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Ugh it’s been TOO LONG! I can’t even give you a reasonable explanation as to why this post is so grossly delayed other than… #babylife. Here’s the big thing though: as crazy as being a new mom is, I have no guarantees ( nobody does, I guess ) that I’ll ever have another little one again after what we went through for the first. So I’m enjoying it all. The cries, the laughs, the late nights, early mornings, sleep deprivation, cabin fever, endless laundry and mom buns all day every day. Not to say I don’t deeply miss the beauty blogging world – I do – but I’m taking my time. So here we are… finally getting to my 2018 beauty favorites! Thankfully, it was a stellar year for products so I’m real excited to share…
I’ve got 15 favorites for 2018… and after looking back, I realized I didn’t do many monthly favorites in 2018. Partially, this is because I was pregnant literally the entire year and didn’t wear makeup the first 3-4 months of the year because I felt like crap… then the next few months I was preparing for baby… and then the last few months I was again, feeling like crap about to go into labor lol.
I definitely need to get back into monthly favorites because I miss them! Anyways, here we go…
skin
Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter
Hollywood Flawless Filter is a hybrid primer, luminizer and almost tinted moisturizer product it truly innovative! SO many raved about it this year and it was sold out often for good reason. It gives a serious natural radiance to the skin that mimics Hollywood stars on the red carpet like no other traditional highlighter can. Find more on my blog post here.
Maybelline Superstay Foundation Liquid
Probably my favorite find of 2018… ok, this and the liquid eyeliner below. But the Maybelline Superstay liquid foundation is a drugstore gem if you like full coverage, long wear foundation with a semi matte finish. Some have messaged me saying it has irritated their skin, but FWIW, I have insanely sensitive skin and this hasn’t bothered me one bit. It’s been one of VERY FEW foundations that doesn’t break down on my nose after 10+ hours. You can see my foundation wear test on YouTube here.
Drunk Elephant D Bronzi
Another innovative product of 2018… this Vitamin D antioxidant serum with a bronze tint from Drunk Elephant! D Bronzi got me through the winter, spring and summer months with a healthy glow and helped match my face to my self-tanned body. The perfect serum to give a little color to your face without using self tanner or sitting on the damaging sun. So good! Learn more here.
Too Faced Born This Way Multi Use Sculpting Concealer
The beauty world LOVES Tarte Shape Tape concealer… except for those who found it too drying/cakey looking. Enter: Too Faced Born This Way Multi Use Sculpting Concealer. This concealer is nearly as good coverage as Shape Tape but with a much more forgiving, natural finish on the skin. You can see my Tarte vs. Too Faced comparison here.
Ole Henriksen Truth Serum
I was an avid lover of the Drunk Elephant C Firma vitamin C serum for a solid year. However, the price tag is steep and as a beauty junkie, I’m always trying new things. Shortly after Savannah was born, I switched it up to the Ole Henriksen Vitamin C serum and haven’t looked back. It’s lighter weight than C Firma (no oil) and includes Collagen to help plump the skin, as well as, brighten. I’m on my 2nd bottle!
Urban Decay Chill Setting Spray
Never one to think a setting spray is a necessity (I still don’t think it is), but if I had to say one really worked and is worth it for a special occasion and would work on multiple skin types, it’d be the Urban Decay Chill setting spray. Not sure what is it about the Chill version that I like more than the popular All Nighter, but I think it’s slightly more hydrating while still keeping makeup totally intact.
eyes
Urban Decay Born To Run Palette
Urban Decay knocked this palette out of the park! As much as I love(d) their OG Naked 1 and 2 palette, something about their formula always looked a bit muddy to me. The Born To Run palette includes literally everything you could want in shadows from neutrals to wearable pops of color in matte and shimmer finishes. I wore it nearly exclusively all summer and even for my maternity photos. Learn more about it in my review.
DoColor Liquid Eyeliner
I found this liquid liner pen on a total random Amazon shopping spree one day. Don’t ask me what made me order it but I did and I’ve ordered 3 of them since. I love this liquid eyeliner! It’s like the perfect hybrid of the Kat Von D and Stila liquid liner pens… but for about $5-7 and Prime eligible!
bareMinerals Gen Nude Eyeshadow Palette (4)
You truly can’t go wrong with any of these 6-pan, all-you-need eyeshadow palettes from bareMinerals. They’re priced fairly and the formula is exceptional. Intensely pigmented, blendable, never muddy and best of all… my favorite… all neutral shades in perfect mixes of mattes and shimmers. Loved reaching for these immediately after baby because they are compact and easy to use. My review with all swatches is here.
IT Cosmetics Superhero Mascara
A late to 2018 purchase for me after trying a mini in a makeup swap with my blogging buddy Lauren from Little Blushing Birdie, the IT Cosmetics Superhero mascara is a higher end mascara I think is worth it! It gives intense thickness/volume, sizable length and pitch black color that doesn’t flake or smudge all day long. This is not a subtle formula but I’m a big fan of bold lashes.
Profusion Siennas Palette
For the budget conscious, the Profusion Siennas palette got rave reviews and was $10 at Target! I’m not totally sure it’s still available, and I never got a chance to review it on the blog/YouTube because it came out shortly before I gave birth… but this particular Profusion palette is stellar. Consistent throughout (which is not the case for all Profusion products), this palette rivals all the super warm-toned palettes at Sephora.
Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat
For those that love the warm tone eyeshadow trend but don’t want 12+ shades in a palette, the Urban Decay Naked Petite Heat is a joy to use and wear. I love the all matte looks I get using this and it’s perfect for travel. I loved Naked Petite Heat SO much, that I gave the full-sized Naked Heat to my mom and kept this little guy.
lips
ColourPop Lux Lipstick
I picked up this lipstick in What’s Your Sign after hearing it get major love from my blogging beauty, Jasmine from The Jasmine Maria Blog. We both LOVE a good peachy nude and the formula of this $7 lipstick begs me to try more. The packaging is also super cute.
tools
Sephora Highlighter Brush 98
If I had an unlimited budget, I would purchase all Sephora makeup brushes because I find they have stood the test of time and have very clever shapes for makeup application. The Sephora Highlighter Brush #98 has been my EXCLUSIVE highlighter brush I used all 2018 and so far, all of 2019. It applies a good layer of highlight to the skin and keeps it to the upper cheekbones more so than a traditional fan brush would.
Sephora Concealer Brush 57
The Sephora concealer brush #57 is like if your ring finger was made into a brush. It gives the same sort of gentle blending, but saves your fingers from getting makeup all over them. Plus, the synthetic bristles keep the product where you want it – on your under eyes or on blemishes… not getting stuck on your skin.
Alright! That wraps it up… I hope you found this helpful and maybe even inspired you to try something new for 2019.
Let me know if any of these are your favorites, too, or what products were your faves in 2018. Maybe I need to give them a shot in 2019. 😉
Talk to everyone soon,
-Steffanie
