As part of my no-buy year, I’m trying to really get to know and love my collection, and thought I’d look at my favorite products from my most purchased from brands. These are the brands I own the most of from a quantity perspective vs retail value. I also decided to exclude nail polish brands for this one because we’d end up with a list of my favorite polishes, but I’d be happy to do that soon – let me know in the comments if you’d like to see that! As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!
Jumbo Base brush from Sonia G – I own 25 Sonia G brushes and honestly love and use them all constantly. But my favorite is definitely this one! It’s one of my most used and most versatile. I love using it most for bronzer, blush, and highlighter even though it’s meant for foundation (though it works great for that too). It blends out bronzer so fast, and then I use the tip of the brush to seamlessly add highlighter. I can then use the center of the brush to pop on some blush, and I’m good to go. It also washes out beautifully and feels good as new even though I’ve had it for almost a year.
Farmacy Honey Halo Hydrating Ceramide Moisturizer – Not only is this my favorite product from Farmacy, this is also just the best moisturizer I’ve tried for my super dry skin. It’s incredibly thick but still absorbs super quickly and plays well with my other night time skincare products. Usually by this time of year, my skin starts to get flaky and itchy because it’s so dry, but I’ve had no issues since I’ve been using this. I’m so glad they have the jumbo version now because I know this is going to be a staple for me for a long time, and it’s honestly been saving my dry skin from totally losing all its hydration overnight.
Custom Bite Beauty Lipstick
Custom Bite Beauty Lipstick – I still have a lot of Bite agave lip masks and lipsticks from before the brand reformulated and am really enjoying still having them around to use. My favorite thing from the brand though has to be one my custom lipsticks. I went to the Bite Lip Lab for my bachelorette party years and made my perfect red, my wedding lip color, and a dupe of my favorite but now discontinued lipstick. I then got a sheer version of that dupe, and it’s still one of my favorite lipsticks ever. Even though it looks pretty non-unique, it’s really one of my perfect lip colors, and it has so much nuance in person. I’m still so happy I have it.
Salt New York Crème Tint Pro Highlighter in Beige
Salt New York Crème Tint Pro Highlighter in Beige – I’ve written about my love for Salt New York’s products so many times, and it’s because it continues to be one of my favorite cream formulas that I go back to over and over again. All the Crème Tint Pros I have (and I have 21) blend out incredibly easily and seamlessly, are super lightweight, and look so at home on my skin. This is my favorite formula for when I need a “I’m running late and need something easy” look – they blend out so quickly with a brush, sponge, or fingers and never look patchy. My favorite though of all of them, if I really had to choose, would be beige. It’s just my perfect, my skin but better highlight, and it always looks absolutely amazing.
FitGlow Lip Serums in Night Lip Serum, Beach Glow, Gospel, and Root (some of my other favorites)
Fitglow Beauty Lip Night Serum – I love all of the Fitglow Lip Serums so much, but my absolutely favorite is the night serum. This formula is incredibly nourishing, thick, hydrating, and long-lasting, which makes it perfect for super dry winter nights. It’s honestly the best night time lip treatment I’ve ever tried, and I wake up consistently to hydrated and nourished lips, which I’ve never had happen in the winter before using this product. It’s quite expensive for a lip balm, but it’s really so much more than that and totally worth it for me to not have consistently dried out, chapped, painful lips.
Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
As part of my no-buy year, I’m trying to really get to know and love my collection, and my friend suggested that I review the oldest five products in my collection as a way to revisit products that I might have forgotten about. I track all my purchases in an Excel sheet, so it was super easy to find the five oldest products, and I’m excited to review them. Not everything is linked because some of these items were limited edition or discontinued and aren’t available anymore. As always, thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here or on Instagram @liftbakelove for new posts!
diptyque Paris Eau Moheli – My husband bought this for me for our first holidays together, and I’ve loved and cherished it ever since. It’s been more than 8 years since I received it, and it still smells exactly the same. The scent is a very fresh citrusy, green, and woody and definitely fits our joint love of nature and hiking. I wore it on our wedding day and have a travel atomizer I used whenever I went on a trip alone for work. The scent continues to make me so happy, and this is a great reminder for me to use it more often instead of trying to save it. I know it’ll go bad eventually, and I’ll have to throw it away, so I want to get as much use out of it as possible.
Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Palette By Mario – This was a limited edition palette, and I’m honestly so glad I bought it even though I wasn’t even really into makeup yet when it came out. It is one of my most loved makeup products in my collection and always what I used when I wanted my eye makeup to look great. I got so many compliments wearing this palette, especially the shades Paris and Marina. The quality is actually still the same as when I got it in 2016, and I won’t be getting rid of it until I’ve panned more of the shades. I wish that instead of buying more eyeshadow over the years, I just used this one more.
