Best of 2014: Beauty

Full disclosure: I found the third year of maintaining this blog challenging. You know I do it for the fun of it and I've always kept it real, but somewhere along the way I lost steam and found it all a bit forced and stale. Don't get me wrong, I still liked makeup, I just didn't feel so enthused with having to write about it.

For a few months, blogging took a backseat as my 20-something year old self tried to figure some identity/life/relationship stuff out (I still haven't, but it's a work in progress). Basically, it was kind of a weird year. It wasn't just blogging that I lost interest in, but it was one of the easiest things to let fall by the wayside. Beauty blogging is inherently not that deep (as distinct from personal, which I feel it absolutely can be), since at the end of the day the conversation revolves around what you're using to paint your face to make it look better, and I wasn't sure I had the energy, ingenuity and lightness of heart to elaborate on another neutral eyeshadow or peachy lipstick without collapsing into boredom or detecting my own insincerity.

It wasn't until my much-needed holiday to Japan in September that I could recharge, reconnect with my interests, and even feel excited to create content again. In some ways, a dip in enthusiasm is inevitable with any long relationship, but I haven't lost any appreciation or capacity to be entertained and to learn when it comes to "beauty".

From newer readers to those who've stuck with me since the beginning and are still here, more than ever, I'm grateful for you. You keep this blog alive and give me a platform to connect with you and be heard. This year, I might even branch out into some non-beauty stuff occasionally to shake things up and get a little more personal. Until then, in true annual tradition, here are my top beauty products of 2014.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer
Quite simply, the best concealer I've ever tried. Does everything you want a good concealer to do, including covering up pesky pimples, scarring, areas of redness and uneven skin tone. Best of all, it's a breeze to use and extremely portable. I usually put some on the back of my hand with the applicator and dab the product onto my face with my fingers. No intricate, patient brush work required, no issues with disturbing your existing makeup or the concealer being too dry or hard in texture. It's just the right amount of creaminess to blend into the skin effortlessly while still adhering to the skin and not slipping/sliding off or transferring. Instant repurchase material.

Australis Nail Colour in K-Pop
If I had to nominate an "It" nail polish colour of 2014 that I gravitated to repeatedly, it would be this bright, mid-tone pinky purple. Estée kicked things off when I saw her wear Essie Splash of Grenadine in one of her videos, and soon I couldn't get enough of similar hues (see Rimmel 60 Seconds Nail Polish in Lucky Lilac, Essence Colour & Go in Purple Sugar). My favourite variation of the shade would definitely be Australis K-Pop. Just the right balance of pastel and neon, and not too dark. Formula is smooth and easy to work with, requiring only two coats for full opacity.

Napoleon Perdis Cream Blush
Who knew a magazine freebie could be so good? It's conveniently compact making it perfect for travel or to pop in the makeup bag (I've done both), it imparts a fresh, wholesome, natural flush that injects instant life to the face, wear time is excellent, it's light but creamy in texture and doesn't apply patchily or cling to areas of dry skin. Virtually faultless.

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua
My foundation discovery came late in the year but I wish I'd made it much earlier. What most delights me about Vitalumière Aqua is it really sets on the skin. While a bit of shine does come to the surface as the day goes on, all things considered, it's impressively transfer-proof. The quintessential "no makeup makeup" base, it provides good, subtly radiance-boosting coverage while still appearing natural and not completely erasing the skin's underlying qualities.

Real Techniques Multi Task Brush
I never thought the day would come when I'd ditch my Real Techniques Buffing Brush for anything else to apply my foundation. I made the switch in the middle of the year and haven't looked back. While I previously used the Multi Task Brush mainly for powder products (contouring, blush), this works like a charm for liquid foundation, especially slightly thicker, heavier coverage bases that can get a little cakey if not blended out completely. Simply put, the Multi Task Brush involves less work than the Buffing Brush, and the longer, softer but still fairly dense bristles feel nicer on the skin while delivering a streak-free, airbrushed finish.

MAC 217 Blending Brush
There's a reason this is such a popular, oft-relied upon, frequently raved about brush. The first time I used a MAC 217, I instantly understood the hype. The brush applies eyeshadow slightly higher up than what I'm used to, creating more of a rounder shape where the shadow follows the natural curve of the eye all the way around, giving the appearance of bigger eyes. The edges almost appear naturally diffused and never look harsh or too defined, though the actual effort involved is next to zero. The somewhat firm but still fluffy bristles pick up product brilliantly so that colour is really concentrated when it's applied to the lids.

Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in Deep Black
I featured the Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in my 2013 Favourites, but I've managed to find something even better. While very similar, the Dolly Wink gives me even more precision and control. It's no exaggeration to say it virtually revolutionised the way I draw my eyeliner. Because of the ultra-fine tip and how inky black but not overly wet it is, it enabled me to experiment with different shapes and lines that better suited my monolids (essentially, partially drawing the line with my eyes open rather than closed). The only problem is that it does run out quicker than the Stila and since I bought mine in Japan, I'm anticipating a real struggle to find an online stockist that ships to Australia at a reasonable price.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara
Definitively, the best mascara I've used. Even at $38 in Australia, I would repurchase without hesitation. I forget just how good it is when I stop using it. When I come back to it, as I did in the second half of 2014, it's a revelation all over again. Every other mascara seems substandard in comparison. It lengthens, curls, darkens and adds volume to the lashes without clumping or smudging. My short, barely visible Asian lashes need all the help they can get, and They're Real is the closest to a false lash effect I can achieve from mascara alone.

Urban Decay Naked3
We're all at the risk of suffering a bit of Naked overload, which is what makes the third Naked palette all the more impressive. Urban Decay managed to create 12 all new tantalising shades of even more neutral goodness that you never even knew you wanted. Like any good, thoughtfully assembled palette, the versatility and creative potential is all there in the shade selection. Personal favourites include the ultra-glittery Trick which I usually apply wet, sophisticated matte Nooner, and richly metallic Liar.

LORAC Pro Palette
Admittedly I didn't exactly give this palette a resoundingly positive review at first (mainly because I wasn't a huge fan of the actual colours in it), but I never faulted the quality or pigmentation of the shadows. One thing has won me over since, to the extent I'm placing the whole palette in my yearly favourites: the calibre of the matte shades, especially Sable and Espresso. These are the deepest, darkest, most intense mattes I have ever encountered. A light dip into the pan with my eyeshadow brush instantly adds incomparable depth and definition to any eyeshadow look. When I want immediate impact, those are the shades I reach for. And they've never let me down.

Amateur Approach

I've actually had the LORAC Pro Palette for many months, but apart from a brief mention in the Perfect Palette Tag, I've never been inspired to write about it in any detail. I bought mine from Tarazz, parcel forwarded from Sephora, for around $60. The relative difficulty of tracking down this palette naturally only increased its appeal. The fact you get a generous 16 shades, half matte, half shimmer, made it seem like a worthy investment for eyeshadow novices and experts alike. To be honest, I would say my primary motivation in buying the palette was for the Pewter shade, which I found myself transfixed by. Every swatch I came across of Pewter convinced me I needed the Pro Palette in my life. It's not an inaccurate assessment to say that I basically purchased the whole palette for that one shade.

l-r: White, Cream, Taupe, Lt. Pink, Mauve, Sable, Espresso, Black

l-r: Nude, Champagne, Gold, Lt. Bronze, Pewter, Garnet, Deep Purple, Slate

First off, I have to say I can't fault the pigmentation of these shadows. They generally all have excellent colour payoff. The mattes are some of the best I've encountered, particularly my favourites Taupe, Mauve and Sable, while the shimmery shades are incredibly vibrant, especially the ridiculous Gold and Garnet. The mattes aren't powdery or chalky, though there is a bit of fallout with the darker colours. The metallic shades are the kind that you barely need a brush to apply. You can easily use your fingers to blend out the colours given how smooth, soft and packed with pigment they are.

Despite the high quality of these shadows, my main issue with the palette is the colour selection. It's almost too broad, but at the same time, the vast majority of shades are about as unique as their names. I don't do anything particularly complex or involved with my eyeshadow looks, mostly preferring to stick with a maximum of two colours — one for the lid, one darker which I focus more on the outer corner or blend upwards from the upper lash line. I feel the Pro Palette is oriented more towards those who want to get the most out of their shadows and are comfortable with intricate highlighting, shading and blending.

I've barely touched a lot of these colours because I simply have no use for them or don't know how to use them, e.g. White, Lt. Pink, Deep Purple and Slate. At the same time, there's a lack of those highly sought-after medium, neutral, all-over lid shades (the only two I would classify as such in this palette are Taupe and Mauve). I find the shades are all either too light, too dark, or too colourful and metallic. Even Pewter, the one colour I was most excited about, ended up being nearly as dark as Burberry Midnight Brown, in other words, too heavy to apply as a wash over the lid for the daytime.

