WELCOME 2014, first post of the year with SMB summary, 2013 favz, best-buys and 2014 wishlist.

Wednesday, January 01, 2014 Sparkling Palette Blog 19 Comments

SMB wishes all its readers, friends and followers a Happy, blessed and prosperous new year. On the first day of the new year what else could be better than sharing SMB Favourites, best-buys, year-in-a-summary and wishlist for 2014. To Reveal More Read More!!!

Personally for me 2013 was the year of learning, struggling (as a blogger and homemaker), contemplating and being conclusive about my personal life. After all UPs and DOWNs in the year 2013, I learnt to be happy, Thankful and contended :) ALHAMDOLILLAH (Thanks to ALLAH).
For my blog Sparkling's Makeup Blog, SMB, 2013 was surely one of the best years. An about-to-be-two years old blog with recognition from Local and international brands, love of all the readers and friends and of-course its own personalized domain, sparklingsmakeup.com, what else one could ask for. This year was the year of struggle from stereotypes to INDEPENDENCE and self dignity. I am glad SMB has its own independent identity with a collection of best work displayed all year long. This surely was the year of improvements and achievements.
For all these achievements I want to thank Allah Almighty for His special blessings. My husband, who finally understood that his better-half is a devoted and determined beauty and fashion blogger. All my Friends from Beauty Blogging circle, my blog's regular readers, fans and followers, I thank you all for your immense love, support and trust in the last year towards me and SMB. Hope it continues and grows more in all the years to come including 2014, the year we are starting today.

2013 FAVOURITES & BEST BUYS: [PR products marked with *]

Let me unveil the favourite and best buy list of SMB for 2013. I know its long but worth it. I am strictly including only the products I purchased or got in 2013, otherwise the list could have been more heavy and long, full of many repeats from last year's favourites list :p SMB favz for 2012 can be seen here.
I am a very big makeup maniac, like all makeup lovers and my fellow beauty bloggers I want every thing, esp all the new launches, in my stash. In 2013, I tried to contemplate hard before making any purchase, no! I still made few impulsive purchases :p (totally human! never asserted to be a makeup saint lolz). Therefor most of the purchases were well planned, after reading detailed reviews, friends advice helped allot too. There are no "major regrets" buying any thing but just few disappointing products, only three to count, that also due to some solid reason. In 2013 I made  purchases from International brands through many friendly Facebook stores in Pakistan like Shopaholic, Dhanak and Rouge. This helped me upgrading the brand list, adding BH Cosmetics, Real Techniques, WetnWild and TRESemme' etc into my stash. Tried few new brands this year i.e Catrice and The Body Shop in Skin care.

FAVZ for FACE:

Face Primer:

• Avon Magix [Summer]
• Catrice Prime and Fine [Winter]

FAVZ for CHEEKS:

Bronzer/Highlighter:

• Stageline LIGHT, Face & Body Highlighting Roll-on*
• The Body Shop Bronzer "Warm Glow"*
• Naked Minerals Bronzer duo*
• Flawless by Nadia "Bronze Berry"*

FAVZ for EYES:

Primer:

• Essence Colour Arts eye base

FAVZ for LIPS:

Balm:

• Naked Minerals Naked Lips*

FAVZ for NAILS:

FAVZ for MAKEUP TOOLS:

Eyes:

• ELF Crease brush
• ELF Blending Brush

FAVZ for FRAGRANCE:

It is very important to smell equally good as you look, along with my all time favourite Loewe Quizas I used this one for daily use:

• Essence Girl's Night Out* Review

FAVZ for SKIN CARE:

Face:

• TBS Eye Mask, one of the best buys of 2013
• Nivea Cleanser and Toner for dry and sensitive skin [Winter] my bad I didn't use any skin care last Summer, but have a plan for this Summers for sure
• Pond's Flawless Facewash (won in a giveaway)
• L'Oreal Hydra-5 Facewash comb/oily skin [Summer] Review
• L'Oreal Hydra-5 gel-cream comb/oily skin [Summer] Review
• St Ives Green Tea Scrub, one of the best buys of 2013
• Hello Glow Whitening Polish* and Rose Dust cleanser, Review
• Eveline Makeup Remover*
• Me Col Facial Paper Mask (gift from a blogger friend)
• Freeman Dead Sea Minerals Mask, Review, one of the best-buys of 2013
• Juicy Strawberry scrubbing Mask* Review
• TBS Facial Cleansing Brush

Body:

• OPI Sweet Things Hand Lotion set* 
• TBS Shea sugar Body scrub, one of the best-buys of 2013
• TBS Cocoa Body Butter, one of the best-buys of 2013

FAVZ for HAIR CARE: 

Hair Care:

• Dove Hair fall rescue treatment* Review
• Avon Advance Techniques Moroccan Argan Oil Shampoo and Mask
• Rich Hair Argan oil elixir serum

Hair Styling:

• TRESemme' Heat Defence Spray, one of the best-buys of 2013
• Vilcro Volume base, having a puff without back combing task was never so easy

2013 DISAPPOINTING PRODUCTS:

As I tried to be wise and contemplated much hard, curbing my temptations and cravings, before buying anything, almost every thing. The result is only three products falling in this category. Solid reason will be given for each:

• TRESemme' Volume Shampoo, it turned my hair into dried grass literally along with a scratchy scalp
• Essence Long wear Lipstick in "Coral Calling", everything is fine except the unbearable tasteless bad taste
• Essence Lipliner "Satin Mauve", never had a lip liner so soft that can not be applied, esp in thin line

WISHLIST FOR 2014:

Mirza Ghalib, an Urdu poet correctly said and I qoute: "Hazaro'on Khuwahishaen aisi, key har khuwahish pey dum niklay/ Bohat niklay merey armaan, phir bhi kum niklay" (translation: there are thousands  of wishes which make my heart loose a beat, I fulfilled many, but still unsatisfied) True depiction of human nature though! So here are my temptations, cravings and most-wanted wishlist:

• Real Technique Sam's Pick set, if re-stocked ever otherwise RT Face expert brush
• Revlon Kissable Balm Stain, they are so much raved that I want one
• Milani Lipsticks
• L'oreal Caresse Lipsticks
• Rimmel Stay Matte Translucent powder
• Bourjois foundations 123 perfect, healthy glow or Happy Light
• Bourjois Python Top coat
• Essence or Catrice Gel Liner
• Hard Candy Glamouflage

And, and and and let the new launches tempt me and let the cravings rule me :) I am sure that 2014 will be a more beautiful year than 2013, but 2013 will always be remembered in good words as it will stay forever in my memory.
Hope you like this post do share your favz too :) I can see there are many products which need to be reviewed so that's the first thing I am going to do in the year 2014, post all the pending reviews.

HAPPY NEW YEAR
Stay blessed, Fresh and Young!
Have a sparkling 2014.