Chanel Hydra Beauty Micro Serum

I've been holding onto this product for a while before I did a review - if for nothing else just for the price. This serum is £66 and while I've been dipping my toes into more expensive serums there are some great serums you can pick up on more of a budget. I picked this up after Caroline Hirons mentioned it being worth picking up (surprise, surprise) but I actually picked it up in Duty Free on my trip to Amsterdam to save myself some money. So lets have a look.

The texture on this is interesting, it holds together like a gel when you pump it out onto the back of your hand but when you try to spread it across your face it feels very liquid and has almost a watery silicone type slip to it. It does attract and lock in moisture on the skin and feels great. The little bubbles in the bottle burst as you pump the product out so it's completely smooth on the skin - I was a little surprised that it wasn't at all lumpy or bumpy as your spread it across your skin.

The Hydra Beauty Micro Serum has the same scent as a lot of the other products in Chanel's skincare range. If you're really sensitive to fragrance you might want to keep it in mind that it is present in this product. It has a slightly perfume-y sweet scent that is pleasant and not what I would call over-powering.

The packaging isn't my favourite. The pump is nice and sturdy and the lid is reasonably secure. The bottle is plastic so with all of that in mind, I can see it being good for travel. However for the price of the product, it doesn't feel overly luxurious and I feel like the packaging it designed to trick the eye into thinking you get more product than you do. The bottle is rectangular but the product is actually contained in a cylinder inside of the bottle so there's excess packaging. Aesthetically it's nice but it does beg the question are Chanel trying to make it look like a better deal?

All-in-all, I wanted this review to end in a "is it worth your money?" and if I'm honest, I'm not sure it is. Don't get me wrong I do really like it and I've enjoyed using it and it makes my skin feel great. However with the cheap feeling packaging and the lack of any seemingly expensive ingredients, I do think the price is steep.

The “I’ve Been Crying” Eye Fixer

I've been meaning to get some more review posts up on here for a long time. While I'm enjoying the post ideas I've been coming up with, I've been thinking about how I use the blogs that I read and generally, I find review posts really helpful so I've been wanting to give you guys some more reviews. So today we have my tear-y time skincare saviour: the Skyn Iceland Hydro Cool Firming Eye Gels.

Skyn Iceland as a brand seem to market themselves for "stressed skin" and as I've mentioned, I've had a rough time this January. Trying to get used to being back at work after a bit of time off over Christmas coupled with some personal-life issues has had my stress levels a little higher than usual and that sent my skin into temporary panic but it's all good now and trust me. After all of that, I can say I've put these to the test.

I apply these to a freshly cleansed face before any kind of toners or spritz or anything and can leave them on for way over the recommended 10 minutes. The gel pads are very flexible and adhere to the skin well. They're so cooling under the eyes and if you have any issues with puffiness these will help reduce that a lot. Also the change in temperature under the eyes is supposed to help with drainage which is understandable, I do think my under eye area looks refreshed after using these.

As much as the gel pads are cooling under the eyes, there doesn't seem to be any liquid residue on them so while they do adhere to the skin I can't detect any additional benefits other than the cooling effect. They will bring down puffiness but don't seem to do anything for redness, nor do they seem to have any moisturising quality to them.

All in all, they seem to work very similarly to other products aimed solely to cool the under eye area. Jade Rollers specifically come to mind but the gels seem to be the lazy-day mask version. However for value for money, the gels come in a pack of 8 gels for £25 and a small Jade Roller is £20 and that can be used over and over. I really do like these and if you've got some serious puffiness going on these might be great for you but for me they don't seem to do enough for me to justify a repurchase. Will be saving the ones I have left for special occasions.

I'd be really interest to try the Peter Thomas Roth Cucumber Detox Depuffing Eye Cubes. At £34 for 6 sets, the price-per-use seems to be a bit pricier than the Skyn Iceland gels, but as far as I can see these are something that will melt and leave something behind for the skin to absorb so watch this space for a review on those in the future.

