Sammi the Beauty Buff: Beauty Buff Favorites of 2014: Makeup (Eyes)

Hi friends! Today is the final installment of my 2014 favorites: best eye makeup! I hope you enjoy seeing the best things I've discovered this year. Feel free to check out last year's, too!

Brow Powder: ANASTASIA OF BEVERLY HILLS Brow Powder Duo in Medium Brown ($23)

In My Beauty Resolutions for 2014 I wanted to become the master of my eyebrows, and this product brought me one step closer to that goal. They're a little more sheer than eyeshadows, so you don't have to look like you drew your eyebrows on with a Sharpie. These come in a number of different shades. If you're looking at this, I suggest you go into a Sephora or something and get color-matched. I was originally looking at the ash blonde, but the Sephora sales rep actually told me to go with Medium Brown since my hair is dirty (or as I like to call it, dark) blonde. If you have brows that are naturally bolder side and just need to fill in a few spots and fix them up, go check this out!

Read more: October 2014 Favorites

Brow Gel: E.L.F. Essential Wet Gloss Lash and Brow Clear Mascara ($1)

I can't believe I used to use expensive brow gel! This one is only $1, and I've used both the brow gel side and the clear mascara side to set my eyebrows. It works great! I'm never spending money on brow gel again.

Read more: e.l.f. Haul, April 2014 Favorites

Brow Tool: TINKLE Eyebrow Razors ($3.15 for pack of 3)

Continuing the quest to become the queen of my own eyebrows, I picked these little guys up on Amazon. If you're not absolutely sure of what you want your eyebrow shape to be, or you're not fully committed to really plucking that little hair off, I 100% recommend eyebrow razors. You can make all the mistakes you want, and the hair grows back in a few days (just like it would anywhere else), so practice as much as you like. Once you're sure of what you want completely gone, you can pluck it away and achieve your perfect eyebrow shape! These are also great if you've been neglectful of your eyebrows and the stray hairs have started growing in, and you don't have time to mess around. Just shave your problem areas away and you're ready to go in seconds! Have I mentioned it's painless? (Unless you cut yourself. These are sharp, so don't mess around).

Read more: February Favorites

Powder Eyeshadow: COASTAL SCENTS (Singles $2 ~ Palettes $15+)

Shades shown:
Top left: Maroon Berry, Flesh Tone, Caramel and Light Bronze (0.07oz)
Top right: Candlelight, Incognito, Gunmetal, Ashen
Bottom left: Dark Goldenrod, Sunbeam, Golden Olive, Dark Golden Olive
Bottom Right: Revealed Palette Sampler

These are not my favorite for the formula, but for the sheer mass quantity you can get for the price. Don't get me wrong, they're not bad. In fact, they're pretty good in terms of opacity and blendability, They're just not as creamy and smooth as Urban Decay or other higher end shadows. I'm okay with that, though. This is just a sampling of the Coastal Scents eyeshadows I've acquired over the years, and I'm planning on making a purchase on one or two of their giant palettes. I think the Revealed formula is a little smoother and less powdery (and prone to fallout) than their regular formula. The Revealed palettes also make a good, cheaper alternative to neutral palettes like the Urban Decay Naked palettes, if you're into that.

Read more: January 2014 Birchbox, This or That? Tag

Cream Eyeshadow: MAYBELLINE Eye Studio Color Tattoos ($7)

Shade shown: "Bold Gold"

2014 was the year of cream eyeshadows. If you saw me last year wearing makeup, 9/10 times I was wearing cream eyeshadow, Whether it be under powder shadows or on its own, it was on my eyes. This was the one I sported the most. The antique gold color is beautiful, the texture is creamy and smooth, and they held up all day on me without creasing, making them a great base. My only gripe about these is they do tend to dry out after awhile (I don't know if you can see it, but on the right picture, the very outer ring is dried out). Overall, I would continue to purchase these again and again, and I'm hoping to get more colors! Right now, I'm looking at Inked in Pink and Bad to the Bronze.

Read more: I Love Drugstore Makeup Tag, Seven Deadly Sins of Beauty, October 2014 Favorites

Pencil Eyeliner: URBAN DECAY 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencils ($20)

Shade shown: "Zero"

This was last year's favorite eyeliner, and here it is again! The Urban Decay pencil eyeliners last all day on me, whether I set them with eyeshadow or not. They're smooth and creamy, but not too creamy that they slip and slide, and after 30 seconds or so, they set and don't budge. It's really fantastic, especially for someone like me who has watery eyes. That being said, these don't last on me in the waterline, but nothing does. However, if you're looking for a great pencil eyeliner, try these out!

Read more: Full Review, The Lazy Girl's Guide to Halloween,

Cream Eyeliner: SMASHBOX Cream Eyeliner ($14)

Shade shown: "Midnight Brown"

This is the eyeliner of my life. Seriously, it was the first eyeliner I ever tried, courtesy of my mom. It was in last year's favorites and will probably continue to be forever. Smashbox has been weird, because sometimes they're in stock on their website, and other times they are not. Of course, when in doubt, it's always available on Amazon.

Read more: Full Review, October 2014 Favorites

Mascara: IT COSMETICS Tightline Full Lash Length Black Mascara Primer ($24)

This was the coolest mascara I used in 2014. The brush is so teeny-tiny (look at it, it's adorable!), which makes it great for really getting in at the root of your lashes. It's also wonderful at coating your bottom lashes without getting mascara all over yourself. I used it as a primer and didn't really see a difference in the staying power of any mascara I wore over it, but I really enjoyed using it as a mascara on its own. For such a tiny brush, it does a great job at lengthening your lashes, and adding a bit of volume, too. My only problem with this is that for $24, you only get about a third of the product you normally get in mascara tubes. Even if you're using it only as a base coat/primer, you'll use this up fast.

Read more: Full Review

Eye Brush: SIGMA BEAUTY E40 Tapered Blending Brush ($16)

The price of Sigma brushes goes up faster than college tuition costs, but I still think they're great. This was in last year's favorites, and if I'd had a blog in 2012, I probably would have written about it then, too. I bought this was when it was $12--yikes--but I would still repurchase it at this price. It's a great, fluffy brush for blending out eyeshadow in the crease. That being said, it does shed some, and those with small eyes will probably find this too big. I have other blending brushes in my collection, but this one has a permanent place in my makeup routine.

Read more: Beauty Profile Tag

And that is the end of the Beauty Buff Favorites for 2014! Wow, that was a lot! Eye makeup is just so fun, I can't pick just a few favorites!

What were your favorite eye products in 2014?