2024 beauty favourites: my standout products of the year

The prodigal daughter has returned.

Well hello! Long time no chat. This year’s beauty wrap-up comes a little later than it usually does, because to be honest, I was struggling with what to say.

I won’t remember 2024 too fondly. It took a lot from me, from the people I love. I started this newsletter because talking about makeup and skincare brought me joy during Covid lockdowns, but as you can probably tell by my output, it wasn’t providing the same relief this year. Not that this stopped me trying. Oh how I shopped! Mindlessly and constantly. So that’s why I’ve somehow ended up with quite a long list of favourites, even while I’ve found it quite hard to actually enjoy things. Make it make sense!

I hope 2025 is better for us all. I have some ideas for this newsletter, little ways to try and get back into it again. But for now, let us explore my standout products from the last year.

Lisa Eldridge Seamless Skin Enhancing Tint

There are certain words and phrases that are like a dog whistle to me when it comes to beauty, and this year, “skin tint” was one of them. My skin was doing better and I was happy to let coverage take a back seat. Three drops of this (Lisa says two, but three is the ideal amount for me) gives me a nice, even base that looks good all day. It’s extremely simple to apply with your fingers, and the shade range and matching is amazing – I chose T6, which is spot on.

This gives a skinlike, satin finish, whereas the Sculpted by Aimee Hydratint, my other favourite tint, is definitely more dewy, like freshly-applied skincare. I used Hydratint a lot in the summer mixed with some bronzing drops, and the Seamless Skin Tint for office days and general schlepping around town. Both have a place in my makeup bag, I feel.

Haus Labs Triclone Skin Tech Concealer

In my best of 2023 post, I said this concealer was a “cakey mess.” This year, it’s my favourite. What I didn’t understand was that ALL concealers were cakey messes on me at that time because my eyes were dry as hell. I started using the Aldi version of the Bobbi Brown Vitamin-Enriched Eye Base on top of my eye cream before I did my makeup, which seems like a lot of eye cream, but all of a sudden, I was having no problems with any concealer. And now, I no longer need to double up, because my eyes are hydrated! I know people say eye creams are a swizz but this is my case in favour of them.

But back to the concealer: What I like about this is that it sticks in the place you put it. You know how you start blending some concealers and end up with it halfway down your face? This stays put, so you’re only concealing what you want to conceal and not adding unnecessary coverage. This “stickiness” means it works as well for spots as it does under the eyes. It creases a little with wear, but all concealers do that on me regardless of if they’re set or not, so I just pat it out and go on my way. I have other concealers but I barely use them because I’m always reaching for this one. A sure repurchase.

Westman Atelier Baby Cheeks Blush Stick in Garconne

It’s SO annoying that this is so good, because Westman Atelier is so bloody expensive. But look, it’s a luxury brand, and you get a luxury experience. The packaging is beautiful and weighty, with a gorgeous magnetic click. I only wish they did refills, as it seems really easy to pop the product part out. Maybe that’s something they’re working on. The blush itself is super creamy and blendable, natural yet noticeable. This shade is kind of a shapeshifter – sometimes it looks mauve, other times it looks reddy-brown. But that just means it works with most of my eye and lip products. I really want the contour stick now, but I’m trying this new thing where I actually finish a product before I buy another one (more on that in a future post).

Huda Beauty Blush Filter in Strawberry Cream

This is the diametric opposite of the Westman Atelier blush in terms of packaging and shade, but I loved both equally this year. This liquid blush claims to give a soft-focus, blurred finish, which I was sceptical about, but it is remarkably soft and yep, filtered-looking on the cheeks. This shade is so fun – a perky pink that lasts all day long, but isn’t so pigmented that you’re terrified to put more than a dot of it on your face. I’m not allowed any more shades of it because I have enough blush, but you should get the Black Cherry one and tell me what it’s like!

Danessa Myricks Dewy Lip & Cheek Balm Palette in Dew It Undercover

At some point this year I decided I needed an all-in-one palette for travel (I didn’t but here we are) and all it took was one gorgeous gorgeous girl saying this was great for me to buy it. And you know what, it IS great. The bronzier shades are perfect for me and the blush/lip shades – a mauve and a deep berry – fit right in with the colour story I was gravitating towards for all of 2024. The formula is buildable and actually works across lips, cheeks, and even eyes, so it has been quite handy for travel in the end. And while it says “dewy”, it isn’t sticky, so you don’t have to worry about your hair getting stuck to your face. Danessa Myricks, the woman that you are.

Lisa Eldridge Sculpt and Shade Lip Pencil in 2C

I reviewed this product in another post so I won’t go into a huge amount of detail here, but: This is my favourite lip liner probably ever. I’m powering through it in a way that is quite concerning, since it’s very often sold out. It’s like, excuse me, this is MY perfect lip liner shade? I don’t know what the rest of you want with it. Leave some for me.

Rimmel Lasting Finish Lip Liner in Cappuccino

I tried to like Make Up For Ever Endless Cacao. I really tried. But it was so grey on me that I just looked dirty. I assumed that cool-toned lip liner was just not for me, but then I returned to this old chestnut. It’s slightly more mauve, so it adds definition without making me look like I fell into the coal bunker. People go mad when cool-toned liners aren’t essentially soot, but I’m okay with it! I’m terrified of MAC Stone, but I love it for the rest of you.

