As someone with an olive undertone, purple makeup is one of my favorite things to use. But it can be hard to find purple makeup that actually looks at home on my skin, and these products all are so easy to throw on. If you have any other lilac/berry/purple products I should try, definitely let me know in the comments! Thank you so much for being here, and it would mean so much to me if you subscribe here for new posts. All links in this post are affiliate links, and if you choose to shop through them, thanks for supporting the blog!
Dior Rosy Glow in Pink Lilac – I’m so happy I purchased this. It’s definitely on the top of my lilac blush list now. I also have the original pink one (shown in the swatches), and I don’t regret having both. That said, for my skintone, I think I’ll get way more use out of the lilac one. This formula is fairly sheer so you can really pile it on without having to worry about it (and I would play around with what brush you use to see which works best to pick it up). It’s a little shimmery but in a really subtle way that I actually appreciate. It means I don’t need to use a highlighter and still don’t have to worry about emphasizing texture. This is just now one of my favorite things to finish a look off with no matter what else I’ve done because it brightens up my face and just looks so pretty. This swatches terribly but it does look really pretty on .
MAC Glow Play Blush in Totally Synced – This formula has been my go-to for finishing off my cheek looks for years because it has a really incredible blurring quality that really pulls together any look I’ve done. Because the texture feels like a cross between a powder and a cream, it adds a slight sheen like a cream and has great lasting power like a powder. I own 6 of these, but Totally Synced is a perfect light lilac that really brightens up any look and makes me look awake and hydrated. I imagine it’s what a bright pop of pink looks like on other people, but this lilac shade is perfect for me.
Ravie Beauty Endless Diffusion Baked Blush in Oasis – This formula quickly became one of my favorite powder blush formulas of all time – it blends so seamlessly and easily into the skin, is so blurring, and stays all day. It reminds me of an Hourglass blush but somehow better. It doesn’t need to be built up because this color is quite punchy but absolutely can be layered if you need to. The finish is just glowy enough without being overly glowy like a highlighter. I don’t know how they did it, but it’s basically perfect. Oasis is a Fervor is a rich raspberry pink that works so well for olive skin, especially for that “cold girl” makeup look. And of course it fits so well with the rest of the products on this list.
Rare Beauty Soft Pinch Liquid Blush in Faith – This is one of the only liquid blushes I’m willing to use, and it’s because the formula is honestly just so great. This shade is in the matte formula, which I actually prefer to the dewy one because it really dries down and almost stains my cheeks. It has incredibly lasting power, and if I still want a dewy look, I have plenty of highlighters I can layer on top of it. It really is as good as everyone says it is, and I’m not surprised this blush keeps going viral. The shade Faith is a deep purple toned berry that really packs a punch, and you definitely want to use just a tiny bit at a time. Like Fervor, this is one of my go tos for the “cold girl” winter look or to pair with deeper brown or mauve eyeshadow looks. I also love using this as a base to top with Fervor if I want a blush look that’s really going to stay all day.
Thrive Causemetics Lip-Plumping Peptide Gloss in Lilliana – My lips always look so much better when I put one of these on because of the slight plumping and the high shine. The formula is super minty and cooling, and I’m so excited to use these when it’s hotter outside. That said, if you’re not a fan of minty glosses that you can really feel, I would steer clear of this one. Lilliana is a sheer deep purple berry that looks so good with my skin tone. It’s also sheer enough that I can use it regardless of how much other makeup I have on my face but I can also build it up if I want something more.
Elf Lip Oil in Jam Session – This is one of my favorite lip oils/glosses and definitely my favorite under $10. It’s described as an ultra-glossy tinted lip oil that nourishes, hydrates and enhances your lips’ natural color which is 100% accurate. I love that it’s just pigmented enough that you can tell you’ve used something on your lips, but it’s not too overwhelming or punchy. And I don’t need to worry about using a mirror or anything when I apply it. The formula is super nourishing so I actually will throw this on even when I just feel like my lips are dry. It’s honestly just a bonus that the purple berry color is so perfect. When I’m looking for something plumping and extra minty, I’ll go with the Thrive, and I’d go with this when I want something more nourishing and hydrating since these two are almost the exact same color on the lips.
Finding Ferdinand Balm in Lucky Cat (*PR) – I think this might be limited edition, so if you’re looking for your perfect mauvey berry balm that doesn’t cost $80 like Hermes Prunior, I’d grab this one before it’s gone. I got this in PR (thank you!) but if I hadn’t, I’d absolutely spend $26 on this because the color just looks so great on me no matter what else I have on my face. It’s really the purple without looking too purple balm of my dreams. The other thing I appreciate is that it’s super buildable so I can start with a light layer that just makes it look like my lips have color on them or I can build it up to be more true to its color in the tube if I’m doing a berry/purple look. The Asian pear scent is also so nice, and it isn’t too strong. You can also use affiliate code LIFTBAKELOVE10 on Finding Ferdinand’s site to save 10%.