Then and Now - L’Oreal True Match

I've been using the L'Oreal True Match Foundation on and off for a few years and it's been in and out of my favourites list ever since the first time I tried it. After having forgotten about it for a while I rediscovered it around a year back and fell back in love so I was a bit nervous when they announced that they were reformulating. (I though it was going to be the Revlon Colourstay all over again). Long story short, I picked up a bottle of the new formula and I've been trialling it against the old one to see how it compares.

In terms of the packaging, quite a lot of people have been commenting that the new packaging is "more sleek" and seem to really like it. I think it's just really basic and I prefer the shape of the old bottle. The old one has some nice curves to it and it just looks a little more unique and a little more interesting. Both the old and new bottles are made of glass, both have sturdy silver pumps and both have clear plastic lids so they've not changed up the layout, it's just the shape.

I use shade "N1 Ivory" in both the old and new formulas and there doesn't seem to be any difference in the shades available. None seem to have been renamed and none seem to have been removed so if you had a skin tone match in the old formula the shade you used previously should still match you in the new one. The blendability is equally nice on both formulas, I personally like to apply most foundations with a damp sponge and that's what I do with both of these.

In terms of the actual formula, it does seem to have changed. The new formula has a slightly higher coverage and is a bit more moisturising on the skin. Interestingly, despite there seemingly being a higher moisture content in the new formula, it also seems to last a little better on my skin. The original formula seems to start breaking down after about 6-8 hours where the new one I probably get 7-9 hours out of the new formula before any shine starts breaking through. Not much of a difference there but still worth mentioning for those who struggle with staying power.

One thing I didn't like so much about the new formula is that it's not as matte in finish. This is obviously going to be one of those things where your own personal preferences will come into play but if you do prefer the matte look, you can take away some of the shine with a mattifying finishing powder. It's possible that L'Oreal have made the True Match less matte as their Infallible Matte Foundation is now catering to that audience for them and they wanted to make this a bit more of a middle ground option.

Charlotte Tilbury Goddess Skin Collection

In my "What I Got For Christmas" post, I mentioned the Charlotte Tilbury Gift Of Goddess Skin Travel Set. While I'm not the this is a permanent product in the CT range, I did notice that there's a full sized version of the set available on her website and all of the products are available to purchase individually so I figured I might as well let you know my thoughts on the products.

So for pricing, the travel set that I have is still showing as available for £39 on CharlotteTilbury.com and the full sized set is £150. Both sets include the Goddess Skin Clay Mask (£45), the Wonderglow Instant Soft-Focus Beauty Flash Primer (£38.50) and the Charlotte's Magic Cream (£70). The products in the travel set are all 15ml each. All three of the products have the classic sweet-rose-esque Charlotte Tilbury Skincare scent, although to varying degrees. The scent is most obvious in the Magic Cream and least obvious in the Goddess Clay Mask.

The Wonderglow is an interesting product, while I can see the appeal I'm not sure it's something I'm going to use a lot myself. It's supposed to give luminosity to the skin but I can see obvious fine glitter in the product. While it does seem to offer a perfected look to the skin without giving much in the way of coverage, it's not completely natural looking. It's not at all heavy on the skin and I think the formula would work on most skin types if this is the look your going for. This strikes me as the sort of base product you might reach for if you're wanting a minimal but perfected look for a beach-y holiday.

The Goddess Skin Clay Mask is nothing special. It's a very creamy texture for a clay mask and the scent is pleasant but it's not standing out for me against some other clay masks I've tried. Bearing in mind that the full size is £45 for 75ml. I love the Aroma Actives Deep Cleansing and Purifying Clay Mask and I've found that for as little as £9 for 100ml, similarly to the Charlotte Tilbury one it's a creamy clay mask and it has a little more moisture than most and while this is a little more difficult to find (I get it from Sainsbury's), it's significantly cheaper.

So this review isn't looking too positive so far, but the Charlotte's Magic Cream is the game changer. For me this is the pick of the set and it's something I really like and will repurchase once I use up the small size. For a face cream, while £70 is up there, it's not outrageous. It has SPF 15 so it's a day cream rather than an all purpose moisturiser but Charlotte Tilbury has recently released the Magic Night Cream which I'd be interest to try. It makes a great base for makeup whilst still having a really nice moisture content. Just a really great day cream.

