the base

I'll voluntarily crash into a wall if anyone is surprised at the NARS Tinted Moisturiser (£29) being my best base find of the year. It's worthy of all the hype it has and more. A light, dewy base with surprising coverage for a  tinted moisturiser, I'm debating on if I can justify buying this in my winter shade as well. 

Honorable mention: Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation - definitely the best drugstore base I've stumbled across. 

the powder

Again, another one of those 'I'll voluntarily throw myself off a cliff if this is a surprise to anyone' products. The Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Foundation ($36) is a slight cheat as I use this for a base rather than a powder to set my foundation. But it's still technically a powder, and the love I have for it is documented till rotten on the blog so I won't be jabbering on about it. You can find the full sonet I've composed for it here. 

the concealer

My life would be incomplete without concealer. I'm always on the search for the best full coverage concealer that won't look too cakey. I think my answer has been found in the Make Up For Ever Full Cover Concealer ($32). I don't think I've yet to come across any monster spot or hideous dark circle that I haven't been able to defeat with this little tube of coverage yet. 

Honorable mention: Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Concealer - if it wasn't for the fact that it's not particularly long-lasting on me, it would've been the top find of the year. 

the cheeks

2014 marks the start of my obsession for glowy skin. I was all for the matte base before, but then theBalm Mary Lou-Manizer (£16) came into my life. Since then, it's been all about the Victoria's Secret angelic glow. Paired with The Body Shop Honey Bronzer (£13) and Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Exposed ($26), I'm pretending that I'm strutting down the runway, trying not to smack anyone with the gorgeous angel wings. 

Honorable mention: Rimmel Santa Rose, Clinique Cheek Pop 

the brows

I started this year with a massive brow obsession that's still growing. It's no surprise that the best find in this category is from Anastasia Beverly Hills. Their Dipbrow Pomade (£15) is definitely a game changer and the best thing you need if you really want to bring out your competitive side in the brow game. 

Honorable mention: Etude House Drawing Eye Brow 

the eyeliner

Flicked liner anyone? I've gone back to my liquid liner phase again this year and the Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Liner (£2.99) has made its way to my favourite liquid liner ever. Definitely not one for the thin, tiny flicks that I was a fan of when I first started with make up, this little pot of gold is perfect for those low maintenance, no eyeshadow, only eyeliner days. I did a whole review on this best drugstore find here.  

Honorable mention: Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Liner - now this is the one that you go for if you want that delicate flick. 

the eyeshadows

If there's one thing I can't stop buying, it's eyeshadow. I've had quite an inflow the past year, but I've also gave a lot of my relatively neglected palettes a new home with friends. I didn't think any palette would threaten the HG status of my Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, but the Too Faced Natural Eye Palette (£32) is a better mix of matte and shimmer, not skimping in the quantity balance and more versatile while still being travel-friendly. You can find my full review on this queen palette here. 

Honorable mention: Seventeen Trio Eye Shadow - In the Nude, Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics  

the mascaras

Mascaras and foundations top the list of 'impossible to find perfection'. I've more or less found my foundation/base perfection, so here's to aspiring that I'll find my perfect mascara soon. I've tried a lot of mascaras in the past year, and while none of them were particularly terrible. The L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara won me over with the dramatic but natural looking results. I've yet to repurchase this but I've found a good alternative with similar results but a fraction of the price with the Natural Collection Lash Lengthen Mascara (£1.99). 

Honorable mention: Catrice False Lash Fibre Mascara 

the lips

2014 marks the year where I finally got into red lipsticks and on the whole other end of the spectrum, nude lips. The number of lip products I've accumulated over the past 12 months is ridiculous but of all the recruited, my favourites are the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dragon Girl (£18), Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Rosy (£19.50), Urban Decay Revolutionary Lipstick in Fiend (£15), and The Body Shop Colour Crush Shine Lipsticks in 18 Sunset Romance (£10). 

Honorable mention: MAC Peach Blossom, Revlon Fire and Ice, MAC All Fired Up

I was a bit hesitant on posting this as I'm pretty much just showcasing products I've pushed into your faces for the year, but well, you be the judge if I'm too repetitive. I've only put products that I discovered in the last year, which means that long-time favourites are automatically excluded. I'm thinking of doing an all-time favourites post, but again, not sure if it would be too repetitive. Please do let me know if you'd like to have a peek into that. 

What were your favourite beauty discoveries of 2014?