My 15 Beauty Favourites of 2015

Whenever I do this post, I always miscount and forget a product and of course this year was no exception. It was only when I started typing this, that I realised I only had 14 products and had forgotten to photograph my beloved Colab dry shampoo…..fml

Yesterday I shared my Makeup Favourites for the year and today its the turn of my beauty favourites, because there is no way I could edit it down to 15 out of both categories.

1. Unite 7 Seconds Shampoo and Conditioner

I think I only tried this shampoo and conditioner for the first time in November but I instantly loved this combo. First of all it smells divine and the smell lingers in your hair, but more importantly it seems to give my hair that elusive Kate Middleton bounce. 

2. RapidLash

I have used RapidLash before so I knew it worked, but I got lazy and didn't repurchase. Earlier this year I kept getting serious eyelash envy from my friend Chloe. She had kept using RapidLash and her eyelashes were ridiculously long (bitch) so in September I purchased a new tube and started again.

I apply RapidLash once a day at night before I go to bed and after 6 weeks you start to notice a massive difference in the length of your lashes. My lashes now touch my eyebrows and I've had so many people asking me if I'm wearing eyelash extensions. I am vowing to keep using this now.

If you are thinking of buying RapidLash make sure you buy it from Amazon, it's less than £20.00, whereas in Boots it's sold for about £40.00!)

Before RapiLash

 After using RapidLash for 4 months

3. Clarins Radiance-Plus Golden Glow Booster for body

I don't fake tan, mainly because I am too lazy but also because I have had one too many fake tanning disasters. When we were discussing potential nominations for the beauty awards at work, my colleague Bridget recommended these. Bridget is one of those people that you can't help but bask in their beauty so of course I had to try them.

Rather than having to apply a separate fake tan, all you do is mix a few drops of this in with your normal body moisturiser. There's no fake tan smell, no streaks and no extra steps to your routine and I love the subtle colour this gives my skin. If you are a die hard tan fan this probably won't be enough for you, but if you just want to add a bit of colour to your corned beef arms, meet your new best friend. I have almost finished my second bottle and will definitely be repurchasing. 

4. Bobbi Brown Beach Perfume

If you want to know what I smelt like all year, this is it. From January to December I literally smelt like a summer holiday and I loved it.

5. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I love this little orange sponge so much that I have somehow accumulated 4 of them! I much prefer this to the Beautyblender because of the flat side, in fact the flat side is the only side I use. I use this sponge to blend in my concealer and go over my foundation to get rid of any streaks of patchiness. 

6. Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow It Air Styler

I am notoriously lazy when it comes to my hair. I wash it at night, sleep on it wet and in the morning its dry. As I rarely heat style my hair I don't use that many hair products, but if ever a hair product was tailor made for me, this is it. 

This is designed to give air dried hair, texture and body without feeling like there is anything in it, and that's exactly what it does. After brushing my hair and applying Moroccanoil, I rub a blob of this throughout my whole hair and it just gives me exactly what I want, a natural 'wave'. 

7. Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Jelly

I think I have gone through three pots of this moisturiser this year, so that has to be a good sign. I actually use this as a pre-moisturiser before my serum and main moisturiser. I just find it keeps my skin hydrated, I rarely suffer from dry patches and touch wood, so far my forehead is staying pretty line free. 

8. Eylure Fleur Loves Lashes

If you asked me to pick a favourite YouTuber/Beauty Blogger I would always say Fleur. I actually reviewed her entire Eylure collection on Cosmopolitan and can safely say, this is not a case of someone just slapping their name on a product. From the designs, to the packaging, everything about these lashes  is original. The Fleur Loves (closely followed by the individuals) are by far my favourite. I just love how three quarter lashes really give you that feline look and there really is nothing similar that's available in Boots or Superdrug.

 I always know if a product is good if I can convince my 'real life' friends to use it and I have now got my friend Chloe swearing by these too.

9. La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo +

I don't think I will ever not have this in my skincare regime. I swear that this saved my skin from some seriously spotty outbreaks and even though I don't need to use it religiously everyday, I always use it at least 3 times a week to keep those suckers at bay for good.

