Beauty Favourites of 2013

B E A U T Y

given that 2013 is the year i became a full on beauty and skincare obsessive, it feels only right to share some of my discoveries. there are certain things like mascara and body products that i use but that don't really excite me, so rather than recommend something in every category i'm just going to talk about the things that have really stood out to me this year. i was going to put beauty & skincare in the one post before i realised how long it would be, so this is part 1: beauty.

BASE:

bourjois healthy mix serum foundation in 51 vanille clair. this was the first foundation i tried when i began branching out from my usual beauty routine and although i've tried a handful now this is still my favourite so far. it's light to medium coverage and provides a really natural, dewy finish that i love. i've also tried the original healthy mix foundation which, although it has really great reviews online, wears terribly on me. whenever i wear it by the end of the day i look greasy and like all the product has moved around on my face no matter what primer i use. i'd say i have normal to combination skin so if you've found the original healthy mix didn't work for you give the serum a try because on me the formulas give completely different results.

gerlain meteorites perles light-diffusing perfecting primer i've said it before but this is just the prettiest primer ever, and looks aside it really works as well. i mean, for the price you would expect it to but i've found apart from giving my skin a radiant glow it also makes my foundation last quite a bit longer. i have a lot of late nights going to gigs for work and just going out with friends and i find that if i use this primer at the start of the day my foundation stays in place all day and night.

australis fresh & flawless pressed powder a great little powder i keep in my handbag and use for touchups throughout the day. it's an exact dupe for MAC's studio fix pressed powder but for a fifth of the price if you're talking RRP in australian prices, or a third if you're buying MAC online. i love it for on the go because it comes with a sponge (which i don't love, but it's handy if i haven't brought a brush with me) and because it provides a bit of extra coverage which is great if i'm going out after work.

EYES:
mac paint pot in bare study if you've ever seen a photo of me, i can guarantee i'm wearing black liquid liner in it. i've been using the same liner for years so i can't exactly call it a 2013 favourite, but i think pairing it with a light coloured eyelid looks really fresh and makes it pop. this paint pot is perfect to wear underneath a nice champagne or any neutral toned shadow. it makes my powder shadows more vibrant and helps them last longer as well.

rimmel scandaleyes kohl liner in nude i love this liner for my lower waterline to help brighten the eye area and make me look more awake on those nights where i don't get enough sleep (most nights, let's be honest). i don't use eyeliner pencils much but these have a great formula and glide on so easily, and they're really affordable.

CHEEKS:
stila convertible colour in gladiola and petunia i've mentioned these before and i even bought the 5 shade palette which i mentioned in my last post, but these really are the best cream blushes i've found so far, both in formula and in shade range. love them.

thebalm mary-lou manizer i don't own many highlighters but i love this and i use it every day. you only need a tiny bit brushed on the tops of your cheekbones, down your nose and over your cupids bow and it just makes your skin glow. i don't own a bronzer and i'm not really interested in contouring (i'm too fair to make it work) but i like highlighting for a subtle way of adding a little dimension to the face.

the face shop lovely me:ex milky tint in baby pink living in australia means we have access to a decent selection of asian beauty products, including these lip & cheek tints from the face shop, a south korean based cosmetics brand. these milky tints are something like benefit's lip & cheek stains but because they're a pastel coloured gel with a doe-foot applicator, i've found they're a lot easier to work with. they don't dry as quickly so you have a little more time to blend them in for a really natural finish. they're also much more affordable (especially if you buy them on ebay), they come in three really cute shades (baby pink, baby peach and baby apricot), all of which i have, and also they smell like sour lollies.

LIPS:
maybelline colour sensational lipgloss in captivating coral i have a pretty stupid amount of lip products but this is by far my favourite lip gloss discovery of the year. these glosses aren't sticky and they provide a decent wash of colour but are perfect for days when you don't feel like committing to lipstick. this coral shade is my favourite but i've since bought 3 more and i'd definitely recommend checking this range out.

MAC matte lipstick in ruby woo i know this lipstick probably isn't news to anyone because it's one of MAC's most popular shades but since it's my first year owning it and i've LOVED it i can't leave it out. there's a reason ruby woo is so popular, it's the most perfect, bright blue-based red, and the matte finish makes it perfect for a vintage lover. the only downside is being matte it can be quite drying but it also lasts SO long on the lips, you just have to make sure you have a lipbalm with you and you've exfoliated your lips beforehand. it sounds like it's a lot of work but it's so worth it.

rimmel moisture renew lipstick in berry queen rimmel have recently relaunched this line (they haven't made it to australian shores yet but you can get them from ASOS) but this is actually a shade from the old line. it's great if you're after a slightly darker red but don't want it to look too gothy or too brown. i have lipsticks that are a lot darker than this but i've leaned towards thie one a lot this year because it's a really easy-to-wear deep red. i have a lot of rimmel lipsticks and i've never been disappointed with any of the formulas, and they have a lot of great shades. they're definitely one of my favourite drugstore brands for lipstick.

milani colour statement lipstick in high voltage yep, three red lipsticks. i know that's ridiculous but i wear red so often and have so many lipsticks i coudn't pick between them. but this has been a favourite in 2013 not just for the shade (a lovely bright orange-red) but also for the formula. i have 3 lipsticks from this line now and they're creamy, smooth to apply and really vibrant and pigmented. i'm so impressed with the quality of these lipsticks and i definitely want to pick up a few more shades.