My 5 Favourite Blog Posts from 2013

I've already stated my opinion on 2013, in summary..... pretty shit. I really wanna do one of those cool instagram videos that everyone's doing, but I know mine will just be filled with pictures of inanimate objects.

One good thing about this year though was blogging. I have loved blogging this year and I thought as I haven't done one of those instagram videos, I would be a little self indulgent and share my top 5 favourite blog posts from the year.

1. Inside Chef and Chloe's Makeup Bags

I really do love snooping in other peoples makeup bags and I loved sharing that on my blog. I loved Chef and Chloe's, as their makeup is such an extension of their awesome personalities. 

2. Beauty Inspiration - Liv Tyler

I really love Liv Tyler and I have a little bit of an obsession with buying any beauty/makeup items she recommends. I'm still on the look out by the way, so if you know of any products let me know!

I still cant decide if I would rather have Steve Tyler as a Dad or Boyfriend though....hmmmmm

3. Sheer Red Lips

Another obsession of mine but they are all so pretty!

4. American Drugstore Beauty Buys

Do you think my version of Heaven will look like this? The drugstores in America were actually better than most of the Sephora's we went to. If I lived in America I think I would probably end up homeless, living in a igloo made out of all my makeup purchases!

5. I love Maybelline Mascaras

You know I love me some Maybelline ever since the Sarah Michelle Gellar days. You cant beat a Maybelline mascara and I think I did a pretty good job reviewing a selection of them.

Now if anyone wants to parachute out of a helicopter and propose to me tonight, please feel free. I reckon that will give me enough material for an instragram video ;)

Goodbye 2013

I wish I could say 2013 was the best year of my life so far....but it really wasn't. I'm really hoping 2014 will be the year (crosses fingers, toes and eyes). There was one good thing about 2013 though and that was my holiday. Chicago, Memphis, San Diego and LA, I will forever cherish those memories. 

I wonder if my feet will ever be that brown again?

As promised yesterday, here is my Face of the Day for New Years Eve. I was thinking about getting the glitter out but 2013 doesn't deserve glitter, so a dark eye it is.

Eyes

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Eyeshadow Primer

Benefit Stay Don't Stray

Eyeshadow

Smashbox Smokebox Palette

This was a Christmas present, so I was excited to play around with it today. I used the lightest colour, Alabaster all over my lid and the sparkly warm brown, Roast in my crease and underneath my lower lash line.

Eyeliner

MAC Eye Kohl in Prunella

I have rediscovered my love for Prunella, such a cool metallic plum colour. Looks way better than black eyeliner.

Brushes

MAC 217 Blending Brush and Smashbox Crease Brush

I thought I would show you the brushes I used, as the key to a smoky eye is blending and to blend well you need good brushes. Of course I used my trusty MAC 217 but this brush from Smashbox is so big and fluffy its amazing for blending any harsh edges.

Mascara

Bourjois Liner Effect Mascara

My beautiful friend Amelia recommended this to me, so I had to try it. This is my first time using it but I love how black it is. It says the formula is enriched with kohl, which I'm guessing is what makes it such a deep black.

Face

Primer

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser

I only got this about 3 hours to go, I was so excited when I saw it in Boots I grabbed the last one. I'm going to do a post tomorrow on some other new goodies I found in Boots as well, so look out for that!

Foundation

MAC Studio Fix Fluid

As I have done my makeup about 5 hours before I'm actually going out (brilliant) I needed some heavy duty foundation to make sure it lasts! Studio Fix does smell like paint but boy does it last.

Concealer

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer

Again, I have only had this for a matter of hours but I just have all this new makeup that I'm really excited to try! I was impressed by the coverage and although I was umming and ahhing over the shade selection, I definitely think I picked the best shade for my skin tone with 'Vanilla'.

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder

Powder

Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder

The last of the new products! The infamous yellow Kim Kardashian powder, I will experiment with this a bit more before letting you know my thoughts!

Lips

Lipliner

Jordana Tawny

My favourite lip liner and it only cost me $1.99 from Walgreens

Lipstick

Burberry Lip Cover in English Rose

That's how I roll, a $1.99 lipliner and a £22.50 lipstick. Makes you even cooler if you are using 2 different currencies!

I hope you all have a fun New Years Eve and a happy and healthy 2014!

December Favourites

More favourites, but this time just your standard monthly ones. 

