TOP 5 OF 2014 - Lip Products
It didn't occur to me until I actually swatched these products that, for me, it was the year of the nude lip, but it really was. Pretty much ever since high school, I've been a vampy lip kind of girl. I've always found that with my natural dark hair, fair skin, and dark blue/green eyes that deep red or burgundy shades on my lips are very striking. However, in 2014 it was all about nude lipsticks that I could apply with no fuss on the go. Now, I will say that I definitely had a streak of loving purple lipsticks this year, but when it came to selecting my Top 5 none of them quite snuck in there and made the cut.
So, with that nude theme disclaimer out of the way, keep reading to check out my Top 5 favorite lip products of 2014...
1. NIVEA Lip Balm various (Acai & Wild Apple Lip Smoothie shown)
Choosing a favorite lip balm was actually really hard for me this year, but the NIVEA lip balms have really stood out for me over the last year. These are definitely not the kinds of lip balms that I would use if I was having real struggles with dry, chapped lips but are actually more of the kind of maintenance balms that I like to use when my lips are healthy. They have just enough moisture to keep my lips feeling soft and lush without being too heavy or having too much slip. I don't even really know how to describe why I exactly feel the way I do about these lip balms, but I always seem to come back to them.
I do have an honorable mention as far as lip balm is concerned and that's the EOS Visibly Soft Lip Balm in Coconut Milk. That one has also been through the trenches with me ever since it came out in 2014.
2. BITE Beauty Luminous Creme Lipstick in Retsina (Review)
When I was thinking about doing a post that had one favorite for each category, this was the real standout when it came to lipstick. Anyone who has been reading this blog for any period of time knows about my obsession with BITE Beauty lip products and this one is probably the biggest winner for me. It's a perfect nude with a creamy, smooth texture that wears easily and comfortably. I love that BITE uses natural, food grade ingredients in their products. I love the packaging. I love the way this shade works with my skintone. I seriously love everything about this product and can't sing it's praises enough. If someone asked me for a lipstick recommendation, this range would be the one I would suggest, and this shade would get glowing reviews in any conversation about nude lipsticks. Seriously. This is incredible.
3. e.l.f. Studio Matte Lip Color in Natural (Review)
As you'll see from the swatches below, shadewise this is very similar to the BITE Retsina lipstick. It might be the slightest touch darker, but it's pretty much bang on, so it's really no surprise that this ranks high for me as well. It can be really difficult to find a matte nude lipstick that doesn't read at least a little bit like concealer, but this one doesn't at all. It has just enough mauvey pink undertones to it that it doesn't dead out my lips at all. Matte lipsticks are very on trend at the moment, but they're also very much in my wheelhouse as far as my style is concerned and I had actually been looking for a matte nude that would be just Goldilocks right for some time. Search ended here. I love this lipstick. It smells and tastes amazing, it applies really smoothly and easily, and it wears really comfortably. At $4 in Canada, you really can't go wrong picking this up.
4. NYX Butter Gloss in Creme Brulee
Again, if you've read this blog for any period of time, you had to know this was going to be on here. I love this lip gloss in a way that I love almost no other lip glosses. This particular shade is creamy and natural and the formula is smooth and easy to wear without any stickiness. I'm seriously not going to get long winded with this. Here's what I will say - I don't normally like lip gloss, but I like this one. Sold!
5. BITE Beauty High Pigment Lip Pencil in Sable (Review)
Before I picked up this set, I'd only tried one of the Bite High Pigment Lip Pencils... and it was insanely amazing. I don't know why it took me so long to pick up more, but the set that included this chubby lippy was an absolute no brainer and I had to have it. This is the clear winner for me from that set, again because I've been so drawn to really easily wearable neutrals lately. This one is a little bit darker than the other nudes on this list and, I would say, has a little bit more pink to it, but it has a very similar effect on the lips. These pencils are insane, you guys. The pigment is incredible, the texture is creamy and smooth, which makes application a dream. I haven't found this particular shade to be staining, but I do find that once the creamy shine fades there is still colour left on my lips. I have a feeling I'll be picking up more of these High Pigment Lip Pencils in 2015, but I'm not sure any other shade will beat this one for me. At least not until this nude lips obsession fades.
I'm amused with myself when I look at these swatches and see the very clear trend that I've stuck pretty close to this year. Once they were all swiped onto my arm, I considered throwing a curve ball in there somewhere, but I figured that I needed to be honest about my favorite and most used products this year.
Come back tomorrow for a look at my Top 5 Brushes of 2014!
What were your favorite lip products for 2014?
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