January Favourites | 2015

Everyone always says they hate January as the weather is crap, Christmas is gone etc... but I actually love January! Not only is it my birthday month but I love winter and the prospect of what a new year can bring. On that positive vibe, I have been loving so many products this month - some new which I got for Christmas and others that I rediscovered after shopping my stash.

Makeup

001. Eco Tools Angled Eyeliner Brush: Last year I did a review on the set this brush came in but this was one of my least used in the collection. However, I've been favouring lining my eyes with black eyeshadow rather than liquid liner or pencil as it is less harsh and this brush makes it super easy to get a thin even line close to your lashes.

002. The Body Shop Clementine Lip Balm: Years ago back in school I was obsessed with the Body Shop lip balms and butters. I forgot about them but then received the lollipop gift set from my secret santa at work and fell in love with them again. The formula is so nourishing and glossy, the scents divine and they are great for popping in your hand bag. The Clementine scent brings back school memories and has glitter running through it to add a bit of your shimmer to your lips.

003. Benefit Hervana Blush: Again, Benefit blushes bring back memories of my youth and were one of the first make up products I bought. I love the packaging (although its not great for travel) and the recent addition of a tapered brush and mirror in the box is a great bonus. This blush is so pretty both in the pan and on the cheeks and I've been using it every day this month - you can see it in action here.

004. Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette: The original Naked will always have a special place in my heart but I have been itching to add to my UD collection and was delighted to get this for Christmas. It is the more cool toned sister of the original and I adore every single shade in there. The formulation is buttery, super pigmented and easy to blend - just what you would expect from the brand. It's perfect for all kinds of looks and again I've been using this practically every day this month.

005. Anastasia Beverley Hills Brow Wiz in 'Taupe/Ash Brown': This product deserves every accolade it has as it is seriously the best brow product I have ever used! It is the perfect texture and colour -  I will be doing a full review of this but basically you need this in your life.

006. The Body Shop BB Cream in 01: Full review can be seen here so I don't want to go into too much detail! This is my favourite BB Cream it gives medium coverage without feeling heavy, covers pores and imperfections and lasts for a very long time.

007. Bobbi Brown Long Wear Foundation in 'Sand 2' : My favourite base for the latter half of January, this gives medium coverage without being cakey, lasts a long time and gives a 'my skin but better' appearance.

008. No 7 Instant Radiance Cream Highlighter: Cream products don't normally tend to be my thing but I adore this highlighter. It gives a beautiful natural sheen that is not glittery in the slightest and blends in wonderfully.

Hair

009. Paul Mitchell Full Circle Leave-In Treatment*: I got this ages ago (at my first event actually) but for some reason reached for other products in the range instead of this thinking it might be too heavy for my hair. This is actually very nourishing without weighing down my hair and I love to use it on occasions when I haven't used a hair mask or deep conditioner. It leaves hair soft and manageable and I've seen my natural waves/loose curls become more defined.

010. Schwarzkopf Hair Therapy Oil Miracle Spray: This product is a surprise gem. I received it in my stocking at Christmas which was good timing as I was looking for a new spray conditioner to help detangle my hair after washing. This is so light with a fine spray and makes it easy to brush out knots, leaves your hair silky soft and smelling beautiful.

Skincare

011. The Body Shop Eye Camomile Waterproof Eye and Lip Makeup Remover: My favourites always seem to include multiple Body Shop products at the moment, so apologies for that but clearly I am a big fan! I enjoyed the cleansing butter from this range and have just used up the oil so naturally when looking for a make up remover I picked this up. It has two parts so you need to shake it properly and it is oil based so makes removal a breeze, although it doesn't leave the eye area feeling heavy or greasy which is a big plus for me.

012. Super Facialist by Una Brennan Anti Blemish Pore Purifying Clay Mask: Una Brennan are definitely a brand that don't get enough recognition. The quality of the products are so good for the price and this mask in particular is amazing. I loved the teaflower version which I think has been replaced with the salycic acid version. It draws out impurities really well, leaves your skin feeling soft, nourished and more even toned and the inclusion of acid helps to clear up any blemishes that have been hanging around.

