Last year, I published my favorites post before Black Friday, in case people were curious about them and wanted to do some shopping, so I figured we’d do that again this year. For the 2024 Favorites, I selected only products that I reviewed in that year. However, I felt that it would be more accurate this year to simply pick my favorites (and a couple of honorable mentions), regardless of whether I reviewed them in 2025. I’ll also link to some of the end-of-year wrap-ups and favorite posts I’ve done in past years. For reference, I am 40+ and have dry, eczema-prone skin. I have an olive undertone, and my best foundation shade matches are NARS Tahoe (Natural Radiant Longwear Formula) and 4W4 Hazel in the Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation. Alright, let’s get into it. 🙂
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The MAC Shadeshift Chrome Eyeshadow is a soft, slick feeling, dimethicone-based formula. You can see a dent in the formula after you swatch it because it is so soft. I am not sure if this means the formula is fragile, since I bought mine in-store at Ulta. I can’t say for certain it would make it through the mail.
MAC Shadeshift Chrome Eyeshadow Venom Duochrome Shift
The DIOR Backstage Rosy Glow Blush line uses pH-activating technology that, in theory, makes the blush look different on each person, resulting in a custom color. For holiday 2025, DIOR released 3 shades, and I decided to try shade 830 Fiery Red. I have not tried any of the shades from the permanent collection, so I’m not sure how this formula compares. The brand’s major claims for this blush are that it is long-wearing and buildable, and I agree. This particular shade is supposed to give a blurred finish, unlike the other 2 holiday shades, which have a pearlescent finish. It is not as smoothing as some other blushes that I’ve tried, but I don’t think it accentuates texture either. While the DIOR Backstage Rosy Glow Blush is technically fragrance-free, the formula contains raspberry ketone, which gives it a scent. I can smell it when I open it and apply it, but I don’t notice it while I’m wearing it.
I thought it would be nice to do a repeat of 2023 and 2024’s recap of the most-viewed posts on my website. I find it interesting to see what was popular on my website, even if I didn’t publish that post in 2025. So, I’ll share any updated thoughts on the products from my top 10 most-viewed blog posts of 2025. To view the original post/review I am referencing, click on the numbered title.
But first, some info for my new subscribers. In 2025, I created several indexes on my website, making it easier to find items by product type rather than through the long alphabetical brand listing page. Here is a list of all the index-type pages for your reference.
It has helped people find products more easily, so I’m glad I took the time to do that. I regularly update the indexes, so if you visit those pages, you will see the date they were last updated. If you ever have questions for me, you can leave a comment at the bottom of any of my posts. I am also available by e-mail (editor.nikkifromhr@gmail.com).
To both new and longtime subscribers, thank you for your time and support. 🙂
OK, here are the top 10 most-viewed blog posts of 2025!
The Lancome Care and Glow Serum Concealer is my go-to pick when I am at my driest, or I’m looking for comfort over coverage. My go-to for a non-drying concealer (but without added hydration) that gives me medium coverage is the Estee Lauder Futurist Soft Touch Brightening Skincealer. The Estee Lauder Skincealer may build to full coverage for some people, but on me, it creases too badly when built up. If you’re curious, my other favorite concealers that I turn to for coverage but are absolutely not hydrating for my dry, eczema-prone skin are the Lancome Teint Idole Ultra Wear All Over Concealer and the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer (only in summer). Check out this round-up for more information on hydrating (or at least not drying) concealers, featuring the following products:
Dior Forever Skin Correct Concealer
Lancome Care and Glow Serum Concealer
Givenchy Prisme Libre Skin Caring Concealer
Estee Lauder Futurist Skincealer
Armani Luminous Silk Concealer
MAC Studio Fix Pro Conceal and Correct Palette
Too Faced Ethereal Light Illuminating Smoothing Concealer
L to R: L’oreal Worth It (601) and L’oreal Worth It Medium (635) Colour Riche Lipsticks
I started to think that it wasn’t bothering me, but it turned out that the fragrance in these lipsticks was triggering my allergies. I still think the formula is great, but I have given up on them due to the scent.
