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

September, October and November Favourites

You know you've been a crap blogger when you have to combine three months of favourites into one post. I would just forgot about September and October, but they include some of my absolute faves *cough Charlotte Tilbury Walk of Shame lipstick cough*

November

Fleur de Force Cosmetic Bag £8.99

Typically, I don't use a makeup bag because I have so much of the stuff, I just keep it in drawers. But when I was on holiday I really enjoyed having less of a selection and just doing my makeup out of a makeup bag (if that makes any sense). 

Since coming back from holiday I have just carried on with this method and I love this bag so much because you can fit so much in it. Honestly its one of those Mary Poppins type bags, plus you can fit all your brushes in there without cramming them in. 

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette £40.00

When it was announced that Gwen was releasing an eyeshadow palette with Urban Decay, I immediately thought it was going to be full of really bright, unwearable colours. So when I saw this palette for the first time, I actually squealed with joy. 

This is a warm toned, neutral lovers DREAM. I would go as far to say its better than any of the Naked palettes, because it has great all over the lid shades. You know, those one colour wonders that you just blend over your eyelid and they're good to go. I am in love, and my current favourites are 'Steady' and 'Zone'. 

I will say there is quite a bit of fall out when you use these shadows, but just tap your brush and you will be fine.

MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow £13.00

As you can tell, this is one heavily loved eyeshadow. Easily my favourite ever MAC shadow, I have been wearing this religiously with 'Zone' from the Gwen palette in my crease.

Clarins Instant Concealer £18.28 (on offer)

I've had this for ages but for some reason, I just didn't want to use it. I'm glad I finally did because this is a beautiful concealer. It works equally well under the eyes and on redness and blemishes. Its not too thick, so doesn't crease or cake and its the best thing to have in your makeup bag when you are going straight out after work and have rubbed all your foundation off your nose (story of my life).

Burberry Lip Cover in English Rose £23.00

An oldie, but a goodie. This is actually my second tube of this lipstick, which says a lot for a lipstick addict like me. My kind of nude, I forgot just how much I loved this.

Unite 7 Seconds Range prices start at £16.90

I am obsessed with this haircare range for a multitude of reasons, but first let me address the smell. This stuff smells absolutely divine and it stays in your hair, to the point where I find myself sniffing my hair throughout the day. 

I also noticed I started to get more compliments on my hair and I wasn't do anything differently, apart from using this. It just seems to make my hair more bouncy and shiny. 

I have already finished the shampoo (sob sob) so I need to restock asap.

October

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Walk of Shame £23.00

I wore this lipstick for my entire holiday, which was almost three weeks. I cannot put into words my love for this lipstick, I just can't. Honestly typing this up now, all I want to do is put it on my lips. Without a doubt my lipstick of the year. Charlotte I love you.

Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder £3.99

Last year I used up a lot of pricey powders, and you know what, they ain't got nothing on this £3.99 Rimmel job. This is just the best pressed powder there is (apart from the Charlotte Tilbury one, but you know that is literally £30.00 more expensive).

Wet Brush (Midi Size) £8.50

I have been loyal to my Tangle Teezer for years, but I was kinda getting sick of it flying out of my hand and across my bedroom. I found this in the beauty cupboard at work and decided to give it a go, and I'm so glad I did. 

First of all, it's so nice to use a hairbrush with an actual handle for a change. This also gets through my hair a lot better than a Tangle Teezer and makes it look a lot sleeker. 

I honestly haven't touched my Tangle Teezer since.

Bobbi Brown Skin Foundation (Warm Sand) £31.50

I only have the tiniest amount of this foundation left, and I'm going to be gutted when its all gone. It might be weird to say, but I love the colour of this foundation. We all know I love my warm tones and this has a very flattering yellow undertone, which really warms my complexion. This is very light, provides a medium coverage and delivers on its promise of looking like skin. 

RapidLash £18.28

This stuff genuinely works. I have been using it for a little over 3 months and my eyelashes have grown so much they now touch my eyebrows. Who knew that would make me so happy. 

Make sure you buy this from Amazon, unless you wanna pay £40.00 in Boots!

