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.

Hmm this year ....

New discoveries that I love:

LRP melt in cream 50+ - beautiful under makeup, no irritation at all which is a miracle

L'oreal elnett heat spray 3 days straight (or something)

Physicians formula butter bronzer. I think my skin potentially looks less liney with it on than my regular nars laguna.

Smashbox liquid lips - lasts and looks good for longer than most liquid lipsticks Ive tried.

St Tropez bronzer (have always used the fake tan but the wash off bronzer liquid is great too)

Ordinary granactive retinoid 2%. Only skin treatment that I have repurchased (or want to repurchSe!) this year

Jo malone candles. Wow.

Beauty fails:

Revlon gel nail polish . Destroyed nails.

Have tried a zillion mascaras and just cant find one that doesnt irritate, is super black and stays put.

Also searched for a good budget foundation with no luck. Rimmel 25 hr foundation, maybelline poreless matte, Revolution conceal and define ... not enough coverage, all looked crap at end of day. Have wasted a fortune and looks like I'll stick with my trusty revlon colorstay (even though I have to warm it up with bronzer), loreal pro matte (i think this breaks me out though) illamasqua (hard to get) and Mufe (exxy).

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!!

If Cosmetics a la Carte are still going , you can ask them to make some up for you (of course it won't be as cheap as Boots 17 though!)

Hourglass powder
Erborian CC Cream
LRP Toleraine cleanser, moisturiser, water spray kit
Avene moisturiser

New Discoveries -

Bobbi Brown skin foundation - excellent for mid 40, super dry skin.

CT pillow talk lipliner - perfect for correcting my uneven lip shape.

Physicians Formula butter bronzer - smells good and has amazing texture.

Essie gel couture polish - unbelievably easy to apply and lasts really well.

Burst Bees lip oil - looks lip a lovely pigmented gloss but feels so hydrating in the lips.

It cosmetics foundation and double ended brush and Bobbi Brown bronzer brush are excellent.

Pantene intensive hair conditioner - leaves hair so soft.

Fails -
It cosmetics illuminating cc cream - made me look like a greasy disco ball with massive pores.

Bumble & Bumble Brilliantine - gets loads of great reviews, but leaves my hair looking dull and it tangles which I’ve never experienced before.

Best- Garnier ultimate blends argan and almond leave in conditioner- silicone-free and one small drop on half-dried hair leaves it beautifully soft and smooth. Also very cheap- I think less than a fiver.

Worst- Primark moisture on the go serum. Plugged by Sali Hughes and supposed to work over makeup for mid-day touching up. It dried into patchy clumps and took my makeup with it. Shit, and not worth even the £4 it cost.

This is amazing. Skin is sooo smooth the next day! All my little lumps and bumps have gone since using this regularly!

Tanya Burr lipstick in Pink Cocoa is EXACT same colour as CT Pillow Talk lipstick

Aldi dupe of Sand and Sky Pink Clay Mask. Skin is soo smooth after.

TO plant squalane extract, non greasy hydrator for skin! Amazing!

Primark false lash mascara. Dirt cheap but beats my old favourite Clinique hands down.

Superdrug Naturally Radiant Skincare Range, saved me spending loads on Clinique that stopped working.

Estee Lauder Double Wear, after trying loads hod foundations I had to come back to this for longevity on my oily skin. Nothing compares in terms of finish and lasting power.

Pixie Glow Tonic, helps even skintone without irritation.

Pixi Glow tonic does give a glow but unfortunately it irritated my skin. Lots of things do!

Loved: Macadamia oil shampoo, conditioner and masque from Allbeauty. Has changed my hair and I will never be without. Have just had 3 litres delivered!

YSL touche eclat foundation. I thought it was all hype. It's not.

Clinique quickliner in blue grey. Lines my eyes and brings out the blue.

Loathed: everything I tried by The Ordinary. Chucked the lot.

Charlotte Tilbury magic foundation. Had a sample which I loved. Bought a full bottle. Is gloopy draggy shite.

Am obviously now going to be a sheep and buy everything on this thread I haven't already got!

La Roche-Posay Cica hand cream and Cerave hand cream are my best discoveries this year, Cerave for day and LRP at night.

