2014 Skincare Favourites

This year I have loved experimenting with different skin care products and really learning what works best for me. I have learnt what my skin type is (thank you Sali Hughes) and have made a conscious effort to take better care of my skin and I now love nothing more than taking my make up off at the end of the day and starting my evening skin care routine. 

I have experimented with a few cleansers this year, and although I have enjoyed each of them for different reasons, none compare to the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. This gel to oil cleanser really is a delight to use. It smells amazing and removes all traces of make up in one go. I like to use one pump in the morning and two in the evening and enjoy massaging it into my skin and washing away with warm water. The smell is reason enough to go out and try this (trust me).

As far as moisturisers are concerned, I have never fallen in love with any particular brand before and have found them all a much of a muchness. However, this year I started using the No7 Beautiful Skin Oil Free Daytime Moisturiser. I was obviously drawn to this as it is oil free, but you get so much for your money with this product and it sits beautifully under your make up. I haven't used any other moisturiser since March because of this.

I started using Estee Lauder's Idealist Pore Minimising Serum earlier this year and I can't be sure, but I do think that my pores look smaller than before I started using this. Aside from visible results, I just love the way this serum makes my skin feel before I apply my make up.

Overnight I like to use a facial oil, and I thought I should mention two as although I have a favourite, I have only been using it since Christmas. First is the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. This product does not come cheap but it really does make your skin appear more plump and healthy the next day. For christmas, I got the Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial and I am amazed with the results. After just a week of using this, my skin appears calmer, clearer and plumper. Small pimples that had appeared on my forehead (I blame the christmas parties and chocolate) disappeared almost overnight and patches of dry skin I had, began to appear calmer and smaller. I cannot rave about this product enough and will definitely be trying out some more Sarah Chapman products in the new year. 

Another overnight product I have loved this year is the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. I like to use this a couple of times a week as my skin seems to love it and gets a great glow the morning after. Again, another amazing smelling product.

Another mask I have been loving is the Glam Glow Youth Mud Tingle Exfoliate Mask. This is a classic, apply to skin, let it set and wash off mask. However, this is not a mask you use a few days before an event but instead the night of an event. I can't describe how smooth this makes your skin and just how wonderfully this mask preps your skin for make up but trust me, it is worth the hefty price tag. 

Finally (sorry another long, long ramble) is the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. This tiny pot has lasted me almost a whole year despite regular use. I dab a tiny amount onto any spots I get and this just helps to reduce the size and redness overnight. It is particularly great to use on any spot you can sense appearing before it actually does, as it prevents it reaching its full unwanted potential. This product does smell incredibly clinical and unpleasant but if you can get past that it really is great and does exactly as it promises. 

2014 Make Up Favourites

It has taken me a long, long time to try and whittle this post down to just ten products but finally I have made this as short as humanly possible. Of course I could talk about umpteen make up products I have used and loved this year, but I tried to think about products I have not only enjoyed using but now consider necessities in my make up routine. 

First up is a primer. Although I have spent most of the year using Kiehls Micro-Blur Skin Perfector, I recently discovered the Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer and it has replaced my beloved Kiehls. Aside from the fact you get more for your money, I find that this leaves my skin so smooth and my make up glides on perfectly. I changed primers because I wanted to use something oil free and it makes such a difference for an oily skinned gal like myself. 

The next product was the easiest choice for this post as I have used it literally every day since May and that is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet. I have no complaints whatsoever with this foundation. I use it in the day time and it looks so natural on the skin, but it is also really buildable to take your look from day to night time in a matter of seconds. 

My favourite concealer of 2014 is the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer in the shade light. This concealer is so light and creamy but just covers dark circles amazingly. It does not sit in any fine lines and can also be re-applied throughout the day without going cakey.

When my under eye circles are particularly bad, or if I just want to add a highlighted glow I have been reaching for the MAC Prep and Prime Pen in the shade Light Boost. I love this and definitely want to try out the other shades next year!

I discovered a new eyebrow pencil this year and that was the Soap and Glory Archery Brow Pencil. I have both shades of this as I prefer Blondshell for the day and Hot Chocolate for night. The brush on the end of the pencil is brilliant and this product is a great dupe for the Anastasia Brow Wizz but for a fraction of the price.

2014 was the year I had a love affair with gold and bronze eyeshadows and also Charlotte Tilbury, so it comes as no surprise I had to mention two eyeshadow products from the lady herself. First is the Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil in the shade Champagne Diamonds. This eyeshadow is so versatile and so so quick and easy to use. It can be used as a liner or smudged all across the lid and below the eye. The next product is the Golden Goddess Luxury Palette. This product is so lavish and luxurious and really makes your eyes pop. I love all of the shades in this, and the size makes it perfect to carry around. Charlotte Tilbury's online tutorials are also great at showing you how to make the most of the palette.

