Best Beauty Finds in 2020
MAKEUP
FACE
I recently raved about this. It covers well and has a natural finish on the skin, so it's one of those types of formulas such as Bourjois Radiance Reveal that can wear instead of foundation if I wish, as it just melts into the skin and doesn't look obvious around the edges like matte high-coverage formulas. It lasts surprisingly well too, since when I'm taking my makeup off at night, it's still under the eyes, though it's by then gone from my nose which is a bit oilier. It has a bit of niacinamide, vitamin C (Sodium Ascorbyl Phosphate), aloe, green extract and some caffeine, even though they are more on the end of the list, they are still there, which is more than at most concealers. I'm also a fan of the applicator, which is shaped to fit perfectly under the eyes.
This so far the best drugstore powder highlighter I've found (that's not a LE or discontinued), excluding of course Colourpop's Flexiterian, which is also cheap, but not that easy to get. This is the type of highlighter I'm looking for, which is something I swirl my brush in and instantly get a strong glow on the cheek. Shimmer is fine like at most highlighters nowadays. Formula is powdery-creamy to the touch and it swatches very intense with a finger. Shade is similar to Flexiterian, a champagne shade and great for pale skin, while for deeper skin tones they have other shades.
I've said this many times that this is a close dupe for my beloved L.O.V. Blurring Blushes formula. It's a great luminous formulas without the look of chunky shimmer and it just lifts and brightens the face - it's by far the best blush Essence ever had in their selection. They still only have four shades, mine is just a basic peachy-pink, but the most classic shade in the selection, though it's quite light.
REVLON Powder Blush
004 Rosy Rendezvous
I got this quite recently, but I loved it the moment it touched my cheeks. I've tried this formula before and it's super pigmented, one touch with a brush is almost too much, but this particular shade is the most perfect pinky-nude shade for my very light skin tone. It's a shade that goes with everything.
Honourable mentions:
BRONX COLORS Boosting Hydrating Concealer - very similar to the Revlon concealer. Looks very natural on the skin.
MAYBELLINE Fit Me Matte + Poreless Powder 090 Translucent - an underrated favourite. I've wore this on most days, as it's an excellent mattifying/setting powder that's quicker to use than their Fit Me loose powder (that one is still better though, more perfecting).
EYES
2020 was a good mascara year and I've discovered a few fantastic waterproof formula as well as regular ones. I love Maybelline's Total Temptation and L'Oreal Paradise waterproof as much as this one, however, this one creates the biggest lashes out of the three or at least the quickest, so it gets the spotlight, though they are all about the same.
Two more wp mascaras that do the same:
This is the rarest of unicorns - a non-waterproof mascara that can hold a curl. Though I have to gently curl the lashes again after the mascara is on (I do this with wp formulas too and have been using the same method for so many years with no consequences), however it works because this has a formula that leaves the lashes quite stiff. Effect is ok, I mean it won't impress a L'Oreal Paradise (regular) formula fan, but it gives enough volume and length. It wins for me because of the curl.
I was so fed up with brands only releasing warm, rosy-copper or fake cool palettes for years now that I decided to build my own and it was one of the best decisions I made beauty-wise because I finally have a palette where I love every shade. I've been a fan of Artdeco eyeshadows since before I started blogging, as they are nicely pigmented, blend well and they have a big selection of shades, including cool and neutral ones, so I had plenty to pick from. Old gold shades that I love most have been rare in palettes for years now (and everything is so warm or rosy), but at Artdeco I found what I wanted. My magnetic palette is old (like I said I've been a fan for many years), but they still sell it and have a variety of sizes. I think mine is biggest and can hold 12 eyeshadows or 4 blushes or a combination of the two.
My trusted Shiseido eyelash curler has served me many years and though it still works, it became a bit loose, so I ordered a new one. The curve is slightly more pronounced, but this turned out to be a plus because it curls my inner and outer corners a touch nicer. Quality-wise this is again a brilliant curler, Shiseido really knows how to make excellent ones. It feels well made, nothing is loose, the pad is nicely soft, yet sturdy and based on my experience they last ages (at Tana's the ripped in months). I ordered it straight from Japan on eBay and it was quite a lot cheaper than my previous one.
Honourable mentions:
ESSENCE 24 Ever Ink Liner Intense Black - a fantastic pen eyeliner that doesn't just dry in a month like most. It's super black and lasts on the lids, though hot summer didn't agree with it as much as the rest of the year. It doesn't beat my all-time fave Catrice Liquid Eyeliner, but it's nonetheless a great one and even cheaper.
ESSENCE Witch Side Eyeshadow Palette - by far the best palette Essence ever made and one of the best I've tried. Of course Essence discontinued it after only 6 months.
