Best, Most, and Worst [2021 Edition]

[makeitup305]

Another year has passed so figured I'd keep my tradition going and post my Best, Most, and Worst thread. Can't wait to read everyone's replies!

1) Your favorite purchase of the year- why?

2) A purchase you regret- why?

3) Most expensive purchase- was it worth the money? 

4) Most hyped product you bought- was it worth it?

5) Did you spend less, the same, or more than other years? 

6) Rediscovered loves or underrated/underhyped makeup discoveries

7) A product you missed out on or haven't bought yet but really want

8 ) Did your makeup routine change in any way?

9) What makeup trend do you think will be big next year?

10) What was your favorite body product or fragrance?

Here are my answers!

1) Your favorite purchase of the year- why? It's like trying to pick a favorite child. I picked up so many good products this year. Top 5, I would say Natasha Denona Retro Eyeshadow Palette PAT McGRATH LABS Mothership IX Eyeshadow Palette: Huetopian Dream, the Vanity Makeup Cosmetics Signature Palette, and NARS Bijoux and Climax palettes. I had some really cool purchases over Black Friday but I haven't tried them enough to make them favorites just yet. For non-makeup, I bought myself a Coach bag on sale and have no regrets. The outlet is where it's at. 

2) A purchase you regret- why? I don't regret them so much so that I wish they were better formulated: the Melt Cosmetics Mary Jane Eyeshadow Palette and Melt Cosmetics Brunet Eyeshadow Palette . I love the color stories but have issues with the shimmers.

3) Most expensive purchase- was it worth the money? Sonia G Sky Face Set, totally worth it for me.

4) Most hyped product you bought- was it worth it? I would say the Rephr brushes lived up to the hype for me. I haven't washed them all just yet and I'm not sure how well they hold up over time but I was very happy with how they feel and how the apply color.  Another overhyped product I bought is the Thrive mascara, it's just ok for me.

5) Did you spend less, the same, or more than other years? I'm not sure. My purchases over the first half of the year were pretty minimal but I went all out during Black Friday and all the sales, so maybe about the same?

6) Rediscovered loves or underrated/underhyped makeup discoveries Rose Inc blushes, MUFE cream blushes, Roen quads

7) A product you missed out on or haven't bought yet but really want the Victoria Beckham Bronzer in #2 and the Rephr 22 Brush (the large bronzer one).

8 ) Did your makeup routine change in any way? During the first half of the year I didn't use that much makeup but being back on BIC definitely reignited my love for doing full looks. 

9) What makeup trend do you think will be big next year? I think we're still going to see lots of cream products and light bases.

10) What was your favorite body product or fragrance? CLEAN RESERVE Reserve - Skin 3.4 oz/ 101 mL is still one of my favorites for every day. For body, I recently discovered the Biossance 100% Sugarcane Squalane Oil 3.4 oz / 100 mL thanks to a few BIC members and it's a game changer for me. 

Tagging @itsfi @Sunnysmom @faeriegirl @eshoe @Ispend2much6 @curlychiquita @ather @SportyGirly125 @lmaster @haleyvvvv @heavyhedon @RGbrown @sister13 @CookieGirl1 @greeneyedgirl107 @AznAngelLiz @Kim888 @Titian06 

[danielledanielle]

I am with you on the PMG blushes @WinglessOne , I was scared they wouldn't live up to the hype, but they did

Alao glad the Lotus brushes worked out more than you intended!

[WinglessOne]

@danielledanielle  I was so worried about the Base fan brush in the Lotus set, and the angled face brush which wound up being my second fave of the bunch. 😂 The Base brush is good for days I don't wanna use my hands to apply tinted moisturizer or a skin tint. I'm used to a totally different brush shape for that task, so it took a bit of playtime for that big thick fan to win me over. 

And you're not alone on the "will these blushes live up to the hype" front. Many (MANY) PMG fans wanted Pat to launch a blush, and I think there was a collective sigh of relief when folks got their hands on 'em and liked/loved 'em. I mean, I'm sure some folks were underwhelmed; can't please everyone, after all (like me and my bad WA blush stick experience vs. many WA fans' experience). I'm glad you like yours! 

[QueenMarceline]

@WinglessOne Such a great recap 🙂 Thank you for sharing. This is like the 100th time I'm seeing people mention the KILIAN Paris Apple Brandy Eau de Parfum 1.7 oz/ 50 mL Eau de Parfum Spray I seriously keep bumping it up on my list of perfumes I need to try in 2022 😊

[WinglessOne]

@QueenMarceline  It's a goodie if you like gourmands, particularly if you're already familiar with Kilian. Of the fragrances TeamBIC graciously sent as gifts, this is the only one I've reviewed (on the product review page) so far: I keep reaching for it instead of the others in the gift. If you try it, I hope you enjoy it!

