I will have to confess that I thought there would be more days leading up to the year end but evidently there isn’t. Long and short of it is, I forgot and didn’t prep a “Best of….” beauty product post as I’ve been doing in previous years.
Oops? 😛
Not too late though but like everything else, things are a little different this time. So, here’s the best of 2011 as seen through my eyes.
# 10 – Best Blush
I’m a blush fiend and I can’t deny it 😛 I would have said the Diorblush because I really like them and no one else seems to talk about them, strangely enough. I’m going to remedy that soon 🙂 However, textures and colours aside, the best blush must be the one I used the most in 2011, and interestingly enough, it’s the Benefit Bella Bamba blush! It just works so easily and effortlessly for almost every look possible. Buy! 😉
#9 – Best New Beauty Discovery
Body oils! I’ve been using them every night before bed and the skin on my previously neglected arms now feel and look so much better. If you want to try something new on 2012, try a body oil – I’ve only reviewed the DollyMoo Lavender Body Oil so far, but will have more to come soon.
#8 – Best Eyeliner
I still use the Guerlain kohl pencil liner daily despite the others I’ve discovered. For some reason, that Guerlain one just works for me. But for liquid liner my daily go to is the Maybelline Hypersharp eyeliner. It’s affordable and it works. No reason not to get it 🙂
#7 – Best Makeup Tip
Curl your lashes and apply mascara BEFORE applying eyeshadow. I picked up this tip from an afternoon with RMK makeup artist Toru Kobayashi and I have been doing it every day since. Its an excellent tip because it means you never forget to apply mascara, and you never mess up your eye makeup again!
#6 – Best Foundation
For someone who never used to use liquid foundation, my pick is the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation (or Healthy Mix Serum as you prefer, I like both) and the Dior Forever liquid foundation. The latter is really quite nice (once I get round to actually telling you about it) but the price tag can be a bit off putting. Ive been using either one of these the most this year since I got them.
#5 – Best Makeup Challenge
I’ve never taken part in any makeup challenge before but ever since banding with the girls who form the Lipstick Bandits, I’ve been constantly made to think of something that will fit the given theme. It’s surprisingly fun! As was creating a bandit mask 😀
#4 – Best Face Serum
I picked this last year and it will be my pick again this year – the Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery serum. Until recently when I’ve been trying out some facial oils, this was a product I used every single night. I still will because it just works (as does the Estee Lauder ANR which makes a really kickass glowy skin combo with this oil!) 🙂
#3 – Best Work Related Achievement
Surviving 33 hours with no sleep (what a havoc that was!) but the end result was an unqualified success which gave me a lot of work related satisfaction 🙂
#2 – Best Body Wash
Such a boring category but one I find important for me, because so many body washes or shower gels these days dry out the skin on my hands like nobody’s business. Its horrifying! The only one that doesn’t, consistently, and which gets my hands back to their normal silky smoothness (ahem!) is this Eucerin PH5 Wash Lotion. I don’t know how it does it, but it does, so I always make sure to have a spare bottle lying around at home.
#1 – Best blog experience
My Women Stuff Readers Choice Awards and Party. ‘Nuff said 😀
Would you like to pick this one up too? Come share with me what you thought was your best of 2011. Not every category will be applicable, I realize, so just add your own wherever you like 🙂
- Best Blush
- Best New Beauty Discovery
- Best Eyeliner
- Best Makeup Tip
- Best Foundation
- Best Makeup Challenge
- Best Face Serum
- Best Work Related Achievement
- Best Body Wash
- Best Blog Experience
Can’t want to see what your Best of 2011 is 😀 To the comments!
Paris B
Best Blush
My Nars Deep Throat, seriously, nothing beats it! ^.^
Best New Beauty Discovery
Pigments, or loose eyeshadows! You can use them for everything. Nails, lips, heh heh.
Best Eyeliner
Bobbi Brown Gel Liner. Works like a dream. Sadly mine’s dried up after a year of service.
Best Makeup Tip
Using eyeshadow for the eyebrows. It’s not a new one, but it is for me! I’ve been using Mac’s Espresso for weeks now.
Best Foundation
Clinique’s Superbalanced! It has the staying power and anti-oiliness of a champ!
Best Makeup Challenge
Doing a FOTD based on my friend who just came out of the closet. She’s so brave, she really inspired me to do things that are against the dogmas of society! ^.^ Good thing she liked it!
