2018 Fishmeatdie Approved Beauty Awards | Faves & Holy Grails

One of the great things about being a beauty blogger is that I get to try out a lot of different products and share my thoughts and opinions about them with you guys. I've been blogging more actively for about three years now, and this year was definitely the busiest in beauty for me.

You may ask "Eros, I see that you get tons of products in the mail in your Instastories but you don't review all of them!". The main reason is I get mostly skincare products, and skincare reviews take time. On average I get 10 parcels a month. If half of them are cleansers, I won't be able to post about all of them any time soon! I have try it out, see how it is, etc. Another reason is I have a full time job now, so I can't really review products as often as I could back in college.

Anyhoo! Today I thought I'd share some of the products which I loved this year in the first-ever Fishmeatdie Approved Awards! Totally inspired by Jeffree Star ahahaha. In this post, I'll be sharing some of the products I loved and will continue to use and repurchase. Since this is the first ever list, I'll be sharing my holy grails as well!

I'll be linking my individual reviews of the products as well (if I've posted about them before on my blog) as well as where you can buy them.


Guide
🥇 - First place
🥈 - Second place
🥉 - 3rd place
🎖️ - Holy grail
🏆 - Special mention


1. Makeup remover
🥇 Belif Cleansing Oil Fresh
- Removes makeup thoroughly, leaves the skin feeling soft. My skin doesn't feel tight nor squeaky after this, and it feels immaculately soft and clean. (Buy here)

🥈 Calmia Oatmeal Therapy Cleansing Tissue
- Affordable, great at removing makeup & leaves the skin feeling fresh. Not a lot of product in the tissues/not the juciest but gets the job done. (Buy here)


2. Cleanser
🥇🎖️ Kiehls Calendula Deep Cleansing Foaming Face Wash
- One of the best cleansers I've ever tried. I'm now on my fourth bottle ever and I actually have to stop myself from reaching out for this cleanser so I can try others because it's just so good lol. It's a bit of a splurge but a little product goes a long way so one full sized bottle can last very long. Recommended for all skin types! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥈🎖️  The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Clarifying Bubble Foam Cleanser
- This is one of my go-to products when I break out. The foam dispenser minimizes friction with my face so I get to cleanse it without further irritating my skin. Smells great + has a good list of ingredients to combat acne too. (Buy here) (Review here)

🥉 Huxley Be Clean Be Moist Cleansing Gel
- I got thedeluxe size from their Christmas set last year and have since upgraded to the full size. I use this in the gym and love how the scent smells. Does an okay job cleansing and leaves my skin feeling nice and fresh. (Buy here)

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
Cosrx Low PH Good Morning Gel Cleanser (good value & great for sensitive/acne - Buy here)


3. Exfoliator
🥇🎖️ Skinfood Black Sugar Mask Wash Off
- So sad that Skinfood might be closing down because this is one of the best sugar scrubs out there! I recently repurchased 6 for my stock. Great at smoothening the skin, but use only once a week to avoid over-exfoliation. Smells yummy, highly recommended! (Buy here)

🥈 Huxley Scrub Mask Sweet Therapy
- A great scrub but you need quite a bit of product to cover your entire face. A bit pricey but I'd say it's worth the splurge. (Buy here)

🥉 Neogen Bio-Peel Gauze Peeling Wine
- Smells uh-may-zing! Its one of those pads that come with two sides, and the one with the netting for exfoliation does very well at removing dead skin. Would recommend this one over the lemon version. (Buy here)

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid (highly recommended for those facing bad acne - Buy here)

4. Toner
🥇🎖️ Somebymi AHA BHA PHA 30 Days Miracle Toner
- One of the best toners out there if you have oily and acne skin like me! The AHA BHA and PHA really helps calm acne and prevented me from having any breakouts. On my 2nd bottle now and already repurchased my 3rd for stock! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥈🎖️ Kiehls Calendula Herbal Extract Toner
- A holy grail toner that smells like iced tea, I recommend this for those looking for a toner that hydrates + helps you stay acne free. A bit pricey but the jumbo/large size is worth it! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥉 Mamonde Rose Water Toner
- This is my office toner and I love how hydrating it feels. Can be layered on as well for plumper skin! I recommend this is you have combo to dry skin, and if you work in an aircon environment and suffer from dry/itchy skin. (Buy here)

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
Dear Klairs Supple Preparation Unscented Toner - Good value + no additives, perfect for sensitive skin (Buy here)
Althea Korea Bare Essentials Primer Water - hydrating, great for layering (Buy here)

5. Essence
🥇 Purito Fermented Complex 94 Boosting Essence
- My office essence & morning essence! I have one bottle at home and one bottle in the office hahaha. It makes the skin feel very chewy/bouncy/pinchable soft, I just can't explain it! One layer patted into my skin and I feel like I'm ready to face the day. Super moisturizing!! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥈 The Face Shop The Therapy First Serum
- Can be used as a toner, serum & essence! Nice packaging, nice product and great at hydrating. (Buy here) (Review here)

*Note: No FTEs for me this year because I decided to slow down on them since my skin didn't seem to be reacting to them. I think my skin's still too young for FTEs hm...


