Favorites of 2013

Happy New Year's Eve!
I loved working for Lancome and still love several of their products (Hypnose Drama and Cils Booster are my Holy Grail mascara/primer combo!) however after leaving my counter in May to return to grad school, I discovered so many amazing new products both drugstore and luxury. It took several hours to determine which products made the cut. Sorry this is a long one! Settle in with a snack and check out my top picks of the year!
TOP PICKS OF 2013
Face
Foundation: Revlon ColorStay 24 Liquid Foundation & Whipped Foundation
Never, EVER, did I think I could find a drugstore foundation of such high quality. I use the whipped formula when my skin gets super oily (it worked great this summer and stood up to horrendous humidity!) and the liquid formula the rest of the time. Both formulas provide a flawless full coverage matte finish.
Concealer: Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer & Bare Minerals in Well Rested
This Maybelline highlighting pen is fabulous! I use this product to draw/highlight the inverted triangle from the outside of each eye to the corners of the nose, when I contour my face. Highlighting the center of your face while contouring the cheekbones, forehead, and chin creates definition and a luminous glow. I had totally forgotten about the Well Rested powder from Bare Minerals until this fall. This powder is similar to Ben Nye's Banana powder but has a creamier consistency. The yellow undertone counteracts blue tones under the eyes and does just what the name says, makes you appear "well rested."
Powder: Ben Nye Luxury Powder in Cameo
I love to use this as a finishing powder. The pinky tones compliment my complexion well and eliminates shine.
Bronzer/Contour: Benefit Hoola
I first discovered this matte bronzer in January in a Benefit Bronzing kit. Hoola is the perfect shade of tan, no orange or red tones! I have used this on so many different skintones and it always warms up the face without looking fake.
Blush: Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso & Lorac Pro Powder Cheek Stain in Rosy Glow
I have mentioned before that I prefer Luminoso over Nars Orgasm for its softer peachy-pink tone and subtle luminosity instead of shimmer. I have not had the Lorac Pro Powder Cheek Stain long, but I am OBSESSED! Rosy Glow is a beautiful neutral rose shade that compliments cool and warm skintones. This formula is highly pigmented, with a silky finish that lasts all day long!
Highlighter: The Balm's Mary Lou-Manizer
This is another product that has shown up on my blog multiple times. I received this at the end of the summer from HauteLook and it totally lives up
to all the hype. It provides the perfect pearlescent sheen anywhere you put it. I love it on my inner corners, brow bone and just a smidge above my cheekbones. This is a universally flattering luminizer.
Eyes
Shadow Primer: Urban Decay Primer Potion in Sin & Too Faced Glitter Glue
The UD Primer Potion in Sin is pretty enough to wear alone. I wear this champagne cream primer by itself whenever I don't have time to do a full face. It also looks is a beautiful base for any powder shadow. Too Faced Glitter Glue is a new Holy Grail product for me. This is the only thing that keeps my super glittery UD shadows in place. I hate fall out... like it totally drives me nuts, so this product is a lifesaver!
Eyeshadow Palette: Naked & Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow Waterproof Jumbo Eyeshadow Pencil in Pearly Taupe and Pearly Beige
I got the original Naked and Naked 2 in June and I immediately gravitated to the original palette. I felt like Naked 2 was filled with variations of the same shade... all with shimmer. I like the variety of neutral shades and the combination of matte and shimmer formulas. I found myself reaching for this palette throughout the year with a number of clients. The Make Up For Ever Aqua Shadow Pencils have been the MVP of my beauty collection this year. They go on smooth without creasing and provide a beautiful metallic wash of color. These are perfect for travel. You don't need a brush to apply and you can throw it in your bag and go!
Mascara: Maybelline Great Lash Lots of Lashes & Lorac Pro Mascara
I have never been a fan of mascaras with a rubber wand but this reboot of the iconic Great Lash mascara is a new favorite! Lorac Pro Mascara has a massive traditional wand that favors the style and shape of the Lots of Lashes wand. The formula and size of the wand reminds me alot of Dior's classic DiorShow mascara.