My MAC Palette

I have fallen back in love with my MAC eyeshadows this month. I actually have 2 MAC eyeshadow palettes but only one I use regularly. I re-organised my everyday palette and added a few new shades, including Sketch which is a beautiful dark cranberry colour. I also finally bought an insert for my palette, I do think its a bit cheeky that MAC make you buy them separately now, but I am loving my newly organised palette. 

Burberry Lip Cover in English Rose

This is one my favourite lipsticks of the year. As I have been enjoying experimenting with my eyeshadows this month, I have kept my lipstick pretty neutral and this is my perfect nude.

Sebastian Potion 9 Lite

A rediscovered favourite, I spray this all through my hair when its wet and then leave it to dry naturally. This gives my hair some style, body and movement, without me having to do anything!

OPI Every Month Is Oktoberfest

One of the best OPI colours I have found, I even dedicated a whole post to it here.

L'oreal Magic Nude Liquid Powder

I love this foundation, it gives light to medium coverage and has a very natural finish on the skin. The formula is designed to set to a powder on your skin and I was initally worried it might look cakey, but it doesn't at all. 

Tesco Pro Formula Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser

I am nearing the end of this tube and have cut it in half to make sure I get every last drop! I was really pleasantly surprised by this cleanser. For a fiver I wasn't expecting much, but this removes all my makeup even my mascara. I massage this all over my face and then rinse off with my muslin cloth.

Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette

When I first heard that Urban Decay were releasing a third Naked palette I groaned. I'm not a massive fan of the first 2 palettes and really did not see the need for a third. I'm happy to admit though that I was wrong, this is by far my favourite of the 3 palettes and I've already got more wear out of this than I have the other 2 combined. My 2 favourite colours are 'Dust' which I like to apply all over my lid and 'Liar' which I put through my crease and under my lower lash line. You can see the finished effect in my party makeup post. 

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer in Fair

Lastly I have been loving my Hourglass concealer. This gives you that serious Kimmy K highlighted under eye look. Whatever you think of the Kardashians you cannot argue that their makeup is always flawless. I personally like a more unfinished, messy look, so although I love the highlighted under eye, I really cant be arsed to do all that contouring! Only thing with this concealer is that it is very creamy and when used on other parts of the face to highlight, such as the chin and forehead you need to powder.

I'm debating whether to do a New Years Eve party makeup look tomorrow but at the moment as I sit here in my hoody with the torrential rain and wind, I am really not feeling it. I am not a fan of New Years Eve, it always makes me sad and to be honest I just want 2013 to end! I always feel better once I've 'put my face on' though so I'm sure I will do some kind of blog post!

The Beauty Graveyard

Time for me to do some recycling and write up my mini reviews on all the beauty products I've used up recently.

If you see a * next to a product that represents how many times that product has appeared in a Beauty Graveyard post. The more *'s the more I love it. 

Garnier Body Intensive 7 Days Ultra-Replenishing Lotion - I wasn't keen on this, very sticky and this definitely did not leave my skin feeling hydrated for 7 days. I wouldn't buy this again.

Garnier Body Repair Anti-Dryness Restoring Moisturiser * - My new favourite body moisturiser, instantly leaves my skin feeling much more hydrated and sinks in reasonably quickly. I have already gone through a few bottles of this.

Duchy Originals All Over Body Baby Lotion - In case you hadn't noticed, I'm not actually a baby but I had run out of body moisturiser and wanted something that was reasonably natural. This is made from 83% organic ingredients and if I had a baby I would be very happy using this on them. Its not bad for grown ups either ;)

Fearne Body Polish - This was from one of Fearne Cottons Boots sets last year. Was actually a really nice exfoliator.

Aussie Mega Shampoo ***** - My favourite shampoo, already repurchased. In fact I love this so much I included it in my 13 beauty favourites of 2013.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Foam Wash Shampoo and Conditioner * - I loved this shampoo and conditioner. They left my hair feeling squeaky clean and bouncy. I definitely noticed a more tousled effect when using this and will definitely repurchase these. The only downside is the price, at around £18.00 each these aren't cheap but well worth a splurge.

Lee Stafford Dark Dry Shampoo - Even though I have to wash my hair every other day to avoid looking like a grease ball, I am not a fan of dry shampoo. As my hair is dark they always leave it looking ashy and I hate how it feels in my hair. I would just rather wash it to be honest. This is one of the best dry shampoos I have tried and as its dark, it blends into my hair much better.

Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray * - Another of my 13 beauty favourites of 2013 this spray smells amazing and helps give me bouncy, wavy hair. For me its worth the extortionate price tag.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray - As I love the Beach spray so much, I felt I needed to try Oribe's infamous Texturizing spray. I'm still on the fence about this, I ended up using it in the same way you would a dry shampoo. I liked that its clear, so left no residue in my hair but it didn't give me the tousled effect I was hoping for. I only bought the mini bottle of this so I feel like I need to give this another go!

