2020 Makeup Favorites
Every year, I post my list of makeup faves for the year. This year, I decided to mix it up a bit and post my faves in each makeup category for the year. I will still be doing my separate favorite eyeshadow palettes post so don’t worry! This post will be for all the other categories. Let’s go!
Primer
I didn’t try a bunch of primers this year. I used to swear by primer but this year has taught me that it’s not a completely necessary step in my routine. The one primer that has stood out for me is a hybrid between a serum and primer. Laneige Glowy Makeup Serum is the one primer I have been reaching for this year. And mostly when I am wearing a matte foundation. The texture is silky and lightweight and it gives a healthy but subtle glow to the skin under foundations.
Foundation
I have tried quite a few foundations this year. I tried three very popular foundations for the first time and they are tied for my faves of this year. One I really love for lighter coverage and the other for medium to fuller coverage. Armani Luminous Silk, Nars Natural Radiant Longwear, Urban Decay Stay Naked Foundation. I wore Armani Luminous Silk pretty much every time I did my makeup over the summer. And this fall and winter I have been loving the Nars and Urban Decay. So many people raved about the Urban Decay Stay Naked but I was reticent to try it as I have moved away from super-matte foundations. But I made an exception for this one and I’m so glad I did. It isn’t that old school-style of super matte, super flat foundation formula. The finish is more of a soft matte. The coverage is medium to full depending on how you apply it and it lasts all day . There is a reason that Armani Luminous Silk and Nars Natural Radiant Longwear are so popular. The formulas are amazing. What I love about the Armani is it’s skin-like finish. It doesn’t cover all imperfections but it gives the effect of “your skin, but better”. And the Nars is a sophisticated take on a full coverage foundation. It is not completely full coverage but can be built up. The finish is matte without being flat and it lasts on my skin all day.
Concealer
Like foundation, I tried quite a few concealers this year. Two have been standouts that I have been reaching for again and again. CoverFX PowerPlay Concealer was recommendation from a friend. The PowerPlay foundation was an OG fave of mine, but I hadn’t used it in ages. The consistency of the concealer is superior to the foundation IMO. It is creamy and sets nicely without being dry. I have been using it pretty much every single day and have really been enjoying it. The Shiseido Synchro Self-Refreshing Concealer is the other concealer that I have been loving. Which is ironic since I feel like the only person in the world who doesn’t like the foundation from this line. But the concealer is fantastic. It’s smooth, not too heavy and lays nicely under eyes.
Powder
This year I have really been trying to work through the plethora of setting powders I own. I have been concentrating on a powder for a period of time and then moving on to another. But may fave remains the same. I love my Too Faced Peach Perfect Setting Powder. I’ve spoken about both of this powder before, both are finely milled and lay on foundation nicely. Because I have oily/normal skin I tend to reach for matte powders to keep any excess oils at bay. The Too Faced works amazing for this without drying out the skin or making it too flat-looking. There is a reason why this powder is so popular and always out of stock.
Eyeliner
I loved colored pencil liners for my waterline and I feel I have become a connoisseur in ones that are great quality. If they don’t last on the waterline they are a wash for me. This year I discovered pencils that I really enjoy on the affordable and higher end of the spectrum. I have talked previously about the LA Girl eyeliners and I still highly recommend them, especially if you are on a budget. But one, or rather four, pencils knocked those pencils down to number two spot. They are the Charlotte Tilbury Eye Colour Magic Liner Duo Pencils. Charlotte released the pencils in spring of this year as companion pencils to the eyeshadow quads she released at the same time. I only bought one of the quads (I will talk about that in a separate post) but I bought 3 out of 4 of the pencils. What I love about them is that they are matte on one end and metallic on the other. The formula is creamy and pigmented and last all day on my waterline. I originally only purchased one of the liner duos and was so impressed by it that one that I ordered the other three. They have become staples in my collection that I reach for again and again.