[makeitup305]

What an awesome roundup @WinglessOne ! I agree on the Rephr brushes, I would say those are hyped and worth the purchase. I’m waiting on the Lotus restock and individual brush release. Sorry the Babycheeks didn’t work out for you 😞

[WinglessOne]

@makeitup305  Interestingly, the only times I hear folks talk about Rephr are when I'm talking with my brush-collecting friend (the one who turned a spare bedroom into her own personal brush showroom/museum) and visiting BIC. Then again, I don't follow beauty influencers so I have no idea how many have hyped up the brand since it launched. When I compare the general non-influencer hype I hear about Rephr to, say, Sonia G., Hakuhodo, Chikuhodo, etc., Rephr still seems under the radar to me. Most of my non-BIC beauty loving friends and acquaintances know of and own some Sonia G. brushes, but hadn't heard of Rephr til I mentioned the brand. Man, Rephr owes me commission by now! 🤣 

That dang Poppet blush stick has stopped me from buying any other WA products. I don't normally write off an entire brand based on the first and only product I try; most brands have at least one dud. But the way the blushes are marketed and brand-demoed don't match my product experience at all. That makes the brand seem shady to me, and I've lost trust in them, especially at their price point—and most especially knowing how many less expensive cream blushes perform far better. I know some folks love those WA blush sticks and hey, that's great for them! I'm just not one of them. 

[Samtian]

@WinglessOne I had never heard of Rephr until I saw your posts about them lol. Anywhere we can see this museum?!

[WinglessOne]

@Samtian  Haha, I keep telling [my crazy brush collector friend] to visit BIC and at least post a couple photos of her fude room in the Love for Brushes thread. I'd love to see her participate in that thread to share all her knowledge and experience. If you occasionally visit Sonia G.'s blog (I visit whenever I hear she's launching a new brush shape or set, because I know she'll do a thorough writeup and comparison) and you've seen her posts about various brands' brushes and her own massive brush collection: yeah, that's the level my friend's at, minus launching her own brand. 🤣 

[Samtian]

@WinglessOne That's awesome! Hopefully one day she'll join us!

[Sunnysmom]

Good list @WinglessOne . Bummer about the darn WA blush. ( I wish it was creamier but I use it with something else under it. My tube doesn’t look very pretty. Lol ) Good info on brushes as usual thank you! 

[WinglessOne]

@Sunnysmom  I've tried so many ways to use that WA blush. I thought warming it up on the back of my hand and mixing in a tiny bit of jojoba or other oil would help, but nope: same patchy application result. Applying it over another cream blush, cream face product, facial oil, radiant or dewy/glowy sunscreen, or any kind of moisturizer that works for my skin also doesn't help. Maybe my Poppet stick is just cursed. 🤣 

[Sunnysmom]

Oh man @WinglessOne I am sure you have! 😆Isn’t that frustrating. I tried to do that with her foundation stick which I just found to be too much too heavy too whatever and I know so many liked it! We should probably both sing the 🎵Let it Go 🎶 song tho I think we both have! 

[Kim888]

The rephr brushes are really nice, agreed @WinglessOne ! They were definitely a “YouTube made me buy it” thing when I watched a lot more a few years ago, but I definitely don’t regret the purchases! 

[WinglessOne]

@Kim888 I'd love to know which brushmaker is behind the brand. A lot of these brushes are steals at these price points, especially once you factor in occasional sales or the 40% discount you get after reviewing your brushes. I now recommend them whenever someone asks for "good beginner natural hair brushes," because I can see these lasting a long time with proper care. Glad you also love yours! 

[QueenMarceline]

This is such a cool thread to participate in and read through, thank you for making it 🙂

1) Your favorite purchase of the year- why?

My favorite purchase of the year has to go to the Drunk Elephant Protini™ Polypeptide Firming Refillable Moisturizer 1.69 oz/ 50 mL I discovered it earlier this year through some minis that were either GWP, freebies or came in the larger holiday sets I always buy and I fell in LOVE. I lived off those samples for a few months and stopped reaching for my other moisturizers. I ended up stocking up on these at every VIB sale, Black Friday Drunk Elephant Sale, you name it. I always get at least one if not two. My skin just loves this stuff. I have combo skin that goes super oily in the summer and super dry in the winter and I think this is one of those unicorn moisturizers that somehow works in both extremes. It's not too heavy for when I'm oily and it still gets the job done for those harsh northern weather months. I still use some heavier creams during that time occasionally (I'm surrounded by the Great Lakes, it's rough out here) but my skin loves this stuff where I always use it as my "first layer". Something in this formula is super nourishing and has a nice calming effect on my skin. This is probably one of my only truly NEW discoveries this year that I'll be taking with me into 2022 and beyond.