Too Faced Chocolate Soleil Bronzer £25.00

My fellow bronzer addicts, you need to try this. The perfect warm toned bronzer, but be warned, a little goes a long way. I also ended up wearing this all month long as an eyeshadow.

Lancome Grandiose Mascara £20.83 on offer

The first time I used this mascara I thought it was shit, but I'm so glad I persevered because its actually amazing. This gives my lashes so much length and volume, plus it doesn't smudge or flake all day, which for me is a miracle. I would 100% repurchase this.

Sachajuan Ocean Mist Volume Shampoo and Conditioner £19.00

Excuse the dodgy picture, I actually finished these on holiday but took a picture so I could include them in my favourites post. I don't know whether it was the ridiculously soft water, or this shampoo and conditioner but my hair was #onfleek all holiday. Honestly, loads of volume and bounce, without me even using a hair dryer. I definitely need to try these in the UK to see if they work as well with our ridiculously hard water. 

September

Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm £32.30 on offer

I rely on balm cleansers to take off all my makeup in one go, mascara, lipstick, foundation the lot. This is a really luxurious cleanser, which transforms to an oil once you massage it into your skin. It removes all my makeup effortlessly and really is a joy to use. 

Shout out to the cloth that comes with it, much nicer than my bog standard flannel!

OGX Weightless Hydration Coconut Water Shampoo and Conditioner £6.99

I am an absolute sucker for any beauty product containing coconut, I think my goal in life is to smell like a tropical holiday. 

Not only do these smell amazing, but they also leave my hair feeling really clean. You know that kind of squeaky clean feeling, that anyone who suffers from greasy hair craves. 

Smashbox Brow Tech Gloss Stick in Brunette £16.50

I know a glossy brow sounds weird, but I actually really liked this pencil. I didn't find it overly glossy and I really liked how creamy the pencil was, as it meant I could fill my brows in really quickly. This does seem to be a bit of a love hate product though, as I gave one to my friend and she hated it :(

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick in Walk of Shame £23.00

I did warn you I was obsessed with this lipstick.

Make Up Geek Foiled Eyeshadow in Grandstand $9.99

Not going to lie, I 100% bought this because Jaclyn Hill uses it. You can actually buy Make Up Geek from Beauty Bay now in the UK, but it looks like everything is sold out! I ordered from the Make Up Geek website and had no problems shipping to the UK.

These foiled shadows are INTENSE, but beautiful. If you like your shimmer, you are gonna love these.  I wear these alone, all over the lid, you don't need nothing else.

Too Faced Love Flush Long-Lasting Blush in Baby Love £25.00

The most adorable makeup packaging I have ever seen and my favourite kind of natural, browny pink blush colour. Its a no brainer.

And this is how organised I almost was in September…..this is all my September makeup faves on ma' face!

I will be a better beauty blogger I promise!

Does RapidLash Work? Before and After Pictures

I have used eyelash enhancing serums in the past and from my own first hand experience I know they work, however I have never properly documented it before. Its been a few years but I was recently tempted to try RapidLash again. I have now been using it for around 9 weeks and this time I have taken photos so you can judge for yourself.

RapidLash promise a visible difference in your lashes after 4 weeks of use, you can also use it on your eyebrows although I haven't tried that yet. The serum is clear and you apply it once a day to your upper lash line, just like you would an eyeliner.

RapidLash doesn't come cheap and in Boots its sold for about £41.00 however I bought mine for £22.50 from allbeauty.com with free delivery.

Before RapidLash with no mascara

As you can see my lashes are quite fair and not particularly thick. The tips of my lashes are blonde making it hard to see the actual length of them!

Before Rapidlash with mascara

Its probably worth noting that I used the same mascara for all the before and after pictures, which was the L'oreal Miss Manga mascara.

After 4 weeks of RapidLash use without mascara

After 4 weeks use, without mascara I cant really see too much of a difference in length but they look thicker and fuller.

After 4 weeks of Rapidlash use with mascara

After 4 weeks use, with mascara you can definitely see a difference in length, particularly in the outer corners. In 4 weeks the difference isn't too dramatic but I can tell a difference in both length and fullness.

After 8 weeks of Rapidlash use without mascara

Damn my pesky fair eyelashes but I can again see a difference in both length and volume, however its only really noticeable once I apply mascara.

