I didn’t realize what a good year 2018 was for beauty until I rounded up all my favorites and realized I had a whopping 21 items – and that’s with me trying to make cuts! However 2018 was not all rainbows and unicorns , I am a big mascara junkie and only have one mascara on the list this year. Hopefully, 2019 is better to me in the mascara category. Now, this is going to be a long one, so grab a cup of tea, coffee, wine, whatever your drink of choice is, and let’s dive in to my favorite 2018 make up products.

Primers

Glossier Priming Moisturizer – I only discovered my true love for this primer a few months ago when it got really cold and I was in desperate need of a really moisturizing primer that helped foundation go on smoothly to my alligator skin. I was noticing dry patches all around my face which my foundation really emphasized, so I knew I needed to get a primer that really hydrates the skin and smooths out those dry patches. Honestly, if you aren’t into a full face make up or using a foundation, you can even use this just as a moisturizer for everyday use (everyone loves a multi-tasker!).

Pros: Cost Effective, No scent, great for sensitive skin

Dr.Brandt Luminizer Primer – The primer I’ve been reaching for all year. Doesn’t pill up with any foundation, adds a healthy looking glow to your skin and don’t need too much of it for it to do its job. It is a bit pricey, as are all Dr.Brandt products but  it’s a high quality item. I’ve literally used it under every single foundation I own and it has worked with all of them. I would highly recommend for those who like a radiant finish to their foundation.

Pros: Easy to Use, Versatile

BB Cream

Dr.Jart Premium Beauty Balm – I brought this on my vacation to France and this was the only face product I ended up wearing. This had so much coverage that I was able to skip concealer. This also has SPF 45 which allows you to skip one more step. This applies like a dream – no dry patches visible, just a smooth application. The one problem with this product is the shade selection, or really, lack of one. But this does blend and match more skintones than you would think (me and a friend who have very different skintones use the same shade. She has a pink base and is much paler then I am, while I have a somewhat yellow undertone). This is the only BB cream I need on my vanity. It’s also coming on every vacation with me from now on.

Pros: Easy to use, multi-tasker, great coverage

Foundation

Lancome Teint Idole Foundation Stick – I received this in an Influenster package full of Lancome items. Honestly, I was always intimidated by Lancome because it seemed like a very mature brand, usually one my mother uses,and also the price point wasn’t exactly affordable. But after I tried this foundation stick, I was sold. This was the best match for my skintone I’ve ever found in a foundation and this makes your skin look so natural: you’ll be getting compliments all day long while wearing this. The stick lasted a lot longer than I would have expected, but it definitely goes faster than a liquid foundation. I used an oval or a kabuki brush to apply this and that seemed to give me the best finish with this foundation. It comes in many shades which is a definite plus. It’s inspired me to try out more foundation sticks too, so if you have a recommendation, leave it in the comments and maybe it’ll be a 2019 favorite for me!

Pros: Color Match, finish

Concealer

First Aid Beauty Avocado Concealer – This is actually a pretty recent discovery for me but this concealer has since replaced all other concealers that I’ve been using. This is a lightweight but full coverage concealer that does an amazing job covering any dark circles or anything else you’re trying to hide without looking cakey. I know everyone is obsessed with the Tarte Shape Tape concealer but I find that I prefer something a little lighter, like this one.

Pros: light-weight, Coverage, Dark Circle Remover

Eyebrows

Nudestix Eyebrow Stylus Pencil and Gel – The perfect brow product for travel. This is a two-sided product – one side having the actual eyebrow crayon and the other having the brow gel. I will say, the brown shade of this product has a bit of a reddish tint, so watch out for that but this gel is no joke and will set your eyebrows in place for hours. If you’re looking for a multi-tasking product, this is a great one.

Pros: Multi-tasker, great for travel

Chella Eyebrow Cream – I received this in a Boxycharm a few months back and have almost completely switched over to using this over my eyebrow pencils. I think this leaves you with a more natural looking brow which is not what I would have expected at all! This is an interesting product because it has a brush on one side of the tube and on the bottom. So, you take out the little cap which contains the actual brow product and use the brush to apply. The brush makes for really easy application and the brow product itself is very creamy and easy to work with.

