2015 Beauty Favourites: Eye & Lip Products

Now that you’ve seen my base and cheek favourites from the year of 2015, it is time to move on to the second and final half of my yearly beauty favourites. This time around I am talking about my favourite eye and lip products from 2015 and again a lot of these will be no surprise to you! So I am going to quit rambling and get on with it!

Eyeshadow

2015 was the year of eyeshadow for me. It was always the one product I neglected because I never really understood the difference it made and I never had much of an idea on how to apply it either. Although last year saw me finally pick up a few blending brushes and get blending to something that actually looked half decent. Now we have reached the end of 2015, I can’t even go without eyeshadow, it is my favourite thing to apply and I am truly obsessed with buying more eyeshadows.  After hearing so many rave reviews I just had to try out the By Terry Ombre Blackstars and I am so glad I did. These are just incredible. It took me a while to truly appreciate how good these are but they are seriously one of the best eyeshadow products I’ve ever used and the best eyeshadow sticks. I have the shades Misty Rock (which I spoke about here) and Bronze Moon which are two truly gorgeous and unique shades. The formula though makes these even more amazing, they are seriously creamy and glide on super smoothly and are super easy to blend. If that’s not enough, they last for ages too. So yeah, I quite like them!

In terms of palettes, 2015 was definitely the year I became a real life eyeshadow palette hoarder. I just love a good palette! Whilst there was a few I could have mentioned, there was two that really stole my heart this year and two I know will become long term favourites. First up, the Zoeva Cocoa Blend palette which I raved about here. This was such a surprise love for me as it was so super affordable yet such great quality. The colour range is just perfect and right up my street. I am still so impressed with this and it is definitely one that everyone needs to pick up.

The Urban Decay Naked palettes will always be mine and everyone else’s one true love. I am lucky enough to own all of them including the newbie Smoky palette although I truly fell for the second edition (review here) to the Naked lineup and I think I can call it my favourite of the four. The taupe shades are just so beautiful and are so versatile for everyday wear or an evening look. Of course the quality of Urban Decay eyeshadows are also just truly incredible!

Mascara and Brows

These next two products are probably quite obvious mentions if you are a regular reader of SBL. First up, my mascara pick has to be the Benefit They’re Real. I truly realised why this is such a cult product half way through the year after trying it out and then switching my choices up. I eventually came back to this and I just love it. It just adds oomph to my lashes and adds length and volume and paired with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers it is dream come true lashes!

Another Benefit product came to the rescue in saving my brows. I picked up Benefit Gimme Brow (review here) during the year and it has just became my go-to for brows. It is so easy and convenient to simply swipe through your brows but it is still pretty buildable and really defines them. I’ve actually pretty much finished my tube of this which lasted so long (considering the size and cost is off putting!) so I will definitely be repurchasing this!

Lip Liner and Lipstick

Lip products will always be my one real love when it comes to beauty so I did have a little difficulty narrowing this down. 2015 was the year for lip liner and Mac’s liner options will always remain top for me. Their Soar lipliner became a staple in my collection and a cult product for many beauty enthusiasts. The gorgeous mauve plum-y nude shade is just the perfect undercoat to so many of my favourite lipsticks so is a no brainer really. The formula is great too and glides on smoothly to create a good base for lipstick.

Speaking of Mac, I will always have a love for a good Mac lipstick. I’ve enlarged my collection quite a bit over the year and grown a few favourites. I have a love for the mauve My lips but better kinda shades and Mac Mehr is the perfect fit. It is a little more intense than just a basic nude especially when combined with Soar but it is such a gorgeous and unique shade. The matte formula is also long wearing as you would expect but still comfortable without being drying. Another Mac fave was Mac Plumful which I picked up at the start of the Autumn season. This is my first in the Lustre finish but it is super comfortable and moisturising on the lips. The plum-y pink shade is also so gorgeous and different to anything I own.

Nars are one of my favourite makeup brands so it was no surprise I was going to love their matte lip pencils. I honestly think these are one of the best lip products around. They are so long lasting it is unreal but still feel comfortable to wear as well as coming in a collection of pretty shades. I have quite a few but I thought I would just mention two of my ultimate faves from the year. Whenever I need a red lip, I always go for Nars Cruella, probably my favourite ever red. It is quite a deep red but one you can rely on to stay put whilst you eat! The other shade was my Summer love, the unfortunately limited edition Iberico which is a gorgeous orange-y red. A shade that is totally unique to my collection and one I can’t wait to wear again come Summer time!

