The 51 Best Beauty Products of 2015!

So we definitely have a few of these products which we absolutely agree should be on this list!

One being:
Best Contour Kit: 

Swipe the deeper hue beneath cheekbones and the lighter one above them. Voila—supermodel fierceness.

MARC JACOBS BEAUTY #Instamarc Filtering Contour Powder in #40, $49, sephora.com.Also, don't forget to check out our latest YouTube video where we review it on our (mostly) Sephora Haul, along with other great products!

The one's we don't have we are excited to try! Has your new and favorite product made the cut? See original source link below or keep scrolling down!

Cosmopolitan / MSN's Lifestyle Beauty: 51 Best Beauty Products of 2015

© Provided by cosmopolitan

All You Need to Be Trendy

Best Eye Shadow:

Be the first of your friends to rock spring's smoky eye. Simply swap your go-to gray for this cool blue hue.

NARS Dual-Intensity Eye Shadow in Giove, $29, narscosmetics.com

Best Dry Shampoo:

This invisible, oil-absorbing refresher leaves hair looking even better than if it were freshly washed.

PANTENE PRO-V Root Reboot Dry Shampoo, $7, drugstores.

Best Nail Polish:

Moody lacquer with a matte finish makes any outfit look cooler.

SALLY HANSEN Velvet Texture Nail Polish in Deluxe and Lavish, $10 each, drugstores.

Best Lipstick:

This electric hue has multiple personalities. It lasts for hours like a stain, is pigment-packed like a lipstick, and shines like a gloss when topped with the built-in lacquer.

MAKE UP FOR EVER Aqua Rouge in Bright Orange, $24, sephora.com.

Best Contour Kit: 

Swipe the deeper hue beneath cheekbones and the lighter one above them. Voila—supermodel fierceness.

MARC JACOBS BEAUTY #Instamarc Filtering Contour Powder in #40, $49, sephora.com.

Best Styler:

Beach waves: once a summer-only style, now a downtown girl staple.

TRESEMME Make Waves Shine Enhancing Cream, $7, drugstores.

Best Brow Booster:

If Cara's arches are your heroes, this tinted gel is a must. Packed with fibers, it makes fearless, full brows a seconds-only situation.

L'ORE?AL PARIS Brow Stylist Plumper, $9, drugstores.

Best Eye Treatment:

Turn down for what? This brightening cream—a must for party girls—camos dark circles with light reflecting minerals.

NEUTROGENA Rapid Dark Circle Repair Eye Cream, $20, drugstores. 

Best Lash Fix:

De-clump last night's lashes this morning with mascara-reviving serum.

URBAN DECAY Mascara Resurrection, $16, Sephora.

Best Cleanser:

Late night? Apply a few drops to a cotton pad, wipe off your makeup, pass out (rinsing not required).

SIMPLE SKINCARE Cleansing Micellar Water, $7, drugstores. 

© Provided by cosmopolitan

All You Need to be A Minimalist

Best Mask:

Slather on before bed and wake up glowing. What could be easier?

OLAY Regenerist Luminous Overnight Mask, $26, drugstores.

Best Foundation:

Tap the cushion sponge lightly for subtle coverage, or give it a good press for more coverage when you need it.

LANCOME Miracle Cushion All-in-One Liquid Compact, $47, lancome.com

Best Styler:

This overachieving spritz—it refreshes, creates texture, adds volume, and more—is all you need in your hair arsenal.

NUANCE Texture Enhancing Finishing Spray, $13, cvs.com.

Best Hair Treatment:

Skip conditioner and add a few drops to the length of your tresses for instant polish and hydration.

MARULA OIL Rare Oil Treatment, $40, raremarula.com for salons. 

Best Serum:

This leaves skin so dewy and smooth, you might not even need makeup.

BURT'S BEES Renewal Intensive Firming Serum, $20, burtsbees.com.

Best Makeup Multitasker:

This sheer lip and cheek stain takes the guesswork out of finding a perfect shade. It reacts to your skin's unique pH, creating a customized, perfect pink.