0.13 Baby B Browne Tan in 'Medium'*: This featured in a favourites pretty recently at the end of last year but I picked this up again a few weeks ago and was so impressed all over again! It rubs in so easily, the smell is so nice for a fake tan (think vanilla) and the colour develops and lasts so well. It is by far the best tan I own.

What were your favourite items this month? xxx

February Favourites | 2014 |

I know that we are half way through March now but I couldn't resist posting about my favourites from February now I've got some time to concoct more posts. This installment features make up, nail varnish and body care - I hope you enjoy it whether you read or listen about them. I also added a little bit of an update at the beginning of the video too.

1. Revlon Colour Stay Concealer: I've spoken about this at length on my channel and its definitely taken the place as my new favourite concealer. The texture and pigmentation of the formula is amazing, it is easy to blend, long wearing and not at all ashy or orange. It is the better version of Collection's Lasting Perfection concealer in my eyes.

2. Garnier Micellar Water: Finally, I think I've found my holy grail micellar water! I've reviewed quite a few different variations of micellar waters on this blog and always found fault in them but this offering from Garnier is amazing and for a bargain price of under £5. It removes make up well before proper cleansing (even stubborn eye make up) and leaves no greasy residue, just a lovely fresh feeling.

3. Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation: This is actually a surprise favourite. When these first popped up on blogs I was unsure as the name suggests a very sheer and dewy product. However, while the foundation is very viscous like I thought it would be, the pigmentation is very strong so only a little bit is needed to provide coverage for blemishes and pigmentation and therefore still looks very natural. The lasting power is also great and it is much more matte than I thought it would be too. The only downside is the lack of pump.

4. Revlon JBKBS in 'Crush': Full review here. An oldie but a goodie, I wore this a lot in Paris after shopping my stash. Long lasting, great pigmentation and just a beaut colour this is a great all round lip crayon. Also I didn't realise until I compiled my list that all the make up items are Revlon I'm not sponsored by them, promise!

5. Soap & Glory The Righteous Butter: On a daily basis I prefer body lotions to butters as I find they take ages to sink in so leave them for after the bath on an evening. However, the righteous butter is different - it leaves skin deeply hydrated and smooth like you would expect from a butter but only takes a minute or two to sink in which is great on a busy morning. The signature pink scent is also lovely.

6. Barry M Gelly Varnish in 'Lychee', Essie 'Mint Candy Apple' and Illamasqua 'Freckle': These are the 3 polishes that have graced my nails for the month of Feb. Lychee is an understated shade that is super shiny, goes with any look and can be layered with lots of different glitters. Mint Candy Apple is a blogger fave and I can see why as it is such a perfect mint shade. Finally one of the more unusual polishes that I have is Freckle which is a gorgeous light purple with matte different sized glitter particles in which creates a speckled effect on the nails.

7. Victoria Secret Body Sprays in 'Strawberries & Champagne', 'Amber Romance', 'Mango Temptation' and 'Aqua Kiss': I had been waiting to get my paws on these body sprays for ages and was really happy when I popped to the store near Oxford Street as they have a deal where you can get 3 sprays for around £25. I tried to get a mixture of scents including musky, sweet and fresh. I try and use them sparingly but love every scent I picked up.

What is your favourite product of the moment? xxx

November Favourites

This post is quite late as we are nearly a week into December, however I had a few things I wanted to share this month that I've really enjoyed. These type of posts are one of my favourite to read, so wanted to pop my two cents up on the internet too.

Origins Drink Up Intensive: In a recent empties, I finished a sample of the normal Drink Up mask which I really enjoyed using. Considering my skin has been so dehydrated recently I decided to pick up a full size of the intensive version to give me that extra boost. It's worked wonders, smells divine and a little goes a long way. I'll be sure to post a proper review soon.

The Body Shop Spiced Pumpkin shower gel: I picked this up on a whim when I walked past the shop and saw they were having a sale. I bought this for half price at £2 along with 'Fuzzy peach' and am really enjoying using it. It's not the usual kind of shower gel I would go for as it isn't moisturising but the sweet yet spicy scent is perfect for this time of year.