Best Face Serum
Don’t Use Serums, heh heh.
Best Work Related Achievement
I don’t work, but I’ll talk about school. Hmmm, it’s not really an achievement, but I feel like I BELONG in my Uni. The hectic studying life, the friends, the traffic jams right to Sunway. Yep, Love it!
Best Body Wash
Has to be Johnson’s & Johnson’s, because I can’t use others, according to my derm. >.<
Best Blog Experience
Completing my FOTD series based on bishounen from Anime/Games! (Erm, hot/cool looking anime/game characters). I need a new series of FOTDs, seriously.
Here's to another smashing year in 2012. Hope we don't all die out in December though. That would be a bummer indeed.
Lots of good stuff there and good to know you’re enjoying uni life. Its a great time to be 🙂 I used to enjoy using loose powder shadows and pigments too – the texture and shimmer are like no other 🙂 maybe i should dig it out again 😉
Best Blush – Armani Sheer Blush No. 10 and No. 6
Best New Beauty Discovery – Amore Pacific Enzyme Peel Scrub (from Sheila Pan)
Best Eyeliner NARS Larger Than Life Long-Wear Liner Pencils
Best Makeup Tip – Use an extra layer of foundation instead of concealer
Best Foundation – Armani Designer Lift
Best Makeup Challenge – Trying to get through my NYX Box of 112 Colors!
Best Face Serum – Perricone MD High Potency Amine Complex Face Lift
Best Work Related Achievement – Another year, another bonus!
Best Body Wash
Best Blog Experience
Best Body Wash -Dove Pro-Age
Best Blog Experience – Meeting new blogger friends this year in the UK and Hawaii!
Hurrah for bonuses! 😀 Perricone is definitely working wonders for your skin. You make me actually want to look it up!
?Best Blush – Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Peach
?Best New Beauty Discovery – I’ve had 3 discoveries in 2011, all of which I hold dear: (1) the Odbo skincare range from faceshop (2) Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery serum; (3) Guerlain Meteorites. I have to thank MWS for #2 and #3!
?Best Eyeliner – Bobbi Brown Longwear Gel Eyeliner in Sepia and Black – the brown enhances the colour of my pupils whilst the black adds drama for a night out.
?Best Makeup Tip – Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery serum and Estee Lauder ANR combo (credit to MWS again!)
?Best Foundation – Shu Uemura White Recovery Powder Foundation
?Best Makeup Challenge – Got caught in the groupon mania and went on an eyelash extension stint – took some time to get used to the new look but have been loving it since. No matter how tired I am, I always look “wide-eyed” from the moment I jump out of bed.
?Best Face Serum – Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery serum & Estee Lauder ANR combo (thanks Paris!)
?Best Body Wash – Eucerin PH5 Wash Lotion – it works and the delicate fragrance is a boost! One of my girlfriend has been singing praises for soap & glory – hope to try it out soon.
Happy New Year everyone!!!
Oh yay for Kiehl’s MRC and Guerlain meteorites! I’m so pleased they work for you as well as the ANR + MRC combo. Amazing right? And you like the Eucerin too. Another yay!
Wow! I love this post coz I get to see the gems! Must try the blush and the Midnite serum. Happy new year!
Haha yes indeed, we screen out the misses and just show you the hits 🙂 hope you manage to try one of them this year 🙂
Best Blush – Dior blush, hands down, any colour, just bring it.
Best New Beauty Discovery – Organic Argan Oil which I will write about, some time & Suqqu brow pen for very lovely natural looking brows!
Best Eyeliner – Urban Decay 24/7 pencil liner
Best Makeup Tip – Really working the lipstick onto the lips with a lip brush then seal with a lip liner after. For longer wearing results, blot with powder over a tissue covering the lips. Lips look velvety and colour lasts forever!
Best Foundation – Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua beats everything else I’ve tried
Best Makeup Challenge – consolidating all my makeup for more storage!
Best Face Serum – Estee Lauder ANR + Argan oil combo for a brighter more hydrated skin
Best Work Related Achievement – Travelling to 3 different states in a week for visits, seminars and presentations. Ugh! Won’t be doing that again
Best Body Wash – L’occitane Almond shower oil because it keeps my skin hydrated even without applying body lotion
Best Blog Experience – best to ever START a blog this year. LOL! Knowing all you girls are a gem of its own
extras I thought worth mentioning
Best undereye concealer – Clinique Airbrush concealer
Best drugstore brand serum – L’oreal Youth Code (I tried after reading the reading here at MWS and it really does make a difference!)
