My Top 27 Beauty Products Picks of 2011

As we wave adieu to 2011 and shake hands with 2012 I look forward to trying out some of the new and upcoming products that will be hitting the shelves this year. Although there are a ton of new beauty products on the horizon, below are my top 27 picks of 2011 in no particular order...

Urban Decay
Naked Palette

Naked is definitely my go-to palette each morning before work. I like a natural look for work, so my daily shadow routine includes Virgin for my highlight, Naked for my brow and Buck for my crease. Sometimes I add in a bit of Toasted or Hustle in to mix things up but I try to stay away from frosty colours during the day.

pürminerals

Pür Polish & Correcting Primer 

Pür Polish has done wonders for my skin. I started using this exfoliator late September/early October and have been using it ever since. You can read more on my 30-Something Skin here. The Correcting Primer is better than any other primer I have ever used, it works great with all concealers and foundations that I have tried it with and leaves your skin feeling silky smooth. I use the neutral primer but there is also a Colour Balancer and a Redness Reducer that both serve different priming purposes. 

Sephora

Sephora Makeup Palette and Makeup Brush Shampoo

The top of the palette has 33 different eye shadows and 3 eyeliners. On the left side there are 12 different lip glosses/lipsticks and the right side has 4 blushes and 2 bronzers. I really like that this palette includes 10 matte shadows. I also like that the colour pay-off on my skin is great. I had never tried Sephora's brand of makeup prior to this so I like that this cutsie little palette has given me the opportunity to try many colours at once and is absolutely perfect for travelling. This exact palette is Limited Edition so if you're looking to grab one you should purchase it quickly here. The Sephora brand Makeup Brush Shampoo is definitely a fav of mine. I find that many brush shampoos are heavy and I don't like washing my brushes with olive oil and soap because I feel that the oils hold bacteria. This shampoo is anti-bacterial, weightless and leaves my brushes with a squeaky clean brand new feeling.

L'Oreal Visible Lift

Smooth Absolute Foundation & Concealer

Honestly, when I hit 30 my skin started doing crazy things. I have never suffered from breakout's or anything of that nature but it seemed like the year leading up to my 30th birthday my skin started to change. I never wore foundation in my teens or 20's because I always felt that it was heavy on my face and looked completely un-natural. Foundations can be nice and flawless in photo's and on video but in person, I find that many look cakey, crumbly and just plain gross. I much prefer a natural look which is why I have fallen in love with L'Oreal's Visible Lift Foundation and Concealer. They are both soft and smooth, have amazing coverage and are both still in place at the end of the day when I am done work regardless of the temperature or weather outside. If you try them out, don't be alarmed when you look like you're 19 again!!

Maybelline

Instant Age Rewind Eraser Foundation & Concealer and Express Finish Nail Polish

Maybelline's Instant Age Rewind is almost an exact dupe to L'Oreal's Visibal Lift products except I find the Age Rewind to be a bit thinner. Although I love both of these foundations and concealer's, if I had to choose between the two I would go with L'Oreal's Visible Lift Foundation and Maybelline's Age Rewind Concealer. The Age Rewind Concealer is amazing! Babygirl and I are always trying out new brands of nail polish and I must say that Maybelline's Express Finish polishes are my absolute favourite. I much prefer them over any other high end brand. Not only are they cheaper than other high end polishes, the Express Finish polishes provide perfect coverage with 2 light coats, are quick to dry and can last me over a week without chipping. My favourite colour to wear is Sheer Pink #90 - It looks great all year long, Winter, Spring, Summer and Fall. A definite must-have in my polish collection.

M.A.C.

Mineralize Skin Finish & Blush and Satin Lipstick

MAC's Mineral makeup makes me so happy! I use the Skinfinish (the larger of the two pods in the colour of Soft and Gentle) for highlighting after I bronze. I often shy away from blushes because much like foundations I sometimes feel that they look un-natural but MAC's Mineralize Blushes are gorgeous giving off the perfect amount of colour. My favourite lipstick colour has been Spirit in Satin Finish since I was about 18 years old. I can't even tell you how many of these lip sticks I have gone through. Not only are the satin finishes hydrating but they last for hours even after countless lip gloss applications.

