Favorite Things 2008  

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2008 was a year that had brought many changes into my life, including cosmetics and makeup. Remember my rant at the beginning of last year bemoaning the fact that we have such limited access to beauty products here in Hungary? Well, the situation could still be improved, but along the way I discovered the miracle that is online shopping, starting with Everyday Minerals and then moving on to eBay and other online stores. So yeah, I guess I could say 2008 was rich in anxious anticipation of much awaited little parcels and boxes, new discoveries and sometimes disappointments, and receiving inspiration and great tips from so many fellow beauty- and fashion bloggers.

Because of the above mentioned changes I did not manage to review all my precious discoveries back in 2008, but that won't stop me from listing them here (with the promise of discussing them later), because I think it'd be an absolute crime not to share them with you.

I would like to thank Grayburn for bringing us fellow bloggers together to do this project and for supervising it all the way. Thank you dear!


FAVORITE MAKEUP OF 2008



To me 2008 rolled by in the spirit of discovering mineral makeup and then taking notice of the unfortunate fact that my skin just won't tolerate mineral foundation in its present state. I've been struggling with PCOS for the better (?) part of my life and I've been dreaming of having perfect skin ever since. (Fine, it doesn't have to be perfect, but one or two zits less would be great...) It seems I won't be able to achieve that until I consult with an endocrinologist this year.

Otherwise though I just love MMU, and will now introduce you to my favorite items from several different brands. I've noticed that most brands excel at producing and prefecting at least one type of product, and it seems to be just as true of MMU companies.


BLUSH

Everyday Minerals - Best Friends


I tend to favor those of Everyday Minerals: they offer a huge selection of shades and produce really unique combinations of different base colors, shimmers, sparkles and whatnot. They're quite cheap and can be bought in small amounts which means less waste of both money and product.

My favorite go-to blush is Best Friends. It looks absolutely scary and unwearable in the jar, but once you blend it into your skin it becomes the most beautiful matte, rosy, just-came-in-from-the-cold shade.
I wear it practically every day now, especially when I don't want anything fancy and just want to create a low-key look.



EYESHADOW

Pure Luxe eyeshadows


I'll have to vote for Pure Luxe products in this category. Their shadows can't be beaten. They're wearable, vibrant, creative, long-lasting, come in a huge selection of shades and you can buy generous samples for as cheap as 1$. (Not to mention that their shipping prices are very International Customer friendly. ;-)

I have 15 or so colors so far, but I'm definitely planning to order more. The ones I recommend are: Asp, Twinkle, Seashore, English Ivy, Enlighten and Splendor.

Will review them soon!

LIPGLOSS

Silk Naturals lipglosses


You hear raves about Silk Naturals lippies everywhere and with good reason: these are the most gorgeous, wearable and moisturizing lip products I've ever come across, and I have tried many lippies in my life, believe me.

Right now I have seven of them, but I'm definitely ordering more as soon as our currency gets a bit stronger. *blushes*

My review of them can be found here.


BEST PRIMER

Pure Luxe - Cream Eraser

Back to Pure Luxe now: I find their cream Eraser perfect eyeshadow primer ever created, though unfortunately it can't touch my face lest I break out with ever more zits due to the silicone in it...

It's not perfect in that it doesn't contribute anything towards mattifying my skin, but on my eyelids it does real miracles. Try it sometime but make sure to read my review on it before you do!


BEST MASCARA

Clinique - Naturally Glossy Macara (02 Jet Brown)


I have not been impressed with any of the mascaras that MMU companies make, but I do so love my Clinique Naturally Glossy Mascara in Jet Brown. I've been blessed with relatively long lashes but I need something that'll lend them some color and volume, and this mascara does the trick perfectly.

It's a favorite of many women who don't want any extra ooomph, but merely wish to accentuate their lashes with a pretty brown tint in a preferably clump-free way.


BEST MAKEUP REMOVER

Bioderma - Sensibio H2O Micellar Solution




I haven't bought the full size version of this product yet, but I received a very generous amount of samples (6x10 ml) from a very friendly SA in my very favorite drugstore, and I'm absolutely certain that I'll invest in this cleanser as soon as I run out of my samples. The first time I used this stuff I was blown away. It removed all the makeup from my face without having to vigorously rub it with the cotton pad, which was definitely a first for me. According to instructions it doesn't need to be washed off, but I prefer to follow up with my regular gel cleanser just to have my skin free of chemicals.