Last but not least, 2015 saw the discovery of Charlotte Tilbury. I finally took the plunge this year and picked up a couple of her gorgeously packaged products that soon developed into an addiction! I now have four of the Matte Revolution lipsticks and I can say they are truly worth the splurge! The matte formula is not what you would expect, they are seriously creamy and so comfortable to wear. As I said I have four shades from the line up but a couple of my faves are the truly gorgeous Lost Cherry; a beautiful bright coral red perfect for Summer (review here)and Miss Kensington; my perfect nude.

What was your favourite eye/lip products from 2015?

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Benefit They’re Real Tinted Primer

Benefit are without a doubt the queen of mascara. I am a fan of each one of their mascaras but particularly the cult favourite They’re Real. It gives me the most perfect eyelashes and I really couldn’t ask for much more. As a huge fan, you can probably imagine my excitement and curiosity at seeing a new product as part of the They’re Real range. As part of this months December issue of Elle they are giving away a free mini They’re Real Tinted Primer. Yes you heard me right, a tinted primer! Similarly to the beginning of the year when Elle gave away a free sample of Benefit Roller Lash, they are now giving you another exclusive look at a future new Benefit product! So with They’re Real being a coveted item in my collection, does the primer match up?

The idea of a lash primer is a pretty new concept and one I haven’t really tried out. You may be familiar with the Estee Lauder Little Black Primer which offers a very similar concept. Basically you use this on bare lashes and then top your favourite mascara on top. The primer is said to boost the length and separation of the lashes to add a little more ‘oomph’ to your normal mascara. For me, I don’t really find this makes an incredible difference. The primer has a really nice long and thin wand that makes it easy to cover the lashes and it does separate the lashes well too. Although honestly I don’t see much of a boost in length or volume, it just seems like an unnecessary extra step in my routine.

Although not all is bad. Worn alone, this primer makes a really nice everyday minimal makeup mascara. If you are someone who doesn’t tend to like very dramatic eyelashes this is a mascara for you. It defines the lashes beautifully and creates a lovely fluttery natural look. The primer also comes in a mink brown shade (the magazine sample anyway) which makes a nice difference to black and is a lot more softer for everyday wear. So whilst I am not digging the whole lash primer thing, I still think it works super well as a daily wear natural looking mascara.

What are your thoughts on the lash primer?

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The Going Out Makeup Look

Despite still being in my teen years I have a rather poor social life. I rarely venture out for nights out on the town instead favoring staying in to watch a load of crap weekend TV. Since it’s such a rare occasion I do step out I do like to up my makeup game and put in the effort. All my favourite and top makeup picks come out to play in being those trustworthy products that I know will stick around for a long night. There is no surprise really that it’s all high end products that made the cut as I do like to make good use of my investment pieces that I know work well for me. I did surprisingly head out last weekend although for a very special occasion as I headed to see One Direction in concert so obviously I wanted to look my best. There is a mix of newbies and old favourites that I have put together to form a killer night out look.

Starting with base, this is really were I put a lot of trust in my products to be long lasting and work for my skin. As always I start with primer and of course my holy grail Smashbox Photo Finish Primer excels in helping makeup last longer and still looks fresh throughout the night. I’ve never found as good a foundation as Nars Sheer Glow. It provides a buildable satin finish and blends beautifully into the skin. Another favourite from Nars is their Creamy Radiant Concealer which does the best job at concealing blemishes and redness. Mine is currently running low which does make me panic cause pricey repurchase may be necessary! In terms of concealing eyes, I start with my Bobbi Brown corrector to cancel out any discoloration under the eyes then use my Clarins Instant Concealer over the top.

On to the more exciting products to give my complexion a little bit of life. I am so excited to say that I finally own the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette. This palette is what dreams are made of. It is so gorgeous. I firstly use the sculpt shade to warm up my complexion and give my cheekbones a little definition. Then I like to go a little crazy with highlighter by patting it on to the tops of my cheekbones for that intense glow. To perk up the cheeks you can never go wrong with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes in particular the shade Diffused Heat. With highlighting properties these blushes really light up the skin and don’t appear flat.

