Oh baby BABY, last blog post of 2013. Woo! I don’t know about you guys, but for me this has been quite a year. If you told me at this time last year exactly what my life would be like now I would have told you to shut your big fat liar mouth. Isn’t it funny how a year goes so fast, but so much changes in that time? Life is weird.

So to end off the year I figured I would gather up and discuss my most used makeup products of 2013. It was pretty easy because I just had to take the things that never leave my vanity table. There are a few things that I’ve been using a lot lately, but I’m going to leave those out because they’re relatively new to the crew, ya know? I want this to be more of a tried and true list. If I’ve been using something a lot for about a year, then it’s something special because I have a serious case of cosmetics ADD.

1. Maybelline The Falsies Waterproof : I have been using this exclusively for WAY longer than a year. I’ve dabbled with other mascaras, even very expensive ones, and they just don’t hold a candle to it. Every time I try a different one I feel like I have yucky lashes all day, yet I keep trying new ones in hopes of some sort of mascara magic to report to everyone. #bloggerproblems
2. Benefit “Girl Meets Pearl” Highlighter : Whenever anyone asks me what type of highlighter they should buy, I always tell them to get Girl Meets Pearl. It is a mix of pink and gold so it’s flattering on most people, and its subtle enough that you don’t have to fuss with it a lot. It also give your cheeks a nice smooth, full, bouncy look which I think is really flattering and youthful.
3. Lorac Pro Palette : This is actually only a few months old, but I figured I could include it considering that I’ve used it enough to hit pan already. The quality of the shadows is great and it’s the only palette I know of that has an even mix of mattes and shimmers. If you’re an eyeshadow lover you know that is like the unicorn of eyeshadow palettes. I also love that you can use this for a wide variety of looks from completely nude, to a smokey rocker look. I love this little unicorn.
4. Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick : I won’t go into detail about why this is so amazing because I must have mentioned it 800 times by now, but it stays on forever and ever and literally looks like velvet on your lips. Winning.
5. Smashbox Camera Ready CC Cream : By far my favorite of the BB, CC, Tinted Moisturizer Family. This is my second tube this year actually! I reach for this mostly on days when I’m being casual but still trying not to scare the neighbors. It has enough coverage to even out my skin tone, but it’s still light enough that I don’t feel overly made up. The finish is dewy but not shiny, and since it’s an all in one type of product I can just put it on with my hands and be on my way pretty quickly.
6. Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush “Exposed” : This blush is a pale girl’s best friend. It’s a completely matte, rosy nude that isn’t too garish even on the palest ladies. It just kind of gives enough of a pink hint to make you look more alive! And since it’s on the neutral side it works with a lot of different looks and colors. Definitely a keeper.
7. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer : A little less than a year ago I was assisting a makeup artist on an outdoor shoot in the middle of the winter. Halfway through the shoot all of the girls had bright red ears. He handed me this and said “mix the colors and fix their ears” and I was certain I wouldn’t have enough product to cover them all but I went ahead and did it. Well, I was wrong (which is why he was the key artist and I was the assistant! Hahahaha) This stuff is so pigmented that it covered all six girls’ ears, and barely made a dent in the product. And it looked completely natural. It has been my go to concealer (except for under eyes) ever since!
8. Benefit Erase Paste : Speaking of concealer, this stuff seriously erases dark circles. It has a slight salmon tint, which neutralizes those blue-gray tones and makes you look more awake instantly, but still blends in with your skin tone flawlessly. It does need to be set, but ones there is a little translucent powder over it, your circles will be gone all day.
9. Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner Pencil “Corrupt” : Urban Decay Eyeliners are my favorite of all time, and this is my favorite color out of all of them. It looks good on blue eyes, brown eyes hazel eyes, green eyes, you name it. I use it to smudge into a smokey look, or with an angled brush to create a soft wing. It’s super versatile and long wearing, and is a rich enough brown to be a great alternative for black to help ground a look.
10. Stila Stay All Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner : If you want to wear a winged eyeliner look, or a cat eye or whatever else you want to call it, this is where it’s at. The felt tip makes it very easy to apply and once it’s on it really doesn’t move. I have arguably the worlds most watery eyes and I very rarely even need to touch this up. It’s my best friend for life.

So that’s it for 2013, see you all in the new year with some beauty resolutions and other fun stuff. Happy New Year!