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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The Christmas Party Makeup

It’s the season of red lips and glitter, my favourite! I had a Christmas party last weekend so thought I was the perfect excuse to show some of my top picks for the party season. Expect the standard cliché red lips, glitter and lots of highlighter!

In terms of base, I like to go for something I can trust to be long wearing and provide the coverage! Of course I opted for my trusty Nars Sheer Glow along with my usual concealer combo of the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer and Mac Prep + Prime highlighter in Light Boost. To top it off, I applied a light layer of the Chanel Les Beiges powder to keep things in place!

To add more warmth to my skin, I bronzed up with the Too Faced Sweethearts bronzer which I love! I then added more definition with the Kevin Aucoin sculpting powder and topped it off with a lot of the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed highlighter in Pearl because if you can’t have go overboard with highlighter at Christmas, when can you!?

For eyes, the Mac pigments came out to play! I picked up the Bronze set from holiday collection, using the a combination of both Stardream and Handsome Prince. Of course I added some liner using my favourite Kat Von D Tattoo Liner. I finished my eyes with the Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara.

Finally, I obviously finished with some red lips for the ultimate Christmas party look using Mac Russian Red.

What are your party picks?

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November Favourites

I have been in such a routine with my beauty products recently that I haven’t been trying too many new products or changing much up. However with Winter making an appearance lately I have been changing a couple of products in my skincare routine that I have been enjoying. So here is what I’ve been loving this month…

Starting briefly with makeup which surprisingly is in the minority this time around! I only have two makeup picks, although really one… If you follow me on Instagram then you may have seen my recent Too Faced purchase. I had some Debenhams points to use up and I had wanted to get my hands on the Too Faced Sweethearts bronzer for far too long so felt like the perfect opportunity! Shaped like a heart, Too Faced standard pretty packaging, it has two halves of a lighter and darker bronze-y shade in a shimmery baked formula. It reminds me slightly of the Hourglass bronzers but a fraction of the price and a much lighter shade. The shimmer is also not too over the top and just the right amount. It has great pigmentation and creates such a lovely sculpting effect on the skin which I love.

To apply my Too Faced Bronzer,  I have been enjoying using my new Eco Tools Blending and Bronzing brush. I picked this up from Love Me Beauty as part of their subscription service. This is actually the first time I’ve tried Eco Tools brushes but I am already loving this brush. It works perfectly with the bronzer in that it is the perfect size and works great when applying.

Moving on to skin-body care products, my skin has felt so dehydrated lately that I’ve been looking to nourish and hydrate my skin so I have changed up a couple of products in my routine. Now and again, I’ve been opting for the Emma Hardie Cleansing balm as my second cleanse as it is super nourishing on the skin. It is such a great option for Winter skin and now I am desperate to get my hands on more cleansing balms! Another skincare product I’ve changed up is my moisturiser, again there has been times when my skin has been craving more hydration and the Origins GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser is the perfect product for dehydrated skin. I mentioned this on my repurchase list post, it is such a great moisturiser and I definitely need to pick up the full size!

Lastly, I have been loving the Snow Fairy body conditioner from Lush which I mentioned in my post here. I am such a fan of the original Snow Fairy scent that I knew I would love this. It is much more subtle but has such a gorgeous luxurious texture that is just perfect for this time of year!

Have you tried any of these products?

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Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

If there was one beauty release I’ve been the most excited about, it is without a doubt the Too Faced Sweet Peach eyeshadow palette. When this beauty of a palette was first revealed by Too Faced, I just knew I had to get my hands on it! I even sat refreshing the Debenhams website every couple of minutes waiting for it to grace the screen and finally when it did I was lucky enough to snap it up! It was released as a limited edition palette back in Spring but luckily it is to be re-released for the upcoming holiday season! So, if you like what you see then you don’t want to miss this when it’s back in stock!

If you are familiar with the Too Faced Chocolate Bar palettes then it is a very similar idea and set-up. Except obviously this palette has a peach-y theme with a pretty peach-y pink outer casing and instead of the eye shadows having a chocolate scent it has a dreamy scent of peach! It also retails for the same price at £39 which is just a little higher in price than the Urban Decay Naked palettes however it contains a larger quantity of product so makes it worth the splurge.

The palette contains 18 different shades similarly to the other large Too Faced palettes and offers a mixture of shimmery and matte shades. It is a very versatile palette with a varied shade range from summery corals and pinks to bronze-y shades as well as a selection of deep purple tones, rich browns and even a gorgeous olive green that would work well particularly at this time of year. I am particularly fond of the gorgeous light peachy and bronze-y shades that make for a golden-y eye look that wouldn’t look out of place on a Victoria Secret model! Not that shimmery eye makeup will turn me into a model but still it is worth it for that gorgeous effect!

From my experience with Too Faced eyeshadows, I have always been impressed by the formula and there is no exception with this palette. The shadows are buttery smooth, easy to blend and work with and also have great pigmentation. They also have a great lasting power too keeping in place from early morning til evening! Basically an all round good palette with a good formula and also a selection of shadows that are that little more unique than the usual neutral palette.

