2011 FAVORITES!

Hi everyone! I know it's already January of 2012 right now but I just want to share with you my favorites for the whole year of 2011! Three days ago we welcomed another year so, before anything else, I just want to wish you all a very prosperous and AWESOME year. :)

I was actually supposed to post this alongside with my Top 10 (which is technically TOP 11 because I lost count of the products I featured in the video) Favorites video before 2011 ends but I ran out of time to post here in my blog and upload a video in my YT channel that's why I'm just doing this now. 

I have tried a lot of products this year and I experimented a lot with a lot of products because 2011 was my first year of being an official makeup artist, blogging and making videos. In short, it was my first year to enter the beauty and makeup industry. The products that I'm going to share with you are definitely the ones that made it to my Holy Grail list!

Let's start with the HAIR CARE PRODUCTS:

1. Shine Moist Keratin Treatment  - This is definitely one of the best hair care products I have ever used! With just one use you can already see and touch the difference! LOL! For a more thorough review about this product, please click HERE.

2. Pantene Pro-V Nature Care Leave on Creme - This product never leaves my bag. It's the perfect lotion or moisturizer for you hair. You can apply this for both towel-dried or dry hair. Pantene Nature Care Leave On Creme tames your hair. When you're having a bad hair day, just apply 1 to 2 pumps of this product and you're good to go. It just keeps your hair into place.

3. Human Nature Strengthening Conditioner Gugo and Calamansi Peppermint Scent - Actually, the main reason why I bought this is because it has a peppermint scent and I love mints! The main reason why I wanted to try this product out is that it is 100% no harmful chemicals so that's really good for your hair. It really leaves my hair feeling soft and smooth and it's very refreshing because of the cooling sensation.

SKIN CARE PRODUCTS:

1. St. Ives Body Polish Mineral Therapy - This is the perfect moisturizer and exfoliant for your body! It's very light, very therapeutic, and very moisturizing! Click HERE to know more about this product. :)

2. Kojie San Kojic Acid Soap - Like what I always say, this is my favorite soap of all time. It just does wonders on my skin! It really brightens and evens out my complexion, plus, it's very affordable!

3. Garnier Light Milky Lightening Dew - I love this because the texture is very light and it does not give you that dry feeling after using it. On hot days, I just use this sometimes and skip moisturizer because I feel like it already moisturizes my skin.

4. Eskinol Oil Control Derma Clear - C Facial Cleanser Pimple Fighting - This facial cleanser/toner is just awesome because it's cheap but the quality is unbelievable. It is also very convenient to use especially when you're too lazy to wash your face (sometimes I feel that way). You can just apply this to cleanse your face and at the same time, you're also toning your skin. And it also really controls oil and treats pimples.

5. Garnier Light Moisturizing Cream  - This is the moisturizer that I first fell in love with! It's just very light and moisturizing. It even helps brighten up your face after an appropriate amount of time of using it. The smell is also very nice. The only thing that I hate about this one is that it can leave a white cast on your face that's why I only use this when I know I am not leaving the house.

6. Celeteque Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15 - This is my favorite moisturizer ever! It's very hydrating and it is easily absorbed by the skin so it dries quickly. You can also immediately feel the moisturizing effect. I'm going to write an official review about this moisturizer, soon.

7. L'Oreal Hydrafresh All-Day Hydrating and Mattifying Icy Gel  - I love that it's hydrating and at the same time it also has a matte finish. I don't know how it does that but I'm just really amazed with this product. It's also refreshing because it has a cooling sensation which I super love!

8. Human Nature Moisturizing Night Cream - I'm really loving this moisturizing night cream because it's very light on your skin yet it really moisturizes my skin overnight. I apply this before I sleep and when I wake up the next day, my face feels so smooth, soft and it's like I have this glow on my skin. The only thing that I don't like is that it's a bit greasy but it's okay because it will eventually dry out. Thorough overview soon!

Now, on to MAKEUP RELATED STUFF!

