Best of 2010 - Highlighters

Any reader of my blog knows I've been all about the glow this year.  I have been on the quest to find that perfect 'oh my skin always looks like this' glow from within.  Part of that has been about skincare...yada yada.  But the more exciting part has been about highlighters!  Here is what I've tried this year, and I think we can all agree that if I'm not glowing by now, I might have a problem. 

Best of 2010 - Highlighters

From top left: Tarte Glam natural cheek stain; Tarte Smooth Operator illuminating serum; N.Y.C Color Wheel in Pink Cheek Glow & Translucent; NARS Orgasm Illuminator; Benefit It Was the Perfect Alibi eye & cheek highligher; Lorac Perfectly Lit in Spotlight; ELF All Over Color Stick in Persimmon; Benefit Hollywood Glo; Benefit High Beam; ELF Shimmering Facial Whip in Citrus, Toasted & Spotlight, NYX Jumbo Pencil in Cottage Cheese; Benefit Eye Bright; Sheer Cover Lip to Lid Highlighter in Pink & Bronze, Tarina Tarantino Sparkle Powder; MAC Mineralized Skin Finish in By Candlelight

Favourite Highlighter 2010

It's a tie (I couldn't help it!)

Lorac Perfectly Lit in Spotlight

I love this product and am so happy to have found it.  I wrote a full blog post you can read here, that will give you a more detailed review.  Suffice it to say...this gives you a gorgeous glow & is not too sparkly or over the top for use during the day.  Love all around.  The only one downside is the price, this retails for about $32CAD..but a little truly does go a long way.  

Next favourite

Hard Candy Bronzer in Tiki

Again any regular reader will also know my love for this product.  This is not a bronzer but gives a beautiful gold highlight that I think would suit most any skin tone. I did a full review on this as well, which you can read here.  Hard Candy is available at Wal-Mart & this retails for less than $10CAD...pretty hard to beat, you have to try it!

Honourable Mention

NARS Illuminator in Orgasm & ELF Shimmering Facial 

Whip in Toasted

These are surprisingly similar, although I will admit that the NARS has a better golden/bronze colour & is easier to blend than the ELF.  Given the price difference however ($30 vs $1) you will have to judge what will do the job for you.  I daub a little on my cheekbones, etc. with my finger & then just lightly rub in circular motions to blend.  If I am using powder foundation I apply these first & the result is really pretty.  These are also great on hot summer days, when I don't wear as much make-up but still want a little glow.  

Least Favourite

Tarina Tarantino Sparklicity Pure Sparkle Powder

This came in my Glitz & Glam kit that I bought in Florida.  Can anyone guess why I don't prefer this product?  I am a little beyond the age where this would be cute, the picture pretty much says it all for me.  I am thinking my 13 year old niece might like to wear this for her dance/cheer competitions.  Otherwise, it's just not for me..way too much sparklicity for this girl. 

Any highlighters you swear by?  I would love to hear about them!  I thought this was going to be my last 'Best Of' post, but I have o.n.e. more coming...stay tuned.

Beauty bargains - My top ten E.L.F. cosmetics part 2

Continuing on with my previous post (see part one here), here are the final five products in my top 10 E.L.F. list.  All product photos are once again taken from their website but are all products that I own. 

6)    Studio Blush $3.00

I have Tickled Pink and Candid Coral, both have great pigmentation so you don’t need much product to get a great result. Tickled pink is a nice flattering pink and close to what you’d imagine a color with this name to be.  Candid Coral is less coral than I thought & has quite a bit of pink in it but still lovely. Both have a slight shimmer but nothing overwhelming. The packaging of these blushes is so great, little window on top to see the color inside as well as a helpful little mirror inside.  Great little blushes. 

7)    Essentials Shimmering Facial Whip $1.00

I have Toasted – a brownish taupe color, Pink lemonade – a glossy pearly pink and Spotlight – a pearly white hue.  Comes in small easy to use tubes.  I use my fingers to blend these on the tops of my cheekbones or wherever you want a nice highlight. A little goes a long way so go easy.  I like to use the spotlight under my foundation for a nice glow.  Pink lemonade won a 2008 Allure best of beauty award but for my $1, Toasted is my favorite. 

8)    Essential Eye Shadow Brush $1.00

I can’t say enough great things about this eye shadow brush and how much I love to use it.  It is soft and just dense enough, packs on powder really well and I find myself reaching for it every day.  I need to get at least two more ‘just in case’ brushes.  You will love it, don’t hesitate to get it.

9)    Bath & Body body lotion in Vanilla Coconut $4.00

This lotion smells beyond amazing.  If you are into vanilla or coconut, or both, you must try this.  The lotion itself is quite thick but not so much that it doesn’t absorb well.  I love how my skin feels after I put it on and I love how I smell even more.  The smell doesn’t last forever but that just gives me a good excuse to re-apply.  I usually get tired of a lotion half way thru the bottle but not this one.  I’m almost done my first tube & have already bought a second.  If you want soft skin that smells great, try this.

10)    Studio Bronzers $3.00

What can I say, I love this bronzer.  I have the Golden, which is a shimmery blend of champagne, golden & bronze shades.  The shimmer is there but it’s not over the top, and happily it does not appear glittery on your face.  It is perfect to use as a highlight when swirled together or you can experiment with using each color on their own.  Fun to play with & gorgeous results. I plan on getting the other two color combinations & am really interested to try the cool bronzer, which is matte.  You can’t go wrong with this. 

  Given the prices it might be something you want to check out for Christmas gifts (yes it’s getting to be that time).  These would make great stocking stuffers or even a present for yourself.  For those new to their site, they always have some sort of sale or promotion ongoing, or you can google ELF coupon codes to find a deal. 

There are many other products I plan to try so you may not see your favorite E.L.F. product on this list.  The one downside with this company is their shipping.  They tend to be slow (at least 2 weeks to receive an order) and their shipping costs are high.  Just something to keep in mind when ordering, as you may want to combine an order with a friend to keep it more affordable. 

I’d be curious to hear what your top E.L.F. choices are, so please feel free to share.