Pros: Easy to use, Original packaging, natural looking

Palettes

Natasha Denona Mini Star Eyeshadow Palette – I told myself I was never going to buy a Natasha Denona palette because I refuse to spend over $100 on an eyeshadow palette but then, during the VIB sale, I came across this mini palette and decided I should at least try this one out to see what the hype was about. The hype is there for a reason – these eyeshadows are amazing. Super pigmented, super buttery, easy to blend, easy to apply, stay on for hours – I can go on and on. I still refuse to get the full sized palettes, but I’ve since purchased another mini palette and might stock my collection with those.

Pros: Easy to Use, Easy to Blend, Super pigmented

Tarte Aspyn Ovard – This was a palette that drew me in because of the perfect blush and highlighter shades and the metallics. Oh, and the packaging is absolutely gorgeous. The shimmers in this palette were perfect for your inner corner highlight and an all over shade if you were looking for a very bright eyed look. The mattes were also perfect for transition shades and the crease shades so I knew there were a ton of every day looks that I can create with this palette. Also, did I mention this might have the most perfect blush color of all time? It’s nice to have a palette that has a blush, highlighter and eyeshadow colors too because of how easy it is to travel with something like that. Unfortunately, this product is no longer available since it was limited edition but it wouldn’t be a 2018 Best of Beauty for me without mentioning this palette.

Pros: Great for travel, versatile

Tartelette in Bloom – My new go to every day palette. I know I just mentioned not being real familiar with Tarte palettes until I tried the Aspyn Ovard palette but I believe that other palette was what made me curious about Tarte’s shadows. This one is a combination of shimmers and mattes as well that is literally perfect for every day and is more compact so it’s great to travel with as well. This has every transition shade and every crease shade you’ll ever need for a natural smokey eye, dark smokey eye, whatever kind of smokey eye you might possibly want. The shadows are also easy to work with and easy to blend. This one is a best seller of Tarte’s, so it won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

Pros: Great for travel, bendable, smokey eye staple

Alamar Cosmetics Reina del Caribe Vol I – I received this in a Boxycharm as well but if I didn’t, I would have bought this palette on my own. I had to see if the swatches I was seeing on Instagram actually looked like that in real life. And they did. This is the most pigmented, incredible eyeshadow palette I’ve ever used. The shimmers/metalics in this palette are out of this world and I can’t wait to pick up the Vol II palette that recently came out as well. It’s always fun to support smaller brands!

Pro: Pigmentation

Urban Decay Born to Run – This is the palette that took over in 2018. Everyone was obsessed with this palette but for good reasons. 1) there are a ton of shades and colors (green, check, mauve, check, golds, check, greys check, check check!) in this palette and you can create any type of look you can imagine with it 2) the quality of the shadows speaks for itself 3) the packaging is pretty awesome and 4) Urban Decay never disappoints with eyeshadow palettes. All you need to do to convince yourself to buy this palette is go to Ulta or Sephora and swatch it for yourself. You’ll be walking out as a proud owner of this palette. Trust me, I have already gotten a few friends obsessed.

Pros: Color Variation, Pigmentation, Boundless Looks

Individual Shadows

Sephora Matte Individual Shadows – I was on the hunt for individual shadows to use as a transition shade because I was sick of constantly reaching into the same palette just for one color alone. I have tried Sephora’s individual shadows before and while I wasn’t crazy about the shimmers, the mattes have always been good to me so next time I was there, I picked up the two shades: Coffee Break and Mocha Latte – . I use Coffee Break for more cool toned looks and Mocha Lattefor more warm toned ones. These have been working out great for me when I’m working with other individual shadows or am using a palette that doesn’t have a good transition shade. Plus, it’s much more affordable to use these up than replacing a whole palette.

