The last days of the year are a good time to look back at the 12 months that just passed by. I have to say 2017 hasn’t been a bad year for me, I spent some incredible vacations in Greece, enjoyed some nice time in Italy with friends and family, I realized some nice projects at work, and we moved into our own apartment which is becoming a wonderful tiny place.

As I said in my first post, 2017 was also the year I got into makeup and I used a lot of new products and slowly understood which one worked for me and my skin and which didn’t. However, I didn’t have really the budget to try a wide range of products, so this post is more a comment on all the products I used than a best of 2017 products.

First things first…

Primer

Primers, a category I didn’t know existed before I got into YouTube tutorials and heard the sentence ‘it’s a crime not to prime’ 🙂 I bought my first primer Mac Prep+ Prime Natual Radiance without a clear idea of what I was looking for but I have to say it has worked for me and I liked the feel on my skin and the smell.

The second primer I got was the KIKO Milano City Filter, I bought it in a bigger order I did on their website when summer was approaching and I liked the fact that it has 50SFP. However, I noticed it was making me a bit shiny with my summer colour foundation. So I don’t think it is a product I will repurchase.

It definitely took me a bit of time to get to know all the different kinds of primer and figuring out what I want out of a primer, but in the last few days I’ve been using a new one that I believe is working pretty well.

Foundation

Foundations, something my boyfriend just reminded me I said I would never wear (still when I was in the phase ‘too much make-up makes you ugly’). From that stage, I progressed from light coverage MAC Face and Body Foundation (winter N1, summer C2), to a medium to total coverage Maybelline Fit Me Matte + Poreless in 110. Probably 110 is a shade too light for me, I will go to the next one to 115 or 120.

I would definitely recommend both of these foundations, the MAC Face and Body is great for when my skin is already in a great state and little coverage, and the Maybelline Fit Me is good for days I want a bit more coverage, and it stays put and matte for how long I need it to stay!

Concealer

What a struggle! Covering up my dark circles I think was the best thing make up made happen. Thinking about my makeup progress I realized how is getting harder and harder to get out of the house without concealer to brighten my under eyes.

This is probably the category where I tried more kinds of products, and I have yet to find a concealer that won’t crease in my fine lines. If it exists. The first concealer I tried was the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer, it is a pretty long lasting concealer, however as many it sits in my fine lines and adds 5 years to my face.

The second concealer I tried was the Catrice Cosmetics Liquid Camouflage in Light Beige, and it quickly became my everyday concealer. It does sit a bit in my lines, but I can get an acceptable result with powder. The third concealer I purchased to match my summer foundation was the MAC Studio Fix Perfecting Stick. It was a recommendation of the MAC counter girl at the Athens airport, I probably should have known my skin better… Needless to say, I did not like it that much, but it is good for touch-ups.

Somewhere in between, I tried the NYX HD Concealer which I’m not a fan of, although I might give it another shot soon just to see again why I didn’t like it exactly.

Finally, the last failure was the Maybelline Instant Anti-Age, which I just find too thick and really accentuates the small lines under my eyes. I will accept the 30s, 40s, 50s, etc when they arrive, but at twenty-five, I’d like to look like 25!

I hope 2018 will bring me new and more exciting concealers.

Powder

I have been pretty eager to try a loose setting powder, but it didn’t happen yet.

So far the only powder I tried is the Catrice Prime and Fine Mattifying powder waterproof in transparent. It’s pretty good for mattifying the face, even though it dries my under eyes area when I try to set my concealer so I would not recommend it for that. The other day, when my face started to look a bit shiny in some spots, I applied some of the Catrice powder and all went back to normal.

Contouring and Bronzer

Again I tried only one product for each of these categories. In one of my first hauls I got the Contouring Palette in Dulce de Leche by Wet’n’wild, and a couple of months ago I decided to try the NYC Big Bold Bronzing Powder in ManhaTan, which hasn’t failed me. In the contour palette, I definitely used more the contour shade than the highlighter.

Being these the only products I tried in this categories, I can’t really say if they work better or worse than others. But they worked for me.

Blush

MAC Mineralized Blush in New Romance was the first blush I purchased. Although it was a totally random purchase, I am still happy with the finish, colour and how long it lasts on my face.

The second blush I tried was the Essence matt touch blush in Peach me up! Definitely a more matte finish, but a lovely colour.

On a day to day base, I like to just wear a quick brush of blush on my lid to give some colour on my eyes, but without making the effort to actually wear eyeshadows.

Now let’s talk about eyes!

Eyebrows, Mascara and False Lashes

Other three categories with only one item each: brows, mascara and lashes. For my brows, I’ve been using and liking the Kiko Milano Precision Eyebrows pencil in 02. I’m not a brow expert (yet), but I really like the finish and effect I can create with this pencil. I definitely look forward to try new products, but this has done the trick so far.

For mascara, I’ve been loving another Kiko Milano product, the Extra Sculpt Waterproof Mascara. I tried the Maybelline Colossal volume, and I’m currently trying a new one, but I just love the volume and length the Kiko mascara gives to my lashes.

