- Brynnie
Best of Beauty 2016
Hi :) Today I'm going to be doing my best of beauty for 2016. I tried to narrow it down as much as possible but there were some categories where I just couldn't narrow it down too much. I hope you enjoy it :)
Primer/ Foundation
1- Too Faced Hangover RX Primer- This was my absolute favorite primer for this year. I have been using it pretty much all year and I'm almost out of it. I was having a problem during the spring and early summer with my foundation breaking down on my forehead so I decided to try this primer. It totally worked and it's also really good for my skin. I feel like it is pretty moisturizing and good for skin no matter what season it is.
I had some trouble picking only one (or even just two foundations) so I picked my favorite low, medium, and high coverage foundations....
2- Hourglass Vanish Stick Foundation- This is my absolute favorite high coverage foundation. I would almost say this is my favorite foundation from 2016, but I don't wear it everyday as for school and more chill days I often will go for a lighter coverage foundation. But, as for the formula and look , this foundation is awesome! To start it is a foundation stick, with an ultra pigmented super creamy formula. When I use it I don't have to use that much to get high coverage, and its pretty buildable. What I love the most about it is that once its on and blended it makes you look really flawless and it has the most perfect natural finish. With some foundations the more you add, the more you lose the natural radiance of your skin. It's the opposite with this one as it just gives you the prettiest perfected complexion! It is from Hourglass, a brand that is known for the high end luxury products. It is a brand that I love as I have tried multiple products and I have never been disappointed in one.My favorites actually prove how much I love Hourglass as I have two more products in here from them (haha I think I might be obsessed). The downside with this product would be that it is prety expensive so it is not budget friendly.
3- Kat Von D Lock It Powder Foundation- This is my favorite light coverage foundation. I know that this might actually not be low coverage, but for me it is. I think with powder foundations it all depends on how much you put on, for what the coverage will be. With this one I don't really now how high coverage you could get before it gets cakey, but I really love it as a lazy / easy day foundation. This is the foundation I wear to school as it is easy to use the sponge that comes with it or a big powder brush to apply it and get a natural look. This is the Kat Von D so its still high end but ts a a good amount less than the Hourglass foundation and I think it last forever as I only recently hit pan and I have been using this for a huge portion of 2016.
4- The Maybelline Fit Me Foundation (Dewy and Smooth formula)- This was probably my most used foundation of 2016. I literally used it from the start of 2016 to august almost everyday without fail. I think this is a great drugstore foundation and it's totally affordable. I would say this is a medium coverage foundation and its what I reach for when I want coverage but I'm not going to have a totally glam day. So it's a great foundation for the girl who wears makeup but doesn't go glam every single day. I personally love the dewy finish as its not over the top and I think it just gives some life to your skin. I think my skin is super dull sometimes so usually I look foundations that gives it a little bit of a natural dewy-ness or glow. If your not a dewy foundation fan this foundation does come in a matte and poreless formula (which is better for oily skin) so you could check that out. Personally I've tried both and I like the finish of the dewy and smooth better but it totally depends on your skin type.
Face
1- Coty Airspun Transleucent Powder- This was my favorite loose powder of 2016. I use this product for baking and for setting my foundation and I literally can't live without it. I lost my old one ( :( ) so I repurchased it and I'm so glad I did. This is the perfect powder for baking that is finely milled and never cakey. It's also affordable and you get a ton of product for a drug store price.
2- Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer- This was by far my top concealer of 2016. I tried out two others this year and they didn't compare at all. This is a high coverage concealer with a supe creamy blendable and comfortable formula. This is such a good concealer and I totally bought this product because of the hye that surrounds it, and the hype is so true. If you have dark circles like me and you want something that is going to last then this if totally for you.
3- Wet N Wild PhotoFocus Setting Spray- I honestly didn't really get into that whole spray makeup frenzy that has been going on, but I did try this setting spray from Wet N Wild. I heard a lot of people talking about the Photo Focus line that came out during the summer so I decided to try a few things from it. I think this setting spray does a good job keeping your makeup on but I think that because its such an affordable company the nozzle is sort of bad. Like it doesn't mist but it more like squirts. So as a product I do like this, but as for the packaging I think it could use some work. So I know it might seem weird that I'm putting something in my best of 2016 post which I don't totally love but I honestly don't really use setting sprays and when I do this does a nice job I just wish the packaging was better.
