Top 10 of 2013: Best Blushes

I went through all of the blushes I’ve reviewed in 2013, which was around 200 in total, and these were some of my very, very favorites. I could have given you a much longer list, so when there was just a really amazing formula, I limited myself to picking just one shade, but I’ve included a link to the formula itself where you can also check out other shades available! Naturally, as these are my personal favorites, you’ll likely notice a warmer tone to most, plus an inclination towards coral… I cannot tell a lie: I love coral blushes!

• Chanel Presage (62) Le Blush Creme de Chanel — a warm-toned, medium-dark orange with a hint of pink, but I loved every single shade released in this formula (see them all here!)
• Illamasqua Peaked Velvet Blusher — an amazing cream-to-powder formula in a cool-toned berry-pink
• Kevyn Aucoin Natura Pure Powder Glow — or take your pick, as the formula was incredibly consistent and fantastic; Natura is a soft, medium brown with rose and peach tints
• NARS Boy Don’t Cry High Voltage Blush — an intensely pigmented coral-red that was as gorgeous to look at in the pan as it was applied
• Burberry Coral Pink Light Glow Natural Blush — a dark pink with a hint of coral and warmth and a soft, satiny finish
• MAC Ripe for Love Blush — a medium coral-orange with a satiny sheen
• Chanel Accent (84) Joues Contraste — a softened, medium-dark rosy brown with neutral-to-warm undertones
• Givenchy It-Girl Purple Le Prisme Blush — a light-medium, cool-toned pink with a hint of lilac and a barely-there satin finish
• Benefit Rockateur Box o’ Powder — a mix of pink, beige, and brown with warm undertones and a satiny finish–almost rose gold as described
• NARS Taj Mahal — bold, vibrant orange with a hint of red and a golden sheen–one of many choices as I reviewed most of the permanent shades from NARS this past year

Top 10 of 2013: Best Eyeshadows

Top 10 of 2013: Best Eyeshadows (Cream & Powder)

When it comes to eyeshadows, by and large, most of the ones covered these days are found in palettes! There are definitely plenty of reviews of singles, but palettes outnumber them easily. To compile this list, though, I only think it’s fair to focus on the singles (that’s why there’s a whole top ten for palettes, so they’re not left out!) that made my heart pitter-patter and go all aflutter.  As always, I tried to go across formulas and colors, picking the best of the best, though I couldn’t help myself from choosing two from Dior’s new cream formula.

• Tom Ford Escapade Cream Color for Eyes — it’s a golden peach with a metallic sheen; but this (paired with Pink Haze) is my go-to combination for a bright, warm eye–I’ve reached for this nearly every time I have a “no-testing” day
• Sugarpill @#$%! Eyeshadow — a bold, warm-toned red with silver sparkle
• NARS Persia Eyeshadow — a superbly pigmented, burnt orange with a matte finish
• Dior Millenium (381) Diorshow Fusion Mono Eyeshadow — a glorious blackened brown with bronze and pewter shimmer
• MAC Brazenly Eyeshadow — a richly pigmented purple-berry with a frosted sheen (if every collection by MAC was as high quality as Nudes & Metallics, we’d all be in big trouble)
• Illamasqua Sadist Eyeshadow — a bold, vibrant cornflower blue with a matte finish
• Urban Decay Peace Eyeshadow — reformulated, it was so soft, smooth, and intensely pigmented
• Dior Aventure (081) Diorshow Fusion Mono Eyeshadow — a gray and bronze-shimmered black-brown (it says something when I buy every single shade available in a formula, as I did with this one)
• MAC Tailor Grey Pro Longwear Paint Pot — a deliciously creamy, satin-matte taupe with subtle warm undertones
• Sephora My Boyfriend’s Jeans (19) Eyeshadow — a cool-toned, bluish-purple with intense pigmentation (almost never happens!)

Top 10 of 2013: Best Lipglosses

                    

When it comes to lipgloss, I personally fall in love with two types:  insanely pigmented, nearly opaque colors or glimmering, dazzling, sparkling, and shimmering ones–but they have to be loaded with sparkle (and yet, they can’t feel gritty!).  Over the years, while stickiness isn’t a deal-breaker, I don’t like heavy, thick, goopy kind of glosses.  Reflecting on glosses I’ve tested out this past year, here were the ones I picked for my top ten!

• Urban Decay Scandal Super Saturated High Gloss Lip Color — part gloss, part lipstick, this was one of the most stunning shades of red I’ve worn–so beautiful on (you can get it individually from UD’s website only)
• Burberry Pink Sweet Pea Lip Glow — cool-toned, fuchsia pink with iridescent micro-shimmer and nearly opaque color coverage
• Chanel Reflexion (71) Rouge Allure Extrait de Gloss — a medium, pink-coral with warm undertones and soft pink and copper shimmer
• Sephora Red Glow Metallic Glow Lustrous Lip Shine — a vibrant, metallic pinky-red
• YSL Orange de Chine (8) Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain — a vibrant, red-orange with a glossy shine
• OCC Androgyne Lip Tar Stained Gloss — a tangerine orange with a light glossy shine
• Burberry Cameo Pink Lip Glow — a warm pink with peach and copper shimmer
• Giorgio Armani #519 Flash Lip Lacquer — a warm-toned, medium-dark pink with a creamy, glossy finish
• YSL Fuchsia Fugitive (109) Rouge Pur Couture Glossy Stain — a molten gold-shimmered pink coral
• Giorgio Armani #701 Flash Lip Lacquer — this shade is just too cool not to love (particularly for layering)

Top 10 of 2013: Best Lipsticks

2013 was good year for lipsticks, particularly if you loved yours bold, bright, and/or matte. There were new formulas to fall in love with, and plenty of new and limited shades released from my favorite formulas. This was a tough list to compile! Because I really do believe variety is the spice of life, I tried to pick across a variety of formulas!

• Givenchy Fuchsia Irresistible (205) Le Rouge — a vibrant, fuchsia-pink with a satin finish and opaque color coverage, but let me take a moment and tell you that the entire Le Rouge range is amazing
• Buxom Swinger Full-Bodied Lipstick — a vibrant, blue-based magenta with a creamy finish (and I fell in love with the Full-Bodied formula overall–excellent range!)
• Guerlain Madame Batifole (860) Rouge G — a brightened, medium-dark berry-red with fuchsia shimmer
• Urban Decay Catfight Revolution Lipstick — a creamy, pinky-red with warm undertones and a luminous sheen
• Giorgio Armani #402 Lip Maestro — a bright, vibrant orange-toned red in a liquid formula
• Marc Jacobs Beauty Showstopper (134) LoveMarc Lip Gel — a medium-dark, red-brown with warm undertones and a glossy sheen
• MAC Private Party Lipstick — a muted, pink-tinged plum with a satin finish
• Too Faced Jelly Bean La Creme — bold, vibrant, and bright berry-pink
• Maybelline Electric Fuchsia — a bright, bold blue-based fuchsia pink–this formula is incredible, and it’s only made sweeter by the affordable price point
• Givenchy Violine Precieux (312) Le Rouge Sensuously Matte — a warm-toned, medium-dark plum with a satin-matte finish