 

What do you think of this palette?

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My Current Makeup Menu

It’s been a while since I last shared my current makeup routine so it makes sense to post a little update. Having got back into wearing makeup again on a daily basis, I have been sticking pretty much to a solid consistent routine using the same products again and again and rarely changing it up. For someone who adores Autumn and particularly the makeup trends at this time of year, surprisingly I haven’t turned to dark lips and eyes, instead I’ve been loving a more Summer appropriate look with dewy skin, a peachy eye look and nude lips.

My base is the one area I’ve been sticking to a constant routine and hardly changing up. I start by priming with the Jouer Anti-Blemish Matte Primer which feels nice and calming on the skin but I can’t say it’s helped improve my skin long term. I then go in with my trusty Nars Sheer Glow foundation and top it off with the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer on any blemishes, again another favourite of mine! I then conceal under the eyes with the Mac Prep and Prime Highlighter in Light Boost with the yellow toned liquid working to highlight under my eyes and discard any darkness.

Before setting my base with the Chanel Les Beiges Powder, I use the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Liquid Highlighter in Opal across my cheekbones and blend it out with my Beauty Blender. Before finishing off my face with a bit of bronzer to warm up my skin a little. Of course I am still obsessed with my favourite Honey Bronzer from The Body Shop.

Moving onto eyes, I start with my eyebrows and keep it fairly simple by running the Benefit Goof Proof Brow Pencil through them to add a little more definition. I then move onto eyeshadow using the beautiful Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette which is full of gorgeous peachy and brown warm tones. I like to create a simple shimmery golden-y peachy look using mainly Nectar, Luscious, Cobbler and Caramelized which creates a gorgeous ‘golden goddess’ look that gives off extreme VS Angel vibes! Damn yeah! To finish off my eyes I coat on my favourite Make Up For Ever Smoky Extravagant mascara which leaves my lashes looking thick and full.

To finish off my look, I like to dabble in a few different lip shades since lipstick is my thing, if you haven’t noticed all ready! Currently though, I am loving one of the new Urban Decay Vice lipsticks in the shade Backtalk. A gorgeous cool toned pink with a comfortable matte finish. LOVE!

 What makeup have you been reaching for lately?

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September Favourites

It’s hard to believe that the countdown to Christmas is now on. Three months people, three months. Summer is over and Autumn is beginning (finally!). Festive season excitement behind, September is now over and it’s time to round up my beauty favourites from the month. This month, I didn’t try many new things or change up my makeup that frequently but there is still a few items that I am desperate to have a little rave about!

A product that I’ve had in my stash for so long and for so long has received the silent treatment is the beauty that is the Too Faced Sweet Peach palette. I was so excited when this palette was released that I refreshed the Debenhams website basically every minute for hours waiting for it to be in stock. Obviously as you can see I was in luck but I did buy it at an inconvenient time as Summer came and I hardly wore makeup so this palette didn’t get much use! However I have pulled this out again to start getting use out of it especially since I need to review this beauty asap which I will do! The palette has some gorgeous golden-y peachy tones that make for a great everyday look and the shadow quality is impressive!

The next product I’ve been loving is an old favourite that many of you will be sick of hearing me rave about! I finally repurchased the Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer (full review here) which I just adore. I had been dabbling in a few different concealers recently and none of them offered the coverage and longevity that the Nars one delivers. I basically couldn’t wait any longer and had to get this wonder product back in my life. You either love it or you hate it but for me as a concealer for blemishes, it works incredibly well. Full coverage that lasts all day without being cakey! Perfect!

A couple of new products in my stash. Firstly, the Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipstick in Lovesick which is finally now stocked in the UK *happy dance*. I had been desperate to try these lipsticks for ages and I am so glad to have tried them now as they are so worth the hype! I love a good liquid lipstick and this is definitely one of my favourites. The shade Lovesick is a great cool toned pink shade that makes a great everyday shade. The formula is also comfortable and basically so far so good!

Lastly, a makeup brush that just blew me away from the first use, the Sephora #55 brush which I mentioned in this haul. I had heard so many great things about this brush so couldn’t wait to finally get my hands on it. I am also glad to say it lives well and truly up to all the hype. It is the perfect size for foundation and is beautifully soft. It is also not overly fluffy but also not too dense either which makes it just perfect! The handle on the brush is also a lot longer than most other makeup brushes I own which I really like. Most importantly though, it blends in foundation beautifully and with a natural finish!

 

What have you been loving recently?

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Current Beauty Wishlist

As a beauty obsessive, I have a wishlist much longer than my arm on a regular basis. Although instead of boring you all with a list the length of the yellow pages, I have rounded up some of my top picks that I have been lusting over!

There is quite a few eyeshadow products as I do love a good eye palette, I just can’t get enough really! I have two quads on my list from Chanel and Charlotte Tilbury. The first is from the new fall Chanel Le Rouge collection. The quad is basically autumn in a palette, a gorgeous trio of warm brown shades and a beautiful and slightly daring red shade. It is pricey but you can’t go wrong with a beautiful monochrome Chanel compact eh! The Charlotte Tilbury option is slightly different being a collection of gold-y neutral shades that looks very seasonally appropriate! Again I think this one is limited edition so hopefully I can snap up this one soon!

