The {makeupfu} Tofu Cubes Awards: Favorite Makeup Products of 2014

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The {makeupfu} Tofu Cubes Awards: Favorite Products of 2014

 

 

Wow, was 2014 a great year for makeup! There was a slew of intriguing offerings of cruelty-free and vegan products by my usual favorite companies, as well as those from new brands.

All products listed below were either released last year, or are new to me and tried for the first time in 2014. Also, all products chosen as favorites are completely vegan and cruelty-free.

Favorite Makeup Products of 2014

The {makeupfu} Tofu Cubes Awards: Favorite Makeup Products of 2014

 

 

Favorite New Brand in 2014

Sukin. After first discovering the Australian brand at T.J.Maxx last year, I have tried many of their products and loved every one. Now I make sure to grab everything I find whenever I visit T.J.Maxx.

Face Products

Best BB/CC Cream

Pacifica Ultra CC Cream in Warm/Light. $18. This incarnation of the ubiquitous letter creams offers more coverage than most vegan CC creams on the market.

Best Concealer

Physicians Formula Nude Wear Touch of Glow Concealer. $13. The cute packaging for this light-weight concealer is icing on the cake for an already terrific product.

Best Budget Pressed Powder

L.A. Colors Pressed Powder in Nude. $1-$1.50. Don’t let the low price and flimsy packaging deceive you. This is one of my favorite powder products. I wore it so often that I hit pan about half a year after purchasing. If you can match your skin with one of the few shades available, be sure to give this powder a go.

Best Pressed Powder

e.l.f. Mineral Pressed Mineral Foundation in Porcelain. $8. My go-to powder for 2014. I’m also about to hit pan on this product.

Face Color Products

Best Budget Pressed Blush

e.l.f. Pressed Mineral Blush in Sweet Retreat. $5. The blush I wore more often than any other this year. A light and neutral pink that results in the perfect natural flush. My review here.

Best Baked Blush

Too Faced Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow. $30. Adorable packaging and just enough color to give a subtle glow. Also works well as a highlighter.

Best Cream Blush

GlamNatural Cream Blush in Sun Kissed. $28. A natural looking flush that also doubles as an awesome neutral lip color. My review here.

Best Bronzer

e.l.f. Studio Baked Bronzer in Los Cabos. $3. While I usually use the e.l.f. Baked products wet, I prefer using these bronzers dry to give me just a hint of color.

Best Highlighter

e.l.f. Studio Baked Highlighter in Blushing Gems. $3. Though it’s a little shimmery, I still think this a great highlighter. Like the baked bronzer above, I usually use the product dry.

Eye Products

Best Cream Eyeshadow

e.l.f. Essential Smudge Pot in Cruising Chic. $2. While not without its share of problems, this is one of the best cream shadow I’ve ever tried.

Best Mineral Eyeshadow

Modern Minerals Eyeshadow in Cherish. Technically I received this shadow a week before 2014 started, but I didn’t really start wearing it until after the new year. This duochrome shadow appears champagne in the jar, but has a blue shift that shines when applied over the right primer.

Best Budget Mascara

e.l.f. Studio Mineral INFUSED Mascara. $3. I’m convinced this may well be the best mascara ever. Bonus points for being easy to remove.

Best Mineral Mascara

Pacifica Aquarian Gaze Mascara in Abyss. $12. If a more natural formula is more up your alley, this mascara is almost as good as the one above by e.l.f.

Best Eyeshadow Primer

LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs LunatiCK Primer. $10. A great addition to your makeup arsenal. The white really makes eyeshadow pop.

Best Eyeliner

e.l.f. Mineral Waterproof Shadow Liner. $3. A much better product over e.l.f.’s previous Studio Waterproof Eyeliner Crayon. I like that you can choose to wear them as either a liner or shadow.

Lip Products

Best Lip Balm

ellovi Lip Balm. $5. Probably the most perfect lip balm I’ve ever tried, with its harder than average waxy consistency and wonderful, all-natural scent. Read my review here.

Best Lip Tint

Everyday Minerals Tinted Lip Butter in Blooming Mauve. $6. A great neutral, cool-leading shade with a decent moisturizing consistency. Read my review here.

Best Lip Gloss

e.l.f. Essential EX-Tra Lip Gloss in Scott. $2. One of my most worn lip gloss shades of 2014, this is a great shiny, neutral shade of pink. Read my review here.

Best Lipstick

e.l.f. Studio Moisturizing Lipstick in Wink Pink. $3. These are some of the best vegan lipsticks around, even before taking their budget-friendly price into account. Read my review here.

Best Red Lipstick

e.l.f. Essential Lipstick in Fearless. $1. While the lipstick quality leaves something to be desired, this is the truest vegan red I’ve ever tried. Read more here.

Best Red Lip Gloss

Wet n Wild MegaSlicks Lip Gloss in Bloody Good. $1.99. This red lip gloss is a limited edition product during the Halloween season. Another good, true red shade that is very wearable due to the sheer formulation. Read my review here.

Nail Products

Best Budget Nail Polish

Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Polish Chambray Showers. 99¢. A lovely, robin eggs blue with great coverage. This is a limited edition product.

Runner Up:
Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Polish in Ferris Wheel. 99¢. I usually dislike light pink nail colors since they tend to lean cool, but this sheer pink is an exception. Also a limited edition product.

Best Glitter Nail Polish

Wet n Wild Mega Rocks in Rising Star. $2.99. Hands down my favorite polish of 2014. Try layering a coat of the Wet n Wild Matte Top Coat for an interesting effect. Yet another limited edition product.

Best Top Coat

Wet n Wild Wild Shine Nail Polish in Matte Top Coat. 99¢. The only matte top coat you’ll ever need. Read more here.

Palettes

Best Palette over $30

LunatiCK Cosmetic Labs Makeup Palette in Supernatural. $35. With the combination of the cute coffin packaging and its pink to wine shades, this palette is a winner. It also segues nicely with Marsala, the Pantone Color of the Year 2015.

Best Palette under $30

e.l.f. Perfect Eyes Collection Palette. $5. With its shocking low price and nine beautiful neutrals, it’s no surprise this palette quickly sold out almost immediately after its launch during the Holiday 2014 season. Easily my used palette.

Runner Up:
e.l.f. Essential 18 Piece Eyeshadow Palette (contains natural fiber brush). $10. This is a really well put together palette. Unfortunately, the inclusion of a natural fiber brush relegates this palette to runner-up status.

Best Palette under $5

e.l.f. Essential Disney Princess Snow White The Fairest of Them All Eye Collection Palette. $5. This Urban Decay Vegan Palette dupe is not only budget friendly, but also has a buttery consistency and excellent color payoff. I actually prefer this palette to the original UD Vegan Palette.

 

Agree or disagree with my list of favorite products for 2014? Let me know below!