FAVORITE SKINCARE PRODUCTS OF 2008



BEST CLEANSER

Clinians Azione Pulizia Viso con Acido Mandelico

(that's sort of Cleansing Foam Gel With Mandelic Acid)




I gushed about this at the end of November and I was amazed at how long-lasting this product is. Well, I bought my first tube in the middle of September and lo and behold, it only ran out the day before yesterday. I say that's pretty good mileage for a facial cleanser; at least I tend to go through them like crazy.

It's a very concentrated gel with a nice aquatic scent and the ability to cleanse your face without drying it. It also doubles as an exfoliant and a chemical one at that which, in my opinion, is far more gentle and effective than physical exfoliants.



BEST MOISTURIZER

Bioderma - Sensibio Light



In all honesty this product was never meant for my oily, problem skin, yet I'm on my second tube now. It's the perfect night cream and the perfect base for when I want to tone any of my serums or skin treatments down a bit. (e.g.: AHA, BHA, retinaldehyde)

It's unscented, contains no colorants, is preservative-free and hypoallergenic. Perfect for people with sensitive skin or anyone who doesn't want to irritate her/his skin more than necessary.

It also doubles as an eye cream for me.





BEST ANTI-AGING TREATMENT

Avéne Diacnéal


I wish I could say that it's the best acne treatment as well, but I can't, though originally it's supposed to be just that. I mean, who's the idiot who put silicone into an anti-acne product?!?!?

Anyway, I used this for about a month and a half, and though I noticed some improvement first, it soon became obvious that the cyclomethicone in it is yet again making this product useless for me. My zits just weren't willing to disappear and I got those small zits that soon turn into full-fledged cystic acne that I get whenever I put any kind of silicone or mineral foundation onto my face. I hoped it was just what people nowadays call "purging", but sorry, I don't want to "purge" for one and a half months on end, thank you very much...

But (and that's a huge BUT, and the reason why I still mention it among my favorites) I did notice an impressive reduction in my wrinkles on my forehead (you know, the ones you get when your frown) and even around my nose. I guess that means that retinaldehyde (0.1%) and glycolic acid (6%) are capable of successfully fighting wrinkles, so if your skin tolerates silicones, a product with retinaldehyde might just be what you've been looking for all your life.

Be very careful though: retinaldehyde diminishes wrinkles through accelerating the turnover of your skin cells, meaning it's a powerful exfoliant, which leads us to two things:

  1. Use a strong sunscreen (min. SPF 40 in my opinion, but 50 is better) whenever you use any kind of retinols on your face.

  2. Be very very patient with your skin in the beginning, introduce it to retinols only very gradually, and never ever start with such a strong product as Diacneal. You'd better try Ystheal first and then slowly move on to stronger concentrations, lest your skin should become irritated by it. (You want to avoid irritating your skin, as it leads to the formation of free-radicals, which in turn results in aging.)


BEST INSTANT ANTI-WRINKLE PRODUCT


hyaluronic acid



A lady I got to know on a Hungarian forum for women mixes her own blend of hyaluronic acid and vitamin B5 (ala Skinceuticals Hydrating B5 Gel), and she was kind enough to share this miracle product of hers with me.

The results are immediate and simply amazing. Approaching 26 I still have no reason to worry about wrinkles (especially because worrying leads to more wrinkles ;-), but I do have some fine lines under my eyes, next to my lips and on my forehead. They're only visible when I smile or frown, but this product makes them almost invisible in all situations.

My Mum also loves this gel and, unlike me, she has quite a few wrinkles to get rid of, one the one hand because she's 64 and on the other because she'd been neglecting her skin all her life. This is the only product she's been religiously using ever since I introduced her to it, and that says a lot about this gel. She only uses things that really work and give instant, visible results, and boy does this gel deliver...

We also have a wrinkle correcting serum made by Clinians and we've both been seeing the same great results from that one, indicating the effectiveness of hyaluronic acid.



FAVORITE PERFUME OF 2008

Yves Rocher - Neonatura Cocoon EdP






In this cold and dismal weather my Neonatura Cocoon EdP is a real godsend and though it doesn't smell better than it did in summer (nothing beats warm skin), it sure is even more comforting and pleasant.









