2016 FAVORITES: Lip Products
I saved my lip product favorites for 2016 for last because... well, it was probably the one I really had to think about the most. Out of my entire collection, the number of lip products I own at this point is actually kind of insane and there are so many that I love, so I really had to do a lot of swatching and trying on (My poor lips!) to really get to a lot of these favorites. I also decided to go with formula on a few of them because I own and love multiple shades of my favorite lip product formulas.
Without further ado....
Lip balm is an absolute must for me all year, but particularly when the weather gets really intense in either direction. In the heat of summer and the dead of winter, I think lip balm is pretty much my savior and I've gotten really picky about the formulas that I use and love. This is definitely one category that I didn't have any trouble choosing favorites from, though, because these two are head and shoulders above everything else I own.
HIGH END: NUXE Rève de Miel Lip Balm
As you can see, my pot of this has mysteriously gone missing, but it normally lives on my nightstand and I apply it before bed to really treat my lips overnight. The thing I love about this lip balm is that it really hangs in and I wake up in the morning with product still on my lips and doing its job. When I really need some serious TLC, this is what I reach for, and with the weather getting cold I think I'm going to have to go out and pick up another jar of this because otherwise I'll go mad!
DRUGSTORE: NIVEA Essential Lip Balm
{REVIEW} Since my NUXE has gone missing, this is the lip balm that I've been falling back on and I love it nearly as much for overnight, but more so to either hydrate my lips in prep for another lip product or for on the go to really give my lips a hit of moisture throughout the day. This is a phenomenal lip balm and my absolute drugstore favorite of any lip balm that I've tried. It's not thick, but it really clings to the lips and deeply hydrates them for a good long time and does a great job of prepping for a lip product that might be a little bit drying. I think everyone needs a tube of this in their purse.
Lip oil was new to me this year, as I assume it was to a lot of other people, but it quickly got a place in my heart and I've been eagerly trying out different brands since then. The thing I love is that they work like a treatment but look like a gloss - without any stickiness on the lips that leads to me not having a lip gloss category in this year's favorites!
HIGH END: LANCOME Juicy Shaker
This was actually really close to my second high end choice, which was the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil, but this one won because I like the light texture of this one a little bit better even though it's quite a bit more sheer on the lips. I also really like the applicator of this, which is really soft and bouncy and pops the product onto my lips in such a pillowy fashion.
DRUGSTORE: Milani Moisture Lock Coconut Oil Infused Lip Treatment
This was one of my must purchase items when I was in the US over the summer, since I've yet to see it on shelves here in Canada, but I absolutely love it. This is the perfect product to just throw on your lips to give some serious shine and to help moisturize them at the same time. I also really, really love the coconut scent, so this was one product that I reached for a lot over the summer. I have to say, as well, that the gigantic applicator is also a bonus for me.
I have a LOT of lip liners and, I'll admit, I don't actually use them as often as I probably should. That said, the two products I chose as my favorites this year are the ones that I absolutely do reach for regularly and I didn't even really have to think about choosing them because it was just obvious in my mind.
HIGH END: Marc Jacobs Poutliner Long Wear Lip Pencil in Nude(ist)
{REVIEW} The first time I used this liner, I think I did a little bit of a dance because I just love it so much. This is a really creamy pencil, but it absolutely sets on the lips and seriously prolongs a lip look. Because it's Marc Jacobs, it's definitely spendy, but I think it's very much worth it because the formula is just that good and I think I'll even end up repurchasing this one when I get through this smaller size.
DRUGSTORE: essence Lip Liner in Satin Mauve
{REVIEW} Here's a story... I heard somewhere last year that they were discontinuing these lip liners, so I went to literally 5 different Shoppers Drug Mart stores to stock up on backups so that I wouldn't have to worry about running out. They weren't being discontinued, of course, and you can still get them now but I won't have to for quite some time. My favorite lip looks are mauve neutrals and this pencil is perfect to pair with all of them, but also to wear alone as a perfect matte lip shade. I can't say enough good things about both the formula and the shade of this pencil, so you should really just try it out!
The reason that lip crayons got their own category in this favorites post is very specifically because of how much I love both of these products. They're quite different, I must say, but I think I actually love them equally and I was only able to choose a favorite of two because of a shade that permanently lives in my purse.
HIGH END: BITE Beauty High Pigment Pencil
{REVIEW} The thing that I love about these is that they're so incredibly comfortable to wear while still really packing a lot of pigmentation on the lips. BITE is actually one of my favorite brands for lip products for that very reason, because they always deliver pretty much perfectly on formula, and these continue to be a favorite of mine. My favorite shade is probably Rhubarb, because it's neutral but has that hint of mauve that I think looks good with my skin tone, and is just overall really wearable.
