Hey everyone! As you can see by the title of this post I’m rounding up all of my best makeup of 2018. I don’t go out and buy every single release so these makeup products aren’t ones that necessarily were released in 2018 but they’re all things that I’ve dearly loved at some point during the year. This post is NOT a round up of all my favourites posts like I did last year, while some products are making repeat appearances there are a lot that I haven’t dedicated a post to. Without further ado let’s talk Makeup Favourites for 2018…
Best Eyeshadow Palettes of 2018
For me personally the ColourPop Brown sugar Palette was the highlight of my makeup year. Even after immersing myself in colourful eyeshadow all year round I still came back to love a neutral toned palette. I reviewed this palette in October and it is by far the best neutral palette in my collection. When I originally bought the Double Entendre palette I had hoped it would become my favourite daily eyeshadow palette but the colors pulled very orange on me and I soon forgot about it.
The Brown Sugar palette has become such a staple in my collection, I’m even considering buying a backup. The shadows are perfect for travel because you can do such an easy everyday eye look with it or use the shimmer shades which are actually really unique! I usually stick to one palette when doing my makeup but since picking up the brown sugar palette I’ve been reaching for this one for my transition shades and the other ones for colour. I even reach for the shimmers in here when using other eyeshadow palettes.
Swatches of the Zodiac Palette
The runners up to best palette of 2018 are the ABH Soft Glam & ColourPop Zodiac Palette. Soft Glam was probably the most expensive palette I’ve ever purchased for myself but it was worth it. The shimmers in the Soft Glam palette were so creamy and gorgeous before I dropped my palette and ruined them while repressing, and the mattes incredibly pigmented and blendable. The Zodiac palette made me feel so creative with it’s interesting shade combination! I have a look on my blog for reach of the element signs: Air Water Earth & Fire.
Best Bronzers of 2018
I had to pick two because there are two bronzer that I’ve been alternating between a lot. First is the Sunny Honey Bronzer from the Too Faced Natural Face Palette. I adore this bronzer, it’s not too deep or too warm for my skintone and gives me a nice skinkissed glow. Not every shade in the palette was great in the palette but Sunny Honey is top notch.
Second on my list is the Makeup Revolution Warm Lights Freedom Pro Bronzer. I discovered this by accident, when I got my Makeup Revolution Haul in the mail the brand had included a bonus mystery bag full of products to try. This was a promotion with any order over $35, it wasn’t a PR gift. The warm lights bronzer costs $5.60USD and I was shook by how much I could enjoy a bronzer at this price point. It’s definitely a cooler toned bronzer but it’s worked surprisingly well with my skin tone since I’ve lost my summer tan. The lightest shade has been awesome for setting my eye primer, the shade is an almost spot on match for my skin tone.
The formula is a bit more powdery than the Too Faced Bronzer which is more buttery and because of this the pan is getting used up a lot faster. But hey, it’s less than $6 so can I really complain? I tried to pick up a replacement when I was at Ulta in the US but unfortunately they didn’t have one. I rarely stockpile replacements for my makeup products so when I go to a store before I’ve actually hit pan you know the love is real.
Best Highlighters of 2018
I’m skipping over blush because it’s honestly not a product I ever get excited about. I’m perfectly happy using the same blushes over and over again so I didn’t really experiment with anything new this year. Highlighters have become a love affair for me in 2018. I’ve tried so many new ones thanks to subscription boxes and my shopaholic tendencies. I picked a couple highlighters that I think are bomb, once again I can’t pick just one!
My first highlighter pick should come as no surprise if you follow me on instagram. This year I’ve been loving the Milani Strobelight Highlighter in the shade Afterglow. It’s a gorgeous white gold highlighter which can be applied lightly for a natural glow or built up to absolutely blinding!
My second highlighter of 2018 pick is the Becca Pressed Powder Highlighter in the shade Opal. It’s no surprise Becca Opal is near the top of my list. The fact that I repressed my broken compact three times this year is a testament to how great it is. The shade looked like it would be daunting against my fair skin but it didn’t clash with my skintone. Granted, Opal is a very poppin’ highlight so you have to be comfortable with a noticeably “lit” look. Unfortunately the last time it broke I wasn’t able to salvage it. I’m currently using Champagne Pop which is arguably a better match for my complexion but I still have a soft spot in my heart for Opal.
My last Highlighter of choice is the Too Faced Starlight Highlighter which is once again from the Natural Face Palette. This highlighter makes my heart sing. It’s a reflective white gold with a pink flip and I LOVE that pink flip! I’m so used to seeing single tone highlighters that starlight is an absolute delight to use. I don’t know that it looks natural on my face like the palette suggests but I don’t care, I feel like a shiny pink goddess when wearing Starlight on my cheekbones.