L to R: Revlon rum raisin, raisin rage, desert escape
In 2025, this post was not my number 1 most-viewed post for the first time, which was interesting. The Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick line is still a solid choice at the drugstore, especially if you need a fragrance-free option. The formula does have a lanolin ingredient (C10-30 Cholesterol/Lanosterol Esters), so keep that in mind if you are allergic to lanolin. I’m personally a fan of lipsticks that are a little thicker in texture (e.g., Maybelline Color Sensational or L’oreal Colour Riche Lipsticks if the scent were better). The Maybelline and L’oreal lipsticks also contain lanolin.
I think this is a great formula, and I love the color options. Unfortunately for me, the formula tends to move into the corners of my mouth, so I end up not using them. They have excellent pigment, don’t accentuate lip lines, and don’t feather into the fine lines around my top lip. Since I haven’t seen any other complaints about it moving around, I’d still check out this formula, since it doesn’t seem to be a common problem.
At the end of November 2025, CoverGirl released the TruBlend Skin Enhancer Baked Luminous Blushes and Bronzers ($12.99). So far, they are getting a lot of buzz, and many people are comparing them to the Hourglass and Laura Geller powders. I understand the comparison, but baked powders have been a part of CoverGirl’s line before. In 2016, CoverGirl released baked blushes and bronzers under its Trublend line, so the brand is no stranger to baked formulas. This release is more of a reboot for them.
Discontinued formula – CoverGirl Trublend Blush 305 Deep Mauve Swatch
Their Trublend Blushes were a favorite of mine back then, and I am equally happy with the Trublend Skin Enhancer Baked Luminous formula in 2025. Since these powders are swirled together in multiple tones, each compact will vary in shade. So keep in mind that if you buy these, yours may look different from what you see here or elsewhere online. These powders are pigmented, easy to blend, and smooth on the skin despite having a slight sheen. Neither of the shades I have (Strawberry Drizzle 420 and Caramel Truffle 320) has noticeable glitter particles, even under harsh overhead lighting. It is common for these types of powders to appear more glittery in the sunlight, though, so that remains to be seen in better weather.
I have a medium-dark skin tone (NARS Tahoe/Estee Lauder 4W4) with an olive undertone. So, keep that in mind as you consider how these shades look on me.
Pat McGrath Labs Intensifeyes Longwear Primer, MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base, Urban Decay Primer Potion, Milani Stay Put Eyeshadow Primer, and elf Lock It Down Eyeshadow Primer
Today I wanted to talk about some of the eyeshadow primers that I’ve been testing over the last couple of years. My all-time favorite eye primer was the Too Faced Shadow Insurance, but they reformulated it and added fragrance, so I had to move on. If you read enough of my eyeshadow reviews, you can probably tell that the MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base is my favorite, with the Urban Decay Primer Potion bringing up a close second. Let’s get into some details if you are interested in any of the primers I’ll discuss today. Eyeshadow primers aren’t just good for people with oily eyelids; they can also help intensify eyeshadow colors, help glitter/mica particles adhere better, and improve the longevity/wear time of your eyeshadows. I do have dry skin, but because my eyelids are slightly hooded, I can get oily in the crease because the lid folds on itself. So I have to wear an eye primer to prevent the eyeshadow in my crease from disappearing.
