Recently, I stumbled upon an interesting tag on reviewing the past beauty year: the beauty inventory tag created by Paddy, Jettie and Valerie. Spontaneously, I decided to do this tag as well, because I enjoyed cosmetics and beauty a lot last year. Another name for 2012 would certainly be the beauty year of my life, because I never ever purchased so many cosmetics items (and also not that expensive ones) like last year.
In 2012, I bought a lot of cosmetics items, experimented a lot with colours, my eyebrow shape and anything related to beauty. Amongst others, nearly my whole makeup brush collection has been bought in 2012. In 2011 I only owned very few travel makeup brushes by MAC which I never used. In 2012 I bought a lot of high end brushes - I ended up with quite some collection of MAC brushes. However, I also bought a lot of other brushes. See my favorite new brushes below - this is just a small fraction of the amount of brushes I bought. Furthermore, I used skin care nearly every day (eye care, face care, body care, everything :-)) and discovered that skin care can do wonders to dry skin. I also wore makeup nearly every day (a complete set of products including several eye shadows) and discovered looks that made me look great. I was able to use up a lot of products (see my empties posts) and I also was able to use and experiment with all of my decorative cosmetics items during the course of the last year. However, due to the large amount, some items have been used quite seldomly, unfortunately.
Of course I still do enjoy beauty and cosmetics and I won't stop experimenting in 2013. Nevertheless, I also try to cut down a bit the fraction of time, space and attention that I invest into beauty and cosmetics. Maybe I have got a bit tired of the huge amount of items I tried and used up. As I also found a lot of favorite products, I don't feel like missing out anything when I stick to them for the most part. In addition, I feel the need to shrink the amount of beauty products I own in order to be able to keep enjoying them. More specifically, I need to use up, declutter and to not buy that much cosmetics anymore.
In 2012, I bought a lot of cosmetics items, experimented a lot with colours, my eyebrow shape and anything related to beauty. Amongst others, nearly my whole makeup brush collection has been bought in 2012. In 2011 I only owned very few travel makeup brushes by MAC which I never used. In 2012 I bought a lot of high end brushes - I ended up with quite some collection of MAC brushes. However, I also bought a lot of other brushes. See my favorite new brushes below - this is just a small fraction of the amount of brushes I bought. Furthermore, I used skin care nearly every day (eye care, face care, body care, everything :-)) and discovered that skin care can do wonders to dry skin. I also wore makeup nearly every day (a complete set of products including several eye shadows) and discovered looks that made me look great. I was able to use up a lot of products (see my empties posts) and I also was able to use and experiment with all of my decorative cosmetics items during the course of the last year. However, due to the large amount, some items have been used quite seldomly, unfortunately.
Of course I still do enjoy beauty and cosmetics and I won't stop experimenting in 2013. Nevertheless, I also try to cut down a bit the fraction of time, space and attention that I invest into beauty and cosmetics. Maybe I have got a bit tired of the huge amount of items I tried and used up. As I also found a lot of favorite products, I don't feel like missing out anything when I stick to them for the most part. In addition, I feel the need to shrink the amount of beauty products I own in order to be able to keep enjoying them. More specifically, I need to use up, declutter and to not buy that much cosmetics anymore.
But let's take a look at my review of the beauty year 2012 that just passed. Here are my answers to the beauty inventory tag (Amongst others, I removed a couple of questions that don't fit (e.g. the question about the craziest PR message and the question about the favorite event don't fit because I am not a professional beauty blogger and don't get any PR messages or invitations to events.):
Which new experiences and insights have you been able to acquire in 2012? (concerning cosmetics and concerning the blog)
Which products do you not want to miss in your daily routine?
My eyeshadow brushes (see my current favourite ones below), a well-soothing face care set (eye care, day face cream, night face cream, serum, lip care), a not too aggressive shower gel and a soothing body lotion. A strong micellar water (e.g. by Bioderma or Melvita or Taaj), a versatile eyeliner (Bobbi Brown), matching eye shadows that blend well and have a good colour payoff (e.g. by Urban Decay, MAC or Nars), a good & blendable blush and a good smudge proof black mascara.
Except for the brushes shown below that I adore, there is no place for specific products here because I still change them quite frequently at the moment. The brushes shown below, however, have worked their way deep into my routine and form an essential part of it. I don't think I will experiment much anymore in this area because I already experimented a lot and these are the brushes that excelled over all other brushes I tried up to now (and I tried a lot of them ;-)).