DIOR Cheek & Lip Glow, $37, Sephora. 

Best Body Wash:

Cleanse, buff, and moisturize in one single step.

AVEENO Positively Nourishing Smoothing Body Wash, $7, drugstores.

Best Exfoliator:

The ultimate lazy-girl tool, these bamboo-fiber sponges gently refresh skin when wet—no scrub needed.

SEPHORA Clean Machine Konjac Sponge Duo, $15, sephora.com.

Best Blush:

All you need to look pulled together in seconds. Just dust along your T-zone and cheeks.

BOBBI BROWN Brightening Brick in Coral, $46, bobbibrowncosmetics.com.

© Provided by cosmopolitan

All You Need to Be A Bombshell

Best Lipstick:

Two hottie approved hues with an of-the-moment velvety finish.

MAYBELLINE NEW YORK Creamy Matte Lipstick in Siren in Scarlet and Divine Wine, $7.49 each, drugstores.

Best Styling Spray:

Spritz on pre-blow-dry to protect from heat and keep strands full, frizz-free, and fresh smelling for three days.

BIG SEXY HAIR Full Bloom, $19.95, sexyhair.com.

Best Volumizer:

A crunch-free mousse alternative that creates envy-inducing body. 

TONI & GUY Volume Plumping Whip, $13, drugstores.

Best Hair Spray:

A few mists and your hair will outlast everything from humidity to hookups—trust.

R+CO Vicious Strong Hold Flexible Hair Spray, $29, randco.com.

Best Base:

Apply all over to even out skin. Then use the applicator to add an extra layer to still-visible issues.

CLINIQUE 2 in 1 Beyond Perfecting Foundation + Concealer, $27, clinique.com.

Best Shampoo:

Like a juice cleanse for your scalp, this rids strands of the icky stuff (buildup, residue, you name it).

CLAIROL Hair Food Root Cleansing Shampoo, $10, target.com.

Best Mascara:

Layer on the kit's primer and fiber coats for next level lashes without the mess of glue or commitment to extensions. 

PHYSICIANS FORMULA Instant Lash Extension Kit, $14.95, drugstores.

Best Hair Perfume:

A mist or two of this cocktail inspired scent makes any mane intoxicating.

FEKKAI Hair Fragrance Mist in L'Air de St. Barths, $20, fekkai.com.

Best Eyeliner:

This Sharpie look-alike creates foolproof cat eyes — a signature of bombshells everywhere.

COVERGIRL Bombshell Intensity Liner, $7, drugstores.

Best Self-Tanner:

Get bronzed in under an hour with this fast developing glow-getter.

JERGENS Natural Glow Instant Sun Sunless Tanning Mousse, $12, drugstores.

© Provided by cosmopolitan

All You Need to be Classic

Best Face Powder:

Nothing beats this mineral-based favorite that blurs away imperfections and leaves skin Photoshop flawless.

BAREMINERALS Original Foundation Broad Spectrum SPF 15, $28, bareescentuals.com.

Best Nail Polish:

Reliable like a taupe but with a touch of 'tude, this greige is definitely the new neutral.

OPI Nail Lacquer in Act Your Beige!, $9.50, Ulta.

Best Body Wash:

The timeless shower staple modernized with a crisp, citrus scent.

DOVE Go Fresh Revitalize Body Wash, $7, drugstores.

Best Lipstick:

Think of this creamy mauve pink as a nude 2.0.

ESTEE LAUDER 

Pure Color Envy Sculpting Lipstick in Dynamic, $30, esteelauder.com.

Best Frizz Fix:

Touch up fuzz or polish frazzled ends anywhere with a purse-friendly solid serum.

KERASTASE Elixir Ultime Olio Riche Serum Solide, $45, kerastase-usa.com.

Best Mascara:

Packed with hydrating argan oil, this formula defines and nourishes lashes in a single stroke.

RIMMEL LONDON, Wonder'lash Mascara, $8, drugstores.

Best Eyeliner:

The secret to a natural looking, perfectly lined eye? This easy-to-apply kajal.

