Favourite Products Of 2015

Skincare
Vitage Age Defence Power Skin Repair / Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster
Bioré UV Aqua Rich Watery Gel SPF 50+ PA++++ / Paula's Choice Skin Perfecting 2% BHA Liquid
Bravura London Salicylic Acid 2%

Skincare is such a huge passion of mine & 2015 has brought so many amazing new products into my life. I took part in the Vitage 30 day skincare challenge & completely fell in love with their products. This moisturiser makes my skin feel as smooth as a baby's bottom & their Revitalising Daily Cleanse is another integral part of my current skincare routine. I tried so many brilliant hyaluronic acid serums this year but nothing can compare to the Sarah Chapman Intense Hydrating Booster. It's pricey but oh so worth it. Asian beauty products have started to make their way into collection & I cannot rave enough about this Bioré sunscreen. It dries instantly without any white cast or greasiness, sheer perfection! Of course chemical exfoliants are my main skincare obsession & this year I relied more on BHAs than AHAs. My skin is has been spot-free for months now all thanks to these two BHAs from Paula's Choice & Bravura London. They're both really gentle on the skin whilst being extremely potent but I noticed visible results from my very first use of the Bravura peel. Clogged pores literally ejected themselves from my skin!

Body Products
The Library Of Fragrance Sex On The Beach Cologne Spray / Salcura Bioskin DermaSpray
Pump It Up Cucumber Fresh Dry Body Wash / Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash
Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion With AHA/BHA

The Library Of Fragrance create so many incredible scents that you won't find anywhere else. They brought out some cute purse sprays of their most popular colognes & as it's my favourite cocktail I couldn't resist snapping up Sex On The Beach. It's fruity & delicious, just like the drink. As an eczema sufferer DermaSpray has been a godsend for dealing with any flareups on my body. It allows you to treat all those hard to reach areas with the utmost of ease. I've recently started going to exercise classes at the gym and if I don't have time to shower afterwards this dry body wash from Pump It Up keeps me smelling fresh & clean. When I'm at home my shower gel of choice is Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush. I've gone through countless bottles of this stuff as I just can't get enough of it's uplifting zesty fragrance! As I love using acids on my face I decided to try a body lotion with acids in it too. Palmer's Skin Smoothing Lotion is really effective at removing dead skin & it works wonders on my bumpy upper arms.

Haircare
Olaplex Hair Perfector No. 3 / Bumble & Bumble Hairdresser's Invisible Oil
Scott Cornwall Precolour Protein Spray / Kérastase Ciment Thermique / Alterna Caviar CC Cream

In an attempt to fix my broken hair I decided to get an Olaplex treatment when I last had my roots bleached. My hair looks & feels so much healthier since I had it done. It really is incredible stuff & I highly recommend going to a salon that offers it with their colour services. Olaplex No. 1 & 2 are for salon use only but No. 3 can be used at home to maintain your hair between appointments. This tiny bottle cost me £30 but I absolutely love it! I use the Bumble & Bumble oil before blowdrying my hair which always makes it super soft & shiny. Protein is really important for repairing damaged hair so I often use this Scott Cornwall protein spray to protect my hair before dyeing it. It limits the damage from chemical processes whilst giving you longer lasting colour. I could not possibly live with Ciment Thermique! I've been using this product for years & it is a lifesaver for damaged hair. It is heat activated so I always apply some before drying my hair. It protects your hair from the heat & strengthens it at the same time. I love using creams to style my hair & Alterna's Caviar range is simply phenomenal. The CC Cream provides 10 different hair benefits so this is another fab choice for damaged locks.

Base
Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm / Charlotte Tilbury Wonderglow
Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation / MAC Pro Longwear Concealer / Ben Nye Cameo Luxury Powder

The Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm is surprisingly one of the best primers you will ever find. It does smell a bit manly when first applied but the high glycerin content will keep your makeup in place all day long. It's so cheap too! At the other end of the price scale is Charlotte Tilbury's Wonderglow. It's one of my favourite products to apply before my foundation as it gives you that beautiful 'lit from within' look that we all desire. This year Charlotte Tilbury also brought out her much anticipated Magic Foundation & I'm obsessed with this product! It provides much more coverage than her Light Wonder foundation yet still feels weightless on the skin. The colour range is better too. It builds really nicely & gives me a truly flawless base. I've had quite a few different concealers on rotation this year but one I always come back to is the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. The coverage is amazing & it never looks cakey whether I use it under my eyes or over any blemishes. A few months ago I tried baking my concealer with this Ben Nye Luxury Powder & it was a complete revelation! I used to always get creases under my eyes but this powder put paid to that entirely. It smooths & mattifies the skin like nothing else.