Hermes Shiny Lipstick in Prunoir – This is truly the perfect lipstick when I’m doing a berry toned or mauvey toned or purple leaning look . It’s also incredible as a way to balance out lipsticks that just need a bit of purple added to them when it feels like something is off. The formula is perfect – it’s shiny and hydrating without sliding all over the place, and it’s sheer without being patchy or not really showing up. The only thing is that it really has that luxury lip scent that’s quite strong, but I’ll put up with it for how perfect it is otherwise. Of course, the packaging is also stunning and feels like something you paid $80 for. This shade is probably out of stock now, but the formula is great if one of the other colors would work for you!
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 thought I’d look back at my 2020 Makeup Favorites and see which products are still mainstays in my collection. I was surprised at how many weren’t favorites anymore, and it really made me realize both that I need to stop buying backups because new and better formulas are coming out all that time and that these products are truly favorites of mine. 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!
Glossier Future Dew – This continues to be one of my favorite products, and is one of the only things I consistently use every day in my makeup routine. It provides such an amazing glossy, hydrating base that makes me look like I drank enough water (and if you know me, you know I have never had enough water). It works beautifully with any foundation, concealer, and powder combo I put on top of it and makes them look way better on my skin – no dry patches, no clinging, no flatness. This was listed in both my 2020 and 2021 Makeup Favorites, and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s my favorite primer again in 2022.
Salt New York bronzer in Light/Medium, highlighter in Beige, blushes in Rose, Cocoa, and Plum
Salt New York Crème Tint Pro Bronzer, Blush, and Highlighter – 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 most used shades over the years has been the bronzer in Light/Medium, highlighter in Beige, and blush in Rose, and I’ve really been loving Cocoa and Plum recently.
Thrive Causemetics Lip Liner in Kackie and Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion in Magic Hour and Venetian Rose
Em Cosmetics Lip Cushion in Magic Hour – This is still one of the products I use all the time, and I’m honestly surprised I haven’t panned it yet. It’s so easy to swipe on, is incredibly moisturizing, and has enough thickness to not disappear right away. The color completely brightens up my face, and I frequently keep it on my desk to reapply before video calls. I have since gotten Venetian Rose as well as a gift, which is a beautiful “vintage rose” shade that works so well with the brown tones I tend to gravitate towards.
Thrive Causemetics Lip Filler Long-Wearing + Plumping Lip Liner in Kackie – I still love this lip liner, and it’s one I reach for all the time. I don’t know how Kackie did it, but this is the most perfect neutral brown 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. It’s the lip liner I use when I don’t want to worry about my lip look coming together, especially in the morning before I’ve had coffee and just want something I know will work. Thank you again to Kackie for this perfect collab shade.
Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara – Not only do I still use and love this mascara, it’s still the only one I use. This is hands down the best mascara I’ve ever used and continues to be what I go back to even after trying others. 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, and I never have to worry about accidentally pulling out my lashes when I’m washing my face. More tubing formulas are coming on to the market, so I’m curious to see if something comes around that unseats this for me eventually, but the joy of a no-buy is that I get to keep using and loving what I already have.
I get frequently asked for makeup and skincare recommendations for a full routine, 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. Like last year, I’ll be splitting out the makeup and skincare lists so these posts don’t get too long. I would love see your favorites and recommendations for 2021 in the comments! And, of course, 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.
Primer: Glossier Future Dew – This continues to be one of my favorite products, and is one of the only things I consistently use every day in my makeup routine. It provides such an amazing glossy, hydrating base that makes me look like I drank enough water (and if you know me, you know I have never had enough water). It works beautifully with any foundation, concealer, and powder combo I put on top of it and makes them look way better on my skin – no dry patches, no clinging, no flatness. I got another back-up during Glossier’s 20% off sale recently so I always have another bottle on hand.
When I think through all my base products, these two really rise to the top of my list for the ones I would keep if I only got to keep my HGs. The Typology is my go-to for when I’m having a really dry skin day or want something light coverage (which is most days). It’s incredibly smoothing and lightweight while being able to build to medium coverage. It wears incredibly well for how moisturizing it feels (it wears in without wearing off), and it plays well with every bronzer, blush, highlighter, and powder I’ve used with it. It also contains lots of great skincare ingredients, and my skin definitely feels way less dry at the end of the day than with other base products.