REVLON PhotoReady Kajal Matte Eye Pencil in Matte Charcoal, $9, drugstores.

Best Foundation:

Liquid foundation fans will love this silky, oil obliterating formula.

ELIZABETH ARDEN Flawless Finish Perfectly Satin 24Hr Makeup, $38.50, elizabetharden.com.

Best Conditioner:

Smooth, Kate Middleton-esque blowouts start in the shower with this almond and macadamia oil treatment.

NEXXUS Oil Infinite Restoring Conditioner, $17, drugstores.

Best Eye Shadow:

The ultimate palette, these are the only four shades you'll ever need to create eyes that mesmerize, day or night.

CHANEL Les 4 Ombres Quadra Eye Shadow in 27 Variation, $61,chanel.com. 

© Provided by cosmopolitan

The Most Iconic Nail Colors

Classic Red:

This timeless shade made its debut on the Dior runway in 1947.

DIOR Vernis Gel Shine Nail Lacquer in Rouge 999, $27, dior.com

Sultry Dark:

This shade made deep colored manis mainstream.

CHANEL Le Vernis in Vamp, $27,chanel.com.

Trendy Taupe:

Every five minutes, a bottle of this gray-beige blend is sold.

ESSIE in Chinchilly, $8.50, essie.com.

Electric Blue:

This top-selling cobalt is a trendsetter staple.

YSL La Laque Couture N.18 Bleu Majorelle, $27,yslbeautyus.com.

Hottest Pink:

Women have been wearing this flirty berry for more than 60 years.

REVLON Cherries in the Snow Nail Enamel, $5, revlon.com.

© Provided by cosmopolitan

Best Smellers

Hey, Bud:

With floral-scented polish, you can do a mani anywhere and not get the stink eye.

REVLON Parfumerie Nail Enamel in China Flower, $6, drugstores.

Pretty Sweet:

Giving new meaning to cocoa powder: this bronzer spiked with antioxidant rich chocolate.

TOO FACED Milk Chocolate Soleil Matte Bronzer, $30, sephora.com.

Pucker Up:

The grown-up version of Dr. Pepper lip balm: peach-infused lipstick.

MAC Wash and Dry lipstick in Tumble Dry, $17.50, maccosmetics.com.

Wipe Hype:

Fruity, acetone-free, and fab, these towelettes gently remove nail polish and nourish with argan oil.

JOSIE MARAN Bear Naked Nail Wipes, $9, sephora.com.

Skin Juice:

A zit zapper that smells like fresh-squeezed grapefruit? Yes, please!

NEUTROGENA Oil-Free Acne Moisturizer Pink Grapefruit, $8.50, drugstores.

Get Cheeky:

Wearing this pomegranate scented blush is like Elle Woods spritzing her resume with perfume—so unnecessary, yet...why not?

BENEFIT Majorette Booster Blush, $28, benefitcosmetics.com.

Mint Matteness:

These fiber packed papers soak up oil and play mood lifter, thanks to peppermint.

BOSCIA Pink Peppermint Blotting Linens, $10, drugstores.

This article was originally published as "Beauty 50 Times the Sexy" in the May 2015 issue of Cosmopolitan. Click here to get the issue in the iTunes store!

1 Product, Multiple Uses!

Have you ever gone on vacation or been in a rush and forgotten your go-to products? And it isn't until you're already at the airport that you realize your cosmetics are in the makeup bag next to your front door, which was strategically placed there so that you didn't forget it...yeah, I haven't done that either!  In all seriousness, I have forgotten my go-to products before and realized it in the car ride to the airport or at my hotel room. Or maybe you have the memory of an elephant (take that as a compliment) and have never forgotten any product, right down to your teal eyeliner, which you may or may not use with the outfit you have planned for Sunday Brunch.  If the latter description is you, then maybe your makeup bag is weighing you down! Bottom line, no matter which category you fall under, this blog post may be helpful.

I have scoured the Internet, and now, I think I have a great collection of some I tips I already knew, some that I'm still playing with and some that I can swear by!  So, maybe you can rethink whether you need to bring all that makeup with you, or maybe, after reading this, you'll be able to make the best of what makeup you did remember to pack!