MAKEUP REMOVERS:

1. L'Oreal Gentle Lip and Eye Makeup Remover - This is by far the best eye makeup remover I have ever used! This does not sting my eyes, not even a bit. It thoroughly cleans out the eye and lips makeup with just two swipes. I have tried other Lip and Eye makeup removers but nothing compares to this one. I have even tried using Etude House's and Maybelline's but they can still sting my eyes sometimes even just a wee bit, but this one? NADA!

2. Pure Beauty Perfect Cleansing Water - I love this product because I can not just use this as a makeup remover for my face but I can also use this to remove the excess makeup from my makeup brushes. Whenever I clean my makeup brushes, the first step is to soak the brushes into a bowl filled with this Perfect Cleansing Water and sometimes, I don't even have to wash some of my brushes (especially the small synthetic ones) because this really cleans out the brushes. I only have to rinse with water!

MAKEUP BRUSHES:

1. Marionnaud N32 Blush Brush - This is my most favorite makeup brush as of the moment because it's very versatile. It's like an all-over brush for me. You can use this for foundation, powder, blush, contouring, and highlighting! The bristles are also very skin-friendly.

2. Marionnaud N9 Slanted Eyeliner and Eyebrows Double Side Brush - This is just the most convenient eyebrow brush ever!

3. Marionnaud N6 Eyeshadow Brush - This is great for packing on eyeshadows. I also use this to apply eyeshadows on my crease area and it works perfectly because it's a little densed.

4. Unbranded Orange Kabuki Brush - I wanted to slap myself for not figuring out the name of this brush and for not remembering the name of the store where I bought this! I got this from one of the stalls during the 5th Cosmetics Expo at Megatrade Hall last year. This kabuki brush only costs PHP 150.00 but the quality is heaven. It's very, very soft ! The hairs do not shed a lot like the other cheap brushes I've tried when washing.

5. Landmark Brushes - I am not going to list anymore one by one the Landmark brushes that I have because they are all amazing. They are very affordable and they are all so soft the applications are just perfect. I also bought a kabuki brush from Landmark and the quality is just the same with my unbranded orange kabuki brush.

6. Art Brush Set from National Bookstore - I bought this Art Makeup Brush set from National Bookstore to use for my Halloween makeup look which is the Wounded Shewolf. Now, I use these brushes for cream-based cosmetics (cream foundations, concealers, cream eyeshadows, lipsticks, etc.) and they are perfect because they are synthetic and synthetic are great for cream-based cosmetics. I got this set for around PHP80.00 only and I didn't think that the quality will be this awesome.

FACE:

1. San San Matte Finish Liquid Foundation - This is the best cheap and affordable foundation I know. It's only PHP130.00 but the coverage is heaven! The only downside to this is that they don't have a lot of shades to choose from. Check out my product review HERE.

2. Revlon ColorStay Foundation  - This is one of my favorite foundations because the quality is satisfying. The coverage is flawless and it really stays on for long hours, I mean, the color really stays! :-) Another great thing is that Revlon offers a huge variety of shades to choose from so that's a very good factor.

3. San San Concealer  - This is one of San San's best product besides the matte foundation. This concealer really covers the imperfections on my face and you can even use this as a cream foundation because it can give you light-to-medium coverage.

4. L.A. Girls Pro.Conceal HD.High-Definition Concealer - I'm so glad to have found this amaaazing concealer. It's only PHP299.00 but the quality is really high-def! The coverage is flawless and it stays on for long hours as well.

5. Fanny Serrano Two Way Cakes - I can say that these are my favorite powders of all time. The coverage is satisfying and they offer a wide range of shades. You can even use this without applying foundation on your face. Check my review HERE.

6. Maybelline All-in-One Clear Smooth Shine-Free Cake Powder - I love this because it's non-comedogenic and the coverage is flawless. It can even conceal some of the minor imperfections on your face and the staying power is awesome.

EYES:

1. E.L.F. Eyelid Primer - I love this eye primer because it's affordable and it really makes your eyeshadow stay on for long hours. I have tried two other affordable primers and this one is the best.

2. In2It Waterproof Gel Liner - This is the first gel liner in pencil form that I have ever seen. This is really my go-to eyeliner because the color is very rich and it's really waterproof and smudge-proof.