Did you use products for other purposes than the ones they were designed for?
Very seldomly I used a lipstick as blush. I also experimented a bit with a greyish brown eyeshadow for contouring. Furthermore, I prefer to wash my brushes with hand soap that is enriched with oils than with usual brush cleansers.
- Cosmetics: I read about the season colour theory and realized that I am a summer in this colour theory and that this theory is particularly helpful and inspiring when aiming at shrinking a wardrobe and a beauty and makeup collection and it also helps to prevent mispurchases in these areas. Of course, it is just a theory and not each rule has to be followed religiously. Actually, none of the rules have to be followed. But in case you aim for an elegant and decent style that fits any occasion and a very small wardrobe and cosmetics collection, you should have a look at it because the principles are pretty convincing. They made me realize what I subconsciously knew before anyway. Most of my belongings did match my season colour theory type but I also had a couple of mispurchases. So, knowing what I should take care of is a great guideline for any decluttering endeavor and also helps to avoid mispurchases. Before that, I just had kind of a feeling and feelings sometimes are blurred or not trusted. ;-)
- Blog: I started my blog in 2012 and when I started blogging I blogged a lot about beauty. However, I soon realized that I don't want to be a typical beauty blogger. This would cause me to hoard products and to purchase a huge amount of cosmetics items on a regular basis while already owning a ton of them. I realized that I feel too much attracted to minimalism and for me a beauty blogger cannot be a minimalist - each new product has to be swatched and compared to other products and hence, they all have to be kept and organized. Afterwards I was in a bit of a dilemma because I don't want to skip beauty on my blog altogether either as I still do enjoy experimenting with cosmetics. It still is a nice and beloved hobby even though I don't want to spend to much time with it anymore. So, I might try to blog about minimalistic beauty in 2013. Let's see. :-)
Another great insight I got with blogging is that I enjoy writing and sharing my thoughts with the online world very much. And I'm asking myself why I didn't start to blog years ago.
Which products do you not want to miss in your daily routine?
My eyeshadow brushes (see my current favourite ones below), a well-soothing face care set (eye care, day face cream, night face cream, serum, lip care), a not too aggressive shower gel and a soothing body lotion. A strong micellar water (e.g. by Bioderma or Melvita or Taaj), a versatile eyeliner (Bobbi Brown), matching eye shadows that blend well and have a good colour payoff (e.g. by Urban Decay, MAC or Nars), a good & blendable blush and a good smudge proof black mascara.
Except for the brushes shown below that I adore, there is no place for specific products here because I still change them quite frequently at the moment. The brushes shown below, however, have worked their way deep into my routine and form an essential part of it. I don't think I will experiment much anymore in this area because I already experimented a lot and these are the brushes that excelled over all other brushes I tried up to now (and I tried a lot of them ;-)).
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| my favourite new brushes (I own so much more but this is the candy ;-)) |
Did you use products for other purposes than the ones they were designed for?
Very seldomly I used a lipstick as blush. I also experimented a bit with a greyish brown eyeshadow for contouring. Furthermore, I prefer to wash my brushes with hand soap that is enriched with oils than with usual brush cleansers.
Oldies but Goldies – which products do you use for a long time now and have repurchased often and have proved themselves?
My Weleda wild rose eye care and face care and my Sante conditioner. Below you can see the eye care and the conditioner. I haven't repurchased the face care shown here in my favourites of November yet, but I will for sure. ;-)
Which were the greatest newly discovered products in 2012 in the areas of decorative cosmetics, skin care, hair and nails?
- makeup: Bobbi Brown gel eyeliners (I own granite ink and espresso ink), Nars eye shadows (especially LHASA and BLKR), the Nars radiant tinted moisturizer, tarte blushes (I own dollface and exposed), YSL cream to powder blushes (I own the shades 01 and 02), Benefit Hervanablush, the Becca shimmering skin perfector in pearl, Clinique airbrush concealer, the Naked 1 and 2 palettes
- care cosmetics: the anti-age Nonique eye cream, Lavera body lotions in general, Taaj micellar water
- hair: Melvita shampoo
- nails: Nars nail polish (e.g. Trouville and Storm Bird), Butter London Yummy Mummy, Zoya Megan, Astor Qick'n'Go in 343.
