2020 Yearly Favourites | Beauty & Skincare

Hey everyone, how are you all doing? 2020 is finally coming to an end. It’s been a crazy year, and I’m sure 2021 is going to be at least partially crazy too. Tier 4 has just been announced in my area, so I’m ready to take on another challenge… I hope you’re okay wherever you are. Another year ending means another yearly favourites, so here is my 2020 beauty & skincare favourites!

Some products I mentioned in my 2019 Yearly Favourites are still my firm faves, such as the Too Faced Born This Way concealer, the Fenty Soft Silk Primer and the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish to name just a few. I didn’t want to speak in depth about any repeats so I’ve missed them out of this post, but you can check that one out if you want to see a few more of my ultimate favourites!

MAKEUP

Too Faced Born This Way Matte Foundation (£29)
This foundation only launched this year, but it has quickly become my favourite ‘go-to’ foundation and has even taken the number one spot from Estee Lauder Double Wear for me. When this launched I wasn’t sure what I would think as I’m not a massive fan of the original Born This Way foundation. However this one is so so good. It has a matte finish but it definitely isn’t a dry or flat matte, I think it’s more a semi matte in reality. It is a medium-full coverage, but you can definitely achieve full coverage, but it isn’t too thick so it looks ‘skin like’ giving such a nice finish. I like to use a hydrating primer underneath personally as I have a normal-dry skin type. One of my favourite things about this foundation is that it lasts incredibly well and still looks good at the end of the day. Even with wearing a mask it stays on well and you only need to touch up a little bit, which is so much better than pretty much ALL other foundations I’ve worn under a mask. This has been one of the best launches in 2020 for me, so I had to include it in my yearly favourites.

Too Faced Born This Way Pressed Powder Foundation (£29)
This is another relatively new launch from Too Faced & another product from the brand making it into my yearly favourites. I haven’t used many pressed powder foundations, specially not in recent years, but so many friends recommended this one so I just had to pick it up. I only really use this one over liquid foundations to give a bit extra coverage and set, rather than on its own as a powder foundation. It works well with the sponge that comes in the compact, but I tend to use it on a big fluffy brush so it sets the face adding some coverage but not TOO much. This powder really makes the skin looks flawless, I can’t not use this now and I know I will repurchase it over and over again. It smooths the pores out and honestly looks beautiful. It’s also perfect for topping up throughout the day if I need it, for example after wearing a face mask for a while!

BECCA Under Eye Brightening Corrector (£21)
When I first got this product I kind of hated it. I just couldn’t get it to work for me & I could never have imaged I would be including it in my 2020 yearly favourites. However this year I have really learnt how to use this product, and now I use it every single time I do my makeup. I have pretty dark under eye circles, as well as fine lines, so I do struggle to conceal the under eye area and I’ve used many products trail and error before finding a routine that works for me. I dab a small amount of this BECCA corrector onto my under eyes with my finger as the first step. I have mine in the shade light-medium, it is pink toned and has light reflecting illuminators to brighten the darkness. The ‘sticky’ texture of this really seems to smooth out the under eyes and stops the concealer I apply over the top sinking into the fine lines under my eyes as it does when I don’t use this. It kind of acts like an under eye primer. If you have troublesome under eyes then I really recommend this, but be sure to play around with it before deciding you hate it like I did at first.

Smashbox Color Correcting Stick in Look Less Tired Lite (£18)
This is the other colour correcting product I use to help with my troublesome under eyes, and again it is something I have been using every single day. I am surprised more people haven’t spoken about this product – before purchasing it I hadn’t heard about it. This corrector is in a crayon format and the texture is silky satin. I always apply this after the BECCA corrector I just mentioned. I simply swipe the crayon under my eyes over the darkness then tap it out with my finger. It isn’t drying at all, or too thick in texture, so it looks flawless and undetectable under concealer. I am so obsessed with my little under eye routine!