6. Eye product
🥇 The Face Shop The Therapy Secret-Made Anti-Aging Eye Treatment
- Got this on a whim and was simply the best accident that happened this year. If you're older you might need something heavier, but if you're in your 20s like me please go buy it. It seeps into the skin quickly and really nourishes the eye area. (Buy here)

🥈 Innisfree Green Tea Seed Eye Cream
- I initially had a bias against the entire Innisfree Green Tea range because of the serum (it didn't work for me a few years back) but this totally changed my mind. It's great and nourishing, and I use it in the office and at night. (Buy here)

🥉 Laneige Water Bank Eye Gel_EX
- Quite nice and is a light eye product I would say. Layering a lot doesn't make it more nourishing and just makes it sticky, but it is very refreshing + applying just a little bit in the morning feels amazing. (Buy here)


7. Serum
🥇 It's My Ginseng Serum
- I initially disliked it because of the smell, but the effects made me love it so I braved through the scent and don't mind it as much anymore. It's really moisturizing and I feel like I saw a huge improvement in my skin with this. (Buy here)

🥈🎖️Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
- This was initially my #1 serum before it was overthrown by It's My hahaha. It's great at keeping acne skin at bay and really fading acne scars. My main concern last time was acne scars and this really helped a lot, but now that my skin's clearer I use it very seldom as I feel like on a daily basis it doesn't do much for me anymore. I still switch to this every few weeks for a pick me up! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥉 Belif Prime Infusion Repair Program Ampoule
- I noticed that my skin looked better, felt younger and seemed brighter with this program. Its a bit of a splurge but I would recommend this to someone who wants to reset their skin and see difference. Literally just use cleanser, toner, this ampoule and a simple moisturiser, you'll see results! (Buy here) (Review here)

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
The Face Shop Dr Belmeur Spot Calming Ampoule - good at calming acne (Buy here) (Review here)
Huxley Oil Essence; Essence-like, Oil-like - smells great & is very moisturizing but a bit of a splurge. (Buy here)


8. Mask
🥇🎖️ Helloskin Jumiso Range
- The most hydrating mask I tried out this year. Nothing compares! Althea discontinued it but I'm going to be restocking soon from Stylekorean. Comes with an excess of essence that you can pat into your skin after the sheet mask. Only recommend using this at night because the finish is shiny/a bit sticky. (Buy here)

🥈🎖️  Huxley Mask; Oil and Extract
- Innovative and great at hydrating. One of the few oil sheet masks I've come across and is really nourishing. A bit pricey and cannot be bought individually, only in a box of 3. (Buy here) (Review here)

🥉 Koelf Gold Royal Jelly Hydrogel Mask Pack
- Affordable hydrogel mask that hydrates the skin well! A no-brainer for me whenever I'm shopping.

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
Dear Klairs Moist Soothing Tencel Sheet Mask - 2 piece mask that's quite hydrating (Buy here)
The Face Shop Dr. Belmeur Ad. Cica Hyaluronic Mask - great for acne skin (Buy here) (Review here)


9. Moisturizer
🥇 Mamonde Rose Water Gel Cream
- Totally surprised by how much I love this! Not sticky and a little goes a long way. Layer on a lot like a sleeping mask for extra hydration! I use this in the morning, in the office, at night and even when I went to Japan in the autumn. (Buy here)

🥈🎖️ Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin E Mask
- Like it's serum counterpart, this product is amazing for acne skin. The pudding-like texture is nice and absorbs quickly into my skin, and it managed to fade scars quite easily for me. (Buy here) (Review here)

🥉 Dear Klairs, Supple Preparation All-Over Lotion
- Best value out there. Super affordable and is super humongous! I use this in the gym because I use it on my entire body as well after showering. (Buy here) (Review here)

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
Hello Farmer True Water Light Gel Cream - A really good non-sticky moisturizer for oily skin (Buy here) (Review here)


10. Sleeping Mask
🥇 Belif Aqua Bomb Sleeping Mask Review
- This is fairly new to me but it shot straight to the top of my list! I like the scent, but what I love about it is how hydrated and plump my skin feels like in the morning when I wake up. The texture is pudding-like as well, so it doesn't feel heavy/overbearing on my skin! (Review here)

🥈 The Face Shop Yehwadam Revitalizing Moisturizing Sleeping Pack
- This is a more liquidy/thick sleeping mask that works great on my skin and helps pamper it for the next day. I use this for when I need great skin for makeup the next day, and it would be great for people looking for something for anti-aging as well. (Buy here) (Review here)