Four of the shades from the Viseart Theory Palette in Cashmere are on the right under JD Glow Unexpected
Viseart Theory Palette in Cashmere – This was given to me as a gift and was my first “higher end” palette. I honestly don’t use it very much because it’s quite cool toned and the shimmers don’t provide as much impact as I would want. I like the mattes but like using the mattes in my other palettes so much more, including in the Petit Pro palette I have from Viseart. I wish that I had gotten that one instead of this one originally. Writing this up had made me consider decluttering this to a friend because it’s made me realize that I’ve been forcing myself to use it instead of palettes that work much better for me. In the meantime, I had moved some of the shadows into my Salt New York palette to see if I’ll get more use out of them that way.
Bite Beauty Amouse Bouche Lipstick in Chai – This was part of the Sephora birthday gift set in 2018 and still one of my favorite lipstick shades. It’s a warm plummy brown that works so well with my lip color, and I always loved how it looked when I wore it. The formula is still super creamy and slightly hydrating. I also purchased the full size of Chai when they were discontinuing the lipstick line because I thought I’d for sure get through the mini. I didn’t know 2020 was going to happen and we’d be wearing lipstick so much less, but even so, I learned that I don’t need to buy a full size no matter how much I like the mini because it takes so long to get through lip products. The mini is still going strong and now I have so many other lipsticks I love wearing just as much.
Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Single in Nude Glow
Maybelline Expert Wear Eyeshadow Single in Nude Glow – I used and loved this eyeshadow so much. It’s still one of the singles I pack when I’m going on a trip because it’s such a great one and done. The color is a really pretty rosy bronzy sparkly shade that isn’t too dark or light on me. The formula has held up really well and still goes on creamy with no fallout. It was only $3.99, and looking back, it was a much better investment than some of the other eyeshadows I’ve purchased over the years.
What products do you have in your collection from years ago? Do you still wear them? Tell me about it in the comments below! Let me know if there’s anything else you’d like to see here on LiftBakeLove, and thanks for reading! As always, some links may be affiliate links that support the blog, but all reviews/opinions are completely my own and unsponsored.
I get frequently asked for makeup and skincare recommendations, and I’m super excited to put them all in one place – again! I did this last year, and it’s been really fun to look back and see what’s still a favorite (turns out, a lot of things) and what was newly discovered this year. There’s a lot more in the skincare category since 2020 was…let’s just say a good year for staying inside and self-care, so I’ll be doing a separate skincare post so this doesn’t get too long. I would love see your favorites and recommendations for 2021 in the comments!
Some quick notes before I get into it – I have super dry skin, and I tend towards a very glowy, natural look. I will be mostly focused on cream products this year (even though I still love the powder products I used last year!) since I was inside all the time with dry air due to…2020.
Primer: Glossier Futuredew Like last year, I tried a bunch of different primers this year and something finally overtook my long time favorite which was the Too Faced Hangover Primer. Futuredew is the most amazing glossy, hydrating base for any foundation. I also used it on no makeup days (which I had a lot of this year) just to make my skin look more hydrated and glowy. I already bought a backup because I love it so much.
Foundation: Armani Beauty Luminous Silk Foundation and Glossier Skin Tint Luminous Silk is still a favorite — it has just the right amount of coverage (medium), looks glowy but not oily, and lasts all day. For me, it is definitely worth the splurge. I didn’t have a lot of days when I needed that much coverage though, so I generally stuck to the Glossier Skin Tint for that perfect “my skin but better” look.
Concealer: Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector This continues be the game changing product for me and is one of the only products I actually panned in 2020. This corrector works so well for correcting my super dark circles and helps hydrate my super dry under eyes for whatever concealer goes on top.
As last year, the search continues for the perfect concealer to go over top of it, although I still love the Hourglass Vanish Concealer (heavier coverage) and Glossier Stretch (lighter coverage) concealers that I reviewed this year. Stay tuned for more concealer reviews in 2021!
Powder: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder This one is the same as last year, and I’m not surprised! This is the perfect powder for dry skin, and the full size does last forever. It looks like I’ve barely used it even though I bought it in 2019. If you don’t want to splurge for the full size and don’t use a lot of powder, you can totally get away with using the travel size for over a year in my experience. I don’t see myself finding a better powder in 2021 and am glad to have found such a staple product.
Contour: Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick This product is one of my standout discoveries in 2020. It is the perfect color and texture for a natural looking contour. I also love the packaging – it feels super luxe with the magnetic closure, and I really appreciate having a stick for a quick makeup look. If I had to start my collection over, this would definitely be one of the first things I replace.