Were there any scents that gave you a special feeling in 2012?
The scented candle Feu de Bois by Diptyque and the two perfumes Verveine by Origins and Petits et Mamans by Bulgari were scents I associate with a great time. While the scented candle provides wonderful company for a relaxed evening with a book or a journal or something to knit, the two mentioned perfumes are great every day scents. Verveine is very refreshing and reminds me of a great day at work. I love to wear citrus scents for work and this one is just about perfect. Petits et Mamans is just a cozy scent for feeling good at home.
Which brand was the brand of the year for you and why?
Nars, Urban Decay, Nonique and Alverde. Nars because it took me by surprise in 2012. I love the packaging and the products are great, too. I fell in love with the LHASA eye shadow and the Yachiyo brush. Urban Decay because I love the eye shadow primer and the Naked palettes. Nonique and Alverde because they are rather inexpensive organic brands and I loved to use some of their shower gels and body lotions in 2012.
Nars, Urban Decay, Nonique and Alverde. Nars because it took me by surprise in 2012. I love the packaging and the products are great, too. I fell in love with the LHASA eye shadow and the Yachiyo brush. Urban Decay because I love the eye shadow primer and the Naked palettes. Nonique and Alverde because they are rather inexpensive organic brands and I loved to use some of their shower gels and body lotions in 2012.
About which collection/limited edition were you most enthusiastic?
None actually. I bought items from collections/limited editions but I wasn't that enthusiastic about them and didn't hunt for any product. I try to also buy more from the standard collection and to avoid limited editions altogether as much as possible. Of course, exceptions were allowed in 2012 but I didn't want to focus on limited editions and this actually worked out greatly in 2012.
None actually. I bought items from collections/limited editions but I wasn't that enthusiastic about them and didn't hunt for any product. I try to also buy more from the standard collection and to avoid limited editions altogether as much as possible. Of course, exceptions were allowed in 2012 but I didn't want to focus on limited editions and this actually worked out greatly in 2012.
Which product provided you with the hugest feelgood factor?
The Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector. It tastes great, feels great on the lips and soothes the skin. I love it and I love to wear it. Great product. I have it in shade 01.
The Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector. It tastes great, feels great on the lips and soothes the skin. I love it and I love to wear it. Great product. I have it in shade 01.
Which product were you chasing the most?
The old MAC 222 crease brush that has been taken from the market by MAC end of 2011. I was able to buy it in the beginning of 2012 with the MAC online shop - I think I managed to get the last one - but I had to have a backup and the backup was the product I was chasing a lot on ebay and then purchased for a high price. But I love it and for me, it was worth it.
I also chased for a lip and cheek colour by MAC in the colour "have a lovely day". However, I didn't like the lip and cheek colour and decluttered it already. I also decided to not go anymore for lip & cheek products in general because I find them a bit too grease and not very blendable (the lip part) and at the same time drying (the cheek part). Not all areas can be combined and lips and cheeks are obviously a good example. ;-)
Love on first sight - which product was such kind of a love at first sight product?
The old MAC 222 crease brush that has been taken from the market by MAC end of 2011. I was able to buy it in the beginning of 2012 with the MAC online shop - I think I managed to get the last one - but I had to have a backup and the backup was the product I was chasing a lot on ebay and then purchased for a high price. But I love it and for me, it was worth it.
I also chased for a lip and cheek colour by MAC in the colour "have a lovely day". However, I didn't like the lip and cheek colour and decluttered it already. I also decided to not go anymore for lip & cheek products in general because I find them a bit too grease and not very blendable (the lip part) and at the same time drying (the cheek part). Not all areas can be combined and lips and cheeks are obviously a good example. ;-)
Love on first sight - which product was such kind of a love at first sight product?
The nail polish Tuilleries by Lex. I saw it on the blog of Meg and had to have it and finally Jessica from Getting Cheeky was so kind to help me get it.
Which was the most expensive product you bought in 2012?
The MAC 138 brush. It was totally worth it. I love it.
Which was the most expensive product you bought in 2012?
The MAC 138 brush. It was totally worth it. I love it.
The worst product of 2012?