Lipstick Is The New Hero for Dark Circles!

Apparently, there is some serious science behind this.  If you look at a color wheel, you will see that orange-red is opposite from blue, and combining the two will cause color neutrality.

iStockphoto / Via Getty Images

Picking out the right color of red-orange or coral lipstick is something to play around with. The deeper your skin, the more reddish orange you can work with.  If you have a more medium or tan complexion, try to go more toward a warm coral, or if you have a light complexion, try a more yellow, peachy shade (and, if you are in this boat, maybe a color concealer would work better than lipstick).

The Blondeshell / theblondeshell.com

I've noticed that, if I go with a straight red, even after I blend it well, I still see a hint of pink popping out. A warm coral color is my go-to! Also, if you have the color you need in a cream lipstick, go with that, as compared to a matte lipstick, just because it's easier to blend.  Make sure you do the lipstick first with an eye shadow brush, and then put your foundation, concealer and powder on top in order to set it.  I like to blend my foundation and concealer with a beauty blender sponge.  This trick also works for any dark pigmentation left over from acne scars.  Now, you can say bye-bye to dark circles and spots!

Deepica Mutyala / Via birchbox.com

Highlight Like The Golden Goddess You Are!

The key to using an eye shadow as your highlighter is all about shimmer and not glitter.  Shimmer is a shade that will give you a luminous, subtle sheen.  Glitter is all about the sparkle, with tons of little particles reflecting light.  Unless you're a little girl throwing a princess party, you do not need any glitter on your face, unless of course you are Kesha (in which case, do your thing!).  I hope that most people who have eye shadow palettes have one of Urban Decay's Naked Series (if you don't, other neutral palettes will work, but we are using the Naked Series as a convenient example).  If you do have a Naked Series palette, either Naked or Naked 2, then you have a pan called Half Baked, which is the golden-bronze swatch with a shimmery finish. Use a highlighter brush and give your cheeks that soft glow!

Sephora.com / Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Matte Is In... In More Ways Than One!

Matte lipstick and matte eye shadow are both components of a current and ongoing trend.  The best part of this trend is that you can use your matte eye shadow as a brow filler.  Taupe (Warm Taupe) works well for blonde and silver/white brows. 

For brunettes, I would stay away from warm browns and go more towards an ashy brown (Rich Brown). I'd suggest a warm brown (Hot Chocolate) for auburn hair because the warm tone will look more natural than an ashy brown color.  And lastly, if you have brown black or jet black hair, I would stick to a charcoal brown (Smoke). All of these eye shadows, which I linked, are $12.00 on the Anastasia Beverly Hills website, except for the Warm Taupe, which can be purchased at your local Macy's in the Anastasia Beverly Hills pop-up store.  Or if you want to test the colors before purchase, head to the closest Macy's and test to see if these are the right shades for your brows!  The key is to find a neutral shade and to avoid any shadow with a shimmer or satin finish.  (Unless you're rocking the teal hair trend... in which case, don't let me stop you by telling you what color to do your brows!)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Eye Shadows

Get yourself a small Z Palette, and you can call this your matte eye shadow/brow palette!

Prime Those Eyes With Concealer!

Do you see an oily shine on your eyelids that is looking back at you in the mirror?  You, my friend, may be suffering from oily eyelids, which means you cake if you don't prime!  Years ago, Urban Decay (as seen in the picture below) solved this problem with the eye shadow primer, but there have been times where I definitely forgot to pack this with me when I traveled.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow Primer

Fear not because your concealer has got your back!  Stick to a heavy-duty cream concealer, which will fill your crease better than a liquid concealer.  I use my Benefit Boi-ing to take over when I forget my eye shadow primer.  I personally use my finger, but you can use your brush.  Just make sure you apply an even, and let it dry a bit before you start adding your shadow.  After that, may the power of makeup last all day for you!  Of course, I do recommend that you always use a setting spray (Model in a Bottle) to help your makeup last all day!

Go forth makeup lovers and enjoy these tricks!

