2015 Favourites | Skincare

Skincare is something I'm not very good at doing, I don't currently have a skincare routine but this year I am definitely going to try have a solid routine that I do most nights, if not every night. Nearer the end of the year I got the Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish after all the hype that was around that product and I can definitely say it lives up to the hype. I love this product and it is going to be a firm favourite during 2016 as well. Even just using this product once I could see that my skin looked so much clearer. I'm very lucky in the sense that I don't get too many spots or blemishes often so I can't say if it clears up spots well but it definitely cleanses your skin and keeps it fresh so that the likeliness of a spot or blemish appearing is less. I have also been using the Garnier Micellar Water all year round to take off my make-up before I go to bed and this is just amazing, it takes off my make-up so well and quickly too. I must've used up at least 4/5 bottles of this during 2015 which shows how good it is and how much I like it. I will continue to buy this this year until I find something that works better for me. I feel like I should be talking about a face moisturiser in this post but I've tried a few this year and none of them have really stood out to me at all which is a shame. If you have any good moisturiser recommendations I love to hear what they are so I can try them out and see if they work for me.

Because this post seems a little bit on the short side I thought I'd talk about a body lotion that I have been loving this year and it's the Zoella Creamy Madly Dreamy. Honestly I didn't have high hopes for any of the Zoella Beauty collection when it was announced (well actually I did but I definitely didn't think it would be as good as I hoped) so when I tried the body lotion I was happily surprised. You need the tiniest bit as a little goes a long way but it is so moisturising and once it's rubbed into the skin you cannot feel it at all. It just leaves your skin feeling so soft and moisturised which is lovely. I use this most mornings when I am getting ready and also whenever I have a shower I use this straight after when my skin is a little damp so my skin soaks up more moisture making it feel extra soft!

Let me know what you're favourite skincare products have been this year. Have they been the same as mine? Or do you have different favourites that you think I should try?

2015 Favourites | Lipsticks

When it comes to lipsticks for me, I am very much someone who will stick to brands and formulas that I know I like so there isn't a huge variety in the ones that have stood out for me this year. Originally when going through my lipsticks to see which ones I had been loving all year round it was quite difficult narrowing it down, I did have about 14 different lipsticks in the list but I managed to cut that in half somehow to the ones I really have loved this year. The first of three L'oreal lipsticks is the L'oreal Color Riche in Blake's Red, this is probably my all time favourite red shade, I love it, it's not a bright red which is what I'm drawn to, it's more of a darker red which I think suits me and my skin tone better. It's a lovely matte shade which isn't too drying and it does last all day with minimal touch ups needed. The next in the trio of L'oreal lipstick loves is the L'oreal Color Riche in Julianne's Nude, this has been my go-to nude this year, it is more of a pink shade of nude but I love it, it goes really well with any make-up look and it's just the easiest lipstick to just throw on and complete a makeup look. Again the formula is so creamy and lovely to apply, this one though since it isn't matte I do find that you have to reapply a few times throughout the day but that doesn't bother me at all. the last L'oreal lipstick is the L'oreal Color Riche in 640 Erotique, I'm not quite sure what to describe this shade as, it's sort of a darker nude with I tinge of brown in it but then there's something else which I'm not sure what it is but there's something else. This is like the Blake's Red, it's a matte which isn't too drying, but you do have to reapply a couple times throughout the day since I find this one fades quicker than Blake's Red although I think that's probably more to do with the fact I'm a lot more careful when wearing a red lip because I'd rather not have it smudged all over my face whereas with a nude you wouldn't be able to tell. The next lipstick I have been loving is the Nars Audacious in Barbara, this was he first more expensive lipstick that wasn't a Mac one so it was really nice to try something a little bit different so I wanted to get a shade that wasn't like any I already had but also one that was really wearable as an everyday shade as well and I think I chose well considering I only had the Internet to research colours and swatches. It's a matte nude colour with sort of greyish undertones, it looks a lot different on the lips than it does in the bullet and swatches but it is still a really lovely shade. It's also matte which means it is a little bit more drying but I find its still quite creamy and easy to apply. I also love the packaging I think it's very sleek and I love that it's magnetic as well, I think it's really satisfying when it clicks shut. The Rimmel Kate 107 has been my favourite reddish berry shade this year, it was my go to throughout Autumn, it is so creamy and it feels so light on the lips that I don't feel that I have lipstick on, it almost feels like a lip balm. The Rimmel Kate 03 lipstick is the second Rimmel Kate lipstick I have loved this year, it's a lovely nude which is only slightly different to the other nudes I have mentioned but I thought I'd put it in because it's one I have worn regularly throughout the year, I definitely think you need a shade like this in your lipstick collection, it's just so easy to wear and looks great with all make-up looks. The last lipstick I have loved this year is Mac Twig, I got this in duty free when I went on holiday in August, I was toying between this and another which I can't remember the name of but I am so glad I got this one, it is sort of along the same lines as Velvet Teddy which I also do want but at the same time don't want purely because of the hype around this and the 'you only wear this because Kylie Jenner wear it' sort of vibe. I love this lipstick though, the shade is lovely and wearable, it's a dark nude brownish-pink colour and it's not matte although it is creamy although not a cremesheen, it's a satin. Again this looks great with most eye make-up looks and is definitely one you should try if you are looking for a new Mac lipstick.

