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If you could only keep three products you purchased in 2015, which would it be?

What a brutal question! Tom Ford Pink Glow palette, Laura Geller Ballerina, Laura Mercier #01 Matte Radiance. I always said I had a weakness for a good highlighter.

— Christine

96 Comments

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Nancy T Avatar

How am I supposed to pick just 3, when I can’t even narrow down my pending Colour Pop haul???? I just can’t, I am far to indecisive when it comes to picking 3 from my stash, because I love most of what I bought pretty equally! This year alone saw me purchase 5 HG lipstick shades alone! 2 HG blushes and a perfect highlighter too! And don’t even get me started on EYESHADOW PALETTES! LoL! ?

liz Avatar

Ooooh, I like this question. This is genuinely hard. Probably Maybelline’s Fit Me concealer, Hask Coconut Shampoo & Conditioner, and Maybelline’s Siren in Scarlet. I’ve been wearing Siren in Scarlet every single day since I got it. It makes it so freaking easy to wear a red lip.

Momo Avatar

3?!! **Anxiety kicks in. So many choices from 2015.**
Although I’d bought many newly released items (which were fantastic!), 2015 was my greatest year in obtaining numerous products I’d longed to own from my personal ‘VHTF Makeup Hunt List’; therefore, I’m choosing from those items.

• MAC Metal Rock Mineralize Skinfinish
• Chanel Camélia de Plumes Highlighting Powder
• Yves Saint Laurent Rouge Volupté Lipstick in (Nº 12) FORBIDDEN BURGUNDY

Katherine T. Avatar

Wow, this is a really hard one!
*Marc Jacobs Re(Marc) Able Full Coverage Foundation–hides a multitude of skin flaws
*ELF Illuminating Palette- I use as setting/finishing powder in winter, doesn’t cake or cling to dry skin
*UD Spectrum- so hard to find a palette with so many great blues, greens, and purples and so much cheaper than buying the single shades individually

Kuávsui Avatar

Oh damn. I redid and stocked up on most my current collection last year, so that would actually get rid of most of my things! Noooo! But if I HAD to, I would keep my UD foundation, NYX Mosaic Powder Blush in Truth and Maybelline Lash Sensational mascara, reliable basics for any look.

Anne Avatar

Holy crap that’s hard. I’m going to just stick with makeup because if I throw in fragrance/skincare/nail care I’m screwed.

I’ll go for one for eyes, which would be the Naked2 palette, one for “face” which would be the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette is a close second, but I got it in the last few weeks of the year so I figure I could count it as rolling over to this year…), and one for lips which would be the Marc Jacobs Le Marc Lip Cream in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang.

Abir Avatar

MV skincare changed my life! It’s expensive but worth every penny. I haven’t tried the Rose booster but I have a sample. Are you acne prone? Did it clog your pores at all? Thank you in advance!
Their rose soothing moisturizer is the best thick moisturizer yet it doesn’t clog my pores. Which makes no sense since even light moisturizers clog my skin.
Recently I started using the gentle cream cleanser. I was worried it wouldn’t clean my skin as well as my foaming cleanser which is why I waited until winter. It actually works better. It got rid of these stubborn little pimples that are underneath the skin.

Marie-Estelle Avatar

What a though question ! ~
Laura Mercier #01 Matte Radiance comes straight to mind. Then, I would chose my nude palette from MUFE -or their eye shadows in general :p-. Choosing the last item was difficult but I think I would go for a cream blush from Kiko (#01 velvet peach, rebel romantic collection). It doesn’t look like much in the pan but it goes with any look and give me a healthy/natural look (my cheeks but better :p) ! I already have a back-up~~

Mariella Avatar

I agree, Christine – a brutal question and a makeup lover’s nightmare! I’ll cheat a bit by saying “all the MAC In Extra Dimension shadows I purchased this year” (4 of them, I think!). If that’s not “legit”, I’ll choose either Chanel Tisse d’automne or MAC Posh Pedigree (both quads). For my 2nd and 3rd choices – Urban Decay Manic lipstick and Rapture blush. So…we still get to keep EVERYTHING pre-2015, right?

sleepybird Avatar

Wow. Didn’t realize how much I bought until I tried to whittle it down to three! Hmmm.m. I have to go with UD Naked on the Run palette, Pur Minerals Soul Mattes palette and the Cargo lip gel set that was out for the holidays.