Elf Glow Reviver Lip Oil in Jam Session

This thing is sick of being in my handbag, I know it is. There are so many lip oils on the market, and this one isn’t wildly different from any of them, but it feels to me like it’s actually adding some hydration along with the gloss. You’re not going to be blown away by the depth of the tint – this offers a very sheer wash of colour, and some of the lighter shades are basically clear – but it’s a nice one to throw on top of a corresponding lip liner.

Violette_FR Bisou Balms in Amour Fou and Rose Latte

Matte liquid lipsticks made their return in 2023, and in 2024 that trend morphed into a soft matte, just-kissed lip. Violette’s Bisou Balms are probably the best example of this. They really do feel like a matte balm, with a buildable colour that gives a romantic, blurred look. Their closest relative in the western market is probably Glossier’s Generation G, which I find a bit harder to apply and build up. I like the Bisou Balms for everyday makeup looks – Amour Fou is an easy-to-wear red, while Rose Latte is the perfect companion for something like Rimmel Cappuccino.

About-face Matte Fluid Eye Paint

I’ve also mentioned this product before, so I’ll just say that I spent 50% of the year wearing this on my eyes and the other 50% wearing the Vieve Eye Wands. My favourite is an extremely light brown, almost nothing shade called Capulets, but I recently bought a deeper brown (Weightless) which I adore just as much. So good, so easy.

Judydoll Slim Liquid Eyeliner in Grey Brown

I have been on a Brown Liquid Eyeliner Journey this year (how exciting) and this K-beauty product was a very good find. It has the thinnest little brush I’ve ever seen, making it so easy to achieve neat baby wings. The wear time is fairly good, and the grey-brown shade works with cool-toned eye looks. You have to wait a while for products to arrive from the K-beauty shopping sites, but it’s so often worth it.

Clio Kill Lash Superproof Mascara in 02 Volume Curling

Another K-beauty fave. This mascara has the thinnest little wand I’ve ever seen (I’m sensing a pattern here) which applies the product very precisely, giving a fluttery, separated effect. And when they say “superproof”, they mean it. You absolutely need eye makeup remover to remove this – it will not budge for an oil or balm cleanser. But that’s a small price to pay for basically bulletproof lashes.

Danessa Myricks Lightwork Volume VI Freedom Palette

This palette is still new to me (I bought it during the Black Friday sales) but it’s so exciting that I had to include it in my favourites. I said before that I’m no longer really bothered to Do A Look with eyeshadow… but this makes me want to. And in fact I have, several times. The pinks and the purples and the golds and the shades that shift from one colour to another depending on the light! It’s so beautiful. The palette itself is also very innovative – it’s split into three magnetised mini-palettes, which you can pop out and stack. The shades inside can also be rearranged, so you can bring your favourite colours in one little palette. The silver part of the lid has a mirror on the other side, and is magnetised so it can act as a lid for your mini-palette stack. I don’t know, I just love that. 2025 is going to be the year of me doing colourful, sparkly eyeshadow again, I can feel it.

Azelaic acid

Lol at this favourite product just being an ingredient. But it’s true! Azelaic acid was probably my best skincare discovery of the year. I was prescribed Skinoren 20% at the start of the year, which didn’t help with my cystic acne, but made the rest of my face look fabulous – evening the tone, bringing down redness, and improving the texture. I started alternating it with my retinol so I could get the benefits of both at the same time, and I think my skin is the better for it.

I used The Inkey List Azelaic Acid 10% after the Skinoren, but azelaic acid is kind of like retinol in that your skin builds up a tolerance to it, so the lower percentage wasn’t really doing much for me. I found the Dermatica 20% Azelaic Acid via the Caroline Hirons Facebook group, and that’s been doing the job ever since. As always, I’d like to state that this active ingredient works for me but it might not be for you, so if you do try it, introduce it slowly and carefully.

Korean SPFs

The Stylevanas and YesStyles of the world loved to see me coming in 2024 (as did any beauty influencer with a referral discount code, probably). A parade of Korean SPF products passed through my bathroom cabinet, including the Beauty of Joseon Relief Sun Rice + Probiotics, the SKIN1004 Hyalu-Cica Water-Fit Sunscreen, and the Isntree Watery Sun Gel. I can’t say I preferred any one over the others, though the Beauty of Joseon one is probably the most moisturising of the three, so more suitable for the winter months. They’re all available from Boots now, which cuts down on delivery times, but most of them are SO much cheaper from Stylevana/YesStyle (we’re talking tenner savings here people, TENNERS) that I’ll probably stick to ordering from there.

Hydrating toners

Maybe entire product categories don’t count as “favourites” but I can’t pick just one. They’ve all been good! A hydrating toner is not a necessary step, but I like it, so I do it. I started the year with the Laneige Cream Skin, moved on to the COSRX Propolis Synergy Toner, and am currently using the Byoma Hydrating Milky Toner. They all do more or less the same thing, which is to provide a layer of hydration for my serum to suck up and lock into my skin. At least I hope it’s doing that. My skin feels soft and hasn’t been very dry this winter, so I’m taking it as a yes.

Thanks for reading Vanity Project! I have an empties post on the way, so I’ll be back sooner this time, I promise. A very happy new year to you!