does an amazing job of filling in pores without the silicone feel that most pore-filling primers have. I love that this primer has added skincare benefits like protecting against pollution and preventing makeup from sinking into pores.

Dr. Jart+ Cicapair Tiger Grass Color Correcting Treatment: I also bought this one in a mini size! While this may be considered more of a skincare product, I use it more as a color-correcting base for makeup. This works great over those pesky zits that stay red no matter what you try, and helps a ton with canceling out any redness you may have. A little bit goes a looong way with this guy, too – if you apply too much, it can look a little chalky. Apply just a little bit and it sits wonderfully under makeup. Just make sure to moisturize first!

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter: This is an amazing multi-use product. It comes in a giant container with a large doe foot applicator and can be used as a glow base or on top of makeup as a liquid highlighter. I use it both ways, and often use it on days when I don’t wear any foundation as well. I wear the shade light and it’s perfect for my skin tone throughout the year. I’ve been forgetting to use this lately, but after going through my products I’m definitely going to start incorporating this back into my routine! The product is huge and a little goes a long way, so I’m not going to be running out of this any time soon. I apply a few dots on the high points of my face and pat in with a damp beauty blender or with my fingers.

Tula Face Filter Primer: I’ll be honest – I was hesitant to try anything from Tula because  of the overload of influencer marketing they do. I had only ever seen bloggers talk about the brand (and not even beauty bloggers – just fashion bloggers) and I wasn’t sure if the products would actually be as great as so many claimed. This product is amazing! It comes out with sort of a pearly white color and instantly transforms to a light bronze-y color on the skin. It really looks like a filter for the face. It needs to be sufficiently blended out, though, or you’ll see lines. I recently started using the Rose Glow Eye Balm, which I love.

Dior BACKSTAGE Face & Body Foundation: This is my favorite foundation of the year. I own shade 2, which is a bit dark for me right now but can be toned down with a few drops of my Glossier Skin Tint (a long time favorite for everyday wear) or even just some moisturizer. It’s super lightweight but has great coverage and looks so natural on the skin. A little goes a long way with this one, so I think it’s well worth the price.

YSL Touche Eclat All-in-one Glow: This was one of my favorite foundations of 2019. I don’t wear it often because it’s definitely a darker shade for me (BR30 Cool Almond – perfect for summer or self-tanned days) but it’s a gorgeous formula. It has the texture of a tinted moisturizer or BB cream but has more coverage than any of my other foundations. Definitely get color-matched in store if you want a shade you can wear now.

Concealers: In terms of concealers, I definitely used my Glossier Stretch Concealer the most in 2019. I picked up the NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer as a spot concealer and love it. It’s creamy but thick enough to pat on top of pimples and stay throughout the day. I wear the shade Creme Brûlée. More recently, I picked up a new Stretch Concealer in a darker shade than the “light” shade I’d been using under my eyes (Glossier added shades since I first purchased it) and have been alternating that with the NARS one for spot concealing.

Milk Makeup Matte Bronzer: This is the bronzer that does it all. A cream bronzer in a large stick form, this is perfect for warming up the face or contouring cheekbones. Not too warm and not too cool, it’s perfect for all undertones. It will last you FOREVER, too, since it’s such a huge stick.

Kosas Color & Light Cream Blush Duo in 8th Muse: This right here. Amazing. Underrated and under-discussed. The blush is a perfect, slightly blue-toned pink, and the highlighter is a blinding champagne shade that’s not too warm nor too cold. It applies flawlessly with fingers or a small stippling brush. It’s so great it’s giving my favorite Glossier Cloud Paints a run for their money. My only complaint is that the compact is SO hard to open! I have to use tweezers to get it open. Worth it, though.