The Best Beauty Discoveries of 2016: Part 1

The final fortnight of 2016 is upon us! So what better way to end the year than to discuss all of my favourite new beauty discoveries from the year. As of course there is many products to discuss, I have split this post into two so a lip product favourites will also follow this blog post on Friday!

Firstly, starting with face products I’ve been loving this year. The Mac Prep + Prime Highlighter in Light Boost has been my go-to for under eye concealing for its brightening properties. The twist pen style pen highlighter is super easy and convenient. In terms of bronzing and highlighting, I’ve found two products that I know will be long term favourites of mine! The first is the Too Faced Sweethearts bronzer which is only a fairly new addition to my stash but I am already obsessed with its glowy effect and pigmentation. Of course I also had to mention a Becca highlighter as they truly are incredible products. I love all the shades I’ve tried but in particular I am obsessed with Champagne Pop, the ultimate pigmented gold-y peachy glow.

In terms of tools, I had to mention the beauty blender. By far one of the best discoveries for me this year! I have became such a convert to the beauty blender and it is now my go-to for applying my base products. It creates the most flawless fresh base and makes even some of my poorer foundations sit better.

Moving on to eyes, for the brows there have been two products that I’ve been loving. The Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Pomade has been a long year favourite of mine, it is super easy to use whilst creating defined and long lasting brows. More recently, I’ve been enjoying the newer release of the Goof Proof Brow Pencil from Benefit. The twist up pencil is super easy to use and creates a minimal soft brow.

Other eye product shout-outs go to the Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant Mascara which has became a big favourite of mine this year. It has been my go-to mascara for creating voluminous and lengthened lashes. I’ve also got back into rocking eyeliner recently since I discovered the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner which is worth all the praise and hype it gets! It is incredibly pigmented and the fine nib makes it super easy to use. Lastly, the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette (which is back in stock!!) also deserves a lot of love. The Too Faced shadows are amazing quality but this palette also offers a dreamy and unique shade range!

What are your top products from 2016?

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May Favourites

We are entering the half way point to the year, where has time gone!? As Summer approaches now I am all about the summery bronzey makeup look which I covered in this post. I haven’t been wearing much makeup this month and instead letting my skin breathe but when I have been opting for a little makeup, I have been going for a similar look and these products are ones that I have been loving lately.

In terms of base and application, I have loved a soft glowy look. To achieve that, I have been enjoying using the Nars Illuminator in the shade Copacabana which is a gorgeous pearl-y highlight. This can be used on top of foundation, under or mixed in. I have loved mixing it in with my foundation to create a gorgeous fresh glowy base. To apply my base, I have became a lover of the Beauty Blender. I am a total sponge convert. I spoke in this post about why I think this is worth the hype, it is super easy to apply and blend product particularly liquid based products like the Nars highlighter or foundation. I honestly don’t know what I would have done without this!

To amp up the warmth in my skin, I have been loving two cheek products. The first is the Soap and Glory Wonderbronze Shimmer Brick bronzer. I always prefer matte bronzers to shimmery formulations however with Summer in the air, I am all about the bronze-y glowing look. I basically want all the shimmery bronzers and I turned to an old product in my stash and regained my love. I like to swirl my brush in this and apply in a three shape to the sides of my face and to add a gorgeous glow. Some of the shades can be quite dark so I like to take this lightly for a soft glowy look. How many more times will I say glowy, sorry!

To finish the cheeks, I am also loving the Tarte blush in Exposed which is a gorgeous matte mauve, neutral pink shade that is super flattering. The shade adds a nice level of warmth to the skin without being overpowering and also adds definition and sculpts the face. Lastly, I also have been loving a coral-pink lip combo, perfect for summer. My Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks all seem to work well with my Summer beauty stash and I have been loving a combo of two. A light layer of Sexy Sienna, a gorgeous bright coral shade teamed with a topping of Bitch Perfect, a soft pink nude makes the perfect light everyday Summer lip.

What have you been loving lately?

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Beauty Blender vs Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

The question every beauty lover wants to know, what is better; the original Beauty Blender or the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge? I’ve never been much of a sponge person when it comes to makeup application but I soon began daily using my RT sponge and could easily see the hype around using one. I had never been overly fussed about an expensive pink sponge but after enjoying using the RT one, I thought it was time to try out the incredibly hyped Beauty Blender. So having tried both is the beauty blender a waste of money or worth the hype?

PRICE AND SHAPE 

One of the most obvious differences between these two sponges is the price. The Real Techniques sponge retailers for a much more affordable price at £5.99 whilst the Beauty Blender comes in at more than double at £16. In terms of the shape of the sponges they also differ quite significantly. The Beauty Blender is simply a rounded egg shape whereas the Real Techniques Sponge has a little more shape to it in the way that is offers a flat edge for using round the eyes. The texture of the the two also differ with the Beauty Blender being much more bouncy and lighter compared to the Real Techniques which is more firmer in texture. For me, the Beauty Blender comes out on top for the shape/texture with the bounciness making it easier to work with.

APPLICATION

In terms of application, the Beauty Blender wins outright. One of the problems I had with the RT sponge was that it soaked up a lot of product so I never got on with it when applying foundation and stuck to using it for patting in concealer. I’ve found the Beauty Blender to be much superior, it doesn’t seem to soak up the product probably from the lightweight texture. Even when wetting the sponge, the Beauty Blender doesn’t hold as much water compared to the RT one which I was always having to squeeze the excess out of. The bouncy texture of the Beauty Blender also makes it far superior for working with and it blends much better on the skin than the RT one. The flat side of the RT sponge can be useful for under the eyes but really I have no problem using the BB and the texture is much better to work with.