BECCA Sunlit Bronzer in Ipanema Sun (£27)
I recently posted an in-depth review of this Becca Bronzer, but I still wanted to include it in my 2020 yearly favourites as it has definitely been one of my favourite makeup discoveries this year. The finish of this bronzing powder is perfect – it has a subtle sheen that isn’t too much, but it means that it isn’t dull/flat looking like some matte bronzers look in my opinion. It builds up really nicely without going muddy or patchy, so you can apply as little or as much as you want for a more natural look, or a more intense look! It lasts all day on the skin without fading, so it is basically a winner in every department. I can’t recommend this one enough.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Ginger Pop (£19)
Clinique never seem to get enough credit for their makeup, but I own a number of makeup products from the brand that are truly lovely. This Cheek Pop blusher is probably one of my favourite things from Clinique. I have had this well over year and wore it very frequently. The shade ginger pop is quite bright in the pan, and you can definitely achieve a super bright look on the cheek if you want too, but it is also easy to achieve a more toned down look by simply applying a small amount. Clinique describe this formula as looking ‘virtually powderless’ and I completely agree. It swirls on like a second skin adding the perfect blush! This is definitely my most worn and most loved blush of 2020.

Benefit Cookie Highlighter (£27)
I got this highlighter earlier on in the year and it’s been my go-to highlighter since. Nothing seems to live up this! The formula is super creamy and melts into the skin perfectly – it is not powdery in the slightest. The highlighter is blinding and glow, yet not shimmery or glittery, it is more a lit from within yet intense glow that only this highlighter has achieved on me! The shade is a stunning pearl-gold which works really well on my fair skin tone without looking like a stripe of colour down my face. I think it would work well for a lot of skin tones – Benefit claim all skin tones can wear this one. I actually use the brush that comes in the box quite often with this highlighter too.

Too Faced Born This Way The Natural Nudes Eye Shadow Palette (£35)
If I had to choose one eyeshadow palette for 2020 it would hands down be this one. I use and love every single shade in here, which is kind of rare for a palette containing this many shades. So often I only reach for a couple of shades in a palette and the rest go to waste. The formula of this palette is amazing too – the mattes are pigmented and creamy, blending out so well and the shimmer/metallic/sparkle shades are intense. You can create a day to day look, or a night time more glam look with this palette. It is a staple in any makeup collection and worth the high end price tag. I wrote a full review on The Natural Nudes Palette earlier in the year which you can check out for swatches and more information.

Huda Beauty Rich Nude Obsessions Eyeshadow Palette (£27)
I debated not including this Huda palette in my 2020 yearly favourites because do I really need to include TWO eyeshadow palettes in this post… but I used this a lot and 2020 was the first year I tried out Huda Beauty eyeshadows and let me tell you, the quality is insane! I love the gorgeous pink tones of this palette which are both wearable but bright and colourful. I recently got another one of these small Huda palettes, the Topaz one, and I am excited to try that one out too. If you haven’t used any Huda shadows yet, and like the look of any of the shade selections I strongly recommend them.

Fenty Gloss Bomb in Fussy (£17)
The gloss bomb lipglosses are probably one of Fenty’s most popular products and so many people love them! I have mine in the shade Fussy and it’s definitely my go to gloss, and has been one of my most used lip products of 2020 (when I wasn’t wearing a mask of course). The formula of this gloss is so good – it is not sticky at all and actually feels kind of like a moisturising balm on the lips whilst looking like a shiny gloss. It gives the illusion of fuller plumper lips which I love. The shade Fussy is one of the more pink ones – I love it on top of a nude lipstick to add a pink hint.

