Best of 2014 Beauty Products

Happy New Year JFOG readers! 2014 is behind us and 2015 is here! I have finally completed my list of beauty favorites for 2014 and I sorted the products by categories. Here is what I absolutely loved in 2014:

Eyes

Lorac Pro Palette - I love this palette for my kit and for my personal use. If I could only own one palette this would probably be the one, which speaks volumes, as I am a major palette junkie! This palette has everything that is needed to create a full eye look for people of all complexions. I purchased this palette at Ulta. It is the only Lorac palette that I currently own.

Mac Rule eyeshadow - I also love this shadow for my kit and for my personal use. It looks amazing on everyone. It shows up as sort of a burnt orange color. Back in the day I used it as a blush as well! It is definitely a multi-use product!

Mac Orange eyeshadow - this shadow is beautiful on deeper complexions. I love it as a crease color for a bold eye. It is truly an orange eyeshadow. It is super pigmented and a little goes a long way!

MAC Goldenrod Eyeshadow - This color is very unique. I have never found a similar color in a different brand. Goldenrod could best be described as marigold or mustard. It is beautiful on most skin tones and especially gorgeous on deeper complexions. I didn't use it as much as I would have liked to in 2014 but I love it!

NYX white eyeshadow base - this base made all of my eyeshadows pop! A little goes a long way and you get tons of product in one container. The product is more likely to dry out before you can ever use it up. I purchased it at Ulta. 

NYX Jumbo pencil in vanilla ice - this pencil made for the perfect inner corner shadow for most of my looks for 2014. I bought it a while ago but I could not stop reaching for it in 2014. 

LA Colors Dramatilash kit - I purchased two variety packs of these lashes from Ross for about $5 each. They were amongst the most beautiful lashes that I owned in 2014. I am not so great at saving lashes so I went through these packs much quicker than I probably should have. I have to do better with preserving my lashes in 2015. 

 

Urban Decay Deep End liner - I threw on this turquoise liner with nearly everything in 2014! I always get so many compliments each time that I wear it and it makes my brown eyes pop. It enhances the most simple makeup looks and it is an effortless way to give the appearance that you put thought into your makeup look. I purchased this pencil in the 2013 Ocho loco set but it is sold individually at Sephora. 

Lorac Front of the Line liquid liner - this liner lasted forever and it made liquid liner extra easy to master! I love this liner! I purchased it with my Lorac pro palette set but it is available for individual purchase at Ulta. 

Complexion 

Kat von d lock-it tattoo foundation - I love this full coverage foundation. It lasts all day and stays matte without transfer or separation. I featured a full review in a past monthly favorites post. I wear the shade Deep 71. This foundation is exclusive to Sephora. 

Mac Pro longwear concealer - this is my holy grail concealer. I love the full coverage and anti-crease technology. I wear the shade NW40. (In MAC foundations, I typically wear the shade NW43) I repurchase this concealer each time that it runs out. 

Mac mineralize skinfinish  - I love to set my makeup with this sheer powder. I also repurchase this powder each time that it runs out and I use it in my freelance kit as well. It is light enough to set makeup without changing the color of the complexion, and it is buildable to use on its own as a sheer coverage foundation powder.

Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Topaz - this is the best highlighter that I have ever purchased. It is so finely milled that it melts right into the skin very seamlessly without creating texture on the skin, resulting in a natural sun-kissed glow. I purchased this highlighter at Sephora. 

 

Lips

Mac Nightmoth lip pencil - this lip pencil goes with nearly everything! I especially love it in fall and winter when I wear darker lips. I can pair it with nearly any color from red to purple!

Mac Magenta Liner - I wore this liner to death during the summer. It seemed to go with nearly every lipstick that I used. 

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment - I love using this lip moisturizer at night before bed, as it truly hydrates and softens my lips. It is pricey but it lasts a long time and it truly works. 

Tools

Sephora #74 contour brush - I love using this as a blush brush, though it is amazing for blush, highlighting, and contouring. I love multi-use tools!

Mac 224 blending brush - I love using this brush to blend my eye looks together. It makes blending super easy. 

Mac 217 crease brush - I can not function without this brush! It is amazing for applying shadow in the crease. It is useful in assisting to blend out shadow as it is applied (the brush practically does the blending for you).

Mac 239 lid brush - I love to use this brush on my lid, as well as to contour my eye with a darker eyeshadow. It works really well. It is dense so it is great for packing on color. 

Real Techniques Sponge - this was a holy grail in my kit and for my personal use in 2014. I own about 10 of them and I love them for blending out foundation and concealers, and creating a flawless complexion. This sponge works well both wet and dry and it is easy to clean.
 

Skincare 

Fresh soy cleanser - I have blogged about this cleanser multiple times! It is amazing for my sensitive skin. I purchased it at Sephora.
 

Bliss Lid & Lash Wash - this was one of the best things that I have ever purchased at Marshall's. I keep hoping that I will run across it again, but wishful thinking! When I am done with all of my eye makeup removers, I will definitely repurchase the Bliss eye makeup remover, as it is very gentle, yet effective. 

Vaseline Spray n Go - I love the convenience of this product. There is no excuse to skip lotion with this product, even when in a hurry!
 

