The Best Beauty Discoveries of 2016: Part 2

Posted on December 23, 2016 by Lauren

Being a lipstick hoarder, naturally I had to have a separate 2016 favourites post dedicated just to lip products. This is part two of my yearly favourites, so if you missed my first part then you can catch up here on all my other beauty favourites. Back to the the topic of lipstick however, my favourite, there is a few different products I want to discuss from liquid lipsticks, lipsticks and lip balms which have made my year. Honestly, I could’ve maybe added more options to this post but I thought I would keep it streamlined to mention my top ultimate lip products from the year so here we go..

Starting with liquid lipsticks, 2016 has officially been the year of liquid lipstick. It seems like every brand has their own version of a liquid lipstick with so many to choose from now. There were quite a few I tried this year and particularly ones I hadn’t previously tried out. Kat Von D finally came to the UK this year (finally!) and of course I had to nab a couple of her ever popular everlasting liquid lipsticks. I have a few shades from the range including both Lovesick and Mother (pictured) and they are so gorgeous. Lovesick in particular is such a great everyday shade but also super unique too as well as having a great wearable formula.

Another liquid lipstick that won me over is from the Mac Retro Matte range, in particular Lady Be Good. I heard a lot of mixed reviews regarding these matte liquid lipsticks however I am obsessed with this one. The formula is super comfortable as well as having an amazing doe foot applicator which is spongy and shaped perfectly to fit the lips. The colour is a beautiful peachy nude shade, perfect for everyday wear. With new shades of these being released, I definitely need to try more!

In terms of lipsticks, I fell in love with two new formulas. Firstly, lipstick queen Charlotte Tilbury when I finally tried her KISSING range out, in particular the shade Bitch Perfect. This is my perfect nude, a beautiful light peachy pink and the most comfortable creamy formula. Major Love! A new release this year came from Urban Decay when they revamped their lipstick range, introducing the vice collection of 100 lipsticks. With so many to choose from, I settled for the shade Backtalk which I am so glad I did. It is definitely one of my favourite lipstick shades, a beautiful cool toned rosy mauve shade in a comfortable matte formula. Definitely one I recommend!

Lastly, moving on to lip balm/glosses. I found a lip balm this year that I truly do not know what I would do without in my beauty stash! It is the Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base from Clarins. This works as a treat as my go-to lipstick base as it helps hydrate my lips before layering on the heavy liquid lipsticks. I honestly don’t find matte lipsticks uncomfortable at all, yes even the Mac Retro Matte range as this seems to work so well as if I am wearing nothing on my lips. A truly ground-breaking product in my stash!

Lastly, a newer product in my stash but still one I am already obsessed with. A lip gloss/balm hybrid. the By Terry Baume De Rose Lip Gloss. A special holiday release, this is essentially a pearly lip glossy version of their cult balm, except with a texture much like a balm in that it isn’t overly sticky like a gloss which I love. I always wanted to try the original so I am super excited to be able to try this and since I’ve been loving it, I desperately want the original in my stash! It is such a great minimal makeup option, a beautiful glossy nude pink shade.

What are your top lip products from 2016?

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The Best Beauty Discoveries of 2016: Part 1

Posted on December 20, 2016 by Lauren

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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Products On The Repurchase List

Posted on November 11, 2016 by Lauren

You can always tell how good a beauty product is if it’s worth a repurchase! After trial and error, I have found some great products that I would no doubt be repurchasing in the future. There is countless products in my stash that I adore however I selected a small variety of products that I have either already repurchased or know that a repurchase will happen!

SKINCARE

Skincare products are tricky and definitely the sign of a good product if you know it is worth a repurchase! Whilst I will probably have more makeup options overall, there is some skincare products I know I couldn’t be without!

Clarins are one of my favourite brands and definitely a brand I need to try more from. One of my favourite products is their One Step Facial Cleanser. I am now on my third bottle of this stuff, it is so good! It is a quick and easy water based cleanser that is perfect for mornings to swipe over the face for a gentle and awakening cleanse. I’ve tried both the mint and orange variety and love both, this orange one however does leave a beautiful glow to the skin!

A bit of a skincare-makeup hybrid, the Clarins Instant Light Lip Perfecting Base, in short a lip balm. This is seriously underrated! I recently finished up a tube of this and had to repurchase asap as I just couldn’t do without this! It is the perfect lip balm for under lipstick, super moisturising and a great base. So worth the splurge!

