Best of Beauty 2018: The Makeup.

This post contains gifted items. I haven’t been paid to feature or review them and they are done so at my discretion. Any products that I have been kindly gifted are marked with a ‘*’. Further details can be found on my disclaimer.

Ok the fun part : all things makeup, colour and glorious-ness.My favourite new makeup from the year : stand-out products, the best colours and launches that lived up to the hype for me.

A huge launch for 2018 was the Benefit Bad Gal Bang and EVERYONE knew about it. Alongside a huge launch comes big expectations and I think a lot of people wanted to dislike this mascara maybe because they didn’t get invited to hang out on pink flamingos in The Maldives. I was ready to hate it, I really was.…..but it’s actually my favourite mascara I used this year and I will be re-purchasing it really soon as I’m trying to eek out more product and it’s definitely had it’s day. Mascara is a really personal makeup item and what works for one definitely may not work for another (lash type / length and even your eyelids will influence how a mascara works) but this one ticked all of my boxes and I really genuinely bloody love it.

MissLyn Brow Chicka Wow Wow* : Ridiculous name. Fantastic product. This has replaced my very much loved kat von d tattoo eyeliner which I have used for probably 3 years now as a brow ink. This was a product I got sent a good ol’ while back but I wanted to use up my KVD so only started using this a few months ago. I often have a problem with brow inks being too warm-toned (hence why I often use eyeliner in place of) but the no.6 shade is a perfect deep, cool brown. Easy application and it stays put. I’ve just had a look online and it has vanished off their website so it looks like they have been discontinued……..erm girl. I hope they are bringing them back.

Bobbi Brown Camo Luxe Palette*: I was shouting hard when this range came out from Bobbi Brown. It was and still is my favourite makeup collection launch of 2018. So many beautiful products, great camo/ khaki packaging and SO unexpected from Bobbi Brown. To be honest I liked all of the range which I tried but the palette was the stand-out for me and something I used more day-to-day than anything else because of the neutral tones and wonderful highlight. Full swatches and on-the-face can be seen right here.

IT Cosmetics CC+ Illuminating Cream*. It took me so long to try this base. I had heard for years that it was amazing and it was that one product I was like ‘yeaaaah I will buy it next time’ and I never did. IT cosmetics launched in the UK and I got sent a couple of bits including this and I’m glad it was as good as expected. Possibly my favourite tinted base / CC / BB cream I have ever used in my entire life and I don’t say that lightly. I use this pretty much EVERY…Single. Day.

Bobbi Brown Skin Long-Wear Weightless Foundation SPF15*: These full coverage foundation launched at the start of of 2018 and it’s still my go-to for a fuller coverage / going out makeup. It stays put on my combination skin and most importantly for me, it doesn’t LOOK full or cakey. Do have a look at my initial review about them here for the full deets and how it looks on the skin.

Barry M Liquid Chrome highlighter drops. I wanted to get these to do a dupe off with other liquid highlighting drops. These are the best high street ones that I have tried and I think they are really beautiful and affordable. The texture is quite thick but it allows you to only use a touch of product for a high-impact, glossy finish on your skin. If liquid highlighter is too runny it can then take off your foundation / powder that you already have on your skin, a problem I found wth the MUR ones.

Glossier Cloud Paint. Katie Jane Hughes made me do it. I know Katie from my Space NK days. Her Instagram is glorious-real-makeup and I’m so thrilled that it’s blown up and deservedly so. She was (and maybe still is?!) the global makeup ambassador for Glossier and this enabled me to try out some of the range. Some of it is a little hit-and-miss but the cloud paints are beautiful cheek tints and I’m 100% investing in some more colours this year.

 

PIXI MatteLast Liquid Lip Color*. I’m almost over the matte lip vibe but these are still clinging on in my makeup bag. They launched these liquid lipsticks with just 7 neutral shades and I was happy to see them add some additional, brighter shades later on in the year and the shade ‘Real Red’ is such a beautiful all-out glamour bright red. They do dry matte but they leave you with a bit of suppleness on the lips. They are really quick and easy to apply with cleverly shaped applicator and give a full coverage in just one swipe.

If you love the full coverage that liquid lipstick gives you but not the dry feels then the Buxom Cosmetics Va Va Plump Liquid Lipsticks* are the ones. I have been loving these. I would say they lean more towards a thick lipgloss/ laquer as opposed to liquid lipstick as we know it, so they give a tingly plump finish, that stay quite wet-looking. I also blot the colour down for a more stain-like finish so they are really versatile and the shade ‘Get It Lucky’ is my perfect blue-pink shade for day-to-day wear. Full swatches of the 20 shades are right here.

Urban Decay Born To Run Eyeshadow Palette*. The best eyeshadow palette that I think launched in 2018. I preferred it to the much-anticipated Cherry palette and found myself using it so much more. The textures of the shadows were soft, buttery and easy to blend, the colours were very ‘me’ and it’s just something that I used and will use most weeks.  Full swatches and 4 looks can be found on my post right here.

So there are my top 10 makeup products of 2018 : Can you spot any of your favourites here? Or maybe something that didn’t work for you – let me know in the comments below!