All in all, it's a high-performing palette if you know what you're doing with eyeshadow, and you're not afraid of colour with some of the metallic options. When it comes to shade selection, I definitely prefer something like the Urban Decay Naked Palettes or NARS And God Created the Woman. Having said that, there's one shade in the Pro Palette which I love the way I thought I'd love Pewter, and that's Mauve. It's a little cooler, more purplish/grey than Nooner from the Urban Decay Naked3 Palette, but without a doubt one of my most used and favoured matte shadows.

Primed for Success

Eye primers and nude cream bases play a vital role in helping powder eyeshadows appear more vibrant and last longer. An underwhelming eyeshadow can be rescued by a good primer and can transform a lacklustre shade into a better version of itself. Of course, an already impressively pigmented and long-wearing eyeshadow might not need any extra help. The preliminary step of applying a primer or base can also be effective insurance against oily lids and eyeshadow creasing, though those two issues aren't major problems for my dryish monolids. Here are the five I reach for most often.

l-r: Maybelline Color Tattoo in Barely Branded, Urban Decay Primer Potion, NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer, Becca Eye Tint in Vicuna

Maybelline 24Hr Color Tattoo Eyeshadow in Barely Branded (70)
This light, very shimmery beigey champagne needs to be applied with caution. I make sure to pick up a very small amount with my finger and spread a thin layer to slightly moisturised lids for more slip, as it's a little dry and hard in texture at first. It's quite pigmented so applying a touch too much may overpower the actual eyeshadow, though it's nowhere near as bad as the white, frosty Too Cool (05). I find the lasting power and vibrancy of the metallic Color Tattoos to be exceptional, so Barely Branded works well to prolong wear time and amp up the shimmer factor of lustrous shades.

Urban Decay Primer Potion Eyeshadow Base
This classic eyeshadow primer is a solid all-rounder. It's a light yellowish skin colour but applies mainly transparent on the lids. It has a bit of a thicker texture but is easy to spread with good slip. It doesn't do too much for me applied to my entire lid, but proves its worth when worn just under the eyes. I find it helps eyeliner on the lower lash line to stay on and minimise bottom lash mascara from smudging during the day.

NARS Pro-Prime Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base
My opinion hasn't changed since I featured this in my August 2013 Favourites. NARS Pro-Prime would be an excellent choice for those with oily skin as it's unparalleled when it comes to making eyeshadow adhere to the lids. It's almost like it dries up the eyeshadow so it sticks to the skin and doesn't have a chance of smearing off. In a way, because it's so budge-resistant, it's harder to work with in terms of softly and evenly blending out the edges of eyeshadow or correcting eyeliner mishaps. Like the Urban Decay Primer Potion which it shares a very similar texture with (though Pro-Prime is a touch drier/thicker and not as smooth to apply), its strength is reserved for the lower lash line area.

LORAC Behind the Scenes Eye Primer
I received a 5.5g sample from my LORAC Pro Palette and was curious to see how it stacked up against eye primers from Urban Decay and NARS (included with the original Naked palette and And God Created the Woman Eye Palette respectively). I was initially surprised to find the LORAC to be much smoother, thinner and more emollient in consistency, making it infinitely easier to blend out. It's completely transparent and doesn't leave any kind of coating or texture on the skin, dissolving into nothingness on the lid. It ticks the boxes in terms of giving added depth and life to eyeshadows, but I don't think it's as strong in terms of preventing movement and encouraging eyeshadow adhesion as NARS or Urban Decay.

Becca Eye Tint in Vicuna
Every now and then I slap some Vicuna on as an eyeshadow base, primarily in an attempt to use up this unloved magazine freebie since it's basically undetectable on my lids as a cream eyeshadow. It's even thinner and smoother in consistency than the LORAC, so I have to use an absolute minuscule amount, spread thinly across the lid with my finger. It takes some time to fully set, which can be an advantage as it gives eyeshadow a slightly wet surface to stick to. Vicuna gives an extremely subtle peachy shimmer and sheen to any eyeshadow placed over it, like a low-key version of Maybelline Barely Branded. It's not meant to be a proper eyeshadow primer, so there aren't any miracles in terms of combating fading and increasing longevity. It's probably more convincing as an understated liquid highlighter for the top of the cheekbones.

Perfect Palette Tag

I was tagged by Zoë to do this Perfect Palette Tag I've seen floating around lately (thanks for including me, Zoë!). I am absolutely palette crazy as you may have deduced from my latest wishlist, so I've thoroughly enjoyed reading and watching responses to this tag on blogs and YouTube. There's a certain irresistible quality to a beautifully executed palette, whether it be a standout shade or two that makes the whole thing a must-have, or how the different colours and finishes promise a world of possibilities and creative potential.