11. Acne care
🥇🎖️ The Face Shop Dr Belmeur Spot Patch Kit (Spot Hydrocolloid Band)
- My one true love. I've mentioned again and again on my Instagram & stories how this is the best Korean pimple patch in the market for me, beating out everything else I've ever tried. The downside is that you can't buy it individually and you have to get the set (which comes with the Spot Patch, which in my opinion is pretty useless). However, I'd still get it just for the hydrocolloid patch. Seriously a must have if you're acne prone like me! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥈🎖️Dear Klairs Freshly Juiced Vitamin Drop
- If you fave acne skin, you might suffer from acne scars as well. As I mentioned, this serum is really good at fading them, but those with sensitive skin should be warned: it does feel slightly tingly at times so do spot checks first to see if your skin reacts to it or not. (Buy here) (Review here)

🥉 ByWishtrend TECA 1% Barrier Cream
- I use this everytime I have a pimple and I realize that it helps speed the "cooking" process and either ripens them for my pimple patch to absorb or complete gets rid of them. (Buy here)

🏆 SPECIAL MENTION
Chica-y-chico BETA-SALIC 2.0 plus - good at "cooking" pimples! (Buy here)


12. Sunblock
🥇🎖️ Dear Klairs Soft Airy UV Essence
- One of the best launches of 2018, this sunblock has the best texture I've tried. Its like an essence that leaves the skin protected, dewy and hydrated. 15/10 would recommend! (Buy here) (Review here)

🥈 Vella Cosmetic Ultra Hydro Sun Essence
- If the Dear Klairs sunblock is still thick for you and you want something that feels really non-existent, this sunblock has a thinner consistency that literally feels like water. (Buy here)


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As for makeup, if I like a product or if it works for me, I rarely switch and use anything else. As y'all probably know, my makeup looks aren't the most creative, and instead of focusing on creativity, I focus on perfecting my signature "Eros" look with products that can withstand my oily skin, sweat + are very long lasting. Here are the makeup products that I would highly recommend!


1. Primer
For primer I started the year loving matte primers, but I've moved on to glowy ones that give the skin a nice, glowy, healthy look without looking too greasy + helps my beat from creasing + lasts longer.

Elizavecca Skin Liar Primer
🎖️ Heimish Artless Glow Base
Canmake Marshmallow Finish Mase M (Moisture)
Klavuu White Pearlsation Ideal Actress Backstage Cream


2. Concealer
🎖️ Maybelline Fit Me #20 Sand - one of the best affordable concealers ever!
LA Girl HD Pro Concealer


3. Foundation
🎖️ MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation NC42 + NC40 - my holy grail foundation
Loreal Infallible Pro-Matte Foundation #108 Caramel Beige - an affordable dupe with a great demi-matte finish for oily skin

4. Eyebrows
🎖️ Etude House Drawing Eyebrow #1 Dark Brown + #7 Light Brown
🎖️ Etude House Color My Brows #Rich Brown - essential because without it, I feel like the black brow hairs don't match with the eyebrow pencil/pomade I've used
Rire Luxe Slim Brow #2 Deep Brown
Colourpop Brow Colour Bangin Brunette
Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Powder Duo

5. Contour
Etude House Play 101 Stick #20
Sleek Makeup Face Contour Kit #Medium 885

6. Highlighter
🎖️ Colourpop Super Shock Cheek #Flexitarian - the most blinding highlighter ever. You don't have to buy anything else!

7. Eyeshadow
🎖️ Colourpop Yes Please Palette - literally can create any warm/matte fantasy for me.

8. Eyeliner
Dolly Wink Makeup Liquid Eyeliner Waterproof #Superblack

9. Mascara
🎖️ The Face Shop 2-in-1 Curling Mascara Black + Brown - non-smudging and long lasting

10. Lip
🎖️ Breena Beauty Velvetcreme Liquid Lipstick #SpiceLatte
🎖️ The Face Shop Coke Bear Lip Tint #02 Coke Red
🎖️ Etude House Dear Darling Tint #Dracula Red
Lip Addict Voluptuous Lip Plumper
Skinfood Vita Color Lip Tint Oil

11. Setting spray
NYX Matte Finish Setting Spray
MAC Prep + Prime Fix+

12. Setting powder
🎖️ MAC Patrick's Powder - the best setting powder I've tried
Srichand Translucent Powder
Althea Korea Petal Velvet Powder

13. Makeup tools
🎖️ Breena Beauty Blending Pearl -  the best sponge I've tried, perfect for blending and baking!
Breena Beauty B104 Cheek Definer
Zoeva Eye Makeup Brush #224 #228 #231 #317 #322
Real Techniques Contour Brush
Breena Beauty Makeup Bag

Aaaaaand that's it for this year's Fishmeatdie Approved Beauty Awards! I hope you guys found my recommendations helpful and that I managed to help you find your next great beauty find. If you have any questions regarding the products, sound off in the comments below!

Looking forward to another great year of beauty in 2019 💖

See y'all in the next post!