Glammie Love,
Bex

Blindfold Makeup Challenge Part One:

Part 1 of the Blindfold Makeup Challenge!
Get a glass of wine out and enjoy with us!

Makeup: Jaz

 Model: Bex

Products used:
Primer: Benefit Porefessional
Foundation: Urban Decay Naked in Shade 5.0
Eyeshadow: Kat Von D Monarch palette
Brows: NXY Brow Cake Powder in Blonde
Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing in 2.0
Contour: Custom Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour Kit
Blush: Elf Contouring Blush and Bronzer Duo in St. Lucia
Lipstick: MAC Heroine
Eyelash: Elf Dramatic Lash Kit
Eyelash Glue: DUO dark tone
Tools: Beauty Blender, Sigma Highlighting Brush, BH Cosmetics brushes

Drugstore Superstars: Primers

For me, it's absolutely essential to put on a face primer before applying makeup.  You wouldn't paint a wall without putting down a primer first, and the same concept applies to your face.  There are primers that help with oil control, some that minimize pores and some that even out skin tone, but the main reason for using a primer is to provide a barrier between your skin and your foundation.  In other words, it evens out the texture of your skin, your makeup goes on more smoothly and the wear is prolonged.  There are some primers that have a very thick, almost whipped consistency, and then, there are some that are thinner and go on your face more easily.  It's all a matter of preference as to which one you prefer.  I have great products for each option, which you can find below.

Face Primers

NYX Angel Veil Primer ($16.00)

This is my all-time favorite drugstore primer!  It mattifies my face, blurs my larger pores and leaves my skin feeling silky smooth.  The formulation reminds me of a mix of the silky finish of the Mineral Veil Primer by Hourglass and the consistency of the Primed and Poreless Primer from Too Faced.  Some other bloggers have complained that the primer was runny and thin, but I never found that to be the case with mine.  I'm not sure if NYX has changed the formulation slightly or if I'm just lucky, but make sure to give the tube a nice shake before applying the product, just in case.  One thing that I did notice, however, is that it can leave a slightly white finish on the skin.  This can actually be a positive for people with fair to medium skin tones because it causes a brightening effect, but for darker skin tones like mine, it can create a bit of a white cast on your face.  Nevertheless, it doesn't affect the color of your foundation, so I didn't feel like it was a truly serious drawback.

Revlon Photoready Perfecting Primer ($9.99)

When you pump this primer out, it almost feels like it has too thick of a consistency.  However, it effortlessly blends into your skin and feels surprisingly lightweight.  This primer is best for blurring fine lines and minimizing pores.  A little bit goes a long way with this, so just one pump is more than enough to cover your entire face.

Maybelline Master Prime Primers ($7.94)

For those of you who don't really need help in blurring fine lines or large pores (first of all, you go, Glen Coco!), the two primers that I mentioned above might be too thick for you.  In that case, the Master Prime would be a better fit.  There are three different variations of this primer: Blur + Smooth, Blur + Redness Control and Blur + Illuminate.  All three have the same basic formulation, just with a couple minor differences that I'll mention in a second.  First of all, I don't really understand why the word "blur" is in the name because I didn't notice it doing anything of the sort.  What the lightweight primer does do, however, is hydrate and even out the texture of your skin so that foundation application is smooth and easy.  I would recommend this primer for people with dry to normal skin because of the hydration aspect.  On the other hand, since it doesn't mattify your face, people with oily skin might want to look elsewhere.  The Blur + Redness Control has a slightly green tinge to it, so it helps neutralize the skin color of anyone that struggles with redness, without being overpowering.  The Blur + Illuminate has a pinky, pearl-like finish, giving the skin a luminous and dewy look, which is great for people with dry skin.

