20191231

BEST IN BEAUTY 2019


Advertisement information: this post discusses items gifted to me with no obligation to share them (marked *). In addition I have / have had a brand relationship with Cult Beauty, Stila, Harvey Nichols, Feel Unique, Zoeva, Urban Decay, Maybelline and Beauty Bay (gifting), Boots (paid advertorial content) and Wow You! (affiliate - link and code included below). My blog has Skimlinks and RewardStyle installed to automatically monetise purchases of products I link on my blog, therefore this post may contain affiliate links. All opinions remain my own and please refer to my Disclosure Page  for further detail -


As is tradition at this time of year; I'm sharing my standout beauty products from the past 12 months! Some of them are rediscoveries, others are brand new launches; it's just a bit of a mix this year. Let's dive into it...

- MAKEUP -

Primer: Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow Primer* | £39 
I just love this pearlescent, subtly luminous primer. Whilst it won't do much to smooth pores, it gives the skin a backlit glow. It's especially great for wearing under or mixing in with more matte foundations that you want to dial down a notch. I guess I don't really use it in the way I traditionally would a primer, but it's just great for prepping the skin for a radiant makeup look.

Primer Honourable Mention: Milk Makeup Hydro Grip Primer | £27 | full review
This is more of a traditional primer and - given it ticks all those primer boxes - so I couldn't not mention it! This is a gel-textured primer that hydrates the skin, makes makeup last longer and provides the perfect silky canvas for your base. It's just a fantastic all-rounder.

Foundation: Fenty Beauty Pro Filt'r Hydrating Foundation* (250) | £27 | full review
I do love the original Fenty foundation for a glam makeup look, but it definitely needs a bit of Wonder Glow to look how I want it to on my dehydrated skin, so I was over the moon when the brand launched a hydrating version of it. This gives a nice medium-full coverage that can be built up or sheered out to get the look you want. It's long-wearing and, although it isn't overly dewy, it makes my skin look nice and healthy.

Foundation Honourable Mention: Kosas Tinted Face Oil* (Shade 6) | £40 | full review
I'm all about light bases in my everyday life when I'm going to work and just want quick and easy options. Though it was a tough choice between this product and my IT Cosmetics CC Cream, the Kosas pipped it to the post. A tinted face oil sounded like it could be terrifying, however this one is actually gorgeous! My skin seems to drink it up, and although it has a dewy finish, I do find it long-wearing.

Concealer: Milk Makeup Flex Concealer (Medium) | £23.75 | full review
Obviously I'm still using my Nars Soft Matte concealer every day to spot conceal, as I have been for about 2 and a half years now! However under the eyes I've had a new daily staple I've barely put down since I got it. The Milk concealer is crease-proof, long-wearing and gives natural medium coverage. The shade is also great because it has a slight peachy undertone so helps correct those dark circles. 

Powder: Hourglass Veil Translucent Setting Powder* | £42 | full review
This is a product I got towards the end of last year and it's been my go-to for the whole of 2019. It's so finely-milled and traceless on the skin. It sets my makeup, it never looks caky and it isn't flat or matte on my skin. I just love the stuff! It's not cheap but it's on another level.

Highlighter: Jouer Powder Highlighter in Skinny Dip | £19 | full review
This is such a stunning highlighter; it's blinding but really meshes with the skin in a natural way. The powder is very creamy and emollient-feeling and gives incredible glow without any glitter or chunkiness. The colour itself is a warm golden-champagne with a peachy undertone.

Blusher: Milani Baked Blush in Bellissimo Bronze* | £11 | full review
This is the same as it was last year because I honestly barely reach for anything else these days! It's quick and easy to apply, it's long-wearing and you can't really go overboard with this highlighting formula. The colour is a warm golden-bronze that pairs perfectly with my usual warm-toned makeup looks.

Bronzer: Fenty Sun Stalk'r Instant Warmth Bronzer in Bajan Gyal | £23 | full review 
Matte bronzers aren't easy to get right - they can end up being a dry, blotch, un-blend-able mess! However Fenty got it so, so right with this formula; it's smooth, it can be thrown on with minimal blending and it's that perfect balance between being warming and adding definition to the face. I personally love, love, love it!

