I’ve gone back to the basics last year, and I do want exceptional basics. Sounds good? Read on for my makeup favourites of 2022 .
When it comes to makeup, I’m boring. Sure, I love the multichromes, the glitter cat eye, blush draping – everything. But then, I reach for my one-and-done stick eyeshadow and call it a day. In the end, skincare has become my one true love over the last year.
But that means when I do my makeup I want truly exceptional products that work well on my now middle-aged skin: no acerbating lines, no smudging, no drying out nor turning me into an oily mess. Here’re the products that work exceptionally well – in fact so much so I would buy them again immediately, no questions asked.
Makeup favorites of 2022:
Dior Lip Glow Oil
After my Lisa Eldridge lip gloss fail, this is the next best thing. Sure, it could impart some actual colour, but when it comes to a lip product that makes my lips juicy and glossy, nothing can beat this one. It lives either on my desk or in my handbag.
NYX concealer
This is a point against decluttering: after I tried many, many concealer duds at the beginning of 2022, instead of throwing them out I simply chucked them into a drawer. Congrats to me, that meant I didn’t have to rush out and buy them again after my go-to Maybelline Eraser started to oxidise more and more on my skin. Orange under-eyes?! So not cute. Out came NYX’s concealer I had slagged off in my original review, and wonder of wonders, it worked perfectly well. Lesson learned: skin changes all the time, and what worked well in Spring might not work in Summer.
Lethal e/s and highlighter
- Buy at Lethal Cosmetics (Germany) or Beauty Bay. Eyeshadows are from 6,50 to 17€, depending on finish. It’s generally cheaper if you buy them in a palette (their palette creator is lots of fun). The highlighters are between 18 and 20€.
Soooooooo. Lethal Cosmetics featured in my “worst” list last year, not because of their products, but their Customer Service. Still, I couldn’t help it: I was curious to try out their powder eyeshadows and face products, and both were in heavy rotation ever since. Their highlighter formula is stunning and just right for me – not so much over the top that you can see it from space, but then, not boring either.
Their powder eyeshadows – again, just right: buildable, blendable, easy. My little pastel palette filled my cravings for pastels in Spring and Summer. I also like the multichrome powder eyeshadow. Call their formulas – sophisticated. (Meaning, they work well on older skin.)
Makeup merch: Makeup Revolution Sponge and Holder
- Limited edition, discontinued
Definitely not one of the basics… Makeup as merch was a big thing in 2022. Brands cooperated with everything under the sun from Disney to ketchup and cereal brands, and people loved it. I wasn’t immune: Makeup Revolution’s little iron throne sponge holder lives on my vanity and I smile every time I look at it. Absurd? Yes. Does it spark joy? A thousand times yes.
Fragrance favorite of 2022: Dries van Noten Santal Greenery Eau de Perfume
- Only available at Dries van Noten online and his physical stores. 100ml are 220€.
Yup, we needed another high-priced fragrance line from a fashion house like a hole in the head. Consequently, Belgium-based Dries van Noten’s fragrances don’t reinvent the wheel, but do that exceptionally well. They give you notes you know and love, and then do it better. Case in point: Santal Greenery is a smooth fig fragrance I deeply, deeply love, although it seems like something you’ve sniffed before. Do try the sample pack first and then, if you find one you love, spring for the beautifully designed ceramic bottles. I regret nothing.
What are your makeup favorites of 2022? Let me know!
Please note that this post is not sponsored in any way. We buy products ourselves, with our own money, and don’t accept exchanging goods or money for reviews. We are completely independent, and our reviews reflect that.
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