The worst products probably were the shower gel Fame by Lady Gaga (see it in my empties of November) and the body lotion Womanity by Thierry Mugler (see it in my empties of October). These products were aweful.
What did you search for in 2012 and still haven't found it?
The perfect muted bright blue nail polish. A bright base cream eye shadow that does have none or just a very tiny bit of shimmer.
What kinds of products do you wish for in 2013?
More organic skin care. A good organic foundation and a good organic concealer. A good freestyle palette that keeps the eye shadows in place (when I was traveling with my free style palettes, the eyeshadows were flying around, unfortunately).
Which previous favourite products didn't you use anymore in 2012?
I learned that my eye make up remover pads that I really liked using for years and years before 2012 were not good products. When I started to experiment with other eye make up removers in 2012, I discovered how great a good eye makeup remover can be and hence, I won't use the products I used before anymore.
Which product has been hyped a lot in your environment and then fastly forgotten?
The Chanel Bronzer. Although it was even more hyped in 2011, 2012 a lot of people still talked a lot about it. Unfortunately, I just don't like to use it most of the time.
Which were your favourite blogs this year?
I enjoyed very much to read and watch essiebutton (thank you for all the great product recommendations, I now own half of your collection, too ;-)), lipsofacto, getting cheeky, chelseawears, what I heart today.
The cosmetics year 2013 in 3 words:
What is a must in 2013 and what are you looking forward to the most?
I definitely want to do more decluttering and using up and shrinking the amount of cosmetics I have around. However, I definitely also want to keep experimenting. But in 2013 I want to experiment much less than in 2012.
A must for me in 2013 is a further look into french skin care, organic skin care and makeup from NARS, Inglot and Tarte. My first buy in 2013 was the Naked basics palette that should arrive soon. I am sure I will rave about it at the end of the year. :-)
I am also looking forward to experimenting soon with the stock at Boots and to using up my stash. As I bought a lot of products in 2012, however, I will still be able to enjoy using them up for quite some time in 2013. But this is also something I am looking forward to in 2013. :-)
The worst products probably were the shower gel Fame by Lady Gaga (see it in my empties of November) and the body lotion Womanity by Thierry Mugler (see it in my empties of October). These products were aweful.
What did you search for in 2012 and still haven't found it?
The perfect muted bright blue nail polish. A bright base cream eye shadow that does have none or just a very tiny bit of shimmer.
What kinds of products do you wish for in 2013?
More organic skin care. A good organic foundation and a good organic concealer. A good freestyle palette that keeps the eye shadows in place (when I was traveling with my free style palettes, the eyeshadows were flying around, unfortunately).
Which previous favourite products didn't you use anymore in 2012?
I learned that my eye make up remover pads that I really liked using for years and years before 2012 were not good products. When I started to experiment with other eye make up removers in 2012, I discovered how great a good eye makeup remover can be and hence, I won't use the products I used before anymore.
Which product has been hyped a lot in your environment and then fastly forgotten?
The Chanel Bronzer. Although it was even more hyped in 2011, 2012 a lot of people still talked a lot about it. Unfortunately, I just don't like to use it most of the time.
Which were your favourite blogs this year?
I enjoyed very much to read and watch essiebutton (thank you for all the great product recommendations, I now own half of your collection, too ;-)), lipsofacto, getting cheeky, chelseawears, what I heart today.
The cosmetics year 2013 in 3 words:
- Expensive (I spent a lot of money on cosmetics),
- Discoveries (I made a lot of great discoveries and learned that there are really great products out there if you are willing and able to spend a bit of money ...),
- Experiments (I experimented with shades, textures, everything - and I finally am drifting to the perfect eye brow shape :-))
What is a must in 2013 and what are you looking forward to the most?
I definitely want to do more decluttering and using up and shrinking the amount of cosmetics I have around. However, I definitely also want to keep experimenting. But in 2013 I want to experiment much less than in 2012.
A must for me in 2013 is a further look into french skin care, organic skin care and makeup from NARS, Inglot and Tarte. My first buy in 2013 was the Naked basics palette that should arrive soon. I am sure I will rave about it at the end of the year. :-)
I am also looking forward to experimenting soon with the stock at Boots and to using up my stash. As I bought a lot of products in 2012, however, I will still be able to enjoy using them up for quite some time in 2013. But this is also something I am looking forward to in 2013. :-)
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