What's been your favourite lipstick in 2015?

(if you see this I realise I labelled the L'oreal lipstick in '670 erotique' incorrectly, it is actually 640 but I couldn't be bothered to re-edit the photo so yes it's wrong I do realise)

2015 Favourites | Base Products

I have been loving two foundations this year, the first is the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation, it makes my skin look really glowy and radiant. It applies like a dream, I use a Real Techniques Bold Metals brush in 300 and it blends so nicely. The finish is great and you can't feel it on your skin at all it's very lightweight and the coverage is good, it covers up all my redness and most of my blemishes. The only thing about this is that it doesn't come with a pump, I hate it when foundations come without a pump because you just end up using too much and it gets messy. Regardless of that I will continue to repurchase this foundation because I love it but seriously Nars, get on that pump situation!

The other foundation I have been loving is the Mac Studio Fix Foundation, I used this at the beginning of the year until it ran out then I got my Nars one and used that until I finally repurchased this and since then I have been switching between this and the Nars one. This is a very full coverage foundation, and I'll use this over Sheer Glow when my skin is especially bad and I've got a few more spots and blemishes that usual. It's definitely long lasting and the quality is just that good that it's one I will never not have in my makeup collection. Again, like Sheer Glow it doesn't come with a pump which is annoying but it's really the only con to this foundation.

I have also been loving two concealers this year, the first is the Mac Pro Longwear Concealer, I got this in duty free when I went on holiday in August and I've been using this everyday since. I am quite surprised how long it's lasted because I still have over half of this left! This is such a full coverage concealer, I honestly have the worst under eye circles because I just don't sleep and this just covers them up and makes me look so awake and freshed faced. It blends so easily and lasts all day. It doesn't crease on me, it just stays as it is all day! When I first got this I found that I was using too much and more was coming out the pump than I needed so I got a little pot that was used for a sample I had before and put three pumps in there and I find that it lasts 4 or 5 days which is good because I'm not wasting any product at all.

The second concealer I have been loving is the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer, it's a very brightening concealer and it has little shimmer particles in it which makes it very glowy which is great for use under the eyes as it brightens that area up really nicely. It is definitely very good if you are into strobing which I did go through a phase of. I really like this, it's so easy to blend and the coverage is good and I find that it last a long time as well, so it's an all round good concealer. It's so cheap as well so even if you've never tried it before you can't really go too wrong and it's not a massive waste if you don't love it.

My next and last base favourite is The Body Shop Instablur primer, I love this primer it's the best one I've found and used and I've loved it throughout the whole year, it's probably the only one I've used consistently and every time I've used something else I've gone back to this because it just works better for me. It keeps my makeup on all day and blurs out my pores so well! It's so cheap and affordable as well so I will continue to repurchase this. The texture of this is like a gel when you apply which is what I really like about it.

2015 Favourites | Eye Products

The first eye product I have been loving this year is the Maybelline Color Tattoo in On and On Bronze, it's the only eye product I have used consistently throughout the whole year, and although the other products I have loved this year have been my favourites as a whole I either hadn't started using them until half way though the year or just hadn't discovered them yet. Anyway the color On and On Bronze is the perfect colour for me, I love all the bronze and gold like shades and this one is just a beautiful colour for all over the lid but also as a base for other eyeshadows, the texture is so creamy and easy to blend, I love it. The mascara that has been my favourite this year is the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara, it makes my lashes look so full which I love but it also lengthens. I don't find that throughout the day that I have any fall down and I don't ever get the black dots of mascara half way down my face after wearing it for a few hours which is great. 2015 was the year I really got into wearing eyeshadow, before I just couldn't be bothered and I wasn't very good at it (not that I am now I'm just a lot better than I was) but the palette I have loved was the Stila In The Light Eyeshadow Palette, I love all the shades in this, they are all so wearable, apart from the blue one maybe but that looks great if you're going out and want something a bit more special. I love that it comes with an eyeliner as well, that is also great, one of the best eyeliners I've tried and it lasts a long time as well. The last eye product I have been loving is the L'oreal Super liner, this is just such a black liquid liner, the nib is quite thin so it's easy to apply and this has really helped me with my winged liner skills although I don't wing it out often as on me I prefer non winged eyeliner looks. It lasts a long time and it doesn't fade throughout the day either so this is just an all round good eyeliner.

