It only seems like couple of months ago since I did My Favorite Products Of 2014 post, and yet here we are wrapping up 2015!
2015 has been a massive year in the beauty world with so many products making their debut and sending us makeup-lovers into an absolute frenzy. Although I would never completely abandon my previous favorite products – (cos lets face it, they have to go through a gruesome trial and testing period to make it to my list), some products stood out for me this year that I found myself reaching for the most.
Illustration by: Izak Zenou
So, without further ado, here are my favorite products of 2015 which I’m sure will be there to help me ease into the new year too…
***Click on the product names to purchase***
Laura Mercier Primer – Oil Free and Radiance Formulas
There are many different versions of Laura Mercier primers depending on your skin needs but the Oil Free and Radiance formulas are my all time favorites. This year was no different.
The oil free formula is a light weight lotion and although it hydrates the skin and allows the foundation to apply smoothly on top, it doesn’t leave a residue which is perfect for my oily T-zone.
The radiance version has illuminating properties and gives the skin a dewy glow on those days I want a little bit more sheen to my foundation.
Holding onto the top spot, this foundation has been my go-to for many years and still going strong.
Contrary to its name, Sheer Glow foundation is in fact medium coverage and can be built up to full coverage. It’s light but really pigmented which covers imperfections with ease and gives the skin a satin finish.
This foundation is not a long wearing formula so it does need setting with powder or spray.
NARS All Day Luminous Weightless Foundation
I tested many of the highly hyped foundation releases this year and most of them left me disappointed to say the least; BUT yet another NARS foundation stole my heart in the end.
I’ve been using this NARS foundation for almost 3 months now and although I’ll do a more detailed review on it soon, I can definitely confirm it’s a winner. It’s light weight, covers perfectly and has a satin finish which really does look luminous on the skin.
Unlike Sheer Glow, this foundation is indeed long wearing so unless you have really oily skin, I find it doesn’t even need to be set with powder.
Laura Mercier Translucent Powder
The powder that’s been replacing my MAC Mineralize Skinfinish more often this year is the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder.
Super finely milled with no color, this powder has been great at setting my makeup where needed and keeping creasing at bay without any cakey build up.
It doesn’t flash back with night time photography either and makes for a great all round powder.
Too Faced Dark Chocolate Soleil Bronzer
My NARS Laguna bronzer had a serious competitor this year with this Too Faced Chocolate Soleil compact. I personally love a matte bronzer which is slightly cooler in tone so I can frame my face and cheeks without looking too shimmery or orange.
The Dark Chocolate Soleil bronzer gives me just enough color and definition without going overboard and it smells like chocolate as it contains cocoa powder. It blends seamlessly and doesn’t look muddy or patchy. Also comes in lighter shades depending on your skin tone.
2015 was definitely the year of eyeshadow palettes…we could even say at an overkill level! It felt like every week there was another brand releasing yet another palette and I was also guilty of over-indulging. Of all the palettes I’ve purchased however, Tarte Showstopper Palette ticked all the boxes in terms of quality, versatility and convenience. Review/swatches here
Being a lover of warm earthy/brown shadows with a good balance of matte and shimmer shades, highlighter, bronzer and a peachy blush, I couldn’t part with this palette. Quality is amazing, the compact looks stunning and it’s an all-you-need combo if you travel often as I do.
I mean, what can I say…Colourpop shadows have blown many of their higher end counterparts out of the water with their cream/powder hybrid eyeshadows. There are so many individual colors from this line I’m totally in love with, that I’d be here for days just talking about them.
Instead I’ll just leave a link to my previous reviews here and also to the Colourpop website so you can start building your own must-have collection.
Yet another holy grail product carrying over from previous years is my trusty old Becca Opal highlighter.
There are so many alternatives out there and I try and test them all but nothing comes close to the subtle perfection that is Opal.
I alternate between the powder and liquid version and I couldn’t recommend this product enough. Full review/swatches here
Tarte Tarteist Clay Paint Liner
This little tube of wonder has been so good to me! Seriously, gel liners, liquid liners and of course pencils have taken a back seat ever since I bought this product cos it’s simply amazing!
With a mess-free tube, rich black formula which glides on like butter and stays on until I decide to take it off, the only thing missing with this liner is more color variety so I can get them too.
The pack includes a liner brush. Full review/swatches here
Other than a few occasions where I wore dark colored lipsticks (and hence liners to match), I have to admit I haven’t used any other lipliner than MAC’s Stripdown this year.
If I had to explain my perfect nude lipliner, Stripdown would be it. It’s just enough warm, just enough brown, light enough yet dark enough…so hard to describe yet it makes the perfect companion to so many different lipstick and lipgloss colors.
Test it out next time you’re at a MAC counter, you won’t regret it.
This has been “the other half” to my Stripdown lip pencil as they’re a match made in nude-heaven.
With a soft peachy undertone and a creamy (yet not glossy) texture, this lipstick looks and feels beautiful and wears off really well too.
Paired with Stripdown, it makes a gorgeous ombre toned nude lip, or you can use it in the center of your lips with other colors to enhance the pout.
I know you guys are probably sick of me mentioning this mascara in my posts and tutorials but I’m yet to find another mascara that comes close. For some reason, my eyes have become really sensitive to lash glue lately, even the latex free ones so I’ve come to appreciate my Lancome Hypnose Drama mascara even more.
With its rich black color, volumising, lengthening and no-flaking formula, I use the waterproof version which also ensures my otherwise dead-straight lashes stay curled the whole time. This is a must try if you’re after a do-it-all mascara. Review here
I did a very detailed review on these state of the art, luxury makeup brushes and I have since become the proud owner of the whole set – which I will be doing another post to introduce you to them in the new year.
There’s so much to be said about these amazing brushes but I’ll let you read the previous post and recommend to get either the Oval 7 or Oval 8 brush as a starting point. They’re both amazing for foundation and powder application. It takes seconds to apply the products and gives a truly airbrushed look to the skin.
Check out my introduction/review post here
So, here we are beauties! So many options but regardless of the never ending variety, some products always manage to stand out in the crowd. Quality, performance, longevity, packaging, pricing as well as brand reputation are some of the finer details I pay attention to when testing products, so I hope the reviews and recommendations have helped you guys along the way.
On that note, I would like to thank each and every single one of you for your continued support and sharing your love of beauty and fashion with me for another year. May you all have a wonderful start to 2016 and I hope to meet you back here very soon!! :)
Much love, Sarah xx
Leave in the comments below your favorite products of 2015 :)