Staff Picks: Our single best makeup find in 2016
We’ve already written about the skincare, bases, eye makeup, and lippies that we loved in 2016, but we decided to challenge ourselves and pick JUST ONE product that we couldn’t have survived without. The catch: it must be a makeup product that was released in the same year! Here’s what we voted for:
Den: It feels like my skin changed from dry to normal last year, thanks to a better skin care routine. While that was good news for my skin quality, the oil and added moisture level made it easy for my brow pencil to rub off and smudge. I was lucky enough to get my hands on the Make Up For Ever Pro Sculpting Brow, which applies light but has buildable coverage and stays on all day. I also love that it comes with a built-in highlighter and a spoolie brush on the other end; it makes it adding dimension to my arches so easy!
Gett: Playing faves but my honest-to-goodness fave beauty find has got to be the Pink Sugar x Project Vanity These Lips Don't Lie matte lip crayons! I love how pigmented they are and the wearable color selection. Most importantly, my favorite thing about it is how it doesn't dry out my lips. I wore this often while on my Japan trip, and it was soooo cold at that time but my lips didn't dry out!
Marielle: It was love at first sight for me and the limited edition MAC Soft Serve Eye Shadow in Must Be Lust. I've always wanted to go beyond shimmer shadows, and a fateful day attending a MAC workshop taught me that it was actually possible. The fine sparkle pigment in an airy souffle-esque medium allows me to use it underneath my regular matte shadows to give them dimension. The clever formulation of the medium also prevents pigment fallout, a common problem when working with sparkle!
Kim: The formula of the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushes might not be in any way new but to get 10 of these in one sleek package was my best score for 2016. It still makes my insides warm and fuzzy just by looking at it! I feel like I shouldn't be allowed to buy anymore blushes until I hit pan on at least two shades.
Crystal: I'm loving this reformulation of Guerlain Lingerie de Peau foundation. They finally have more shades for warm skin tones! It gives me medium coverage that looks natural yet stays on for hours, so I've been ignoring my other foundations lately thanks to this.
Claire: I love it when drugstore brands step up their game, and release a new product that keeps up with trends. Last year my fave find is Essence Shape Your Face palette in Ready, Set, Peach! I love having a matte bronzer, matte highlight, and blush all in one handy compact, all for less than 500 pesos! I do hope they come out with more shades for paler and darker skin, and for cooler undertones.
Katsy: I'm really not a foundation girl but I have to award the Shiseido Synchro Skin Foundation as my best beauty find for 2016. It stays on all day, even when I have to go to construction sites and face the heat and dust. I also love the coverage it gives while making me feel as if I don't have it on. Super bonus that I can easily apply it with my fingers and blends like a dream!
Jenn: My best beauty find (and also most abused product in my kit) is the April Skin Magic Snow Fixing Foundation. The pink case and puff aside, it's completely perfect for my oily, acne-prone skin. Its matte finish is just right, covers my pimple marks well, and lasts the whole day on me. The only limitation I see is the shade range: I wish they'd make the shades a bit warmer. Apart from that, love love love the product!
Stacie: Hands down the best brand for me this year is Pink Sugar. I like the Pink Sugar x Project Vanity lippies but as a tint person, I absolutely adored the Sugar Tints! I would rather classify these as liquid lipsticks rather than tints though as they are so creamy and heavily pigmented. They also stay matte on my lips and only budge when I eat oily food. I am seriously considering getting all the available shades, and plan to try their shadow palettes and blushes next!
Angela: I really love the Lizly What A Lovely Palette that I got from Althea. The shimmers give off a beautiful finish, and are made with a very refined powder that won’t look like you got covered in confetti. They are so pigmented and the colors are just beautiful! Considering the price, this definitely is my best buy for 2016.
Was 2016 a good year of beauty finds for you? What’s the one 2016 product that helped you survive the daily grind?