Best Brow Pencils of 2018
Hands down the best brow pencil I tried in 2018 was the Benefit Cosmetics Precisely My Brow Pencil. It certainly has a place in my yearly makeup favourites. Now I see what all the hype is about Benefit Cosmetics’ brow products. This pencil is so easy to use! I can use it for a beautifully sculpted brow or a simple natural brow. Of course it helps when I keep them cleaned up! I probably won’t repurchase this immediately because it’s a ridiculously expensive pencil and I do feel like you can get similar results from the drugstore. BUT what makes this product stand out is ease of use. I definitely have to work for my results with drugstore pencils but this one makes perfectly effortless eyebrows.
I also enjoyed the ColourPop Brow Boss Pencil and the Wet N Wild Retractable Brow Pencil.
Best Lipsticks of 2018
I have quite a few lipsticks to tell you about that I’ve been loving in 2018. First is my perfect red lipstick, the ColourPop Lippie Stix in the shade Lullaby. This lipstick is sadly in the ColourPop Vault of “discontinued for now”. I hope it will make a reappearance because guys, this red is everything. It’s a lush velvety bright red and while it’s not a shade we haven’t seen before the Matte – X lippie Stix formula is a dream come true. I’m not a fan of ColourPop’d Lux Lipsticks, they aren’t as long lasting as the matte Lippie Stix. This red is comfortable and lasts through my morning coffee & lunch without a lot of visible fading. When it does fade it fades elegantly so I don’t look crazy.
The next lipstick I want to talk about is one that is still available if you get your hands on it right meow. The lipstick I’m talking about is the Too Faced Mini-Melted Liquid Lipstick in the shade Hot Buttered Rum from the Sweet Smell of Christmas Set. This is the most perfect warm orangey brown shade and it smells so good! I’ve been wearing this lipstick to work on and off for the past three months and I’m not sick of it yet. The formula is comfortable and even though I have dry lips it doesn’t cake into them.
My last lipstick choice for the year was the ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipstick in the shade Take A Pixie. I couldn’t not include this shade in my Best Makeup of 2018, I wore this lipstick all the time! It’s a beautiful shade that’s a tiny bit deeper than a traditional nude lipstick. It’s one of those “your lips but better” lipsticks. And despite being an Ultra Matte Lipstick it wasn’t uncomfortable on my dry lips at all.
What are your Best Makeup of 2018 picks? Did I mention any favourites?
Thank you for reading and supporting me through 2018! Stay tuned for my Skincare & Lifestyle favourites of 2018 which are coming your way this week. I hope you all have an amazing Christmas and New Year’s Eve. Let’s hope 2019 is even better than 2018! Talk soon xx
I’ve definitely been in love with that Brown Sugar palette ever since I first saw you mention it! I’m hoping to get it soon. It looks like such a beautiful and perfect palette for neutrals! Thanks for sharing. 🙂
Author
It’s my favourite! I keep coming back to it even though I’ve since added a few more palettes to my collection. It’s great for everyday but can also easily transition to night.
Love that! And it’s so pretty!
This is such a wonderful list of products, and sadly I don’t own any of them! Well, I actually own the MR bronzer, but I haven’t had the chance to use it yet! Great post though 🙂 xx
Melina | http://www.melinaelisa.com
Author
There are so many things to try, it’s impossible to get to them all. I still want to try some of the PTR products you reviewed a while back. Maybe one day! Thanks for reading!
Such a great post! I’m definitely going to try that Milani highlighter, it looks absolutely gorgeous! That Colourpop liquid lipstick is beautiful, love the shade x
http://new-lune.com
Author
Yes!! It’s such a perfect highlighter shade! Thanks for reading x
I have not tried the Brown Sugar palette and was debating on getting it for my mom as she’s starting to get into wearing makeup, but I held off even though I love most of ColourPop’s products. Maybe I will give it a shot.
♥ Mae
I just received the CP Brown Sugar palette in the mail, so I can’t wait to try it out! Lovely picks!
Author
Let me know what you think!
I’m a bit like you – I don’t buy every new release either! colour Pop is a brand i love the look of but alas, i don’t own any yet. The palette looks fab and I love how you’ve swatched it, shows the shades off perfectly! You have some gorgeous picks here lovely x
Samantha | https://thebeautyspyglass.com
Author
It’s a slippery slope once you try Colourpop! At least in my experience, I went from owning nothing to owning over 10 palettes lol
At least they’re less expensive than the things sold at sephora and a lot of drugstore brands these days.
Thank you, swatch stencils are so fun!
these are all great picks! i can’t wait to round mine up LMAO i’m so behind but i definitely want to do a post like this instead of posting all my favorite posts like I did last year LOL..
you’re definitely making me feel intrigued over that CP brown sugar palette, looks really pretty!
and i think at some point in the past i really wanted a highlighter from Milani, this exact one i think, can’t remember very well.. white gold highlights are my favorite!
Author
I think I did the same thing last year, I just rounded up all my top picks from other favourites posts. It was fun to go through and see what I actually used all year and repurchased!
I’m obsessed with the brown sugar palette. It is just a neutral palette but the shimmer shades are on another level from ColourPop’s usual shimmer/metallic formula. Ginger & Saute especially are very unique!
