Hello everyone, I hope you’re doing well and I wish you a happy new year!
I wanted to collate together all of my beauty favourites of 2018 in this post for you all; I made the effort to explore different trends this past year, trying new brands, products and looks that I wouldn't normally wear in order to venture out of my beauty comfort zone and better my makeup skills. Out of this exploration, I managed to find new holy grail products that I'll definitely be repurchasing in 2019, and also maintained my love of some old favourites that I'll probably never stop using!
Benefit Hoola Bronzer
I was on a search this year for a perfect bronzer as I've always found them to look too ashy or orange, which I know is the case for many South Asian girls like me. Benefit's Hoola has been raved about for years and after discovering it recently, I can see why! It is the perfect shade for me, giving a natural sunkissed look but still being easy to layer for a more intense, bronzed vibe (which I looooove). For any other brown girls in the search for a perfect bronzer, do try this if you haven't already!
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
This concealer has been a holy grail product of mine since I first started wearing makeup; although I tried different concealers this year such as the Mac Prolong Wear and LA Girl Pro-Conceal, I returned to this little gem as it has incredible coverage and I love the way it looks on my skin. Other concealers did not beat it and despite the colour match being slightly off, you really cannot complain as it is such a bargain price! I wear this on an every-day basis with a little powder on top, making sure to thoroughly blend it with fluffy brushes and a beauty blender, and it gives a beautiful skin-like finish whilst covering all of my acne scars, redness and blemishes. I can't praise this product enough!
Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge
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| Image from Google |
I really aimed to make my makeup base look more creamy, natural and, well, skin-like this year as it's been a 2018 beauty trend that I have personally been obsessed with. I found it difficult to nail with my problematic skin but with the right products and tools, such as this sponge, I think I'm getting the hang of it! I use this sponge damp to apply and blend products, and it is the key to perfecting my base and maintaining the soft, natural finish that I aim for.
Eyelash curler and waterproof mascara
This may seem a bit weird, but I only started using a lash curler this year and it's really elevated the lash game for me! I constantly get asked if I'm wearing fake lashes but I hardly do, it is just me utilising a lash curler and locking the curl in with waterproof mascara (a tip I learnt from Alice T on Instagram). I particularly like this Maybelline waterproof mascara but I'm going to be trying a few, more affordable alternatives soon as I'm constantly running out of this one.
Pixi + Maryam Maquillage Strobe & Sculpt Highlight & Contour Palette
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| Image from Google |
I was gifted this palette for my birthday and it has become a firm favourite of mine that I use every day (hence why my own version is really battered and I can't bear to show you all). The blush gives a lovely flush of colour to the cheeks, the highlight is a beautiful golden/champagne colour which builds up in intensity well, and the banana powder is what I use on an everyday basis to set my highlighting concealer. The bronzer shades are great too, though some are too dark for me so I use them as eyeshadow and they work really well. Overall, it's a great little palette with a lot of versatility!
Fenty Gloss Bomb Universal Lip Luminizer in Fenty Glow
Now, this is a bloody good lip gloss. I love using it as it smells like sweets, is a gorgeous colour that really compliments me and it gives an intense wet-look that is oh so beautiful. I also just love the brand overall, Fenty's inclusivity is something I really commend and I love supporting Rihanna and her vision with her makeup brand, I also can't wait to get my hands on her foundation and this gloss in its new shades!
L'Oreal Hydra Genius Hyaluronic Acid & Aloe Liquid Moisturiser
I wanted to include a few skincare favourites too as good skincare plays a big part in my foundation looking great. This L'Oreal moisturiser is brilliant in hydrating my skin, making it look super plump and feel really soft. It contains hyaluronic acid, which is great for moisturising as it helps the skin retain water, and aloe vera, which is really calming. Any time my skin is looking dry and dull, this really helps restore some moisture back into my face and keeps my makeup looking good. I mix it in with a thicker moisturiser as its a thin consistency (at the moment it's one by Simple) and apply it after a facial oil and before my foundation every day.
Fruits of Nature Acne Removal Cream
This little blue tub is magic! When I use this cream consistently my skin looks and feels amazing. It's a really natural product (which is important to me with skincare), containing just a few key, skin-loving ingredients like as shea butter, tea tree, rosehip and vitamin E oil which work amazingly well in keeping my skin glowy and healthy.
So, they're just a few on my 2018 beauty favourites which I have loved using over the past year. As for 2019, I'm hoping it's a wonderful year for us all; I'm aiming to be much more active on this blog and produce quality content for you all as it's what I love to do. Here is to success, creativity and happiness in 2019!
Lots of love, Furvah x
