Hello my beauties! Boy does it feel good to be sitting down to write this post. I’m sorry I’ve been MIA for so long but just as I joined Amazon, we hit Peak season so I was working 60hr weeks from Black Friday to the day after Christmas. I just didn’t have the energy to do anything on my two (which are usually three) days off. Now that things are back to some sort of normality, I am hoping to be posting at least once a week. Or, at least try and start there. I’ve got a shiny new blog/YouTube planning planner and I’m already filling it up! I hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas, if you celebrate, or that you had a wonderful holiday all the way around. I hope everyone is safe and happy and well. Today’s post is going to be about my favorites from the year of 2020. I was going to do a video but I had no clue where I would put everything I wanted to talk about! So, blog post it is! This post is mainly makeup with some perfume thrown in. The products are a combination of high end and drugstore priced products. If you would like to see my hair, nails, and skincare products I’ve loved this year just wait, it’s on its way! We’ve got a lot to talk about so grab a drink and a snack and let’s jump right in!

BASE

Let’s start with our base products. I have three face primers I want to tell you about and one eye primer. The first face primer I want to tell you about is the Becca Backlight Priming Filter which you can find at Sephora and Ulta for $39. At first I wasn’t sure I was going to like it because at the time I thought I had oily skin (turns out I’m combination) but it actually made my skin look so beautiful. It gave the slightest glow to your complexion and it really helped my foundation lay down and look nice. The other high end primer I want to tell you about is the Milk Hydro Grip Primer which you can find at Sephora for $30. The one pictured above is the mini version I’m trying to use up but I do have the full size waiting in the wings. You do have to watch which foundations you use with this primer, I have found out, because sometimes when you’re putting concealer on top you can pick up some of the foundation and primer. It has only happened to me once but it’s something to be aware of. Next are two drugstore primers, and they’re from the same brand! The face primer is probably one you already know a lot about, the E.L.F. Poreless Putty Primer (the original). I had this last year but really didn’t get into it until this year and I am really impressed, especially with the pricetag of only $8. I really love putting this in my T-Zone, where my pores are largest and then I take another primer and put that over the rest of my face. The last primer is an eye primer and it’s one I bought on a whim, it is the E.L.F. Putty Eye Primer and it’s in the shade white. I’m glad I didn’t read the reviews until after I got it because then it had horrible reviews on Ulta, they’re still not all amazing but it is better. This primer comes in a glass jar and costs $5 and you have four shades to choose from. I went with white because I feel that it makes my shadows more vibrant. Anyway, I’m glad I read the reviews after I tried it the first time because I absolutely ADORE this primer! My eyeshadow doesn’t crease, it stays all day, the white color makes my shadows appear more vibrant, and applying it with a finger means that you can be sure you get it right where you want it to go. All of these I say, don’t take my word for it and try it yourself you could be pleasantly surprised at what you find you like (especially if you weren’t expecting to like it!)

FOUNDATION

I definitely have an array of foundations, and foundation type products, for you today. Let’s go from left to right. First up we have my only high end foundation product and that is the Dr. Jart+ Premium BB Beauty Balm in Light to Medium and you can find it at Sephora for $39. This is probably my favorite BB cream from the year, closely being followed by Colourpop’s BB cream. I use this when I am in a bit of a rush in the morning and don’t have time to do a full face of makeup. There are three different shades and I have the lightest. It looks a tad dark when I pump it out but once sheered out it looks just fine. For high end BB Creams, this is my number one. The last three foundations I’m going to share with you are all drugstore prices. First up we have the Colourpop Pretty Fresh foundation in Fair 20N which you can get on their site or at Ulta for $16. This is a more lightweight foundation so more of your natural skin shows through. I love how it applies, it blends in so nicely and looks very natural. I always top it with a powder but a touch of dewiness still comes through, which I don’t mind. Next up is a foundation I’m am bound and determined to finish, not because it’s bad but because I really want to finish a foundation. I’m talking about my Maybelline Superstay Foundation in 110 Porcelain. You can get it at Ulta for $11.99. I love how full coverage this foundation is and that it still allows my skin to breathe. It isn’t cakey, like many drugstore full coverage foundations tend to be. It blends out pretty easily and is something I have consistently used throughout the year which is why I’m so close to finishing it. I never take it out of my weekly makeup box! The last foundation I want to share with you is the NYX Stay Matte but Not Flat Powder Foundation in the shade Ivory. You can find it at Ulta for $9.50. I don’t have the greatest skin, so I tend to steer clear of powder foundations because they don’t give much coverage in my opinion. I tried something new, to me, over the summer and that is I would just apply concealer where I felt I needed it, blended it out, and then I would go over my whole face with this NYX foundation and I loved the result! I’ve also started using it over my BB Cream or Tinted Moisturizer when I feel that I don’t have the coverage I want. I am pleasantly surprised with how much I love this product. As you can see I’ve hit major pan in it. I am considering repurchasing it when I go to try something new, I love it that much!

