2016 Makeup (And Brush) Favourites

It's time. It's time to look back on the year that's just gone and reflect. Reflect on all the incredible beauty products that is. This week is 2016 favourites week and I'll be sharing my favourite makeup and skincare products of 2016, as well as anything else I've loved over the past year. Today we're covering makeup and makeup brushes.

Niod Photography Fluid:

I am utterly in love with this product. It's very unique and the idea behind it is that it blurs any imperfections, particularly on camera. As the name would suggest, it's very fluid and has an almost pearly finish. It has some colour correcting properties as there are definitely hints of green and yellow to counteract any redness and dullness. I find the best way to use it is to mix it into a moisturiser or primer. It can be a little stiff and dry to blend on it's own. Aside from that, it's pretty much magic for your skin. If I'm wearing this, I don't tend to wear foundation as it gives the illusion of 'perfect' skin without any coverage.

Estee Lauder Sheer Tint Release:

I rediscovered this tinted moisturiser in 2016. It's a interesting little product because it comes out grey, but when you blend it, it adapts to your skin tone and has colour to it. It provides minimal coverage, but that's why I love it. It instantly makes you look put together, and if you pair it with a decent concealer, you get the perfect everyday face.

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer:

Urban Decay's Naked Skin Concealer had been on my radar for a long time and after finally getting matched, I fell in love with it. It's very creamy and quite thick, but it doesn't cake up. It also doesn't crease under my eyes which happens with every other concealer I've tried. You can use it to cover everything. The applicator is really flexible which means I can get right under the eyes to conceal any darkness. It definitely blew my NARS concealer out of the water.

Maybelline Age Rewind Concealer:

I was very on the fence about this when I first tried it. However, I grew to love it and realised how great it is for highlighting the face. The shade range is pretty much non existent, with a mere two on offer. Since I needed it to be lighter than my skin tone, that didn't bother me too much. The formula is what I love most about it. It's very thin and fluid and incredibly easy to blend. You can layer it up without it looking heavy, and it just sits well under the eyes.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush:

Highlighting my face has never been so easy. I love Hush as it's so easy to apply and leaves the cheekbones looking almost dewy. You need a tiny amount and it does wonders. The peachy tones are really flattering and it pairs well with so many other highlighters and blushers.

Becca Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop:

I fell in love with this powder highlighter in 2016. It's my perfect powder highlight. It's peachy, it's gold and it's intense. If you saw my Highlight on Fleek post, then you'll know how much I adore layering it on top of Hush. It's the most incredible combination that really does give you Highlight on Fleek. I still hate that saying.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit:

This was released in December 2015 and I snapped it up straightway. I have been using this palette for my cheek needs all year. I particularly love Mood Exposure, Bronze Light and Luminous Flush. Mood Exposure is my everyday blush as it's a subtle pinky mauve that really flatters my skin tone. Bronze Light is my perfect bronzer as it's not too dark, or too light and it's not orange.

L'oreal Infallible Sculpt Contour Kit in Light/Medium:

I've tried many contour kits over the past year. Contouring is a trend that is here to stay and the L'oreal Infallible Sculpt is the one I always go back to. I must admit, I don't use the highlight side as I really don't like it. The contour side is just stunning. It's very ashy and cool toned, but it doesn't make the skin look flat. It's a cream to powder formula and is a dream to blend. You can get a natural effect or you can really carve out a cheekbone.

Makeup Geek Eyeshadows:

Were you expecting anything else? 2016 was the year of Makeup Geek eyeshadows. For me at least. I fell in love with the brand and now have enough eyeshadows to fill two Z palettes. The formula across the board is smooth and creamy, not to mention pigmented. Even the mattes are creamy and a dream to blend. Some of my favourites are Cosmopolitan, Frappe, Cocoa Bear, Shimma Shimma, Bitten and Roulette. I could go on and on so I'll just leave you with a collage of swatches and a link to My Makeup Geek Starter Kit which breaks down all of my favourite shades. There are a lot. You may need to get a snack and a cup of tea before embarking on that post. You've been warned.

Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in Dolce Vita:

If I could choose one high end eyeshadow palette, it would probably be the Dolce Vita from Charlotte Tilbury. It's so luxurious and the shadows are beautiful. The formula is soft and buildable making it suitable for all levels of experience. The golden glitter is just beautiful and really catches the light. I can't wait to get my hands on the Vintage Vamp palette this year!

L'oreal Perfection Brow Artist Plumping Gel in Medium/Dark:

I never thought I could get excited about an eyebrow gel until I tried this. It's a coloured gel which contains tiny fibres that catch onto your own hairs. It adds thickness and fullness. The trick is to take off most of the product on a tissue and use what's left on the wand, so you don't apply too much. The result is natural looking full eyebrows. The shade is perfect as it's not too dark and is nice and ashy.

Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Lip Liner in Pillow Talk:

This is such a gorgeous lip liner. It's a pinky mauve and the formula isn't too thick and stiff. You can easily cheat the shape of your lips and it's so easy to apply. It provides a great base for nearly every lipstick I own.

Revlon Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie:

I'm cheating here because I did include this last year I believe, but this year I've used it as part of a winning trio. It's the perfect sheer pink with berry undertones. It pairs well with Pillow Talk and my next product to create the most flawless plump pout.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Pucker Gloss Stick in Nudist:

I still love this gloss stick for everyday. It's a creamy nude but it pretty much adapts to your own lip colour and adds a lovely sheen. When applied on its own it does makes the lips look naturally fuller.

RMK Cheek Brush:

I don't know what I did before this brush. It's my 'do it all' cheek brush. It's great for blush and bronzer and applies the perfect amount of product each time. It's incredibly soft. I just want to sit and stroke my face with it all day. Come on, we've all been there! It was very expensive but so worth it as it washes well and just gets softer and fluffier. Powders look at one with the skin when applied with this brush.

Morphe E27:

This little blending brush has been my go to for contouring my face since I bought it. It's the perfect size to get right into the hollows of your cheeks for a precise sharp contour. The synthetic bristles make it suitable for blending creams and powders.

Real Techniques Contour Brush:

For once I've been using a makeup brush for it's designated purpose. I've been loving this for contouring, in combination with the Morphe E27. If I'm after a more natural look, I'll use this as it creates a really soft effect.

Zoeva Silk Finish Brush:

I may be a Beauty Blender girl at heart, but I bloody love the Zoeva Silk Finish Brush. It's the best brush to use to finish off a look. I use this as final blend to ensure everything is seamless. As the name would suggest, it leaves a lovely silky finish to the skin.

So that rounds up my 2016 makeup favourites! I discovered so many new products over the last year and there are so many more I want to try. Stay tuned for Friday's post which will be all about my skincare and haircare favourites as well as any extra things I've loved over 2016.

What's your standout product of 2016? I think mine is either the Urban Decay concealer or Makeup Geek eyeshadows. 

Thanks for reading,
Avani
xoxo