NYX

Eye/Eyebrow Pencil, Jumbo Eye Pencil and Felt Tip Liner

I'm new to the world of NYX. One night when I was browsing the makeup aisles at a Rexall drugstore I stumbled across their little NYX display. The NYX makeup was ridiculously cheap, I'm talking cheap as in all three of the above cost me less than $20. I have to admit, the prices scared me lol. I couldn't help but wonder if I would be wasting my money. WELL!! Was I terribly mistaken!! Where did this NYX stuff come from?! It's amazing! The white eye liner glides on so smooth, the jumbo pencil is so creamy and perfect for blending and the felt tip eye liner is brilliant! The tip is perfect, the colour is perfect and the lasting power is more than perfect. I don't go anywhere without eyeliner. Ever. So you can imagine how many liners I have gone through in my life. I have to say that these three NYX liners are the best I have ever used over any brand I have ever purchased, and I have used every liner made by every company that you can imagine. Amazing.
Givenchy
Hot Couture

Hot Couture by Givenchy. To me it has soft scents of vanilla, magnolia

and I have no idea what else. It smells so good. It's sophisticated. It's sexy. And it lasts for hours and hours and hours. Nuff said.

eos

Lip Balm Smooth Sphere

eos lippies are hard to find but I came across the two that I purchased at the same Rexall that I found my NYX cosmetics at. The lippy above is in the scent of Honeysuckle Honeydew. I also purchased the Sweet Mint lippy at the same time. Love! eos lip balms are 95% organic and 100% natural. I love that they glide on completely smooth and have absolutely no shine. Oh and they smell and taste so yummy. My lips need a lot of hydration in the winter so along side my 800 little pots of blue blistex you will now find my eos lippies.

Bourjois Paris

Effet 3D MAX

Bourjois's Effet 3D MAX lip gloss is very pretty. I love applying it over my MAC Spirit lipstick when I'm going out at night. I have colour #62 in Rose Gold which is a translucent soft pink with tiny little flecks of gold in it. I like it because it's not sticky. I can't stand it when my lips feel like they are covered in sticky goop. Not only does this lippy smell lovely but the shine is gorgeous and long lasting. A definite must-have if you love a shiny lip.

Rimmel London

Glam Eyes Mascara, Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses Lip Pencil and Natural Bronzer

I don't have a lot of Rimmel products but I love these three. Glam Eyes Mascara is by far my favourite mascara. The wand bristles are all plastic and spaced perfectly. My lashes aren't very long but with this mascara they double in length. The 1000 Kisses lip pencil is colour #47 in Cappuccino and it lasts all day long. I am a chronic lippy applier so that fact that I can apply this pencil in the morning and still see it after all of my gazillion balm applications throughout the day is saying something. I love the Natural Bronzer because it isn't powdery and it's completely matte which means no fakey mcfakerson sparkly tanned nonsense. #21 in Sun Light is beautiful. I use it all year long to set my foundation and for a pretty sun kissed glow. 

ZINN Beauty Collection

Argan Oil

I mentioned ZINN's Argan Oil in my 30-Something Skin post back in October. This oil is truly phenomenal. I apply it at night and when I wake up in the morning my skin is completely hydrated and looks so fresh and alive. It's like a little bottle of youth. Not only is Argan Oil good for your skin but it is excellent for your hair as well providing immediate shine, frizz control, colour protection and a plethora of nutrients. Love this stuff!

So, these are the top beauty products that I fell in love with in 2011 (minus my Spirit lipstick which I have used for years). I love each of these products and if I don't use them every single day I use them at least 2-3 times a week.

Do you have any favourites? Tell me about them!

xTx

Full Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored. All opinions are my own.

M*A*C Cosmetics - Mineralize Skin Finish

Absolutely perfect for Summer and made by M*A*C, this beautiful highlight is a satiny smoothe powder that is sold (on M*A*C's website) in two colours; Gold Deposit and Soft and Gentle. I have both, and could Rave about them for hours.

It is made to softly highlight your cheek bones and other areas of your face that the sun naturally touches, like the bridge of your nose, your chin, temples and even your hairline. The gorgeous metallic finish will catch the suns rays and brighten your face on even the darkest of days.

The nice thing about it is that it comes in compacts of 10 grams which is quite a lot given that you only need a tiny bit to highlight with so it will last you quite some time.

Both of these particular shades can also be used alone as an eyeshadow or a highlight on your brow line when applying darker shadow colours.

When applying the Mineralize Skin Finish you will want to be sure that you have the correct application tool, so you will require a stipple brush - for example, M*A*C's 187 and 188 Duo Fibre Brushes.

I guarantee that you will love it as much as I do. If you have a chance to try it out, let me know what you think!!

Remember, Ladies - Less is truly more with this product.

x T x

Photo courtesy of maccosmetics.com

Makeup By Alyssia

My baby sister, Alyssia is one of the many Makeup Artists that I know. Clearly, the love of makeup runs through our genetic genes.

With affordable rates to fit any budget, if you're looking for a hip Artist to deck out your face from forehead to chin, she's the girl for you.

