19 Best Beauty Product Discoveries of 2019

It’s that time of year when everyone is posting their favourite beauty products of the year. For me, this list is made up of products I fell in love with and used a lot in 2019, and most of them were new discovered for me in 2019, even if they weren’t new releases this year.

L’Oreal Shake & Glow Mist (£9.99, ASOS)

I’m pretty sure this setting spray came out in 2019. I tried it not too long after finishing up a mini of the GlamGlow GlowStart Mist, which I liked but thought was way too expensive. This one from L’Oreal gives a pretty similar effect with a smaller pricetag and has the best mister ever for a drugstore spray.

MUA Blushed Cream (£2.50, Superdrug)

This is another 2019 release and a great summer staple. These cream blushers from MUA are supposed to dupe the Glossier Cloud Paints. I’ve never tried the Glossier product but I can tell you the shade Dusty Rose in the MUA Blushed Cream is a really beautiful cream blush that blends effortlessly into the skin, comes in cute compact packaging and is a bargain at just £2.50.

Morphe 39S Such a Gem Artistry Palette (£35, Morphe)

This was the standout eyeshadow palette release of 2019 for me. It’s a purple palette so it’s not for everyone but it also has plenty of bronzey, silvers and neutral shades. As a larger palette, it’s not the most travel-friendly or easy to store but it has tons of shades and offers one of Morphe’s best formulas in my opinion.

Benefit Cookie Highlighter (£26, LookFantastic)

Another standout release for me this year was the Benefit Cookie Highlighter. I thought I had every possible shade and tone of highlight in my collection already but this one is truly unique and stunning. It looks paler and pinker in the pan than it plays off on my skin but it’s a really blinding, smooth highlight that I think will suit a lot of skintones.

ColourPop Creme Gel Liners ($5.50, ColourPop)

I wanted to talk about the NYX Off Tropic Pro Liners but I was disappointed to discover they weren’t permanent. ColourPop offers some bright alternatives along with more wearable shades but I just wish they were easier to get hold of in the UK.

NYX Honey Dew Me Up Primer (£15, ASOS)

I only discovered this primer in 2019 but it quickly became one of my favourites. I do prefer a hydrating base but my skin can get quite oily so I’d always assumed this wouldn’t work for me. I’m glad I eventually picked it up though because it’s so nourishing and just looks good under makeup.

Lime Cime Wet Cherry Gloss (£16, LookFantastic)

I’ve never really supported or been interested in Lime Crime as a brand so I don’t even remember why I ended up purchasing the Wet Cherry Gloss but I first got the unusual Cherry Slime shade which is basically clear with green glitter in it (it’s more wearable than it sounds!) which I ended up really liking so I also bought the red Maraschino Cherry shade. Gloss is gloss and these aren’t life-changing, but there’s something about the formula that I really like and find myself using a lot.

Wilko Fruits Body Souffle (£1.25, Wilko)

Wilkinsons or Wilkos is a budget homeware store in the UK that sells its own brand of bath and body stuff called the Fruits collection. As you can imagine, this includes bath products in different fruity scents but I particularly love the Body Souffle. I tried this out in the watermelon and guava scent and really enjoyed the fragrance and just how quickly the whipped texture of this sinks into the skin. I swear this was only £1 when I first tried it but you can’t really complain for £1.25 either.

Blank Canvas Cosmetics Airbrush Blenders (£20, Blank Canvas)

If you like to apply makeup with a beauty sponge, Blank Canvas Cosmetics has a great option here. The Airbrush Blenders are as close a dupe to the original Beauty Blender as I’ve ever found. While £20 for a box of 6 is still a hefty investment, it works out at £3.33 per sponge and they’re the only sponge I use now.

Revolution Pro Sculpt & Glow Desert Sky (£8, Revolution)

I feel like these face palettes got buried under the 2019 product releases Revolution ad associated brands churned out this year. I don’t use face palettes as much as singles but I like duo products like this. The bronzer is so soft and has a subtle shimmer that I love and the highlight is really pretty. If you skipped over this release but love these type of face products, I think you’ll enjoy this one.

