Top 14 of 2014

Welcome to 2015! KaBOOM! Cosmetics is back in business and I’m feeling very well rested after my little Christmas break and looking forward to lots of big changes (keep your eyes peeled for updates very soon) and bringing lots of fresh and fun content to the blog. I thought I would start off the 2015 blog posts with a roundup of my makeup picks of 2014 (I have linked through to a review or video featuring the products where relevant).

1. Rimmel Stay Matte Primer $13.95 for 30ml

When I lived in England, I discovered the Rimmel Fix & Perfect Primer which I absolutely LOVED but sadly, it isn’t available in Australia. There is a Rimmel primer called Fix & Perfect but it isn’t the same. I was overjoyed to find Stay Matte because it reminds me so much of the old Fix & Perfect that I loved. It’s a white, skin-perfecting primer that feels very creamy and really helps reduce the appearance of pores, smooth the skin, prolong makeup wear and it gives a great matte finish. It’s been a godsend for me in 2014 and is easily my most used primer.

2. NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji $59.00 for 30ml

This foundation is an absolute dream come true! For me, it’s perfection in a bottle giving medium coverage and a little glow without leaving my already oily skin looking greasy. I love how lightweight it feels and just how good it looks on the skin. The only (very minor) downside is the bottle/pump issue which you can read more about in my NARS post.

3. bareMinerals Stroke of Light Concealer in Luminous 2 $27.00 for 5.5ml

On my hunt for a new concealer, I was tossing up between this and the NARS Creamy Concealer but what sold this one was two things. First, I received a sample with purchase from Mecca and I LOVED it and secondly, when I visited Mecca, the lovely Alex from bareMinerals was in store and she was so enthusiastic and looked totally flawless so into my basket it went! I definitely don’t regret it, it feel fabulously lightweight while still masking my awful under eye bags (even when I’m not tired they still look terrible) and just generally making me look awake and not undead. 

4. NARS Compact Powder Foundation in Fiji $59.00 for 12g

NARS has been my 2014 Brand of the Year I think! I’ve been discovering a few delightful new goodies from them as well as revelling in some old favourites including this powder foundation. This is actually the first high end makeup product I ever bought and I haven’t looked back since. Whether I’m using it to set my foundation or using it alone over my favourite primer, it’s always a winner for me. 

5. Daniel Sandler Watercolour Liquid Blush in Cherub $30.00 for 15ml from ASOS

I have been very lucky to meet some amazing blogger babes in 2014 including Kate from TheMinted Beauty who was kind enough to gift me with this little blush. It’s completely unlike any blush I’ve ever tried and I adore the natural flush it gives me. A little goes a very long way and I’ve found myself reaching for this more than any other blush in my collection over the last few months.

6. Crown Brushes C452 Infinity Flat Bronzer Brush $19.95

2014 was the year I ventured to Sydney for IMATS! While I found IMATS pretty underwhelming (see my video here), I did meet some lovely girls including Kirsty from Lipstick Addict and Ashleigh from Beauty for Thought and made a few excellent purchases including this brush. It’s such a soft, dense brush and it gives a flawless finish, I use it for both foundation and blush and I can’t even remember what I used before this came along!

7. Hourglass Ambient Powder/Blush Wardrobes $76.00 each

Technically, I’m probably cheating by including 2 palettes under one umbrella but both of these are too gorgeous not to include. I bought the powder when it first came out (and before Mecca dropped their prices, grrr!) and recently purchased the blush palette too, it looked to pretty to resist! Both palettes contain 3 products, for the powder wardrobe this includes Dim Light, Incandescent Light and Radiant Light and for the blush wardrobe the products are Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure. I get such good use out of every single one of these, I know a lot of people were disappointed or didn’t like the powder palette in particular but it really just works for me.

Hourglass Blush Wardrobe swatches (bottom-top): Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra & Mood Exposure

Hourglass Powder Wardrobe swatches (bottom-top): Dim Light, Incandescent Light & Radiant Light

8. MAC Lipstick in Hug Me $33.00

I finally found the perfect “my lips but better shade”! I never thought I would be a nude lipsticks kind gal but something shifted for me this year and I found myself reaching for nudes over bright more and more frequently. Hug Me is a flesh-toned nude pink in a Lustre finish meaning that it’s very moisturising and very wearable. I can’t get enough of this lipstick!

