1. Lush Motivation Liner – This is such a gorgeous shade! The intensity, the finish and the color payoff are amazing. But it had me at the shade alone….nuff said!
2. Loreal One Million Volume Mascara – For me a mascara is a mascara when it adds some value ie drama to the your eyes. I don’t like the ones which don’t do anything and look like natural lashes. I know a lot of people probably prefer that but then what is the point of applying it. It should add some thickness, volume and pop to your eyes. This one does it all and looks so beautiful. Nothing can beat it….hmmm or can it ? 😉
3. Yves Rocher S3xy Pulp Mascara – This feels so gentle on the eyes. By that I mean that often my eyes turn red when I apply mascara especially water proof ones. I don’t get that with this (though it is not water proof). On its own it is good but when paired on top of Loreal One Million it is simply amazing! You will get well defined lashes filled with drama. Super love the combo!
4. Maybelline Hyper Glossy Liner in Black – Honestly I use this every freaking time. Not only does it look good but the brush is quite good and makes the application process quite smooth. I can easily make cat eyes with it and it does not go on wonky.
5. MAC PearlGlides – I first came across these in the Archie’s Girls collection but later found out that they are part of the permanent line. This are just so beautiful and the texture is freaking amazing. It is going to spoil you completely and you will never be able to look at or like another pencil eyeliner again. Beautiful shimmery shades which can be worn as liners or blended out to give you gorgeous smokey eyes.
6. Coastal Scents Original 88 eyeshadow palette – This is one wonderful palette to have especially if you are new to makeup. A wide selection of colors ranging from light to dark plus in different finishes. I use this the most even though I have a huge drawer full of stuff. It is easier to access this and the quality and color payoff it quite good. Plus with all the colors laid out in front of you like that it makes it somewhat easy to figure out color combinations for your look.
7. Loreal Chrome Shine in Sepia Sparkle – Honestly I don’t know why I haven’t reviewed this yet. I got this when I started blogging and use it quite frequently. I even remember taking some lovely pictures of it way back then 😛 But anyways this is a beautiful color filled with minute shimmer in gold. On my lids the color blends out and it not so distinguishable but the shimmer is visible. It looks very pretty and striking. If you want to add a dash of glamour to your look without doing too much eye makeup just pat this on all over your lids, line your eyes and top off with mascara. Instant glamour!
1. Etude House Princess Etoinette POR 201/PPK 004 – When I first bought these shades it was only coz I was so fascinated with their packing! I never for a moment could imagine that I would stumble on shades that I would fall in love with and turn to at every chance. I wear either of these shades each and every time I step out. Beautiful soft colors that you can wear at any time of the day. I don’t even have to wonder if I have paired it right or if it is looking nice coz those become a given. I just slap either on. I love this effortless nature of theirs!
2. Revlon Just Bitten Stains – My my! What a buzz these babies created!!! Love em or hate em but no one could ignore them. Personally I really liked the entire concept – from the colors, to their pay off and the moisturization. The range of colors in them catered to every need. Whether one wanted something light for day wear to more intense shades for the chicca who likes her drama. Still among the best in their category and now with the soon to be launched matte version I’m sure they will break all set levels.
3. YSL Glossy Stain in 13 & 7 – This is such a lovely combination. It gives you the look of a gloss and the last power of a stain. Once it sets it does not budge easily. Seriously the best of both worlds and a must have for gloss lovers. I really like shade 13 for it rich color and 7 for its softness which can be worn on a daily basis.
4. Lakme Gloss Stylist – Lakme introduced these lip lacquers last year. They gave the intensity and coverage of lipsticks and the sheen of a gloss without the stickiness. They were quite similar to Rimmel Apocolips but didn’t have the smell nor the bleeding problem like Apocolips. These were worth getting in spite of a high price tag for an Indian drugstore brand.
5. MAC Temperature Rising Dazzleglasses – Gloss & glitter….my two favorite words 😀 These are so eye catching and when paired with lipsticks take things to a whole new level. I knew that I would get some amazing looks with these and they have given some amazing combinations on the pairing boards. Made for a diva!
6. Urban Decay Catfight – This was love in first swipe. I literally needed one swipe to give me a full coverage. I loved everything about it – texture, color, pigmentation and staying power. I’m going to get myself a few more of these. If you come across these just swipe them once. I’m sure you will not be able to walk away from them.
7. MAC Retro Matte Relentlessly Red – This was a collection that people were waiting for at tether hooks. War broke out in stores when they finally made it here 😀 Though I’m not a fan of matte texture but these get a mention in this list coz of their popularity and formula. It has been said that the retro matte finish and some of the colors launched in this collection will become part of the regular line.
8. Lime Crime Velvetine Red Velvet – Ok I mentioned in the previous section that I’m not a matte lover. But this baby is something else! So elegant, classy and bombshell all at the same time. I could not take my eyes off it when I had it on. Meant to turn heads and break hearts. Wow!
1. YSL Touche Eclat Foundation – Honestly this is one freaking good stuff! If you want a lovely dewy skin look then look no further and “invest” in this. I get scores of compliments on my skin when I have this on. The texture and the feel of it is beyond words and I love how it covers my skin. For people looking for light to medium coverage you need not look any further. And it is so light on the skin that at times I prefer wearing this than a BB cream on my skin even for the day. Can you imagine that? Wearing a foundation for going out in the day? For me it was unthinkable. Best-Discovery-Yet!