Blush/ Bronzer/ Highlight
1- Hourglass Strobe Lighting Powder in Iridescent- This is pricey and it sort of killed me to pay almost $40 dollars for it at Sephora but I honestly am so glad I did. It is the perfect highlight for someone who isn't obessed by the "glow". I am not an extreme highlight lover and I really prefer one that is on the more subtle side. This is a light champagne pink that is really just the perfect strobing powder that lifts your cheek bones but doesn't look like you are covered in glitter. Also the quality of this powder is incredible, I know that Hourglass products are expensive (so does my wallet as I've spent way too much on them) but I can attest to the fact that their powders are so finely milled, pigmented, and beautiful on the skin.
2- Too Faced Sweetheart Blush in the shade Sparkling Bellini- This blush came out at the same time as the peach palette during the summer and I couldn't get the palette so I decided to pick up the blush instead. This was my everyday blush from spring to fall so I got a ton of wear out of this. It is a beautiful peach blush but it actualy has three shades so you can mix them to get a custom look. The top shade is a peachy gold, the middle a true peach, and the last is a darker almost raspberry peach shade. It is in a baked blush formula with some shimmer so it give you a really flattering glow. I love this shade especially during summer when I am a little more tan. As soon as the weather starts to warm up where I live and I am not so pale I am definitely gonna start wearing this blush again.
3- The Hourglass Surreal Lighting Edit- This was by far my most used product for winter. It has my favorite bronzer of 2016 as well as some of my other favorite face products of 2016 as well. I picked this up when it first launched in October so I could do a Holy Grail or Mega Fail? review on it and I totally fell in love. I have used this product everyday without fail since October and I am still crazy about it. I have a whole review on this so I will link it at the end of the post so you can check it out if you want to know more about it.
4- Nars Bronzer in Laguna- My favorite countouring product was the Nars bronzer in the shade Laguna. I actually bought this travel duo of the the laguna bronzer and the orgasm blush so I have both but, I honestly hardly ever use orgasm but Laguna is my go to contouring product. It is perfect for my light complexion and it gives a countoured look that isn't obvious. I don't really like this as a bronzer as for me it works out so well as a countouring shade that I don't feel like it really adds tan-ness if ya know what I mean.
Eyes
1- Wet N Wild Photo Eye Focus primer- This is a complete dupe for the Too Faced Shadow Insurance primer, and it is way less. This was around $5 dollars, while the shadow insurance primer is around $21, so its a total dupe! I love this, I have somewhat oily eyelids so a primer is totally necessary if I don't want creasing. This keeps my eyeshdadow on all day and most of the night and I never have creasing with this product. The one thing I would say is that you have to set this with a white eyeshadow or else bending will be tricky.
2- Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara- I used up three of the travel sized tubes and I am desperate to get more. I hate spending $23 on the mascara and I actually didn't pay for any of the others as I just waited till there was a promo on the Too Faced website. Now that I am out though I feel like I might cave and buy it but I'm trying to convince myself not to. This is a great volumizing mascara. I have long eyelashes but they have no curl. So I like mascaras that are a little clumpy and are super curl holding. This is perfect for that and if you can try it I would totally recommend it.
3- Colour Pop Creme gel Eye eye liner in the shade swerve- This is a matte black gel eyeliner, and it is super long lasting. It is a really pigmented formula that sets and lasts. It is also affordable as it's from Colour Pop, and the formula comes in a load of other colors so if black isn't for you there are other options. I'm not the hugest eyeliner person as it tales me forever to apply it but this works great for my classic cat eye.
4- My eyebrow routine is sort of weird. I have pretty big, crazy eyebrows. I have tried the Anastasia Dip Brown pomade and I liked it but because my eyebrows are so big and crazy I really like to keep them looking natural. As my eyebrows can go from cute to caterpillars in like 3 seconds. So My favorite brow products of 2016 was the semi sweet eyeshadow shade from the Too Faced chocolate bar palette and the Milani Easy brow Tinted Fiber Gel in the shade Brunette. These two products tame my brows and give them a perfect natural look.
