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Good question! My likes are constantly changing, so here are the first ones that come to mind:
I started out last year with NARS Orgasm and MAC Mineralize Blush in Sweet Enough as my favorite blushes. These days, my favorites are Clinique Cheek Pops in Heather, Rosy, and Peach.
Though I still love them, Marc Jacobs Highliners are no longer my favorites. That title has gone to Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Pencils. What makes them better for me is that they have to be sharpened. That way, not only do I get a nice point, but they don’t dry out the way Highliners tend to do if you don’t swivel them back down after use and put the cap on so freaking tightly it’s a struggle to pull them off. I’ve never had one dry out on me yet, but the caps on some are a bit dented from using my teeth to open them up.
My favorite brow product used to be Dior Brow Styler, but they’re too expensive and they break too easily, so I’ve found two alternatives that I actually like better. 1) Benefit Goof Proof Pencil, and 2) ColourPop Precision Brow Colour. I use them interchangeably, depending on what formula I’m in the mood to use.
My favorite peachy lipstick has gone from MAC See Sheer to MAC Tres Blasé, a more subtle shade that does not feather at all, which was a big problem for me with See Sheer.
My favorite nude lipstick went from NARS Barbara to Estée Lauder Knockout Nude. This change might be permanent because Knockout Nude is such a gorgeous, comfortable lipstick.
Lastly, my favorite mauve lipstick keeps changing. As a mauve lipstick fanatic, I own nine out of the top 15 on the “Best Mauve Lipstick” list! My mauve du jour is MAC Hey Frenchie. Ask me next week and I might have a different answer!
MAC Hey Frenchie is stunning! I just wish it came in a matte / satin formula, creams are not my cup of tea finish / consistency.
I replaced the IT Cosmetics CC cream with Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder foundation.
I switch my eyeshadow palettes out way too often to have a favourite for longer than a month anyway LOL.
I’ve replaced my core MAC e/s’s which were getting hard and very old with new neutral palettes: Natasha Denona Biba and ND Safari (I know everyone loves to hate on this palette, but I love it). These two are really my core products at this point. I’m embracing more of a balance in my products between cool and warm tones. I’ve figured out how to combine and wear them without washing me out so I’m truly loving everything with a reddish orange base these days layered with cooler tones. I’ve toned down my looks, pared down my application areas to be tighter and more blended which lends itself well to these types of shadows. I’m so happy I grabbed them with the ND sale because it mentally changed my whole e/s approach and I feel I needed an update.
I love ND Safari! I got it as a splurge early last year, and it is truly one of my favorite palettes. Amhara is probably my favorite shade of all time, *chef’s kiss* so lovely.
I can’t decide my favourite between Lotus and Amhara .. perfect transition shades ?. If I don’t know what to do with my browbone, or if I need help diffusing a problematic transition shade (I have frustrating texture issues on my right eye), I grab a combo of Malia and Aya. It’s just a super skin smoothing combo for me.
Oh, and Tribe! That chili orange looks fantastic with the more muted first 3 on the bottom row. I did a look one day with it on my mobile lid and it was like KAPOW, sooo good.
Really glad to hear from someone who enjoys this palette. It gets slammed a ton.
Safari remains on my yearn list. I have to check the dupes to remind myself why I don’t need it, and hold my breath waiting for it to go off-sale and mop my brow with a ‘whew.’ The little ND investigation I’ve done suggests only her mattes are me-friendly. Hence, Safari, uh, yuh.
Yes, my foundation. Having used Lancome Teint Idole 24HR Foundation for a few years, I switched to Fenty ProFilt’r Hydrating Longwear foundation last summer, and I love it so much! Both are fantastic foundation formulas, but the Fenty looks very skin-like and less heavy. Also, it’s a better shade match for me, too.
Yes, replaced loose Cover FX powder with the Fenty lavender loose powder.
I’ve switched out my favorite MLBB lipstick from MAC Velvet Teddy to Charlotte Tilbury’s Supermodel. It’s a bit deeper than Velvet Teddy, but I like that difference. The formula is also a bit more comfortable than MAC’s which pains me to say as that was my favorite formula for years!
1) UD Naked 3 with Huda Beauty The New Nude Palette as my favorite pink neutral palette. It has more variety, and the formula is better.
2) My favorite lipgloss formula changed from Bite Beauty Prismatic Pearl Creme to Fenty Gloss Bomb.
3) My favorite mauve blush changed from UD Afterglow in Rapture to Sydney Grace Pressed Blush in Paris Skies.
4) Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer in Bavarian with Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Full Coverage Concealer in C0.2. The MR one has even better coverage and staying power, is cheaper, and is CF.
5) Lancome Teint Idole Ultra 24H Foundation in 90 Ivoire (N) with Makeup Revolution Conceal & Define Full Coverage Foundation in F0.2. The MR coverage and wear are comparable, the color match is slightly better, it’s cheaper, and CF.