Eyes
Illamasqua Broken Gold / Isehan Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara
Charlotte Tilbury Rock 'N' Kohl in Barbarella Brown / MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Groundwork
Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown

I am partial to a bit of glitter in my makeup but they can be so messy to use. Illamasqua Broken Gold is an eye gel that you can quickly brush onto your lids for a bit of instant glamour. It features tiny gold leaf particles that sparkle in the light & it looks totally stunning on the eyes! The Isehan Kiss Me Heroine Make Volume & Curl Mascara is exceptionally good. Japanese mascaras tend to be quite highly regarded in the makeup community & this one is brilliant. The waterproof formula makes my lashes look so curly & long. Charlotte Tilbury's Rock 'N' Kohl pencils are the best eyeliners I've ever tried. They glide on like a liquid & don't budge whatsoever. I like to smudge this one along my lashes to make them look even fuller. I've barely used proper eyeshadows this year. The MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Groundwork is my everyday go-to eye product. It's so easy to use & adds just the right amount of definition to my eyes. For brows I don't think I'll ever find anything better than the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade. Everything else kinda sucks in comparison. This is all you need to get those brows on fleek!

Cheek Products
Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso / MESAUDA Milano Diamond Baked Blush in Mariah
BECCA Mineral Blush in Flowerchild / Soap & Glory Solar Powder / Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in So Hollywood

Shimmery blushers are my jam. There were three that really stood out to me as my favourites this year. I saw so many people on YouTube using Milani Luminoso in their makeup tutorials & it is such a beautiful warm peachy shade. MESAUDA Milano are a brand to watch in 2016, their products are fantastic! Their Diamond Baked Blush in Mariah is a gorgeous deep plummy pink & has been my go-to Winter blusher. Peachy pinks are my ultimate favourite for blush colours & BECCA Flowerchild fits the bill perfectly. It blends like a dream & gives my cheeks a wonderful glow. Contouring took a back seat in my makeup routine & instead I've just been sweeping on some of Soap & Glory's Solar Powder. It warms up my complexion & adds a bit of definition to my face. I mainly use the lighter side but both shades work for pale people like me. After years of being faithful to theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer my heart was stolen by Anastasia's Illuminator in So Hollywood. I still use Mary-Lou every day but if I feel like adding some extra glow to my skin I like to layer So Hollywood over the top. The golden shimmer is really intense but that's exactly what I've been looking for in a highlighter!

Lip Products
MAC Brave Lipstick / Revlon ColorBurst Matte Balm in Sultry
Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Unicorn Blood / Charlotte Tilbury Lip Magic / MAC Soar Lip Pencil

My favourite lip products this year all seem to be quite similar shades! For Kylie Jenner-esque lips I've been loving the combo of MAC Soar & Brave. I really like the formula of the Revlon Matte Balms. Sultry is the most perfect Winter berry lipstick & it lasts on me for hours. However nothing compares to the ultimate staying power of Jeffree Star's Velour Liquid Lipsticks! You can eat, drink & kiss with them on and your lipstick will still look immaculate afterwards. I'm utterly obsessed with them & have bought so many new colours. I can't wait to share some swatches on here! Unicorn Blood is the colour that first drew me to the range & this vampy deep burgundy shade is to die for. Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Magic has been keeping my lips in tip top condition & acts as a lovely base for any other lip product.

Nail Polishes
Barry M Gelly Nail Paint in Coconut / Essence The Gel Nail Polish in Don't Be Shy
OPI Fashion A Bow / Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil / Mavala Mavadry Top Coat

I'm a bit late to the party but I finally tried one of the Barry M Gelly polishes. The formula is brilliant, providing a glossy, gel-like finish with a single coat. Coconut is a warm off-white shade that I loved wearing during the Summer. Another surprise favourite was this lime green gel effect polish from Essence. Their nail polishes are ridiculously cheap but I was blown away by the high quality of Don't Be Shy. For Christmas this year I wore OPI's Fashion A Bow from Gwen Stefani's 2014 Holiday Collection. This bright red shade certainly made me feel very festive. I've been trying to take better care of my nails so I apply this Essie Apricot Cuticle Oil as much as possible to keep the skin looking healthy. Mavadry is still my favourite top coat. It dries any polish in seconds & adds a wet look finish to my nails.

Tools
Beautyblender / Morphe M460 Flat Contour Brush / Kiss Cosmetics Double Ended Lip Brush
Anastasia Beverly Hills #12 Large Synthetic Duo Brow Brush / Bravura London Chemical Peel Applicator Brush

I first bought a Beautyblender a few years ago when I was a devotee of Estee Lauder Double Wear. When I moved on to other foundations I stopped using it for some reason & it got a bit too gross to use. I finally bought a new one & I had forgotten just how good they really are. The Beautyblender makes it so easy to apply & blend foundation for effortless, flawless coverage. I've jumped aboard the Morphe brushes hype train and purchased a few of their brushes for contouring & highlighting. The M460 Flat Contour Brush is truly fabulous! You can use it to apply contour colours but I also like to use it with the Ben Nye powder to bake underneath my contour for a really clean line. Kiss Cosmetics brought out their wonderful Double Ended Lip Brush which is the perfect accompaniment for my Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipsticks. It's so important to get clean edges when applying those lipsticks & this brush gives me the control that I need. I use the Anastasia #12 brush with my DipBrow Pomade. It has a spoolie on one end to brush through your brows & an angled flat brush on the other end to smoothly apply the colour. I would highly recommend getting one if you're a DipBrow fan! Finally we have this little fan brush from Bravura London which is what I use to apply their chemical peels. Cotton pads tend to soak up too much product so applying it with this brush means that you'll use less of the acid, you can spend less time on application & the chemical exfoliant will be applied evenly.

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