10. Zoeva Makeup Brushes

2015 was the year I tried Zoeva makeup brushes for the first time and they have easily become my favourite makeup brushes. My beloved Real Techniques Buffing Brush has now been replaced with the Zoeva Silk Finish Face Brush and the Petit Crease Brush was a revelation. The best brush sets in terms of quality and value. Plus who can say no to those copper handles.

11. Moroccanoil

Ahh Moroccanoil, the only product that has stayed in my yearly favourites since 2013. I have tried other oils and I know this has silicone in it, but I don't care because it really is the only oil that smooths the ends of my hair without leaving them feeling or looking greasy.

12. The Wet Brush

I never thought I'd see the day where I turned my back on my Tangle Teezer but I have, and it's so nice to use a hairbrush that doesn't fly out your hands every time you brush your hair. The Wet Brush just brushes my hair so much better than the Tangle Teezer. It gets to all that knots at the back of my head, whereas the Tangle Teezer only ever really brushed the surface. 

13. OPI Strength in Colour Tinted Nail Envy in 'Hawaiian Orchid'

2015 was the year that I officially fell out of love with nail polish. I used to love painting my nails bright colours and would paint my nails 4 times a week just for the pure joy of it. Now I hate bright colours on my nails and I'm sitting here with chipped nails that are in desperate need of painting. All those neutral colours that I used to think were so boring are now my new BFF's and this colour in particular by OPI has been a favourite. I just find the colour flattering on my skin tone and I love that its an opaque neutral, because there is nothing worse than streaky nail polish.

14. Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I genuinely don't understand why people still fork out for Bioderma when this micellar water costs about £4.00 and lasts forever. I also don't understand people who still use makeup wipes, but there you go!

15. Colab Dry Shampoo

Luckily I rave about this dry shampoo enough that I knew I would have a photo somewhere in my iPhoto. This is the dry shampoo that stopped me hating dry shampoo. It genuinely is sheer and invisible, and sometimes I even think my hair looks better with this in it. The only problem is that I end up using half a can every time. Oh and make sure you get the Sheer and Invisible version, because the Extreme Volume version is NOT THE ONE.

13 Beauty Favourites of 2013

14 Beauty Favourites of 2014

August Favourites

So, I'm being a bit crap with this blogging malarky at the moment but lets ignore the fact we're midway through September and I am just posting my August Favourites….ok, cool.

Fleur de Force Lashes by Eylure "Fleur Loves"

Eylure are my go to brand for false lashes and apart from Kandee Johnson, Fleur is the YouTuber that I have been watching the longest, so needless to say I was excited about this collaboration.

 I tested out the entire range on the Cosmopolitan website (link!) and was genuinely impressed. This is definitely not something Fleur has just slapped her name on.

Out of the range, the Fleur Loves lashes are definitely my favourites. These are 3/4 length lashes which look very natural but give a beautiful cat eyed, Angelina Jolie effect. I found these really easy to apply because you don't get that annoying thing of them pinging up in the corners, plus this is the first time I have come across these kind of lashes on the high street. Love.

Boots £5.25

Bumble and Bumble Don't Blow It

Believe it or not although I'm obsessed with all things beauty, I don't actually own a hair dryer. 

I never, ever dry my hair, I wash it at night and sleep on it wet and in the morning its dry, ta daaaaa. The main reason is that I'm lazy when it comes to hair, but also I have very straight hair naturally and when I use a hair dryer my hair goes so straight and flat, I hate it. I like my hair to have a natural Olsen twin wave, in a completely effortless 'I woke up like this' way, so this new release from Bumble and Bumble is basically my dream hair product.

Normally I spray a sea salt spray in my hair to achieve that look but what I love about this, is it gives me the messy waves, without the feeling or texture of sea salt spray. Just rub a blob of this through the length and ends of your hair and leave to dry. You can't feel this in your hair, but you can see the results. Since getting this, I haven't used a sea salt spray at all. 

