Top 5 Foundations

Foundation has definitely got to be one of my favourite beauty products, and I am constantly looking out for products to give me flawless, oil free but dewy looking skin. Not too much to ask for right? Here are my five favourite foundations for different occasions.

Estee Lauder Double Wear is an old favourite of mine and for years was my every day foundation. This is great for oily skinned girls like myself because it provides a lovely matte but not flat finish. This product is also without a doubt the longest lasting foundation I have ever used. Although I now find this a little heavy for every day wear, I will always reach for this on occasions I need my foundation to last a whole day. It's also great for occasions you know you're either going to be crying or sweating or getting into a situation likely to remove your make up, trust me this foundation will not let you down. There is also an amazing shade range for this foundation so I am sure there is one to suit everyone.

Next is Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. When I first got this it took a bit of getting used to because I find this to be pretty high coverage. I like to use this for nights out when I am after a higher coverage and flawless but natural looking skin. The consistency of this is quite a thick creme but it blends in beautifully on the skin. Plus only a tiny bit is needed so this lasts for ages.

I have two every day wear foundations I go between, and the first one is a cult favourite, the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I love the finish this gives my skin, it really is dewy skin in a bottle. It provides enough coverage but not too much, it just gives that 'your skin but better' look. I thought I wouldn't get on with this at first because everyone talks about it being great for girls with dry skin, which it definitely would be, but I thought I would end up an oily mess at the end of the day. However, as long as I set this with a good powder then it does the job perfectly and lasts me the whole day.

My other daily foundation is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet. This is very similar to the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk but with a bit less coverage and a more matte finish. I personally love the finish of this more so than the Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua foundation as it gives a bit more coverage, and I need the slightly more matte finish. 

Lastly, I wanted to include a powder foundation and my favourite is the MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation. Although I only bring this one out occasionally, I think it is great to have a powder foundation either to wear on top on foundation for extra coverage or staying power, or to wear alone on top of moisturiser for a more natural finish. Sometimes when I am on holiday and I don't want to be caked in make up but I also want my skin to look a little better and less greasy I reach for this. When worn alone it looks really natural but can also be used to provide great coverage over a regular foundation. 

NYE 2014

I love getting ready on New Years Eve. It is the perfect time to use all of the new beauty bits you got for Christmas and really go all out. If you want a sparkly eye and a bright lip, New Years is the time to do it. Although I didn't go out this year, I did have a lovely dinner party style night in with my closest friends and it was my best New Years yet. We all still made just as much effort to dress up as we would if we went out.

I wore a green sparkly low back dress from Topshop that I bought in the Boxing Day Sale and I got so many compliments on it. Its the kind of thing I love wearing out and I am so glad I bought it. On my nails I had one of my favourites from the year, Revlon's Vixen which is a burgendy maroony kind of shade.

I had a couple of new Charlotte Tilbury bits to try. I love Charlotte Tilbury herself and her make up line. All of her products feel so luxurious and so many people always seem to comment when I am wearing them. I used her much raved about Filmstar Bronze and Glow which I bagged in this years Selfridges sale, and also her Golden Goddess Luxury Palette which I mentioned in my 2014 Make Up Favourites. Although I have only had these products since Christmas, they have quickly become two of my favourite products. I've never met a Charlotte Tilbury product that I didn't like. 

For an extra glow I used The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer, another cult favourite. This is my favourite highlighter of all time as it is so natural looking yet gives your complexion the most perfect glow without being glittery. It is a beautiful champagne gold colour, and almost a powder version of Benefits Watts Up. I use this on my cheekbones, my brow bone, down the centre of my nose and on my cupids bow. For a night like New Years I also use this in the inner corner of my eye to help brighten them. 

As it was a special occasion I stepped outside of my comfort zone and went for a bold lip. I used Topshop's Matte Lip Bullet in the shade Get Me Bodied. This is a deep purple berry shade, far from my much loved nudes. Despite my concerns, everyone seemed to love this shade and I am glad I tried it out. This lasted so long on my lips, and even after eating it still left a nice stained colour on my lips, but was very easily removed with the rest of my make up. Maybe now I will have to start being a little more adventurous and trying some new lip colours so I am definitely open to any recommendations.

Finally, my fragrance of the night was my all time favourite Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. This is a fruity-floral fragrance which is my personal favourite kind anyway. It has notes of grapefruit, jasmine and white musk and this scent lasts all night on me. I have used Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche before and also really like that, but Eau Tendre is definitely my favourite. 

2014 Haircare Favourites

You may notice a trend in my haircare products and that is that I like to use a product that promises volume and texture as my hair is pretty fine and pretty flat. Here is a round up of the products I have been turning to and loving this year.

I have used countless shampoos and conditioners throughout the year but my favourite has to be the Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo and Conditioner. These leave my hair feeling really soft but not at all flat or greasy. My hair gets greasy very quickly, but I felt as though my hair was much cleaner than usual a day after using this, and a few times I have not had to use any dry shampoo on my day two hair (which is unheard of for me). 

For styling I have been loving the Got2B 2 Sexy Volumizing Mousse. I spray a small amount of this at the roots of my hair when wet, and I really notice a difference. This stuff also smells amazing. As I loved this so much I tried to the Got2B Rise 'N Shine Hairspray. Again, this also smells amazing, and also gives my hair so much volume and texture as well as keeping any style in place.

Two texturising sprays I have enjoyed using this year are the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray and the Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish. The Bumble and Bumble spray definitely comes with a larger price tag, but does not leave your hair feeling stiff or crispy in the same way that the Charles Worthington one does. However, both do seriously deliver great results. Not a day has gone by when I have not reached for either of these products as they just give my hair some much needed oomph.

Finally, my favourite dry shampoo of the year is from Colab. This brand launched this year from Beauty Blogger and Vlogger Ruth Crilly. I have tried nearly every brand of dry shampoo this year and could not find one I loved. They either left my hair white and chalky or stiff and knotty and some even left my hair feeling greasier than before. I tried the Colab range and finally found a product I was happy with. It does leave a little grey residue in my hair, however, it is much easier to work into your hair than other products, and it helps give my hair some much needed volume. I have tried the scents London, Paris and New York and love them all but I think New York is probably my favourite so far.