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Wednesday 3 January 2018

WARPAINT & Unicorns Makeup Favourites of 2017!


Here is my rundown of my favourites that I have posted a review on during the 2017 year with 118+ reviews (one didn't make it into the calendar year but was tested during the 2017 year. ;) ). Didn't do as many as last year but some of my posts were massive regarding shades that were reviewed.

I'm not going to stick to "categories" again as I did not really cover all the areas in beauty and this year I'm also sticking to permanent products or products you can still get a hold of formula wise. But this yeara few Limited edition ones really stood out so they where included.

Favourite Lip Products of the Year!
These are the lipstick lines I reviewed that were new or new to me this year that stood out. ;)

NARS Audacious Lipsticks
NARS Audacious Lipstick in Brigitte, Juliette, Jane, & Anna.
To start off this is one of the most expensive lipstick I was willing to drop coin on, but I did it again. The formula is perfection as a cream formula lipstick that lasts long on the lips and never feels dry while wearing them.


Melt Cosmetics Lipsticks
Melt Cosmetics Lipsticks in Sext, Nood, Summer!, 6six6, Catsuit, Dark Room, Lewd, Dogaf, Blitzed, & Blow. 
The rainbow in matte lipstick formula that wears well and has high pigmentation.

Full reviews here:
Favourite Liquid Lipstick Products of the Year!
This year my obsession with Liquid Lipsticks continues.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick
Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Dolce, Crush, Kathryn, Carina, & Sad Girl. 
I always like the Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick But this year they improved their formula to be thinner, and that equalled more comfort in wearing but didn't take away from the performance and wear time of the products. Shades like Dolce & Crush have made it into my daily bin of pink lipstick I like to wear when not testing out new lipstick products.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipstick in Milkshake, Pure Hollywood, & Retro Coral ~ Part 1 : Swatches & Review

Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick
Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick in Red Edition in Heartbreaker, Material Girl, Showgirl, & Famous;
Pink Edition in Gossip Girl, Trophy Wife, Icon, & Socialite;
Nude Edition in Venus, Bombshell, Flirt, Trendsetter.
Definitely on the more expensive side again but the Huda Beauty Liquid Matte Lipstick formula again balances thin but comfortable formula for a long wear liquid lipsticks. I was VERY happy they came out with value sets of half size lipsticks for those that can't settle on one shade or a reviewer like me that wants to try a lot of different shades to see if the formula between shades is consistent as well. ;)

Full reviews here:

Coloured Raine Matte Lip Paint
Coloured Raine Matte Lip Paint in Sugar, Mars, Snob, Pink Panther, Sorbet, Cherry Blossom, Roulette, Kotton Kandy, Red Dragon, Jade, & Blue Dragon.
This is a lovely liquid lipstick formula in both their matte and shimmer shades. What I love to see is more lighter shades in pink and nude (just a few) to round out the range of shades offered, but these are keepers for me. ;)

Full reviews here:

Favourite Face and Body Products of the Year!
e.l.f. studio Contour Palette in Light/Medium
e.l.f. studio Contour Palette in Light/Medium with Highlighter 1, Highlighter 2, Contour 1, & Contour 2.
One of the few face product this year I reviewed that stood out to me in term of quality and is at the drugstore level as well. They do have two colour options for these palettes if this one that can work for pale to medium skin tones is to pale for you.

Full review here:

Favourite Blush and Highlighters of the Year!
This was a year with MANY blush reviews so it was hard to still pick just a few.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kit in Marshmallow, Gumdrop, Butterscotch, & Starburst
Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kit in Marshmallow, Gumdrop, Butterscotch, & Starburst.
I have to admit I've been itching to by one of Anastasia Beverly Hills Sugar Glow Kits or single highlighters for years but the ones sold through Sephora where all too dark of my pale skin. This kit has 3 repromoted shades that do work for me and my pale skin and up to medium-light skin tones. The formula is stunning for all of the shades with 1 shade that does noticeable shimmer in it but don't read like glitter on the face, so it was workable for me. You will GLOW with this kit for sure.

CLINIQUE Cheek Pop Blush
CLINIQUE Cheek Pop in Peach Pop, Plum Pop & Melon Pop.
This higher end blush from CLINIQUE Cheek Pop as an excellent shade range for all skin tones with a natural slightly dewy finish on the skin and can still be built up and sheered out on all skin types.

