The Ups and Downs of 2011

Happy New Year everyone!^^
I hope everyone had a wonderful new years! 2011 was a great year, but now 2012 is here and let's make it even better! I became interested in make-up just this year and I am so excited to share my favorite and least favorite products of the year. This is from my personal experience and solely my own opinion! It shouldn't hinder you from trying out these products! But if you ever wanted a piece of mind, here it is!

(Least Favorites of 2011) 

Read more for more! 

Let's get the bad boys out of the way. This was actually rather challenging for me to find the 5 worst products that I bought this year. I tend to do my research beforehand, so it is rare that I completely hate a product that I own. However, these were the few exceptions.
In no particular order, my 5 least favorite makeup items of 2011~

1. Palladio Rice Paper ($3.99 at Sally's Beauty Supply)

I guess I didn't really do my research when I bought this product. The reasons that I do not like this product are that a. it is hard to use and b. it does not work well. Many of you are probably familiar with oil absorbing sheets, and this is exactly what this is supposed to be. It is made more out of a paper material rather than a film material and it is very hard to use on the face. The powder on it is also rather chalky. It just doesn't work. 

Recommend: Clean & Clear Oil Absorbing Sheets

2. Revlon PhotoReady Foundation ( $11.99 at Target)

I do not normally wear foundations. In fact, this is the only foundation I own. First of all, the shade I chose (008 Golden Beige) was way too dark for my NC25-30 skin. The consistency is pretty thin and the coverage is about medium. The thing I do not like about this product is its luminosity. It does not have a dewy finish, but rather a glittery one. You can see the shimmer when you blend it out. It also looks rather cakey on the skin. 

Recommend: N/A (Have not tried other foundations) 

3. Sephora Perfecting Cover Concealer ($16 at Sephora)

The shade I got of this was 01 Clair/Ivory. Can you believe that? This was the lightest shade they had! And it is still way too dark. I started to mix this with other concealers. The consistency is thin, but it still went on looking cakey on me. It has excellent coverage, but when I am using this, it gradually forms a cakey look and stays that way all day. 

Recommend: Sonia Kashek Concealer Palette, or MAC Studio Sculpt Concealer

4. E.L.F. All Over Color Stick in Golden Peach ($1 at Target)

Even though this was only a dollar, it was still not worth the price. I don't know if it was just my product or if it was like this for all of them, but it had a very chemical and industrial smell to it. I really did not want to put it on my face. As you can see in the swatch, the pigmentation really isn't that bad, but it is overly shimmery.

Recommend: Maybelline Cream Blushes

5. Clean & Clear Persa Gel ($5.29 at Walmart)

What is tragic about this product is that the reviews were outstanding. Many had wonderful results with this. However, this did absolutely nothing for my skin besides causing irritation, itchiness, and redness. It didn't dry out my pimples like it was supposed to; it didn't do anything. After it caused many irritations, I decided to try it again. It didn't irritate my skin but it again did nothing. 

Recommend: N/A (Haven't tried anything else in the same category)

Moving on to favorites!! Here are the my top 5 products of the year!!

1. BB Creams

(Hanskin $27.87 on eBay or $28.00 +shipping on Yesstyle.com) (thanks Juliaaa)

(Skin79 $14.99 on Amazon) (prices vary)

(Missha $17.20 on Amazon) (prices vary)

I tried out 3 BB Creams this year, and I am telling you guys, I am so glad I did. I have really bad skin, but I hate wearing foundation, and BB Creams are the solution! BB Creams are like tinted moisturizers but with much more coverage. I liked all the BB Creams I tried this year, with the Skin 79 being my least favorite out of the 3 and Hanskin being my favorite, but I do not dislike any of these. The swatches look kind of scary because of its whiteness, but they all blend out beautifully. They feel nice on the skin; putting these on is like putting on lotions. After 30 minutes, your skin will look normal; It looks natural and healthy and not cakey at all. With BB Creams, I don't use concealers anymore. You should give these a try! 

2. MAC Eyeshadow in Satin Taupe ($15 at MAC Cosmetics)

This is my most used eyeshadow of the year. Whenever I don't know what kind of a look I should do, or whenever I am in a hurry but still want to look nice, I use this. This is a shadow I use by itself. It is a neutral brownish, reddish, grayish shimmery color that, on the lids, could look like multiple colors. It is smooth, pigmented, and long-lasting. I highly recommend this if you want just a good quality everyday color. 

3. MAC Blush in Eversun (Discontinued, I think-- can find at CCO or eBay around $20)

I use this blush a lot because I love the way it looks. I like matte blushes but I do not have any! (One of my new year wants) However, this blush comes off pretty matte, with just a hint of glow that actually looks pretty good. It is a peachy pink with warm undertones. Good for the summer and any time, really!

4. Close by GAP ($10 at Gap)

This is my first ever fragrance. It was love at first smell (lol). When I was at Gap, I passed these two girls standing by the perfumes. I immediate noticed the scent and turned around. I knew if that scent was from Gap, I would need to have it. It turned out it was and I got it in a roller size. It smells floral and fruity. It is rather strong, though, so I recommend that you go try this out yourself! I am in love.

5. Sephora Rouge lipstick in 21 ($12 at Sephora) 

As I dug around my lipsticks, I found that this was the shade that I preferred out of my whole collection from this year. My mom actually gave this to me because she didn't want it anymore. As you can see, the color is a deeper pink with some purplish yet brownish undertones, very weird but unique. It has a creamy finish and is very smooth on the lips. The color is opaque as well. Overall, I love this lipstick. 

Thank you for reading! If you have a product you like to share or have opinions on these products, feel free to comment below! Hope everyone had a happy new year! 

-Grace