More Aussie Mega Shampoo and Conditioner - I told you I love this stuff!

Sebastian Potion 9 Lite - This used to be one of my favourite hair products and I forgot how much I loved it. I spray this all over wet hair and leave it to dry naturally. It gives it so much more body and natural movement, a bit like the Oribe Beach spray. I'm kind of gutted that I have fallen back in love with this and now its all gone again but I'm sure I will repurchase this again in the future.

Living Proof Prime Style Extender - This is a sad Beauty Graveyard post for me as a lot of my American products are in here. Luckily you can buy Living Proof from Space NK and I already have one more tube of this stuff! A blob of this through wet hair helps give my limp hair some much needed style. I definitely want to try more from the Living Proof range now.

REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser - Full review here I really enjoyed this cleanser and definitely think it helped control my hormonal spots! I would repurchase this in the future.

Hydraluron * - I will leave it to Caroline Hirons to explain this beauty

Tarte Pure Maracuja Oil - The best facial beauty oil I have used, I love this stuff and am seriously gutted I've finished it. I love that this is drier than most oils, so doesn't feel greasy. You cant buy Tarte in the UK but trust me I will find a way to get hold of this! 

Boscia Self Defense Vital Antioxidant Moisture SPF 30 - This is another sample I got for free with my beauty points in Sephora. After finishing my Kate Somerville Goat Milk and Tarte Maracuja oil I was left bereft and moved onto this. The problem is I loved this too and you cant buy Boscia in the UK either! (hold me). I loved that this moisturiser was light, didn't break me out and has a really high SPF. Plus Bosica products contain no preservatives, alcohol or fragrance, so thumbs up from me. If you live in America you can buy this from Sephora.

Kate Somerville Exfolikate - Another much loved Sephora product. This is an intensive exfoliating treatment which you leave on your skin for 1 to 2 minutes before rinsing. This did tingle and slightly sting my skin, but once rinsed off I immediately noticed a difference in my skins appearance and texture. I'm going to have a big shopping list when I next go back to America.

Kate Somerville Goat Milk - As I said before this is a sad Beauty Graveyard for me. This is my 4th and final skincare product I bought in America which I fell in love with and cant buy here in the UK. This is the best moisturiser I have ever used and it even made my top 13 of 2013 beauty products. If you are planning a trip to the US add the Tarte Maracuja Oil, Boscia moisturiser, Exolikate and Goat Milk to your list!

Garnier Body Repair Anti-Dryness Restoring Lotion - More bottles of this stuff!

Zoya Remove + **** - Another product which made it into my top 13 of the year the best and only nail polish remover I use.

Kat Von D Adora Rollerball Perfume - This is a beautiful, romantic scent. Kat Von D's makeup range and fragrances are exclusive to Sephora if they still make Adora I would highly recommend trying it.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer * - One of the best under eye concealers I have found and the cheapest.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette * - As my must have brow product, this made it into my top 13 makeup products of the year. I already have a new one ready and waiting for me.

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation ** - My all time favourite foundation, third bottle and counting!

Benefit They're Real Mascara *** - One of my favourite discoveries of the year, love this mascara for defined and lengthened lashes.

13 Beauty Favourites of 2013

Yesterday I shared my top 13 makeup products of the year and today I'm sharing my top 13 beauty products of the year. This includes skincare, hair, nails, tools and fragrance.

It was actually pretty easy picking my top 13, as these are the products I use on an almost daily basis. They are all tried, tested and true and I highly recommend them all!

1. Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray - I did not want to like this purely because of the price but of course what happened....I tried it and loved it. 

Now I do very little to my hair, I don't even blow dry it. This is because I naturally have very straight hair and if I use a hairdryer I look like Gwyneth Paltrow. Polka straight hair is not for me, so I leave my hair to dry naturally to get some movement in it. If I leave it to dry naturally and spray this in, I get actual waves. If I can do this and let it dry outside in the wind, I get my perfect hair. Of course I work in an office Monday to Friday so that rarely happens, but still! The other great thing about this product is that it doesn't leave any kind of residue in your hair, its not sticky, or greasy, or heavy, you really cant feel it.