Bronzer: Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate and Salt New York Crème Tint Pro Two new favorites for this year – both are cream products that give a super natural look in about 2 seconds. They are super blendable and easy to build up to the opacity I want. I actually think the colors and formulas are pretty similar so if you want to not spend way too much on the Tom Ford, I would definitely recommend getting the Salt New York.
Highlight:Daniel Sandler Watercolor Liquid Highlighter and Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter I couldn’t resist getting this set after watching Kackie Reviews Beauty rave about it, and while I love all four products, the highlighter is definitely a stand out. I can’t even really explain it, but it gives this ethereal, natural, glowing effect while actually drying down. It takes a little bit of work to get used to how liquidy it is, but it’s so worth it.
The HFF is still one of the most amazing products I’ve ever tried. I mix it into my primer or foundation for an all-over glow, put it under my eyes under my corrector/concealer if I need more brightening and coverage there, and use it on as a liquid highlighter. It works well in every way I’ve tried, and I get tons of compliments every time I use it.
Blush: Salt New York Crème Tint Pro This was the year of blushes for me – I got 16 new ones this year, even though we all know I already had way too many before 2020 started. That said, I have no regrets and love all the blushes I got this year. My favorite ones are the Salt New York Crème Tint Pro of course, but especially the new shade in Spice, which is the perfect color, and I don’t know how Kiki keeps making the perfect colors. I have all of the shades of the blush and love to mix and match colors to make my perfect shade for that day.
The Salt New York blushes and one highlighter come together in one perfect blush palette.
As I reviewed this year, I am also obsessed with the Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Petal for the perfect quick “I promise I am getting sleep” look and the Fenty Cheeks Out Freestyle Blush in Petal Poppin and Rose Latte for the “I have totally been outside this year” look, even though we all know both of those things are a lie.
Eyeshadow: Natasha Denona Biba Palette The Biba Palette is still my favorite palette of all time, and as last year, I absolutely would buy it again. I’m going to copy over what I said last year because it’s all still true. It is the perfect mix of warm, neutral, and cool tones with the right amount of shimmers. The formula is amazing, and if I could only have one palette, it would be this one.
A new discovery for this year that I love but haven’t used enough to call a favorite is the Pat McGrath Divine Rose Palette. I love that the colors are neutral but still interesting, the special shades are incredible, and the formula is amazing. I love that I can use the top shade as a topper for any other shadow and make it look super special.
Swatches of the Divine Rose Palette
Brows: Glossier Boy Brow This is the best brow gel of all time. It deposits color, but not too much, defines the brow hairs, but not too much, and has staying power, but not too much. It’s just perfect and another thing I already have a back up of.
Mascara: Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara This is hands down the best mascara I’ve ever used, and I’m actually upset I didn’t get it sooner. It makes my lashes look amazing, doesn’t smudge, and actually holds a curl. The best part is that it washes off so easily and quickly. I’m never going back to a non-tubing mascara again and bought enough of these to last me until 2022.
Lip liner: Thrive Causemetics Lip Filler Long-Wearing + Plumping Lip Liner in Kackie One of my other favorite discoveries for 2020 was this lip liner. I don’t know how Kackie did it, but this is the most perfect shade for me. I can put any gloss or lipstick over top of it, and it looks great. The formula also manages to be creamy, not drying, and have great staying power. I’m not sure any lip liner will ever beat this one for a favorite in the future.
Lip gloss: Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion in Magic Hour I still love the Em Cosmetics lip glosses, but their lip cushion totally knocked it out of the park this year. The Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion in Magic Hour is so easy to swipe on and completely brightens up my face. It’s also super moisturizing and hands down the best tinted lip balm I’ve ever tried. I love keeping it on my desk to have it handy at all times, and if we had anywhere to go, this would 100% be my purse lip product.
Lipstick: Bite Beauty Lip Lap Custom Lipsticks While I am still obsessed with the Lisa Eldridge Velvet Mattes, my pick has to be my Bite custom lipsticks again. I got two more this year (sheer versions of shades I got for my wedding), and they are such a great formula. I love how easy it is to throw them on and brighten up my whole face, which isn’t surprising because I made sure they were the perfect colors for me.
One of my new sheer lipsticks, and then my other 3 custom lipsticks in the satin finish.
Setting spray: Cover FX Dewy Finish Setting Spray The Cover FX spray is still my top setting spray spot for keeping my makeup looking great all day without drying out my skin. It’s alcohol-free, and I find that has helped a ton with my skin feeling less dry throughout the day. I am likely just going to keep rebuying this unless something incredible comes out that I end up trying.
I’m looking forward to seeing how different my 2021 favorites are from my 2020 list and hoping I get more use out of everything by actually getting to go places in 2021!
Makeup and Skincare Reviews 