Loves and Letdowns 2015

I have collected some of my favorite beauty products from this year and some of not so favorites to bring you my Top 10 Loves and Letdowns of 2015.

I only included products I have actually received and tried within the last year. There were a lot more that could have been included in each category but they either were purchased/received in 2014 or didn't quite make my top 10.

Lets start with my letdowns just to get them out of the way.

I already know I'm going to catch a lot of flack for this list. In no particular order:

Benefit POREfressional face primer retail: $31. I really don't have any issues with this primer. It's soft, nice, and does exactly what it says it will. It made this list, however, because I think it's over hyped. When compared to other primers of the same teir it's nothing special. I get the exact same results with pretty much any primer around the same price.

Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush retail: $21. I don't know if it's my complexion or just the weird shade of this product but it just did not sit well on me. I find it too rosey and light as a bronzer yet too dark as a blush. 

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer retail: $13.99. As you can see this is half gone. That's because when I first got it I loved it and used it all the time. This was before discovering some of the higher end primers. Now as far as drugstore products go this is one of the better ones but it just doesn't compare to the higher end options out there. It also has one major flaw that I just can't get past. When rubbing this stuff in it tends to sort of build up and pill in certain places. especialy if your skin is even a little dry. If I do use this primer I end up having to go over it gently with a brush just to get off all the little flecks that have accumulated.

Cynthia Rowley Beauty Cream Lip Stain retail: $23. You know that Friends episode where Phoebe eats salt water taffy for the first time? "What the crap is up with this stuff?" is also my exact sentiment towards these lip "stains" They're super thick and glossy which would be great if they were marketed as a gloss but they're not. The colors are also an odd choice for the formula because they are really thin and transparent. some brighter shades of red or corals may have been a better choice and come across much prettier however the purple and pale pink shades look awkward and see through. This stuff never really dries either so your left with a sticky mess.

Make Face Gloss retail: $25. This is a very strange product. It's a gloss, for your face? I like the concept but the delivery falls flat. This product stays sticky, catches your hair, and clumps your makeup. 

Too Faced Lash Injection Mascara retail: $21. I am a huge fan of Too Faced and in my most recent order from them they included a free mascara. I was so excited to try this but it ended up in my NO pile after one use. Two words for you: Spider Lashes. The formula seems really great so maybe with a different brush I'd like it more.

Ulta Bronzer/Highlighter Duo retail: $10. I can't actually even find this on the website anymore. It came in a big box set or products I ordered a while ago and was the only product included I didn't love. It's probably my skin tone but I don't actually feel like I see it do much of anything when I apply it. It's also almost as if the bronzer and highlighter are too similar in color. If it wasn't for the slight shimmer I may have difficulty knowing which was which.

LOC Vibrant Matte Lipstick retail: $8. This lipstick was a major let down for me. It was somehow streaky and cakey at the same time and the color just seems to get everywhere. Forget wearing your hair down or touching your face with this in. You can't really complain for the price I just expected better from a makeup site. Maybe the other shades aren't as bad but this one is a no-go.

Covergirl Star Wars Limited Edition Colorliscious Lipstick retail: $6.99. I was SO excited for these lipsticks but just could not find them for the longest time. When i finally did this was the only shade left. I really wanted the red or purple but was left with nude. Now I love a good nude but the added sparkle just doesn't work. It's basically see-through glitter for your lips.

Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer retail: $36. This is another primer that I just don't feel lives up to the hype. It's just as good as other primers of it's kind and I just didn't fall in love with it. That being said I do really want to try a few of the other options in this same line such as the color correcting or blemish control. This is a great primer fro the price but so are a lot of other primers.

Now for my most loved products of 2015 in no particular order:

Borghese Fango Purificante Clay Cleanser retail: $30. I was a little put off with this stuff at first because it has a very thin texture and odd smell. it seemed more like a shampoo than a face wash. However upon using it I was hooked. I have combination/oily skin and it's hard to find a cleanser that makes my face feel clean without drying me out but this stuff hit the mark. Also bonus points that even though the smell is pleasant it doesn't hang around after you've rinsed. I don't like to be able to smell my face all day.

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Lipstick retail: $24. I was never a huge fan of the other Stila lip products but this stuff has totally won me over. It's slightly difficult to get used to at first but once you do it is so worth it. It really stays put and in fact is even a little hard to remove and is so vibrantly pigmented. In fact I just ordered a few more colors!

Urban Decay Original Eye Shadow Primer retail: $20. I am a huge Urban Decay fan. It was actually really hard to pick which of their products I was going to include in this list but the eye shadow primer won out. They have tons of different kinds for all your eye needs and it just works so well! As someone with hooded eyes I always always get creasing almost as soon as the eye shadow is on my eyes. I also have very oily skin and that also applies to my eyelids. With this primer my eye shadow does.not.move. Even after many hours or even on a hot day.

The Beauty Crop Lighting Crew Highlighting Cream retail: $18. I am a huge fan of the new strobing trend that just focuses on highlighting rather than having to worry about my contour as well. This is my go to highlighting product. It goes on so nicely and just look amazing on the face without being too harsh or bright.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara retail: $12. I am so in love with this mascara! I know a lot of people don't like the plastic brushes but they are honestly all I use. This mascara lifts and separates my lashes with no clump and they've never looked longer!

Tokyo Milk Honey and The Moon Perfume retail:$30. I have been a long time fan of Tokyo Milks scents ecer since I discovered them in a little shop in Ft. Collins in CO. I lusted after these perfumes for years and either couldn't find them or couldn't afford them. When we moved to WV I was so pleased when a found a shop here that carries it. Honey and The Moon is my current go to but I really enjoy everything they make.

The Original Beauty Blender retail: $20. I have been using a knockoff Ulta blender sponge for almost a year when I finally got my hands on an original Beauty Blender and let me tell you the difference is night and day. Don't get me wrong my old one was great and definitely better than using your hands but you just can't beat how smoothly this blends your foundation. It also takes so much less product to get perfect coverage.

Model Co Ultra Long-Lasting Lipstick retail: $17. I genuinely like this lipstick. It doesn't do anything fancy but the colors are gorgeous and the shade Kitty compliments my skin really well. This is my go to, every day, keep in my purse lipstick.

Too Faced Full Bloom Cheek and Lip Color retail: $21. I use this exclusively as a cream blush. It's soft, highly pigmented, and only takes a little bit to get great coverage. It also starts wet and seems to turn to powder while blending. I love it's staying power and I hardly ever use powdered blush any more.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Eye Shadow Palette retail: $54. Absolute favorite number one purchase this year. I have quite a bit of eye shadow but I would say 80% of the time this is what I reach for. the selection of colors are amazing, it's highly pigmented, and it applies really well. One problem I always run into with eye shadow is either the color being too thin and taking a lot of product to look nice or it flaking down onto my cheeks. None of these problems arise when using the Naked Palette.

Do you agree with my list? Let me now what products you loved and which let you down in the comments!