2015 Beauty Favourites: Base & Cheek Products

It’s that time for a mammoth of a favourites post! With 2015 over and done with, it’s time to look back at some of my top beauty products from the year. If you are a regular reader around these parts then most of the products may not be a big surprise to you! This is actually the first time I have ever done a whole yearly favourites so as I have so many products and didn’t want to bore you all with an essay of a blog post I have split this in to two parts. Today’s post will look into my favourite base/cheek products so foundation, concealer, blush etc. Then on Wednesday I will be rounding up my favourite eye/lip products. So I will stop blabbing on now and get on with my 2015 favourites…

Primer

There is only one primer that has ever really done it for me. That is without a doubt the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. I mentioned this already just last week in my December Favourites but this is holy grail level for me. I tried out a sample of this at either the end of 2014/start of 2015 and in one try I was completely blown away! I was of course also super happy to pick it up during a flight this summer were I got it for a pretty bargain! This primer creates such a velvety soft finish to my skin which lets my foundation slip on top super easily. It makes my makeup last super long like crazy and it still manages to keep my base looking fresh and flawless. Couldn’t recommend it enough!

Foundation/ Base products 

There is three base products that I truly fell for this year. All of which will be no surprise to you! Weirdly enough each one has a completely different finish from one another but it means I’ve got something good to cover all bases. First up, the tinted moisturiser lightweight base. BareMinerals Complexion Rescue stole my heart during the year with its flawless skin in a bottle formula. This is one for a good skin day as it does have a much lighter coverage. Although it basically gives you better skin, it is super glowy and fresh and makes you feel like a VS Angel, pretty much! Check my review for that one here.

For a more fuller coverage, night out option and just overall incredible foundation, Nars Sheer Glow wins hands down! I had been desperate to try this foundation for far too long and finally took the plunge earlier in 2015 and I am ever so glad I did! The shade Mont Blanc is the perfect fit for my skin and coverage is super buildable. It also doesn’t include SPF so is perfect for nights out! Just a perfect foundation in my books, check my full review here.

Lastly, a surprise new favourite came my way from the drugstore not too long ago. I don’t usually get on well with drugstore foundations although this seemed to work a dream with my skin. The L’Oreal Infallible 24h-Matte is the foundation in question. I never ever swayed towards matte foundations, with glowy and satin finishes more up my street but this formula is just great, it’s not too matte and has a nice natural look whilst still providing good coverage. At an affordable price, it’s such a great everyday option, check my review here.

Conceal & Correct

Concealer is always something I had been on the hunt for, something that provided good long lasting coverage without caking. The Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer seemed to fit the bill. This is just the perfect concealer for me when covering blemishes, it offers great coverage and is super blendable with a thick consistency. The fact I am now running out makes me feel pretty darn sad! I don’t know how to deal without my Nars concealer! Check my full review here.

At the start of the year, corrector is something I would never have considered. Not just because I wouldn’t have needed it but also because I probably never knew what it was. That was until the Bobbi Brown corrector made its way into my life. I get discoloration under my eyes and I turned to trying the cult BB corrector in a bid to fix up my blue under eyes. This product works wonders on me, the creamy formula is super easy to work with and blends in nicely on the skin without caking or creasing. It offers really great coverage too and hides any noticeable discoloration.

Cheek Products

At the start of the year I never cared so much for bronzer. I never really seen the need for it although that was until I tried The Body Shop Honey Bronzer. This is hands down one of my best makeup discoveries ever. The shade is just so perfect for my fair skin and isn’t too warm at all. As well as giving my skin a bit of warmth, it also adds shape and definition which I just love. It is also a complete bargain!

This year also saw my love for blush grow. I don’t know why I love it so much but I have always been forever looking for more blush to add to my collection. In 2015, I finally tried out the well hyped Hourglass brand. After getting my hands on the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit, I got to try out a couple more blushes and other products in their powder range. The one that I truly fell for though was Mood Exposure, a gorgeous mauve plum shade which looks super natural on the skin. The formula for these are also unbeatable! Check my review of the palette here.

What was your favourite base products from 2015?

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The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette

Can we all just take a moment of appreciation for how damn beautiful this is! I don’t quite think I’ve seen something so gorgeous! *heart-eyed emojis everywhere* Since I seen the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Edit Palette for the first time back in July as a little teaser of what was to come from the festive season I just knew this had to mine. After falling in love with one of the Hourglass blushes I just needed a little more Hourglass in my life and what’s a better way to try them out than this palette!? Set with three powders, two blushes and a bronzer, it is the perfect all in one palette that would be perfect for traveling and on the go. Encased in the usual gold hourglass mirrored compact with a very handy large mirror, it certainly looks the part sitting on my dressing table. So at an eye-watering £65 is it worth the buzz?