2) A purchase you regret- why?

I honestly am over my phase of trying out many new products. I have a lot of staples in my collection that I also have tried alternatives for that just don't measure up. I think 2022 is the year for me of "if it ain't broke, don't try to fix it". Therefore, I didn't purchase any real regrets in 2021. However, I did make a very very bad purchase with my Beauty Insider Points in the Herbivore Bakuchiol Retinol Alternative Smoothing Serum 1.0 oz/ 30 mL absolutely terrible on my skin and caused a huge painful breakout that I'm somehow still feeling the remnants of weeks later? I think I'm more mad that I spent 100 points because that's essentially $100 of past purchases at Sephora... what an absolute waste. I can't return it because it was a points purchase and I wouldn't even give it to my worst enemy. This was an eye opener that I will never ever be blindly using my points to 'try out' anything new ever again. Give me my $10 off or my $100 rouge reward or a set of things I already love in mini-sizes for travel (I'm a sucker for spending my points on those kinds of sets) but never again am I doing this. Herbivore is a brand I actually quite enjoy so this was super disappointing and literally, PAINFUL.

3) Most expensive purchase- was it worth the money? 

I didn't really splurge on anything too crazy, skincare for me is somehow already very expensive. The most expensive product that I probably bought this year is the Drunk Elephant T.L.C. Framboos™ Glycolic Resurfacing Night Serum in the largest size which goes for $134/1.7oz. I've been using this stuff for at least 3ish years now on a regular basis so the large size just makes sense to me and it's a clear hit. I picked at least 3-4 of these up this year so they do get wildly expensive for just one skincare item in my routine. Is it worth the money? I don't know, it's super pricey but I clearly keep re-buying it so that speaks for itself. (Seriously... if I only bought these at Sephora I could make VIB easily only with this product alone... oof, it hurts when you put it that way.)

4) Most hyped product you bought- was it worth it?

I honestly have really stayed away from "hypes" the last couple of years and increasingly so this year. This is something I'll be taking with me into the new upcoming year. In the past, I've gotten a lot of hyped products and been sorely disappointed. Sometimes the "hype" causes (possibly, unrealistically) high expectations. If I had to choose, it would be the Mount Lai Amethyst Roller it's a nice/decent product but I already own a Jade roller, onyx roller and a rose quartz roller from previous years purchases. So for me, no. It was not worth the hype. (Note to self: Seriously, Marcy... how many "rollers" do you need?)

5) Did you spend less, the same, or more than other years? 

I've spent a LOT less this year in comparison to other years, especially at Sephora (oof). I used to easily make Rouge within the first half (if not earlier) of the year in the past and this year... I made Rouge at the beginning of December and honestly at one point was not sure if I would make Rouge at all. I think this is a combination of covid-related restrictions trimming down my travels immensely as well as "going-out" activities and also the lack of (dare I say, forgive me) incentives to continue shopping at Sephora. As brands continue to be both available at ULTA and Sephora that were previously only exclusive to Sephora, I tend to want to buy them more at the competitor for the points rewards. I love the introduction of the Rouge reward but it's a little too late and a little, too little. I used to spend a good chunk of change only on Drunk Elephant products at Sephora but now I can snag a 20% off prestige code at ULTA quite frequently or there's currently a 5x points on Drunk Elephant happening. If I spend $400 on Drunk Elephant products (that's oddly easy to do) at ULTA right now I get 2,000 points which equals $125 off an ULTA purchase. If I spend $400 on Sephora I get ~400 Sephora points... thats not even 500 points which equals to $10 off. When looking at it this way... it's kind of a no brainer why I've gravitated towards their competition, even though I honestly have always preferred Sephora as a business and they have a special place in my heart which is why this probably why this really stinks.

6) Rediscovered loves or underrated/underhyped makeup discoveries?

I used to really love the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation but I stopped using it at least 5-6 years ago. I got a mini size of it in a sample bag from ULTA and I think once I go through my already opened foundation I'll be giving this another shot because I genuinely was amazed by the finish. 

7) A product you missed out on or haven't bought yet but really want

I would love to invest in some kind of "device" to help out my skincare routine I've had my eye on the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare Pro Facial Steamer and the Dr. Dennis Gross Skincare DRx SpectraLite™ FaceWare Pro for quite some time and maybe I'll make the splurge at some point.

8 ) Did your makeup routine change in any way?

