Favourite Products Of 2014

It's that time again! 2014 has brought so many amazing products into my life and I felt the need to share them all with you. I decided to stick to my rule of listing five products in each category so here's another 45 of my favourite products. I always love looking back at all my previous monthly & yearly favourites posts to see which things I am still using. Whenever I write my monthly favourites posts I try to only feature new products or ones that I haven't written about before so that there's lots of variety on my blog. Many of those products have been included here so I like to think I'm not too fickle when it comes to beauty products. Nonetheless I can't wait to try some new things in 2015!

Skincare
Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil / Claudia Louch Chamomile Facial Wash
La Roche-Posay Serozinc / Eucerin DermoPurifyer Toner / Avene Cleanance K

This was probably the trickiest category for me because I do love a bit of skincare! I've rarely deviated from my routine of using an oil cleanser followed by a gel cleanser. The Una Brennan Vitamin C+ Cleansing Oil and Claudia Louch's Chamomile Facial Wash have been my favourite cleansers this year by far. Serozinc is a cornerstone of my skincare routine & it's finally available to buy in the UK! It's such a good toner for anyone with oily or blemish-prone skin. Of course I couldn't leave out a chemical exfoliant or two. The Eucerin DermoPurifyer Toner contains 2% lactic acid and Avene Cleanance K features a potent blend of glycolic, lactic & salicylic acid. They have both worked wonders on my skin, especially on my forever congested forehead. Apparently Avene are discontinuing Cleanance K though (why god why?!) so get your hands on it while you still can!

Body Products
Arran Aromatics Feel Good Formulas Aloe Vera Energising Body Gel / Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash
Lush D'Fluff Strawberry Shaving Soap / Lush African Paradise Body Conditioner / HealGel Intensive

This Summer was certainly a scorcher and after a day in the sun I loved slathering my limbs in this cooling Aloe Vera Gel from Arran Aromatics. Soap & Glory make some of the best smelling body products around. I'm actually allergic to lime so I put off buying Sugar Crush for ages but I really wish I hadn't! It's not like I was gonna eat it haha! That sweet citrus scent is incredible. Lush D'Fluff & African Paradise were two of my most used products. They both left my skin feeling unbelievably soft & smelling beautiful. I don't think I could face shaving without a bit of D'Fluff now! HealGel Intensive is one of those great multi-purpose products that every family should own. It works better than anything to heal up scars, burns & bruises.

Haircare
Bleach London Rose Shampoo / Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil / Philip Kingsley Elasticizer
TRESemmé Renewal Hair & Scalp Tonic / John Frieda Full Repair Touch-Up Flyaway Tamer

I tried quite a few products from Bleach London this year. I am especially fond of their Rose Shampoo & Conditioner for effortless pink locks. My favourite hair product was the Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil. It makes my hair feel so soft & adds lots of healthy looking shine. I try out a lot of hair masks and one that I always come back to is Philip Kingsley's Elasticizer. It really helps to strengthen & add moisture to my damaged hair. I love using the TRESemmé Renewal Hair & Scalp Tonic. It feels instantly cooling on my scalp & helps to relieve any tight or dry areas after getting my roots bleached. I've had a lot of breakage this year & there is currently loads of random short areas at the top of my head. To help keep these in place & stop me looking like I've got a mullet I've been using this Flyaway Tamer from John Frieda. It features Inca Inchi Oil to restore the condition of the hair at the same time.

Base
Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer / NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer / NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser
Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light

Since buying the Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer I haven't even thought about trying any others. It keeps my makeup perfectly in place all day long & makes my skin look poreless. It is rather expensive but I definitely think it's worth the money. There's only one concealer that I've really liked this year & that is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I often just blend this around my face if I can't be bothered with proper foundation. It offers excellent coverage of dark circles & blemishes without looking cakey at all. I am also obsessed with the NARS Tinted Moisturiser. I never really got along with tinted moisturisers until I tried this one. It's more like a light foundation but it gives my skin a naturally flawless appearance. Amazing stuff! I've finally reached the end of my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation and I will be repurchasing it ASAP. I love how glowy my face looks when I use it. Last year I was majorly into the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light but more recently I've been using Diffused Light to set my makeup. It's got a yellow tone that helps to balance out any redness in the skin and makes everything look super smooth.