Pros: Price Efficiency

Stila Liquid Glitters – I know these didn’t come out in 2018 and I didn’t even buy them in 2018 but this was the year that I reached for these glitter shadows on every special occasion. These just up your make up look by 100% and are so fun to play around with. I bought a kit with a few colors and now have a glitter to go with any kind of look that I want. These last forever too so they’re a good investment. For those not familiar with these liquid glitters, they come with a doefoot applicator (but I usually scrape the color off with a synthetic tight packed brush) in lipgloss looking tubes and pack quite a punch when it comes to making your eyes sparkly. I love these things.

Pros: Fun, long-lasting

Blush

Laura Geller Baked Blush in Tropic Hues– Another Boxycharm winner. This baked blush also illuminates your skin so you can skip the highlighter. It gives your cheeks such a pretty rosy glow and doesn’t emphasize any kind of texture. A little goes a long way though so keep in mind that this is super pigmented and use a light hand. This compact is huge too, so I have a feeling this will be in my collection for years to come.

Pros: Great Texture, Easy to apply, large amount

Pretty Vulgar Blush in Hush Blush– 2018 was the year I discovered Pretty Vulgar. This brand has literally the cutest packaging ever and all the products I tried from them, I was into. My favorite was this blush. The shade is literally perfect ( a mauve dusty rose mix) and this actually stays on my skin unlike almost all other blushes. A little goes a long way, again, so be careful when applying.

Pros: Perfect Shade, long-lasting

Eyeliner

NYX Vivid Brights – I wanted an electric blue liquid eyeliner so I picked this one up and holy pigment ! This eyeliner won’t budge, is pretty easy to apply (which is important since you’re working with bright colors) and makes your eye look so much more fun. Also, it’s NYX so it’s very affordable. I am going to look into getting more colors from this line. My favorite way to use this was paired up with blue mascara as well. You’ll definitely turn some heads with that one, so use with care :P.

Pros: Pigmentation, price, application

Mascara

Lancome Monsieur Big – As I mentioned earlier, for being a macara junkie and trying out many mascaras, I was not impressed in 2018. This mascara though, was one that always lived up to expectations and always lengthened my lashes when needed. It also has lived way past its recommended expiration of 3 months but it’s not dry at all and still doing great so I’m going to break that rule and keep using it for now. This is a very wet mascara and will volumize and lengthen so if you want vavavoom lashes, try this out.

Pros: Volumizing, long-lasting, dramatic

Lips

Bareminerals Gen Nude Liquid Lipstick in Swag – My perfect shade of mauve in a perfect formula. The Bareminerals matte liquid lips are everything liquid lipsticks should be – comfortable, malleable (aka once you apply it, you can still fix the situation) and long wearing. The shade “Swag” was my jam this year and will continue to be re-purchased by me over and over again. Also another one that works for people of all coloring, my afermentioned pale pink-toned friend uses the same one and is her favorite nude too!

Pros: Comfortable, long lasting, perfect nude

Colourpop Lippie Stix in Aquarius – This one was a late discovery for me even being with being in my lipstick drawer for most of the year. When I first got this at the beginning of the year I wasn’t impressed for some reason but then pulled it out a couple months later and started using it all the time. Colourpop lippie stix are my favorite as they’re super affordable and long wearing and have a million color options. Some other colors I love include “Oh Snap” and “Lumiere”.

Pros: Long-lasting, affordable

Setting Spray

So Natural Powder 4 Room Setting Spray – I picked this up at Riley Rose knowing nothing about this setting spray and have been obsessed now for 4-5 months. This has the perfect nozzle and delivers the most perfect mist, makes your skin look radiant while melting your make up into your skin flawlessly and the bottle will last you a long time which is always a plus. This stuff is the bomb.

Pros: Application, finish

Let me know if any of these products made your 2018 favorites list as well and tell me what products you loved and discovered last year! I would love to try out some new things and make for a more beautiful 2019. Next up – by popular demand, the best skincare and hair products of 2018!

Happy New Year!

As always, thanks for reading!

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