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!

November Favorites

Hello JFOG readers! Can you believe how close we are to Christmas?! This year has flown by! And it is already time for me to share my November favorites! This will be my last monthly favorites post of the year, as my next favorites post will include my top products of 2014. So stay tuned! Here is what I enjoyed during the month of November:

NYX White Eyeshadow Base - I purchased this at Ulta a while back, as I read many positive reviews on Pinterest, so I decided to give it a try. I have tons of eyeshadow bases, and I feel that it is very necessary to have a wardrobe of bases, as eyeshadow bases and primers are not one size fits all and certain shadows work better with certain primers. With that being said, I reached for this one most often during October and November for vibrant looks. It makes the shadows appear more pigmented than if I were to use a standard primer. It retails for about $7 and you get plenty of product so it is worth a try!

Donna Marie Super Buttercreme - I have always loved this moisturizer. I have not used it in a while but I opened a new jar last month and it helped me to remember why it is perfect for winter. Firstly, it smells like cake frosting, and the smell does not linger! Secondly, it makes my hair super soft, and keeps it moisturized. Last, it can be used on wet or dry hair. I purchased it on Beauty by Donna Marie's website. A little goes a long way, the ingredients are clean, and it is worth every penny.

Sephora Collection Always Red 01 lip stain - I don't own many lip stains, but this is one that was on my must-have list for a while, and I would never remember to put it on my radar to purchase during my weekly hauls at Sephora. I finally bought it and I absolutely love it!! I think it looks amazing on anyone. It is a universal lip shade and a lot of clients at sephora tell me that it's a dupe for MAC Ruby woo but I don't prefer to compare them since one is a lip stain and the other is a lipstick. I will however say that it is very similar to Stila Besos lip stain. It lasts all day through eating and drinking, and it dries to a matte finish, without the matte feeling, as it is very comfortable. You can't beat the price of only $13, so I would say that this is a must-have for every girl who loves a red lip! I am wearing the lip stain in the picture below, paired with MAC Beet liner.

MAC Goes and Goes lipstick - I have slept on this lipstick. I have owned it for a while but I never wore it until recently. I could not stop wearing it during the month of November. I loved pairing it with MAC Vino Liner. This shade has been discontinued but it is similar to MAC Up The Amp lipstick or OCC lip tar in Rollergirl (available at Sephora). Below I am wearing Goes and Goes with MAC Vino. 

MAC Vino lip liner - this was one of my favorite lip liners during November. I paired it with nearly everything! I have a habit of pairing Nightmoth with nearly everything but I decided to lighten up a bit this season and use some of my other liners. My favorite combination was Vino and Kat Von D Vampira. Below I paired Vino with MAC Strong Woman (limited edition):

Kat Von D Vampira - the dark lip has been trending for the past two cold weather seasons. Vampira sells out almost immediately each time it is restocked at Sephora. The lip stain is beautiful and it looks great on most skin tones. The stain lasts throughout the day and it is also comfortable in spite of the matte finish. I purchased Vampira at Sephora. Below I paired Vampira and MAC Vino. 

Urban Decay Perversion Mascara - some days I don't have time for lashes, so I have to layer on the mascara. This mascara really gives me length, volume, and curl. It doesn't clump and it doesn't irritate my sensitive eyes. I usually pair it with Benefit They're Real mascara. Urban Decay Perversion mascara is available at Sephora. 

Benefit They're Real Mascara - this product has been hyped forever! It definitely is a cult favorite at Sephora. I avoided it forever because I did not like the plastic wand. I received it in gratis at work and decided to start using it when I ran out of my Givenchy mascaras and wanted to try a new one. They're Real lengthens and separates my lashes. I like to apply it before Urban Decay mascara. It makes my lashes look amazing, and if you know me, you know that I have short, tiny, struggle eyelashes!! They're Real mascara is available at Sephora. 

MAC Concealer palette in Medium/Deep - I have wanted this concealer palette for my kit for a while but I vowed to wait until I used up my Coastal Scents concealer palette, which I rarely use because the concealers aren't very creamy and are harder to work with. I decided to go ahead and purchase it, as my clientele is growing. The MAC palette is small, easy to carry, and has the perfect combination of creamy concealers in one palette. Previously, I only used my Coastal Scents concealers for brows, but the Mac concealers are so pliable that I use them for brows, foundation, highlighting, contouring, and color correcting. This palette was "everything" for the month of November! I purchased this palette at Mac Cosmetics. 

Dior Duo Express Instant eye makeup remover - described as "a non-oily eye makeup remover that quickly and effectively removes all eye makeup, even the most stubborn, waterproof mascaras". When I tell you that the description is facts! Those are facts!! This makeup remover even removes my lash glue! It doesn't irritate my eyes, as it is ophthalmologist tested and great for sensitive eyes like mine. I love it! I received it in gratis from work but this item is available for purchase at Sephora. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills Tamanna Palette - I am a palette junkie! So I was super excited to add this to the collection. My favorite thing about this palette is that there is enough range of colors to create an entire look using the palette alone. Most of us know that to be a rarity for palettes, but the social media beauty guru know as @dressyourface did an awesome job with selecting the shades for this palette. The color pay off is great and the shadows last all day. I created very quick and simple looks using the palette (as shown below) and the packaging is a nice size so I was able to throw it in my bag on days when I needed to do my makeup on the go. I purchased this palette at Sephora. The palette was limited edition but the colors are sold individually on the Anastasia website. 