Eyeshadow
Ok so eyeshadow was something that I was able to narrow down to one thing- the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palette was my absolute favorite pallete of 2016. I am a neutral eye lover and this is the perfect palette for someone like me. Sorry that this is another Too Faced product but Too Faced honestly makes some of the best makeup (especially eyeshadows). These are super pigmented creamy mattes, and the shimmers are incredible! they are really buttery and they go on almost like a cream shadow because they are so smooth and pigmented.
Lip Gloss/ Liquid Lipsticks
1- Mars by Colour Pop- This was my most used liquid lipstick of 2016. This shade is one of the brightest shades that is actually super wearable. It is a red fuscia so it has some kick to it but it has the red which makes it classy too. I wore this constantly during the summer, and I wanted to include it both for the color as its rad, but also because i like the formula . I think the Ultra Matte lips can be drying but during the summer or if your prep your lips with something moisturizing I think they are still wearable. I really love that they are affordable, and so colorful.
2- Revlon Lip Gloss in HD Petalite- I am not a gloss girl, so for me to wear a gloss a lot it has to be comfortable, not sticky, and also not one that gets in my mouth. This lip gloss does all these things so even someone who is super picky about lip gloss can love it. I love the peachy pink shade of it and I usually don't like shimmer but the gold shimmer in this is super tasteful and natural.
3/4- Milani Amore Matte Lip Cremes- These are affordable and super pigmented liquid lipsticks. These are less drying than the Colour Pop ones and are much more creamy (which makes sense as they are called lip cremes), so they are more comfortable. I love the color Precious (4) the most as it is a pretty mauve pink shade. Which is my perfect one step above a nude lip color. I also like the color Sugar (3) which is a dark burgundy berry shade. This shade is patchy so it need two coats. I don't really wear this shade by its self but I actually use it with the Ariana Grande X Mac Viva Glam I lipstick to get a super dark vampy blackened plum lip look. I do this by applying the lipstick and them placing the liquid lipstick over it.
Lipsticks
1-Mac Velvet Teddy- I had to include the infamous Mac Velvet Teddy lipstick as it was one of my most used lipsticks. I actually wore this to my prom last spring so it also has a sentimental touch for me. I really love the browny pink shade of it and I actually really like the matte mac lipstick formula so its a total hit for me.
2- Mac Ariana Grande Viva Glam I- I talked about this a little bit already but this is a super dark blackened plum which literally gives me life. I love shades like this that are so vampy! It is a little patchy so I use the lip combo I described above to fix that, and yah its a matte formula so I love it.
3- Charlotte Tillbury Birkin Brown- I love Charlotte Tillbury lipsticks! They are probably my favorite lipstick formula as they are so comfortable. This is the Birkin Brown lipstick from the Matte Revolution collection. This lipstick honestly feels like a satin lipstick that's how comfortable it is. It is crazy moisturizing and it is one of the most luxurious products I have ever bought. It is expensive, but I honestly think that this lipstick is filled with lip saving ingredients and it is the perfect splurge for someone who is looking for an everyday lip color. I have a lip look with this shade in my week of the lip series so i'll link that below if you want to see a swatch of it.
4- Rimmel Kate Moss lipstick in the shade 104- This is my most worn lipstick of 2016 as it is my go to nude. I wear this shade to school and it is a mauve pink. I first heard about it from Beautywithemilyfox on Youtube, she swatched it and I fell in love. Not only is it the kind of nude that I go towards (mauve. pinky) but it wears incredibly as it almost turn into a light stain as it wears off. I also mix this with a chapstick for a tint or wear it fully and either way it is so complimentary.
ok so these were my best of 2016 beauty products! I hope you enjoyed and thanks for reading :)
Hourglass Surreal lighting Edit review
http://brynnieblogs.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2016/11/26/Holy-Grail-or-Mega-Fail-80-Hourglass-Surreal-Lighting-Edit-repost
Charlotee Tillbury briking Brown Lip Look
http://brynnieblogs.wixsite.com/blog/single-post/2017/01/05/Week-of-the-lip-Luxury-Classic-Matte-Brown-Look