The top row includes three of the Ambient Lighting Powders; Dim Light, Iridescent Light and Diffused Light. Dim Light is the darkest of the three and is a peach-beige shade that is said to blur imperfections and highlight the complexion. Personally this shade is a little too dark as an all over setting powder on my complexion and instead works best to slightly warm up my skin. Iridescent Light is the exclusive shade to the palette and is a light pearly pink shimmery powder. This works as a gorgeous highlight shade for on the cheekbones although it does have specks of glitter running through it so probably isn’t for everyone. The last powder in the top row is the the one I’ve been waiting to try for so long and the classic blogger favourite; Diffused Light. This shade is a soft pale yellow powder that works at concealing redness. This shade is the perfect match with my skin as an all over setting powder, whilst it looks shimmery in the pan it doesn’t translate on to the skin and adds a fresh glow.

The bottom row includes the three colour powders for adding a little warmth and shade to the face. It includes two blushes; Mood Exposure and Luminous Flush. Mood Exposure is a light plum mauve shade which is the perfect natural blush tone and one I’ve had on my wish list for a while. It works perfectly with my pale complexion and adds a natural warmth to the cheeks. Luminous Flush is much brighter in comparison and is described as a ‘champagne rose’ shade. This adds a lovely flush of colour to the cheeks and a shade I think will look gorgeous during the Summer months with tanned skin. Having already used the Hourglass blush formula before I knew what to expect and wasn’t left disappointed. They are without a doubt one of the most gorgeous blushes I have ever used, the formula is super lightweight and lifts the skin by giving it a hint of colour and a soft radiant glow. The blushes have a shimmery finish but don’t appear overly shimmery or glittery on the skin at all. Last but not least, the Luminous Bronze Light also makes an appearance which is a soft shimmery bronze shade. I was never particularly interested in trying the bronzer formula but I was quite looking forward to giving it a try in this palette. The light shade works nicely with my skin and doesn’t appear muddy or orange toned. When it comes to bronzer I am more into matte formulas rather than shimmery so this one was never going to be a favourite although it adds a gorgeous warmth to the skin. Again this is one I think I will reserve for the warmer months when I want that tanned bronzed up look.

Whilst the palette offers a gorgeous collection of powders, the price tag and value for money isn’t so great. At £65 is doesn’t come cheap at all but is particularly poor when weighing up the overall worth of this palette. I am not going to go into all the maths here but what I will say is that at £65 for 1.4g of product compared to the usual Ambient Lighting Blushes which are priced at £28 for 4.2g of product, it really is poor value for money. The pan sizes are quite small as you would expect with the product weighting although I haven’t had too much trouble with fitting my brushes in the pans. If you do own quite a few Hourglass products especially the other palettes then I am aware some of the powders in this palette also make an appearance in others which means I probably wouldn’t suggest splashing the cash on this one. As beautiful as it is, you are much better getting a full sized blush or powder for a cheaper price. Although if you haven’t dabbled too much in Hourglass then it makes a great way to try out a few of their popular powder products. Also I am sure it will make a great Christmas gift! So it may not be great value but I do admit I light up with happiness every time I bring this palette out to play!

Are you a fan of Hourglass?

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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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Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Diffused Heat

It’s times like this that I wish emojis were part of physical keyboards because this has the heart eyed emoji written all over it. After dreaming of owning this beauty for so long I finally checked it off my wishlist. The beauty in conversation here is of course the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat. It is safe to say this is the most beautiful blush I have ever owned.

At £28 a pop, its a pretty pricey option although being as pretty as it is you can understand the higher price tag. Rather than just being a standard blush, the Hourglass options offer something a little different. The blushes take on a hybrid of highlighting powder and the blush pigment to create something glowy and radiant to erase that flat look that many blushes deliver. The powder is super lightweight and finely milled so it feels super soft and silky when applying.

The blushes come in a number of different shades but I went for probably the most vibrant shade in Diffused heat. Diffused Heat is a beautiful poppy coral shade with swirls of a yellow based highlighting powder which also happens to be Diffused Light from their Lighting Powder range (which I also need!). Once applied on the cheeks, it creates a beautiful light buildable flush of colour that is long wearing and keeps the base looking fresh and glowy. Perfect for Summer!

I think I’ll be adding some of more onto my wishlist and now I just need a super good brush to go with it… any suggestions?

Are you a fan of the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blushes? 

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