A Re-Introduction: Happy Birthday Blog!

I'm pretty big on reflection and I think celebrating milestones and achievements is really important when it comes to self improvement. With that in mind I'm dedicating this post to my blogs first birthday.

My first ever post was "A Short Introduction". I wasn't really sure how to kick off this whole beauty blogging thing and I figured an introduction to who I am and why I'm doing this was probably a good place to start. My first full week of blog posts was dedicated to my top favourites - but after a year, which makeup products are still on my must have list?

Both the foundation and concealer I included in my original line up have been switched out. My go-to foundations at the moment are the L'Oreal True Match and the L'Oreal Infallible, I've been finding the colourstay a little heavy lately and I've hear that it's been reformulated so I've been trying out other things. I've been using a combination of the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer and the Clarins Instant Light Brush on Perfector for concealer. I still really like the Nars but the shade range doesn't go quite as light as the other too.

I think we all know that I'm still using and loving the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder and the Soap & Glory Solar Powder is still in my regular line up as well. I'm using it more as a contouring shade lately but I still like to take a big fluffy brush and bronze up my hairline with this too.

While I still like Urban Decay Primer Potion, it's not something I run out and repurchase straight away anymore. I've tried the Too Faced Shadow Insurance and that's equally nice, and Rimmel also do a decent one if you're not needing super long staying power. The Urban Decay Naked Palette is still something I use but I've been mixing it up a lot more with my eyeshadow palettes. Maybelline's The Nudes Palette is a great neutral pick and I've been getting a lot of use out of the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette since I picked that up too.

I've had great luck with brows this year, from the Maybelline Brow Satin to the Soap & Glory Archery Pencil. I've given up on filling in with eyeshadow as it gives a less defined finish. For eyeliners I generally reach for either the Rimmel Scandaleyes ones or the Maybelline Master Drama. For mascara I've been using the MaxFactor 2000 Calorie Curved Brush Mascara, it's not quite as voluminous as the Urban Decay combination but it's quicker and guaranteed to get a super black lash every time.

For lips, my collection has been growing and growing this year and it's something I'm always changing up. Interestingly, the lip products I've picked out my most used over the year follow the same kind of colour/texture combination as last years (I'm clearly a creature of habit) but not one of these is a repeat.

The Nars Soft Matte Lip Pencil in shade "Iberico" was a bright, matte orange-y red but in the last year I decided that it was maybe a little too orange for an everyday wearable pick and I've been reaching for the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in the shade "Hot Pepper" a lot more. Still a matte orangey red and still a bright shade but this is more red than orange.

I have a new glossy, medium pink pick this year: the Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick in "404 - Cherries in the Snow". This is one of those iconic shades in the Revlon line and swatched next to last years pick the Estée Lauder Colour Envy Lipstick in "Tumultuous Pink" the Revlon pick is just a tiny bit deeper in tone.

My absolute favourite nude shade has been the Rimmel The One Lipstick in "700 Naughty Nude". Admittedly, this was something I picked up a little later in the last year but I've worn it at least once a week since I bought it and despite easy having a 50+ strong collection of lip products, this is one that I would instantly repurchase if I lost/finished it.

The January Blues

I'm not normally one to feel the January Blues but I have to hold my hands up this year: it's hit me pretty hard this January. So to make light of what is possibly a pretty grim time for at least some of us, I thought I'd run through my top 5 blues from a cosmetics side of things.

So something I've loved and used consistently for year is the Inglot Nail Enamel in "942". While Inglot are near impossible to source here in Manchester I picked this up on a trip to Belfast years ago and it's what's on my toes 9 times out of 10. The formula is lovely and it's a great, slightly deeper, electric blue with a metallic finish.

I've got 2 blue eye-liners. Firstly the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil in "Gonzo". This is a great lighter blue option, it's slightly metallic in finish and has a bit of shimmer. It's a slightly warmer blue that I love to wear on the lower lash line and we all know I love the Urban Decay formula.

