the 4 beauty brands that have me in a chokehold* right now

*To quote the kiddies.

Wild how in the million years since this newsletter began, I have not once compiled a list of my favourite beauty brands. So I’m doing it now! It will be interesting to look back in a year or two to see how my tastes have changed – if you asked me a few years ago, it would have been Charlotte Tilbury and Anastasia and whoever did the matte-est, maddest colour of lipstick. Love 2 contain multitudes!

And not to get all #girlboss or whatever but each of my current faves was founded by women. Come on da gals etc. 

Haus Labs

One day as I applied my Haus Labs foundation, Haus Labs concealer, Haus Labs bronzer and blush, and Haus Labs lip gloss, I had to admit to myself that Haus Labs has become my favourite brand. I am a Little Monster, admittedly, but my standards are high when it comes to beauty products, and Haus Labs has passed the test with flying colours. 

The base products in particular are incredible – I believe last year I said that I didn’t like the concealer, but as it turns out, my eyes were just dying for a bit of hydration. Once I sorted that out, I basically stopped using anything else. I may write a post exploring the brand a little deeper in the future, but for now let me say: Lady Gaga!

Lisa Eldridge

Like, of course. I am automatically interested in anything Lisa Eldridge puts her big beautiful mind to. The lipsticks remain the cornerstone of her brand, and I don’t think anyone else is doing it like she does when it comes to formula and colour. I was a little disappointed at the shades of her matte liquid eyeshadows (so warm?), but I will forgive her because the skin tint is SUPERIOR. It has been a constant for me since it launched earlier this year – great-looking skin in a bottle. I am looking respectfully at the new lipstick formula, which will be out by the time I publish this newsletter. Perhaps I will ask Santy for it.

Violette_FR

I think this brand is Lisa Eldridge’s cooler baby sister – the shades are a touch more daring, the formulas a little more effortless and chic, the packaging less luxe but still cute. They even have a similar logo. I have a few shades of the Yeux Paint and love them all, but Scarabee D’Or and Reve de Dahlia are probably my favourites (the latter is incredible on green eyes). The Bisou Balms are my lip product of the moment, with a soft matte finish that has me eschewing balmy lipsticks and glosses for the first time in ages. Whenever Violette is teasing a new product or shade with beautiful imagery and swatches and moodboards, please know that I am listening. 

Glossier

I know. I feel like the early days of this newsletter was just me slagging off Glossier, but I’ve come around again. Maybe because the way I wear makeup has changed? I used to want my products to do the most, but now I love the gentle usefulness of Cloud Paint, Ultralip, Generation G, and the Stretch Foundation. And the new releases just keep grabbing me! I have no interest in You but SO much interest in You Reve and You Doux, to the extent that I wish I had smell-o-vision. I’m mad at them for only releasing the Storm Ultralip as part of a set. Just listen to me! We are SO back.

Here are a few that I have my eye on but need to evaluate further:

• Danessa Myricks: I am a fan of Danessa and all she does but I haven’t bumped this brand up to “favourite” because her signature products (glitters! Neon eye paints! Iridescent eyeshadow!) are just not things I use regularly any more. Would I love one of her giant sparkly eye palettes? Yes. Would it be absolutely wasted on me? Yeah, sadly. But I have a multi-use palette from her that is my favourite thing ever, so maybe I should be exploring her more “everyday” products.

• Vieve: Vieve is a brand for gals who want to put that makeup ON, but in a sexy 90s supermodel way, as opposed to a 2015 YouTube way. I’ve loved everything I’ve tried, would love to sample the new skin tint and the liquid blushes but will wait until I’ve made my way through some of my current stock.

• KJH Brand: I love seeing Katie Jane Hughes off on tour with Dua Lipa. I also love seeing her brand spread its wings a little more.I will admit, the initial launch – a highlighting kit that you couldn’t buy separately at the time – did not wow me, but the new matte blush/lip sticks… yeah. I got one. I Addresspal-ed it because I just needed to know. And once I do, you’ll know too.

Thanks for reading Vanity Project! I’m trying not to overthink my posts right now and just write what I feel like, so… hopefully that’s alright. See you soon for the next one!