Honest reviews, regular hauls and all things beauty.

Tuesday, 20 December 2016

Top 16 makeup products of 2016 featuring Too Faced, Natasha Denona, Marc Jacobs, Hourglass & more!




It's hard to believe that it's the almost the end of another year - I really think that this entire year has gone by in the blink of an eye. Instead of doing a December favourites, over the next few days, I am going to share my 2016 favourites - today is makeup, tomorrow skincare and then on Thursday, it will be my favourite blogs from the year before taking a break for Christmas. I couldn't have narrowed makeup down to a Top 10, so instead, because it is 2016, I have compiled my top 16 of the year! Some are recent to my collection but others are long-term loves so let's get started!


I have a lot of primers but have three favourites are Natasha Denona Face Glow Primer Hydrating Underbase, which is a recent addition to my collection but I am head over heels for it. It has a creamy texture but absorbs quickly and doesn't feel like it is sitting on my skin, yet my skin feels so soft and comfortable. Foundation applies evenly and smoothly over it and it definitely helps in the glow stakes! I absolutely love this primer and recommend it to anybody with dry skin.

The next primer is a long term love - Clarins Beauty Flash Balm. Regular readers will know how much I love this primer - I have been using it for years and have repurchased countless tubes of it. This product plumps my skin and makes it look instantly fresher and younger. I love it under foundation or just on its own to perk my skin up.

Becca Backlight Priming Filter is the third primer that I have really loved this year. It really ups the ante in the glowing stakes and every foundation I use looks better when applied over this. It doesn't accentuate my pores and doesn't give a discoball effect - just very lit from within!

As a palette addict, I could easily write about my top 16 palettes! Instead, I chose just two and they are the Anastasia Beverly Hills Master Palette by Mario and Natasha Denona 5 Eyeshadow Palette in the shade 04 (I have two Natasha Denona palettes and really love them both equally!). Both palettes are warm toned, buttery soft, highly pigmented and long lasting. There is nothing not to love about about these palettes - well except for the fact that the Mario palette was limited edition! 

Another limited edition product that is a favourite is the Too Faced Love Flush Blush Palette. This palette contains minis of all six shades of Too Faced Love Flush blushes and they are a dream to apply. They last really well on my cheeks (although I haven't tested the 16 hour wear claim!) and I love that I have a variety of shades in the one palette - perfect for travelling.

Since buying the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit - Surreal Light in September, I have been utterly obsessed with it. I use it every time I apply makeup because I love the healthy, diffused look that the Surreal Light powder (which is a base to all of the other products) gives my skin. I honestly cannot recommend this highly enough - I know the pans are small but you get 5 in there and they are all very wearable and complement each other so well. I can't believe that it hasn't sold out yet!

I first tried Natasha Denona products in August and it has become a bit of an addiction! I love her glow inducing range and the product that started the lover affair was the Natasha Denona All Over Face & Body Shimmer in Powder in the shade Light. Buttery soft is the only way to describe the texture of this product - it is almost creamy, which makes it a dream to apply and blend. It is a very flattering pale gold shade and is quite subtle, which makes it perfect for daytime use but can be layered up for an evening look. I really, really want to add the Medium shade to my collection!

An old favourite but still a favourite nonetheless is Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow in the shade Light to Medium. I have had this for around 2 years now and still love it just as much as the first time I used it. The sculpt side of the palette adds a little definition but nothing too harsh and the highlight is a pale champagne. It is very flattering and the combination of the two products makes me look like a healthier version of myself. It is expensive but lasts a long time - I'm nowhere near hitting pan after almost 2 years of very regular use.

Another obsession for me is Tatcha Luminous Dewy Skin Mist, which I liken to an Instagram filter! It softens the look of my base and refreshes it when used throughout the day. They really delivers on the dewy promise so I wouldn't recommend for those with oily skin but if you have dry skin and love to glow then you need to try this!

Speaking (again) of glowing skin, I have been loving Natasha Denona Face Glow Foundation. This gives medium coverage and has a gel/cream texture but it is so lightweight that it feels like I'm not wearing any foundation. It blends into the skin really well and although it is glowy, it doesn't look shiny (on my dry skin anyway!). It doesn't accentuate fine lines or visible pores and makes my skin look smooth and healthy. I've already purchased a back up of this!

My favourite concealer has to be bareMinerals Bareskin Complete Coverage Serum Concealer. I love that this doesn't crease under my eye or settle into any fine lines. It is also ideal for blemishes and really does offer complete coverage without being cakey or heavy on the skin.

I couldn't choose one liner, so kinda cheated by including two but they are both Kat Von D Liquid Liners. I go through phases of preferring the Ink (due to the felt tip) to the Tattoo (due to the brush tip) but either way I love the staying power of these liners - no mean feat with my delightful oily lid/watery eye combo! 

The mascara that has really stolen my heart this year is Marc Jacobs Velvet Noir Major Volume Mascara. I love really black, dramatic voluminous, false lash effect lashes and this mascara gives me those without being crispy or flaking/smudging. I can't imagine not using it now!

I was so excited when I received Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Lipstick in the shade Kim K-W for my birthday. It is the perfect everyday lip colour (pinky nude) and goes with so many eye looks. It is extremely comfortable to wear, lasts around 3 hours before it needs re-applying and makes my lips look fuller. It has been one of my most worn lipsticks since I got it.

I've always been a lip gloss lover but hadn't bought any new ones in quite a while (because I had jumped on the lipstick train) but then I tried Marc Jacobs Enamored Hi-Shine Gloss Lip Lacquer in the shade Sugar Sugar and it re-ignited my lip gloss love again. It gives a very high shine finish (as the name would suggest), is pretty pigmented and long wearing (for a gloss) but most importantly, it doesn't stick to my hair! I really love the formula and minty scent. It also gives the appearance of fuller lips so overall, it's a total winner and had to make it into my top 16!

Thank you if you have made it this far! I know that it almost reads like an ad for Natasha Denona, but I promise you that it isn't (I wish!) - I bought all of these products myself (apart from the Charlotte Tilbury lipstick, which was a birthday gift from a family member). I would love to know if any of these would make it into your favourites list? I'd also love to hear what your favourite makeup products have been this year? Please tel me in the comments below!

Don't forget to enter my Luxury Fragrance Bundle giveaway here

Thanks for reading!

All products are bought by me, unless otherwise stated. Opinion is always my own.
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