Tuesday, January 10, 2012

My 2011 Makeup Favorites


Since the beauty industry is booming, 2011 had a great run of amazing products! The items pictured here are my absolute favorites for the entire year--products I've reached for often and have bought back-ups of. Even though more and more awesome products are being released as the years come, I think most of these products will remain in my stash forever!


e.l.f. Black Studio Cream Eyeliner is my favorite black cream/gel eyeliner. It's creamy and pigmented with a solid, even consistency. It dries down to a matte finish with a slight sheen. It has a drier cream formula which I like, so I don't pick up and dab more product than I need.

Wet n Wild Nutty ColorIcon Single Eyeshadow is a beautiful grayed brown/taupe color that I especially love as a professional wash of color. It's also great when paired with a darker base or blended with a dark brown for a smokey look! It's sold out everywhere online, so check your local drugstore for it!

Wet n Wild Night Elf ColorIcon Eyeshadow Palette is a limited edition holiday eyeshadow palette from 2010, but I've been using it a lot in 2011. I especially love the antique gold-pewter shade on the lid with the burgundy-teal duo-chrome on the outer lid and socket.

Urban Decay Show Pony (Preen) Eyeshadow Palette is a 6-pan eyeshadow palette with shades Snatch, Mildew, Flash, Painkiller, Smog, and Toasted. They are all some of my favorite Urban Decay shades, so it's quite handy having them all in one palette. I also snagged this from Sephora for $15 before it went out of stock.


CoverGirl Very Black LashBlast Volume Waterproof Mascara performs very well for me in terms of maintaining curl, giving length, and providing volume all in one tube. I reach for it when I need my lashes to be more dramatic!

Lancôme Black Coffee Le Crayon Khôl is an all-time favorite of mine for a really dark blackened brown eyeliner with solid pigmentation, smooth application, and great lasting powder both on my lash line and waterline.

Maybelline Very Black Full 'N Soft Waterproof Mascara is exceptionally wonderful and easy to use for everyday application and matched with softer looks. It maintains my curl and leaves my lashes looking very natural and soft.


Revlon Strawberry ColorBurst Lipgloss has been my go-to for a quick and easy bold lip. It's that perfect shade of pinky red to help make me feel confident and put together. I especially love the long-lasting, comfortable, well-pigmented formula and simple, chic packaging.

Revlon Peach ColorBurst Lipstick is the first and only true peach lipstick to work well on my yellow skin-tone. It's not at all whitened or too stark. It's my go-to for when I wear green/teal/gold eyes. I love it with a pinky gloss on top for added dimension. It's discontinued though, which breaks my heart!

Rimmel Airy Fairy Lasting Finish Lipstick is a slightly muted medium plummy pink with a soft golden sheen and shimmer. It's almost like a lighter Urban Decay Naked lipstick. I love it as an everyday lipstick, especially when topped with a peachy lipgloss. I think it's my most used lipstick all year!

Rock & Republic Muse Luxe Lip Gloss has been my go-to to soften bold lip colors, warm up cooler lip colors, or add shine to matte lip colors. I am so upset that it's discontinued as I absolutely adore the formula and packaging!


theBalm Mary-Lou Manier has been my favorite highlighter all year. I actually only have a few in my collection, but I prefer the golden quality and beautifully natural sheen this one provides. I find it particularly great for formal looks, but it still works well for everyday looks also!

Milani Rose D'Oro Baked Powder Blush is my second favorite blush for 2011. It's a beautiful rosy gold that pairs especially well with green looks. When I can't think of anything to match a look but want a shimmery blush, I'll immediately reach for this. It has incredible lasting powder too!

NYX Smooth Skin Bronzing Face Powder is my perfect contour shade. I love the matte finish and soft, smooth formula. It's not too warm as to lean orange or too cool as to lean straight brown. I wouldn't reach for it as a bronzer though--just a perfect contouring product!

Tarte Exposed Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush is quite possibly my #1 favorite product from all of 2011. I've been using it non-stop for every look ever since I bought it. It instantly brightens up my face and pulls any look together. If I ever run out, I will cry myself to sleep.


Zoya Rica Nail Polish is simply a bottle of awesomely shimmery pinky coral-y golden goodness! I rarely use a shade more than once in a year, but I think I've worn Rica 3+ times. It has a beautiful duo-chrome and the base color is definitely up my alley. The only polish I've absolutely LOVED this year!

Shiseido Eyelash Curler is the best eyelash curler I've ever used. It's been a staple in my stash for 3 years now, ever since I took my mom's! It curls my lashes very well with no pinching. It's my most valued item in my entire collection!

No foundations or finishing powders have become a favorite of mine. I've only tried 5 different foundations and 3 different finishing powders this year, but none have been love for me quite yet. The closest would be Make Up For Ever's Mat Velvet + Matifying Foundation, but my drier winter skin hasn't been loving it quite so much, but I do really like it nonetheless!

What have been your favorite products for 2011?


The mentioned product(s) was/were purchased by me.

3 comments:

  1. @Girlie Blogger awesome that we have similar taste!

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  2. I have tried a bazillion and teh lash blast is still one of my favories. i agree, its voluminous and holds pretty good. Great review by the way!

    http://jimpricute.blogspot.com/

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