Best of 2015

Is it just me, or are yearly favourites posts/videos not that exciting anymore? I'm not sensing as much interest in them as say, 2-3 years ago. Most bloggers do monthly favourites, so the yearly one is a "best of the monthly favourites" more than anything. Still, I wouldn't feel right not following tradition, so here are the products that stood out to me the most in 2015.

Morphe Brushes Jaclyn Hill Favorites Palette
Even though shipping cost more than the palette itself and I jumped through hoops to order it (including abruptly waking up at some obscene hour and entering my credit card details bleary-eyed), this 28-pan eyeshadow palette is a classic example of a product only a makeup junkie would buy, and could fully appreciate. Given it's limited edition, I feel happy and lucky even (corny as it sounds) to have it in my possession. There isn't a single dud in terms of pigmentation and texture. The matte shades are the best I've tried for the price point. Full review and swatches here.

Australis Velourlips Matte Lip Cream in Pa-ree
Though I have too many lip products to count, rarely do I encounter one that genuinely is a game changer. Pa-ree is just that. The matte lip cream formula is virtually faultless — far and away the most comfortable and forgiving I've tried, while remaining ultra matte and opaque. But the colour is what makes this product special. It's unlike any nude I've ever come across. A muted peachy caramel with slight greige tones. Obsessed.

YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat
My favourite foundation discovery of the year, beating other high end contenders like Koh Gen Do Aqua Foundation, Dior Diorskin Nude BB Creme and Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Simply put, Le Teint Touche Éclat beautifies your complexion while still retaining the appearance of natural skin. Good coverage and a soft, radiant, airbrushed finish. Especially great for dry skin.

Essie Cocktail Bling
I know buying Cocktail Bling ... can only mean one thing. That it'll be on my toes and fingers for pretty much most of the year, no exaggeration. I like it more than comparable, sophisticated neutrals like Nails Inc. Porchester Square or OPI Tickle My France-y. It's that kind of effortlessly cool colour you wear while dreaming of a Scandi kitchen and the perfect roll neck sweater.

Rimmel ScandalEyes Shadow Stick in Bad Girl Bronze
An ancient product, but one that I felt deserved a mention here. Absolutely on par with any high end offering, this has been a failproof, go-to option at home, on the run, and travelling abroad. Creamy but not hard to work with and intensely pigmented, the colour is gorgeous (look at the multi-coloured shimmer in the light and tell me otherwise), it lasts forever and the stick format ensures it can be used as eyeliner or cream shadow. Back up already purchased.

Maybelline HyperSharp Wing Liquid Liner
I didn't think I'd find anything to rival the Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner in last year's favourites, but I was pleasantly surprised at how good this Maybelline one is. I've been using it nonstop since I bought mine in August. It's everything you want in a liquid liner: easy to use, precise, a non-floppy or fraying tip, nicely black and not watery or grey, long wearing, and won't run out in a week (mine is admittedly on its last legs, but it has been over 4 months).

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve
I really didn't expect to like this as much as I did. Initially, I thought it was no better than slightly fancier Vaseline. But consistent use throughout the year has made me see the light. Soothing, moisturising and pleasant to use, it also gives the lips a cushiony, glossy rosiness that's awfully pretty.

Radical Hydrating Cleanser
Yes, $52 for a cleanser is steep, but this has been my standout skin care product of 2015. My tube hasn't run out yet, and I've been using it almost daily for 6 months, with a few short-lived breaks as I briefly turned my attention to other options. For a morning cleanser, I haven't come across anything better. Wonderful smelling, hydrating, non-foaming, gentle, nourishing-feeling, non-irritating to the eyes and easily washed off. Never leaves my skin feeling tight, dried out or stripped after I rinse it off.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara
The best mascara I've used all year. Excellent wand that gets to each lash. Extends, thickens and curls while minimising clumping. Formula is long lasting, doesn't transfer or flake. Often compared with Benefit Roller Lash, I have a sample of Roller Lash and find Lash Sensational superior.

Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush
Honestly, I don't even know why I continue to buy or look at buying brushes to contour, highlight, powder or apply blush when this exists. Especially contour. I doubt I could find anything better than the Powder & Sculpt Brush for that purpose. Apart from the fact it's absolutely beautiful to look at, it's extremely functional. The shape, the hairs (not too floppy that it's hard to pick up product, but not prickly or lacking in softness by any means), the handle. Everything works for the results you want.