Ahh with all the raves for the L’Occitane Almond Shower Oil, I got one to try and it’s amazing stuff! Feels lovely on the skin 😀 I’ve met a few people who have raved about tht Youth Code serum – I really should have to give it a go soon!
My black eyeliner is kaputs, so heee off to Watsons for the Maybelline one! 😛
You know what… your blog is such an enabler! I love it for that, but my pocket hates chuuuuu
Hope you like the Maybelline liner! And my pocket hates me too, so you aren’t alone hehe 😉
Best Blush: I don’t use blush so I haven’t discovered any yet 😛
Best New Beauty Discovery: Discovering new brands that I love such as Melvita and Marie Veronique Organics (As well as discovering Sephora), actually trying out liquid foundation for the first time (And loving it!), proper in-salon hair treatments and waxing!
Best Eyeliner: Similarly, I love the Maybelline Hypersharp Liner 😀 But I also love the Urban Decay 24/7 Waterproof Liquid Liner 🙂
Best Makeup Tip:
Best Foundation: Burberry Beauty Luminous Compact Foundation for compact/powder and RMK Liquid Foundation for liquid!
Best Makeup Challenge: I’ve not challenged myself on makeup yet haha! 😛
Best Face Serum: Cellnique Intensive Hydrating Complex. Saved my parched skin! And since I use it as a serum too, Melvita Calendula Oil. It keeps my sensitive skin under control 🙂
Best Work Related Achievement: Definitely learning to love and appreciate the industry I was born in 😀
Best Body Wash: I’ve gone through a number of them this year but I love Origins Gloomaway! Smells good and only a little is needed.
Best Blog Experience: Restarting my beauty blog and attending MWS Awards! Hurrah 😀
Good job on restarting your blog. It’s loads of fun 🙂 I’ve tried a couple of products from Marie Veronique Organics and I quite like it too but the shipping is just way too high for me to justify a repeat purchase 🙁
Best Blush: It’s a tie between NARS Amour & Benefit’s Coralista
Best New Beauty Discovery: Macadamia Natural Oil Hair Care Line. Simply Amazing!! Started using in May 2011, and have repurchased multiple times since then. Thank you Strawberrynet!!
Best Eyeliner: Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes & Lancome Artliner
Best Makeup Tip: Gently blotting my face with a layer of tissue paper after moisturizer, after foundation & after concealer. It removes all the excess oil & moisture off my face which in turn, makes my makeup stay on slightly longer than usual.
Best Foundation: Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua for daytime & Guerlain Parure Extreme for nighttime
Best Makeup Challenge: Turning myself into a leopard for Halloween. Took ages to make the makeup/body paint to look perfect with all the spots on the sides of my face to be perfectly shaped (OCD Alert!) and then it also took ages for the makeup/body paint to come off.
Best Face Serum: EL ANR, Kiehl’s MRC & Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil.
Best Work Related Achievement: I managed to go to the office, 7 days a week, 7am till 8pm, everyday for a month and half in order to prepare for HUGE presentation which totally rocked the socks of the clients. lol. But after everything was done, I got so sick (there were hallucinations involved!) that I had to take medical leave for 5 days. 😛
Best Body Wash: Laura Mercier’s Creme De Pistache Creme Body Wash. I just want to bite my arms off after every shower since I smell so darn yummy!!
Ooh that hair range sounds amazing! I’m going to have to check it out too (yay strawberrynet!) I would have loved to see you in leopard get up for Halloween :O sounds amazing
Yay!! I love your list!!
And here’s my new list:
Best Blush: Nars Deep Throat & MAC MSF Stereo Rose!!
Best New Beauty Discovery:
Best Eyeliner: Kiss Me Heroine Liquid Eyeliner
Best Makeup Tip: How to use eyeshadow as eyeliner tip.
Best Foundation: Same as you, I love Borjouis Healthy Mix Serum Foundation too!!
Best Makeup Challenge: Did a Japanese Gyaru look this year and putting fake under lashes for my first time.
Best Face Serum: Shiseido Intensive Whitening Serum
Best Work Related Achievement: Work from 9 to 10pm for one whole week and the result was awesome!! But fall sick subsequently after that.