Full reviews here:
CLINIQUE Cheek Pop in Peach Pop, Plum Pop & Melon Pop : Swatches & Review

Coloured Raine Focal Point Glowlighter in Fashion Show
Coloured Raine Focal Point Glowlighter in Fashion Show
The Coloured Raine Focal Point Glowlighter in Fashion Show is a beautiful formula with a beautiful dewy glow, and the brand has a huge range of all skin tones as well.

Full reviews here:

Favourite Tools and Skincare of the Year!

InvisiBobble spiral cord hair ties
Goomee vs InvisiBobble Power.
Technically both the Goomee and InvisiBobble wins best new hair ties I've tried in decades but the InvisiBobble POWER The Strong Grip Hair Ring I recommend for anyone that needs to move around in their job or workout time to keep you heavy mane of up all day.

Full review here:
Dare to Compare ~ Goomee vs InvisiBobble spiral cord hair ties : Review
Favourite Eyeshadow and Liner Brands of the Year!

My picks for consistency of finishes, pigmentation, and wear.

Natasha Denona Eyeshadow Palettes


Natasha Denona Sunset Eyeshadow Palette in 120M Atmosphere, 121CM Sinai, 122K Ice Gold, 123DC Mandarine, 124K Bronzage, 125CM Vulcano, 126K Aubade, 127CM Horizon, 128K Sundazed, 129CM Terra, 130CM Bermuda, 131DC Morgana, 132CM Panjin, 133CM Igneous, & 134CM Sol. 
The is a brand that doesn't really deserve the high price point out of the gates, but they are killing it in term of the formula for the shimmer and metallic shades with really good with a nice matte to excellent formula new matte eyeshadow. It's still hard to recommend due to the price point out of the gate but if you see a palette that offers shades that you think you will get used out of all the shades they are worth it.


Tarte EyeShadow Palettes X2
Tarte Make Believe In Yourself: Eye & Cheek Palette. 
Not all of Tarte's palette have been hits, but 2 that I loved was the Tarte Make Believe In Yourself: Eye & Cheek Palette which is filled with metallic foiled eyelid shades I do use on the daily. And the Tarte Tartelette In Bloom Clay Eyeshadow Palette that I've actually been using for two years has lovely matte shadows that build up and stay true to pan on the lids. These two have been a winning combo.

Urban Decay Afterdark Palette in Alter, Scene, Supersonic, Sinful, Off Duty, Druggie, Backfire, Lounge,
Fringe, & Paralyzed.
I feel like this palette got no love in the makeup community but it a well round jewel tone palette which is shad the brand was known for its eyeshadow shade. I has a few permanent and repromoted shades with other tones added to round out the palette. This is another lid/colour palette that you are going to need to paleance with some mattes, but most people have 1 to 100  matte palettes by now that have this covered. This product was a limited release palette (meaning not permanent but not limited edition try to sell out in 2 months time)



SUVA Beauty Palettes in Neutral Necessity & Cupcakes and Monsters
SUVA Beauty Palettes in Neutral Necessity & Cupcakes and Monsters.
The SUVA Beauty Palettes in Neutral Necessity & Cupcakes and Monsters palettes are full of permanent matte eyeshadows that do feel powdery in texture but performs beautifully on the eyes or as setting powder to bodypaint.

Full reviews here:
Too Faced Chocolate Gold Eyeshadow Palette
Yeah, this whole gold in makeup craze needs to stop, the gold in these eyeshadows doesn't make the formula at all. The formula is just phenomenal as it holds some amazing FOILED eyeshadows with a mix of shimmer and mattes that makes this a well-rounded palette for those that wanted high shine foiled looking eyeshadow.

Full review here:
Too Faced Chocolate Gold Eyeshadow Palette : Swatches & Review

Favourite Brand of the Year!
Sugarpill
Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadows 2016-2017 shades The Inventor, Home Sweet Home, Kim Chi, Money Maker, Pumpkin Pie,  Castle on the Hill, Heart Shaped Cookie, Suburbia, & Ice Angel.
Sugarpill products Are again topping as the best allrounder this year as a brand although some shades are harder to work within their new matte shades, but you can tell how much work into their product range to get as close to perfect to work with.

