2015 Beauty Favorites

My beauty addiction is a problem, but as a result of it I do act as a guinea pig for friends when it comes to trying new makeup products. I test it so you don't have to waste your money! I thought I'd compile a list of the products I tried and loved this year - some new releases, some just new to me. So if you're looking for something new to sample as you start off 2016, here is a list of things I think are worth dropping your hard-earned cash on.

• LA Girl HD pro conceal was a fantastic discovery of this year, a favorite for covering those dark circles. Considering that you can find it for less than $3 at drugstores, this one is a steal.
• Milani rose powder blush in Romantic Rose. I picked up this little gem on a little trip with my parents early in the year. (Turns out my stepmother might be as big of an enabler as I am. ;)) The romantic rose shade is a gorgeous natural color that is easy to apply, has good lasting power, and goes with just about any makeup look.  
• Kiko Milano highly pigmented eye shadow in the color 139/pearly salmon (although their products have names on their website, in store all the products just have numbers.) A frosty peachy champagne shade that became my default shadow on my European vacation earlier this year. (Another find purchased in the company of my favorite enabler, AKA my stepmother.) It applies very well with a fingertip, has good lasting power, and has a lovely brightening quality that was very necessary when traveling on a crowded bus from city to city on not quite a full night's sleep. It also makes a nice highlighter.
• Kat Von D tattoo liner in Trooper a liquid liner pen with a brush tip that is pretty darn transfer resistant, yet not hard to remove at the end of the day. I liked it so much I used one up and repurchased, and that says a lot given my stash.
• Colourpop eye shadows and lipsticks have been a dangerous discovery for me. Thankfully they are only sold online because I have a feeling that if I walked into a store and could sample everything I would walk out a lot poorer. Limiting myself to online research restricts what I'm willing to purchase and try. That said, their eye shadow formula, which has a slightly mousse/cream texture but sets like a powder, is beautiful fun makeup finger paint. I got the Forever Freshmen set and Koosh (an ultra metallic silver taupe I LOVE) Melrose (a rust matte) and As If (a cool taupe matte) have become daily wear favorites. Their matte formula lippy sticks and lip liners are great as well - I'm obsessed with the Lumière shade. 
• La Roche-Posay Serozinc, a spray solution for oily blemish prone skin that I wish I had purchased more of during my crazed French pharmacy excursion since you can't buy it here in the US. I have been using it pretty much daily since acquiring it, and have nothing but positive things to say on the impact it has on reducing blemish redness.
• Paula's Choice Resist moisturizer & spf  this find has been a game changer for me - formulated to be anti-aging AND good for oily skin. I had heard good things about the Paula's Choice line of skin care but had never tried it. After seeing how great this product has been, I want to try more.
• And last but certainly not least - sheet masks have become my obsession this year. I went all-in, and use them pretty much weekly. A buddy went to Korea this year and apparently caught some of my crazy because she came back with tons of Korean skin care and beauty products, and shared some of her haul, expanding the list of brands I love in the process. I knew once I slapped on a sheet mask with a slimy snail on my face, and loved it, that I was hooked. I'm particularly a big fan of the Tony Moly intense care snail hydro gel mask and the Dr. Jart+ Pore Minimalist Mask.