This concludes my list of favorites in 2008, but the fun is by far not over. Head over to these beautiful ladies who each have their own favorites to show you:


Beautiful Makeup Search

Beauty 411

Beauty Talk

Beauty Tyrant

'*:.blu3.:*'

For The Love of Beauty

Grayburn

Life Of A Ladybug

lily loves mac

Make Do Style

Miss Whoever You Are

Perfume Shrine

Platinum Blonde Life

Searching the Inner Me

Slap Of The Day

The Beauty Alchemist

The non-blonde

Urbane Girl  

This entry was posted on Saturday, January 10, 2009 and is filed under , , , , , , , , , , . You can leave a response and follow any responses to this entry through the Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom) .

11 megjegyzés

Oh dear friend, what a great list of favorites this is! I have never tried 'best friends' but the way you have done the swatches is so convincing that I'm running out (or rather going to their site) to get a sample of this! It's cool to see SN lipglosses here as well and the pure luxe eraser (although not the powder). I so wish I can find that cleanser here because it sounds like the exact right thing I would love too. I have used Diacneal and love it for my zits (i'm ok with silicon) because it flattens them. I just bought a baggie of powdered hyaluronic acid which I will try to mix into a serum myself some time.

Wow this is amazing! Great job and thanks so much for sharing all this with us!

xo Grayburn

WoW Izar my friend, what a great post.
I say like dear Grayburn said the way you talk about things one feels like "I want to try this" ;)

Have a lovely weekend
Lots of love
xoxo

Hey Grayburn!

Well, you've definitely convinced me to try SN's lippies in your post, so I guess we're even now. ;-)

Diacneal did have the same "flattening" effect on my skin for a while; in fact, nothing has ever diminished my acne as fast as Diacneal did, but then the silicone kicked in and brought the familiar little zits which are always a sign telling me I'm using something I should be...

Oooh, powdered hyaluronic acid! I just know you'll love the results it'll give you! Make sure to tell us about it, 'kay?

About the Clinians gel: try to look for it in pharmacies. Their products are sold only there in Hungary.

And thank you for making coming up with this great idea and watching over it!

Love and xoxo,
Izar

Hi there Seeker!

Maybe I should look into marketing and sales as a future career option. :-D

I hope you'll decide and manage to try some of these as they're all exceptional products in their categories.

You have a great weekend too!
Love,
Izar

Oh I'm so glad you mentioned Pure Luxe - their products really are fantastic! I'm going home tonight to pull out my little jars of pigment for a fun look tomorrow - thanks so much. And their Eraser really is a nice primer - have to find that in my drawer as well.

What a fun list of favorites. It was a blast participating with everyone and I'm loving reading all the lists. Have a wonderful year, Izar!

xo,
Roxy

Hey Roxy!

Anytime girl, I tend to get the same kind of inspiration from other blogs from time to time.

Off I go now to take a look at your list. :-)

xoxo
Izar

Hi Izar,

Wow, I'm so glad to have found your blog through this fun list. I love your list. Everyday Minerals is definitely on my list of lemmings. Would love to try it :)

Hey Izar!
I was soooo curious about that 'on the 10th' thing, I was blocked from computers for 2,5 days!
Great selection! To be honest, I totally agree with You, except the EM blushes :)

Hi Beauty Tryant!

Hmm, maybe we should do a lemmings list next. You know, looking ahead, focusing on the things we want to try in 2009. :-)
Seriously though, thanks for dropping by and talking to me. I just love that! Oh, and you should def. try EDM products: some of their stuff is really good, though it never hurts to experiment with other brands as well. :)

Drop by again any time!

xoxo

Hey Bagaela!

Yikes, no comp for 2.5 days??? That would kill me... :-D

No wonder you like my list: it was you who inspired me to try many of the things on it. (Except the EM blushes. ;-)))

xoxo

Hey Izar

I'm so glad to have found your blog and you're incredibly nice to chat with :)

I've addded you in my blog list.

We should chat soon :)

Beauty Tyrant:

Yay! Thank you! You're so sweet! ^_^

Talk to you soon! :)

Nice blog, I have been wondering what others have done with this template. If you get a chance check out mine!

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