Eyelid Primer

Wet 'n' Wild Take on the Day Eyeshadow Primer ($4.99)

For someone with oily skin, I've never found my eyelids to be all that oily. Because of that, eyeshadow creasing hasn't been a big problem for me.  My fellow glammie, Bex, does have that problem, so putting on an eyeshadow primer is an absolute must.  We found that this product is the best drugstore product of its kind to prolong your eyeshadow's wear, and to make sure that the color doesn't fade or crease on your eyelids.  You do, however, have to use this product sparingly.  If you put too much on, the opposite effect will happen and your shadow will crease almost immediately.  The trick is to put a little bit on your lid, blend it well, and make sure you let it dry and set before you put anything on top of it.  It doesn't exactly make your shadow look more vibrant, so that's why I would recommend using it in conjunction with one of the following eyeshadow bases. 

Eyeshadow Bases

Eyeshadow bases are not to be confused with primers.  Primers are made to prep your eye for shadow, and bases are designed to make the colors of your eyeshadow more vibrant.  I have a couple of favorite bases from the drugstore. 

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow ($5.29 - $5.99)

These come in a variety of colors, but my favorites are the "leather" series because they're matte. They are almost an exact dupe for my favorite base of all time: the MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot.  They are super creamy, easy to blend, quick to dry and will stay on your lids all day long.  These also don't crease on my eyelids, but it doesn't exactly block oil; so, if you have oily lids, use an eyeshadow primer first.  The best part is that it isn't super sticky on the lid, like most other bases, so you can actually just use it by itself, without shadow.   

NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil ($4.50)

For those of you who prefer pencils to cream pots, there's the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil. These eye pencils have a bit of a cult following in the beauty blogger world because they really do intensify any eyeshadow color.  I actually feel like it does a better job than the Maybelline Color Tattoos, but the reason why they're lower on my list is because I feel like it's harder to blend and quite a bit stickier, meaning that you can't wear it on its own.  I'm all about the multi-functional products!

TLDNR

OK, I know I can be really long-winded, so here's a little chart to help all you super busy people figure out which primer is best for you.

Face

	Blurs Pores and Fine Lines	Mattifies Face	Smoothes Skin Texture	Brightens	Moisturizes	Light-weight	Neutralizes Redness
Angel Veil	X	X	X	X
Photoready	X	X	X
Blur + Smooth			X		X	X
Blur + Redness Control					X	X	X
Blur + Illuminate				X	X	X

Eyes

	Prevents Creasing	Prolongs Wear	Blocks Oil	Prevents Fading	Intensifies Color
Wet N’ Wild	X	X	X	X
Color Tattoo	X	X		X	X
Jumbo Eye Pencil		X		X	X

So, there you have it, the best drugstore primers on the market!  Which ones are your favorites?  Stay tuned for the next part of the series: Foundations.  Happy shopping!

Glammie love!

Jaz

Drugstore Superstars

If you're new to the world of makeup, the task of starting a cosmetics collection may seem daunting.  Since there are so many products and brands, it can be hard to know which way is up and which way is down.  That's why, whenever a friend who is just getting started asks me for guidance, I always point them in the direction of the nearest drugstore.

Makeup can be expensive.  (Trust me, I should know.)  In fact, I'm somewhat of a makeup hoarder, and if I go unchecked, I can spend hundreds of dollars at Sephora in the blink of an eye.  I know, however, that spending a big chunk of your paycheck on makeup is an absolutely ridiculous notion to most women, which is why drugstore makeup is so great.  Makeup application is very much a process of trial and error, and you need to try something on in order to figure out what works for you and your skin.  Bottom line: If you don't like a certain product, a $7 loss is easier to swallow than a $50 one.  Unfortunately, since there's so much out there in the way of drugstore makeup, it's hard to separate the good quality products from the bad.  That's what this series will focus on; I'm going to help you navigate through all the affordable brands to find out which products you should try out and which ones you should leave on the shelf.

In order to make it more navigable, I'll be breaking down this series by categories:

1) Primers;
2) Foundations;
3) Concealers;
4) Bronzers;
5) Blushes;
6) Eyeshadows;
7) Eyeliners;
8) Mascaras and Brow Products;
9) Lips;
10) Setting Products; and, last but certainly not least,
11) Makeup Tools.

Hopefully, after I finish this series, you'll have all the information that you need in order to go out and start (or add to) your makeup kit.

Glammie love!
~Jaz