LIPS
One of my favourite ever lip colours, how I wish I had a lipstick in exactly this shade, but I can deal with just having a lip liner. It's a perfect natural warm pink shade that almost matches my natural lip colour, but it's much nicer. Formula soft and easy to apply all over the lips, plus you get a sharpener on the other side so you can keep it always precise.
Another favourite shade. It's a touch peachier than Maybelline, but another light natural pinky-peach shade, a my-lips-but-better colour and great for defining the lips. Formula is on the thick side and it has a peppermint scent, but it doesn't tingle so it’s “plumping” only if you overdraw the lip line. It's smooth and easy to apply all-over the lips, but staying power is average, a few hours and not as good as Maybelline's.
My most worn lip product this year, this stuff is just gorgeous. It's got the same super comfy formula that their Ultra HD Mattes do, so I sometimes put it on before I start applying makeup because it's almost like a lip balm and then decide if I want to keep it on the lips (which of course most of the time I do). It's got a glossy finish from the start, which then becomes creamy, formula is fully opaque and it's thick enough not to move around the face for such a glossy product. Staying power is great for such a lip colour, since it's thicker than a regular gloss. The true winner for me is the shade, which is one of the best that exist - Birthday Suit is light-medium pinky-mauve. My other shade is Chery on Top which is a warm red, but I rarely wear that one because I prefer my reds matte.
This is the most long lasting lip product in my collection. I can apply this in the morning and at the end of the day it pretty much looks the same on the lips, only the shine is gone. This can survive so much. It's in two parts: the colour part is more like a stain with one coat and the finish of it is matte (with two it's a fully opaque, but then you can feel it on the lips as a layer). The glossy part seals the colour and it stays shiny for quite a while. The colour part doesn't wipe off on anything, only the glossy one comes off. Unlimited Mulberry is a light-medium pinky mauve and one of my new faves. I have this also in Always Sienna.
REVLON Super Lustrous Luscious Matte lipstick
004 Wild Thoughts
This is very new to me, but as soon as I put it on my lips, it became a favourite. Of course it's because it's about the same colour as Maybelline's lip liner and the rest on the list above, so a natural light pink shade that defines the lips and gives it some colour without looking too much. Formula is matte, one of those new-age smooth ones, so comfortable enough (for me), creamy and not tight on the lips.
Honourable mentions:
REVLON Kiss Cushion Lip Tints - fantastic comfy formula. I'm just not a fan of any of the shades.
L’OREAL Paris Color Riche Matte Free The Nudes Lipstick 06 No Hesitation - one of the most comfortable matte lipsticks.
SKIN CARE
This replaced my trusted Balea's Waschgel (blue-green packaging), since my skin is on the dry side. It suits me more, though I still like the waschgel. The foam is nicely fluffy and not overly watery.
My favourite clay face mask, though the price for full size is steep and I only have a mini. This combines AHAs, clay and charcoal, meaning it's like a 2-in-1. Texture is more runny than other clay masks I've tried before and I don't get any tingling, but I can see how it sucks the stuff from my pores, though I can't say they look any better after, but it really works for unclear skin by helping the spots dry out faster, which was why I bought it originally.
So far the best sheet/hydrogel mask I've found in our drugstores. It's has the same results as Asian brightening masks, so it evens out the skin and just makes it look healthier. Ingredients are good since it has niacinamide high on the list, along with camelia extract, hyaluronic acid, glycolic and malic acid.
I use this every single day in the morning and I'm already using a second bottle. It has vitamin C in a less powerful 3-O-Ethyl Ascorbic Acid form, which works slower than Ascorbic Acid, but at least I get my dose without the terrible self-tanner smell and my skin is looking pretty good. This also has hyaluronic acid high on the list, which doesn't break me out, so that's an extra plus. It's a pink serum with tons of mini shimmer and I originally said I don't notice any immediate radiance from this, but now I do. This gives my skin such a pretty, subtle glow with no visible shimmer, though it's only visible in some lights.
Honourable mention: BALEA Vital Konzentrat Gegen Pigment Flecken - I love how this works on my skin, as it keeps it clear and nice, but I'm unsure whether it is discontinued or now, at least they removed it from Slovene DMs. It has niacinamide and vitamin C.
I found this when I was checking ingredients of all products on DM's website and this caught my attention because it has glycerine 2nd, niacinamide 3rd, almond oil 5th, vitamin E 6th, panthenol 7th, caffeine 8th and sodium hyaluronate (9th) on the list. It also has no fragrance, so ingredients-wise this is a jackpot, though I wouldn't mind an extra peptide or vitamin C, but it's a nice moisturising formula. I keep it next to my computer and I use it through the day when I don't wear makeup, as well as before I go to sleep and on most mornings, so just like CV Pink Glow, this is a part of my daily routine. It’s a light liquid almost-lotion type of texture and it feels nicely cooling and refreshing, excellent for tired eyes.