Wayne Goss Brush 14
Now this is a soft brush. Only my Suqqu Cheek Brush is softer in my entire brush collection, but that was $160 and this was $50. Brush 14 is my new staple in pigmented or soft-textured powder blushes. It applies and blends product like a dream. For the quality and craftsmanship, I think it's actually priced competitively.

Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Saved for the best for last, you could say. I called it earlier in the year when I predicted this would appear here. While undeniably pricey, I can confidently say if you have this, you basically don't need any other contouring or highlighting products. Because the individual 'Sculpt' and 'Highlight' pans are the pinnacle of both fields. You also get a whopping 16g of product which will last forever. And of course, the packaging is DIVINE.

Superfluous Seven

So ... more haulage. Evidently, I've been shopping too much. In my defence (not that there's any), Priceline was having another one of their 40% off cosmetics sales, and I did buy less than last time. I also did write down a list beforehand of products to get and largely stuck to the list, with a couple of exceptions. If anything, I also wrote down a few other products I didn't buy (Rimmel Exaggerate Automatic Lip Liner in East End Snob, Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow in Copper, Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Pink Pong, Essence lip liners), so really, it could've been worse. (Or so I tell myself.)

But seriously, I should stop buying more makeup. I did recently reorganise my stash and threw out/donated some stuff (including finally binning both my Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundations in 52 and 53 which I'd stored in the bottom drawer of my Keji office organisers for more than a year, not using as I was acutely aware they were expired, but not wanting to throw away just in case they were still usable), and surprisingly didn't feel like my makeup collection was out of hand. Despite having a lot of makeup, I know what's there. And I'm happy with the majority of it. The part I'm not overly thrilled with, I'm comfortable keeping because I still see the merits in not getting rid of it. When said merits no longer justify keeping the product, it goes. I'm a lot more active in periodically editing my makeup than any other aspect of my life, despite the volume of items. I do feel lipstick is probably one area that I should exercise more ruthlessness over (Liz's Lipstick Survivor is the standard), but for now, I'm not overly concerned with having about 35 more pink lipsticks, all largely unused, than what's good for me.

Back to the Priceline haul. Here's what I purchased this time, with the discounted prices:

• Savvy by DB Soft Glide Eyeliner in Shimmering Slate ($4.79)
• Essence I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara ($3.45)
• Models Prefer Customised Eye Shadow Quad in Hook Me Up ($6.59)
• Models Prefer Professional Airbrush Concealer Brush ($7.79)
• L'Oréal Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark ($11.39)
• Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry ($10.77)
• Rimmel Magnif'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Millionaire ($6.57)

Total: $51.35

Unlike the last Priceline 40% off cosmetics sale, I actually purchased some eyeshadows. I saw Rimmel Magnif'Eyes Mono Eyeshadow in Millionaire featured in this Pixiwoo video, and instantly it shot up my "to buy" list. The Models Prefer Customised Eye Shadow Quad in Hook Me Up was regularly featured on Oz Product Junkie's Instagram and I finally caved. I'd swatched the quad a long time ago and found it awfully tempting, but resisted because I had so many similar shades already. At $6.59 for 4 shades though, I was prepared to risk duplication in case it exceeded my expectations.

The L'Oréal Brow Artist Plumper in Medium/Dark was a total impulse buy, along with the Models Prefer Professional Airbrush Concealer Brush. If you've noticed, I rarely (if ever) feature brow products on the blog. Just like the hair on my head, I don't do the hair on my face (well, except plucking). I have relatively full brows already and can't be bothered putting any product in them on a daily basis. I did try the Light/Medium tester in the store and found it fascinating how it completely transformed the colour of my brows, and the effect that change had on my face and the way my makeup looked. It was an entirely wrong match for the natural colour of my brows (being a relatively warm, lightened yellow brown), so I opted for Medium/Dark instead, hoping it wouldn't be too severe. I can't put the product all over my brows since it makes them look too caterpillar-like, but just a light touch over select sparser areas (especially the tail end) works nicely to achieve a more consistent, polished and fuller brow. I'm guessing Brow Artist Plumper is the "drugstore" version of something like Benefit Gimme Brow, with its microfibres, small brush head, and almost hairspray-like finish. It's a little uncomfortable adjusting to the feeling of product through my brows since I'm not used to it, but after a while, it's not an issue.