Mascara & Lash Primer
I have been looking for a mascara to replace my favorite mascara, Hourglass Caution. I still love that mascara, but I am no longer supporting Hourglass so I needed to find a new fave. I went back to the Milk Kush Mascara for awhile, which I still love. But my current fave that I have been using lately and really enjoying is the Marc Jacobs At Lash’d Lengthening and Curling Mascara. It has mixed reviews on Sephora’s website, but I’m glad that I ignored those reviews and ordered it anyway. This is the mascara I am currently using and I have really been enjoying it. Most mascaras irritate my eyes - and this one is unfortunately no exception. BUT I love the lengthening effect and I have been pairing it recently with something that I never really felt was necessary to my routine but that I now love. A lash primer! I got a sample of the Dior Diorshow Maximizer 3D Lash Primer in an order and decided to try it. And it kinda rocked my world. Not only did it help make my lashes look fuller and longer but it works as a buffer between my lashes and the mascara and has helped lessen the irritation I get. I originally thought “Huh. Well I will just order a more affordable lash primer to use because they are probably all the same anyway”. NOPE. I ordered the L’Oreal Voluminous Lash Primer. And while it kind of plumped my lashes it did NOTHING to help with irritation. And so I went back to the sample to see if it was a fluke thing. NOPE. Now could I have tried a few other primers? Sure. But it didn’t make sense to me to spend money trying a much of different primers that may or may not work when I could just buy the one I know works. And it would probably come out cheaper in the end. And so that’s what I did.
Blush & Bronzer
I have tried a LOT of blush this year. If 2019 was the year of foundations, I feel like 2020 was the year of blushes. It seems like everyone and their mother released blushes this year. I had to think about what was truly a fave because I liked most of the formulas I tried. The blush that kept coming to mind was the Chantecaille Philanthropy Cheek Blush. Not only are the blushes beautiful with the gorgeous animal embossing and gold overspray, but they support a great cause. Each blush supports the conservation efforts of the animal they represent. My blush is the Bee (Emotion) blush. A gorgeous golden coral shade. If you love a shimmery blush this one is amazing. The blushes are expensive and the compacts are TINY. But I don’t mind the size since I have so many other blushes in my collection.
I was never a cream product kind of girl but the Fenty Cream Bronzers that were released this past Spring really caught my interest. I picked up two colors; Macchiato and Hunnie Glaze. I use Macchiato when I want a lighter more subtle bronzer and Hunnie Glaze when I want something a bit deeper. What I like about these bronzers are the ease of use. Most cream products can be fiddly to use. You can’t apply them over powder and they fade easily. I found that I could apply these over my setting powder and that they lasted as long as any of my powder bronzers.
Highlighter
I had two highlighters that stood out to me this year in a sea of basic champagne gold highlighters. First is the Rituel de Fille Alchemist Chimera Highlighter. This creamy highlighter is a gold highlighter with a gorgeous green shift. It makes you resemble a gorgeous otherworldly alien. And it works on lots of skin tones. This was the first product I ever tried from the brand and I am eager to try more products in the future.
The second highlighter on my list of favorites is the Kaleidos Makeup Space Age Prophecy Highlighter. This is the newest highlighter in my collection. I purchased it during Black Friday. But I love it so much that it was an easy addition to this list. Prophecy is a multi-chrome highlighter with a peach, pink, gold shift. This highlighter is STUNNING. It is not for the faint of heart as the glow it gives is not natural or subtle. But I’ve worn this on my cheeks and tapped on my eyelids and it created such a beautiful soft and yet glowy look. And to see the colors shift as you move your face in various lighting is mesmerizing.
Lipstick
Only one lipstick came to mind for the top spot for this year. Despite my having purchased an insane amount of lipsticks this year. I truly was a lipstick monster who couldn’t be stopped for a good chunk of time. This year I tried Lisa Eldridge’s Velvet Lipsticks for the first time. The first three I received as a gift. I immediately fell in love with sides, the formula and the overall aesthetic. And so when she had her yearly restock and launch of new shades in October I was all over it. I picked up an additional four lipsticks. One of them being a new shade, Velvet Dragon. Lisa describes it as a classic red. But it’s so much more than that. It is a red. But it’s also an orange. It’s bright. But it’s also muted. It’s classic. But it’s also so unique. I own a shit ton of lipsticks and this is a truly unique shade in my collection. And I’ve been wearing it whenever I want a bold lip. Not to mention that the matte formula is comfortable and lasts all day.
What were your makeup favorites this year? Let me know in the comments!