Abir Avatar

Christine, what are the odds that the two out of the three items you picked, I picked? And this coming from two makeup junkies. You more so than I, me thinks. 😉
I didn’t know you loved the TF pink glow palette that much. I adore it and I’m so sad it’s LE. That light blush shade is so unique while being completely wearable for every day. Those two don’t usually go together. I wish I could find a dupe for it. But I haven’t come even close. Especially because it somehow doesn’t emphasize texture or pores at all. And I love combining it with the other blush.
It’s one of those palettes that you can get so much use yet it’s not boring. I can also tone it down or glam it up with the glitter shade. And that light pink highlight is darn perfect!
My second pick is the LM matte radiance highlight. Gorgeous, elegant highlight!

Michele @Binxcat4ever Avatar

La Roche-Posay BB (Fair/Light) – Hands down, the absolute best BB out there. Medium-full coverage in a mousse that also mattifies. Doesn’t accentuate pores or fine lines and doesn’t break down or oxidize over the wear time.
Trish McEvoy Gel Eyeliner (Black) – The one I reach for most often. Easy to apply, blends well, stays on forever!
Lipstick Queen (Paint the Town) – Such a fun red. I grab this more often than all my other reds.

Natalia Avatar

Only three?? I bought quite a lot of good stuff in 2015 🙂 Ok. MUFE bronzer, NARS Sheer Glow foundation and… NARS Creamy Concealer. 2 NARS products only because I will never ever be able to repurchase them for the price I paid for them :). The only place that sells NARS here increased the prices so much lately, it will now be a real splurge for me to get smth from this brand.

Laura Avatar

This was pretty easy for me. I bought a lot in 2015! My three items would keep me covered for a long while.

MUFE HD Foundation
YSL MASCARA VOLUME EFFET FAUX CILS
Laura Mercier – Eye Art Artist’s Palette

Lys Avatar

This is so difficult, I discovered SO many great products in 2015! I think I’d go with the L’Oréal Infallible Mattifying Foundation, Catrice Brow Definer and MAC’s Cream Colour Base in ‘Pearl’ as my top 3 though.

Stephanie Avatar

I totally agree with you, Christine. The Laura Mercier Highlighter in 01 is my holy grail. Other than brag I would vote my smashbox shape up palette and Mac lip liner in Hover. If you allowed a 4th I would also add Colourpop super shock shadow in Supermodel!

Astrild Avatar

It’s a really hard question, not only because I love a lot of things that I’ve purchased, but because i can’t remenber exactly when I’ve purchased each ítem hahaha. I think my picks would be:
– MAC Diva Antics lipstick.
– Bobbi Brown blush brush.
– NARS pure radiant tinted moisturizer in Finland.

I loooove other ítems but these are by far my favorites and most used ones.

Victoria Avatar

I’m consistently surprised by how necessary I’ve found the MAC Studio Waterweight SPF 30 foundation, so that’s one. I would also keep the Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Baked Powder. Make Up For Ever Artist Palette No. 1.
Prior to last week I would have felt compelled to include Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Concealer but I have a new love of my life the new Make Up For Ever Ultra HD Concealer in Y21, and I’m so happy and bright eyed.

KJH Avatar

Agree with Nancy, but… (My arm is twisting out of the socket) maybe the MJ 20 palette. Just ’cause it would provide a lot of variety. Actually use the MUFE self-picked trios more. Maybe Cola Pop and Bite 11, bec they would play nicely together. But just try to take 2015 away from me, I’d join the NRA!

Fran Avatar

Ack! Well, there are several lipsticks I would love to keep, especially in the Tom Ford Lips & Boys and Bobbi Brown Luxe Lip formulas, but it’s too tempting to choose palettes, because that lets me keep a whole lot more shades of color! So, I pick the Make Up For Ever Holiday 15-pan palette, the Viseart Bridal Satin palette, and the Ciate London x Olivia Palermo Smouldering palette.

Linda Avatar

Oooh tough one! Since I can’t leave the house without foundation, I’ll have to hang on to Marc Jacobs’ genius gel and beauty blender, both discovered this year, and FAB Beauty facial radiance pads.

xamyx Avatar

I bought quite a bit in 2015, and most purchases were well thought out, so I can’t imagine giving anything up. Also, several items were on my list prior to 2015, so I won’t count those (if I had the money, I would have had them already, LOL!)… This basically leads me to LE products: UD Vice LTD, UD Vice 4, & Kat von D Mi Vida Loca Remix palette. I can only think of one item I wish I thought through a bit more, and that’s Lancome Teinte Idole Ultra foundation; it’s a great formula, but the color isn’t as great a match as I’d like for the price (Ivoire 140 N is the closest, but I wish they’d bring back the Porcelaine range…).