Full reviews here:
Sugarpill Pressed Eyeshadows 2016-2017 shades The Inventor, Home Sweet Home, Kim Chi, Money Maker, Pumpkin Pie, Castle on the Hill, Heart Shaped Cookie, Suburbia, & Ice Angel : Swatches & Review
Sugarpill Pretty Poison Metallic lipstick in Glint : Swatches & Review
Sugarpill Liquid Lip Color in Trinket, Kim Chi, & Pumpkin Spice : Swatches & Review
Sugarpill Pretty Poison lipsticks in Spank, Girl Crush, Nurse, & Detox Part 2 : Swatches & Review


Favourite New Formula of the Year!
AURA PIGMENTS!!!
Lime Crime Hi-Lite Opal palette, Lime Crime Hi-Lite Mermaids palette, Kat Von D Alchemy palette, Anastasia Beverly Hills Aurora Glow Kit palette, BH Cosmetics Blacklight Highlight 6 Color Palette, & Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Pearl.
There is nothing new about Aura pigments, or Holo/Duochrome makeup as they are being called this year. You use to be able to get these back in 2007-2009 from indie mineral makeup companies. This is one of my favourite transformer products in the past (glitter is the other one), but this year both the indie brand and mainstream brands latched on to this trend hardcore.

But here are the top 3 products in this makeup trend I tried this year.

Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette
Kat Von D Alchemist Holographic Palette in {green} Emerald, {ultra-violet} Amethyst, {blue} Saphyre, & {pink} Opal. 
This one is like my OG aura pigment with the fine milling of the powder that flashes a bright colour shift or AURA but disappears when the light is no longer one it. This is my #1 for that reason as they are magical in person and in photos but again I feel like people dislike it because it didn't have a metallic finish some other brands put out this year that glow to outer space. I'm just not a fan of larger shimmer/glitter that you see in eyeshadows on the checks. This formula is not that but for those that want that magical shift of glow colour to use all other the face and body, this is it. Still annoyed by the size of the pans though. lol
Milk Makeup Holographic Highlighting Powder Quad
Milk Makeup Holographic Highlighting Powder Quad
This one surprised me, it has the Aura part down beautifully but most of the shade are duo chrome shades with the pearl texture of a Becca highlighter. It, however, is Limited Edition with one repromoted shade in the palette but it's a steal for the amount of product you actually get in this palette.
BH Cosmetics Blacklight 6 Color Palette
BH Cosmetics Blacklight & Spotlight Highlight 6 Color Palettes.
The BH Cosmetics Blacklight & Spotlight Highlight 6 Color Palettes has 5 beautifully Aura and pearl pigment. There only one shade I found disappointing in this palette which is the white metallic one in Strobe but this such a good palette which gives you high shine highlighting aura without restoring larger glitter chunks to glow to the heavens.

Most Surprising New Product of the Year!

BH Cosmetics..... PERIOD
BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Ultimate Artistry 42 Color Shadow Palette.
I've used some BH Cosmetics products in the past when they were doing relabel china palettes. Boy have they changed, not only are the doing limited release palette of their own creation but creating a pro and permanent curated products to make a brand for them self. They are no sold in Ulta in the USA which makes it easier to get ahold of by the general public but the making products that really actually work at drugstore pricing the feel like higher end brands at times. Expect more review from this brand this 2018 as there are a lot of things I'm still testing from them at the moment. ;)

Full review here:
BH Cosmetics Studio Pro Ultimate Artistry 42 Color Shadow Palette : Swatches & Review
BH Cosmetics Blacklight & Spotlight Highlight 6 Color Palettes : Swatches & Review

Final thoughts about 2017 in Makeup:
What I found interesting is how many products I review this year that didn't get me excited. Not that they were bad, but there are so much product saturation and lack of Innovation over Scarcity (aka Limited Edit or Limited stock products every week from ALL brands). At I first I thought I was just losing the fun of reviewing products but this year's abundance to drive sales has left me and I'm sure any other reviews little time to enjoy what they got, but also you get the feeling you seen it all before this year in one way or another from all these brands dupe each other nothing really stood out as must-haves in you everyday user makeup. A lot of the favourite products in this year's reviews are actually products I've had for a few years now that I kept going back and using over the years.

I'm curious to see if the consumer limited edition fake buzz has actually impact brands sales this year with not one getting pay raises due to inflation and all the brands vying for the stoplight this year.

I hope you found this line up interesting. I was surprised by the lack of face products reviews this year and most actually where fail product for me. :P
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