CONCEALER

There were really only two concealers that I had enough time with this year to say that they are hands down my favorite of the year. I am talking about the Revolution Conceal and Define Full Coverage Concealer in C1 and C3. You can get this concealer at Ulta for $7. They have a massive shade range, so you’re bound to find something that will suit your needs. I’ve had to replace my C3 twice and my C1 three times this year because I use it that much. The foundation itself is creamy but not oily and it blends out nicely with a beauty sponge. I bet it would blend out nicely with a brush, too, but I’ve never tried that. If you’re looking for a good drugstore concealer, this would definitely be one to check out!

POWDER

There are two powders that I’ve used consistently this year and they are both on the higher end of the price spectrum. The compact powder I’ve been using non stop this year is the Urban Decay All Nighter Waterproof Setting Powder which you can get at Ulta or Sephora for $34. It only comes in one shade, translucent, but in the pan it looks really tan and peach but it works well with my fair skin soooo. I got this for the purpose of review from Influenster and I’m so glad they sent it to me. This powder is amazing, it definitely holds up to the claim of being ‘Waterproof’. This helped my makeup hold up when it was so hot this summer and I was walking Henry every day. I like to use a big fluffy brush with this powder because I find it distributes the powder more evenly. The second powder is a loose powder and it is the Fenty Pro Filt’r Instant Retouch Setting Powder in the shade ‘Butter’. You can get the full size from Sephora for $32. I have really loved to use this powder to set my under eye because it looks quite natural but I also love to bake with it. The powder is finely milled and once you put it on, you can’t really tell if you’re wearing powder or not.

BLUSH

Next is blush and for that I have three, well actually four. The first on is the Colourpop Pressed Powder Blush in ‘Love Story’ which I got from their site for $10 but right now it’s marked down to $7.50. I will admit that this is a newer product to my collection but ever since I received it, I haven’t been able to put it down! I usually am not too keen about more ‘nude’ shades of blushes but for some reason this one spoke to me and I have fallen in love with it. There is quite a bit of shimmer running through it, but not big hunks of glitter or anything like that. It applies so nicely and you can build it up if you want a more intense look. If you’ve been reading me for a while, you’ll know how much I love Colourpop and this product is no exception. Next up is the Cover FX Monochrome Blush Duo Matte+Shimmer in ‘Mojave Mauve’ which I got at Ulta for $38. This palette has two blushes in it, one matte and one that has a bit of a sheen (they say shimmer but to me it’s more of a sheen). You can use them on their own, which I do, but I also really like to layer the two with the sheenier of the two just going onto the apples of my cheeks. It’s a great palette for fall but because it is a lighter mauve it can work for spring too, in my opinion. The powder itself is quite soft but not so soft that it will break if you look at it wrong. It blends nicely into the skin and if you accidentally add a bit too much it’s pretty easy to blend out and you can then soften it with a sponge. The last blush I want to show you is the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in ‘Glisten’ which you can get at Ulta for $29. The description online calls it a “shimmering peachy pink” which I will wholeheartedly agree with it. It has a lot of sheen and shimmer and the color is just perfect. I have been able to make this blush work for all seasons. That, and I don’t tend to follow color trends to closely! It is exactly what I have come to expect from my Tarte blushes. This one lasts a long time and doesn’t really budge. I do have to remember to use a light hand when applying it because it is so highly pigmented.