After 8 weeks of Rapidlash use with mascara

After 8 weeks my eyelashes are now in the stage where some have naturally fallen out and are growing back, I also have some new lashes which have grown and the lashes from week 4 which haven't yet fallen out are now pretty long. Although up close like this it looks pretty uneven, in person my lashes just look much fuller and longer. In the side picture you can see the volume I now have, which is quite a dramatic difference compared to the first picture before RapidLash.

Overall I am really happy with the results and will definitely continue to use RapidLash. 

God bless you LiLash

Goodbye short stubby eyelashes

Before: Eyelashes curled with an eyelash curler + mascara

And hello to these beauties!

After: Just mascara no eyelash curler used at all! Sorry the pictures a bit darker on this one, I took the 2nd picture at night without flash, as the flash was creating too many shadows
So eyelash enhancers have been big news in America for a while and they are finally arriving here. I did my research and one name kept cropping up.....LiLash. Apart from all the rave reviews the one major selling point of LiLash was the fact that there had been no reported changes in eye colour from anyone who had used this product. This is the one negative side effect of eyelash serums that really scares me and has put me off trying any of these types of products for a long time.

I bought my LiLash from eBay as it is an American product its quite hard to find over here in the UK. I know some people are a bit wary of purchasing products like this off eBay but just use your common sense and only buy from UK or US sellers. Now this stuff doesn't come cheap.....when I purchased mine it cost me about £70! I paid a little bit more as I bought it from a UK seller, so I didn't have to pay any shipping.

The product is like a clear liquid eyeliner. It has a very small thin brush, just like a liquid liner and you apply it to your upper lash line just like liquid liner. In the instructions they say you can apply it in the morning before you apply the rest of your makeup or at night when you've removed your makeup. One of the bonuses of this product for me is that I regularly got into the habit of taking my makeup off every night because I wanted to apply this!

It has taken about 6 weeks for me to notice the difference and it is a huge difference. At first its hard to notice as you tend to find yourself inspecting your eyelashes every single day! But I can really tell the difference and I think the pictures reflect that. I never have to curl my lashes now either, in the first picture my eyelashes have been curled before mascara in the 2nd picture that's just mascara. I haven't touched my eyelash curler in weeks as LiLash gives your lashes that natural curl. I can now feel my lashes hitting my brow bone and I have become prone to stroking them without realising!

Now one of the things I should point out is that your eyelashes have a natural growth cycle, they fall out regularly and regrow. Obviously when this happens you will have a combination of a few shorter lashes but this is unavoidable.

Combined with my LiLash the other product I have been using is L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum

This product does not increase the growth or length of your eyelashes, it strengthens your lashes and stops them falling out so quickly. So your lashes appear thicker as they are not falling out as regularly, therefore you have more!

Unlike my LiLash I don't apply this everyday, maybe 3 times a week or more depending. This product is a lot more affordable at roughly £8 but you will not get the same results as this doesn't encourage eyelash growth.

This product comes with no outer packaging or instructions which is very helpful! I bought this on a whim and then had to search online for how to use it. Very poor L'Oreal.

You apply this to your upper lash line and also to your lashes, I tend to apply my LiLash to the upper lash line and then just run the L'Oreal serum through my lashes.

Now I have noticed that my LiLash is starting to run a little thin on the ground, there's still a lot of product on there but it did have me panicking about repurchasing. This is a very expensive product but.....it works! How many mascaras have you been sucked into buying for their false lash claims. How many times have you been disappointed with them and thought what a waste of money! I'll give you an example....YSL Faux Cils Mascara.....very popular and very expensive. This mascara will set you back at least £22 and it doesn't last long at all. I would say maximum shelf life for this mascara 3 months...max. Obviously if you have naturally long eyelashes then save your money this isn't the product for you (PS I hate you) but if like me you have always dreamed of ridiculously long eyelashes then with this product you can get them.

I know there are some cheaper alternatives on the market such as RapidLash which is about £40 in Boots but I've read quite a few bad reviews on this product including eyelashes falling out and I haven't heard the same rave reviews about RapidLash as I have LiLash so do your research.

I will definitely be repurchasing LiLash and I would 100% recommend it