The formulas featured today all claim to increase wear time, prevent creasing, and intensify color. I don’t prefer chunky shimmers or glitter eyeshadows, so I don’t use glitter glue. All but the Milani and e.l.f. Eyeshadow primers claim to either last for 24 hours or increase eyeshadow wear for 24 hours. Although the Milani Stay Put Eye Primer claims to extend wear, it only promises up to 8 hours of wear, while the e.l.f Lock It Down Primer doesn’t list a specific time claim. The MAC Eye Base Primer claims to prevent fading as well, but that could also be folded into the wear-time claim. There are some smoothing claims from Urban Decay and Milani, and the Pat McGrath Intensifeyes Longwear Primer claims to blur skin texture. To me, the MAC Eye Base is the most smoothing for texture, despite it not appearing in its claims. I have tested every eyeshadow primer on this list with several formulas, from my most affordable eyeshadows (Wet n Wild, Milani, Colourpop, CoverGirl), to my most expensive (Chanel, MAC, Pat McGrath, Tom Ford). My main concerns are longevity without color fading and the formula’s ability to prevent creasing. Based on that, I’d rank these from best performance to worst performance in this order:
MAC Prep + Prime 24-Hour Extend Eye Base (can make mattes harder to blend)
Pat McGrath Labs Intensifeyes Longwear Primer (performs well for me, but something in it irritates my eyes, so I no longer use it)
Urban Decay Primer Potion (dries out faster than other formulas, causing it to crease more as it gets older)
e.l.f. Lock It Down Eyeshadow Primer (can cause some fading with some shadows, and a big issue is that it does not work with my Pat McGrath Eyeshadows)
Milani Stay Put Eyeshadow Primer (does not prevent creasing for more than 3 hours for me with one exception)
I originally reviewed the Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadow formula back in 2021 in the shades Charged and Fazed. The shimmer shade Charged was a big letdown, and the matte shade Fazed was just okay. Every now and then, these go on sale for 50% off at Ulta and Macy’s, so I decided to find out whether all the shimmers were as messy and difficult to work with as the shade Charged. Here are the pictures and swatches of Charged and Fazed from my initial review, in case you missed that.
Charged (left) and Fazed (right)
Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeshadow Charged (left) and Fazed (right)
TLDR: I do like the other Urban Decay single shimmer eyeshadows that I have tried (Half Baked, Overdraft, Dumb Luck, Ember, and Psych) a lot better than Charged. And I still think that Fazed is just ok.
Since the Beautylish Gift card event started today (October 23, 2025 – October 26, 2025), I wanted to post about Chikuhodo’s new-ish GL Series Brushes. If you are interested in shopping during the Beautylish gift card event, you will receive a $20 gift card for every $100 that you spend. Although Chikuhodo is available from other retailers, Beautylish is often a more accessible option for buying Fude Brushes when they are available there. I’m not well-versed in Chikuohodo, but from what I understand, the GL Series was a relaunch for the brand in May 2025. I purchased the GL-3 Cheek ($63), GL-4 Cheek/Highlight ($56), and GL-7 Liquid ($35) Brushes back in June. And while I’ve had plenty of time to get to know them, I do still consider myself to be a novice when it comes to both Chikuhodo and Fude Brushes in general. It was just over 4 years ago that I started buying more Fude brushes, and I admit that I don’t dig too deeply into the history or research. I’m mainly interested in finding brush shapes and handle styles that suit my preferences. If you don’t know, Fude refers to Japanese makeup brushes handmade by artisans. If you are interested in learning more information on different types of Fude brushes, my go-to sources are my friend Lili’s blog (Fude Collection Series) and Alicia Archer on YouTube (her Fude Q + A may be a good place to start).
Chikuhodo GL-3 Cheek, GL-4 Cheek/Highlight, and GL-7 Liquid Brushes
The GL Series features gold ferrules and white pearl handles and is marketed as designed for professional use while still being easy for beginners. They are well-made and feel substantial without being heavy. I have experienced some shedding during use and washing, but not enough to cause concern. They do shed more than I experienced with both Sonia G brushes (Soft Cheek, eye brushes, classic cheek, and classic base) and the one Koyudo brush that I’ve used. All of these brushes apply makeup beautifully, and the bristles feel soft to the touch. However, I don’t like the GL-3 Cheek brush nearly as much as the GL-4 Cheek/Highlight and the GL-7 Liquid brushes.
Nikki From HR 