SKINCARE

WISHFUL Yo Glow Enzyme Scrub (£34 for 100ml)
WISHFUL is the sister brand of Huda Beauty, and it is a pretty new brand. This Enzyme Scrub was the first launch from the brand, and personally I think it definitely delivered! I don’t use facial scrubs all that often, perhaps I should use them more often. But when my skin feels like it needs a good scrub, this has been the one I have been reaching for. It is quite unique in the fact that it is both a physical and chemical exfoliator. It feels really gentle on the skin so I don’t feel like it is damaging the skins surface at all, yet after use my skin feels so smooth and fresh. It is pretty pricey, but since I don’t use it all that often it will last me quite a while.

Elizabeth Arden Superstart Skin Renewal Booster (£60 for 50ml)
I know this is expensive… I got this for free at work so I didn’t purchase it for myself. Though I am definitely contemplating repurchasing it when I run out, because I love it so much. Since I implemented this in my skincare routine, my skin feels so much healthier and radiant, and it does seem to repair itself and bounce back well even after a breakout or any irritation. Without products to help, my skin becomes quite irritated and almost sore as it is on the dry side. Arden claim this product boosts the effectiveness of other skincare products when applied underneath – I suppose there is no real way to know if that’s true, but all the current skincare products I am using seem to be working so well!

Liz Earle Calming Botanical Drops (£26)
As I mentioned my skin can naturally be a little irritated and sometimes it needs some extra help! These water-gel drops truly are calming and feel so soothing on my skin. If you have skin that sometimes feels sensitive I definitely recommend trying these out. I have experimented with so much skincare this year, and lots of serums, but out of all of them this one is my favourite. Liz Earle is such a great skincare brand.

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid (£5.90)
So this years yearly favourites have turned out to be predominantly high end / premium.. I work with premium skincare and makeup so it is not a surprise that I have tried out and ended up loving so many of those products. However one affordable skincare product I have been loving during 2020 is the Hyaluronic Acid by The Ordinary. Hyaluronic acid has become a much spoken about ingredient this year, and of course I had to try it out myself. The ingredient holds up to six litres of water per one gram of hyaluronic acid which means it can keep the skin so hydrated and works amazingly under moisturisers. It leads to plump, smooth skin, and it has really given my skin that bounce back.

bareMinerals Butter Drench Restorative Rich Cream (£32 for 50ml)
I have tested out quite a few moisturisers this year including a couple others I really enjoyed, however I wanted to choose just one for my yearly favourites, and I decided to go with this bareMinerals Butter Drench cream. I love the thick rich formula of this one on my normal-dry skin. I like something super rich and moisturising and this gives me that without feeling greasy. It has such amazing ingredients in there which is so important when you are spending premium prices on skincare. I wrote a full review on this one not too long back which you can check out for more information about the ingredients.

Clinique All About Eyes Rich (£28.50)
My friends know how obsessed I am with this Clinique eye cream. I talk about it all the time and I honestly don’t think I could live without it. Dramatic, but it changed my life! As I mentioned earlier in this post, I have troublesome under eyes. Not only have I got fine lines, the area is also naturally pretty dry which only emphasises that problem. I have the ‘rich’ version of this cream which is thicker and more moisturising. It glides onto the under eyes smoothing them out so well. Since using this eye cream every single morning my under eyes are less dry and the fine lines are definitely reduced. This really helps with the overall affect of my skin not only when I am fresh faced, but also when I am wearing makeup too, as the makeup sits much nicer in the area.

Too Faced Hangover Pillow Balm Lip Treatment (£18)
More Too Faced… I know I am obsessed with this brand! If you suffer from dry lips, you need this lip balm/treatment. I have never used something that helps with dry lips this much. Usually, no more than an hour after applying lip balm my lips feel dry again. However with this one, I can apply it before sleeping and in the morning my lips still feel moisturised and plump. Another product I will never go without again.

That’s everything for my 2020 yearly favourites. I have tried so many good (and bad) products this year, and of course I couldn’t speak about EVERYTHING in this post, so this is just the very best of the year for me.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your top picks for the year? Let me know below!

Wishing you all the very best for 2021.

Jazmin xx