Great things came from 2016, but some were not so great and the same thing applies to the world of beauty too. Though these products did not work for me does not mean they cannot be someone’s Holy Grail product. I’ve tried many products throughout 2016 from the cheapest at the drugstore to spending up to $45 on a foundation. Viewing beauty as an accessory is the light in my life. It should not be looked as a job. Makeup is art.
HITS:
1. Too Faced Born This Way Foundation– $39
​
If you’re looking for a full coverage foundation without the weight of one, this is the perfect foundation for you. Now just a reminder, my skin is very much combination and does not favor the side of dry nor oily. Since this foundation is made for more combination to oily skin, I would highly recommend it if that is what you’re looking for. It wears beautifully on my skin for hours. I have even worked out with this foundation on (I know, yuck) but I come off the stair climber looking like I had just put it on. Definitely full coverage, but buildable if you need it to be.
2. Tarte Shape Tape Double Duty Concealer– $24
​
Not going to lie, at first I hated this concealer. I went from the lightweight, medium coverage of the Urban Decay Naked Concealer to this heavy-duty concealer and believe me, it was a shock. I thought it was far too thick at first and couldn’t blend it out exactly how I wanted to. After playing around with it and finally realizing how exactly I wanted it to cover, I fell in love. Now, I’m not saying this replaces the UD one because there is nothing that will ever come above that concealer, but, if you’re looking for a concealer that will cover everything, and I mean EVERYTHING, then this concealer is for you.
3. Tartelette 2 In Bloom Palette – $46
This palette, I’d say, is worth the investment. I use this palette everyday, not even exaggerating. It has the most beautiful neutral colors that are hard to find in most palettes, especially ones that are as pigmented as these shadows. You can create the simplest of everyday make up looks or even go for a dramatic red and brown smoky eye with this palette. I’ve used this palette for over 8 months and still have not hit pan on these shadows. Seriously great quality and great pigmentation. Tarte killed it with this palette.
4. Clinique Pretty Easy Liquid Eyeliner Pen– $19.50
When people ask me what my go to eyeliner is for the perfect wing, I always mention this onw. The precision brush makes it so easy to create the perfect dramatic or simple wing. Even if you are just a beginner and are looking to branch out with your makeup looks, I say go for this liner. As long as you have this eyeliner you can create the skinniest of lines or the thickest. It is beyond easy to control, which I love because I sometimes find that gel liners can be difficult to create a precise line. I use this liner every single day.
Â
MISSES:
- NYX Gotcha Covered Concealer– Â $5.99
The reason that this concealer is in my list of misses is because of the finish it gives. I had extremely high hopes for this concealer because I love NYX (it also didn’t hurt that it was a drugstore product). I am always looking for great drugstore products to dupe the high end products that I love. This concealer just did not sit well under my eyes. It left a dewy finish, which is great if you like the look of dewy skin under your eyes. Even when I set this with a powder it made my under eyes look extremely greasy which made this one of my misses for 2016.
2. Kat Von D Lock-It Setting Powder– $30
This is hands down the most disappointing product that I have bought that was high-end. Now, don’t get me wrong, I love Kat Von D and I also love the majority of her makeup line (check out Lolita, it is my go to lip color). I guess I had my expectations too high for this product. I use this product to bake under my eyes every day. Since it was thirty dollars, I am using all of it. The main reason that I just am not happy with this product is that it just sits in my pores and becomes really cakey around my nose. I find it better to apply this to the under eye and anywhere else you plan on baking with a damp beauty blender or beauty sponge. I let mine sit while I set the rest of my face and do my eye makeup. Once I’m finished with the rest of my face I will brush it away. To avoid the white cast it leaves on my skin and to avoid the settling around my nose, I spray the Urban Decay Naked All Nighter Setting Spray. This setting spray will remove any excess powder that may still be on your face.
3. L’ORÉAL Infallible Pro-Glow Foundation– $12.99
I wanted to love this foundation, I really did. I bought this to last me through the summer since it claimed to last up to 24 hours. I never got to testify if this foundation does last up to 24 hours because I couldn’t stand the way it looked on my skin. I thought that the glow finish would make me look dewy and highlighted for the summer, because who doesn’t like to look like a Victoria’s Secret model in the summer? However, this foundation was far from radiant and glowing. This made my skin look beyond oily. Just like the Kat Von D setting powder, this foundation settled in every pore and every crease in my face. I tried setting this with powder, but after an hour, the areas around my nose were back to looking oily, not dewy.
4. NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks– $6.99
I had very high expectations for these liquid lipsticks considering NYX’s Soft Matte Lip Creams are my favorite lip products on the market. This product just lacks pigmentation. How can you have a lipstick on that requires 30 layers of it just to show a slight pigment of color? I would love this product so much more if the pigmentation were there. But until NYX revamps this product, it is on my miss list.