1. Best Packaging

Hands down, Clarins Eye Quartet Mineral Palette in Odyssey (09). I mean, just look at it. I think I like it better than the more masculine, architectural packaging of Tom Ford, which would've been second in the running. This is just one incredibly good-looking palette. The intricate pattern at the front, the gold case and interior, the classic neutral eyeshadows housed within, that to-die-for gold leaf shade. So much eye candy.

2. Best Colour Payoff

I'm giving this one to the LORAC Pro Palette. The metallic shades are uniformly vibrant and pigmented, but what sets the Pro Palette apart from other comparable palettes is the inclusion of the matte shades. The darker mattes in particular (Sable, Espresso) are some of the most impressively pigmented eyeshadows I have in my whole collection.

3. Most Versatile

Laura Mercier Lingerie Eye & Cheek Palette. We have light shades, dark shades, satin finish, mattes, a glitter/near duochrome and two blushes. If that's not versatile, I don't know what is. You can come up with anything from a barely there, daytime appropriate look (any combination of Buff Pearl, Tawny Apricot or Pale Pink), something with a bit more pizzazz (African Violet) or a smokey eye (Rich Cocoa or Black Plum). The two darker colours could easily double up as eyeliner. Buff Pearl is your standard inner corner/browbone highlighting shade. Pale Pink could be a transition/blending shade depending on your skin tone. The light and medium shades could be used on the lid alone, or the darker colours incorporated for added depth. And that's just the eyeshadows — wear the blushes separately or mixed together. The list goes on.

4. Best for Travel

When travelling, I have only one requirement. Small. What I bring needs to take up as little space as possible. At the back of my mind, it also has to be something I'm willing to lose (you never know with misplaced luggage, forgetful packing and any number of potential mishaps while on the go). In my last Shop My Stash, I unearthed this Lancome Color Design Sensational Effects Eyeshadow quad which I decided to bring along with me during my Europe trip. Along with Essence Eye Soufflé in Pas des Copper, it served me well.

5. Biggest Regret

Too Faced Naked Eye. The shades swatched so beautifully but the majority are complete fails on my lids. The three larger pans and Pillow Talk barely show up. Lap Dance and Unmentionables are too dark and cool for my colouring to sport all over the lid for the daytime. Satin Sheets is pretty, but what would I do with it? The matte black Stiletto is unremarkable. That leaves only Like A Virgin, which I do enjoy, but only with a shimmery purplish base like the one from Revlon Illuminance Crème Shadow in Wild Orchids. For the same amount of money, I could've taken home Stila In the Light which I'm sure I'd be infinitely happier with.

6. Best Colour Names

This one was tricky for me to answer since I'm ridiculously hard to please when it comes to names. I find the majority of shade names to be dull and unimaginative, or cringe-inducing (e.g. the whole of theBalm ShadyLady Vol. 2 — I mean, Just This Once Jamie, really?). I prefer shade names that don't try to incorporate the literal colour in the name, but rather, evoke certain images or moods that tie in with the colour and paint an overall picture of the palette. I picked the Urban Decay Naked palettes for that reason. The names suggest to me a kind of dangerous, on-the-edge, racy, femme fatale, outlaw vibe which I suppose is meant to emphasize how seductive and daring a suite of neutrals can be.

7. Least Used

This one was easy. Sleek i-Divine eyeshadow palette in Bad Girl. I never use this thing. I regret buying it as it just sits in my makeup drawer untouched. The colours are just way too dark, green and blue to be used on a regular basis. And by regular basis, I mean ever.

8. Most Used, Most Loved, Desert Island

NARS And God Created the Woman. I am so glad the makeup fanatic in me latched onto the idea of procuring this palette and didn't let go. No other palette has captured my affections the way this one has, with the possible exception of Urban Decay Naked2 (though the original Naked still holds a place in my heart as well). I was contemplating forking out an insane amount of money for the limited edition Chanel Ombres Matelassées palette in Charming, but talked myself out of it by focusing on how much superior And God Created the Woman is in every single way. Most palettes contain a bit of filler in the form of certain shades that you rarely touch or that simply don't appeal to you. I can say with confidence I love and use every single colour in And God Created the Woman. It also has the left shade in the Kalahari duo, one of the most stunning eyeshadows I've come across. I easily see myself using this palette for the rest of my makeup-loving life.