Liner: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner in Carbon Black
The fine tapered felt pen liner is my ride or die favorite! It goes on super black and smooth. It sets quickly and stays on until I remove it before bed!
Lips
Lipliner: NYX Slim Lip Pencil in Nude Pink
Universally flattering! Another item I find myself constantly reaching for when dolling up clients. I prefer pinky nudes over traditional brown tones and this liner is a beautiful pinky beige color.
Lipstick: Maybelline Color Sensational Vivids in Fire Red
Whoo-wee this color is gorge! It is a true red that goes on beautifully with a creamy opaque finish. I have been so impressed with lipstick, I need to try more from this line!
Lipstain: Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Stain Balm in Smitten, Crush, and Sweetheart & L'Oreal Colour Riche Aqua Lacquer Lip Stain in Rose On and On and Pink Persistence
If you read my blog, you know I love me some Kissable Balm Stain! They are a great dupe for Clinique's Chubby Sticks... but better! More pigmentation, longer lasting, and comfortable on the lips! I have several shades but the three above are my faves. L'Oreal Aqua Lacquer Lip Stain is an amazing dupe for YSL Glossy Stain. They feel good on the lips, sets quickly, and stays glossy for hours!
Lipgloss: Buxom Lip Polish in Sandy & NYX Butter Gloss in Strawberry Parfait and Maple Blondie
Buxom Lip Polish is a creamy gloss that I love layering over brighter lipsticks to tone them down a bit. Sandy is a perfect pale pinky nude... I told you I loved it! The NYX Butter Glosses are the best feeling glosses I have ever tried. They glide on and bring a transparent and highly pigmented sheen to the lips. Strawberry Parfait is a perfect bright Barbie pink and Maple Blondie is a warm pinky peach that looks great with bold eyes.
Hair, Skin, Nails & Accessories
Tools: Crown Infinity Brushes
LOVE LOVE LOVE these brushes. The flat top kabuki creates a flawless finish in seconds. The precision tapered brush is the best brush I have ever found for concealing. The wooden handles could be a tad nicer but the price tag for these brushes is unbelievable.
Nail Product: Red Carpet Manicure in Paparazzi
I love this gel nail kit. For the price of two manicures, you get the entire kit! Paparazzi is the most fabulous vibrant pinky purple (aka Pantone's color of the year, "vivid orchid").
Hair Product: L'Oreal Repair 5 Damage-Erasing Balm & L'Oreal EverStyle Energizing Dry Shampoo
The Repair Balm is the best mask I have ever found. I leave it in my hair while I shave my legs and then rinse it out. It makes my hair so soft and silky and my split-ends are smoothed. The Energizing Dry Shampoo works wonders on day 2 hair, getting rid of greasiness and amping up hair's volume.
 Not Worth the Hype:
Benefit They're Real Mascara: Don't get your panties in a bunch! I know that this is some folks' Holy Grail mascara, however, I was not impressed. The nubby tiny bristles on the rubber wand and formula are meant to increase definition, but the wand did nothing but make my lashes look like clumpy spikes... Not exactly the look I was going for.
NYX The Curve Liner: I loved the idea of this product but I did not feel like it was helpful in creating a cat-eye and the formula dries quickly, fades, and flakes off midday. The felt tip dried up in less than 3 weeks. This product is $15, shell out $5 more and you can have Stila's Stay All Day, which is the best liquid liner I have ever found.
Lorac POREfection Mattifying Primer: Feels smooth on the skin but there is NO mattifying properties to this primer. I believe it would work for those with normal to dry skin, but for those girls with oily skin you will be shiny within an hour. I almost feel that this product increased the shine on my t-zone.
Beauty Blender: Don't get me wrong, I like my Beauty Blender just fine I just don't want to spend 4 times as much when I don't have to. It works wonders on seamlessly blending out concealer and applying liquid highlighter. When a friend found an almost identical dupe for $5, I traded my Beauty Blender for EarthTherapeutics Blending Sponge.

Wanting to branch out in the new year?
Purchasing a couple of different Sephora SuperStar gift sets is also a way to try out different high end products, most of them being full-size! Somehow I completely forgot that the drugstore brands have some pretty fabulous and innovative cosmetics. If you are a beauty junkie like me, who may also be on a budget, I love stocking up at CVS and Ulta during BOGO 50% off sales.

Happy New Year dolls! See you in 2014!
xoxo,
Alicia