I gravitate towards the Fenty Eaze Drops when I need something more long wearing and loved using it in the summer when it was super hot. The formula is almost entirely mask proof and sweat proof, but doesn’t look heavy at all. It has a natural finish that I can easily add dew too with something like Glossier Future Dew without effecting how long it lasts. Even walking around or working out when it’s incredibly hot, it holds up super well all day. I love that I can blend it in super quickly with my fingers, and it looks flawless – during the summer, I want things that are quick and easy, and this definitely checks all the right boxes. You can hopefully see from these swatches the difference in texture between the Typology and the Fenty but check out my full review for more details.
From left to right: Typology Tinted Serum in 001, Glossier Skin Tint in G11, Fenty Eaze Drop in 2, Charlotte Tibury Light Wonder in 2, Typology Tinted Serum in 002
Concealer: Ulta Under Eye Brightener – I have super dark undereye and can’t get away without a corrector, and I’m so happy to have discovered this one. It’s about $10 and a very effective dupe of my beloved Becca Under Eye Brightening Corrector. Just like the Becca one, 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 without any heaviness. It blends like a dream and the color is perfect for me. And it’s in stick form which is so much easier to use than the pot!
As last year (like 2019), the search continues for the perfect concealer to go over top of it, although I did love the Kosas Revealer Concealer (heavier coverage) and Glossier Stretch (lighter coverage) concealers that I reviewed this year. Stay tuned for more concealer reviews in 2022 (I have three new ones going to share information on in the new year)!
Powder: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder – This one is the same as last year, and 2019, 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 really also love the Kosas Cloud Set powder, especially for a “brighten up my look at the end” but I find myself going back to the Hourglass more often.
Contour: Westman Atelier Face Trace Contour Stick – This was my favorite in this category last year, and nothing beat it out this year. 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 favorites for this year and it’s the same as last 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 or leave fairly sheer. 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 paired with one of their highlighters to replicate the duo.
Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate cream bronzer and highlight duo in Shade 0.5 (but this could just as well be Salt New York in Light and Beige)
Blush: Kjaer Weis Blushes – I own over 50 blushes, so it was almost impossible to pick a favorite from this year. I have to go with the Kajer Weis blushes though because it has the perfect balance between blendable and long-wearing. It’s so easy to work with, create impact, and stays all day. The first time I used one of these, I was shocked to find that it was still on my cheeks after wearing makeup for over 15 hours. I love that I can just buy a refill without the extra packaging and put it in my Salt New York empty palette, and that it’s still around $30 even for a luxury product. Because I own so many cream blushes, I tried to get shades I didn’t have already and chose Sun Touched, Inner Glow, Blushing, and Blossoming. All four shades are beautifully unique, and I get a ton of use out of them.
Highlight: Auric Glow Lust – I wrote about the Auric Glow Lust many times this year, and I’m still in love with it. It gives both a super smooth and glowy effect to the skin, whether I use it as foundation, a primer, a mixer, or a highlighter. Of all of my glowy, liquid products, this is definitely my favorite of the bunch. The packaging is also amazing, especially the pump – it’s so much easier to use than something like the Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless Filter. It feels like much more of a luxury experience, from the packaging to the formula. I have the shades Selenite and Morganite, and I love using Selenite all over as foundation or a primer and Morganite as a true “high points of the skin” highlighter. I have a full review here if you’d like to see more comparisons between the two. I also have since gotten the Lisa Eldridge Elevated Glow Highlighter, Glossier Haloscope, and Beauty Pie Triple Luminizing Wand and am happy to do a full comparison post – let me know in the comments below!
I couldn’t just pick one eyeshadow product because I had so many favorites this year, but I narrowed it down to three. First it’s all the Roen quads – each shade is a perfect one-and-done on it’s own, and they are so easy and quick to use. I’m so happy I have all of them but my favorite is the 11:11 quad (the middle four in the swatches), especially the most sparkly shade which is just the prettiest eyeshadow I own. The formula is also super versatile so I find myself reaching for them all the time when I don’t want to have to work at an eye look. With a finger, the shades go on incredibly pigmented and intense, but with a brush, you can create a very sophisticated wash of color.
Swatches of the 75° Warm , 11:11, and 52° Cool Roen Quads
I’ve written about how much I love the Vesca Moonlit Dream Cream Eyeshadows, especially the shade Lyra. This formula is still the easiest cream shadow I’ve ever worked with. They stay blendable for long enough to get your look just right, and then they dry down and don’t crease all day. I’m also still in love with the packaging – it’s super easy to only get what you need, and I don’t have to worry about them drying out. The color Lyra is described as a champagne rose with an iridescent reflect, and it’s the perfect coppery, rose, shiny, glittery, works for day and night color for me.