For a slightly more budget blue I love the Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Khol Kajal in "014 Bright Blue". This is a matte finish electric blue and I like this either smudged under the lower lash line, as a cat eye flick layered with a black liner to give a peek of colour, or as an eyeshadow base.

For blue eyeshadow, it's all about Urban Decay, I have a lighter option and a darker option. For those of you who like the lighter blues "Peace" from the Urban Decay Deluxe Palette is a great blue. I'm not sure if they still make this palette but the shade is still available as a single and very much like the "Gonzo" eyeliner, it's a light, slightly warm blue, metallic in finish.

My darker blue pick is from the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette (which I do have a full review on) and it's the shade "Danger". This is a great dark blue, a lot of people are calling this a navy but I think it's a bit brighter than a navy. There's a duo chrome finish that gives it a bit more vibrancy and it's such a versatile smokey shade.

The Friday Review: The Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

I've been eyeing this product up for a while but I wasn't sure whether I could commit to the purchase because, to be honest, it didn't look all that unique to me. After spending weeks wandering into Debenhams to just look at it and swatch it, I decided I needed to just bite the bullet and make the purchase, so I figured I'd post a review to help you if you're another one who's been sat on the fence with this one.

So firstly, the packaging is amazing. Apparently, Gwen helped design every part of this product, from the packaging to the box it comes in and the shades included, and the packaging for the palette is beautiful. Gold casing and a dimensional monochrome circle design, the metal plate with "UD Gwen Stefani" is a lovely touch too. The weighting to the product is lovely and there's a nice big mirror inside the lid when you open it with "Magic's in the makeup" written on it in the corner. It's a generally nicely though out casing.

As for the shades, I'm in love. In the couple of weeks I've had this, I've used it a lot and I really believe that for a fairer skin-tone, this palette is such a winner. A lot of reviews around this have said the palette was designed "By Gwen, for Gwen" and I 100%. It's full of light to mid-tone neutrals, and the few pops of colour that are included are very well suited to a fair skin-tone.

For an Urban Decay palette, the number of mattes in this one is amazing, 5 mattes, 3 satin-type finishes and 7 shimmers. As for the individual shades on the top row we have "Blonde" which is a satin finish, very light, cool-toned cream. "Bathwater" is a shimmery light, yellow-y cream, "Skimp" is a satin finish light beige. "Steady" is a mid-tone rose-gold shimmer and "Punk" is a dark reddish-brown matte.

On the second row of the palette we have "Baby", a shimmery pinkish taupe and "Anaheim" a cool, mid-tone brown matte. "Stark" is a mid-tone beige matte and "Zone" is a mid-tone warm brown matte. Finally on the second row we have "Serious" which is a charcoal grey satin.

The third row of the palette brings us out of the neutral zone. On this row we have "Pop" a shimmery peachy-coral and "Harajuku" a medium cool-toned blue shimmer. "Danger" is one of my favourite shades, a lot of people have called this a navy but to me it's more of a deep electric-blue shimmer. "1987" is a yellow-gold shimmer and finally we have "Blackout", a matte black.

And just in case that wasn't enough to reel you in, while a lot of Urban Decay palettes seem to come with some sort of sample of the Urban Decay Primer Potion, this comes with four testers of the soon-to-be-released Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Lipsticks. The back of the packaging for these seems to indicate that there will be eight shades with the release. I'm not sure if all of the palettes came with the same sample shades but mine had "Rock Steady" a cream finish red, "714" a mega matte mid-tone pink, "Ex-Girlfriend" a sheer nude and "Firebird" a cream pinky purple shade.

Empties: Round Four

So it's time for another empties post, and this time it's a big one. I'm not sure if I've left it a little longer this time around or something but there seems to be a lot more here than previous empties posts I've done. But without further a due, lets have a look through my beauty rubbish.

For body I have two scrubs this time around: the Mr Bean Coffee Bean Scrub in the Mandarin scent. While this was a really good scrub for exfoliating, I just can't get behind how much of a mess it leaves behind. The scrub is black and completely dry in the packet and it goes everywhere and leaves black muddy marks all over the place. My favourite scrub of the moment is one that I've also used up recently: the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction this stuff is amazing. It really clings to the skin as you use it and the scrubby particles are perfect, the scent is also really nice. I'm yet to find anything better.