Hair

Darcys Watermelon seed oil - I love this oil! It smells yummy and it is light, yet moisturizing. One bottle seemed to last forever and it was my absolute favorite hair product during 2014.
 

Fragrance 

Atelier Cologne Vanilla - I have never mentioned this fragrance on my blog because I don't even actually own it! I spray it at Sephora nearly every single day. Since working at sephora, my fragrance collection has started collecting dust, as most of the fragrances that I love are at sephora, and I see no point in depleting my supply each day when I have the privilege of trying different fragrances at work. I only fall in love with about one to two fragrances per year and I usually purchase those, as it is difficult for me to regularly find one that I love, so this is on my to-buy list! This fragrance is very unique and warm, as it smells like pure vanilla with notes of amber! I absolutely love it!

 

Thank you for continuing to read my blog. I look forward to a great year of lipstick and love in 2015! I would love to know what items made your 2014 favorites! Please leave feedback below. I love reading your comments!

December Favorites - Product Edition

Here are my favorite items from the month of December. This post is long overdue and it's almost time for January favorites. I have already started working on that post so that I'm not so behind next month. Nonetheless, enjoy!

Urban Decay Perversion Eyeliner - I purchased this liner as part of the Urban Decay Ocho loco set. I use this one most often. This is the perfect creamy, jet black eye liner. Perversion is pigmented, glides on smoothly and it is easy to use in both your water line and on your eyelid to create a winged liner effect if desired. This is one of the smoothest, most gentle liners that I own. Sometimes I even use Perversion in my crease area to add dimension to an eye look, as it blends easily. This product can be found anywhere that Urban Decay products are sold and it retails at $19 when purchased alone.

Mac Indigo liner - I received this liner as a gift from one of my Instagram friends. This eye pencil is perfect for your water line and I love it for everyday looks. When placed in the water line it shows up like a black shimmer, kind of like the Chanel stylo yeux eye pencil in black shimmer. It reminds me of the color navy blue, where you personally know the item is blue but it is not as obvious to others, making it the perfect way to slightly glam up your daily beauty routine.  I believe that this liner is discontinued, however, you can probably find this indigo eye pencil at your local CCO (Cosmetics Company Outlet). 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush - I love this brush for applying cream products. This is the only brush that I use to apply my Mac studio tech foundation, which I wear during the day. It helps me to blend the product seamlessly and it is super soft! If  I did not start building my brush collection with MAC brushes several years ago, I would have began with Real Techniques. These are quality, affordable brushes and I like most of their brushes that I own. Stay tuned for a full post about purchasing makeup brushes.

Elf Mineral Primer - for years Mac's Prep and Prime primer has been my go-to product. I discovered this ELF primer during my November haul and I have been wearing it with nearly every makeup look. It helps to prepare my face for foundation and helps to keep my makeup matte during the day. The product has a clear, serum-like consistency and it feels like a dry powder once applied to the skin. I recommend this product for oily skin types and for those with sensitive skin. I have very sensitive skin and in the past Mac's Prep and Prime was the only primer that I could wear without irritation, until I discovered this one. I am purchasing another bottle of this primer to add to my freelance makeup kit. 

Lorac Pro Front of the Line Liquid Liner - I shared with you guys back in November that I was looking for a liquid liner. I tried a few drug store products but I discovered that they dried out too quickly, had a brush that was difficult to work with, had formulation issues, irritated my eyes or just left much to be desired. This product came in the Lorac set that I purchased at Ulta during the holidays. I absolutely love this liner! Front of the Line is intense, dries matte (I hate wet formula liner), super easy to work with regardless of your eye shape or the size of your eyes. This product is for everyone, however, I specifically recommend this liner for ladies with small eyes, hooded eyes, sensitive eyes, and beginners who are afraid of liquid eye liner. 

Mac Nightmoth lip pencil - I have worn this liner with almost every single lipstick during the autumn/winter season. In the pic below, I paired it with Mac's Smoked Purple lipstick and it was a winning combination! I have used this liner with nearly every color from reds to pinks to purples to nudes. It is one of the most versatile lip pencils in my collection and if you are looking to start or expand your lip liner collection this one is a must have. You can look for dupes as well but Mac liners are the only ones that I prefer. I find that a lot of drugstore liners lack pigmentation and are not as creamy as Mac liners. Your lips are amongst the thinnest skin on your body, so be gentle with them and treat them well. I do not recommend that you cut corners by applying rough products that do not apply easily. I have an upcoming post about where to save and where to splurge when it comes to makeup products, so stay tuned. 

Mac Smoked Purple lipstick - When I posted a picture wearing this lipstick on Facebook and Instagram last month, I received several compliments and questions about where to purchase. This is a Pro product from MAC Cosmetics so it is only available at Mac Pro stores (we do not have a PRO store in Houston) or you can purchase it online at maccosmetics.com. This lip product goes on matte and I found it easy to apply. It is pigmented and it appears the same on your lips just as it appears in the tube, true to color.

Thank you for allowing me to download with you about my favorite products from the month of December! I hope that you found this review helpful. If you have any additional questions or comments please feel free to leave them below.