After suffering from rough skin under my eyes, I opted for the Kiehl’s Creamy Eye Treatment with Avocado and since haven’t looked back! This is seriously moisutrising stuff, it is thick and super nourishing so great if like me you suffer from dryness or rough skin under your eyes. It may seem expensive for a tiny pot but oh my this has lasted me so long, in fact over a year (which I shouldn’t be admitting to!) and is still going strong!

The last skincare product on my list is from another brand favourite of mine, Origins. I’ve tried quite a lot from Origins but one of my favourite products from them right now is their Ginzing Energy Boosting Moisturiser. With the wintery weather making an appearance, my skin is feeling rather lacklustre and in need of hydration and this moisturiser is the perfect option. It is seriously moisturising and as it suggests a boost of energy! I need a full sized tub asap!

MAKEUP

First on the makeup list is an already repurchased item in the form of Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer, my favourite ever concealer. I am not going to go on too much about this as regular readers will know the drill, this stuff is just seriously good. Thick and creamy with high coverage, perfect for blemishes!

Sticking to base related items, BareMinerals Complexion Rescue has became a favourite of mine over the last year. The perfect lightweight and low coverage base that offers the most gorgeous dewiness to the skin. It is essentially like your skin but better! A product I highly recommend trying if you are into glowy skin!

Another favourite of mine that many will be aware of, since I’ve mentioned it so many times is the Body Shop Honey Bronzer. This bronzer was basically made for my skin, coming in a range of light tones, it is the perfect shading for fair skinned gals (and guys) like me! It isn’t too muddy or orange in any way so creates a gorgeous warmth and sculpted look to the skin! My shade 02 doesn’t seem to be available and I have heard terms of it being discontinued(!) but there is other shades available!

Last but not least on this extra long post (sorry!) is a newbie to my stash yet one I already am obsessed with. It is the Kat Von D Tattoo Liner in Trooper. I went off eyeliner for a long time and once I got this and I can’t stop wearing it! I seriously wonder how I coped without wearing eyeliner since it makes such a difference! For an eyeliner noob like me however this is an absolute dream of a product. The brush tip makes it easy to glide over the eye without tugging and it is super pigmented and seriously long lasting! So good!

What is on your repurchase list?

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An Introduction To Kat Von D

Posted on October 11, 2016 by Lauren

As an all-round beauty lover I do get rather excited by the release of new products but nothing quite like the excitement of hearing that Kat Von D’s makeup line is finally available in the UK. *celebration dance* It could get even better with the rumours of Sephora opening in the UK but let’s not get ahead of ourselves! Back to KVD however, I have accumulated quite a few products from the range that I just have to share!

As a bit of a liquid lipstick hoarder obviously I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of the Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks. I have four (so far!) in total, two in full size and two minis from sets. I picked up the shades Lovesick and Mother from Debenhams, both of which fall into the pink-y mauve plum-y toned shades, my favourite! The other two are popular shades being Double Dare, a gorgeous rosy toned shade which came in the London Calling set exclusive to Debenhams and Outlaw a beautiful bold red that I picked up from Love Me Beauty. The formulation is also amazing in that it offers a comfortable finish that is easy to apply and lasts well.

From both my miniature sets I picked up, I received an eyeliner and lipstick in each. The Debenhams set offers a mini of the iconic Tattoo Liner in Trooper that I have been desperate to try for years! I used to wear eyeliner constantly and then went off it but this is definitely swaying me back towards the liner look! From first use I knew this one is well worth the hype. It is intensely pigmented and has such a fine nib which makes it perfect for applying close to the lash line. Most importantly though, the brush tip makes it incredibly easy to use and perfect for a liner noob like me! On the other hand, Love Me Beauty were offering the Ink Liner which I didn’t even realise was different but is! Again it is very similar except the good part in which instead of the brush tip it has a normal pen style tip making it not as easy to use! So without a doubt, go for the tattoo liner!

Finally, each set also featured one of the Studded Kiss lipsticks. The two shades I picked up were Lolita, a classic KVD shade being a beautiful chestnut rose shade and Magick, a light dusty pink. I have only worn Lolita once so I can’t say much but it felt comfortable on the lips, it did start to slightly feather though on the lips and it didn’t exactly blow me away, nevertheless I am sure they will both still get the wear!