Ready to conquer all of your upcoming events, for more information, Alyssia can be reached as follows:

Website: http://makeupbyalyssia.webs.com

Email: makeupbyalyssia@hotmail.com

Facebook Search: Makeup By Alyssia 

Happy Contouring, Ladies!!

x T x

pürminerals Correcting Primer

Foundation is something that I began wearing a couple years ago. I didn't use it prior because I was afraid of clogging my pores with unnecessary gunk that I believed would require a chisel to my face at the end of each day. I tried a few foundations before settling on a favourite which I now love to wear. It's light and airy, but leaves a beautiful soft glow on my face that I adore. My foundation may possibly be blogged another day but until then, it's all about my new primer.

A Make-up Artist that I know introduced me to an abundance of new products last week; one of which, I immediately fell in love with - pürminerals Correcting Primer. Until our introduction, the only "primer"
I had ever used underneath my foundation was a variety of facial creams. I have a miscellany of different creams that I use throughout the year - generally a couple of different creams per season. I had never used a "primer", let alone a "correcting primer" until last week.

pürminerals Correcting Primer is so light and so fresh. It pumps out a beautiful snowy white cream, applies wet and dries extremely fast, leaving a truly satin finish. Your face will not feel bogged down in the least, it will even out your skin tone and will instantly leave your skin soft as silk.

I was reluctant to add my foundation over top of the primer but thankfully I did. The results were alarming.

My foundation adhered to the primer so beautifully. There was no streaking, no sticking, no chunkiness, just a thoroughly smooth finish.

Although the foundation that I use is designed to leave an air brushed finish (on it's own), the primer underneath brings the air brushed look into full effect. Loves it!!

I could go on all day about just how ab-fab this primer is but I won't bore you with my never-ending rants.

For about $30 (I know, I know, it seems like a high price to pay for beauty - but a small dab'll do ya) you can purchase a primer. For easy convenience, it can be purchased in the make-up section of most drug stores. Shoppers Drugmart for one.

Get priming and enjoy, ladies!!

x T x

Photo courtesy of purminerals.com

Sexy Mother Pucker? Yes, please!!

Soap and Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker still has that annoying tingle, but it's not as unbearable as I dramatically described yesterday. It's uncomfortable at first but it's not painful in any way. Cold weather and water seem to activate the tingle on an intense level which was something that I got used to after a while.

The small creases in my lips filled in during expansion and they became very soft.The chocolatey smell is still a mystery as I assume it is supposed to be peach; which is the name on the bottom of the tube. However, the smell grew on me. A few people told me that I smelled chocolatey delicious. Cute.

The only thing that I disliked, other than the annoyance of the tingle was how my hair got caught on my lips when the wind blew but obviously that's to be expected.

Although my fiance loves my lips sans Sexy Mother Pucker, he told me that they looked great - after he asked me who punched me in the mouth *insert eye rolling here*. Many people commented on my lips throughout the day and told me that they looked pretty, asking what lippy I had on. I'm infamous for my tubes of lippy as I have them all over my house, vehicles and office. No one had heard of Sexy Mother Pucker so I was very happy to educate them.

Over all, I think I'm in love and have declared the month of February, Sexy Mother Pucker Month.

You will have to try it!! Valentine's Day is coming up soon, so get your lips kissably ready. You can thank me later.

Enjoy, my lovelies :x

Liplicious! It's Vicious!

I love all things makeup and have spent a small (but probably large) fortune on makeup in my 29 years of existance. Well, 13 years of makeup existance because I wasn't allowed to wear it until I was 16. Crazy, I know...

Anyway, I was shopping at the Devonshire Mall in Windsor on Boxing Day and discovered this cute little tube of heavenly balm on a shelf at Bath and Body Works. There were tons of them there so I assumed that it wasn't such a good product. I like to try new things; things that most people wouldn't dare try, so I purchased the little bitty that you see on the left. I just had to...it was the Tawnalicious thing to do.

One end consists of a brown sugar lip scrub and the other end is a mango colada tinted/scented lippy. There were a couple different tints and scents but the mango was appealing to me because it would sync well with my skin tone.

 I have to admit, the sugar lip scrub tripped me out a bit. I didn't think that sugar would do anything to my lips but make them sticky. It just seemed bizarre. I was totally weirded out. But I tried it...

The directions say to lick your lips after you smoosh them together with the sugar scrub. I'm not down with licking my lips at all so I just blot the excess sugar off with a bit of tissue before applying the mango goodness. There is no stickiness involved. There is however, some sort of softener in with the sugar that makes your lips silky smooth. Top it off with the tinted side and your lips will be a kissable cushion all day long.

I'm telling you, I love my lip medex but it appears that we have a new lippy favourite in town. It is a tube of goodness that every chick muuuuust have!!

Photo © Copyright, Tawny Gelinas, 2011