Honourable mention: I couldn’t talk about nude lipsticks without mentioning Gerard Cosmetics 1995 which I talked about here. I was lucky enough to purchase this from the CEO of Gerard Cosmetics herself and I think this may have been the shade that sparked my sudden love of nudes. It only gets an honourable mention as I don’t find it quite as easy to wear as the Hug Me and the packaging isn’t as sturdy either.

9. Rimmel Provocalips 16HR Kissproof Lip Colour* $17.95 each

Again, probably cheating by throwing in an entire lipstick range but meh! I originally wasn’t all that impressed with these but I very quickly changed my tune after realising that a) they DO. NOT. BUDGE and b) they don’t get all over my Invisalign. While I don’t love all of the colours in the range, Make Your Move and Play With Fire would have to be my two favourites. Gotta love a lip colour that stays put all day long! 

10. Maybelline Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Pot Liner in Blackest Black $16.95 for 3g

This is my HG of eyeliners, full stop! It’s easy to work with, doesn’t dry out and best of all, doesn’t budge once it’s on your eyelids. While I don’t actually own any high end eyeliners (and I call myself a beauty blogger!) I have heard a lot of people who say that this version is comparable, if not better than the Bobbi Brown one and for a fraction of the price too.

11. Rimmel Wonder’Full Mascara with Argan Oil $17.95 for 11ml

Can you tell what my favourite drugstore brand is? You guessed it, Rimmel! I am quite lucky in that I have quite long, thick lashes naturally and all they need is a little oomph. I usually curl them then add a coat or two of my favourite mascara but my pet hate is clumpy mascaras. This mascara has quite a runny formula but it is absolutely perfect for me and I find that it’s a great everyday mascara. It definitely lengthens and adds a wee bit of volume AND it has the added benefit of Argan Oil to promote growth and make your lashes look super thick and shiny too. 

12. Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown $12.95 for 7.6ml

This product very recently entered my life thanks to a recommendation from Kelsey from Kelsey Sarah. Having quite thick, almost black brows, I always struggle finding brow products that aren’t too warm/red toned and finding products that just fill in the gaps a little as opposed to getting instant drag queen eyebrows. While this product won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, it is just perfect for me and I now use it every day. It has quite a fat ball applicator which a lot of people don’t like but it actually fits my fat fuzzy brows really well and I like the filled but not over-filled effect that I get.

13. Too Faced Chocolate Bar Eyeshadow Palette $65.00

I’m gonna go out on a limb and say that this is not only my favourite eyeshadow palette but also my favourite product of 2014, I think I might actually be in love with an eyeshadow palette. My two favourite things are chocolate and makeup so I pretty much can’t get enough of this. From the chocolate bar packaging to the sweet cocoa scent to the amazingly pigmented shades, this palette is my dream come true. The only very tiny problem I have with it is that the shade names aren’t printed on the packaging but honestly, it’s such a fabulous palette that I can deal with such a minor problem!

14. Sally Hansen Miracle Gel Polish $16.95 for 14.7ml

As someone who spends a LOT of time painting their nails and who detests having even the tiniest chip, this nail polish is a god send. Not only do you not have to muck around with UV lamps and acetone but this polish lasts for a week with only the tiniest bit of wear, seriously, it’s amazing! You use any one of the 18 shades with the Miracle Gel Top Coat and you instantly have a week of amazing polish literally at your fingertips. The best part is that you can remove this polish with normal nail polish remover too, like I said AH-MAY-ZING!

Swatches L-R: Daniel Sandler Watercolour Blush in Cherub, bareMinerals Stroke of Light Concealer, Hug Me by MAC & Maybelline Brow Drama

And there you have it! Apologies for the epically long post but these products all deserved a mention and hopefully you enjoyed my Top 14 of 2014. What were your top products for last year?

Dani xo

*This product was provided as a PR sample but as always, my opinion is my own.