Brow: Milk Makeup Kush Fibre Brow Gel (Grind) | £15 | full review
This product just keeps going! It's one of those everyday favourites I sometimes forget to spotlight; it's great for running through your brows to add some colour, hold and volume without it being anything too thick or heavy. I love the natural colour selection in this range; Grind is my perfect darkest brown shade.

Eyeshadow Palette: Urban Decay Naked Honey Eyeshadow Palette | £42 | full review
It was never going to be anything else! This is pretty much all that's been on my eyes since I got it in September. I love the quality and ease of use you get with Urban Decay eyeshadows and this yellow / green based warm-toned colour story speaks to my soul. I just love this palette; I think it's beautiful and I'm still not bored of it!

Eyeshadow Palette Honourable Mention: Zoeva Unique Reflection Eyeshadow Palette | £21 | full review
During the first half of the year, this is the palette I was using a lot; it's a beautiful mix of warm tones, from deep plum to stunning gold. I really like the Zoeva formula and you just can't go wrong with their palettes, as a more affordable option.

Eyeliner: Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner in Intense Smoky Quartz | £16 | full review
This year I've been keeping it simple with my eyeliner; opting for a pencil over a winged look with a liquid formula. My go-to is always this warm, dark brown liner from Stila. It doesn't smudge or transfer around my eye area (despite the name!) and just defines them softly without the need for obvious liner.

Mascara: Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara | £8.99 | full review
This is an old favourite that made a comeback in 2019! What can I say? It just does everything I want a mascara to do for under a tenner. It gives amazing curl and length, as well as a nice dose of volume without things getting clumpy. It doesn't smudge or flake either!

Lipstick: Lime Crime Lip Blaze in Herb | £20 | full review
Whilst the cannabis-themed marketing really doesn't do it for me; that shouldn't overshadow what is a fantastic formula in some really beautiful colours. This is a nourishing lip cream that's nice and opaque but also doesn't transfer all over the place. I really love this warm, yellow-based, rosy brown with my go-to palette; the Urban Decay Naked Honey.

Lipstick Honourable Mention: MAC Matte Lipstick in Strip Me Down (discontinued) | £17.50 | full review
I need to keep mentioning this lipstick because I just love it so much, I'm nearly out of it and it was Limited Edition. MAC: you just have to bring this shade back! If only I'd bought, like, five tubes when it was available. If only... It has a creamy, comfortable, long-wearing formula and the shade is my perfect nude; a sort of beige warm nude. 

- SKINCARE - 

Cleanser: Wow You! Zen Cleanser | £16 (15% off with code JASMINE15 - affiliate) | full review
It's going to be no surprise to regular readers that this cleanser has been declared my #1! I honestly often even travel with this big awkward bottle because the cleanser is just that good. It's a rich, moisturising, smoothing cream formula with cucumber, oatmeal and avocado. My skin just loves it!

Cleanser Honourable Mention: Pixi Rose Cream Cleanser* | £18 | full review
During the first half of the year (before I discovered the Wow You! cleanser), I managed to get through an entire tube full of this product. This is a lovely cream cleanser (notice a theme?) formulated with rose and avocado. It's so nice and nourishing on the skin, cleansing without stripping away those natural oils.

Mask or Treatment: Summer Fridays R + R Mask | £46 | full review 
I can definitely be a bit lazy when it comes to masks, but this one kept me reaching for it time and time again. It's effectively an oil formula with rose petals for exfoliation, so I massage it in, leave it on for around 15 minutes then rinse it off. Instead of using a cloth and cleansing afterwards, I just cleanse beforehand, wash the mask away with water and pat on my toner afterwards, because the oils in this mask leave my skin so soft, smooth and nourished it'd be a shame to totally remove all trace of them. Overall it's a great one for  breathing life back into dry, dull skin.