Milani is apparently releasing a liquid version of this highlight soon. It looks really nice! But I think I prefer powder highlights :S
i need to look back at my favorites just to see if anything has changed since LOL
and that’s amazing to hear, because CP is a relatively inexpensive brand, so the fact that their formulas are good, I’m glad I’ve made a few purchases with them 🙂
huh, I don’t care much for liquid highlighters, like they’re pretty but i don’t use them very often, maybe i should just for the winter
Author
I’m happy to support ColourPop, I just wish they would collab with some different people this year and maybe stop releasing so much all the time lol!
That’s totally fair, lots of people don’t like liquid highlighters. I have to be in a mood for them!
Agreed! I’d love to see new faces from them because they make such great products! 🙂
Author
I would love to see a Jkissa or Thatgirlshae collab! Or really just anyone new. I think Bretman Rock’s collab with them was his first, I could be wrong though. I didn’t pick anything up from it.
Oh gosh Jkissa is kind of underrated and same with RawBeautyKristi. Either one should definitely do a collab with a brand.
Author
Jkissa just did a swatch party video with them, there were so many comments for a JKissa collab. I hope they listen! I’ve never watched rawbeautykristi, I’ll have to check out her channel 🙂
Loved this! I loved how you were selective about your yearly favourites too rather than actually going through every category (foundation, mascara…which generally become go-tos once you have discovered your favourite). I like the look of the brown sugar palette! That blue and that red actually really works with the rest of the palette.
I have still YET to try anything Too Faced and that face palette is really calling my name lol
Author
If I didn’t have something that really stood out to me as amazing I decided it was better to just leave the category out. I’ve been using the same one or two mascaras & eyeliners all year so it didn’t feel right to include them just for the sake of mentioning something in each group.
The brown sugar palette has become such a go to since I got it, I have to remind myself to use other palettes too! Do you mean blue and red in the Brown Sugar Palette? There isn’t a blue in there, but I can see how the charcoal might come off as a little blue!
It’s a gorgeous face palette! Too Faced is expensive though so it’s a bit of an investment. I think it’s worth it if it will become a daily staple in your routine but if you have lots of blushes and bronzers to choose from already it’s not a necessity. Thank you for reading & Commenting!
Freedom is a discontinued sister brand of Revolution in the UK so I don’t think you can get that bronzer anymore. Great post, I love some of these things!
Author
Oh interesting I didn’t know that! But you can still buy the bronzer here: https://www.revolutionbeauty.com/en/Freedom-Makeup-London-Bronzed-Professional-Pro—Warm-Lights/m-855.aspx
I wonder if they’re just selling it off right now to clear out extra stock. I hope they don’t discontinue it! Thank you for reading!
Yeah they’re selling remaining stock I think. I have one from a mystery bag somewhere too! Freedom was replaced by Revolution Pro so not sure if there is an alternative product
Author
I’ll have to do some digging! I hope they come out with an alternative.
Great list of favorites! I’m very curious about that ColourPop palette now, but do I need another neutral palette?? Probably not! I need to be trying their Lippie Stix formula though!
Author
haha I get that, in the end it is just a neutral palette. We don’t need a million of those!
Why have I never seen or heard of the Milani highlighter before?! It looks gorgeous! I’m pretty sure I saw that Too Faced Natural Love face palette in person last week and it looked beautiful, I can see why you’re a fan!
Author
It’s an awesome highlighter, it retails for $9.99 USD and it performs like something from Sephora. Afterglow is a great shade!
Isn’t the too faced palette pretty!? It’s very convenient to have everything I need in one palette.
It looks a little like one I have from Makeup Revolution, does Afterglow have any purple hints in it? Such a nice palette 🙂
Author
I haven’t noticed any purple notes. It’s just a white gold, no duochrome at all :S
Amazing post! That Milani highlighter looks gorgeous, I am definitely gonna try it out! I love the ABH Soft glam, it’s definitely part of my best makeup of 2018!!
Author
yes girl you must! It’s such a great highlighter. It’s only $9.99USD too. That’s great that you love the soft glam palette too! It has such pretty tones for year round.
Great post of all the things you loved this year!
The fact that you put the Brown Sugar palette over the Soft Glam makes me really intrigued about it, since I bet the Soft Glam palette will probably show up on everyone’s favourites list!
Totally agreed on Becca Opal, that one is an HG for me!
I discovered the ColourPop Brow Boss through you this year, and really loved it. It’s such an affordable brow product!
Author
The formula of the brown sugar palette just works for me so well. I really love the shade Henna, it’s the first shade that made me really love a dark smokey eye on myself. I think it’s because it’s not as dark as a black I can pull it off. And it’s $12 which is awesome! Soft glam is great too though!
I need to repurchase Opal ASAP! Hopefully I can get it again in the new year.
I’m so glad that you liked it too! It’s a great brow pencil for such a low price. Thanks for reading!