SVR PhysioPure Micellar Water (£15, LookFantastic)

Micellar water is micellar water and it all kind of does the same thing but I was blown away by this one from French brand SVR. I love the pump packaging and it how it just seems to get everything off my face with no issues. Sure, it’s not the cheapest on the market but I personally think it’s worth paying the difference to get this.

Facial Cleansing Brush (£9.99, Amazon)

This Forero knockoff from Amazon has proved really useful in my skincare routine. I haven’t tried the real thing but I can’t imagine it’s 8 times as good for something 8 times the price. The one linked above is not the exact same one I purchased but it does look like the same thing.

Collection Glam Crystal Liners (£2.99, Boots)

I feel like I’ve been raving about these glitter liners all year but I think I only picked up my first one in 2019. For the super affordable price of £2.99, these glitters are so pretty and easy to use as liner or all over the lid and I now have most of the shades.

Maybelline Superstay Foundation (£7, Amazon)

I can’t believe I waited until 2019 to try this foundation. I’m not a lover of high coverage, heavy foundation so I expected this to look super matte and cakey but it actually has a really nice finish on me. It’s not natural by any means and I tend to reserve its use for nights out when I need my base to last but it earns its place in my collection. If you’re looking for high coverage, affordable foundation that could survive a nuclear blast, I’d definitely recommend picking Maybelline Superstay up if you haven’t already tried it. It’s £9.99 RRP in Boots and Superdrug or £7 on Amazon.

Illamasqua Gel Sculpt (£25, LookFantastic)

I discovered this fairly late in 2019 but it quickly became a favourite. If you’re someone who struggles with cream contour like me, the Illamasqua Gel Sculpt offers easy application and blending and makes contour much quicker for me. I have the shade ‘Silhouette.’

GlamGlow Glow Start Moisturiser (£36, LookFantastic)

If you love to glow, I think you’ll really like this. This is like a tinted moisturiser that gives a glow rather than coverage. It looks nice under makeup but I also like to use it on days when I’m not wearing much makeup and just want my skin to look a bit less lifeless. GlamGlow is pricey but I don’t know of any drugstore alternatives right now!

Morphe Continous Setting Mist (£15, Boots)

I’m pretty sure I discovered this in 2019 and I’ve already got through a few bottles this year. The general opinion of this is that it isn’t the best at actually keeping makeup on longer, but the way it feels and makes makeup sink into the skin and look flawless is just unbeatable.

Laura Mercier Translucent Loose Setting Powder (£30, LookFantastic)

This is my first time trying out this loose powder and I’m way more impressed than I thought I would be. This is the best setting powder I’ve ever used in terms of keeping me shine-free and not looking too dry or cakey on my face. Yes, £30 is a lot to spend but I think this is a worthwhile investment not just for the quality of the product but also the amount you get. Some drugstore powders can be around the £10 mark for 8-10g of product whereas you’re getting 29g here for £30 so it’s no more expensive if you look at it that way.

Cinema Secrets Brush Cleaner (£20, Beauty Bay)

I wasn’t sure about including this because I literally discovered this brush cleaner in the very last week of the year but it changed my life in that short time. You literally dip your brush in this solution and rub it on a cloth and it’s clean and dry in seconds! It has a really strong chemical scent and I’m assuming some pretty strong ingredients so I get why some people wouldn’t like it but it’s worth putting up with for the time and effort it will save me on brush cleaning, particularly when I need clean brushes quickly or I’m too lazy to do a deep clean.

Honourable mentions

These are all products I’ve used and loved in 2019 but that I’ve already talked about and/or featured on 2018’s list.

Skin79 BB Cream

Natural BB cream finish but enough coverage to rival most lighter foundations.

Maybelline Superstay Matte Ink Lipstick

If you want a liquid lipstick that’s not going to budge, these are the best non-drying, stay-put formula with a great shade range and affordable price tag.

Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara

It’s a pricey one but I have to give credit to the Lancome Monsieur Big Mascara for performing perfectly from the day you first open the tube to six months down the line (or more like 12- oops)