I was mainly drawn to the Models Prefer brush due to its similarity in appearance to the Sephora Collection Pro brushes, namely the Airbrush Concealer Brush #57. The latter is $29 in Australia, so $7.79 for a close alternative seemed a good deal. I don't have anything quite like this brush, though the Zoeva Concealer Buffer from the Rose Golden Luxury Set is probably the most similar. The Models Prefer option is not as dense and flares out more than the Zoeva, which is significantly smaller and more a hard nub. I've tried the brush to blend out concealer under the eyes, around the nose, corners of the mouth and over blemishes, as well as for powder highlighter, and it worked brilliantly for both.

The Essence I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara was another Oz Product Junkie-enabled purchase. I've never tried any Essence mascaras, but they're so cheap that I didn't think twice in buying one to test out. I need to finish one of my existing mascaras first before I crack open this one though. The Savvy by DB Soft Glide Eyeliner in Shimmering Slate was a repurchase of an absolute favourite pencil eyeliner. The Soft Glide liners look to be repackaged/renamed Luxury Liners, though they retained the original shade name. I truly haven't come across a better pencil liner from any brand. It's so black, so smooth, so pigmented, soft but not too melty, long lasting and doesn't move. I reach for it when I can't be bothered with the precision of liquid liner, which is literally almost every weekend and every holiday.

Finally, we have Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry. I saw it on Daphne and kind of had it get it based on how good it looked on her. I've purchased 4 Matte Balms, but overlooked Sultry initially. These kinds of shades seem to be gaining popularity recently, so I thought I'd permit myself to purchase it (despite my informal lip product ban) since it at least wasn't pink or peach. On me, Sultry appears like a brightened brick red. It's not too purple or brown on me, but more a deep, vintage-looking, dusty rose. Think Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Soft Rose. I wish it were more distinctly purple-tinged on me, but it does lean more conventionally reddish pink. I see Sultry being paired with golden/bronzy eyeshadows and a nude blush for a striking (albeit typical) autumnal look. The Matte Balms have an excellent formula and aren't at all drying on the lips.

l-r: Revlon Sultry, Models Prefer Hook Me Up (Crease, Corner, Lid, Base), Rimmel Millionaire

Bottom to top: Revlon Sultry, Models Prefer Hook Me Up (Crease, Corner, Lid, Base), Rimmel Millionaire

Overall, at just over $50 for 7 products, I'm fairly happy with my new additions. It's hard to isolate my favourite purchases of the haul since they're all so superfluous and unnecessary, but if forced to pick, I'd say the Models Prefer brush and quad are the standouts in terms of value for money. Having said that, I'm sure I could easily find dupes of all the eyeshadows (including Rimmel Millionaire) in my existing collection (e.g. the Lid shade of the Hook Me Up quad is totally Makeup Geek Glamorous/Clinique At Dusk/Too Faced Caramel). Ditto Revlon Matte Balm in Sultry, which is just a slightly darker, more berry, less glossy Revlon ColorBurst Lipstick in Soft Rose. At least I restocked on the best pencil liner I know, tried out a tinted microfibre brow gel, and scored a mascara for less than the price of a coffee that I'm excited to try.

June Favourites

If last month was anything to go by (echoing sentiments in my June 2014 Favourites), the middle of the year seems to be when I start becoming intensely more interested in clothing than makeup. I've blown my #treatyoself budget many times over on recent wardrobe additions, no thanks to relentless mid-year sales, re-obsessing over Gorman (what is it about that brand that makes me want everything?) and my inability to walk away from pale, lilacy-pink things. Still, there were some makeup and skin care favourites amid all the crazed clothing stalking and shopping. A few tried and tested products I dredged up, inexpensive new items I've been putting to good use, and an expensive (but worth it) perfume love.

