14 favorite beauty discoveries in 2014

2014 was an amazing year for the beauty industry and it was SO hard to narrow this list down. There were so many products that I discovered this past year, but these have been the most memorable.

1. Beauty Blender - There's nothing better for a lazy girl like me than a tool that I can use for my foundation, concealer, and highlighting pens all at once. This blends like a dream, but I'm also a big fan of the (much cheaper) Real Techniques version.
2. Tarte Lights Camera Splashes Mascara - While I originally liked this mascara, I came to the conclusion that I hated it and it was terrible a few days later. It was too runny, too wet, and got ALL OVER my face. A few weeks later, I picked it up again and the formula had dried out to the perfect consistency. Now it's a staple in my routine and I love it!
3. Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara - I was pretty underwhelmed by this mascara when I first tried it, since I've seen SO many people rave about it. Once again, I just had to wait a week or two for the formula to truly shine. My eyelashes look full, luscious, and loaded with volume when I wear this. It isn't the best at separating my lashes, but it's definitely my favorite high-end mascara at the moment. My favorite mascara ever continues to be Maybelline's The Falsies Volume Express!
4. Sephora Precision Brush Liquid Eyeliner - This eyeliner changed the entire game for me last year! The super precise brush tip made applying eyeliner a breeze and I love how matte and dark black it is.
5. L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadows - If you love shimmery, glittery looks for your eyes than you don't have to go farther than your nearest drugstore. These eyeshadows are more a pressed pigment than anything, but they apply beautifully with those seemlingly wasteful sponge-tip applicators that come with most drugstore eyeshadows. My absolute favorites are Iced Latte and Amber Rush!
6. LORAC MegaPro - My very first LORAC palette and boyyy did I choose a good one to start with. I love the colors, the pigmentation, and the longevity. This palette was extremely limited edition, as they didn't even restock it once it sold out almost immediately. I can do endless looks from this one palette and it was an investment worth spending.
7. Clarisonic Mia 2 - Ohhh my very pricey, very loved cleansing device. I made this splurge during Sephora's VIB Sale in November and I fell head over heels. This device changed my skin completely and it was worth every penny. I have problematic skin and I rarely get pimples now, my blackheads have gone down SO much, and unless my skin reacts to a new skincare product I don't break out at all anymore.
8. Coastal Scents Revealed Palettes - When I got the Revealed palette, I had recently bought the Naked palette. Needless to say, after a few days my Naked palette went right back to Sephora! These palettes are amazing dupes for the Naked, Naked 2, and Naked 3 palettes! When I bought it, they were $20 full price. I bought them at the same time, when the Revealed 2 came out to compete with the Naked 3. I paid the full price ($20) for the Revealed, and half price for the Revealed 2, so for a total of roughly $30, I saved about $120 worth of Naked palettes. I'm constantly reaching for both of my Revealed palettes on a daily basis.
9. Real Techniques Brushes - If you don't have their Expert Face Brush or their Stippling Brush, go to Ulta or Rite Aid, buy them, and fall in love. These brushes are better than words can say, and these are the only 2 foundation brushes I use.
10. Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Touch of Spice - Late into the year, but these lipsticks CHANGED THE DRUGSTORE MATTE GAME. Amazing. Literally amazing. So creamy, so smooth, so pigmented! They don't dry out your lips and they last so long on my lips. This specific color looks gorgeous on every person I've seen wearing it and I can't recommend it enough.
11. Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain - Another lip product I fell in love with in 2014 is definitely these moisture stains. With 2 coats you have a beautiful shine on such a smooth, comfortable lip stain. My lips don't feel dried out and they last a good chunk of time. My favorites are Shanghai Sizzle and Barcelona Nights.
12. Tarte Amazonian Colored Clay Tinted Brow Gel - For those days where you don't have much time to get ready, or you're going for a natural makeup day, this brow gel is LIFE. It tints my brows and keeps them in place but still looks as if I don't have anything on them. The brush is very thin and holds the perfect amount of product.
13. Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick - Go to store, swatch product, cry over price, buy it anyway, never regret a single thing. Seriously. I never thought I would buy one because of the price, but the VIB Sale made me feel a little better about it. Nectar is an absolutely STUNNING shade, and I love to use it as a blush/highlighter. It gives the most gorgeous glow and it never looks like too much.
14. NYC Sparkle Eye Dusts - A slightly messy product, but so, so beautiful. These apply really easily with the doe-foot applicator and they last all day on me. Since they are literally an eye DUST it can get a little messy, but never anything that can't be easily fixed.