Pretty P.O.V.: My Best Makeup Products of 2013
How does one sort through the copious amounts of beauty items out there, and decide on what she feels is the best of the best? She watches her skin. She looks at her nails. She listens to her hair. She fusses with tube after tube of lipstick. In effect, she tests and tries various potions and lotions, but it’s the ones that find themselves taking up real estate on her nightstand or in her makeup bag that prove they are tops.
Somebody somewhere just said something along the lines of “2013 was the year of lipstick”—and I’m inclined to agree due to my somewhat aggressive scouting, testing and wearing of it. So though my best makeup products of 2013 rely heavily on lip-smacking, I do have a few other worthy finds here to even the face-playing field. As was the case with my previous post, some of those listed below have been featured on Fear No Beauty, but some have not (due to time restraints). Either way, all are much beloved and worth their weight in pigment, powder and camouflage. (PS: More “top beauty of 2013″ round ups to come!)
Is this a new product for 2013? Eh…maybe not, but it’s new to me, and it promptly gained the top spot in my heart. It really embodies everything I want right now (and forever): A beautiful red hue that is universally flattering and won’t make my teeth appear more yellow (yikes!); a matte formula that looks like velvet and feels just as soft; a long-wear ability to it that makes a forgetful person (me!) happy she’s wearing it when out and about (no need for touch ups!). It is a makeup lover’s must. My life is much more full since I found it.
My true introduction to this brand came via this lip cream, and from there it’s sort of spiraled out of control—I love everything they do (and there’s more to come next month—just you wait!). Because I love matte as a finish for lips, I quickly latched onto this new formula, which has more slip than most mattes do, and delivers a great punch of color. I labeled it “matteam“—part matte, part cream—and a week hasn’t passed since my introduction to them that I haven’t worn one or two of the various hues.
My obsession with highly pigmented lipsticks (see above) knows no bounds, but one thing I’m discovering rather quickly: Pigment can travel, no matter how budge-proof the formula claims to be. This clear lip liner is pretty insane; you can either trace it along your lip line or fill in the entire lip with it. Either way, it effectively stops pigment from traveling beyond its confines. Bonus points to the fact that it doesn’t skip when you apply it and it grips color, allowing for longer-lasting lipstick wear.
When I was backstage at Betsey Johnson’s Spring 2014 show, Stila’s top lady, Sarah Lucero, gave me a makeover using these eye shadow foils. I’m not kidding: It was packed, I was sweating, but I got a full-on new look with these hyper-reflective shadows. Here’s how they work: In the provided pan, you drop a drip (no more is needed than a single drip in my experience) of the included Stay All Day Liquid Eye Shadow Primer. Then, using a synthetic brush, wet your brush with the primer, and gently pick up some of the cream-to-powder eye shadow. The molten finish is amazing, though it is easy to overdo it. My motto: Build up the intensity until you reach your desired shimmer. If you get to heavy handed, the foil can clump—and that is not a pretty look. I love the Metallic Lavender; it’s a sophisticated pewter with hints of lavender and it pairs gorgeously with an oxblood lip.
Am I fad chaser? Probably. My job requires it to some degree. I’d like to think I’m a trend forecaster (I am one, I really am) rather than chaser. So, the CC Cream fad—did I jump on it? Not really. But I will say that this CC cream really gives the fad a good name. It’s a little thicker than most that I’ve tried—and I like that because it equals more coverage. But just because I said it’s thicker, don’t think that means it’s heavy; it’s not at all. It’s just pigment-dense, and that’s A-OK by me. Add to that its six functions—as a primer, anti-inflammatory agent, antiager, moisturizer, brightener and color neutralizer—and this little cream qualifies itself as the hardest working makeup item in the Karie Frost makeup bag.
Being as lists have to end, my best makeup products of 2013 list ends here—and I’ve left off so much! That’s where you come in: What was your favorite makeup item from 2013? Share it in the comments with me; I’m all ears and eyes!
