little white truths

I did one of these posts last year and I'd meant to do one this year, it's just that my blog's birthday (20 June) happens to fall in the lead-up to the EOFY in Australia, meaning that the blogversary posts aren't that easy to squeeze in - or give much thought to - at that particular time of year.

But I wanted to do this one again, and I'm not too late with it so no harm done. Even though it will be very similar to last year's list (see that here if you're interested), it may be useful for any new readers or even those older ones who might be pleased to see that the list hasn't changed much - there's something to be said for favourites that keep showing up, year after year.

In no particular order...

This year I'm starting with budget brands, and you'll note that my three favourites are the same as they were last blogging year. This isn't because I haven't tried new things (I most certainly have), but these three are the most consistent budget brands I've found to date and it's hard to imagine that they'll change anytime soon.

Maybelline

I swear by Maybelline's lipsticks and mascaras in particular: some of them are my favourites on the market (whether budget or high-end). 

While not everything I've tried from the brand is a complete hit, if I'm down a product and need to replace something, Maybellline is the first display at Priceline that I'll search because overall their products work better for me than anything else available.

Maybelline also does some great foundations and concealers, so if you need something like that but don't want to spend a lot, I recommend checking out the testers and seeing what works for you.

Antipodes

What I like about Antipodes is that it's reasonably priced and readily available, and it's even more reasonably priced if you wait for one of Priceline's 40 per cent off sales. 

Over the past two years I've tried most things from Antipodes' range, and while not everything worked for me, some of its heavier serums and also its face creams have become staples for me (I like the eye cream, too).

My aim during the next big sale will be to pick up a few of the Antipodes products that I haven't yet tried so I can have an even broader experience of the brand. Looking forward.

Alpha-H

Bet you were expecting this one ; ) Yep, I'll be surprised if these guys ever get knocked off this list. The thing is, not only are the products fantastic, but I also think they're reasonably priced (particularly if you can find them on special, which you usually can). 

On top of that, I've had a great experience with Alpha-H's customer service. They're responsive, helpful and seem to care about their customers. I really don't think you can beat them.

Start with Alpha-H's Liquid Gold and go from there. You're unlikely to be disappointed!

Hourglass

I know these guys aren't cheap and they're not for everyone, but for me, they can do no wrong. 

Sometimes you drop good money on a powder and get the feeling that you're mostly paying for packaging and/or the experience of using the product, but with Hourglass, I feel like I'm paying for something that's going to make my face look better than anything else on the market can. 

Setting powders, blushes, strobe powders, bronzers... I love these. Bloody unicorn tears. They take years off my face. They're worth every penny.

Marc Jacobs

Over the last year, Marc Jacobs has made me spend more money than Hourglass, which means that it's kicked out some of my old staples from this list.

I'm obsessed with the Air Blushes and also the reformulated eyeshadow septets (good golly, I've managed to acquire five of those!) and I also really want to try one of the bronzers and the new light-coverage foundation, but I've been holding off on those until I finish more from my collection.

Over the next year I can see my collection swinging even more towards Marc Jacobs as some gaps open up in my stores, and I'm looking forward to discovering exactly what the brand has to offer - beyond what I've already tried and loved.

In sum

Yep, that's right: only six brands made it to my list this year, for the simple reason that they've stood out more than all the others.

Yes I still love Becca, ABH, Kevyn Aucoin, Ren and plenty of other brands, but what I'm looking at here is where my money has mostly gone over the past year, so these six are the stand-outs.

That's all from me. I hope you found something useful in this post and that it's helped give you some ideas of what brands to try in future.

Do let me know in the comments what your favourite brands this year are so far: I'd love to hear.

Hope all's well with you, and speak soon x

* All images courtesy of unsplash.com