For body cream the only thing I've used up this month is a mammoth container of the Soap & Glory Butter Yourself body cream. I love the texture of the Soap & Glory body creams but the "Butter Yourself" scent really isn't one of my favourites. Will pick up another but in a different scent next time. I also made my way through a Mayan Spa Reviving Body Wash. This just didn't lather up enough for me, much better shower gels available on the market.

I've gone through another Dove Invisible Dry deodorant. This was my deodorant of choice for a long time but after trialing something else, I'm having a break from the Dove. I've been trying out the Mitchum range after having used up a mini of the Mitchum Spray Deodorant on my trip to Amsterdam and I loved it.

I finished up my mini of the Therapie Himalayan Detox Salts. While I do think I'll be going back and picking up some more, I currently have a massive collection of bath things that I want to work through before I buy anymore. These are a great pre-bed-time bath product that really get you ready for a good nights sleep.

The Soap & Glory Mist You Madly Body Spray is something I've been really enjoying as a day-to-day fragrance that I'd wear to work and such. While I love my luxe perfumes they're just too expensive to be throwing on all the time so this has been great.

On my weekend trip to Ireland I knew I'd only need to be washing my hair once so I took one-use sachets of the R+Co Gemstone Colour Shampoo and Conditioner. I really enjoyed these and a full size of the shampoo in particular will be added to my stash soon.

A shampoo that I wasn't so keen on was the Kebelo Clarifying Shampoo. I got a sample size of this in a Birchbox a while back and it's just a bit too clarifying for me. A shampoo I'm definitely going back for is the Bumble And Bumble BB Hairdressers Invisible Oil Sulfate Free Shampoo. I love this shampoo as it leaves my hair clean but silky smooth.

Finally for hair I have a Co-Lab Extreme Volume Dry Shampoo in the Monaco scent. Now I really wanted to try some Co-Lab products but I think I made a duff choice as Ive heard a lot of people saying the extreme volume collection was once of their less-successful launches. I'd like to try one of the normal dry shampoos as this one left a white cast and made my hair feel really product-heavy and apparently, the regular ones don't do that - will check back on that one.

I have a few different bits of makeup to talk about this time around, first of all the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara and the Subversion Lash Primer. I loved the Perversion mascara as it was super black and made my lashes look lovely but for higher-end mascaras, I prefer the Clinique High Impact Mascara. The Subversion lash primer wasn't my favourite, but I don't normally get on with lash primers anyway.

Sadly my Nars Creamy Radiant Concealer in "Light 2 Vanilla" has come to an end. I love this concealer but I think I need there to be 1 shade light as Vanilla is a hair too dark for me. I've been using the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer more recently and that's a better shade match and it's very similar in formula. I've also gone through a whole bottle of Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in "N51 Light Vanilla". Again I loved the formula but the shade was a bit dark (come on brands! We pale folk need base products too!). Would repurchase if they brought out a lighter shade.

So now we're looking at my skincare empties and there's a whole lot of those this time too. Firstly we have a sample size of the Goldfaden MD Doctors Scrub. Not my favourite. I found this super harsh on my skin (it feels like it would be too much for my body, never mind my face), won't be using again. A sample size of the Bioderma Sébium H2O Micellar Solution has also found it's way into my empties bin. Again, not my favourite, I'd like to try the regular Bioderma micellar solutions but I preferred the Garnier one to this.

Another Yes To eye cream has been used up, this time it's the Yes To Carrots Moisturising Eye Cream. This is a lot creamier than the Yes To Cucumbers version but I don't think it was enough for me in terms of moisture. The skin under my eyes can get a bit dry at times and I need something a little more rich. I finally made my way through a whole bottle of the Superfacialist By Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. Already had a backup waiting once it started getting low. This is my favourite cleanser for makeup removal.