Ambre Solaire Sensitive expert+, UV-Schutz Fluid mit Hyaluronsäure, LSF 50
This instantly became my favourite sunscreen and it's sold in many places here, so there's no need to order Asian ones online now (hopefully this stays in the drugstores and supermarkets). It's equally light and elegant on the skin as Asian sunscreens, in fact, I like this more than A'Pieu which is shiny compared to this. It's a very liquid fluid that applies with ease on the skin in the recommended amount. There's zero white cast and not much shine when you apply it, then within minutes it's just gone on my normal-dry skin and it feels like a light moisturiser. Despite the alcohol, my skin doesn't get tight later and makeup goes over it with no problems. Great stuff.
BODY
BALEA Bodylotion Urea
The entire Balea's Urea line is excellent. Last year I discovered the hand cream and 5% shampoo-and-shower gel, and this is another great product. This leaves the same silky smooth film on the skin as the hand cream and intensely nourishing, so great also for very dry skin, comparable to body butters. Formula is medium thick lotion, similar to a Nivea Q10 one I have and it takes some time to sink in, but I use it at night, so I don't mind.
HAIR
This was a nice surprise because it reminds me a lot of my favourite L'Oreal Extraordinary oil, which is weird because this doesn't have silicones, yet it leaves me with a very similar silky feeling. Despite the low pH, my scalp still feels the same like with L'Oreal shampoos, so it's no different or healthier when I use this, but I like how it works for my hair.
An excellent, strong purple shampoo that successfully tones yellow. I use it at every wash, either alone (2nd wash) or mixed with a bit of Extraordinary Oil one because though it's not drying, it's doesn't leave the same silky feeling, so basically it's just a classic shampoo with a strong tint.
This is the only conditioner I've found that keeps my very dry hair moisturised for a long time, much longer than every other formula, even the very expensive ones. This and Pantene are my drugstore favourites, Pantene leaves the hair more silky, but doesn't have such lasting results, while this is silicone-free, so it doesn't add as much slip, but it leaves the hair much softer and like I said moisturised for a long time. The packaging has 400 ml, which is superb and it smells of Pina colada.
La Croa is the hair brand of the year for me. This is one of the thickest hair mask formulas I've tried so far, it's like a balm and that's precisely why it works for my thick, super dry hair. When I'm rinsing it off it leaves that silky feeling I like and my hair dries less frizzy with it, though I still need some extra leave-ins. The effect also lasts a decent amount of time, so I would really like to have a pot or two of this stuff, but unfortunately my local Müller only stocks these satchels.
This really improves the effect of no.3 for me. Without this I never saw much of a difference, but applying this liquid, which contains the highest amount of Bis-Aminopropyl Diglycol Dimaleate from the products that are available to consumers and not just salons, makes my hair noticeably nicer to the touch. I tend to do the same combination every time: Aveo shampoo, leave my hair to dry, apply this + no.3, leave overnight, wash with Aveo again and condition with Cantu. This leaves my hair very soft and it just feels renewed. Plus the effect of soft hair lasts all week until the next wash - my hair is never soft, so this has an amazing result. However, just like at only no.3, there's no visible results, meaning my hair still dries equally frizzy, so leave-ins are a must. With the help of other products (like their no.6) and by tying my hair in a bun, I get a nice smooth result. I use up about 1/5 of bottle at once.
This is in the same group of hair products as Olaplex and Joico's K-Pack line, so something that tackles the damage bleaching does (as well as colouring, heat styling,..) and it the cheapest duo from such products. When I first used this it transformed my stiff, non-soft hair into nicely bouncy and healthy-feeling. Olaplex n.0 + 3 combination I found later is better, but this is still a fab duo that leaves my hair silky, adds shine and feeling much nicer. I almost always use them together, but conditioner can be used on its own and it's surprisingly nice on my thick, dry hair despite the light texture.
MOROCCANOIL Smooth Blow-dry Concentrate & L’ORÉAL PROFESSIONNEL Serie Expert Liss Unlimited Smoothing Cream
This combination is the bomb. I've been struggling finding a product that would leave my hair frizz free and sleek, and these two are almost miraculous. Individually they don't shine, I have no idea why, but together they work so well. This combination gets me the sleekest blow-out I’ve ever been able to get, which is an achievement on my super frizzy hair. They leave my hair smooth, not tangled, ends are fine and hair feels light. When I use this I can go without curling or straightening my hair (after blow-drying with a big round brush) and it stays nicely straight for days, only I need to use a hair oil every day because of small amount frizz that pops up latter (meaning in the morning when I wake up). This combination does sadly have a downside and that is that it takes much longer to dry my hair, but results are pretty impressive.