Caudalie Divine Oil + water in spray bottle
I call this my DIY glowy finishing mist. This isn't the first time I've featured this lil invention of mine on the blog, but something inspired me to revisit it in June. Probably because I was regretting omitting the Tony Moly Luminous Goddess Aura Makeup Mist from my Korean makeup/skin care haul, so I had to make do with my own creation. I take my Daiso spray bottle, fill it up with tap water that's been boiled and cooled down (staple in any Asian household), then spritz some Caudalie Divine Oil into the water. It's a bit of trial and error how much Divine Oil I need to put in, but at least 7-8 sprays. Enough so that when I mist my face (shaking the bottle to combine the oil and water before each use), there is a distinct but subtle dewiness coming through. I honestly think the effect is very similar to something like Caudalie Beauty Elixir or MAC Fix+, though I haven't tried the latter personally. It's not going to set my makeup and make it last longer, but it brings some life back into my face if my makeup's looking a little heavy and cakey or over-powdered. Works great on bare skin as well for a pick me up and injection of radiance.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Day 2 Night Mascara
Finally cracked open this mascara after it was sitting in my makeup drawer for an age. Surprisingly, it hadn't completely dried out. The opposite — the wand is loaded with product. This could be problematic if the brush didn't work as well as it does. It loads the mascara on so there's instant definition and volume, but then combs through the lashes to get rid of clumps and separate the lashes. This is one of those newfangled mascaras with dual functionality thanks to a "2-in-1 magic cap", where you have the choice of your mascara wand coming out of the "Volume" or "Length" section. I've photographed the "Volume" mascara — the "Length" one basically has a more defined, separated wand with much less mascara gloop on it. I'm not a fan of the "Length" (mainly because it seems devoid of product), but "Volume" is a winner. The only slight negative is that if you're thinking of multiple coats, do it while it's still wet. It will flake onto your face if you try another coat after the first has dried.

Narciso Rodriguez Narciso EDP
I caved and bought this after wanting it for half a year (interestingly, or perhaps not interestingly at all, the only other item on that wishlist I've bought is the Zoeva rose gold brush set). In my defence, the 50ml bottle was on sale in a set with a 75ml body lotion for $82.60. Not the bargain of the century, but acceptable considering the 50ml bottle on its own is $118. Despite my bloated perfume collection, I honestly don't have anything like Narciso. It's perfect for this time of year; the cold air, rugging up in knits, trying to keep cosy and warm. It smells rich, intoxicating, evocative of skin, musk, cleanness. Radiant and refined. It's woodsy, soapy, powdery, floral. Top notes of gardenia and rose, heart of musk, base notes of vetiver, black cedar and white cedar. I get why it might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I find myself increasingly drawn to powdery, soapy perfumes despite their potential granny factor. I had to even scour the internet to find a backup bottle of my beloved but tragically discontinued Chloé Love, Chloé. In the end, I paid a pretty penny to have one delivered to me, though the transaction wasn't entirely above board. (That's a totally different story, suffice it to say esavingsfreshscents.com.au sells perfumes with the serial number etched off and then insists it's standard industry practice to prevent fraud.)

Simple Cleansing Facial Wipes
Yes, I know. Shudder. Caroline Hirons and Sali Hughes would be horrified I'm including makeup wipes here, not that either know of my existence. But I can't help it, I've been using these wipes to remove my makeup when I get home from work, and they've probably knocked off Swisspers Cucumber Facial Cleansing Wipes as the best wipes I've used. I like that they're decently wet so it's not like you're scrubbing your face with a paper towel. Vitally, they don't sting or irritate my skin, despite some vigorous, repeated rubbing. They also get everything bar eye makeup off (still need Bioderma for that). I know, because when I start on the Bioderma for my eyes and then use the other side of the cotton pad for my face, not much comes off. I still follow up with a cleansing milk (trying out the Innoxa one that I scored from the Priceline skin care bag, not hating it, but definitely not loving it), and the end result is refreshed, clean-feeling, balanced skin.

Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow/Liner in Busy Signal + Ecotools Bamboo Angled Eyeliner Brush
Back to this old faithful and not entirely sure why I stopped. Busy Signal is truly one of the best makeup purchases I've made. It's been years and it shows zero signs of drying out, unlike pretty much every other cream shadow I have. It hasn't even slightly shrunk around the edges or changed texture in any way. It's still soft, smooth, emollient and ultra pigmented. The colour is complex and beautiful, it lasts all day and doesn't budge. I've used it consistently over the years and the surface is only mildly scratched. Not sure if I'll finish it in the next decade. If that isn't value, I'm not eating chocolate every day like it's good for me. I've been reaching for the Ecotools eyeliner brush to apply Busy Signal to my lower lash line every single day. Lately, I've also been playing around with a slightly longer, subtly flicked up shape for my liner using my Dolly Wink Liquid Eyeliner, and the precision of the Angled Eyeliner Brush is ideal for joining the lower lash line to the upper for an overall larger, more extended eye.