Urban Decay 24/7 Moondust Eyeshadow in Space Cowboy – I own a ton of single glittery/topper type eyeshadows and love them all, but I think my absolute favorite is this one. I’ve used it on top of my eyeshadow almost every single time I’ve used my eyeshadow since I bought it, and I’m so happy with the effect it has. It’s a sheer shimmery eyeshadow that adds a wet look to any shadow without really adding any color or changing the color of the look underneath. It’s also incredibly reflective and glossy, doesn’t have any fallout, and is so easy to apply with a brush or fingers (and doesn’t require any glitter glue).
Something finally unseated Glossier Boy Brow as my HG brow gel, and it’s the Kosas AirBrow gel. It tints and fills in the brows so quickly and easily without overdoing it or over applying the gel. It doesn’t get crunchy or hard and stays in place all day. I prefer it to the Boy Brow because it’s a bit thicker so it lasts longer and keeps my brows exactly where I want them all day. After trying so many eyebrow pencils over the years, I finally have found my favorite, and it’s the Benefit Precisely, My Brow Pencil. I use it for a sparse area I have in one of my brows, and it goes on so quickly and naturally. Unlike other pencils, it stays all day, so I don’t end up with a hole in my brow by the end of the day.
Mascara: Thrive Causemetics Liquid Lash Extensions Mascara This is hands down the best mascara I’ve ever used and continues to be what I go back to even after trying others. 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 through next year just like I did last year.
Lip Liner: Soft Blur Velvet Lip Liners from Em Cosmetics – Out of all my lip liners, I definitely reached for these the most often. The formula blends so easily so you can get a soft, blurred, and diffused look. I find that creates a much more natural look that still defines my lips and helps prevent any feathering of the lipstick I use on top. Even with how soft and lightweight they are, they are very long lasting. I have the shades Kitten, a neutral rose, and Mink, a cool brown, which both work really well with my lip color and the with my favorite lipsticks and glosses.
From left to right: Em Cosmetics Lip Liners in Kitten and Mink
Lip gloss: Fitglow Beauty Serums – I now have 5 full sizes of the tinted serums, 7 minis, and 5 night lip serums because of how obsessed I am with this formula (and I don’t like to use that word unless I really mean it). The formula is incredibly nourishing, thick, hydrating, and long-lasting, and I just can’t stop using them. The Night Lip Serum is the best night time lip treatment I’ve ever tried, and I wake up consistently to hydrated and nourished lips. The swatches below are from the first four I got, but all the colored serums are beautiful and I can always find one to match my look. Let me know in the comments if you’d like more swatches of more shades!
Fitglow Lip Serums in Night Lip Serum, Beach Glow, Gospel, and Root
I have been loving all of the shades I got – you can see more swatches and comparisons of all of them here. The Ultralips are a pretty pigmented tinted lip balm that has a touch more glossiness than your average balm. I love how moisturizing it is and how long lasting it is (for a lip balm texture). You can also build up the color without anything weird happening like pilling or patching. I love using these during the day on work calls when I want more color like a traditional lipstick, don’t mind having to reapply, and can take advantage of how moisturizing these are.
Glossier Ultralip in Portrait, Villa, Trench, and Cachet
When I’m looking for something more long-wearing, especially under a mask, I always reach for one of my Lisa Eldridge Velvet Matte Lipsticks. The formula is the most comfortable matte lipstick I’ve tried – they’re not drying at all, have the staying power I expect from a matte lipstick, and looks velvety smooth on the lips. They’re highly pigmented and blurring and cover the lips in one swipe. I have the shades Velvet Fawn, Velvet Muse, Velvet Petal, Velvet Affair, Velvet Midnight, and Velvet Dragon. My most used are definitely the first four lighter shades, but I love dabbing on Velvet Midnight or Velvet Dragon as more of a stain.
Setting spray: ABH Dewy Set Setting Spray The Cover FX Dewy Finish Setting Spray has been my favorite for years, but I like this even better. It does just the right amount of dewiness and sets my makeup while still leaving everything skin-like and flexible. I love how this makes my makeup look after everything is said and done and how it provides great lasting power without drying out my skin (in fact, I think it adds another layer of hydration). It’s also less expensive than similar options, like the Hourglass Setting Spray, so I’m very excited this has come into my makeup routine.
What were your favorites this year? 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 