Mac Stereo Rose Mineralize Skinfinish - I purchased this product at the beginning of 2014 because it was so coveted on YouTube after its 2012 release, that I just knew I had to have it. I had not seen many brown girls wearing it but I figured I could make it work. With hesitation, I purchased it in stores after the brown girl at MAC told me that it would make a beautiful highlight for me. After I got it I contemplated returning it, but I rarely return items to MAC, so I decided not to worry about it. I also noticed that it remained on the Mac website for months thereafter and I started to think that it was permanent. I said all of that to say that I slept on this highlighter! It is gorgeous. I really like it for holiday. It is a warm pink so it complements my complexion without appearing grey. I wore this several times during the month of November! Stereo Rose was limited edition and is currently unavailable at MAC, but there are several dupes listed all over the internet. 

 

Sephora Collection ultimate oil in gel lipstick remover - prior to using lipstick removers I used eye makeup remover to remove lipstick and lip stains, but I always questioned the safety of this practice. When one of my co-workers showed me Sephora's lip oil I knew that I had to try it. To use, I put a small amount of the oil on my lips and let it sit for about 30 seconds, usually while I remove my eye makeup, then I take a wet or dry cotton pad and remove the oil. It does the job regardless to if the cotton pad is wet or dry but a wet pad is more soothing. The oil removes all of the lip color while leaving my lips soft.  I purchased this lipstick remover at Sephora. 

Sephora Collection rose mask - This single-use mask promises to provide deep moisture and brightening properties through natural rose extract. The masks from sephora collection are dermatologist tested so they are great for girls and guys like myself with sensitive skin. Another plus is that there are no worries of the masks drying out before use, as they are very saturated with product within the packaging. After leaving the mask on your skin for 15 minutes, the directions state that you are to remove the mask and gently massage your face, allowing excess product to penetrate, and there is no need to rinse. My skin felt very supple, plump and hydrated after using the mask. I have others that I plan to try and I plan to follow up with a report of my favorites. The masks are sold individually for $6 at Sephora, and there is a variety pack available for holiday, where you get all 5 "flavors" for $24. 

Glamglow SuperMud Clearing Treatment - this mask promises to visibly draw out dirt and congestion with charcoal. I use this product once per week but it is safe to use 3 times per week, and it works. It helps with reducing texture on my skin and it zaps active breakouts. I have a lot of "under the skin acne" on my forehead, and while it does not noticeably clear that issue, it definitely contributes to leaving me with smooth skin. This product is available at Sephora. 

Soap and Glory Rich and Foamous Body Wash - contains raw flower honey, almond milk, and skin conditioners to moisturize the skin while cleansing. The fragrance is described as almond oat and brown sugar. It reminds me of a warm vanilla sugar scent and I absolutely love it! It's creamy and it leaves my skin soft, clean, and smelling yummy. I purchased this body wash at Sephora. I took the pic below in front of one of my grandmother's old portraits. I love the way it looked!

I hope that you enjoyed reading my monthly favorites as much as I enjoyed sharing. If you have any questions or comments please leave them below. I love to hear from my readers and I appreciate you all!

October favorites

I am getting back on track with posting my monthly favorites on a regular basis as I absolutely love product reviews! So here is what I fell in love with during the month of October:

Algenist Genius Ultimate Anti-Aging Melting Cleanser - described as a melting cleanser that gently removes impurities including all traces of makeup while enhancing radiance to the skin. This cleanser definitely delivers. I use it as a makeup remover before I use the Fresh Soy cleanser. I find that after I cleanse and when I start to tone I'm not left removing makeup with my toner because it's already gone! I purchased this product at Sephora.

Fresh Soy Cleanser - I featured this product in a past "products I've used up" post and at the time I noted that I liked the cleanser but I didn't find it effective. Well i repurchased it and I'm glad that I gave it another shot because it's amazing! It's gentle so I can use it twice daily without my skin becoming dehydrated. It's safe to use to remove eye makeup and it leaves my skin clean. I purchased this cleanser at Sephora.

 

Shiseido Facial Cotton Pads - I love these pads. I use them to remove my eye makeup, lipstick, and to apply my toner. These pads never tear or shed and they don't leave lint on my face like regular cotton pads. I purchased these pads at Sephora.

 

Sephora collection jumbo liner in matte brown - I featured this pencil on my Instagram last month. It is a close dupe for Bite Beauty matte crayon in Cognac & Lime Crime lip stain in Salem. It is intended to be used as an eye pencil but since the label does not warn against using it for lips, I approve! It lasts all day without budging and it is completely matte. 

Sephora collection jumbo liner in matte purple - I also featured this pencil on Instagram last month. It is similar to Pretty Zombie Cosmetics lipstick in Three Witches. It also lasts all day & stays matte. I get tons of compliments each time I wear it and when I wear it to sephora nearly every client wants to buy it. 

Boscia Cool Blue Calming Mask - Claims to cool, calm, & Moisturize the skin utilizing anti-inflammatory agent sea whip, soothing willow extract, & moisturizing ingredient aloe Vera. This mask delivers on its promises. I have used it when my skin was completely irritated or reacting to an unknown irritant and it instantly soothed my skin and calmed the redness and itchiness. I apply it and leave it on for about 25 minutes before peeling it away, and rinsing the leftover residue. I am left with calm & moisturized skin & I absolutely love it. This mask is available for purchase at Sephora and I think it is perfect for any season. 

Algenist Algae Brightening Mask - this mask claims to gently exfoliate, brighten, smooth and hydrate skin. I found that it does leave my skin feeling smooth and looking radiant after using it. I use this mask after washing my face and just before bed. The smell of the sea kelp reminds me of a cucumber melon fragrance, it smells delightful! This mask is available for purchase at sephora. 

 

Have you tried any of these products? Feel free to comment below. If there is anything that you would like me to specifically review please comment below or email me at jarfullofglam@yahoo.com. As always I thank you for reading and stay tuned for future posts!