Favorite Blushes, Highlighters, Foundations/BB Creams, Face Powders, Concealers, and Makeup Removers of 2014

I don't know if you noticed but in 2014, I didn't do any favorite posts. So with that said, I've decided that I'm going to sort my 2014 favorite product in different categories. This is more like my face makeup favorites.

Clinique Fresh Bloom 13 Plum Poppy Blend. It has a wonderful soft texture and pigmentation. I love the pinky rose nude color. It looks very natural on the cheeks and has just a subtle sheen.

Tarte the chic to cheek deluxe Amazonian clay blush set. This set is by far my favorite Tarte blushes. I found these blushes to be softer and easier to blend and I really like the shade range. This is just too bad it was limited edition so I'm glad I got my hands on it.

Benefit High Beam Highlighter and Posie Tint Cheek Color. Ahhh this is a perfect set. So little and cute! Nice color and staying power.

Estee Lauder Pure Color Cheek Rush X-Pose Rose. A little tricky to apply but once you get past that, the color is beautiful and very long-lasting.

Milani Baked Blush Bella Rosa. One of the most pigmented blush I own. I have to use a small stipple brush to apply this cause it's so pigmented.

YSL Dare to Glow Silky Highlighting Veil Fatal Red. Very gorgeous highlighter. I got it on sale.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Stay-in-Place Powder Makeup. Unfortunately, I did not review this powder. I mainly use it to set my foundation and it really helps prolong the longevity of my foundation. 

NYX Blotting Powder Medium Dark. It's a bit yellow tone for me but it actually blends well with my skin tone and I love how weightless it feels. It's especially good for erasing shine on my forehead.

Rimmel Lasting Finish 25 Hour Foundation True Ivory. The color is a perfect match for my skin tone. It's long-lasting with medium to full coverage.

Missha Cho Bo Yang BB Cream. I don't use this all over my face. Mostly in the areas I need more coverage and brightening. It's thick so it covers very well.

ELF Studio Maximum Coverage Concealer Sand. The texture is thick and creamy, coverage is medium. I mainly use it on my cheek area where I want to brighten and even out skin tone.

L'Oreal Clean Artiste Waterproof & Long Wearing Eye Makeup Remover. Does the job well. I like the packaging.



Finding any of your favorites here?

NYX Blotting Powder Medium Dark - Swatch and Review

Hello beautifuls,

I'm trying to catch up on some posts and reviews this weekend and I'm not really in the mood for it either, lol, but I keep telling myself that I need to stop bumming around and do something productive. Lucky for me, I've already have this review drafted for the past few days. 

I picked up this powder a little while ago when I was browsing at Ulta. To my disappointment, most of the new NYX products that I wanted to try were empty on the display. Hopefully, they have more in stock now but I don't feel like driving there just yet. 

Packaging

• It comes in a pressed powder compact. There's a good size mirror inside and a convenient sponge applicator. The packaging isn't too bulky but could have been smaller. I personally would have liked it to be smaller to make it easier for carrying and blotting touch ups on the go. 
• .29 oz or 8.2 g

Product

• The first thing I noticed is that these are rather light. I picked up the shade Medium Dark and it turned out to be a light beige perhaps a little more beige than I would like but it doesn't do much as far as altering the color of my skintone so it doesn't even matter.
• The texture is very powdery but at the same time light-weight. I typically don't like using the sponge applicator that are included with my powder compact but for this powder it definitely work better than using a brush. 
• Does it mattify? Absolutely. I like the fact that it doesn't look cakey or like you added another layer of stuff on your face. It pretty much disappears as you apply it and it soaks up oil instantly in the process. 
• Now I am not a huge fan of the matte finish on my face because it makes me look old and dull. I like to have a bit of "glow" but I am moderately oily on my T-zone and it's the area where I mostly use the NYX Blotting Powder. Again, I'm not super oily so I only need to blot once or twice throughout the day. 

Final Thought

This is my first blotting powder so I can't say I'm a blotting expert and I can't really compare it with other products but so far it works for me and it does what I need it to do. It's light, doesn't look cakey, and mattifies. 

Rating: 10/10

Price: $11.99

Availability: Ulta

Milani Illuminating Face Powder Amber Nectar Review and Swatches

I purchased this new Milani Illuminating powder a few weeks ago at CVS. I can't remember the exact price but it was around $8-9. When I first saw it, I was all over it, lol. I got totally sucked in by the packaging and snatched it immediately off the shelf.