Valerie Avatar

Ouch. This is harder than I feel it should be. Ok 1. Cover FX Custom Cover Drops because I feel I can get a wide variety of coverage depending on how I mix them. 2. Lorac unzipped palette, although it’s not my favorite eye palette it has the shades I would be most comfortable wearing all the time. 3. Too Faced Melted Lipstick in Melted Fig which is my favorite lipstick color of all time.

This makes me abandon all my Colour Pop shadows and lippie sticks.. which really sucks.

Rachel Avatar

I only bought 11 things last year, which makes this even more difficult!! I thoroughly researched everything, so I love them all! I suppose I would go with Dior Star foundation, MAC Pro Longwear concealer, and the limited edition Marsala cheek trio from Sephora + Pantone.

Claire L Avatar

Argh, I bought so much last year it’s so hard to choose! I think I’d go for UD’s Urban Spectrum eye palette, Stila’s Sending my Love set and NARS x Despair cheek palette. Covering all the bases, lol. I love the highlighter and blush in the Stila set, as well as the eyeshadows, the Guava lip gloss and Stingray eyeliner is a bonus. I’m finding NARS Nico to be a useful setting powder/ very subtle highlighter on my fair skin, and I love the blushers especially the shimmery apricot of Esoteric. And I can’t do without the Urban Spectrum LE palette, I just adore the colours!

Eileen Avatar

Oh, my goodness! So many pretty things from which to choose 🙂 I’d keep Guerlain’s Les Nuées eyeshadow quad, Clé de Peau’s eyeshadow quad in 311, and Chanel’s JC in Crescendo. Those are all cool tones, but I’m into cooler tones for the winter and wouldn’t really miss the warmer items I purchased earlier in the year.

Mallory Avatar

If I hadn’t waited to purchase a few of my favorite things until 2016 I would have been in trouble. I would have lost my foundation, concealer, and powder! *phew*…
Even still this was a toughie…
Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette
Kat Von D Shade + Light Eye Contour Palette

I chose these over my Bobbi Brown shimmer brick and Becca blush and highlight so…that’s a big deal…

Steph Avatar

This is so hard! But I think I would pick Laura Mercier Matte Radiance Highlight #1 (it’s just so good!!), Makeup Geek Shimma Shimma eyeshadow (I actually lost my first one and then had to re-buy it because I love it so much), and then Tom Ford Pussycat (one of the best matte lipsticks I’ve ever used!)

Marissa Avatar

everyone is complaining that this is so hard and i agree!!

the manizer sisters palette.
i bought mac wedge this year. it’s a great crease color
becca jaclyn hill’s champagne pop (honestly those shimmering skin perfectors are !!!!!!)

VAL MARTIN Avatar

Makeup wise it would be Benefit Lemon Aid, Tarte Colour Clay foundation and Bobbi Brown Pink lipstick cos I could not think about not using the first two to deal with evening out my colour and the lipstick to give pop of colour.

kellly Avatar

I can’t do 3 but I could do 4. Onomie concealer and 3 of those MAC Faerie eye shadows I got that I’m considering getting backups for as well. They are my holy grail eye shadows at the moment.

WildDove Avatar

Brutal question indeed! I’ll go with
1. Laura Geller – baked face powder in Ethereal Rose (I use it as a winter blush).
2. Le Couvent des Minimes – Cologne of the Missions.
3. Chanel Chance body crème.

Susette Avatar

Love this question! I’m in love with my Dior Star foundation and the MDSolarSciences Mineral Balm awesome as a primer for me! Perfect for humid climates and if u sweat a lot, it extends my foundation wear and the foundation glides on top of it beautifully not to mention the SPF50 and my Paula’s choice liquid 2%BHA exfoliant.

Abir Avatar

I recently got the MD solar sciences spf 30 anti aging moisturizer. I was stunned not only that it didn’t break me out. But the best part is that it stopped my foundation from clogging my pores. I guess it provides a barrier so the foundation doesn’t go into my pores.
Is the balm you used a moisturizer with spf 50? Do you have issues with clogged pores and breakouts from other products? And does this one not do that? Thank you so much.