I've also finished off a whole Sarah Chapman Skinesis Intense Hydrating Booster. I did really enjoy this serum but for £59, it's a bit steep when for me, I like Indeed Lab Hydralyron just as much. The Sarah Chapman is a bit silkier and feels nicer going on as it's more liquid, but the indeed labs is less than half the price and give the same results for me.

And finally, we have two naughty skincare products. These products aren't in here because I used them to the end, they died on me. The Soap & Glory Off Your Face 3-in-1 Daily Purifying Cloths dried up before I could use all of them. I must admit I don't use face wipes very often but I don't expect them to dry up. And sadly, my REN Flash Rinse 1 Minute Facial seems to have gone off. I went t use it the other day and it had gone completely liquid and there was no way of it staying on my face. This was one of my favourite masks but I'm not sure about it if you have to use the whole tube really. I think I've only had it for around 5 months? :(

My 2015 Beauty Fails

So last week we talked about my favourite products from 2015, but today's post isn't going to be so positive.I'm talking about the products that didn't work for me over 2015 today.Now just because they didn't work for me, doesn't mean they won't work for you so I'll give you the ins-and-outs of why I didn't like them, but I think it's just as important to let you know about the stuff that doesn't work as it is to let you know about the stuff that does. So lets get going.

I know that mascara is a super subjective makeup product, we all seem to like different ones for different reasons but I have a few that really missed the mark for me this year. First up we have the Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara, this just nothing for the length of my lashes and I like an all rounder, if you have long and thin lashes and you're just looking for volume, this might be a winner but I really didn't like it.

It's a similar story for the Beautenizer Fiberwig Mascara. This claims to be a "paint-on false lashes" mascara and it really wasn't for me. Again it was really nice for adding volume, but I didn't notice anything for length and I didn't appear to have anymore lashes than normal with this.

The Pür Volume Vixen mascara did absolutely nothing for me. No length, no volume, nothing. It's basically just a black tint for the lashes, so not impressed. And my final mascara fail was the Maybelline Colossal Volume Express Cat Eyes Mascara. The brush on this was bent beyond use and the formula did very little for me, I'll be sticking to my trusty Maxfactor favourite.

Some cream eyeshadows that I didn't get on with too well were the No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define. The colours are lovely and pigmented but they don't stay long enough without being topped with a shadow. It's a shame but if the formula creases in a couple of hours there's no point in having pretty colours. The New Look Pure Colour Eyeshadow Pencils are also really pants. The formula creases, the shades are super sheer, really disappointing.

The Lord & Berry Polish Eye Pencil in "5071 - Mirror Black" wasn't quite a fail but it wasn't my favourite. It applies nice and creamy and the lasting power is fair, but for a higher-priced eyeliner I much prefer the Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliners. Really, the formulas on the Rimmel Scandleyes Eyeliners and the Maybelline Master Drama Eyeliners are easily just as good if not better than the Lord & Berry ones.

For lip products that I really didn't get on with, the MUA Luxe Velvet Lip Lacquer in "Atomic" was my least favourite of all the lip products I think I've ever tried. The colour was too overpowering, the formula was very dry and crusty and flaked off my (definitely not dry or cracked) lips. If you have dry lips at all stay away from these, and even if your lips are in good shape there is so much better out there.

The Laqa & Co Cheeky Lip was also a bit of a fail for me. It was a bit uneven on application, it faded in a really non-flattering matter and the shade I have "Cray-Cray" didn't do much for my complexion. Finally for lip products, we have an entry from By Terry.

Now not all of the By Terry Aqua Tint Lip & Cheek are awful, I have a creamy orange one that I really enjoy, but a while back I picked up a duo that contained a red shade and I really don't understand who would like it. It's a lovely shade of red but it's laced with gold glitter and it's just a liquid stain. So no matter where you use it on the face you get a natural red stain but with this unusual overlay of gold glitter that looks completely out of place. For the price of these it's just such a disappointment as I have no idea how to make it work for me.

Finally for makeup we have the Maybelline Dream Sun Bronzing Power With Blush. This is such a chalky powder and there's very little in the way in the way of colour pay off. The bronzer gives off a sheer dusting of a very warm shade and the blush literally gives you nothing. Disappointing as Maybelline has some face powders with a great creamy formula and great payoff and this isn't their normal standard.