Yes and no. I think my "everyday" makeup routine stayed very similar but this was certainly the year of less is more. I rarely reach for any foundation as I love my concealers and BB creams and the finish they leave on my face. I really haven't done much crazy shadow colors or reached for anything "new and exciting". Maybe I'm getting old but I think to think of it as, I've found what works and what doesn't and I'm not going to try to continue to beat a dead horse by making orange lipstick somehow look good on me even after trying 25+ different shades that all make me look like Bozo the Clown's little sister. (Note to self: Stop trying to make orange lipstick work for you, it's just not happening.)

9) What makeup trend do you think will be big next year?

I honestly think the trend for next year will be a take away from the lessons in past years and I'm already seeing it slowly happening. The less is more. The no-makeup-makeup-look. The natural brows. The light subdued shades on the lid. The glossy-dewy look. I think this year has taught us that it's kind of nice to have a lighter makeup routine and I think that will translate into 2022.

10) What was your favorite body product or fragrance?

I've fallen in love with a lot of fragrances as I am an admitted fragrance freak... but I think I really have to give this to TOCCA Stella 1.7 oz/ 50 mL Eau de Parfum Spray for the perfume category. I bought a lot of beautiful fragrances this year and I used my Rouge Reward on Stella but I was certainly the most excited to finally get my hands on this after receiving a few samples of it. Such an oddly homey and comforting perfume for me. The body product that I was late to the party on which I'm absolutely in love with is the Sol de Janeiro Biggie Biggie Bum Bum Cream 500 mL I consciously resisted trying this even though everyone raved about it because I didn't think I needed another "overly-expensive" body lotion that "does the same thing" I was so wrong and I am so sorry Insider Community. This stuff smells divine and my skin loves it more than any other lotion I've yet to try. 

[Samtian]

@QueenMarceline Ooh I have my eye on the steamer too.  I like your little side notes, they made me laugh. 

[QueenMarceline]

@Samtian Thank you, I'm glad that they brought about a chuckle 😂I had a lot of fun with this thread.

[makeitup305]

Thanks for all your awesome answers @QueenMarceline ! I think “less is more” as a style is very true. Sorry the Herbivore was so rough on you, I haven’t tried that particular product before but haven’t had any issues with other Bakuchiol products. 

[QueenMarceline]

@makeitup305 This was actually my first try of any kind of Bakuchiol product 😕 not a great first impression but I think I'd be willing to try another brand (a few months from now) just to be sure if it's the ingredient or something in the serum from Herbivore itself. (I just posted a review of it and I'm actually seeing similar reviews that had this reaction so I'm leaning towards that it might be the Herbivore version)

[pocketvenus]

1) My favourite beauty purchase of the year is probably Libertine Fragrance's LE Chlorophyllia. If we mean overall, I'm not going to lie, I am basically living in my SKIMS bodysuit and I can't get over it because I just can't get behind the whole culture of the Kardashians. Why, Kim, why are your clothes so flattering??? >_<  

2) I really regretted buying the Mario B toner I bought on a whim without doing any research. It made me break out, just horrible and returned.

3) Oh boy. Now that I'm not travelling anywhere, a good chunk of my cash has gone to SSENSE. They're also carrying more beauty products now. They even carry Frederic Malle! I dropped some change on a pair of Margiela boots and they are absolutely the best, I love them. In terms of beauty, probably fragrance. I don't want to think about it ha ha.

4) I didn't buy it but got a sample of the Sunday Riley Luna Retinol Sleeping Night Oil 35 mL and I quite like it. I want to buy the FB but I see that in Canada we don't have the retinol one, just the retinoid one?

5) Definitely less since no travel. And way less for beauty. I'm not going out as much and when I do, I'm just not doing up the bottom half of my face so products are not getting used.

6) Revisited a lot of fragrances. Like I hadn't used CdG's Kyoto in forever and forgot how fantastic it is.

7) I'm eyeing some exorbitantly priced incenses by Shoyeido. I have some sticks from them that are sort of the low end of their luxury line and they are so beautiful already. But not sure my nose is refined enough to appreciate the super high end stuff.

8 ) Yes!! Everything is wonky. I hardly ever use foundation anymore. More emphasis on brows, lipstick, blush and contouring because of videoconferencing. But I don't need primers and setting powders or anything anymore. Doing looks are different too, to get things to look proper online. It's more like doing stage makeup?

9) Bright, attention getting colours. Really theatrical looks.

10) Oh! I didn't realize we'd end with fragrance. I'd say my favourite purchases this year are the Libertine and Jazmin Sarai's Fayoum. Both Canadian 🙂

[Nahnom]

@pocketvenus Fayoum sounds interesting 🤔 🧐 I wonder how it distinguishes itself from other Arab perfumes with similar ingredients (jasmine, date/palm, fig). Have you had or smelt other Arab perfumes and can say how it distinguishes itself from them? I fear it might smell like every other Arab perfume I've encountered.