3. E.L.F. Beauty School 32 Pieces Eyeshadows - The colors are just so pretty and they're very pigmented. This palette is a mix of satin, matte, frosted, and shimmery eyeshadows.

4. Maybelline Mascaras  - These are my favorite and best-tried mascaras ever! They're waterproof, stays on for long hours, yet affordable!

5. NYX Single Eyeshadow in Black - This is the best black eyeshadow for me because the color is very rich and pigmented.

CHEEKS:

1. NYX Rouge Cream Blushes  - These NYX cream blushes are just too addictive, I don't know why! I already have 10 shades and I only have two more shades to collect. I love these cream blushes because they are very pigmented and one pan will surely last you for a long time because a little goes a long way. The color also stay on for long hours on your cheeks and some of the shades (natural, orange, boho chic, etc.) gives you this natural glow on your face.

2. E.L.F. Duo Contouring Blush and Bronzing Powder - I love the fact that you get to have a blush and a bronzer in one palette because it's convenient to use, especially for travelling. The blush is my favorite because it gives my face that subtle glow.

3. Ellana Minerals Lip/Cheek Dots Diva Copper Bronze - It's funny how I got this because of my carelessness yet it turned out to be one of my favorites! This just gives me that natural glow on my face. I use this everyday. It has a matte finish so no need to set it with anything and it also stays on for long hours. A little goes a long way, too, so this tiny pot will last me for a few more months.

LIPS:

1. Myra-E Lip Balm VitaMoisturizer - This lip balm is very moisturizing. In fact, it's even better than the other more expensive lip balms.

2. Maybelline Baby Lips in Revitalizing Menthol - I love this because it's moisturizing and it's MINT!

3. NYX Slim Lip Pencils - This is by far, my most favorite collections ever. I now have 40 shades of these slim lip pencils from NYX and I still have 20 more to collect because NYX has a total of 60 shades of these adorable lip pencils! They're very pigmented and there is a humongous variety of shades to choose from and the best part is that they are very cheap!

4. NYX Matte Lipsticks - I love these matte lipsticks because there are also a lot of shades to choose from, very pigmented and even though they're matte, they are not dry on the lips. They are actually a bit moist. Swatches HERE.

5. Styli-Style Flat Lip Pencil in Marbella - This is my go-to deep red lip product because the color is super rich and the staying power is unbelievable. This stayed on my lips for 16 straight hours without retouching or re-applying it.

6. Maybelline Color Sensational in Summer Sunset - I just love the color of this lipstick. I love wearing red lipstick and this is by far the best red satin lipstick for me because the color is super pigmented and vibrant. It's also a bit moisturizing. :)

7. NYX Soft Matte Lip Cream in Antwerp - I've just started using this last December 2011 but it's already one of my favorites because it looks naturally beautiful on my lips once it dries.

So, like what I've said above, I did a top 10 video in my YT channel because if I will feature all of my 2011 favorites in a video, it will probably take me half an hour to finish! :-D It's just that after filming the video, I noticed that I featured 11 products instead of only 10 products! So, technically, the video should be named Top 11 Favorites and not Top 10 Favorites! LOL! I totally lost count of the products and I apologize for that. Anyway, here is the complete list in random order:

1. Shine Moist Keratin Treatment

2. Kojie San Kojic Acid Soap

3. St.Ives Body Polish Mineral Therapy

4. Celeteque Facial Moisturizer with SPF 15

5. Marionnaud N32 Blush Brush

6. San San Matte Finish Liquid Foundation

7. L.A. Girls Pro.Conceal HD.High-Definition Concealer

8. Fanny Serrano Two Way Cakes

9. Maybelline Mascaras

10. NYX Rouge Cream Blushes

11. NYX Slim Lip Pencils

And here is the video:

WHOO! I cannot believe I'm finally done! This is one of the longest blog post I have ever written! LOL!

So, these are my 2011 Favorites! I hope you enjoyed reading and watching my top 10 video. If you have any questions for me you can just leave a comment here. :)

Until my next post!

Stay awesome my dear dudettes! :)

-ivsc-