With 2012 quickly approaching, I wanted to take a look back at 2011 and share some of my favourite beauty products from the past year. As a complete makeup addict, this task was not easy. After all, it’s hard for a mother to pick her favourite child. In the end, I managed to come up with a good list of products, and couldn’t wait to share them with you.

1. Foundation: Laura Mercier – Oil Free Tinted Moisturizer
Lighter than most foundations out on the market, this oil-free tinted moisturizer has great coverage and feels amazing on the skin. Even for someone like me, who is very prone to acne, this tinted moisturizer has no problems covering my blemishes without making them dry and flaky.

2. Concealer: Bobbi Brown – Creamy Concealer
Bobbi Brown’s Creamy Concealer has been my concealer of choice for the past two years. This super creamy concealer blends nicely into the skin and, because it is yellow based, covers any red toned blemishes or spots.

3. Powder: MAC - Mineralized Skinfinish Natural
Unlike a lot of the translucent powders out on the market, MAC’s Mineralized Skinfinish Natural is a full coverage, yellow based powder. Similar to a powder foundation, this powder sets my liquid foundation and concealer, while giving my skin a more flawless appearance.

4. Blush: MAC – Mineralized Blush in ‘Gentle’
I am a blush fiend, so when it came to picking my favourite cheek colour for 2011, there were A LOT of great choices. In the end, I chose MAC’s Gentle, a gorgeous rosy toned pink that gives the cheeks a very natural looking flush. Unlike a lot of my other favourite blushes, which tend to only work for certain seasons, MAC’s ‘Gentle’ is the perfect ‘all year’ blush.

5. Bronzer: Bourjois – Delice de Poudre
Known as the ‘chocolate concealer’, this drugstore bronzer not only smells amazing, it gives the face a nice dose of bronze
colour without the ‘fake orange’ glow. This bronzer is completely matte, so those with larger pores or blemishes don’t have to worry about ‘shimmer or glitter’ drawing attention to their problem areas.

6. Highlighter: MAC – Shaping Powder in ‘Emphasize’
I bought this matte cream-toned powder with super fine white shimmer back in November, and have been using it every day since. This powder gives my skin a very natural glow, and because it is mainly matte, it doesn’t draw attention to any problem areas (as super glittery highlighters tend to do).

7. Eyeshadow: Urban Decay – Naked Palette
If I could only use one makeup product for the rest of my life, I would definitely choose Urban Decay’s Naked Palette. With twelve gorgeous, neutral shadows, this palette can be used to create a variety of day and night looks. All of the shadows in this palette are well pigmented and, because they are super creamy, blend nicely onto the lids. I love this palette!!

8. Mascara: Buxom – Buxom Lash Mascara
While I have tried several different mascaras over the past couple of years, I always find myself coming back to Buxom’s Buxom Lash Mascara. With a unique, thick and long plastic wand, this mascara gives light and sparse lashes tons of volume and a lot of length.

9. Lipstick: MAC – Lipstick in ‘Lustering’
Due to extremely dry and sensitive lips the past few months, lipstick has been out of the question. However, when I look back to the warmer days of summer, my absolute favourite lipstick was MAC’s ‘Lustering’, a super hot pink, glossy lipstick that adds a bold pop of colour to any makeup look. My favourite thing about this lipstick is that it works with a variety of skin tones meaning that almost anyone can pull it off.

10. Lipgloss: Clinique - Chubby Stick in ’Whole Lotta Honey’
While at first appearance, Clinique’s Chubby Sticks look more like a lip pencil than a lipgloss, when applied to the lips, these chunky, wind-up pencils give the lips a gorgeous sheen and a ton of moisture. Whole Lotta Honey is a light, nude brown that gives my lips a natural, fuller appearance.

xo Alicia

Not sure what to get that special ‘makeup loving’ someone on your Christmas list this year? Don’t worry! I am here to help. As a responsible beauty blogger (read makeup addict), I have tested A LOT of the products, and have taken the time to narrow down my top beauty picks for the holidays.

It’s hard for me to pick my favourite category of makeup. I love it all! However, if someone were to put a gun to my head and ask me to choose, I’d have to go with eyeshadow. For me, doing my eye makeup is the most creative part of my getting ready process. I enjoy experimenting with
different shadows, and love how the same shadows can be used to create a neutral, a colourful or a smoky look.

Below are my top five eyeshadow palette picks, perfect for any makeup newbie or novice on your holiday list:

Urban Decay Naked Palette ($58 CND at Sephora):
As dramatic as it may sound, this eyeshadow palette has changed my life. As someone who always wore bright and colourful eyeshadow, I was stunned by how many gorgeous looks I could achieve using more neutral and smoky shadows. I use this palette on a weekly basis and find that it is the only palette I need when travelling. Whether your special someone is a makeup pro or is just getting into the world of beauty, this palette will truly make the perfect holiday present.

Too Faced Matte Eyeshadow Palette ($44 CND at Sephora):
While I love the way super shiny or glittery eyeshadows look on others, I find that those types of shades sometimes make my wrinkly lids look even more creased. That’s why I love the Matte Eyeshadow Palette from Too Faced. With nine completely matte shadows, this palette can be used for a variety of looks including a day, a classic and a fashion eye look. This is the perfect present for any makeup newbie as cue cards with instructions on how to achieve each of the three looks are included with the palette.

The Balm Shady Lady Vol. 2 Eyeshadow Palette ($39.99 at Pharma Plus):
With both colourful and neutral eyeshadows, this gorgeous and versatile palette is perfect for the extreme makeup junkie on your holiday list. Although less well known than some of the other companies mentioned in this post, The Balm’s products are are all of super high quality. Not only are their shadows super pigmented (what you see in the pan is what you get on the skin),
they are so soft and buttery making them really easy to apply and blend.

Tarte NeutralEYES Eyeshadow Palette ($47 CND at Sephora):
With it’s super trendy clutch-like packaging, this neutral shadow palette is perfect for the ‘stylish fashionista’ on your list. With light, medium and dark shadows, this palette is great for creating both day and night looks. As a nice little bonus, this palette comes with an eyeshadow primer and a super creamy brown eyeliner.

Charlotte Ronson All Eye Need Eyeshadow Palette in ‘Drea’ ($26 CND at Sephora):
New to the world of beauty, Charlotte Ronson (NYC Fashion Designer) has created the perfect smoky eye palette for the major party girl on your list. With four super creamy shadows, this teeny-tiny palette is great for tucking in your purse, making it easy to spice up your makeup on the way to dinner and drinks after work.

xo Alicia