Well, folks, here we are. My last Five Faves for the year. And I won’t lie, I actually had a hard time thinking of what products I wanted to talk about for this post. The end of year posts are always tough like that. Especially because a few of these are shoe-in’s for my Best In Beauty post (coming January 2023). And I hate the idea of repeating myself so soon. Having said that, I did eventually decide on five products that were genuine stand outs during the last few months. And if they wind up being spoilers, well, I am nothing if not predictable. Let’s get into Spring!
RARE BEAUTY SOFT PINCH LIQUID BLUSH in ENCOURAGE – $34.00
I have been on a journey with this blush. I bought it while it was going viral on TikTok (because duh). But didn’t touch it for months because I was so intimidated by it. You see, I actually hated liquid blushes for the longest time because it was just too easy to enter clown makeup territory with them. But after a few tutorials and a change of technique, I fully got on board with this and I wear it all the time. I have two pro tips with this formula. Firstly, one dot of product on each cheek. Second, use a beauty sponge to blend rather than a brush or your fingers. For me, it made all of the difference in the world. And now, to buying more shades!
CHARLOTTE TILBURY LUXURY PALETTE in PILLOW TALK DREAMS – $80.00
Work has been super hectic at the moment. And for that reason, I’ve been sticking to more basic, one shadow lid looks for my eyes just to save time doing my makeup in the morning. For those occasions, this is the palette that I’ve been turning to. It’s just so simple to use. If I want to do an all matte look, I use the lighter shade all over the lid and blend up. If I want a little sparkle, I slap either one of those two shimmers on. The formula of these is just divine. They blend so easily and they wear fantastically throughout the day. If you have your eye on this quad, I can’t recommend it enough.
HOLIFROG KOSI MULTI ACID MASK – $87.00
Every now and again, I stumble across a skincare product that I fall in love with. And that leaves me asking a very hard question. Do I want to gatekeep this? Obviously, no. I love sharing my favourites with you. And this mask is a definite favourite. I’ve actually been using this mask as part of my Sunday night skincare routine for the past few months. It has a ton of amazing acids in the mix. And it leaves your skin feeling so silky smooth and soft.
EILISH BY BILLIE EILISH EDP – $68.00
Yeah, you already knew this was going to be here. I have smashed through so much of this bottle since I got it (will definitely be buying the 100ml when this runs out). It just smells divine. Easily one of the best celebrity fragrances that I’ve come across. And I eagerly await the sequel next year.
RIMMEL WONDER’VOLUME THRILL SEEKER MASCARA – $23.95
Ok, tell a lie. This might be the most obvious favourite of the season. In my defense, it usually doesn’t take me almost 11 months to find a great mascara. So when I did find a great one, of course I’m going to shout it from the roof tops! In all seriousness, if you still haven’t grabbed this yet, you have to. It lifts and volumises your lashes with ease and it wears all day without flaking or transferring.
Well, that’s a wrap on all things beauty. Now, a few other faves!
INTERVIEW WITH A VAMPIRE (AMC+) – A lot of really strong TV came out over the last few months. But I wanted to shout out a show that I felt like slipped under the radar here. That being Interview With A Vampire. Whose 7 episode first season just wrapped a few weeks back. A more modern retelling of Anne Rice’s 1976 novel, the series stars Jacob Anderson as Louis Du Pont Du Lac, and goes through his life story as a black man in 1910’s New Orleans. With him eventually meeting (and being turned into a vampire by) the charming and cruel Lestat De Lioncourt (Sam Reid). Even if you’re familiar with the story or a fan of the 1994 movie, I still highly recommend you watch this. Outside of it being absolutely beautiful, the changes they have made, I feel, are necessary and add way more layers to the show. It was renewed for season 2 a few months back. Which I am so excited for. Probably one of the best new shows of the year.
BARBARIAN – Two things you should know about me. 1) I am a massive horror fan and I’ll always support new horror releases. 2) I am also a massive troll. So when I tell you that this movie scared the hell out of me, I mean it with my whole chest. I cannot recommend this movie enough, easily the best outright horror movie I’ve seen this year. And if this is even a little bit your bag, you need to see it immediately. I only ask one thing. Go in blind. Don’t watch any trailers. Don’t read a synopsis, nothing. The experience is so much better that way.
MIDNIGHTS (Taylor Swift) – Miss Swift, you’ve done it again. It’s almost a shame that Spotify Wrapped cuts off around Halloween. Because this has been my most played album for the last month. Standout songs for me are Maroon, You’re On Your Own, Kid, Bejeweled, and Would’ve, Could’ve, Should’ve (John Mayer better stay in that bunker for all of 2023).
And that is a complete wrap on my Springtime Favourites! What products were your go to’s over the last few months? Let me know in the comments.
Cheers and love
Emily xo