Favorite Drugstore Finds of 2011

Thanks to many bloggers but most especially Nouveau Cheap, the last few months of 2011 gave me a chance to explore drugstore beauty options.

I am trying out Physician's Formula Healthy Wear SPF 50 Powder Foundation (so far so good!) I also had some fun trying out neutral eyeshadows: Maybelline ExpertWear Duo in Browntones, Rimmel Trio in Elements, & Revlon Colorstay Quad in Sandstorm. Sally Hansen/Carmindy Fast Fix Eye Base has been pretty good so far, and I'm excited to pick up more shades of L'Oreal Infallible Eyeshadow!

I'm also enjoying Revlon Popular and desperately need more glitter nail polishes! Also having fun trying NYX Round Lipsticks (here in Fig and Louisiana). The Ecotools #1203 Eyeshadow Brush and Retractable Pointed Foundation Brush were successes too!

I'll be posting a look with some of these products soon! What were your drugstore favorites in 2011? What products do you think I can't live without? :)

Favorite Beauty Brushes of 2011

These are my can't live with out tools of 2011:

Too Faced Retractable Bronze Buki - Gorgeous for a really natural wash of color, perfect for the Too Faced French Riviera Bronzed & Beautiful Palette!

Sephora I.T. Collection Natural Foundation Brush - Great for contouring and applying cheek color, but also nice for powder foundations!

Trish McEvoy 2B Sheer Blush Brush - Purchased in 2010, but it really is my favorite blush brush!

Too Faced Shadow Brushes Essential 3 Piece Set - Definitely essential for any eye look - love the big fluffy one for blending too!

Sephora Heated Eyelash Curler - A longtime favorite for curling my lashes. I've always had a tough time with traditional curlers, so this was a great option!

What were your favorite brushes and tools this year?

Favorite Eyeshadows of 2011

2011 was definitely a year of neutral shadows for me. Prior to this year, I pretty much used smoky eye looks or just no makeup at all!  These were my favorites: Urban Decay Naked Palette - Perfect for smoky or neutral looks, this palette was my transition to lighter shades on my eyes. Still wish UD would come out with a palette with more matte neutral shades! Dior 5-Color Iridescent Eyeshadow in Earth Reflection - Pretty neutral shades with nice shimmer! Nars Essential Eye Palette - Again another palette great for neutrals or smoky looks (or even in between!) And Galapagos was a great brown for either style! Mac Eyeshadow in Charcoal Brown - A perfect matte midtone shade! Hourglass Visionaire Eyeshadow Duo in Suede - Light shimmers in a gorgeous neutral combo!

Now that I'm composing this post, I realized that I have a gorgeous Chanel combination palette with pretty light colors too... and I haven't touched that at all in 2011! And same thing with the Dior 5 Golds Eyeshadow I was obsessing over last holiday season. Not to mention many many shadows I've collected over the last few years. EEP!

(Also one thing I've noticed while composing these posts is that all my products look new! Lol. This is how bad my makeup problem is - because I really don't wear makeup often at all!)

Anyway! As I was really paring down my collection this year, I left myself with my absolute favorite smoky eyeshadows & cleared out most of the others. Here they are!

Chanel Ombres Perlees Eyeshadow Palette - LOVE these gorgeous colors. Really there is nothing comparable when Chanel creates standout shades.

Chanel Les 4 Ombres in Smoky Eye - I've used & loved this palette since it came out (was that 2008?) and this was my second one after the first got lost in a purse that was stolen (that was a depressing day!) It's so perfect for smoky eyes on any skintone!

I definitely want to try more Hourglass shadows in 2012 and definitely make use of all my other eyeshadows I still have!

What were your 2011 faves? Any eyeshadow plans for 2012?

Favorite Products of 2011

Here are my top products of 2011. Some are brand new, and others are just new to me :) For face, I loved Guerlain Parure Aqua Foundation, Too Faced Primed & Poreless Bronze Tint, & Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturizer (not pictured)

For cheeks, three products were standouts: Dior Shimmer Star in Amber Diamond, Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Tailor Made Bronzer, and theBalm Bahama Mama. 

And for eyes, I really enjoyed Fairydrops Scandal Queen Mascara and Too Faced Lashgasm (not pictured). I really like Bobbi Brown's Dual Eyeliner in Jet/Chrome, and am really glad to have discovered Benefit Eye Bright!

What were your favorite products for 2011? Look out for my favorite tools and drugstore products later today!