Onto the eyes. As usual my Benefit Gimme Brow for a little sweep through the brows to make them a little fuller. In terms of eyeshadow, I have been going a little palette crazy recently. I finally picked up the Urban Decay Smoky palette cause obviously I had to, right? With deep intense shades it works perfectly at creating more full on night out looks. The shimmer shades in particular in this palette are truly stunning and the shade Radar is one I am forever reaching for. For the full on dramatic eye look I like to finish by curling my eyelashes with the Shu Uemera eyelash curlers and many coats of the Benefit They’re Real mascara.

To finish off, I like to add something a little bold to the lips. I find going out gives me the perfect opportunity to crack out the bold dark shades. One shade I have been reaching for recently has been Mac D For Danger, a bold berry red shade in a matte finish that sticks around from dinner to drinks to home time.

What products do you reach for on a night out?

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August Favourites

Like every monthly favourites post it is pretty much a necessity to start with the how is it *enter month* already! Really though, how scary is it that we are now reaching Autumn! I remember last Autumn like it was yesterday, it feels like we haven’t even had Summer yet! Anyway scary thoughts aside, it’s time to roundup some of my favourite products from the month. I had quite a few favourites this month since I stuck to a pretty similar routine everyday during the month. Not out of habit or laziness but I found and rediscovered some favourites that I will cherish for a long time to come.

First up was a rediscovery for me after being left abandoned in my makeup collection. The Urban Decay Naked 2 palette is a classic well-loved product and it’s only took me like 8 months to properly get into it! I received this palette at Christmas and of course being one of the Naked palettes I knew it was a winner already. However since I had so many makeup free days and quick 5 minute makeup routines, I never really had any time to start lugging out any eyeshadow palettes so sadly this got quite neglected. Over the month though I have started to fall in love with this palette. As you would expect from Urban Decay the quality is amazing. The shadows are super pigmented, buttery and easy to work with. You can create so many gorgeous looks with this either for daytime or for a night out. I am super glad I started using this again as I love it! If you want to recall my full review and swatches, see my post here.

There is no surprise really that the BareMinerals Complexion Rescue would get a mention. This was such a raved about base product I had to pick it up and I am so glad I did. It’s the most perfect Summer base or for those minimal makeup days. It basically gives you a better version of your skin, think dewy and fresh. It blends in like a dream and has a pretty good lasting power too! A product I know I can rely on for years to come! Check my full review here.

If you remember earlier this month I posted about my love for Mac Brave lipstick. Obviously after it being my go-to choice for lipstick over the month it is well worth a favourites mention. This is such a perfect everyday lipstick, I am obsessed. It is like the more muted version of my favourite lipstick, Mac Twig. It’s a pretty dusky mauve pink that gives a little twist on a simple everyday nude lip. It totally lives up to the whole ‘my lips but better’. The satin finish is also super creamy and comfortable on the lips and is pretty decent in longevity too!

This month, I also discovered a killer eyelash combo. Benefit’s They’re Real mascara was always a favourite of mine but it got pushed aside lately to welcome the arrival of Benefit Rollerlash. To prevent any mascara wastage going on I picked it back up this month and realised what I was missing out on. Teamed with my Shu Uemura eyelash curlers it creates to die for eyelashes. They’re Real really lengthens your lashes although the curl was something that it struggled with. With a pair of amazing eyelash curlers it really opens the eyelashes and creates such a nice curl. The two together just looks hella fierce (I did just say that yes) and I love it. You can check my Benefit mascara trio review here.

Lastly was another newbie in my collection that I really couldn’t wait to get my hands on. The Body Shop Honey Bronzer is talked about a lot and for good reason.  I picked up Shade 2 which is still pretty light but a perfect shade. It really is a perfect bronzer for anyone with fair skin. It’s such a fine powder that blends in beautifully and being a matte formula it is super good for warming up the skin or giving a slight contour. It is also pretty affordable especially with all the amazing Body Shop offers so definitely one to add to the shopping basket.

P.S This post marks one year of monthly favourites posts! Yay! *celebration dance*

What have you been loving this month?