2. MAC Temperature Rising Ripe for Love – I’m not much of a blush person. I don’t have any fascination in getting different shades in it as I would never wear those real dark ones. Most of the times I would avoid these and at max use one of those face sheers from Lakme. But I found this lovely color palette of peaches and coral from MAC and have gotten stuck to em. Since they suit my skin tone I don’t like to stray into uncharted territories much. This is one beautiful shade to get that lovely flush of color which looks quite natural.
3. MUA Blush in Shade 4 – This is the first makeup product that I have tried from this brand. I was gifted this by my friend Dolon for my birthday. And now I understand all the fuss behind this brand. The color, pigmentation and texture blew me away. You need just a tad of it to get a beautiful flush of color. Totally in love!
4. MAC Peach Ombre – This is from an earlier collection of MAC but I got it from a Blog Sale held by Neeraj of Beauty Traveller. This was love at first sight and I liked the whole ombre concept of it. It looks heavenly on the skin and I feel very sad about how I’m going to manage without it once I’m through with it. I hope MAC repromotes it coz it is simply beautiful. You get 3 shades in this one package.
5. Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Buff – I don’t like wearing powders on my skin as for some odd reason they cause me to sweat more. There has been one other powder that I have liked so far apart from this and that was the MAC transparent one. Though its Banana version is the most famous I wanted to try a different shade given my skin tone. This has such a lovely soft texture to it which makes the entire application process a breeze. You end up using very little in each application and there is just so much product even in the small jar. Totally worth getting.
6. MAC Mineralize SkinFinish in Medium/Dark & SemiPrecious Pearl – I first discovered the MSF when I went in for my MAC lesson. I wanted something to contour my face which I could carry off in the day. I was given this lovely powder in the shade Medium/Dark. It gives a lovely light finish and I can get away with contouring my face in the day. The pearl one was part of the Semi Precious collection and I use it for highlighting. I mainly use the lightest shade in it and get a lovely sheen on the high points of my face. Worn with a light hand and you can carry it off in the day too if you so desire.
1. MAC Fix+ – This is a must have for me. Not only does it help the makeup to stay in place and last longer but gives a wonderful finished look to your face. If after doing your makeup you feel that some aspects are looking too powdery or are standing out in an odd way then just lightly spritz your face with it from a distance and let it air dry a bit. The rest of it just pat it down gently on your skin. A lot of oily skin people avoid this but really if you spray it lightly then anyone can wear it. I have combination skin and I wear it in the hottest of summer days. Ask a MAC SA to demonstrate it for you if you are not able to get it right. Note how far they are holding it from you and how much they are spraying.
2. MAC Brush Cleanser – If you are a lazy bum or want a quick solution to your brush cleaning problem then this is the product for you. Not only does it thoroughly clean and disinfect your brush, while removing the makeup stain off them, they cut the drying time like to 1/10th. And you can use your brush again within less than an hour unlike waiting for them over a day to dry off. Yes a lot of people argue that that traditional method is the best especially to extend the longevity of the bristles but if you want a quick fix then this is for you.
3. MAC Cleanse Off Oil – Honestly when I first used it I was left wondering, “Where the HECK have you been ALL MY LIFE?”. It makes the entire makeup removal process a breeze! And it passes my acid test which is to get my Loreal One Million Lashes Mascara completely off. Not panda eyes in the morning 😀 Love it!
4. Clinique Take The Day Off Balm – This too is equally amazing as the MAC one. For me the only advantage that it has over the other one is that this takes a step lesser 😛 MAC one you need to emulsify with a little water before washing off but this is just rub and wash. You can pick either of them and you will be set. Not only are they so effective in taking off the makeup what I like is that they remove the use of an abrasive material like the wipe or cotton which you need to rub on your skin to get anything off. You just take either of these, rub gently with fingers and wash off. Easy as ABC.
5. Real Techniques/Kryolan/Clinique Makeup Brushes – 2013 has definitely been the year of discovering some great makeup brushes. Everyone has heard of the famous Real Technique brushes. They give the most wonderful soft and even finish to your look. A surprising discovery were the Kryolan ones. They have 2 ranges – one which is professional and cost in the 1k range and this other which is so cheap but of good quality. I got some basic detailer brushes for 100-200 bucks. Really something people on a budget should check out. Back to high end ones, I got this eyeshadow brush from Clinique and found it to be quite good. It is a dense brush and helps to pack on the color with such ease. Very slick and stylish looking. I would have gotten more if I had not acquired so many of the RT ones 😛
That rounds up the makeup compilation for 2013. This was a really good year with some amazing pieces entering the market. What was great that not only the high end brands but even the drugstore and Indian ones came out with some lovely stuff. Whatever might have been ones budget they were able to get some really good quality makeup. I’m quite excited to see what comes out this year. Waiting to see if something arrives that just blows every fish out the water and set the bar high in terms of performance. There are some really amazing collections that are coming out this year. Cant wait! So what have been your makeup favorites of the year?