HIGHLIGHTER

Ohhh highlighter, probably my favorite makeup product just below eyeshadow. I tried to have an equal amount of drugstore and high end when it came to this category, the hard part was narrowing it down. First is the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector in Vanilla Quartz (mini) which you can find full size at Sephora for $38. The shade itself is a light gold with a slight pink shift. I find that this highlighter is good for everyday and glam occasions. Next is a drugstore pick, the Essence Pure Nude highlighter in 10 Be My Highlight. I got mine at Ulta for $4.99. This is a perfect highlighter for those days when you don’t have time to be precise or when you just want something a lot subtler than the usual blinding highlights we wear. It would be a great product to wear to work and meetings especially. The last high end highlighter I want to share with you is the Fenty Beauty Killawatt highlighter in Lightning Dust and Fire Crystal. I absolutely adore this duo because one side is not super sparkly but gives a beautiful ‘lit from within’ kind of look but the other side is for when you want your highlight to be like, BAM! I don’t find that there is a lot of kick up with these powders and that it goes and stays right where you put it. Finally, the highlighter that is probably my favorite- this is my second one! I’m talking about the Maybelline Master Chrome Highlighter in number 250 ‘Molten Pearl’. Initially this was a limited edition shade but I was pleased to go into Ulta and see it back on the shelves. I got mine for $9.99. It’s a gorgeous highlight, and is especially good on fair skin. You can do just a light layer and have that candlelit look or you can do a few layers and look like a stunning beacon of light! The powder isn’t very ‘dusty’ (for lack of a better word) and I feel that it doesn’t look powdery on the skin in anyway. This is my favorite drugstore highlighter hands down. Definitely check it out!

BRONZER

Before this year I rarely, if ever, used bronzer. I just didn’t like how it looked on me. Yet, after watching tutorials and Allie Glines’ videos, I decided to try it and, while it’s still not my favorite, I like bronzer much more than I used to. The drugstore bronzer I love the most is the Wet n Wild Coloricon Bronzer in ‘Palm Beach Ready’. This works great with my fair skin and isn’t orange on my skin. There is a good bit of shimmer in it, which I don’t mind. There aren’t any glitter particles, just fine shimmer. I got mine at Ulta for $5.49. If you’re looking to get into bronzer but don’t want to spend a ton until you know you like it, this is a great one to start with. The second bronzer is a more recent purchase that I can’t put down. I got the Becca Sunlit Bronzer in ‘Bali Sands’ from Sephora for $38. This has more of a natural, sun kissed glow effect on the skin. It’s not as shimmery as the Wet n Wild one but there is still a nice sheen and glow about it. This powder is so soft, it glides onto my skin effortlessly and looks natural. I’m in love with both of these, I think both are definitely worth checking out!

BROWS

For brows, I tend to stick to the same styles or products. I love pencils and powders but this year I also tried a pomade. I’m still learning how to best use it but I still have two other products to show you. The brow pencils I have been loving is the L’Oreal Brow Stylist Definer in ‘Dark Blonde’. I got mine at Ulta for $8.99. I picked this up when I ran out of my Benefit Precisely my Brow and I was pleasantly surprised when I started using it, how much I really loved this new pencils. It’s not super waxy but the color goes down nicely and the shade, Dark Blonde, is the best shade I’ve ever come across for me. My hair is currently red but I left my eyebrows alone when I went from my natural medium light blonde to red. This is a strong twist up pencil, it doesn’t break every two seconds, and it has a spoolie at the other end which is a big win in m books. The powder I’m loving is one that I have been using for over a year, the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo in ‘Taupe’. This is my favorite brow powder combo. I have other powders but I always drift back to this duo. I use the lighter shade on the inner part of my brows and the darker shade towards the tail end. I got mine from Ulta for $23.

