Best of Beauty 2020: Top Makeup Picks
Because of the pandemic makeup may have taken a backseat to skincare and self-care, but there was not a lack of beautiful color stories out there to be purchased. I myself, still wore makeup around the house even if I wasn't going anywhere, just to keep a sense of normalcy. And underneath my mask, when I go out I always put on a coat of lipstick (even if it is the long-wearing kind). Here is a list of my favorite makeup products of the year. These beauty picks are products that I discovered this year. And I think most are likely to be eye shadows because I hate to admit this, but I am an eyeshadow addict. Here they are in no particular order:
Pat McGrath Labs Mothership VIII: Divine Rose II $125.00
This came out and I almost drooled all over myself. Pat McGrath outdid herself this time. This palette looks good on anyone and is the epitome of beautiful chic maquillage. The Mother of Makeup can do no wrong in my opinion. Her formula is iconic. Soft and luscious, it is long-wearing and highly pigmented. Plus her duochromes are stupendous.
Also from this collection, even softer and prettier colors that also look good on anyone. Wear this one if you are a little reticent to purchase the bolder one. Still has the iconic Pat McGrath formula and colors formulated by the Mother of Makeup herself. Has a beautiful peach duochrome shade that makes a beautiful lid shade or highlight depending on how you want to wear it.
This little beauty brings focus to the eyes with bold shades of pink and gold. Only Pat McGrath could pull this off so beautifully. Can be worn in any season really and why not? Who says you have to wear dull drab colors just in the winter? These colors will look beautiful in most seasons. And with most eye colors too. Also has a duochrome that looks good with many eye shades.
When Natasha Denona does something, she does it right. She also take eyeshadow and makes it beautiful, evoking the most gorgeous, charismatic tricolored-hues and then building a palette around them. The Natasha Denona formula is highly pigmented, long-wearing and buttery soft. Very nice and also well worth the money. In makeup you get what you pay for.
Yes, another Natasha Denona palette but this one is definitely a cool & neutral palette and is great because it literally tells you where to apply each color. Each one is aptly named crease, transition, center eye lid, lid, etc. You can even pop them out and rearrange them to suit your own desires and needs. This one has been formulated with crushed pearls and crystals. And the formula is her buttery smooth formula that is highly pigmented and long-wearing. Great for just about anyone.
This had to be the one of the most popular palettes for ColourPop all year. I snagged myself one. It was their collaboration with The Mandalorian. The colors are gorgeous and look beautiful on, especially the dark brown, which is a nice reddish brown reminiscent of one of my favorite MAC shades that is no longer made. And of course they all have the great ColourPop formula, which is soft, buttery yet still quite pigmented. You can't beat that for the price.
I am not going to get into the political side of whether you support Jeffree Star or not. This is a beauty category and I support makeup. I don't know anything about Jeffree's personal life. All I know is that I love Jeffree Star Cosmetics and I love the eyeshadow formula. And boy did I love this palette. It surpassed all of my expectations. I was more than happy to plunk down the money to go green. Every shade is beautiful and the formula is creamy, long-wearing and beautifully pigmented. Cannot argue with that.
Okay, not everything great that came out this year was an eyeshadow palette. HUDA Kattan came out with perhaps the best mascara ever. Two formulas, two brushes, many ways to wear it. Legit Lashes is the end-all-be-all of mascaras right now. So far it is just about perfect. I love how it gives volume, length and curl to the lashes. It sometimes smudges if you don't let it dry properly and then spritz your face with setting spray. But otherwise it is the ultimate mascara.
Huda Kattan also came out with a great foundation. A stick version of her #FauxFilter Foundation, it is: long-wearing (lasts 10 hours), waterproof, humidity-resistant and sweat-resistant. It is something that you can wear all year long, not only in the summer. Wear as little or as much as you want, it is highly pigmented. This stick has staying power and is a great addition to my foundation arsenal.
I guess because of the pandemic many companies withheld a lot of their lip color promotions. Not Jeffree Star. The introduction of Velvet Trap was delayed, yes, but it finally came to fruition and it was worth it. I happen to love the new formula, which replaced Lip Ammunition. This one is more opaque, gives a full swipe of color in one fell swoop. It is described as a "richly pigmented, single stroke luxurious opaque formula". I think it pretty much delivers on that promise. So far it comes in 20 shades, with more to come. From nudes to brights and even some devilishly dark ones too. I also love the packaging, the magnetic closure.
So these are my picks for the best makeup of the year. Yes, most are all high end. Because beauty is no longer an inexpensive hobby these days. Are all of these items worth the money? Yes, definitely. Every penny's worth. I will say that you can likely buy a dupe of many of the eye shadows from ColourPop quite easily and inexpensively. Not all of them though. When I purchase something to me it is an investment. But that is just me. I hope you have enjoyed this little trip down memory lane for 2020 and I am looking forward to 2021.
Until Next Time~
Marie Papachatzis
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