Ahhh… another year come and gone. 2018 was awesome and I learned a lot about myself makeup wise. For example, don’t buy into the hype and be true to your aesthetic.
I love color and I love pinning those really beautiful rainbow eye looks on Pinterest, but when push comes to shove, I am more of a neutral girl. It works for me and my skill level and you know what? That’s ok.
With that being said, my favorite beauty products of 2018 all have a very common theme and I have featured them in my blog a million times before, but that’s because I really love them and I probably knew from the moment I applied them that I was going to love them because they just made me feel so beautiful. And isn’t that what matters?
The most important thing about makeup is not what everyone else buys or wears, but what you like and what makes you feel the prettiest when wearing it and no other palette made me feel so pretty when I wear it than Dream St. from Colourpop x Kathleen Lights.
I am big lover of metal shades, like gold and bronze, and also earthy colors, like browns and peaches. They compliment my green eyes and I know that Kathleen Lights, who also has green eyes, featured them in this palette for that very same reason. She literally said it was her dream palette and I can see why. It’s the perfect palette, in my opinion at least.
This year, I made a conscious effort to buy from brands that weren’t exactly mainstream, at least not yet. I wanted to support smaller brands because I love me a good David and Goliath story. This year, I have to give it to Antonym Cosmetics. Based in my very own hometown, they are the full trifecta: organic, cruelty free and beautiful.
From it’s sleek bamboo packaging to the glamorous, shimmery finish, my favorite blush this year was their Baked Blush in Peach. It melts so nicely into your skin, compliments my intrusive freckles and leaves my cheeks with just a small sliver of shimmer. Perfection!
Speaking of shimmer, I have to give props to my favorite highlighter of 2018. I love a good dupe and when I got the Ittse Illuminator in Barbados, my first thought was that it was an doppelgänger for The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer. However, the more that I wore it, the more I realized that although there were similarities, there were differences as well and it was those differences that made this highlighter a stand out.
For one, the formula is much more creamier and melts a bit more into your skin than Mary Lou. I like that because it gives me that lit from within glow that I prefer. Also, it’s just a tad bit more icier, as Mary Lou has a slightly more peachy undertone.
Both are beautiful, but I would go for Barbados because quality it’s the same, but it’s also cheaper at $10. Score!!
When I was thinking of lipsticks, I realized that it wasn’t just one lipstick or shade that I reached for the most this year, but rather a specific line. This year, I discovered Colourpops Ultra Satin Liquid Lip. Yeah, I know, I am late to the game (as always), but in my defense, I was never a fan of liquid lips, until I met this one.
The Ultra Satins are both long wear and comfortable and you know Colourpop has like a million different shades to choose from. My favorites this year were Aquarius and Dreamy, which is not featured because I couldn’t find it when I was choosing colors, but I did find a runner up in Rever, which sadly is not for sale anymore on their site. I can thank Kathleen Lights for making me a believer in this formula.
Last but not least…. lashes! I don’t wear falsies, which is why I have very specific demands from a mascara. I need my mascara to give me length and volume, but I don’t want clumps. I use to be a big fan of the Marcelle Xtension Plus, but after getting a full size tube of the Butter London Double Decker Lashes Mascara in a Boxycharm, I was converted.
This mascara leaves my lashes full and feathery, without a clump in site. Also, the brush is thick and full of bristles, so it deposits just the right amount of product. Sadly, I had to throw away my last tube of it before I wrote this post, as it was way past it’s expiration, so I was unable to take a picture of it, but check it out in the Butter London site. It’s the best!!
Let me know in the comments below what your favorite products of 2018 were. Maybe your old favorite, will become my 2019 favorite.
Till next time, my friends!
Maritza