The Kiko False Eyelashes, or at least the glue included in the package, just failed for me. I still need to try them with my new DUO glue, but all the times I tried them with their own glue it was just a messy failure. I guess more update will come ones I try them again with a better glue.

Eyeshadow

Where to start. I love eyeshadows, and I would love to own more palettes and colours. Definitely, 2018 will bring some more eyeshadows, even more so now that I bought some new brushes and making more complex eye looks is becoming easier.

I think my top purchase was the NYX Perfect Filter palette in Rustic Antique. I love these shadows, so pigmented and pretty (the picture definitely doesn’t make it justice). The MAC Dusky Rose Times nine is the other palette I used a lot, even though experimenting more I realized I like brighter colours and I’m not super enthusiastic about the pigmentations of these shadows.

I’m not sure if the Kiko shadows were discontinued, but I was honestly a bit disappointed by the pigmentation. I used them only a few times. The Kiko Long Lasting Eyeshadows sticks are still something I’m still working with. They have great pigmentation, but I am still trying to find a way to make them work on my seemingly hooded eyes.

Under all of these, I always trust the MAC Paint Pot in Soft Ochre!

Eyeliner

Eyeliner! The first make up I ever worn. I will probably make a post sooner or later about the first makeup I was using before really getting into it.

So let’s go by brand.

From MAC I tried the Penultimate Eye Liner in Rapid Black and the Modern Twist Kajal Liner in Long Espresso. The first one dried out before I could even know what I was doing with it, but the second one I really liked for looks where I want a softer eyeliner.

Kiko Oversize Kajal has been my favourite from this brand. While I’m not super sure how I feel about the Liquid Intense Eyeliner in 03 (which is a dark blue) because the few times I used it, it did its job, but it was so time to consume to remove. Kiko Smart Eye Pencil in 812 and 809 are definitely a no-go for me. No pigmentation and they barely apply to my waterline.

The Essence Extreme Lasting Waterproof Eye pencil in Black Midnight Sky is definitely long lasting. The colour has some glitter in it, so it is not a matte black, but good for more sparkling nights.

I had the L’oreal Kajal in black forever, maybe I should not be using it anymore. It is not long lasting as it used to be and definitely smudges a bit. But all these comments could be because of the age.

Also, Maybelline Expert Eyes Khol Eyeliner Pencil in Sapphire Blue is another product I had forever, as the Maybelline Crayon Khol in 100 both very pigmented and long lasting (still).

Lips

The only Maybelline lip product I tried is the Super Stay 24 in Red Alert. The name says it all, it stays put for such a long time every time I use it I’m surprised.

From NYX I tried the Soft Matte in Amsterdam and Morocco and the Butter Gloss in Apple Dumpling. The Soft Mattes being matte liquid lipsticks emphasise the dryness of my lips. I still use them, but I tend to really moisturize my lips beforehand. I love to wear the Apple Dumpling Buttergloss on top of a nude lipstick. Perfect combination!

From MAC, I tried both the Pro Longwear Lip Pencil in In Control and the Lip Pencil in Soar, I haven’t tried enough the Essence Lip Liners to actually tell the difference or if they hold better.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Mehr and MAC Satin Lipstick in Brave are the first lipsticks I bought this year. Love them both, they hold for a long time, and even when they do fade (mostly because I eat like a savage) they still fade nicely because they are really close to my lip colour.

Now some oldies. I’ve owned these two Kiko Lipsticks for years, and I believe they were discontinued or the packaging changed. I like them, one is a brightish pink which goes on nicely, the other which is dark red is a bit more patchy. The other kind of lipsticks I tried from Kiko are the Smart Fusion Lipsticks in 410 and 406, I just don’t like the finish, the pigmentation is so sheer that on my lips it gets patchy.

And now some new entries. A couple month ago I did a mini drugstore haul and got the Catrice Ultimate Colour in 020 Maroon and 380 Nudetastic and their Matt Lip Artist in Fashion REDitorial. The Ultimate Colour Lipsticks are classic lipstick, they have a more sheer finish and a nice pigmentation. I love to combine these two colours. Their Matt Lip Artist is incredible, stays on the lips nicely, feels very soft and I’m in love with the colour.

I feel like I haven’t tried the Essence Soft Contouring Lip Liner (I have them in Going Steady and Nude Painting) and the Long Lasting Lipliner (in Ready for Red) enough to really have a personal opinion on them. But I originally bought them because they were recommended by the unstoppable Tati.

The Essence Matt Matt Matt in 03 and 06 on the other hand, I used enough to have an opinion. They are soooo soft and go on so easily that I would definitely recommend them.

This post is way too long, but I wanted to give you an impression of where I’m starting from. These were the products that accompanied me in my first year of make-up, some I liked, some I’m still figuring out how to work with them, and some did not just work for me. I hope you’ll follow my journey and talk about yours as well in the comments!