A retrospective - your best beauty buys In 2018

[Sarcelle]

I know there are a couple of weeks left until the end of the year but thought it might be a good time to do a reviewing your best beauty buys this year. I figure it might help others with some last Christmas gift purchases too.

Mine have been:

Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Primer - this was instant love. It is really effective.
Charlotte Tilbury Blush in Love Glow - I was a bit meh when I first got this but I tend to wear it most days now.
E.LF. Finishing spray - this does make make up last longer
Decleor Aromacleanse Cleanser and Toner - love the smell, I feel like I am in a spa.
Hourglass mascara. Love it.
Nivea Soft - I now use this as my moisturiser. Cheap as chips but it really agrees with my skin. (I am done with pricey moisturisers.)
Nivea tinted moisturiser - for weekends and summer.
AD Synergy - lavender face oil. I put this on a couple of days a week.
Body Shop Hemp Handcream - an acquired taste aroma wise but best cream I have tried for my weatherbeaten hands and I have got used to the smell!
Some of the Primark make up - in particular the nail polishes and some of the lipsticks. The nail polishes are about a quid and they last a long time on the nails without chipping. Better than some of the higher end ones (looking at you Chanel).

Worse purchases for me were Morocco-oil Argan Oil for my hair, a Bourjois skin primer thing in Apricot colour (made my face orange), Charlotte Tilbury Pillow Talk lipstick (HG for some, death warmed up on me, horrible texture too), and I spent a stupid amount on a blusher from ByTerry for (gulp) £54 pounds in Platonic Blonde - a shade meant to suit everyone- it doesn't. And the case it too small too hold, it's slippery, heavy and too hard to open. I have it on today but it is not right.

Agree with CT Hollywood filter! Really nice effect under makeup/without
Nip+fab glycolic fix night extreme pads - skin looks so much brighter
Ester Lauder DW foundation- no longer having to touch up during the day
Lvls - made a huge difference - look a lot
more polished/awake for zero effort day to day

Nip+fab glycolic fix night extreme pads I got these as well. They’re good but don’t know if I’ll repurchase as they’re pretty expensive at $35 a tub. Prefer the Alpha H Liquid Gold Rose And think it’s probably more cost effective.

I’ve just got Chloe Nomade perfume for my birthday. I’m in love 😍

I’ve just stared with The Ordinary this year as well. Love the lactic and hyaluronic acids.

Have Skinceuticals C E Ferulic serum on the way and can’t wait to try it.

Also got a Manuka honey face peel thing but that’s wrapped up under the tree. When I tested it it was amazing though

Oh and this moisturiser. My skin has never been so soft.

Boots No7 microdermabrasion scrub and Tesco hair serum.

Mine is really boring but I tried the Aveeno cream with lavender and it's absolutely gorgeous! Liked it so much I went back and bought two more bottles so I've got plenty.

Also, I stocked up on no17 phwoar paint when they were being discontinued so I have a few, but already concerned about what to do when they run out because of every undereye concealer/corrector that I've tried this is the only one that is the right colour for me and actually makes a difference!!

kerastase nutritive hair masque - has saved my hair literally! It's not cheap but worth every penny IMO.
Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation - again pricey but doesn't make my skin look dry and lined like a lot of other foundations do.

What a great idea for a thread...

Glossier Boy Brow in Brown- a simple swipe adds definition and volume
Glossier Lip Gloss- clear, slightly pink, really glossy, really shiny
Colour Caramel Eyeliner- liquid liner with a great brush & staying power
Ere Perez Eye Palette in Pretty- all the colours suit me

Pixi Retinol Tonic- quick swipe takes years off
Madara Smart Charcoal and Mud Mask- pore cleaning and softening
Urtekram Leave-In Conditioner in Nordic Berries

@Sarcelle Can I ask which of the ELF sprays you have please?

My contribution, Aldi mud masks. Dupes of the Glam Glow range and just as good. And their mascaras, the Too Legit one and a volume one in a black tube I can't remember the name of.

Bombardier it's the matte magic mist and set one - Black bottle

ELF eyebrow pencil
Laura Mercier tinted moisturiser (oil free)
Hourglass Ambient light powder

So many new things!

Face:
Asian skincare. My skin looks amazing, all soft, bright and glowy with less lines from dehydration. Best it has looked for 10 years.
Botox for frown lines (11's)

Body:
Nuxe shimmer oil for legs in the summer.
Aveeno mist body lotion.
Soap instead of shower gel.

Makeup:
Clinique cheek pop blusher in Plum.
Becca shimmering skin perfect highlighter in Vanilla Quartz .
ELF setting spray.
Micro mini beauty blender sponge.

Nip n Fab Dragons blood serum - game changer for me as it actually hydrates rather than gunks up my skin like most greasy moisturisers. That being said it is the first hyaluronic acid I have tried so there may be better or more suitable ones out there for me i just need to find them.

Shea Moisture Jamaican Black Castor Seed Oil Masque - Smells divine and leaves my poor dry hair supersleek and helps be kind whilst I'm trying to grow it plus there's no silicone, sulphates, parabens or any other nasties.

Biore Watery Essence Spf 50 - Perfect sun protection without sticky greasiness and doesn't leave a white cast.

All the Nip n Fab stuff is in TK Maxx I never even look at it. Will do now!

Bumping for more recommendations and successes

L’Occitane, reotier cream. Smells fab, moisturises wonderfully, sorted my parched and wrinkly skin. On my third pot now.
L’Occitane reotier cleansing gel, this is so much more gentle than my usual gel cleanser yet does a great job, again smells divine.
Nivea soft- for days where you need a head to toe pamper, love this stuff.
Pixi Glow Tonic, finally clearer skin.

Good thread!
New additions that are permanent fixtures are Pixi glow tonic, loccitane almond shower oil & kiko long lasting eyeshadow/pencil thing.

Next year I’m going to try LVL & planning to investigate the ELF spray mentioned on these threads.

AlphaH liquid gold (repurchased after last year's M&S advent calendar)
Ameliorate body lotion (also from last year's advent calendar) - wow this has zapped the orange peel skin on the back of my arms and legs!
Ren Wake Wonderful nighttime facial - really does make a difference overnight.
Primark eyebrow pencils - cheap, do the job, nice spoolie!
The Ordinary Matrixyl serum
Hourglass Caution mascara

@OHolyNightOwl can you recommend any Asian brand please?

For me; LVLs and environ vit AVST system and the two buys that stand out.

Still looking for HG foundation or CC cream, powder that doesn't make me look like a mummy and decent eyebrow pencil.

Skin products from The Ordinary have made my skin so good this year that I’m actually not sure whether the Ambient Lighting Powder by Hourglass and Les Meteorites balls by Guerlain, that I also bought (at great expense) this year, do anything much to improve my skin!
Both the Hourglass and Dior Iconic Overcurl mascaras have proved successful.
Nuxe Reve de Miel lip balm - brilliant.
Oribe dry texturising spray - good.
the Ordinary serum foundation - brilliant.
Laura Mercier Candleglow foundation - makes me look like a waxwork.
Sisley Balck Rose mask - seriously not worth the money

Dove Macadamia & Rice Milk Exfoliating Body Scrub - love the smell I bought 6 when on discount
Biore UV watery essence SPF 50
Foreo Mini 2 - love it
Asian mascara - no flaking for my ultra oily lids
Illamasqua cream pigment the peach one - does cover my dark under eye and the right creaminess. Bobbi brown corrector is too greasy for my under eye.
Laneige sleeping mask
Algenist bronzer

Cyberderm Retin+Erase
Cyberderm Every Morning Sun Whip spf 25
Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream
Farmacy Green Clean Cleansing Balm
Becca Volcano Goddess eye shadow palette
L'Oreal Lash Paradise mascara

What is this LVL everyone is raving about?!

@sushisuperstar
Sorry, I am too new to AB skincare to recommend brands. Reddit has a brilliant Asian beauty forum where you can ask experts though!
I can tell you what I'm using however (introduced one new product a week and no negative reactions to any of them):

Hada Labo Super Hyalonic Face Foam wash
COSRX AHA/BHA Toner
LGH Tea Tree Essense
Banila CO Dear Hydration balancing moisturiser
DHC cleansing oil
Missha Time Revolution Essense
Missha Ampoule
Scininc Honey All in One serum

Omorovicza Queen of Hungary mist
Pixi hydrating milky mist
P50w
La Roche Posay cicaplast
Hourglass ethereal light
Hourglass extreme caution mascara
Hourglass eyeshadow
Body Shop Chamomile cleansing butter

These are all new things I’ve tried this year and loved, and which I will repurchase

Kiko crazy colours velvet pssion lipsticks, because who doesn't want crazy coloured lipstick?
Revolution Reloaded eyeshadow palettes, seriously, the formula on these is amazing, they last on my eyelids like nothing else I've tried! I don't use a primer or a setting spray but they're still there after a long day at work. And they're £4 a pop! Passion for colour is my favourite one.
MAC Liptensity lipstick in Stallion, best black lipstick I have ever used.
Various Urban Decay lipsticks, although I am deeply impressed by their Mega Matte formula. (Although I only have one shade from that line so far.) As you can guess it's very matte, but it applies smoothly, doesn't feel drying, and the shade (Pandemonium) is spot on for a bright purple.
NYX cosmic metal lip creams, I've wanted them for ages, and got most of them half price from the NYX website. I love these, Speed of light is a gorgeous rose gold shade, and there are really pretty unusual colours.
L'Oreal holographic glow kit. It's very pretty, as well as various L'Oreal lipsticks, both the Shine ones and the Matte ones.
I'm sure there's more, but this is what happens when you're a make-up addict like me.