Kim Avatar

1. Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G lipstick in Bitch Perfect
2. Marc Jacobs holiday eyeshadow palette
3. Urban Decay eyeliner vault of 40 eyeliners – absurdly decadent

Jetske Avatar

This is really hard! Some of my favorites were Tom Ford: Lips & Boys in Drake and Joaquin, cream blush in Pink Sand and Moodlight Illuminating Duo, but I have some new HG products from other brands as well, like Bareminerals Complexion Rescue, MUFE Aqua liners and HD blushes, Clinique Cheek pops, sephora eyeliner pencil in Flirting Game, and Burberry Glow eyeshadows in Nude and Shell. I’ll go with the Complexion Rescue, Burberry Nude shadow and TF Illuminating Duo.

Susan Dowman Nevling Avatar

Wow, tough question and great response.
OK, here goes:
#1. Either my Laura Mercier liquid foundation in the black container OR IT Cosmetics CC creme, need to check SPF before deciding.
#2. My UD VICE palette from 2015. In addition to shadows, I could find a color suitable for blush, highlighter, brow color, and liner. Maybe lip color?
#3. UD Perversion mascara.
I think I could do it with those.

Stacy Avatar

It Cosmetics Bye Bye Pores pressed powder (it’s super smoothing!)
ColourPop Sheer Lippie Sticx in the shade “Kiddo,”
and…

Um…

Probably the NYX palette I just got a couple weeks ago from Ulta that has six shadows, a blush, a bronzer, and a highlighter. The name escapes me, but I like it a lot.

Jessica Avatar

I’d have to say my Lancome Teint Idole ultra foundation stick in 220 Buff, UD Gwen eyeshadow palette, and ABH Dipbrow in soft brown. I can make just about anything else out of those 3 products to finish my face 🙂

Crystal C Avatar

1) Lorac PRO Contour Palette
2) Tarte Amazonian Clay Full Coverage Foundation (but I only started loving it after the Tarte rep visiting Sephora told me not to wear primer with it) it goes on do quick and easy! (The primer makes it slide and wasn’t staying well)
3) Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

Kjellsea Avatar

MUFE HD liquid foundation, The Balm’s Mary Louminizer and oh,man this is hard…. probably my “mad for matte” eyeshadow palette from e.l.f. since it is so versatile. Such a hard question for me as I dropped bare minerals foundation for MUFE and began to really experiment with a range of products, not just whatever the drugstore had on sale. It’s been a big beauty year.

Ellen Avatar

1) Estée Lauder BB Glow moisture makeup
2) Benefit Real Cheeky Party kit (ha! Sort of cheating as it has bronzer, blushers, highlight, eyeliner and mascara!!)
3) Maybelline brow precise pencil

That was easier than I thought!!

Ellen Avatar

Just realised I read the question wrong…..
3 things I bought this year that are my favourites….
Too Faced Natural Matte palette
Estée Lauder BB Glow
Nars Audacious lipstick in Brigitte. No Kelly. Ok, Brigitte. Argh!!!

Bibi Avatar

Hmmmm… 3 multitaskers
1) IT Cosmetics foundation, spf 50, does not settle in pores & fine lines, long lasting, & looks fab without setting powder- yay!
2) IT Cosmetics Tightline Full Lash Length Black Mascara Primer- lines, primes, & defines
3) IT Cosmetics Vitality Disk- I would have preferred TF’s Pink Glow but it was sold out so I couldn’t buy it, WAH!

Diane Avatar

Three this month I’m reaching for the most are Bareminerals Complexion Rescue in Natural, Tarte CC set of 4 eyeliners&Josie Maran Whipped Argan Body Butter, a must have in New England winter!

Kate Avatar

I’d keep my Marc Jacobs foundation brush, my Stila Eyes are the Windows to the Soul palette, and my UD Mother Lode. Everything else I’d just repurchase in 2016, LOL.

Tiff Avatar

This is a tough one! I’ll have to say #1 highlighters Becca champagne pop & Laura Mercier Indiscretion #2 Maybelline creamy matte lipstick #3 KVD Shade & Light contour palette. 2015 was definitely the year of th he highlighter for me. I can’t stop buying them??

Lauren Avatar

Makeup only! If you add in skincare, I wljld swap out Naked Smoky for the Philosophy Renewed Hope moistutizer.
(1) Mac Nordstrom Nauturals Palette
(2) Urban Decay Naked Smoky
(3) Jaclyn Hill highlighter palette from Becca

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