Bumble and Bumble £23.00

No7 Instant Radiance Foundation

No7 aren't a brand that excite me, but this is still one of my favourite foundations. This genuinely does what it says on the tin, gives a radiance boost to tired and stressed skin. This feels really light on the skin and gives a beautiful glow. The coverage and lasting power aren't amazing admittedly, but if you need an instant pick me up, this will do the job.

Boots £12.50

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Ultra Definition Liquid Makeup

I won't lie to you, I definitely bought this foundation because its what Kim Kardashians makeup artist claimed he used on her, on her (3rd) wedding day (stop it, I can feel you judging me!)

Whether Kimmy actually used it or not, I still use it and love it. 

I use this foundation a lot on other people when I do wedding makeup, as it photographs really well, is quite undetectable on the skin and doesn't have any SPF. This has a very runny consistency (which I love) and provides a decent amount of coverage, whilst still looking really natural. This also a great foundation for mixing. 

The No7 foundation is a bit too dark for my, I haven't been on holiday all year skin, but works really well when mixed with this. 

If you like natural looking and feeling foundation try this.

Debenhams £27.00

OPI Nail Envy Strength in Colour Collection "Hawaiian Orchid"

2015, the year I turned into a nail polish bore. This dusky, rose colour is all I've worn on my nails this month and I won't apologise because I love it. 

Nail Envy is a nail strengthener, you apply two coats and then one coat every day for the next 5 days, before removing it and starting the process again. OPI had the genius idea of tinting their Nail Envy's, because who wants to wear clear nail varnish in 2015 (probably me soon). 

I will say that I am far too lazy to go through that rigmarole though and have just been wearing this like a normal nail polish. Either way, I am obsessed with this colour.

Debenhams £19.50

Charlotte Tilbury Beach Stick "Las Salinas"

Its not secret that I am a teeny, tiny bit obsessed with Charlotte Tilbury's line and these Beach Sticks aren't helping matters. I already had the colour 'Formentera' which I love and 'Las Salinas' is my latest addition. You can see what it looks like on in this post but its basically a more subtle, cream version of NARS Orgasm. Finally a cream blush that doesn't put a hole in your foundation.

Charlotte Tilbury £30.00

Zoeva Silk Finish Face Brush

I love my rose gold Zoeva brush set and they are definitely my go to brand for makeup brushes now. They are really high quality, soft, don't shed and they apply makeup beautifully. 

I started to notice that my foundation was looking a bit streaky with my beloved Real Techniques Buffing Brush so switched to this. This blended my foundation in seconds, with zero streaks.

Beauty Bay £11.50

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick "Amazing Grace"

I banged on about this lipstick in my last post, so without repeating myself, its amazing, favourite lipstick discovery of the year and I feel like Miranda Kerr whenever I wear it. BUY IT

Charlotte Tilbury £23.00

Ciate Precious Metal Eyeshadow "Lincoln Road"

Nail brands venturing into makeup makes me nervous, but after trying this eyeshadow I'm all for it. Definitely the best loose pigment eyeshadow I have tried (better than MAC pigments)

Ciate I'm sorry for doubting you! 

If you want to see what this looks like on, I am wearing it in my last post as well.

Ciate £18.00

All Things Holiday

Anyone else out there struggling with a serious case of the post holiday blues?

I was in desperate need of some chill time and it was so nice to just laze around, read, swim in the pool and eat nice food. It was also really refreshing to have a week not using my phone or the internet. Its kind of scary how reliant we all are on those two things now, but having a break just reminds you that you don't need to be!

I love reading on holiday and its something that I really want to make a conscious effort to make more time for. If you are looking for a new book recommendation, I read and loved "The Girl With All The Gifts". I hadn't heard anything about this book but the cover intrigued me and it turned out to be one of my favourite reads in a long time.

I have also finally started the first Game of Thrones book but that is quite the tomb, hence why I need to make more time for reading!

I had to share with you the amazing nail polish that has been gracing my nails for the past week. Its by Pop Beauty and its seriously the brightest neon orange nail polish I have ever used. Pop Beauty used to be available in the UK but now it only seems to be available online, although you can get Pop Beauty in Walgreens if you are in the US. 

If you are looking for a radioactive nail polish then you need to try this. 