My final eye product is the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. After months of moaning about my eye make up smudging under my eye, I caved and bought this and am so glad I did. The brush is so cute and tiny and makes it so easy to get into the corner and coat every lash without looking too heavy or doll like. It does not smudge or cause that horrible flakiness under your eye and I have already recommended this mascara to everyone I know.

Finally (sorry for the rambling) is a lip product. I have been really enjoying getting into lip products this year but if I had to choose only one to mention here it would have to be MAC Patisserie. A perfect 'your lips but better' colour, I have been wearing this almost every day since summer this year. If you're into nudes, then there is no doubt you would love this lipstick.

AM Skincare Routine

In the mornings I like to keep things quick and simple when it comes to my skincare routine. I have usually snoozed my alarm one too many times and therefore don't have the time to faff around with all sorts of lotions and potions. I keep my usual, every day routine down to four items.

First, I cleanse using my Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. I have tried quite a few cleansers over the years but this one is definitely my favourite. It starts as a gel and then turns into an oil as you massage it into your skin and gets rid of any remaining make up or grime. It also smells amaaaaazing. Kind of like turkish delight mixed with roses (which is much nicer than it sounds). I love this stuff and cannot see myself using another cleanser for quite some time. The only down side to this is that because of the packaging, you don't know when you're close to running out, and I always find myself having to pay for next day delivery for this as I can't possibly be without it. 

Next I use my serum. At the moment I am using Estee Lauder Idealist Serum and I really like it. It is quite thick and I feel like it really sets a good base for my make up. I think that serum is one of the most important steps of a make up routine especially as it is what targets your skin concerns. If I ever stop using serum for a while that's when I notice a difference in my skin.

I then moisturise. I am not overly fussy when it comes to moisturisers but for the last few months I have really been loving the No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily skin. This is great because it is oil free and really sinks nicely into my skin without being greasy at all. I also think this is a great moisturiser to use underneath make up.

Finally I like to use an eye cream as my under eye area is where I am slightly dehydrated. Again, I am not that fussy with these but I have been using the No7 Lift & Luminate Eye Cream. I can't say that I have noticed any difference under my eyes since using this, but it is a nice eye cream to use for hydration, and again it isn't at all greasy so is nice to wear under my under eye concealer. 

5 Favourites

It doesn't seem like it was that long ago that I did my October favourites post, however, there are some other products I have also been loving that previously didn't quite get the mention they deserve. First is one of the most amazing books I honestly think I have ever read. Think of it as a beauty bible/beauty manual that all girls need. It is Sali Hughes Pretty Honest. I can't believe just how much Sali has managed to fit into this book, and without spoiling anything all I can say is that everyone should have a copy of this. 

Next is the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch. I don't use this everyday, but tend to save it for special occasions but it just glides over your skin and helps your make up go on so much more smoothly. The lady on the Clarins counter compared it to poly-filler, which doesn't sound so appealing at first but after using it I now see what she means, and it is definitely a good thing (trust me). 

The next product is the Clinique High Impact Mascara. I have been a Loreal only Mascara girl for about seven years, but after using a sample I had of this, my head has been turned. I still love my Loreal Telescopic, but this mascara from Clinique is perfect for length in a more natural way. 

Another new product for me is The Body Shop Honey Bronzer. I have seen other bloggers talk about this, and I fancied trying something new. This is a great bronzer, because it is so natural and easy to wear. It doesn't look too dark or create any harsh lines even on my fair skin. 

Finally, the last product I have been loving is the Colab Dry Shampoo in the New York scent. As someone who is incredibly reliant on dry shampoo, and also someone who has tried almost every other brand of dry shampoo, I needed to give this a go. I really like this dry shampoo, it is not white or chalky in the hair, and does not feel sticky or greasy like some other brands do (i'm looking at you Herbal Essences and Aussie). It's not the best for creating volume, but the main thing I look for in a dry shampoo is not the volume it gives, but how much oil it absorbs from my hair. I have also tried the London scent but my fave so far is this New York one. This is a great product with a great price tag - kudos Ruth Crilly. 

Sunday Night Pamper Routine

Sunday is a day of rest, relaxation and bubble baths! I love having a little pamper time on a Sunday evening, and I thought I would share a few of my favourite steps from my pamper routine.

The first I do is run a warm bubble bath and really unwind. When I have my bath, I like to sit my I-pad up at the end and watch youtube videos, while also reading through a few blog posts on my phone. I'm not the kind of person who can just lay and soak, I need to be reading or watching something. I love to use a Lush Bath Bomb, particularly Butterball, but this weekend I had none available so used some Marks and Spencers bath crystals. While I am in the bath I also like to use a face mask. Recently I have been using an old favourite, Origins Clear Improvements Active Charcoal Mask. 