The ABH Eyeshadow Primer has become a favorite in 2019; I still think that Too Faced Shadow Insurance, Balm Put a lid on it an Urban Decay Primer Potion (just the Anti-Aging) are amazing options for my oily lids and hooded eyes. But the ABH primer is so great as a base, to make eye shadows blend easily and lasts so long… I don’t even mind the awful packaging that oozes like crazy. Bonus, it works great to set the bridge of my nose (I wear glasses at work and it prevents marks).
Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Matte Foundation Powder is my new favorite setting powder, although they had a similar product before that I love (which was marketed as actual pressed powder, not foundation). I never liked loose powders for setting my make-up and I love how this one is firm in the pan but easy to pick. Contrary to the name, it gives a natural finish, not matte or drying; but somehow controls oils all day.
Hourglass brow products have definitely out-classed my old time favorites this year. The Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil was basically created for me; again, contrary to popular opinion, I love a tear-drop applicator, I find it easier to use and more precise than skinny tips. Does the drugstore have other great options? Yes, but I would still splurge any day on the Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil and the Arch Brow Volumizing Fiber Gel. But on the brow gel I’m still debating if it replace the Gimme Brow… although Hourglass gets extra point for the packaging; I don’t like the silver wand like style Benefit switched to a couple of years ago.
ABH primer is amazing. Thanks for tip re: glasses.. good one!
– Viseart Petit Pro palette (the original) got replaced with ND Safari
– NYX Butter Lipstick in Root Beer Float was replaced with Bite Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Musk, which got replaced with Tom Ford Lip Color in Casablanca
– Melt Cosmetics Gemini Palette got replaced with Kaleidos Futurism I: Sci-Fi Green palette
– All my liquid lipsticks got replaced with bullet lipsticks/glosses
I was using a Clinique foundation for a sheer coloring (which replaced UD Naked after it was discontinued) and used ES 24 hour wear for fuller coverage after diluting with a skin oil. I’ve replaced both with Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in 5.5 and the same shade number for fuller coverage in the Armani Power Fabric…which I grabbed by accident after swapping out with an exchange I meant to grab another Luminous Silk as backup as I loved it so much. I went through dry winter skin and had some marks and it covered beautifully…didn’t dry me out AT ALL. Looked like my natural skin but better.
The only one that was a real switch out, meaning I got rid of the other or stopped buying it is the Cover Girl Super Sizer for Buxom Waterproof. I would still buy the Cover Girl and it is a great mascara but I always ended up layering it with at least one other mascara and sometimes two so although the Buxom is more expensive, I actually spend less. The Cover Girl gave me really spikey lashes which was a preference but now I lean more towards a feathered, more wispy look.
A lot of my preferences have changed but not enough to get rid of their counterpart. When there is a shade that matches whatever look I am doing then I automatically reach for my Pat McGrath lipsticks because they wear so well and don’t suck the life out of my lips. They are very opaque and something about them just looks richer when applied. I am sure it is the pigmentation.
Mac Pro Longwear was my foundation for years, and I still think it’s a fantastic product, but then Hourglass Vanish Stick came along and became my HG ?
There are a few new favourites in my beauty list:
1. For everyday foundation wear, I have swapped Rimmel’s Perfect Match foundation (perfect shade of porcelain for me, but its wear time was short) with L’Oreal’s True Match foundation in porcelain rose.
2. Natio’s Sunkissed blush, beautiful shades + short wear time, with Covergirl’s Clean Air blush mosaic in peach. Much longer wear time.
3. Laura Mercier’s Translucent pressed powder with Rimmel’s Translucent Matte powder – just as good but infinitely cheaper.
4. Slowly replacing my EA lipsticks with Colour Pop’s Lux Lipsticks in my favourite shades.
As I rotate my eyeshadow palettes often, it’s hard to pick one that I have replaced it with.
I can think of three. I used to use Benefit Roller Lash, for years, maybe since it was introduced. I switched to WanderBeauty Unlashed because it does such a wonderful job of feathering my lashes. No clumpy ends, never transfers, I love it.
I finally got around to trying Boy Brow by Glossier. I like the shade and the thinner formula more than Benefit’s Gimme Brow.
Gave up First Aid Beauty Coconut Moisturizing Primer for Becca Backlight. I like the scent and the feel of the Becca. To be honest I only bought the FAB primer one time but it lasted and lasted. I should have known better, it seems even if a coconut scent isn’t off putting when I first smell it then it gets there with repeated usage!
I used to use the Maybelline Great Lash Mascara. It had been the only mascara I used since high school. However, I heard good things about the Essence Lash Princess, so I decided to give it a shot. It’s actually better – the comb does a better job of separating individual lashes instead of leaving them in clumps. On top of that, it is less expensive AND cruelty-free.
Also, my favorite lip color was Kat von D’s Nosferatu liquid lipstick. I have since replaced it with Urban Decay’s Hex Vice lipstick. The bullet formula is much less drying than the liquid.