Best Body Wash: My favorite Johnson & Johnson Baby Bath
Best Blog Experience: Creating a new FB page for my blog!!
I’m going to have to try that Kiss Me Heroine Make liner. I’ve read lots of good things about it 🙂 thanks for sharing your list!
Best Blush: Dandelion by Benefit and the Luminizing Satin Face Colour PK304 from Shiseido. Many of my friends, colleagues and even family have asked me why I look so radiant and happy (cue winning the lottery jokes/teases) when I wear either. 😀
Best New Beauty Discovery: Korean skincare and makeup! My orders have been getting increasingly huge and my favourite brands are Innisfree, Holika Holika, Etude House, It’s Skin, Nature Republic and The Saem.
Best Eyeliner: ZA’s new eyeliner – it’s darker, has better longevity and a sharper point than the K-Palette One Day Tattoo WP liner I’ve been using for five years!
Best Foundation: The Clarins Everlasting Foundation (liquid), Maquillage Moisture Cream Foundation UV (cream), Aqualabel White Makeup Powder Foundation (compact powder), Maquillage Lasting Stick Foundation (stick/solid), Holika Holika’s All That B.B. (BB Cream). I’m fickle that way :p
Best Loose Powder: Elf’s HD Powder for matte finishes and Clinique’s Dermawhite Loose Powder for a more radiant, ‘3-D’ look!
Best Lip Product: Almost any stain from Etude House, particularly their Dear Darling Lip Tint in 02.
Best Makeup Challenge: Weaning myself off my, ahem, ‘signature’ winged out cat-eye liner for a week. ‘Twas fun but I’ve since gone back to them. :p
Best Skincare Liner: innisfree’s Originated Mint! I own everything from the toner to the cream and even the peel-off mask, yet not a single product has disappointed me thus far.
Best Face Serum: Shiseido Aqualabel’s Bright White EX – never fails to fade my post-acne hyperpigmentation in less than a week! Holika Holika’s Hydro Source Essence also goes a long way to soothe my dehydrated cheeks.
Best sleeping pack: Naruko’s Raw Job’s Tears Supercritical Night Gelly for a bright, glowing complexion.
Best Work Related Achievement: I not only secured a dream position with the company (Publicis Groupe) I’ve been keen on ever since joining the advertising field, but was also allowed a great amount of artistic leeway with the direction of many of my projects. 🙂
Here’s to a great 2012, MWS!
Ooh I have PK304 (I think) and I love it!! That’s a great pick and I’m going to dig it back up 🙂 congrats on securing your dream job. Few of us get there so it’s great that you have! Here’s to a great year for us all! 😀
Best New Beauty Discovery
^^ Oil Cleansing Method (OCM). I’m using a mixture of castor oil & olive oil, maybe someday I can try other oils from Melvita.
Best Face Serum
^^ Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate. Was skeptical initially since I have an oily, acne-prone skin. But you’re very much an enabler & so I broke my piggy bank & get a bottle. It helps to heal/fade my acne scar faster (I have bad habit of picking the zits!) 😀
Best Work Related Achievement
^^ Not an achievement but I’ll be joining a new company in February 2012, yeah!
Best Body Wash
^^ Johnson’s Baby Milk Bath. Love the mild scent!
Best Blog Experience
^^ Won twice from participating in MWS! 😀
Happy New Year, ParisB!
So happy the MRC works for you! 😀 I tried the OCM method but broke out so badly but am glad it works for you. Sounds like its been a good year for you 🙂
Best Blush: No 7 for Spring, Hourglass Aura, Daniel Sandler Watercolour, YSL cream blush. Sorry, I can’t name just one..
Best New Beauty Discovery: Xen Tan, did not really use fake tan before
Best Eyeliner: Hourglass Calligraphy
Best Makeup Tip: Eye liner brush for concealing small blemishes! The best tip ever 🙂
Best Foundation: almost all Max Factor foundations.
Best Makeup Challenge: not sure…
Best Face Serum: Estee Lauder
Best Work Related Achievement: finished all the projects for the year!
Best Body Wash: Elemis Skin Nourishing shower cream
Best Blog Experience: it’s not a blog experience but related – the Makeup4all Magazine
You do an excellent job with the Makeup4all magazine, Marina and you should be very proud of it 🙂 thanks for letting me have a space in it 🙂 thanks to you, I now want to try the Hourglass and Daniel Sandler blushes. I’m not into liquid or cream but who knows if I end up loving it too 🙂
Thank you, Paris! I hope you will like the blushes!