DRUGSTORE: e.l.f. Matte Lip Color
{REVIEW} So why does this win my favorite of the two favorite lip crayons? The shade Neutral has been living in my purse for a couple of years now solidly and it's the lip product that I tend to default to when I'm not quite sure what I want to wear - or when I need to have a quick lip application at a red light. This formula is just gorgeous and really comfortable and creamy on the lips and I think it's honestly one of the best lip products in the drugstore by a wide margin.
Lipstick is one of my favorite things in the world and at any given time, I've been known to have about 15 lipsticks in my purse ready to be pulled out and applied for every occasion. Despite all of the brands and formulas of lipstick I have in my collection, this was another no brainer for me when I really sat down and thought about my absolute favorite lipstick formulas. Both of these are HUGE winners.
HIGH END: BITE Beauty Amuse Bouche Lipstick
{REVIEW} Admittedly, it's only been in the past couple of months that I've finally tried out the Amuse Bouche lipsticks, but I am so completely impressed with them that they quickly took my top spot. All of the shades that I've tried have been gorgeous and the formula is just so comfortable and long wearing and amazing that it blows most other lipsticks right out of the water. My favorite shade is absolutely Pepper, which has that little bit of depth and mauve that I like in a nude, and once I get through the mini I have no doubt that I'll be picking up a full size.
DRUGSTORE: Milani Color Statement Matte Lipsticks
{REVIEW} Until recently, I only had one shade from this line, but Matte Naked is another product that has been living in my purse and gets an absolute ton of wear. This is my favorite type of matte lipstick formula because it applies really creamy without any tugging and continually feels comfortable on the lips while really giving an actual matte look without any creamy shine. I find that these lipsticks wear really well on me and the formula feels quite consistent through all three of the shades that I now own. Clearly, I need more!
This is another category that I originally didn't account for, but when I was looking through my collection and was reminded of just how often I wear both of these, I knew that I had to include them. I actually only own one shade of each so far, but on both counts I want to remedy that and pick up more! I honestly couldn't choose a favorite between the two, so I think I'd have to try more shades to really pick a favorite.
HIGH END: Too Faced Melted Liquified Lipstick
{REVIEW} I had been wanting to try out this formula for quite a while, but I never pulled the trigger on picking one up because I just wanted sure they were worth it to me based on my taste and wanted to try a mini before I invested. These really are just as good as everyone says they are. The colour is really pigmented and it applies smoothly with full colour on the lips and wears surprisingly well for the formula.
DRUGSTORE: Maybelline Color Jolt Intense Lip Paint
{REVIEW} I think everyone went a little bit crazy when these were released. I know I did, anyway! I actually owned this before I owned the Too Faced one, because the drugstore price made it a little easier to pick up and try without knowing if this formula would win for me even though the size means it's not actually really a better value unless you prefer minis because you'll never use up a full size before it goes bad. Anyway, I love this formula and I tend to carry this one in my purse as well. Again, I'd need to try out more colours and see how I feel about it, but these are a really great drugstore addition to the lip category.
Oh matte liquid lipsticks... I feel like you're about to go out of style, but I will love you for a long time. I've tried A LOT of different matte liquid lipstick formulas and this was a hard category that I really had to think about, but in the end I know that these two are solid winners for me.
HIGH END: Smashbox Always On Liquid Lipstick
{REVIEW} These were RAVED about when they were first released and I was kind of dying to get my hands on one, so I was thrilled when I got my first one in a Sephora Favorites kit and I instantly kind of fell in love with the formula even if the shade wasn't exactly what I was hoping it would be. In the end, Bawse (the Lilly Singh collaboration) has pretty much taken over as my favorite red lip option since I picked it up and I know it's the one I'm going to be reaching for through all of my holiday parties and whatnot. This formula is just incredible. It hits the sweet spot between comfortable and long wearing in the most perfect way.
DRUGSTORE: Colorpop Ultra Satin Lips
Okay, so technically these aren't the transfer proof matte lips that people default to, but I actually think these are more matte than most other drugstore options I've tried. In fact, I think the only thing that makes these satin is the fact that they're not transfer proof. That said, I find the wear time on these to be fantastic and I decided the last time I wore Dopey that I need a red from this line because the formula is so great and (don't) need (but want) all of the red matte lipsticks. As you can see in the picture, the shade Magic Wand has taken a bit of a beating because it's been living in my purse for months. These are SO worth trying out at $6USD.
Annnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnd that is the end of my makeup favorites for 2016 and I think we ended on a bang! I've still got some more beauty favorites to come, so keep an eye out for those, and let me know in the comments what some of your favorite products were in 2016 because I've always got my eyes out for some new things to try!
Thanks for reading and, for those who celebrate, have a Merry Christmas with lots of delicious food and love!
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