OVERALL

I think it is clear to see that the Beauty Blender wins the game for me. It is pricey for a sponge but it is so worth it in comparison to the likes of the RT sponge. The texture of the BB is unbeatable being soft and bouncy which works so well in application. The stiffer texture of the RT sponge and the soaking up of product makes it much weaker in my eyes. Whilst I got good use out of it and the price is great, I just think for better results it is a good and better investment to pick up the Beauty Blender. Well worth the hype!

Are you a fan of the beauty sponge?

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A Space NK Haul

This month has had me haulin’ to the extreme. I already showed you some bits I got from Cult Beauty in a separate haul post you can check here but I also made a little trip to Space NK to pick up some more beauty pieces (as if I need any more…). With their fab explore offer on and having a little reward on my points card I didn’t need to feel too guilty and I also finally picked up some pieces I have been after for so long! I have actually tried out all these products (once anyway) as I just couldn’t resist so I will be able to provide my first impressions on each!

When the explore offer started there was one product I knew I had to pick up. That was the Becca Ombre Rouge Eye Palette, a gorgeous 5 shade eyeshadow palette full of warm rouge-y matte tones. I have seen numerous people using this palette and it looked so beautiful so I just had to snap it up. It is a little pricey for only containing 5 shadows but it has such a great selection of shades that I can see myself using daily. All of the shades are super wearable too and it is easy to take this palette from day to night. From first application, all of these shades are greatly pigmented with great blend-ability and the shadows lasted really well on my lids too! So I am very much looking forward to getting more wear out of this one!

A product that I’ve so desperately wanted for a long time, it was even mentioned on my 2016 wishlist, the Beauty Blender is now finally checked off my list. I’ve been enjoying using the Real Techniques sponge for the last while however it is not the best sponge around and I had heard so many people say that the beauty blender was well superior so I obviously had to try it. When I first received it actually I was a little surprised by the size, whilst I know it ‘grows’ once it’s wet, it looked much smaller than I expected in the packaging. I did pick this up in a set including a mini of the solid cleanser so I was thinking maybe it is a smaller one however when I actually tried it, it did seem to grow to a decent size! Sizing troubles aside, on first use I could definitely see how much better this is compared to the RT one. I won’t say too much as I may do a comparison post but I really like this and I definitely think it is worth the money!

Lastly, Kevin Aucoin is a brand I’ve been longing to try and particularly the Sculpting powder from the line has been at the top of my list! I definitely had a bit of luck with timing as the brand have just launched two new shades of the powder (which always had one being Medium) so now there is a light shade perfect for my pale skin. I obviously picked up that shade and it is perfect for my skin tone. The pan size is rather small but the product is super pigmented and you only need so little product. It is pricey but it is the perfect little contour powder. I am definitely looking forward to getting more use out of this one!

Are you a fan of any of these products?

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2016 Beauty Wishlist

New year, new beauty, right!? At least I am sure that’s how it works! As 2016 is in full swing, it’s time to look at my wishlist picks for the year ahead. How exciting! I was actually looking back at my 2015 wishlist before writing this up and of course in real Lauren fashion I successfully ticked everything off my list! 2015 resolutions made, eh!? Although this year I am trying to ease down when it comes to beauty purchases, in a bid to try become more of a saver rather than a spender so hopefully purchases are more to a minimal this year! Nevertheless, I still have a little wishlist of items that I am desperate to get my hands on sooner rather than later!

First up, the cult favourite sponge that just everyone and their dog raves about, the Beauty Blender. To be honest I never quite understood the hype around a sponge, I mean surely it is just a sponge!? Although after a bitter start with my Real Techniques sponge turning into a everyday used tool, I gained a lot of interest in this little pink egg. I have heard so many people say that it is far superior to the RT version so I guess there is only one way to find out!

A lipstick that has been on my radar for far to long is the Nars Audacious lipstick in the shade Anna. I’ve heard a lot of good things about these lipsticks and being one of my favourite brands Nars never seems to disappoint! The shade Anna looks gorgeous too and such a great everyday shade being a mauve pink.

I am always up for trying new bases and this year I have two from Charlotte Tilbury on my list. I am a huge fan of CT products, as I am sure you are already aware! Although I have never got round to trying her base products and her two foundations sound exactly what I am looking for. Firstly, the newer Magic foundation was launched last year as basically the perfect foundation with great coverage but whilst remaining weightless and natural on the skin. I really have high hopes for that one! The other is the Light Wonder foundation, her first foundation in her makeup line. This is more of a dewy lightweight foundation so I would really like to try this too having heard great things and also developing a love for those lighter bases.

I do find it a little difficult to part with my cash when it comes to more expensive nail polishes although I am desperate to get my hands on one of those gorgeous Smith & Cult polishes. Again I’ve only heard good things regarding these shades and whilst they are pricey they look so gorgeous. Stockholm Syndrome and Bitter Buddhist is on the list, the first being a gorgeous grey-ish lilac shade and the latter a gorgeous spring mint shade.

Lastly, towards the end of 2015 I started to develop a little thing for liquid lipsticks and I am still looking out to try basically every one on the market. I love a good Mac lip product as much as the next gal so I couldn’t hide my excitement towards the new Mac Retro Matte Liquid lipsticks! I just adore the Mac packaging and the fact these have the typical Mac black lipstick top. There is a pretty good shade selection too and my heart is calling out between the two lightest shades in the collection; LadyBe Good and Back in Vogue which both look gorgeous everyday shades. I need!

What is on your 2016 wishlist?

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