Best Blush: Mac Pink Swoon – definitely my HG blush
Best Eyeliner: Clio Gelpresso
Best Foundation: Chanel Teint Innocence (discontinued, thus need to find a new replacement soon)
Best Face Serum: Sulwhasoo First Serum
Best Body Wash: HappyBath body wash! 🙂
You know what I liked, I didn’t recognize a single item from your list except the MAC blush, which means I can now give them all a go! 😀
Best Blush
Sugarbomb from Benefit Cosmetics.
Best New Beauty Discovery
Etude House. I’m usually “meh” with Korean brands but this one is pure love. Beautiful packaging and it works too!
Best Makeup Tip
Pat on foundation lightly. No need to rub it in.
Best Foundation
SK-II Cellumination Pancake. I got this free when purchasing a few of their products and it turned out to be the best thing out of all them! The powder is very fine, coverage is very light but it gives a nice, youthful glow on me!
Best Body Wash
Oriental Essence Aromatherapy Shower Gel from the Thann Sanctuary Spa brand.
Best Lipstick
Dior Addict. Favourite color being the rose-colored Androgyne (626).
Ohh I love Addict lipsticks 🙂 will have to check out Androgyne – rose shades are love! I didn’t know there was a Cellumination foundation and it sounds amazing!
I love Bella Bamba too fellow Blush Fiend! And I just got my first Dior Blush and LOVE it. 🙂 Thanks for the suggestions you gave me! Also totally love that Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. I used it on my Europe Trip and it’s lasted all day.
Love your list! Happy New Year!
Hurrah! We have more similarities than we know 🙂
i haven’t been religious enough to keep track of things, but one thing for sure, the tip #7 is something i have been doing since i started playing with makeup!
oh for the best work related experience, it has gotta be for resigning the previous job and getting a new one! 😀
Good on ya for leaving the old job. Hopefully the new one will be a good or at least better one for you 🙂
Best Blush: It’s a tie between Bellabamba and Chanel Joues Contraste 65 Espiegle.
Best New Beauty Discovery: Jo Malone Lime Basil & Mandarin Dry Body Oil
Best Eyeliner: Kate Super Sharp Liner in BK-1 and Chanel Stylo Yeux Waterproof in Ebene
Best Foundation: bareMinerals powder
Best BB cream: Dr Wu Perfect Cover
Best Concealer: Nudymore five color palette
Best Face Serum: Estee Lauder Advance Night Repair
Best Body Wash: Body Shop Candied Ginger Bath & Shower Gel
Best Foundation Tip / Brush: Using the Shiseido Foundation Brush for my liquid or powder foundation (http://www.shiseido.co.jp/beauty/season/feature/foundation-10823-3.html)
Best Eye Brush: Nars 15
Best Night moisturizer: Estee Lauder Resilience Lift Night for face and neck
Best Affordable Eye Shadow: L ‘oreal Color Infallible (Love!)
Best Affordable Makeup Sponge (ever): Taiwan’s Yong He (?????) make up sponge
I’ve been reading so much about Jo Malone lately. I took a sniff at Bangkok airport on my last trip there but i didn’t have time to properly see if I’d like anything. Oh and I own one L’Oreal Infallible shadow and it’s amazing! I don’t know when or if we’ll text it here but I plan to pick up more when I get to Singapore next… Providing I can still find them 😛
Jo Malone scents grows on me. Her scents seems to infuse with my skin and it grows into a comfortable scent as the day goes by. I’m now trying to get friends to get for me the Jo loves scents from the UK. Jo loves is a new line of fragrance by Jo Malone. Her latest Pomelo scent is so refreshing and energizing. Do try it out if you have plans to travel to the uk. And if you are into fragrances and coming to Singapore, may I recommend you to take an olfactory journey at Chanel boutique at marina bay sand. It’s a one to one personalized one of a kind experience. It’s free. And it was an enjoyable experience for me. I think you will like it too! Please make appointment in advance though.
Thanks for the Chanel recommendation! I will be sure to stop by if I’m next in MBS – I read news about the Jo Loves scents. I guess I will have to go check out the Jo Malone boutique in SG soon enough 😉