Rosebud Perfume Co. Rosebud Salve
I've actually had this lip balm since my trip to New York in late 2012, but only opened it recently. It's brought welcome relief to dry, chapped lips during winter. It's powerfully perfumed which I don't mind, though I can see why it would be off-putting to some. While it's basically fancy Vaseline, it does feel soothing and relieving on the lips, and I like that it imparts a fresh, easygoing shine to my naturally pigmented lips which makes it look like I'm wearing a tinted gloss.

And now ... I don't ever do this, but I simply had to include one non-beauty favourite. Because the joy it's brought me at least deserves a mention on this blog.

Gorman Pom Pom Pom Scarf in Grey
Words can't capture my love for this scarf. It is my dream. Because BALLZ. Look at those colourful spheres of fluff and tell me perfection doesn't exist. Whoever said money can't buy happiness hasn't bought this scarf. And I'd understand, since it was damn hard to acquire. Not to mention the kind of expensive that can only be justified in a crazed state. Bank balance says I'm poorer, heart says I am oh so richer.

Addicted to Blush Tag

Thank you Emma for tagging me and Kat for creating the tag! While I don't consider myself a fully fledged #blushfiend, I still have more blushes than most people. I think my main issue with blush is I don't find subtle variations show up on my skin. I tend to group blushes into large, sweeping colour families (pink, orange/peach, deeper berry/plum, red, tawny/hybrid bronzer shades and pinky nude), and if I have one or two per category, I feel I'm pretty much done. I certainly don't share that perspective when it comes to lipstick or eyeshadow, hence my compulsion to continue buying despite an existing overabundance. The other thing about blush is application is so hard to get right. My technique is still a constant work in progress. I also find blush requires a truly flawless canvas to look good, and notwithstanding the fact that everything looks a bit worse for wear at the end of the day, most times I don't put in the effort to really perfect my skin other than slapping on my foundation.

1. What colour blush suits you the most?
Definitely peachy pinks or corals. Basically something that's mainly orange with a bit of pink/red in it. I can't wear berry shades at all, most pinks look terrible on me (especially cool pinks ... horrid), and pinky nudes, as much as I want to love them, have generally been underwhelming (I'm looking at you Tarte Exposed and Illamasqua Naked Rose).

2. Pressed/cream/loose blush?
Pressed. I never wear loose blush (don't have any, not interested), and while creams have their strengths and serve their purpose, they're just that extra bit fiddly compared with pressed powder blushes.

3. Favourite shimmery blush?
Benefit Sugarbomb. I put it in my 2013 Favourites and it's still one of my all-time favourite blushes. Probably top 3. It looks like it might be too light judging from the pan, but it builds up to a fairly pigmented sherbet orange with a luminous golden pearl. Special mention goes to Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat. More coral than Sugarbomb and less intensely shimmery, it has a beautifully soft texture, good lasting power and really perks up the complexion.

Benefit Sugarbomb

4. Favourite matte blush?
Easy. NARS Douceur. I can't believe NARS discontinued it. NARS, what were you thinking?! This is a rare pinky nude blush that works for me. I use it with my Ecotools Blush Brush in a tapping motion up and down my cheekbones to sculpt my face. It's not so brown that it belongs in serious contouring territory, but it's not overly red/pink so that the placement looks slightly strange. The overall effect is subtle and sophisticated. I should really reach for this one more.

NARS Douceur

5. Favourite cream blush?
Another obvious choice. Stila Convertible Color in Gerbera. I love this cream blush. It is one of very few pinks that I can pull off, it applies in a non-patchy manner and has a beautiful dewy finish that instantly adds life and freshness to the face. It goes on easily with the fingers, but for best results I like using the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, working the product from the temples downwards onto the cheek.