When out of the bath I like to paint my nails ready for the week. Tonight I used Topshop's Lacquered. Another thing I love to do for the week is tan. An overnight tan is so quick and easy to do on a Sunday evening, and my tan of choice is Xen Tan Deep Bronze Luxe in the shade Dark. 

Finally, I like to unwind before bed with a bit of reading. I have been loving and re-reading Lauren Conrad's Beauty. I love to use books like this for a bit of blogging inspiration and this is one of my personal faves. It is also great at helping you understand different reasons as to why your skin may be acting a certain way, and as mine has been playing up a bit lately I love referring back to this for help. 

October Favourites

So another month has flown by, and it is once again time for a monthly favourites. I have been venturing outside of my normal routine in recent months, and experimenting with different eye and lip products as you will soon see.

My first favourite is skincare product from one of my favourite brands Estee Lauder. It is their Idealist Pore Minimising Serum. I think that serum is a really important part of any skincare routine, and it is always the product I see noticeable results with. This serum is quite thick, but glides onto skin really smoothly when used underneath your normal moisturiser. I find that it reduces the appearance of fine lines and pores and helps my make up go on more smoothly. I see it almost as more of a treatment version of my beloved Kiehls Microskin Blur. 

Onto make up, first up are two eye products. I have been loving Make up Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 2. This is a pretty infamous product in the beauty blogging world due to its uncanny resemblance to the much loved Naked 2 Palette but for a fraction of the price. I love the quality of the shadows and the warm golden neutral tones which are right up my street. All of the shades are so wearble and can all be easily taken from day to night. This has no fall down below the eye and is just a great affordable palette. Need I say more? The other product is more high end and is the Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eyeshadow Pencil in the shade Champagne Diamonds. I remember my mum telling me at a young age that gold shadows suit blue eyes and help make them really pop and clearly my mum was right. This shimmery gold pencil is the one suggested for blue eyes and I have received so many compliments every time I have worn it. It is great on its own especially due to its speed and ease of application, but it is also great worn with the Make up Revolution Palette (this is how I have been using it mostly!). It is also perfect to use below your bottom lash line as it is not too harsh but much more subtle which is how I prefer my waterline shadow to be. 

Finally are two new lip products. I have mentioned before that I am not a massive lover of any lip products but lately I have really been experimenting and am surprised at how much I am enjoying the new looks. Okay, so I may not be fronting a bold red lip just yet, but I am definitely preferring something on my lips, whether it just be a sheer pink gloss or a sleek nude lippy to really complete my make up look. The two products I have been reaching for are the MAC Lip Lustre in Patisserie and the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Cheat Liner in Pillow Talk. Patisserie is a perfect 'my lips but better' pinky nude shade, but when used with Pillow Talk it really comes alive. This lip liner makes your lips appear more plump but in such a natural way. I have been using it either all over my lips, or as a liner along with Patisserie and I am really loving the results. Perhaps now I have conquered my fear of lip colours I will become slightly more adventurous so watch this space. 

Haulin'

Most of my recent purchases have been bits I have had to replace, but a couple of bits are shiny newbies. I firstly got my trusty Kiehls Micro-Blur Skin Perfector. I cannot rave about this stuff enough, it keeps my make up in place, minimises the appearance of pores and gives my skin a smooth velvety feeling. I use a pea sized blob before my make up, after my moisturiser and I highly recommend this! Especially if you have larger pores like myself. 

Next were two MAC products I recently ran out of, the brow pencil in Lingering and Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost. This is the most natural looking eyebrow product I have ever used, and it also doesn't smudge off or wear away throughout the day. The prep and prime highlighter is great to use over foundation and concealer to not only brighten the under eye area, but also highlight other areas of the face. 

I purchased the Clinique Stay Matte Sheer Pressed Powder in the shade 101. I like to set my make up with a light powder, that doesn't provide extra coverage but prevents shine and oiliness coming through. I have used this before and loved it, but I don't know why I didn't buy it again sooner. This is a great powder if you want to set your make up but not have your skin turn flat and cakey. 

I also purchased a Laura Mercier Nail Varnish in the shade Bare Espresso which is a deep dark brown shade and perfect for Autumn. I love brown nails anyway, and this shade is so shiny and perfect for the seasonal change. I really like the formula and it applies really nicely. I used it a few days ago and haven't had any chipping yet so fingers crossed!

I also recently stocked up on some hair products. I got the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce shampoo and conditioner. This is ok, but I found that I didn't feel like I had given my hair a good wash after using it. My hair felt a little heavy and got greasy quite quickly, but to be fair my hair does that anyway. It isn't the worst I have used but I don't think I will be buying it again.

Finally, I also got the Toni & Guy Sea Salt Texturising Spray. I haven't used this too much as the main reason I got it was for travelling, but the times I have used it I have enjoyed it. It leaves my hair a little crispy, but it it is a great cheaper alternative to the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray.