Today I bring to you my favourite products of 2013 from a bunch of categories. This post promises to be a long one so let's get straight into it!
Best Hair Care
Favourite Shampoo and Conditioner
This one goes to Pantene Pro-V Classic Clean Shampoo & Conditioner. I've used this combo for years on and off and it has always worked well for my thick frizzy hair. It leaves my hair feeling smooth for days after it has been washed, and has a pleasant, if a little generic, fragrance.
Favourite Dry Shampoo
Despite the completely trashy name Girlz Only Haircare Dry Shampoo in the fragrance "Party Nights" is great both as a quick maintenance between washes and to add volume to flat hair. Add the fact that it has a really yummy scent and it costs around $2 a can and you have a winner in my books
Best Make up
Favourite Foundation
Though I don't wear foundation every day, or even once a week, I still have a definite favourite for when I do wear it, Covergirl's Outlast Stay Fabulous 3 in 1 Foundation + in the shade "buff beige". This foundation gives great coverage but is not at all cakey and blends really nicely, as well as being at the lower end of the price spectrum for foundations in Australia.
Favourite Concealer
It could be considered cheating but I have two favourites for this category. For concealing blemishes my go-to, holy grail product is the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in "Shade 1 - Fair". I bought this while I was in London in May and just to get across how much I love this concealer, I wish I'd bought 10 more tubes of it. While I love this concealer, for under my eyes, I much prefer the Rimmel London Match Perfection Concealer in the shade "040 Soft Beige. This concealer goes on creamy, blends beautifully and sets completely matte and flawless. Because it is a 2-in-1 concealer and highlighter, it brightens the under-eye area really well, hiding any dark circles left by late nights.
Favourite Mascara
If you'd asked me a couple of months ago, I, like many other beauty bloggers, would have answered Maybelline's Falsies, however for the last few months my definite favourite mascara has been Covergirl Clump Crusher and after going back and trying the falsies mascara just the other day, I can absolutely say I prefer Clump Crusher now. It delivers what it promises, clump-free lashes. After 2 coats this mascara is perfection without being spidery and fake-looking.
Favourite Eyeliner
Again for this one I have two answers, one liquid and one crayon/kohl. However, both are made by the same company, in the same range and that is Maybelline's Eye Studio with the two products being the Master Precision Liquid Eyeliner and the Master Liner 24HR Cream Pencil. I've been a long time lover of the cream pencil, ever since my fourteen year old self's slightly rocker/goth stage, now I just love it for its lasting power and added definition. The liquid liner is a new addition to my make up collection but I can already tell it lives up to its good reputation and has excellent lasting power with no smudges.
Favourite Eyeshadow
Urban Decay's Naked Palette 'nuff said.
Favourite Powder
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder is hard to beat in eliminating shine, plus it doesn't cake. I wear the shade "003 Peach Glow".
Favourite Bronzer
I am pale. Like, we're talking translucent here, so lots of bronzers look very muddy and dirty on me. For this reason, my pick for best bronzer is in fact a blush. The Maybelline Fit Me Blush in "Light Nude" is basically a browny pink, very sheer and easily blended, making it ideal for a subtle contour on my ghostly skin.
Favourite Blush
I don't wear blush very often as I have very rosy cheeks without any help, and I can only really wear blush when I'm wearing foundation, otherwise it just disappears into my cheeks. When I do wear blush, my pick for 2013 is the NYX Powder Blush in "Peach". It's a matte blush which I tend to prefer to shimmery ones. Very pigmented, a little goes a long way and it's a bargain at $9.95.
Favourite Illuminator
Without a shadow of a doubt (see what I did there?) my favourite illuminator/highlighter is the NYX Illuminator in Narcissistic this is an absolutely gorgeous champagne highlighter with gold sheen and looks so natural and lovely dusted on cheek bones. It has quickly become an absolute favourite in my make up bag.
Favourite Lip Balm
The Neutrogena Naturals Lip Balm. I professed my love for this one in my November favourites, basically its super-moisturising and heals chapped lips quicker than anything else I've ever tried.
Favourite Lipstick/Lip Colour
This was tough as I like a lot of lipsticks but I rarely get the chance to wear most of them. For its versatility and subtlety, I chose the Rimmel Kate Moss Lipstick in Number 16. It's a light peachy pink that goes well with my skin tone and the formula of the Kate Moss lipsticks is undeniably fantastic. Plus they smell really good!
Favourite Brush
My absolute favourite brush is the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush but I absolutely hate it for applying eyeshadow. Instead, I love this brush for applying concealer because it blends flawlessly in like, two seconds. Buy it!
Best Cleansing and Cleaning
Favourite Shower Gel
The smell of Palmolive Naturals Shower Gel Pink Grapefruit Splash is freaking amazing. Could legit sniff it all day. I use the stuff basically as body wash and shaving gel, it works well as both but mostly I just love it for the smell.
Favourite Makeup Remover
Y'all know Bioderma is god's gift to the world. Would never use anything else if I wasn't forced to by the sheer scarcity of this product in Australia.
Favourite Facial Cleanser
Back to things that smell incredible, we have Lush Let the Good Times Roll, a.k.a "the cleanser I want to eat with a spoon". This cleanser smells divine, is crazy moisturising and exfoliating, plus your face smells like a bakery once you've used it.
Favourite Body Scrub
Again with the Lush we have Aqua Mirablis. Best and easiest scrub ever. Maybe I'm just special, but I always seem to lose a lot of product with scrubs that come in a pot, in that little bits always drop onto the floor of the shower, so I find the bar form of this product very handy.
Best Moisturising Products
Favourite Face Moisturiser
This one has to go to Nivea Moisturising Fluid SPF 15 for many reasons. The first one being that it has protected my face incredibly well from the sun, for quite a few years now. Secondly, it doesn't break me out. I recently tried the First Aid Beauty moisturiser which I really loved the feel of, but I'm pretty sure it broke me out. Very faint smell and is quite water in consistency, as the name suggests.
Favourite Body Moisturiser
I guess I'm just a sucker for smells, because my favourite moisturiser the MOR Body Butter in Neroli Clemintine smells incredible. My favourite thing about this isn't its smell, but rather its super moisturising properties, and the best part? It doesn't leave you feeling oily or greasy.
Favourite Hand Cream
I think it's impossible to find a hand cream that doesn't make your hands feel greasy, but this hand cream does make that feeling worth it. I only ever apply Crabtree and Evelyn's La Source Hand Cream just before bed, by the time I wake up, my hands feel so smooth and moisturised, which is a miracle for my dry hands.
Favourite Dry Skin Saviour
The Lanolips brand makes a bunch of really great products but my favourite, and the best thing for super dry patches is their Golden Ointment. Not to get too into detail, but my nose gets super dry in winter, and really flaky as well, so basically every night during the cold months I would apply this stuff to my dry patches and it was really soothing. Plus it smells like carob chocolate!
Best Nail Products
I searched for months for a holographic nail polish and finally found it at Topshop in London. I love this, it's like, so nineties and futuristic and fabulous. Plus the formula of the Topshop nail polishes is really really nice.
Favourite Nail Polish Remover
Again, I searched for months for this sort of thing, it's basically a little jar with remover-soaked foam inside, and you stick your finger in and wiggle it around and it removes all your nail polish. It makes me actually want to change my nail polish colour because getting it off isn't such a drag. This one is the Instant Nail Polish Remover from Designer Brands.
Best Perfume
This Zara Perfume in Wild Orchid smells so delicious, and was really cheap as well. What more can you say about a perfume other than it smells good? Nothing, that's what.
So there you go, my favourites for 2013. It was a great year for beauty and a brilliant year in general. I hope all of you had a lovely year as well! Stay tuned for plenty for posts to come.
xx
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