Stila Gerbera

6. Favourite drugstore blush?
This was a recent rediscovery. Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush in Autumn Catwalk. I mainly use a combination of the first two shades and steer clear of the third (not that there's anything wrong with it, but I prefer the look of the first two pinks combined). While lasting power could be improved, I just love the warm, sweetly youthful shade of pink this blush creates. The shimmer in the middle section is not frosted or whitish but actually pink-based with diamond sparkles, which I find very rare in a drugstore blush.

Rimmel Autumn Catwalk (l-r: first two shades combined, third shade by itself)

7. Favourite high end blush?
I took this question to mean favourite line/brand of high end blushes, as opposed to favourite specific high end blush. I'd have to say NARS. I've built up a little collection that I cherish. While there have been 1-2 semi-duds (more on that later), overall, they make my favourite blushes. Flattering shades, extremely pigmented, unparalleled lasting power and excellent quality in general. Runner up would be Benefit. You already know my love for Sugarbomb, but Hervana is a perfect everyday blush and Dallas is beautiful in the cooler months.

l-r: NARS Orgasm, NARS Deep Throat

8. Favourite bright blush?
This was easy to answer because there aren't many contenders to begin with. I'd have to go with e.l.f. Studio Blush in Pink Passion. While it looks frightening (or glorious, depending on your blush proclivities) in the pan, it's almost tame when blended out on the cheeks. You do need a light hand and something like the SUQQU Cheek Brush to diffuse the intense pigmentation, but once properly blended, it gives an earthy rosiness to the cheeks that looks surprisingly natural.

e.l.f. Pink Passion

9. Biggest blush disappointment/regret?
I didn't get along with the Becca Beach Tints at all, which was extremely disappointing given they seem to enjoy a good reputation. Fig barely showed up on my skin (making it effectively useless), and while Watermelon didn't have the same problem, I disliked how it looked on me. Not a fan of reddish berry shades with my skin tone, especially since every bit of redness in my face gets highlighted. Watermelon fared much better on the lips, though it's nearly the same colour as Revlon Soft Rose, so why bother.

While I said NARS made my favourite high end blush, there have been a couple of disappointments. I never managed to make Sin work for me, despite repeated attempts. When swatched, it's the most unique, captivating, berry-purple with gold shimmer, but on my face, it either looks like a disturbing bruise or a sheered out, complexion-draining, ruddy mess. Enchanted seems like a peachy cream blush, but it's a straight up glittery highlighter. There's barely any pigment, but rather, CHUNKS and flakes of glitter. Don't get me wrong, the glitter in this is stunning in action, but it's the least inconspicuous highlighter you could find. I love glitter as much as the next person, but unfortunately daily office life doesn't call for it.

NARS Sin

NARS Enchanted

10. Best blush packaging?
Surprisingly, there wasn't one blush that really stood out for me. I picked Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in the end. I like the sturdy feel, gold exterior and square shape, plus the inside is gorgeous.

11. What's on your blush wish list?
Quite a few blushes! Perhaps doing this tag has reignited my blush spark. Top of my wishlist are the newish Bobbi Brown Brightening Bricks. I have my eye on Pink or Tawny. I'm sure I'll love Benefit Rockateur and feel that it's only a matter of time before I cave and buy it. Apparently I need NARS Madly. I've been eyeing Burberry Light Glow Natural Blush in Earthy as well, though it's closer to a bronzer. Chanel Joue Contraste Blush in Jersey looks like a blush staple I NEED (I trust both Emma and Temptalia). The Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic blushes and Clinique Cheek Pops are also mightily tempting.

12. Number 1 holy grail blush?
This one was hard, but I think I'll have to go with NARS Luster. It's a foolproof option that complements my skin tone and does it all. If I'm running out of time in the mornings and can't be bothered with separate contouring, highlighting and blush, I'll whack on a bit of Luster and be done. It's sculpting, injects warmth and colour, and imparts a soft, golden glow.

NARS Luster

And those are my responses. I now tag Cherie, Michelle, Jennifer, Tiffany, Kelly, Shari, Pam, Sharlynn (the blush queen!), Amanda, Diana, Coco, Tasha, Sheri, Evelyn, Karen, Jennie, Amy, Emma and Tram. Think I may have gone just a touch overboard with the tagging there. But basically, anyone who feels like joining in!