Mask or Treatment Honourable Mention: Glow Recipe Avocado Melt Sleeping Mask | £41 | full review
My other go-to has also been more on the nourishing side. This creamy overnight mask is formulated with avocado fatty acids and gentle exfoliators. It's not only giving my skin amazing moisture overnight, but it makes it look more radiant and healthy. It's been one of my favourites this autumn / winter because it's a fantastic all-rounder when it comes to tackling the skin concerns I experience in colder weather.

Moisturiser: Too Cool for School All-in-One Egg Mellow Cream* | £29.50 | full review
This is a great do-it-all priming moisturiser. It's nourishing, smoothing and provides a great base for makeup. It doesn't leave excess grease on the surface of my skin and has this amazing softening effect. I love it and the cold weather has only reignited my enthusiasm for this moisturiser.

Moisturiser Honourable Mention: Dr Jart Ceramidin Cream | £35.50 | full review
This is another one I love for the drier skin months and I mentioned it last year but recently I've been trying to use it up and remembered how great it is. It has a lovely softening, smoothing effect and is intensely moisturising but not overly rich. Ceramides are amazing for strengthening the skin and this product puts this wonder-ingredient in a fantastic formula.

Serum: Good Molecules Hyaluronic Acid Serum* | $6 | full review
This is hands-down the best affordable HA serum I've tried! This ingredient draws water into the skin, making it perfect for my dehydrated skin. The texture of this serum is water-light and non-sticky. It does an amazing job of plumping, smoothing and hydrating my skin.

Serum Honourable Mention: Drunk Elephant C-Firma Serum* | £67 | full review
I absolutely love this tightly-packaged Vitamin C oil-serum. It makes my skin glow as well as smoothing and hydrating it. I love that it gives me a dewy skin look whilst taking care of any uneven texture. I'm a bit in two minds as to how effective a Vitamin C serum can really be, but this one is definitely in my 'worth it' category.

- EVERYTHING ELSE - 

Fragrance: Kayali Vanilla 28 | £67
I got this for my birthday earlier in the year and I think it's absolutely beautiful. Think rich, indulgent, luxurious, opulent... all those good words! It's formulated with notes of vanilla, tonka, brown sugar and amber and more and lasts incredibly well on my skin. It's both warm and sweet at the same time.

Hair Product: The Ordinary 100% Plant-Derived Hemi Squalane* | £2.75 | full review
This isn't actually designed as a hair product specifically (it does work really nicely on the face too) but when I met with the Deciem team, one of their experts gave me this tip because he suffers from a dry scalp too. It's been a real game-changer! It's very affordable so I don't mind repurchasing it every couple of months. The texture is very lightweight and I put a nice layer on my scalp before bed once a week then wash it as normal in the morning. This plant-derived oil mimics the oils our skin naturally produces so I find it soothing and it also reduces flakiness. Using this as a hair treatment has been a revelation!

Hair Product Honourable Mention: Kevin Murphy Hydrate-Me Masque* | £30
It was pretty close between these two products because this oil-infused mask is a great all-rounder. It not only is a fantastic hydrating hair mask but you can use it on your scalp without it being too heavy and leaving behind a residue. It's been great for both my hair and my scalp, providing hydration so my hair is smoother and my scalp less irritated. 

Body Product: Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Florale* | £29.50
I'm a long-time fan of the Nuxe multi-purpose dry oil, primarily for my body, but it's also great for nourishing and smoothing the ends of my hair. The mist bottle makes it really easy to use and this formula is one of the few things that does it for the dry skin on my body during the colder months. It does all of this without leaving any greasy excess on the surface of my skin. This is a new floral-based scent for 2019 and it's beautiful!

Body Product Honourable Mention: Jurlique Rose Hand Cream* | £33
This has become possibly my all-time favourite hand cream! It smells amazing but above all else; you don't need a lot of product but it's amazing at providing lasting hydration to my hands without making them slippery or greasy. It's hard to get excited about a hand cream but I really do love this one.


Have an amazing New Year's Eve, whatever you're doing and I'll see you in 2020!
What were your favourite beauty products of 2019?


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