I've sung many praises about this since I got it and I have a backup because it's so amazing that I don't want to be without it ever. It's a silicone oil in spray that's an outstanding detangler - a few sprays and the comb or fingers just slide through - a tamer and shine product. Since my hair is naturally kinda curly/ wavy, individual hairs or strands get tangled up very fast when it gets coiled/frizzy in days after washing and this makes sure that I'm not breaking any hair when I run my fingers through it or comb it. It's also great for when my hair is feeling very dry, for taming frizz and adding shine. If I use a crappy conditioner, this saves the situation single-handedly. I truly bow in front of this. Hopefully this stays on the market for long because I like the fact I have such a nice product easily accessible in Müller, but I have a dupe already too, which is sold only online: Macadamia Healing Spray. (By the way La Croa is now sold online too. I'd buy the masks already if their shipping wasn't so high.)
I tend to stick to L'Oreal's Excellence 8.1, which is much easier to get, but I actually like this colour more. L'Oreal can be a bit on the green-ashy side and this one is more of a true medium ash, though both look good, both tone golden-orange perfectly and with time the purple shampoo affects the hair colour a lot more than these two. Unlike L'Oreal it's ammonia free and it has added keratin in the actual colour, not just the conditioner like some formulas have. It's not drying, it doesn't burn, the colour turns out beautiful and it blends well into my lower half of lighter hair (I colour only the freshly bleached part and I swap the developer for a weaker one). It's liquid, so it's easier to spread than some, yet it isn't messy. I just love the results of this one, it's a really nice colour and I wish it were still sold in my local Müller, since now I have to order online. Only bad thing - the conditioner is just ridiculously small, only 12 ml compared to L'Oreal's 60 ml.
Honourable mentions:
MOROCCANOIL Restorative Hair Mask - another fantastic Moroccanoil mask. It's superb for bleached, very dry hair. Moroccanoil just has some of the most amazing hair masks.
JOICO K-Pak Liquid Reconstructor - a liquid spray version of the Reconstructor. While I don't see the immediate touchable results like at the treatment, it's an easy way to apply proteins and amino acids.
MACADAMIA NATURAL OIL Healing Oil Spray - same thing as La Croa, an excellent detangler and tamer.
SCHWARZKOPF PROFESSIONAL BC Bonacure Oil Miracle Barbary Fig Oil & Keratin Restorative Treatment - a great, thick hair silicone oil that has proteins high on the list. It helps me achieve a sleeker blow-out than most other such oils.
LA CROA Argan Macadamia Oil Cream for Curly & Wavy Hair - a rich hair moisturiser that I can use on dry and wet hair.
TIGI BED HEAD Blow-Out Golden Illuminating Shine Cream - a great creamy tamer that I can apply on dry and wet hair.
SCWARZKOPF GOT2B Bye Bye Babyhaar Bändiger - super handy and quick frizz tamer than I can carry around in my bag.
OLAPLEX No. 7 Bonding Oil - thin silicone oil with a bonding ingredients. It's not as rich as my other oils, but I like how convenient it is to use to give the hair some bonding goodness.
FRAGRANCES
Admittedly I was a bit shocked when I first tried this that it's nothing like I imagined based on glowing reviews and the popularity of this, since there is no coconut, tiare flower and no tropical paradise vibe to it, at least on me. But this grew on me and I wear it a lot because there something about it that's just so unique. It smells like expensive makeup, or the scent of a drugstore/perfume shop where all the scents of testers mix together. There's plenty of bergamot, which kind of makes it unisex, so this is a citrusy warm scent on me and it lasts well. It just smells so homely to me, like a walk in the forest in the spring and I really enjoy this one.
I've heard tales of the 80's legend Poison, but I never got a chance to try in in the shop, so I got this fake one as blind purchase and it instantly appealed to me. It's so far away from the boring fruitchulis that are everywhere today (La Vie Est Belle, Si, Opium, Good Girl… they all smell the same on me due to patchouli) - this is much richer. It starts sweet with notes of plum and unique herbal note that I just wait for it to pass because then I'm rewarded with the wonderful, rich powdery base. Staying power is outstanding, this lasts all day on the skin and I can smell occasional clouds of this stuff for hours. It's one of the strongest and most long-lasting scents I've tried - and all I have is a cheap fake.
Honourable mentions:
BATH & BODY WORKS Fine Fragranced Mist Sweater Weather and Sunset Glow - I love BBW mists, they are amazing. Sweater Weather is an excellent autumn/winter scent that smells like apples and woods, Sunset Glow is a warm, snuggly powdery scent.
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