My 2022 Makeup Favorites

End of year round-ups give us a good indication of which brands or products performed the best

And this year, two brands in particular really came through for me. Here are my favorite products of 2022…

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2022 Makeup Favorites

BASE PRODUCTS

Base products was one of the categories that I chopped and changed quite often, but three products made up the core of my routine

For reference, I prefer a very natural, glowing finish and the following products really did that for me…

Chantecaille Anti-Ageing Tint in Bronze; NARS Light Reflecting Foundation in Barcelona; NARS Color Corrector in Light

CHANTECAILLE ANTI-AGEING TINT: SHOP HERE
I purchased this skincare/tint hybrid simply because I needed a product to give my skin a warmer hue. Besides doing just that, this product proved to be an even better primer for under makeup, not to mention the skincare aspect of it leaving my skin incredibly soft and supple too
The tint looks quite dark in the jar for my medium skin tone, however the finish is so sheer, you don’t get any coverage from it, only the tint. I’m really happy with this product!

NARS LIGHT REFLECTING FOUNDATION: SHOP HERE
I’m surprised that another foundation could live up to my holy grail NARS Sheer Glow, but here we are!
Slightly more lumious than the Sheer Glow, the application, finish and performance of this foundation is pretty much perfect. It’s lightweight, it has the most natural skin-like finish yet provides plenty of coverage. But what impresses me the most is the glow-from-within look it provides. Definite must-have!

NARS COLOR CORRECTOR: SHOP HERE
NARS comes to the rescue yet again. With dark circles under my eyes getting peskier and harder to conceal with regular concealers, I turned to color correcting. Given my makeup routine has to be practical, I wanted a formula that combined the right color, performance and maybe even allowing me to get away with not layering concealer on top of it.
NARS Color Corrector is a light weight formula that blends and covers easily; and dries down to a satin finish. Most of the time I don’t even set it with a powder. Also available in 3 darker shades, if you’re having problems with under eye darkness or pigmentation in general, I highly recommend this product

Honorable Mentions: Though I use very minimal powder  Dior Backstage No-Powder Powder was my most used setting powder in 2022. And just recently, I picked up Tom Ford’s Emotionproof Concealer for days where I prefer additional coverage. It’s possibly the most crease-proof concealer I’ve seen in a long time, without even requiring any setting powder!

BRONZERS

I alternated between two products for bronzer this year, and they all happen to be cream formulations

Application is very important with cream bronzers, especially when layering them with other products such as foundation and blush. And these two make the process an absolute breeze…

Chanel Les Beiges Cream Bronzer in 392 Medium Tan; Elaluz Cream Bronzers in Yummy Natural & Super Yummy Natural

CHANEL LES BEIGES CREAM BRONZER: SHOP HERE
I did a detailed review of this product in a previous post which you can check out HERE 
I gotta say, we saw quite a lot of new cream bronzers launched throughout 2022, and I tried and tested almost all of them. Nothing comes close to the formula and wear of Chanel cream bronzer. It melts into the skin providing a totally seamless finish, works beautifully with other products and it’s long lasting.
I still think the color range could be more versatile, but at least we now have 3 shades to choose from, compared to the one universal shade…which wasn’t really universal at all

ELALUZ CREAM BRONZERS: SHOP HERE
My on-the-go bronzer/contour combo has been the Elaluz Cream bronzers. The darker shade, having a slightly cooler undertone works as the perfect contour shade for me, combined with a touch of the lighter shade to add warmth and an overall bronze look.
Just as the Chanel bronzer, the formula of these creams work like a dream. And the unique shape of the product makes it very easy to sculpt the face/features with couple of swipes

BLUSHES

All time favorite category, blushes have definitely been my most purchased makeup item of 2022
Check out my detailed post on my other favorite blushes HERE

Although one unique powder blush made it into my favorites this year, cream and liquid formulations were what I reached for the most…