EYESHADOW

My other weakness. This and highlighters, I tell ya. I narrowed my pick down to three palettes, two liquid shadows, two pressed pigments, and a single shadow. That may not seem narrowed down but trust me, it is. Let’s start with the palettes. Going by look, the palette that got the most loving is a MATTE palette! I used to hate mattes, only used shimmers, but this and the Ultimate Basics palette from Urban Decay have swayed me. The palette I’m talking about is the Maybelline The City Mini palette in ‘Matte About Town’. There are two shades I’ve hit pan in because I use them so often. I got my palette from Ulta for $9.99. I love to use this when I’m doing a look with single shadows and my Colourpop Super Shock shadows. Speaking of Colourpop, my next palette is the ‘She’s Got Solstice’ palette that is only available at Ulta for I want to say $15 but when I just checked I can’t find it anymore. I still want to give this palette a shout out because I could not put it down. The last palette in this round up is the Natasha Denona ‘Bronze’ palette that I got at Sephora for $65. This is an expensive palette, but for good reason. I love all of the different types of shadows from sparkles to satins to mattes. They are quite pigmented and they blend together really nicely. I still prefer to use my finger with the shimmers but if you want a subtler look you can apply it with a brush and it would give you more of a wash of shimmer. I’ve only tried her palettes but right now, Natasha Denona has done none wrong yet! My first single is Urban Decay’s Midnight Cowboy. This costs $20 at Sephora. It is a gorgeous champagne color with silver flecks of glitter in it. I love to use this on days when I’m rushing and want to throw something a bit foolproof on my eyes. This is what I reach for. Next I have two pressed pigments, both from Tarte. I’m talking about the Tarte Chrome Paints in the shades ‘Frose’ and ‘Top Yacht’. They cost $22 at Sephora. The shade on the left is more of a bronzey color and the color on the right is more of a pink rose gold. They apply beautifully with the fingers and they are highly pigmented. The apply smoothly and without much fall out, but I still put shields down just in case. The last two are liquid shadows. The first is a Stila Glitter and Glow liquid shadow in ‘Kitten Karma’ that I got from Ulta for $24. This is actually my second one, I use it so often. The second one is a Ciate Lustre Creme Eyeshadow in ‘Cupid’. I got this in my last Ipsy bag so I’m not quite sure where to get it or how much it costs. This is something I have worn almost every single day, in some capacity, since I received it. It’s a gorgeous pinky purple color with a lot of shimmer and glitter.

You thought I was done with palettes? NOPE We’ve got face palettes left! My favorite contour kit from this year has to be my Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit in Light to Medium. I got mine from Marshalls but full price at Ulta it’s $40. The shade ‘Fawn’ is my favorite contour shade, it doesn’t look muddy or two dark on my skin which is hard to find sometimes. The last three palettes are all from Natasha Denona. Let’s start with the largest the Diamond and Blush palette in the shade ‘Darya’. I got mine on sale at Sephora for $44 and it is still that price on their website. There are two different color stories. The one you see above, Darya, and the other one is called ‘Citrus’. It is definitely on the sparklier side which I love but if you prefer that ‘lit from within’ kind of look, you may not like it as much. It comes with three cream products and three powder products. Just like her other face palettes, there is a plastic hinged lid over the cream products so that you won’t get powder in the cream products. I think that is genius. The second palette is the Bloom Blush and Glow palette, which you can get from Sephora for $55. Oddly enough, my favorite shade from this palette is the cream ruby/garnet blush that is in it. When applied with a light hand, it doesn’t over power my face or the rest of my makeup. This was my first ever Natasha Denona palette so it holds a special place in my heart. The last palette is the Love Glow Cheek palette that I got at Sephora for $55. This is definitely a very pink face palette. I really love all of the shades in the palette. The only one I haven’t used a ton is the highlighter in the bottom right corner. It’s a bit gold but I’m still playing with it. It works nicely as an inner corner highlight though. These face palettes carried me through all of the seasons and worked beautifully alone and in conjunction with other products.

