I hope everyone got off to a great start for this new year ! Here are my top best beauty favorites for 2015. They aren’t necessarily products that came out in 2015 (even if some have) but are the products I consistently reached for the most during this past year.

Avene : Cleanance gel

My dermatologist recommended this gentle face wash during my teen years when I was dealing with some mild acne. It is very gentle on the skin as are all of Avene’s products. Avene is a French pharmacy brand. It makes some really good skin care using Avene thermal water as a base product. Over the years I’ve tried other products but have always come back to this cleanser because it just works. Nowadays I’ve thankfully left acne behind, but I still love using this for my combination oily skin. I noticed that if I use harsher cleansers on my skin, it just dehydrates it and makes it produce even more oil. The opposite of my desired effect! This is a tried and true product that you won’t regret with no soap.

Clinique : Bottom lash mascara

This one has become a staple in my makeup routine and I couldn’t live without it ! Due to my oily skin, all mascaras seem to smudge on my lower lash line. I was resigned to have a grungy look, until this life saver arrived on the market. I love the tiny brush that makes application so much easier, no more poking yourself in the eye or getting mascara on your face! I chose the color Black 01.

Becca : Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal

This highlighter is really worth the hype. I gives incredible shine without making you into a glitter ball! You want your shine to look natural, well or at least classy looking :). You want to control the amount of shine on your face. Some highlighters leave your skin looking scaly or even accentuate pores, fine lines and wrinkles. I love this shimmering skin perfector as it truly does perfect your skin. The color Opal is my favorite in the line, but that will depend on your skin tone. I’m NC25 in MAC, and have yellow undertones, if that helps. Opal is a wonderful champagne, that’s not too cool or too warm.

Estee Lauder : Double wear Foundation in Ivory Beige

This foundation is my holy grail, because it lasts so long on the face without slipping off. Now I won’t recommend this one to everyone because it caters to combination / oily skin. If you have normal skin I’m sure it’ll work fine, but if you have dry skin it may emphasize the dry patches and I don’t believe it would be comfortable to wear on your skin. It tightens things up, which is what I’m looking for.

A lot of foundations don’t stay put on my face. I also don’t want to look like I’m wearing a mask, and many heavier foundations out there can leave you looking cakey. This foundation along with its amazing staying power, has great coverage. If you’re lucky enough to have perfect skin, then you might not need this, but for the rest of us out there it’s a godsend! Another plus is you end up using a lot less concealer on your face, because you don’t need as much.

The drugstore alternative I love is the Revlon Color Stay Foundation. My shade is 250 Fresh Beige or Beige Frais. It also stays on very well and it has a very large color range, so I can find my perfect shade.

Kat Von D : Shade and Light Contouring Palette

I’ve mentioned this palette in my October Favorites 2015. Ever since I’ve gotten it, I’ve stopped using my other face contour powders or palettes. I still love Laguna Bronzer by Nars, but a palette just makes it easier and quicker in the morning. You just need to use one product and it has everything you need to contour.

The powder is blendable and the shades are perfect for me, no risk in turning orange. Go read my previous post.

Urban Decay : Naked Smoky palette

I dedicated two posts to this baby, and this is my favorite palette from 2015. I love it for its versatility. You can truly create neutral looks with this one, don’t be fooled by the Smoky name. You can of course do a ton of different smoky looks from soft halo eyes to full on dramatic and sexy.

UD shadows continue to be among my favorites, their formula just seems to get better and better. This brand has listened to its customers and has increasingly included more mattes to their palettes. UD shimmery and sparkly shadows continue to be their strong suit. I love shimmer any day of the week. My take is wear while you can, when you get too old to do so you might regret not taking advantage of it while you could :).

Revlon : Lip Butter in Pink Truffle

I have very sensitive lips, and I hate the feeling of dried lips. This is the perfect combo of a lip balm and a lipstick. It made my September 2015 favorites for a reason. It’s highly moisturizng and very pigmented at the same time. These have been out for a while but I’ve yet to come across a better hybrid than these lippies by Revlon. Pink Truffle is on my auto repurchase list.

Nars : Blush in Orgasm

I own many different brands and colors of blush, but I just seem to keep coming back to this one. Some how Nars came up with the perfect pinky-corally blush color, that suits all skin tones. I love this as you can both wear looks that are on the pink side as well as the coral side. It goes with virtually any eye look.

