Firstly, I do apologize that this post is a couple of days late. The photographs unfortunately corrupted when I copied them to my computer! Don't you just hate when that happens? Anyway, I wanted to do a round up post of my top favourite products that I discovered in 2013. These are the best makeup products that I bought, used and fell in love with in 2013. It was certainly difficult to whittle them to just these few, however I really wanted to represent the best of the best in this post.
The winners
Firstly, let's cover the bases. I discovered NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Gobi last January and absolutely fell in love with the formulation. It is the perfect combination of medium coverage and a super natural finish. The formulation is amazing to blend and it just makes you skin look flawless. I can't say enough about it, and I've nearly finished using this bottle!
I also have to give a big shout out to the MAC Pro Long wear Concealer in NW20. I haven't mentioned this one as much but it has become the only concealer I need. It has a really high coverage with a creamy, blend-able formulation. I initially purchased it to use on blemishes however I have recently discovered that it works just as amazingly around the eye area, and this baby just does not crease. The lasting power of this concealer is phenomenal and it is a true gem.
The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light was a late discovery this year, however it is definitely the best powder I have ever used. I still use the Essence Fix and Matte Powder to set my under eye concealer, and I still used the Australis Fresh and Flawless Powder to add extra coverage, but the Hourglass is truly the ultimate finishing powder. The beautiful, glowing, photogenic finish that it leaves to your skin is unique and worth the mighty price tag, in my humble opinion.
Whilst trying to select favourites from my blushes, bronzers and highlighters, there was one product that really stood out to me, and that was NARS Madly Blush. This blush is such a beautiful warm nude blush that when applied just warms up your entire face. I haven't tried a huge selection from the NARS blush range, but if you wanted to splurge on one I would highly recommend this shade. A runner up for this category would be the Balm's Bahama Mama Bronzer, which I also used a lot in the last half of the year.
The best eye shadows of the year have to go to the Chanel Illusion Dombre Eyeshadows. I have two shades in Epatant and Illusoire, but Epatant has been my most used out of the pair. The texture of these is so unique, it has almost a spongy, mousse like texture. These shadows apply with the most amazing sparkle when used alone, or I also like to pat them on top of other power or cream shadows to add a bit of shimmer.
It was so damn hard to just pick one favourite lip product of 2013. I loved so many, including Dior Rouge Dior Nude in Swan, Savvy by DB Lipstick in Paris and Chanel Rouge Coco Shine in Boy, but the one that had to come out on top was NARS Dragon Girl. This is such an amazing matte, blue based red that is utterly stunning. If this was the only red lipstick I used for the rest of my life, I could honestly be happy with that.
The last makeup product I have to give mention to and the most recent contender in this Top 13 is the Australis Tint my Brow Brow Tint in Blonde. This has made doing my brows in the morning such a quick and easy process, and I don't think I will ever go back to doing my brows any other way. I hope that more lower end brands will start releasing tinted brow gels, as there aren't many on the market!
Onto skincare, and 2013 was definitely the year I got serious about skincare. The most impressive Serum I tried was the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair II. I can't believe I have nearly finished up my first bottle of the stuff, and I am daunting spending another $150 on the next bottle, but I will do it, because the results I've seen with this serum are phenomenal. This serum just plumps up your skin, makes it look radiant and helps to correct any redness or pigmentation. I can't say enough about this.
Secondly, the best moisturiser I have ever tried has to be the Aesop Camellia Nut Facial Hydrating Cream. I love the fact that this moisturizer has heaps of essential oils, and manages to feel thick and nourishing without being greasy. If you have normal or dry skin, I really recommend you go and get a sample of this because it has changed my skin. My face sighs a breath of relief once I apply this and I even attribute it to helping to correct the dark patches left on my skin after a blemish has disappeared. Truly a remarkable formulation!
I also discovered my holy grail eye cream in 2013, which is the Origins Plantscription Eye Cream. I have really dry under eyes, and this rich, emollient eye cream really helps to moisturise my under eye area. I see a visible difference to my under eye area, it is smoother and my fine lines really are less prominent. I think having a well moisturised under eye area really contributes to how your under eye concealer wears and whether or not it sinks into the fine lines under your eyes so if you are having problems with this, investing in a good eye cream is a good option!
I just realised that I haven't even mentioned this product on my blog yet! It could be because it's always tucked away in my bathroom cupboard, but I really need to do a full review on this product soon! I have been using the Body Shop Camomile Balm Cleanser for a few months now, and it is the best cleanser I have ever tried in my entire life. It is a soft, balm cleanser that will remove the most stubborn of makeup from your face. You can easily take this cleanser over the eye area and it will not sting at all. It leaves my skin feeling so soft and nourished, rather than that awful squeaky clean feeling you get with foaming gels. If you have never tried a Balm Cleanser before, give this one a try!
Lastly I have to mention the Furless Brushes in general, but in particular, the PRO3M brush. This small, round, dense brush changed the way I applied eye shadow forever. The density of this brush really allows you to pack eye shadow into the crease and get a really defined look. It is also useful for packing colour into the inner corner. I will never not have this brush in my collection, it is flawless!
So that is it! Those were the best of the best of 2013! Thanks again to everyone who comments and reads my blog, I hope that you will stick with me in 2014!
I wish you a safe, happy and prosperous 2014,
Mishelle