Pop Beauty Orange Nail Polish £6.50

My holiday makeup was seriously minimal this year. I never wear makeup in the day on holiday, as I spend about 90% of my day underwater but in the evenings I do slap on a bit. I actually ended up doing the exact same makeup look every night because I liked it so much and it was just really quick and easy.

No7 Instant Radiance Foundation in Soft Rose

This is a really lovely foundation because it gives your skin the healthiest glow. The coverage is quite light but that suits me as I cant bear the feeling of heavy foundation on my face and I like that it doesn't cover my freckles. 

Available from Boots £12.50

YSL Couture Palette in 03 Afrique

This was a bit of a naughty purchase but I somehow justified it to myself by saying that there wasn't a single colour in the palette that I wouldn't use. Of course I have only ever used one of the shades and that is the colour on the top left hand side. I just blend this all over my lid and it gives the prettiest peachy gold glow.

Available from Boots £39.50

MAC Eye Kohl in Teddy

I couldn't find my favourite brown eyeliner anywhere so I had to buy a replacement Teddy in duty free. I just apply this to my tight line and a tiny bit to the outer corners of my eye and smudge out.

Available from MAC £14.00

Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Heftiest Hibiscus

I have my friend Nat to thank for this discovery. She wore it on a night out and I loved it so much I had to go out and get it. This is a red toned coral which you can either blend in for more of a subtle look or go all out for a full on bright pout.

Available from Boots £17.00

Of course I made a couple of cheeky purchases in duty free. 

First of all I had to replace my beloved MAC Teddy Eye Kohl and trust me, if my original one turns up I wont be happy! 

My Laura Mercier Foundation Primer only has a few drops left in it so I needed a replacement primer. I used MAC's Skin Base on my Sister on her Wedding day and I was so impressed with how well her makeup lasted that I wanted to get this for myself. 

Finally a completely unnecessary purchase, another nail polish! 

I am just a little bit in love with OPI's new Nordic collection and I also have a bit of a thing for green nail polish so of course I chose "My Dogsled is a Hybrid". There is also a beautiful dark purple colour from the collection which I think I will have to get "Viking in a Vinter Vonderland" OPI have the best colour names!

So I guess Summer is officially over now, at least my orange nail polish will be acceptable for Halloween!

August Favourites

This past month I have loved a lot of makeup and I had a hard job editing it all down for this months favourites post. With my Sisters Wedding, August was a heavy makeup month. I'm looking forward to rediscovering a lot of my old makeup favourites now we are changing seasons, Rimmel 107 lipstick I'm thinking of you! I am off on my Summer holidays next week though, so I will have to wait a little while longer for those berry tones!

MAC Eyeshadows - All That Glitters, Woodwinked, Mulch, Romp and Grain

Me and my MAC Palettes have an on, off relationship. I forget about them for months, then rediscover them and fall back in love all over again. As you can see from the massive hole, All That Glitters is by far my favourite. Its just fool proof, slap it all over your lid and you are good to go. Grain is a new discovery, I like it because its very subtle and doesn't really look like eyeshadow once its applied. Woodwinked is a lovely gold for Summer, Romp is slightly darker and more bronzy, I like to wear both of these alone. My current favourite combination however is All That Glitters all over the lid, with Mulch in the crease. 

Now I make the inevitable promise not to neglect my MAC eyeshadows again!

Tarte Lights Camera Flashes Mascara and Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

This Tarte mascara is amazing, it gives tons of volume, length and separation. The only downside is that its only available in America (sad face). It also has some pretty impressive staying power and does not budge, even through a 45 minute aqua aerobic session!

I find that mascaras always tend to smudge on my lower lashes, so I finally decided to try Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara. Although I was initially sceptical, I am now fully sold on this tube of awesomeness. First the brush is teeny tiny so you can get to all the individual lashes, without getting blobs of mascara on your face. It also lasts all day with zero smudging whatsoever. I know a mascara purely for your bottom lashes is a little excessive but trust me this is worth it.