LINER + LASHES

I have some old favorites in this list and some brand new loves from this year. Let’s start with eyeliner. I have two Colourpop BFF Creme Gel Liner in ‘Piggy Bank’ and ‘Overboard’, individually they each cost $6. I love putting these in my waterline because I have most of their colors, especially the brights and I love putting a bright color in my waterline. I feel it just adds something to the look. Next is the Sephora Colorful eyeliner in ‘Cappuccino’ and I got it on their website for $11. There is a bit of shimmer to it but I haven’t noticed it translating onto my eyes. I love using brown liner when I want to have a softer eye look. The last eyeliner I love is one (the color not the actual pencil) I have loved for years. I’m talking about the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On eyeliner pencil in ‘Perversion’. You can find it at Ulta or Sephora for $22. A little steep but it is seriously the best black pencil liner I have ever used. It’s creamy, so it doesn’t tug on my lids and it glides on so easily and it is pitch black. I have loved it for years and intend to love it for more years to come! Now for mascara. This year I discovered a new mascara and that is the Essence Lash Princess mascara, which you can get at Ulta for $4.99. I own both the regular and the waterproof and I love them both. They really make my lashes ‘pop’ and gives me a full lash look. Plus, you can’t beat the price. Next is a mascara I have loved for years and that is the cult favorite mascara by Too Faced, the Better than Sex mascara. I also really loved their new ‘Damn Girl’ mascara but I don’t have an open one to show you right now so I went with the other one I love. This will cost you $26 at either Ulta or Sephora. I love how this makes my lashes look. They look full and voluminous and fabulous. I really love that they don’t look spidery, I hate it when mascaras do that. My mascara is from Colourpop and it is their BFF Volumizing Mascara in ‘Brownie Points’, you can find it on the Colourpop website for $8. I used to hate brown mascara but this year, I fell in love with it. Now, unlike black, I only want one in my rotation at all times and I’m loving the Colourpop one. It’s makes my lashes look more voluminous but in a softer way, it’s not as harsh and stark as it is when I use black. It is perfect for those everyday, no makeup makeup looks.

LIPS

I used to NEVER wear lip liners. I mean, never. I just didn’t get it. I’m still learning but I’ve practiced with them enough to know the two that are my absolute favorites this year. First up is the Charlotte Tilbury ‘Pillow Talk’ Lip Cheat Lip Liner, the full size costs $22 on Sephora’s site but right now I’m using the mini I got in a kit. It’s the perfect there, but not there lip liner and it can work with lipsticks other than the cult classic Pillow Talk lipstick. The other lip liner I’ve been loving is ‘Pinky Swear’ from the Lime Crime Velvetines lip liner line. You can get this at Ulta for $16. This lip liner is the perfect pink for me. It glides onto the lips nicely without any tugging or pulling. It’s very creamy and works really well with the Lip Plushies liquid lipstick I’m going to talk about. It was hard to narrow down my lip products but I did, and here is what made the cut. First up is the Lime Crime Lip Plushies Liquid Lipstick in ‘Rosebud’. This costs $20 at Ulta. This is probably one of the most comfortable liquid lipstick formulas I have ever tried. It works great over the lip liner in the shade ‘Pinky Swear’. Next is the NYX Butter Gloss in ‘Tiramisu’ which is $5 at Ulta. This is definitely a “my lips but better” kind of color. It’s a gloss, so it doesn’t last long but it is easy to reapply even without a mirror. Plus the scent is divine. I also really loved the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick in ‘Pillow Talk’. This is a cult classic and now I know why. I was hesitant at first to try it, thinking that it wouldn’t work with how fair I am but I got it in a Value kit and I fell in love with it! It’s matte but not uncomfortable to wear. You can get it at Sephora for $34. It is part of their Matte Revolution lipstick line. The bullet is a bit different in shape but it works really well! Last, but certainly not least, is a product I discovered thanks to the Allure Best of Beauty awards. I’m talking about the Essence Shine Shine Shine lipgloss in ‘Behind the Scenes’ (clear). It only costs $3.29 on the Ulta website but it has to be the best clear lip gloss I have ever used. It isn’t sticky but it also doesn’t slide all over the place either. I applies nicely on it’s own or you can apply it over a lip liner or lipstick. I have noticed that it doesn’t break down the product that is beneath it when you do that, which is major. I have other colors, but the clear one is the one that stands out the most to me.

Whew! That’s it for my 2020 favorites and going up just in time! I hope you found some new products you would like to try in this post, or that you saw some of your own yearly favorites. Next week I will hopefully be posting my favorite perfumes, hair care, skincare, and nail care so be sure to subscribe/follow before you click out that way you will not miss another post! Thank you so much for all of your support during this time of transition, and hopefully I will be back to a steady posting schedule soon. What products have you loved this year? Leave them down below in the comments! Thank you so much for coming by today and I hope to see you soon but, until then, don’t forget to be BOLD, be BEAUTIFUL, be YOU! XO Emma