Huda Beauty Love Fest Cream Blush in Toasted Tangerine & Burning Cherry; NARS Liquid Blush in Torrid; Givenchy Prisme Libre in Voile Corail

HUDA BEAUTY LOVE FEST CREAM BLUSHES: SHOP HERE
These two shades were released as part of Huda’s Love Fest perfume+makeup collection. I knew I needed them the second I laid my eyes on them. And they certainly did not disappoint
The colors, the formula, application, wear and everything else is exactly what a cream blush should be. With the tiniest amount of shimmer through the intense colors, I absolutely adore everything about these cream blushes

NARS LIQUID BLUSH: SHOP HERE
There’s a reason why this orange/coral blush sold out many times over that I had to go on a waitlist to get my hands on one. Despite its airy light formula, this blush packs a punch when it comes to color, blends to an airbrushed finish; dries down without any stickiness or patchiness. The color is gorgeous! definitely what we would label universal. If you’re into liquid blushes, or you’re considering trying liquid blushes, start with the NARS range

GIVENCHY PRISME LIBRE: SHOP HERE
I didn’t need another powder blush BUT…this cute little cube featuring 4 varying shades of coral blush screamed “Ummm yeah you do need me!”. And now that I have it, I understand the hype I created in my head
This powder blush is so finely milled, you barely feel it on the skin, which also helps blend it to a traceless finish. I can’t say I’m too crazy about the container but I get that the concept requires it to be this way. I’m happy to overlook the minor mess cos I love this blush.

EYES

I got so many eyeshadow palettes this year, but a new comer really took the spotlight

Think silky mattes, shimmering toppers, rich metals, browns, greens, grays, coppers. What’s not to love…

Anastasia Rose Metals Palette

ANASTASIA ROSE METALS PALETTE: SHOP HERE
The stunning color family, curated with flawless formulas makes this palette a special addition to any collection
The quality and performance of these eyeshadows are classic Anastasia, so you know you’re getting great value for money. But the colors!!! Let’s say pictures and videos don’t do justice to how stunning they all are!

Honorable Mentions: Hindash Beautopsy Palette for all matte and fully customizable looks (full review HERE); MAC Kohl Eye Pencil in Feline which is a classic super black to intensify any look

LIPS

Peachy nude, peachy nude, peachy nude!…I don’t think I will ever stop loving peachy nude lips

And as simple of a color as it may seem, believe it or not, it’s next to impossible to find the right shade of peachy nude. One lip liner + lipstick combo came through in such a way that I don’t think I’ll bother to search for the perfect peachy nude lips ever again

Hindash Lipliner in Hush, Lipstick in Call Me Peaches; NARS Air Matte Lipstick in Joyride

HINDASH HUSH LIPLINER & CALL ME PEACHES LIPSTICK: SHOP HERE
I couldn’t be happier with the buttery smooth consistency of this soft terracotta lipliner which compliments the opacity of the true peach lipstick so perfectly! Providing a gorgeous contrast which sculpts the lips, the lipstick smooths over fine lines, giving the lips a plump and uniform look despite being a matte formula
Neither the lipliner or the lipstick are long-wearing formulas, but they wear-off really nicely leaving a sheer hue of the color behind

NARS AIR MATTE LIPSTICK: SHOP HERE
On days where I wanted a slight pop of color, I went straight to this fluffy mousse lipstick by NARS. Just like Hindash’s peach lipstick, Joyride also smooths over the lines on the lips. Available in 9 other shades, this lipstick also doubles up as a soft blush

I think going by my featured products, you most likely figured out NARS and HINDASH have been consistent favorites in my 2022 makeup routine. There are so many other products from both brands that I use on a regular basis but the handful that I mentioned were my must-haves!

2022 definitely saw a shift back to makeup from the more skincare-heavy 2020/21 period and I have no complaints about that.
I’m really excited to see all the new product launches in 2023

Thank you for exploring the beauty industry with me for another year
A very Happy New Year to you all! 
Sarah xo