OPI Original Nail Envy Nail Strengthener and Deborah Lippmann Stronger Nail Polish

I have been using OPI's Nail Envy as a base coat when I paint my nails and I have noticed an overall improvement in the strength of my nails. Less breaking, less peeling and all round healthier nails.

My tolerance for glitter polish is low. Sure it looks pretty but there's nothing pretty about scrubbing your fingers raw trying to get the stuff off. The struggle is real but its worth it for some glitters like Deborah Lippmann's Stronger. When this stuff catches the light the sparkle is insane. I wore this on my toes for my Sisters wedding and really regretted not wearing it on my fingers too!

MooGoo Blemish Cleansing Moisturiser and L'Oreal Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation

My beloved Kate Somerville Goat Milk moisturiser ran out but have no fear, MooGoo is here! I have mentioned MooGoo on my blog before, they are a natural skincare brand from Australia who started when they developed their cow udder cream for humans! This is their Blemish Cleansing Moisturiser and I honestly think it makes a massive difference to keeping my skin clear. If you are into natural and organic products I highly recommend checking MooGoo out. 

I have raved about the L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation a lot I know, but I just cant help myself. Whenever I wear this I love how my skin looks. Its light, so doesn't feel or look heavy and it just gives the most beautiful glow. Its possibly my second favourite foundation behind Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua and that's saying a lot. I have the teeniest, tiniest amount left in this bottle and it will be a sad day when its finally finished.

Anastasia Contour Kit and Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light

I have this contour kit alone to thank for giving me some cheekbones this past month. I have done a full review here if you want to read more.

I am ashamed to admit it but I have been cheating on my Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder with this Hourglass Powder. Since using it on my Sister for her wedding day its become my new favourite highlighter. This is more subtle than the Kevyn Aucoin highlighter, with no shimmer detectable at all but it just gives this amazing glow to your skin.

It might be a bit quiet on the blogging front when I am away next week but usual service will resume shortly!

Nude Nails

At the moment I am in a nail polish funk, I own an obscene amount of the stuff but for some reason I am just bored of every colour. Maybe too much variety is a bad thing, or maybe I need to invent a new colour, I just don't know. 

Due to my indecisive state, I have just been wearing different shades of natural/nude polish and I thought I would share some of my current favourites with you.

I have my friend Nat to thank for getting me hooked on these L'oreal Colour Riche Nail polishes. There are so many on trend shades to chose from and the quality is really good. If you are looking for a nice nude polish they have so many different shades to suit every skin tone. My current favourite is Boudoir Rose, which I had to buy after seeing it on Nat! I really recommend these and you can pick them up from Boots for £4.99 each.

L'oreal Colour Riche in Boudoir Rose 204

L'oreal Colour Riche in Beige Countess 104

My next favourite is a very popular Essie polish, Fiji. This is a a very white toned baby pink, its very girly and I get a lot of people asking what my nail polish is when I wear it. Its actually more pink toned than it looks in the picture below. If Fiji is too pink for you and you prefer a peachy nude, then Orly's Prelude to a Kiss would be my recommendation.

Essie Fiji

Orly Prelude to a Kiss

And lastly I have two from OPI, the first I'm not going to lie I did want it purely for the name alone. My Vampire is Buff is a yellow toned cream, which sounds like it would look horrible but I actually think it looks really cool on the nails and is a change from a traditional white. The second is from OPI's new Brazil collection, Don't Bossa Nova Me Around. I would describe this as a murky baby pink, it looks a bit more sophisticated on the nails than Essie's Fiji.

OPI My Vampire is Buff

OPI Don't Bossa Nova Me Around

Its Sunday evening so that can only mean one thing, nail painting time. After my weeks of nude nails I am considering venturing further down the colour spectrum but lets not be too hasty!

OPI Keeping Suzi At Bay

Thanks to my dear friend Chloe I have a new nail polish love, OPI's Keeping Suzi At Bay.

Its the perfect primary blue and makes a great addition to my blue nail polish family. 

As with most OPI nail polishes the formula is great, opaque in 2 coats and I took the above picture after 4 days of wear, no chips here!

Talking of my blue nail polish family, things are really starting to get out of hand (see evidence below). Its an obsession!