Available from Space NK £18 - £33

2. Aussie Mega Shampoo and Conditioner - Thank God I found a cheap shampoo and conditioner after that spray hey! This shampoo was recommended to me by my Sister and I have used it religiously ever since. Ive lost count of how many bottles of the stuff I have got through! I am a greasy hair sufferer but this makes my hair feel so clean, it leaves behind no residue and also makes my hair super shiny. I loved the Bumble and Bumble Surf shampoo and conditioner but they were a little pricey for everyday. This however is under a fiver and works amazingly.

Available from Boots £4.69

3. Micellar Water - My bottle of Bioderma is pictured as that is the one I'm currently using but I think all Micellar waters are the same, so take your pick. I love Micellar waters, they remove all my makeup and are so gentle on my skin. I personally hate face wipes as they always leave my skin looking red, blotchy and slightly stinging. I tend to use a Micellar water to remove my makeup and then cleanse my skin with some form of balm. If you are a face wipe addict make the change, you won't regret it.

I love L'oreal's Micellar water and its a lot cheaper and easier to get hold of than Bioderma.

Available from Boots £3.33

4. Kate Somerville Goat Milk - This is the first moisturiser I have ever found that I really like and you can only buy it from Sephora (excuse me whilst I have a massive tantrum). It feels so light on your skin, its not heavy or greasy at all and I felt like I could comfortably wear it underneath my makeup, without it slipping off. My pot is now empty so I am going to have to make a trip to America next year to restock.

Available from Sephora

5. OPI Natural Nail Base Coat - The best base coat I have found and trust me I have tried a lot. This might seem pretty bog standard but it extends the wear of my nail polish, prevents my nails getting stained and has helped prevent my nails peeling. I wouldn't even bother trying another base coat now I have found this, I'm currently on my second bottle and counting.

Available from Beauty Bay £9.35

6. Seche Vite Dry Fast Top Coat - This top coat is quite honestly my number 1 beauty discovery of all time,  if they ever stopped making it I don't know what I would do. This drys my nail polish completely in 5 minutes. I mean completely dry, stick your hands in your bag, put your socks on, run your fingers through your hair dry. It also gives me the glossiest, shiniest finish, to the point where I am constantly asked if my nails are gel. Nah uh, its all because of this absolute beauty.

Available from Boots £9.00

7. MAC 217 Blending Brush - The only eyeshadow brush I need. This applies my eyeshadow and blends it at the same time. There are a lot of people I would love to introduce this brush to, let me tell you!

Available from MAC £18.00

8. Real Techniques Buffing Brush - The Real Techniques brushes are amazing and the Buffing Brush is my absolute favourite brush to apply foundation. Its only available as part of the Core Collection set, so if you don't want to buy the whole set, the Expert Face Brush is a good alternative.

Available from Feel Unique Currently on sale for £15.74

9. Topshop Celestial Nail Polish - Picking a nail polish was easy because this colour has been on my nails for pretty much half of the year. I am obsessed with this colour.

Available from Topshop 

10. Zoya Remove + - All of my nail care products are in my top 13 and that is because I have found the best of the bunch and don't even bother trying anything else. This might seem pricey for a nail polish remover but because I constantly wear nail polish, normal remover drys my nails out something rotten. This keeps my nails nourished, stops them drying out and I swear it increases the wear time of my polish. I don't know how many bottles of this I have got through but I refuse to use anything else.

Available from Amazon £10.55

11. Bobbi Brown Almost Bare Perfume - If you are very strange and want to smell like me, than this is what you should be wearing! This has a very light, fresh smell and I think the name describes it far better than I ever could!

Available from Debenhams £48.00

12. Moroccanoil - This would come in second place to my Seche Vite in my best beauty discoveries of all time. This stuff changed my hair texture for the better. Years of going from blonde to brown ruined my hair and left me with some serious dried ends. Applying this to the ends of my hair every time I wash it has quite literally saved my hair and I would now never be without it. Expensive but a 100ml bottle lasts me about 6 months!

Available from Feel Unique £31.85

13. Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner - I much prefer using a chemical exfoliator to a more traditional gritty one, as I find the gritty ones can aggravate my skin. The Brightening toner by Clarins is my favourite chemical exfoliator, I just pour some of this on a cotton pad and wipe over my skin after cleansing. I notice such a difference when using this.

Available from Boots £25.00

I cant believe I didn't include my Tangle Teezer!

13 Makeup Favourites of 2013

I have been looking forward to writing this post for months now, my top 13 makeup items of 2013. 

It was hard narrowing down, but these 13 are the best of the best.

If you are interested to see my top picks from last year, you can read my Top 12 of 2012 here

Now, on with the lucky 13!

1. Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - I have gone through 3 bottles of this foundation, I think that is testament enough for this to make it into my top 13. Its so light it doesn't feel or look like you are wearing foundation and I have not found anything else that compares.

Available from Boots £32.00

2. Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage - There are only 3 products from last year that made it into this years top 13 and this is one of them. This concealer is a life saviour and will cover anything. It is quite pricey but will last you forever and the 2 colours are great for creating your own custom colour.

Available from Space NK £26.00

3. Jouer Sunswept Mattifying Powder Bronzer - This looks brand new because its my backup! I have already gone through one of these bronzers and cant bear to use this one just yet! I did a full review on this bronzer here but in summary its the perfect colour to warm my skin up. You might notice that I don't actually have any form of eyeshadow in my favourites and that is because for the majority of the year I used this bronzer as an eyeshadow as well.

Available from Cult Beauty £22.00

4. Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight - This is a very late contender but I have to include it. I have used this practically every single day since I bought it and it is the best highlighter I have ever found. Its very subtle but that's why I like it, as it looks much more natural than big chunks of glitter on your cheek. Although I own an absolutely ridiculous amount of makeup, I'm actually quite the creature of habit. If I find something I like I will use it religiously.

Available from Space NK £35.00

5. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder - We have a love, hate relationship. I love that this controls the oil on my face and costs less than a fiver but I hate the cheap packaging and the fact it doesn't come with a mirror so I cant put it in my bag. Despite the rubbish packaging, this had to go in my favourites as it has been used consistently all year.

Available from Boots £3.99

6. Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Warm - You have no idea how long I waited to get my hands on this blusher! One epic trip to America later (not just for this blusher may I add) and its now one of my all time favourite blushers. I don't know if its the tacky but adorable packaging, or the pretty warm pinky/red colour but I love this.

Available from - America (booo) but if you are desperate you can hunt eBay or Amazon

7. Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm - Another 2012 favourite returns. My favourite lip balm which is designed to adjust to your skins PH, giving everyone their own personal colour. This gives me the perfect pink rosy glow.

Available from House of Fraser £20.50

8. Dior Addict Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm - Like the Givenchy balm, this is also designed to give you your own unique colour. Its a touch lighter than the Givenchy and I like that its in a lipstick, so you don't get your fingers dirty. I got through a tube of this in just over a month, it turned into a bit of an addiction!

Available from Debenhams £22.50

9. Burberry Lip Cover in English Rose - The third and final product which also appeared in my 2012 favourites. This is my favourite everyday, 'nude' lipstick. I have not found any other lipsticks which compare to this colour.

Available from John Lewis £22.50

10. Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple - How could I not include a Lip Butter in my favourites. I have been obsessed with these all year long. I love how moisturising these are and the colour range is awesome. In the end I opted for Candy Apple as you can't beat a sheer red.

Available from Boots £7.99

11. Benefit They're Real Mascara - I was very late in trying this mascara but 3 tubes later I am well and truly hooked. This gives me defined and lengthened lashes, which I love. The brush is perfect for getting the outer corner lashes and I feel like I'm wearing a pair of Ardell Demi Wispie Lashes when I wear this.

Available from Boots £19.50

12. Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel - Simply, the best brow gel ever. This clear gel keeps even the most unruly of brows in place.

Available from Illamasqua £11.50

13. Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette - I never thought I would replace my beloved Lingering by MAC but this brow pencil from Hourglass has well and truly kicked it to the curb. The angled pencil gives me the perfect, soft brow and the brush on the end is so handy!

Available from Space NK £26.00

There you have it, my 13 most loved makeup products of the year. Tomorrow I'll be posting my 13 favourite beauty products of the year (there was no way I could narrow the makeup down enough to combine the two!)

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all have a lovely day with your loved ones. 

I'm spending the day with my family but just wanted to wish everyone a Merry Christmas and maybe sneak a cheeky Christmas Face of the Day in!

Face

Foundation

Dior Airflash Spray Foundation

Concealer

Hourglass Hidden Corrective Concealer - As its Christmas, I thought I'd splash out and use my 'fancy' foundation and concealer!

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 00 Makeup Artist

Powder

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Highlight

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight - Because Christmas is the time for shimmer!

Eyes

Eyeshadow

MAC Woodwinked Eyeshadow - I went for a gold eye, to make things extra festive

Mascara

MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara

Eyebrows

Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Lips

Lipstick

MAC RiRi Woo - It had to be a red but the question was....what red? In the end I chose RiRi Woo as its my favourite matte red.

Now I'm off to demolish a Christmas dinner!