Monday, January 24, 2011

Favorites of 2010 part one: Eyes

I am so late to the party!  I just got back to school on Saturday, meaning I'm now finally able to write about my 2010 favorites.  The majority of my makeup is here so while I was home for break I didn't feel like I could accurately talk about last year's picks.  It's funny, because I thought this would be a lot easier- I have a TON of new favorites that are just from this month!  I had to remember what I loved last year, instead of what I've been using recently (this does make me excited to do my January favorites at the end of this month).
I was going to do these all in one post, but after typing it all up it was just massive.  So, the rest- face, lips, brushes- will come tomorrow!

Eyes:

Coastal Scents 88 Matte palette- I got this as an early birthday present this summer, and I find myself using it more and more every day.  I love the variety of colors, both bright and neutral- as someone who likes color but not really bright looks, this is a great balance!

Wet 'n' Wild 6-pan Color Icon palettes- These were my go-to eyeshadows this summer (not including the LE holiday palette, middle).  They make choosing color combinations easy and effortless, they're pigmented, and they last all day with a primer underneath.  

MAC eyeshadow in Retrospeck and Naked Lunch- I think Naked Lunch will always be a favorite of mine (ah, it brings back memories of my first time with makeup!)- it goes with so many eyeshadows and really brightens up my eye area.  Retrospeck does a lot of the same things, although it's a lustre finish and is pretty glittery/shimmery.  There is a little fallout, but it's the prettiest light antiqued gold shade.  

Eyeliner, mascara, other:

L'Oreal Extra Volume Collagen mascara- I rediscovered this mascara over the summer, and I have so much love for it again!  It gives me dark, dramatic lashes that I don't get from many drugstore mascaras.  The formula is on the wetter side (unlike so many I've tried- Lash Blast, various Rimmel, Physicians Formula Organic Wear), but it takes my lashes from "normal" to "WOW".  Volume, length, drama.  See my review here.

Rimmel Spark It Up! eyeliners in Tiger's Eye and Black Gold- These are products that I don't use much anymore, but for some reason wore all the time last year.  I don't know if it's the change in seasons or what, but they smudge and migrate like nobody's business on me now.  I really wouldn't recommend them for anything other than how pretty/sparkly they are.  (Although if I could find the color of Black Gold in a better quality eyeliner, I would buy it in a heartbeat!)

Victoria's Secret Pro eyeshadow primer- I started out using Almay Bright Eyes eye base as my first 'real' eyeshadow primer, but that dried out my eyelids.  This VS primer is $8, about the same as Almay's, but it works better for me.  It has that similar consistency that Too Faced Shadow Insurance has- runny, invisible- and I think it's a great budget option for anyone who needs a solid primer but can't spend nearly $20 on higher end offerings.

Clinique Quickliner in Coffee- This automatic eyeliner lasts forever.  It's a rich dark brown that doesn't pull or tug, and it's smudge-able until it sets.  

Wet 'n' Wild Color Icon eyeliner in Amethyst- This was brought out in a LE display at the end of last summer along with the other new colors they just released.  The formula is MUCH better than the old pencils, although for me I need to reapply throughout the day (the color fades slightly).  For $.99 it's hard to beat.

Physicians Formula Gel/cream liner for green eyes- purple- This is the purple shade from the green eyes trio, and I absolutely loved this last year.  The staying power is awesome.  It's pigmented, although it does take a few swipes to get opaque color.  Still very worth it!

Any comments/questions are welcome!  Thanks for reading.