What eye products have you been loving this year?

2015 Favourites | Face Products

There have been a few face products this year that have really stood out to me, two being from the same brand which is theBalm, the first being the Mary-Lou Manizer and the other Bahama Mama. These are the only products I have tried from theBalm but I am so impressed and I am definitely going to venture out further and purchase a few more different products to try out. The Mary-Lou Manizer is such a beautiful champagne shade, it's so smooth and buttery in texture, and is so pigmented. I have used this nearly every day since I got this, no other highlighter has come close! Bahama Mama is such a nice bronzer to use, it's the perfect colour and doesn't leave you looking an orange mess but it doesn't make you look muddy either which you can get in some bronzers, it just gives off a really nice sun kissed glowy bronzy look. It is so easy to blend and the texture is so soft and easy to work with. I love it. My last go-to face product this year has been the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Seductive Pink, I am not an avid wearer of blusher, normally I just stick to bronzer and highlighter just because I prefer the way it looks and I don't like to go all out on my make-up all the time but when I do this blush is the one I always gravitate towards, it gives a nice flush to the cheeks and I like that it's not matte so it gives a slight gleam to the cheeks which looks lovely. These blushers are some of the best formulas I've tried so I definitely want to get more and try out different shades in the range.

What have been you favourite face products this year?

Products I'd Like To Try in 2016

There is always going to be new products that I'd like to try, with so many products and brands out there is never going to be a time where there isn't one particular product you want to try out. There are plenty of products that I'd love to try out but these are just a few that I really want to try this year and if I do end up getting any I will be doing first impressions or reviews so look out for them if you're interested.

So the product I'd most like to try is the Becca Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector in Champagne Pop, I am obsessed with highlighters, they are by far my favourite product and this has been so hyped up by everyone. I have not seen a bad review about this product! Again when I first heard Tanya Burr talking about the By Terry Ombre Blackstar I decided that was a product that sounded really up my street and the shade that looks perfect for me in Bronze Moon, it's so pretty! The Nars Laguna Bronzer is something that I have wanted for so long but put off buying because it's quite expensive but I decided this year is the year I have to try it. One product I've seen a lot of recently is the Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, I only have one Charlotte Tilbury product but I definitely want to branch out and try a few more products from that brand because I haven't heard a bad thing about it and the packaging of every product is so beautiful. Another product from Charlotte Tilbury is the Filmstar Bronze and Glow which is another really hyped product, although I haven't heard much about it recently it is still one I definitely want to try out. Then we've got the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream which I really want because my lips get so dry and chapped and this would just really help stop them from being so dry all the time. The Zoeva Rose Golden Eyeshadow Palette is one of the most beautiful palettes I've seen, I've read so many reviews on it and it just makes me want it even more and with it being such a reasonable price as well it is one I definitely need to hurry up and get my hands on! And lastly is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, this is another one I've wanted to try for so long but was always put off it since there is not a Nars store anywhere near where I live and I wanted to tests the shades out before I got it but I think I might just go for it and guess the shade from what other people use and just hope that I get a good match! 

What products are you looking to try out this year?

One Year On & My Goals For 2016

A year ago today, I restarted my blog again. I completely restarted everything, I deleted every post, which I now regret because I'd love to go back and read them and see how far I've come, I changed my theme, the blog name, everything. I made it my goal to post regularly and I think I did really well up until the beginning of August which is when I had so many blog posts written and scheduled to go up throughout August so while I was on holiday there would be content up on the blog, but because I was away for the majority of the month I couldn't write throughout and when I came back I just couldn't find the motivation to get back into it. I really did enjoy it so I'm going to make it my aim to get back into it again this year, but I'm not going to put any pressure on myself and have a set schedule or days when I put posts up, they will go up as and when I feel like they should.

I don't want to set goals for my blog but I want by the end of the year to reach 500 followers on bloglovin, that would be my ultimate goal and honestly I don't think it will happen, if it does great but if it doesn't I won't be too bothered because it's not a huge deal. One thing I'd like to improve on is my photography, I love taking photos and I don't think my photos are as good as they can be. They are at the moment only taken on an iPhone though so I would love this year to get a big camera to take lots of photos on instead of using my phone. I also want to get some props as well to use in the photos instead of it being plain white like I do at the moment, which I do like as it's very minimalistic but in some I want it to be a bit more busy and not so boring.

I just want to say a massive thank you to anyone who has read or commented on my blog ever, it really makes me happy when I get a nice comment and I really appreciate it. Have a Happy New Year everyone!!