I also like the slight shimmer in the blush. I have oily combination skin and usually steer clear of any powder formula that could accentuate this. But have no fears, Nars has your back with Orgasm. Just like Becca’s Shimmering Skin Perfector, I feel this enhances your face, brightens your look and leaves you with a healthy glow. There is a reason it’s the number 1 blush out there. So if you haven’t tried it out for your self ; go and grab it.

Estee Lauder : Stay Matte Powder

If you need a tried and true powder for setting your makeup and not adding a heavy feel or look to the face, this product is for you. I mentioned this in my past favorites, because I can’t do without it. It’s perfect for the combo skin and leaves a beautiful matte finish without leaving you looking flat or dull. It’s very finely milled and very blendable.

Kat Von D : Liquid Eyeliner in Trooper

If you are looking for a liquid eyeliner for Dummies, this product is for you. Its unique paint brush tip makes application a dream even for inexperienced make up enthusiasts. The brush comes down to a really fine tip, that retains its flexibility without being flimsy like some paint brush tips are. This one appears to be a felt tip but isn’t. It’s genius.

This is also one of the more pigmented eyeliners out there. You get a true rich black line none of the charcoal washed out version some brands try to push on us.

Urban Decay : Eye Shadow Primer Potion

This is my favorite eye shadow primer of all time. It changed the way I was applying and enjoying make up, which is a huge deal. I discovered this thanks to YouTube and all the Beauty Gurus there in 2007. Ever since it’s been my trusty best friends to keep my eyeshadows from creasing (which used to be a constant by the end of the day) and enhance the pay off of any eye shadow even if the quality is not all there.

If you have hooded eyes like mine, you need this in your life! It comes in many different colors now and also finishes from matte to shimmery. So take your pick, one of them has your name on it!

Maybelline : Color Tattoo 24h in Bad to the Bronze

This range has the best cream eyeshadows on the market. They last a long time, have great pigmentation. They can be worn on their own or serve as great eye shadow bases. You can even skip using a primer with these. They blend very well. My most used one, is Back to the bronze, I’ve even hit pan on it.

Maybelline comes out with limited edition colors every year. The line includes mattes, shimmers, leather etc.. Truly a drugstore gem. I did a Top 5 Favorite Cream shadows post that features this baby, if you want to see swatches.

OPI : Tickle my France-y

I love nail art and fun and dramatic nails. But finding a good neutral that compliments your skin tone seems a lot harder to me. This one is just the perfect mix of neutral and pink. It’s not too pink as to be a barbie doll pink. It’s go just the right amount of beige it in. It’ll dress up your nails right away and is perfect for a conservative work environment. I have a favorite Nail Combo featuring a Ciaté nail polish glitter as well.

It wears beautiful with minimum chipping and is completely opaque in two coats. I love the OPI brand as a whole and recommend you check this one out.

Game of Thrones

Finally, I had to sneak in a non beauty favorite, and that is the best TV show right now : Game of Thrones. It’s also a book series! That’s an added bonus for me, have I mentioned I love books? I’m always thrilled when a favorite book gets turned into a movie or a show, but this time it was quite original, because now the show has caught up to the books, and is now leading the way!

What are your best 2015 beauty products?

Shop my post :

• Avene : Cleanance gel (*)
• Clinique : Bottom lash mascara – Mascara cils inférieurs (*)
• Becca : Shimmering Skin Perfector in Opal (*)
• Estee Lauder : Double wear Foundation in Ivory Beige (*)
• Kat Von D : Shade and Light Contouring Palette (*)
• Revlon : Lip Butter in Pink Truffle (*)
• Nars : Laguna Bronzer  – Poudre Bonzante Laguna (*)
• Urban Decay : Naked Smoky palette – France (*)
• Nars : Blush in Orgasm – France (*)
• Kat Von D : Liquid Eyeliner in Trooper (*)
• Urban Decay : Eye Shadow Primer Potion – Base paupière (*)
• Maybelline : Color Tattoo 24h in Bad to the Bronze – On and on bronze (*)
• OPI : Tickle my France-y – France (*)
• Game of thrones : the DVD – le DVD
• Game of thrones : A song of fire and ice– Le trone de fer (*)

(*) affiliate links