L’Oreal Age Perfect lipstick - I’m not terrifically old (!) but it’s moisturising and really comfortable to wear.

I still haven’t found a mascara that doesn’t irritate my eyes 🙁 - maybe next year.

Island of paradise tanner - quick and easy and has a lot less of that biscuity smell other tans often smell of.

O'keef's working hands hand cream. Brilliant stuff! No smell and not sticky.

Another one loving the LVL lashes. Means I can look a little bit more 'done' even though I'm up a gazillion time with baby DS.

For me, it’s been Rimmel 3D mascara and Estée Lauder Brow Now in light brunette - my holy grail product!

Also I rediscovered a lipstick I’d bought years ago and now love it, but it’s been discontinued. Managed to track down a pack of three from Canada on eBay. L’Oréal Colour Riche in beamy plum. A beautiful mauve-pink colour with such a nice texture. I think it’s been replaced by the age perfect range (as mentioned by pp), which are also very good but don’t have the same shade.

And I can’t help but give a mention to my trusty old faithfuls - Flexitol Heel Balm and Newton’s chiropody sponges. I deviated from these this year and it just proved that nothing else works on my feet!

@elledorado I like the sound of that spray, is it this one? Thanks
m.feelunique.com/p/LOreal-Paris-Elnett-Sleek-Heat-Protect-Spray-170ml?url=LOreal-Paris-Elnett-Sleek-Heat-Protect-Spray-170ml&slang=EN&gclid=CjwKCAiAu_LgBRBdEiwAkovNsGdg3wwNj87Kp1mhhAD506QITHW9sa2sUmI7IxilX16wtRYh5sm_qBoCMPAQAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

I'd forgotten about those Newton chiropody things. I use mine with Weleda Skin Food. Princess feet.

Kalme Chameleon concealer for Rosacea is absolutely brilliant. It’s brilliant at damping down the redness on its own or under make up. I speak as someone who rarely tries new products due to very reactive skin and this soothes and doesn’t irritate.

I bought the Shea black castor oil hair mask and it's brilliant - thanks so much for the recommendation!

Orange Jelly - could you elaborate on 'asian mascara'?

I'm very low maintenance but;
Swapped to Aveeno body moisturiser from soap and glory body butters (not a massive price difference to be fair)

Nivea lip balm from Elizabeth Arden 8hr balm

Discovered a Revlon red lip crayon and Aldi charcoal mud mask

Started using nail varnish...toes only!

Fails have been shampoo bar soap - but desperately tried to make them work

ILP

Pixi glow tonic surpasses expectations really suits me but now trying The Ordinary version.
Finding myself very impressed by the Revolution stick foundation and concealer for the money.

The Ordinary retinol
Biore watery essence
Lore The Legend hair mask (smells amazing)
Dior Nail Glow
ByTerry dual powder - wish I didn’t like this pricey powder but it’s fab and I’ve repurchased twice within a year

Fails:

Discovered that my holy grail tinted moisturiser by Liz Earle has been revamped and is now awful! Did anyone else used to love it who can recommend a replacement? It gave such a healthy glow before and is now watery and orange...

@Mumsnut I've tried Shiseido Majolica Majorca Lash Expander, Fiberwig, and Heroine Make by Isehan Kiss Me. Strange names but they work on my super oily lid and under eye, no flakes and they are fiber mascaras. Quite difficult to remove though.

Nuxe - had a little bottle of the oil , never used it till I went on holiday . Ooooh it's lovely .
I bought the showergel, more oil and the perfume

Revolution eyebrow dye (paint on, it goes shiney , I have Robbie Rotten Eyebrows , peel off . Colour for 4-7 days)

Oh yes.
Some Aldi dupes:

They do a face mask very similar to GlamGlow which is nice
A copy of PixiGlow

I bought some of the Pink something face mask for DD (comes with a little brush to apply) she says its really nice

Nanette de Gaspe face masks
Hourglass mascara
Pixi cleansing mud
Omorovicza serum
Sisley hair mask (smells so good)
Byredo Mojave ghost perfume
Hair perfume - Chanel mademoiselle and Byredo Mojave ghost
Byredo candles
Kate Somerville moisturiser