The last eyeshadow option is from Anastasia and their well hyped Modern Renaissance palette. What drew me to this palette, other than the fact that I’ve seen it everywhere is that the colour selection is beautifully unique. The warm shade selection looks well up my street and could even persuade me to experiment a bit with colour! The packaging looks super cute too!

I am also so incredibly hyped to see that Kat Von D makeup is finally coming to the UK. Hallelujah! I’ve been desperate to try the ever so popular liquid lipsticks so I can’t wait to finally get my hands on a couple. I am not particularly sure what shades yet, any recommendations?

Lastly, is the Sweethearts bronzer from Too Faced. I’ve not tried much from Too Faced but everything I have, I have really liked! This bronzer looks so pretty and that’s not just the packaging! The light and dark shade combination looks perfect for my skin tone and I’ve heard that the pigmentation is pretty good too! So hopefully I can nab this one quick!

What is on your wishlist?

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Life Lately #5

Another month has came to an end meaning it’s time for another life lately post. Anyway I am sure you may be aware that I spent a lot of time over May studying for my exams hence my pretty messed up blogging schedule, apologies! My exams have finally came to an end thankfully and it’s been nice having the time now to just chill after spending the first half of the month buried into a pile of notes. With uni over for the year, it is rather strange not having a lot to do just now but at the same time it’s pretty nice to just relax for a bit!

So, in between my busy and quiet times of the month, I also went to see Busted live which was all kinds of amazing. If you are not aware, Busted are a British boyband who were basically my childhood and after 12 years they got back together. So it is an understatement to say I was excited. I left that night not feeling any disappointment! Again, please! That is probably the most excitement that happened this month except I did pick up the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette which was obviously incredibly exciting. I mentioned it briefly here but once I get a little more use out of it I will pop up a review! Other than these incredibly exciting events, I have also spent a lot of my time off binge watching Parks and Recreation. I am obsessed and also kinda sad that I am nearly finished cause I just never want it to end. Sad life, indeed!

So whilst this month has been pretty quiet-ish, I am off to enjoy the sun come June. So since I am away I may be absence around these parts for a while in terms of replying to comments etc however I will have posts over my normal Mon-Wed-Fri schedule. As well as that, most of my posts will be Summer based so I hope you enjoy!

Catch up with May posts: May Goals, Minimal Jewellery Collection, Best Places to Buy Beauty Products, The Blush Tag, High End Products Worth the Splurge, Favourite Drugstore products and the Beauty Blender vs Real Techniques Sponge.

What did you get up to this month?

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My Current Spring Glowy Makeup Menu

I would always think of myself being more into Fall makeup preferring bold lips and a semi-matte complexion however as of lately I am all over the fresh glowy bronzed look perfect for Spring. I have to blame the sudden summery weather that has hit the UK recently making me go all heart-eyed emoji over all the highlighters and shimmery bronzers! I also picked up a swoon-worthy peach-y toned palette that has Summer written all over it and I thought I would share my current favourite picks for a glowy, bronzed, looks-like-I’ve-been-on-holiday look. P.S Happy 500 posts to me 🙂

BASE

To start, I’ve been loving mixing in my Nars Sheer Glow foundation with the Nars Copacabana Illuminator . The foundation offers a long lasting satin base which offers a great build-able coverage. Teamed with the liquid highlighter, it adds a glowy effect to the base. I then as normal go in with concealer on any blemishes, I am currently using the NYX Concealer. I then use the Mac Prep and Prime highlighter in Light Boost to highlight under my eyes.  To finish, I then set my base with the Chanel Les Beiges powder to slightly mattify but still allow a a bit of shine to come through.

CHEEKS

To amp up the bronze-y glowy look, it’s all about the cheek products. Instead of my usual matte bronzer, I’ve been all over shimmery bronzers lately. I have been obsessed with the Soap and Glory Wonderbronze Shimmer Brick that I couldn’t wait to dig out again! This bronzer just adds a gorgeous sun-kissed look to the face. On top, the Tarte blush in Exposed acts well to compliment the bronzed look by adding a little more warmth and definition to the face. To achieve that overall glowy look, the Becca highlighter in Champagne Pop is the perfect addition. The formula is super buttery and smooth and the shade is just perfect.

EYES AND LIPS 

A very exciting new addition to my makeup collection and that has sparked my love for all the spring makeup lately is the Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette. Unfortunately this is a limited edition product and I believe no longer available so apologies for mentioning it but damn is it beautiful! The shade range is perfect and great for creating a light shimmery peach-y bronzed eye. After adding some mascara, I then move on to lips and I am loving a peach-y combination. I’ve loved mixing a bit of Charlotte Tilbury Sexy Sienna with Bitch Perfect for the perfect mix of coral-y peach and a light glossy nude.

What have you been loving for Spring?

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