Probably my blog looks like just one giant ad for Lookfantastic, but I swear I’m not sponsored. It’s just that this year was the first year when I received a beauty box regularly and I discovered so many cool brands and so many exciting products, that made my love for beauty products grow even further. And since there were more than 70 product that I received throughout the year, I think it’s fun to see which ones are the ones I loved the most.

I wanted to do a top best and worst, but honestly I don’t have 10 products that I dislike, so this is another sign that this box was really worth it for me. It was also difficult to chose only 10 products because I wrote down each month which products I really liked from all the boxes I got, but I had a total of 18. So I had to think for a while which ones are really the best of the best, the top 10 products I enjoyed using and I would recommend to anyone. However, it’s too much to put them in a particular order, although I will try as much as I can. I didn’t take into consideration limited edition boxes, like the Black Friday Edition, because not everyone gets those unless you buy them separately.

1.Illamasqua Mini Antimatter Lipstick in the shade Bang

This was the first product that started my love for this makeup brand. I didn’t quite love the lipstick because I’m not a fan of matte lipsticks, but the formula was comfortable enough to wear and the shade actually suited me. I didn’t get to use the lipstick much this year, but I still like it.

2.Madara Time Miracle Wrinkle Resist Eye Cream

This was the first product I used form Madara and what started my love for this brand and a very nice eye cream, that made me want to try more from this brand. And I remember the eye cream lasted me for quite some time and it felt really nice on the skin.

3.Ameliorate Transforming Body Lotion

It takes a lot for a body lotion to impress me, but I just loved this one because it works even on the driest areas on my body, it absorbs fast into the skin and it doesn’t leave a sticky residue behind. I also remember that it had a long-lasting hydrating effect.

4.Avant Ultimate Hyaluronic Acid Resurfacing Duo Moisturizer

This was the first banger product that we got in the box, because it was a full size product worth 138 US dollars. I must admit the price tag plays an important part in my decision to include this product on my list because I have used other face creams that i found to be just as nice, but not all were so expensive, sot it was definitely a treat.

5.Madara Deep Moisture Regenerating Night Cream

This was the second Madara product that we got in the box and I loved it just as much as I loved the eye cream and I became a fan of this brand and I decided to buy their CC cream on my own. Madara is just a cool brand, with nice formula and it’s a brand that I appreciate because it comes from Europe, it’s cruelty free and most of their products are vegan.

6.Bellapierre Cosmetics Mineral Blush in the shade Amaretto

As much as I was disappointed in the eyeshadow palette from this brand (which would be on my worst list, to be honest), I really liked this blush and it became one of my favorites. It applies so nice, it doesn’t bring out the skin’s texture and the shade is just lovely. It’s also buildable, it’s glowy but not shimmery, so it’s a perfect everyday blush.

7.Illamasqua Mini OMG Highlighter

My favorite product from Illamasqua that I tried so far was this highlighter and it’s still my favorite to this day. It’s a golden shade that has just enough shimmer to make it look like I have highlighter on, but it’s also subtle enough that I don’t feel like someone could see me from space (which is not a look that I like).

8.Luxie 209 Large Shader Brush

the first brush I tried from Luxie was a pleasant surprise. the brush is fluffy and soft, not too hard and not too delicate, it’s perfect to pack eyeshadow on and blend it out easily. Also, the brush is well made and I like the pink and gold design. It was my favorite beauty tool that we got in the box.

9.By Terry Baume de Rose Liquid Lip Balm

I wouldn’t have thought that it’s worth paying for fancy lip balms, but this one convinced me. It’s so hydrating and it feels so comfortable on the lips without being sticky and it has a permanent place in my bag. At least until I’m done with it.

10.Naobay Detox Oxygen Light Cream

This seems to be a brand that I can compare with Madara, because it combines natural ingredients with efficient formula. I still use this cream and it’s versatile because I think it can be used on both dry or oily skin as it’s hydrating and lightweight at the same time.

Honorable mentions: Rodial bee venom cleansing balm, the Korres face mask with Greek yogurt, the Molton Brown shower gel, the Eco blush brush, the Percy & Reed Wonderbalm and the Avant Pro Radiance Brightening Eye Final Touch.

So these are my favorites so far, and I would say that the Lookfantastic beauty box is a good investment if you like skin care. Of course, there’s almost always a makeup product in there but they’re mostly things like eye liners or lip liners. There are also some beauty tools, some better (brushes), some worse (like those cleansing cotton pads), and some hair care products. Overall, I’m very happy with the things I got and I can’t wait to see what they have prepared for us in 2021.

As for today’s surprise, let’s open the drawer number 19 from the advent calendar.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Lash Brag Volumizing Mascara (5 ml)

I have waited for this product for quite some days now, because I needed a new mascara and I knew this one was in here. It’s just a travel size, but I’m still happy to be able to test it. I already wore it today and…it’s nothing spectacular to be honest. It’s not a bad mascara, but I had some drugstore ones that were better. But it’s good to have it because now I know. At our Sephora, this exact travel size mascara retails for 68 lei.

That’s it for today, it was a long day again, but tomorrow is Sunday and I’ll finally have some time to relax.