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The Benefit Mascara Trio

If there is one brand that do mascara pretty darn well without a doubt it is Benefit. Benefit have a trio of offerings in the mascara department and each offers something pretty special. Mascara is one thing that one person will like and another won’t but for me personally Benefit mascaras are worth the rave and here is why…

Benefit They’re Real – The most popular out of the three, the much hyped They’re Real mascara. From what I am aware this is the best selling mascara in the UK and rightly so it is pretty darn good! This mascara is definitely a winner when it comes to lengthening the lashes and also adds volume and lifts the lashes. The wand is pretty good too by not being too thick allowing the bristles to separate the lashes.

Benefit Bad Gal Lash – Probably the least mentioned of them all. It is bit of throwback for many I am sure but still a decent offering. It isn’t as popular as the other two which is expected since the other two are much better options however that isn’t to say that it’s not good. I mentioned this one in my Spring Edit and it really is perfect for a natural everyday makeup look. It creates such lovely fluttery natural but voluminous lashes. The brush is pretty thick which would put many off but it isn’t actually all that scary, it really works to help lift and coat the lashes.

Benefit Roller Lash – I always save the best til last and this time is no exception. This is the newest of the bunch being released at the start of the year were it received a lot of hype from many bloggers. Suggested by the name, this mascara is said to give curl without the use of eye-lash curlers and it really does. This is definitely my favourite of the three, it does everything you would expect from a mascara. It creates such lovely full curled lashes, what more could you want!? You can see my full review on this one here.

What is your favourite Benefit mascara? 

 

Disappointing Products

I like to think I remain pretty positive particularly on my blog but sadly some products just don’t impress me much (apologies for the Shania Twain connection). Speaking of which, today I am going to talk a little on some of those products. Now when it comes to beauty, everyone has different preferences and some things suit others better so I am sorry if I am about to slag off your holy grail product! Anyway here are my picks of the not so impressing products (for me anyway).

Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation – Now I have mentioned this one before and I know a lot of people love it but sadly it just didn’t work well with my skin. Sometimes it would sit okay and others it just failed on me. It seemed to stick to my dry patches, it didn’t last long and I felt like it was slightly difficult to blend in to a good finish.

Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder & Highlighter – Again I know this bronzer is a favourite of many but again I just didn’t get on with it. I don’t know whether I got a bad product or its always like this but I found this pretty unusable. Both the bronzer and highlighter are really stiff in the pan. My finger doesn’t pick up the bronzer at all and while it does for the highlighter, my brush doesn’t pick up the product. Other than that it smells pretty damn amazing which is probably the reason why I haven’t chucked this one yet!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer – I’ve spoke briefly on this one too here and again its a pretty hyped up favourite by many. It just didn’t offer me the coverage I needed for my heavily blemished and red skin. It was really cakey as well in my opinion and just stuck to dry patches and the lasting claim never really happened for me either.

Maybelline Baby Skin Instant Pore Eraser – Sorry for the repetitiveness as I know I have mentioned my dislike for this one too. I love my primers but this one just didn’t quite cut it. It felt really greasy on my skin and never did anything for my pores. I didn’t really feel like it helped pro-long the wear of my makeup much either which is what I look for in a primer.

Eyeko Skinny Liquid Eyeliner – Being a lover of eyeliner pens like the style of this one from Eyeko, I was pretty excited to receive this in the Latest in Beauty box. However after first use attempt I was pretty disappointed. It’s not easy trying to master the cat flick with eyeliner so I always felt using pen style liners were much easier but this one left me in a struggle. It was so difficult to apply that I actually had to swap back to my trusty Soap and Glory Supercat to finish the look. It didn’t apply smoothly and felt like it was dragging my eyelid, I wanted to like it but it was just far too difficult to apply.

Benefit They’re Real Push Up Liner – Yep another eyeliner and pretty much the same reasoning. I absolutely love Benefit, they hardly ever let me down and being a huge fan of the mascara from this line I got quite excited to receive this in one of the Christmas gift sets. I have heard many reviews of this one saying its a bit like marmite, some love it and some hate it. Sadly, I’m in the latter category, I just couldn’t work this, it was too difficult to apply and it wouldn’t give me the smooth line I was after.

The Body Shop Tea Tree Pore Minimiser – Another disappointing primer. Again I couldn’t really see what this did for my pores at all and I don’t think it really did much to help improve the base of my makeup. The tea tree scent does feel fresh on the skin but it wasn’t quite what I was looking for.

Are you a fan of any of these products?