Eyes
Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown / MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Groundwork
Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Eyeshadow Palette in The Uptown Girl / Kevyn Aucoin The Essential Mascara
Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eye Liner

2014 was all about the brows for me & the best brow product I've ever tried has to be the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade. I started off with Blonde which was too warm for me but recently I got the Medium Brown shade & now I couldn't be happier with it. It lasts all day without smudging or fading and it's just so easy to apply. If you want immaculate looking eyebrows then you should go out and buy it immediately. In the first half of the year I was quite lazy with eyeshadow & most of the time I just smudged some of the MAC Groundwork Paint Pot around my eyes. It's a soft medium brown that adds some nice natural looking definition. Then I finally got round to visiting a Charlotte Tilbury counter & I fell in love with her gorgeous eyeshadow palettes. Most people seem to adore The Dolce Vita one but I think red toned eyeshadows look horrible on me. I purchased The Uptown Girl & it is the most incredible eyeshadow palette ever. The eyeshadows are buttery soft & blend like a dream. This particular palette is very shimmery but it just looks stunning & really makes my eyes pop. I got a little sample tube of the Kevyn Aucoin Essential Mascara with a Space.NK purchase and I absolutely love it. It adds so much length & basically acts like a push up bra for your lashes. The curved wand is really cool & stops me from splodging mascara all over my eyelid. I think it contains fibres so it might not be great for those with sensitive eyes but it has fast become one of my favourite mascaras. The Stila liquid liner really does last all day on my eyes. It's so pigmented & doesn't transfer to my upper eyelid at all. The pen nib has a great shape and makes it easy to draw a cat flick with precision.

Cheek Products
theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / Illamasqua Naked Rose / NARS Douceur
Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette / Soap & Glory Solar Powder

After almost three years together Mary-Lou Manizer has finally reached it's end. I've already bought a new one because I couldn't possibly go a single day without adding it's beautiful glow to my face. There really is nothing better. I have a pretty crazy blush collection so I tried my hardest not to buy too many new ones this year. I mainly stuck to using Illamasqua Naked Rose & NARS Douceur as they go with everything. However I did massively spurge on the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette. The colours in here are so pretty & multi-dimensional. They're definitely something special. I got kinda sick of looking at my pasty round moon face so I've been trying out some bronzing & contouring products. I've been really loving Soap & Glory's Solar Powder as it adds some warmth to my complexion & shape to my face without making me look liked I've been tangoed.

Lip Products
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector in 01 Rose Shimmer / Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Demure
Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid / MeMeMe Long Wear Satin Lip Cream in China Rose / MAC Ever Hip

I finally listened to the blogger hype & found a new love in the form of Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector. Rose Shimmer is such a pretty baby pink colour & it makes my lips feel so lovely. My go-to lip product this year was the Revlon ColorBurst Lacquer Balm in Demure. It's a high gloss peachy pink lip balm & I wear it all the time. Lanolips Lemonaid is still my fave lip balm. The natural acid content gently exfoliates your lips leaving them kissably soft. It has such a delicious citrus scent & taste too. MAC Creme Cup is one of my most used lipsticks so I was very glad to find a drugstore dupe from MeMeMe. Their Satin Lip Cream in China Rose is such a sweet pink shade & it even has that same vanilla scent as a MAC lipstick. I don't think I bought any new MAC lipsticks this year but Ever Hip was one of my most used products. It's a peach that actually looks good on pale skin tones. I just wish that MAC would add it to their permanent lipstick range!

Nail Polishes
Sally Hansen Maximum Growth / China Glaze Aquadelic / Essie Spin The Bottle
Only Fingers + Toes Nitrogen / Mavala Mavadry Top Coat

I never used to bother with a basecoat. Then I tried Sally Hansen Maximum Growth. It makes my polish stay on so much longer & acts as a protective seal on your nails so they're less likely to break. In terms of polish, in the Spring I was really into China Glaze Aquadelic which is a beautiful bright turquoise colour. In the Summer I was feeling nude shades & Essie Spin The Bottle fit the bill perfectly. Earlier this month I had a manicure at Only Fingers + Toes in Manchester & was gifted their Nitrogen nail lacquer. It's the perfect Autumn/Winter shade - dark but with some intense glitter. I gave up using Seche Vite because it kept making my polish peel. I've since moved onto Mavala's Mavadry range. I can't paint my nails without finishing off with their quick drying top coat or spray.

Tools
Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler / Mavala Double-Lash / Real Techniques Retractable Kabuki Brush
Only Fingers + Toes Glass Nail File / Illamasqua Highlighter Brush

Surely everyone knows how amazing Shu Uemura eyelash curlers are by now. I use them every single day before applying mascara & they make such a difference to the appearance of my lashes. To further boost my eyelash & eyebrow growth I've relied on Mavala Double-Lash. It has a mascara wand applicator which is one of my main criteria when looking for a lash growth serum & it works so well. Real Techniques brought out some brilliant retractable brushes this year & I use the kabuki brush every day to apply my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder. Glass nail files are definitely the way forward. I never used to file my nails but this makes it so much easier & you can achieve a really nice shape. The Illamasqua Highlighter Brush is a real game changer. The brush head might look like it's a bit small but it's actually perfect. It is one of the best foundation brushes I've ever tried. It blends everything seamlessly & makes my base look flawless. Everyone needs to buy this brush!

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