Boots Botanics Rosewater Toning Spritz: After finishing up my Lush toner I wanted to try something new as I wasn't completely wowed by it. I picked this up after seeing a recommendation of it (can't remember which blogger, sorry!) and am so pleased I did. It has a strong rose scent which I enjoy and anything with rose water seems to agree with and aid my skin. I also really like the nozzle on it as it delivers a fine mist, which the Lush toner didn't. A full review of this is to come.

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: I know I've already waxed lyrical about this, but after finishing my bottle of it I tried out a new cleanser as I like to keep my options open. However I missed this, picked up another bottle and fell in love again. I think I will always have to have this in stock as it is definitely a holy grail item for me. It takes off makeup with ease, smoothes and softens my skin and has really helped with my dehydration issues too. Read my full review here.

MAC MSF in Lightscapade: A full review was recently put up on this product here, but I couldn't not mention it in my favourites. I've used it pretty much every day and think it is just so pretty both in the pan and on my face! It is finely milled, easily blended and very buildable - you can use it for a subtle shimmer or layer it on for more definition. It's so lovely and perfect for any occasion.

Tea variations: I've always loved a good cup of tea but recently I've branched into new flavours. I'm particularly enjoying Earl Grey at the moment (from Aldi) along with cinnamon tea (Holland and Barrat) with half a teaspoon of honey, which is great for this time of year. The latter choice was influenced by Sammi :)

Essie Carry On: Featured on a recent NOTD, this is a perfect shade for autumn/winter. It goes with loads of outfits, and complements the berry tones I've been enjoying wearing on my lips. I don't own anything else like it and think its a great addition to my nail varnish collection.

OPI 'I Lily Love You' (R) and 'Be A Dahlia Won't You' (L): Firstly, how cute are the names of OPI polishes?! I received this last christmas as a gift from my sister in a set of 3 and they are just so me. If I was a nail polish I would definitley be a combination of the two. They are beautiful on their own but this month I've been loving layering the glitter over the top of the hot pink as they really compliment each other. I'm sure there will be a NOTD post dedicated to them soon.

Do you like any of these products? What were in your favourites for November? xxx

July Favourites

This is my first ever favourites post! I love reading other people's posts and watching YT videos like this as it makes me confident at trying products I've been thinking about sampling and also gives me some new suggestions to have a look at. This post features a mixture of skin care and make up :)

Skincare

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish: Ever since purchasing this last month I have loved it! From the packaging to the product it hasn't let me down and I understand now why there were so many rave reviews. I may be late on the bandwagon, but now I've got this brand on my radar I'm looking forward to trying some of their other products and will be keeping this as a staple in my skincare routine. I'm not going to go into too much detail as I have an upcoming post dedicated to this lovely product. (Edit: see review here!)

Neutrogena Grapefruit Facial Wash: Again, there is an upcoming review of this on my blog and is a new item in my facial skincare regime. I'm really enjoying using it in the mornings as the scent and formula wakes me up and refreshes my face nicely. 

Make Up

Revlon Lip Butters: I've just done a post on these so you can see how much I love them and why here! An update since then though is that I have recently purchased my third in the shade 'Creme Brulee' and I love it just as much as the others! I've been getting into my nude lips recently and this is a wonderful addition - it is a lovely soft nude, which is sheer enough to let some of my natural lip show through while still giving shine and a wash of colour with lots of nourishment. If you aren't that big into lipsticks and colour but want to dabble in lip products this is an excellent way to introduce yourself to both.

Urban Decay Naked Palette: This has been such a good investment purchase. Since buying it I've used it nearly every day and love the selection of matte and glittery shades, the quality of the eyeshadows and their colour payoff. You can create so many looks for day and evening by combining the different shades and I suggest it is a good palette to buy if you are into the natural look or are wanting to experiment. You can see my full review here. 

17 BB Cream: This has been a key staple in my every day make up routine this summer. I've been shunning foundation for the summer and this has to be my favourite BB cream that I have tried so far as it has good oil control, added SPF and good coverage. Every time I use it I like it even more :) If you want to read my full review for this you can read it here. I am looking forward to trying some other BB creams and am going to do a post soon on all the ones I have tried and what I think of them.

Hope you enjoyed reading my favourites :) Are any of these featured in your favourites post? xxx