Last year, I wrote an article about the products that I consider “must haves” in my makeup routine. I thought it’d be interesting to look back at that article and see what products have changed and which one’s have continued to be repurchased. One of my favorite things about makeup is that with the hundreds of brands that we have today, it’s always everchanging. However, as they say, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it,” and I know there are multiple makeup products that will continue to be a key part of my everyday beat.
#1 Primer
The first product on my list is a returning item–-the e.l.f. Power Grip Primer. I love this primer so much. It has been repurchased many times and I don’t think that I could ever replace it with anything else. If you still haven’t tried this primer, you need to get to your nearest beauty store and purchase it right now.
Within the last year, I’ve given other primers a try, but none of them have nearly as much gripping power as this one does. I have incredibly oily skin—no matter the time of year—and this primer helps my makeup stay on all day. I specifically use the pink one that contains 4% Niacinamide because it’s actively helping my acne-prone skin and provides a strong barrier between my skin and the makeup.
The only con is still the fact that each bottle costs $10 and I go through one every two weeks. However, I’m totally okay with spending that cost for the level of amazingness that this primer has. If you do want to give this primer a try, which I totally think you should, it’s available at Walmart, Target, and Ulta locations.
#2 Brows
My brows are still some of the darkest, bushiest, and most uncooperative brows to ever exist and that means that I need a good brow gel to keep them down. Last time, my favorite product was the e.l.f. Soap Brow, but since then e.l.f. has released a new brow gel that has taken the top spot. That product is the e.l.f. Brow Laminating Gel, which is one of their best if I do say so myself.
What I like about this new product over the e.l.f. Soap Brow is that it has everything you need to ensure that your brows look good all day. It comes with a double-sided brush: one side dips into the actual product and the other side has two different combs to help shape your brows exactly how you want. Also, the gel in this product is a bit stronger than the other product, which is the most important thing for me when it comes to brow products.
However, unlike the e.l.f. Soap Brow, this product runs out a lot quicker. It’s only $8 which makes it worth it to me, but compared to the Soap Brow, I definitely find myself repurchasing the Laminating Gel more often. If this product sounds like one you’d like to try, it’s available at Walmart, Target, and Ulta locations as well.
#3 Setting Spray
This is a new category as well because last time I didn’t have a setting spray that I was exactly in love with. However, this summer, I was gifted an angel in the form of a setting spray thanks to the lovely Ulta employee that recommended it to me. That setting spray is the Nars Light Reflecting Makeup Setting Mist and it has truly changed my makeup game.
Like I mentioned earlier, my skin is so oily that no matter the weather, my makeup practically melts off my face after a few hours. It wasn’t until this setting spray that my makeup had stayed on for over 12 hours and I couldn’t believe how good it works. I fully believe that sometimes you need to invest in good products, and this is definitely an investment that I would recommend to anyone struggling with their makeup lasting all day. The bottle costs $36 for three ounces, which I completely understand might be out of people’s budget, but for me personally, it’s worth every penny.
The product applies on top of my makeup beautifully and it doesn’t harm any of the cream or powder products that I use prior to setting my face. It does have a slight coconut fragrance to it, so if you don’t like that be cautious. But, I kid you not, this setting spray has been the best shield to secure my makeup for hours on end.
You can find this setting spray at Ulta locations or on Nars’ website.
#4 Highlighter
Highlighter was not included in my previous article either, but I couldn’t see myself not adding my new holy grail highlighter since discovering it earlier this year. Thanks to Linsmakeuplooks on TikTok, I was introduced to Colourpop’s Super Shock Highlighter in the shade Flexitarian, and I haven’t used a different one ever since.
I love a good shiny inner corner and a cute tip of the nose highlight and this product does it beautifully. It’s the most perfect white champagne color with a lovely pearlescent glow to it. It takes even the simplest makeup looks to a whole new level with even the tiniest bit of product in key places on the face. And, one of the best parts of this product is its longevity. I’ve had mine for about six months and it’s nowhere near hitting the pan yet, which is insane for a powdered highlighter.
Not to mention, it only cost $9, which is insanely cheap for a product that lasts as long as this highlighter does. I highly recommend this highlighter, and it has six different shades so even if you don’t like Flexitarian, you might fall in love with another shade.
If you wanna try this highlighter out, it is available at Ulta locations.
#5 Blush
A year later and I’m still blush obsessed so it wouldn’t make sense to do this article without talking about blush again. Last time, I put Rare Beauty’s blushes in this category and while I still love these blushes, their price tag—$23 each—was not my favorite thing in the world. So, when e.l.f. dropped their dupes of the Rare Beauty blush, I was first in line to try it out. The Camo Liquid Blush, gives off the exact same results as the Rare Beauty blushes, but for only $7, which is quite a drop in price.
I love how there are so many shades of this blush, allowing for people of all skin tones to be able to enjoy this product. They go on so smoothly, are very pigmented, and give a beautiful glow to the skin, which I absolutely adore. My current favorite shades are Dusty Rose and Pinky Promise, but there are multiple shades that I have yet to try.
My favorite blush combo right now is Dusty Rose as a base and then setting it with Nars’ Orgasm powder blush. Some people might say that I have blush blindness but it is truly one of my favorite parts of doing my makeup, so it is very important to me to have great blushes in my bag. Once again, if you want to try this product out it is available at Walmart, Target, and Ulta locations.
I love makeup so much. I love how it is always changing, growing, and brands are constantly releasing new, fun products. It’s so beautiful for me to look back and see how I’ve changed in the past year and I cannot wait to see what’s different in 2025!