I have two skincare fails. Both have been mentioned in posts before so I won't go on about them too much but the KIKO Hydrating Mask wasn't very hydrating on my skin and it irritated my eyes during use. And finally The Skin System Overnight Blemish Serum was just bad. For £2 I didn't waste too much money on this one but it's full of alcohol and so drying on the skin that it would just drink up all of the moisture in my skin completely.

My 2015 Hair, Bath and Body Favourites

So the final instalment of my 2015 beauty favourites is going to be focusing on all things hair, bath and body. If you've been keeping up with the rest of these posts you'll already know that these aren't "hall of fame" type posts, they're very much like the monthly favourites I post. But here we have it:

I've loved two shampoos pretty equally this year and both are from the L'Oreal Sulphate-Free range. The first one I liked was the Ever Pure and I've since moved on to the Ever Strong as it gives more volume but I love this range in general. Leaves your hair really clean but not stripped and is great for not making colour-treated hair fade too quickly.

My other hair favourite this year is the only styling product I've ever been faithful to: the Color Wow One Minute Transformation. I got this in a gift-with-purchase at a Space NK event back in February and I've loved it ever since. I literally use a tiny pee-sized amount in the roots of my hair to give some lift after straightening and it's great.

My favourite bath product of the year was a tough choice because I've used and loved so many this year, but when it came down to it the one I wouldn't want to be without it the Aromatherapy Associates Bath Oils. I've had the mini set for a while now and since some of the oils are getting pretty low I've recently invested in the slightly larger Ultimate Bath Jewels set that they had out this Christmas. They're just so relaxing in your bath.

For body scrubs I've tried some great ones towards the tail end of the year but my consistent favourite has been the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction. The scent on this is lovely and the scrubbie-particles are really exfoliating without being painful or irritating at all. The best thing about this is the formula though, the particles are suspended in a creamy formula that really clings to your skin and so it doesn't go everywhere and leave your bathroom a mess.

Last but not least we have the Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream. Smells like mint, feels great. You just apply a thin layer to your feet,pop on some socks and there you have it, silky smooth feet in no time. The tube recommends wearing it to bed but I can't sleep in socks so I just wear it under my socks around the house when I haven't got much on and I love it.

So my 2015 favourites series has come to an end, but check back on Monday to see what products I really didn't get on with through 2015.

My 2015 Skincare Favourites

2015 Favourites continues, and just like I did in my makeup favourites, this is more of a random picks that I've loved than a "Hall of Fame" type set up. I think skincare has taken over in the last few years as my favourite element of beauty so I own and test a lot of it but I have some definite favourites this year.

My cleansing favourite through the year has been the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. While in the very last week of the year I've found something that I think may top it (trust me, I'm just as surprised a regular readers) this has been with me all year and while I've been using it sparingly, it always makes my skin look amazing and the experience of using it is blissful. Will continue to use this in my rotation even if it does eventually fall of that top spot.

For makeup removal there is nothing more worth the money than the Super Facialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Skin Renew Cleansing Oil. The packaging is pants but the actual product inside is amazing. Removes makeup quicker than anything else out there. I do like traditional eye-makeup removers but I prefer this of any of them.

I feel a bit of a cheat for including 3 "cleansing" products in this round up, but for a convenient skincare product, the Garnier Micellar Water has been something of a lifesaver for me this year. It's not something I use daily and it's not something I recommend as your "cleanse" step. But in scenarios where you've got home late or your up early and your general tone is "can't be bothered" this is a great cheat. My skin won't look it's best if I use this as my only cleanser for a few days but for occasional use it's fine and I like to keep a bottle on hand for emergencies.

My facial spritz of the year has been the La Roche Posay Serozinc. I'm so happy that this product finally made it's way onto the UK high street and while there are more luxurious spritz's out there, this one is both the most effective and the most affordable. I love the calming spray and it does keep my break-outs a bay when I'm using it. It's one of those products that I keep in backup.

Best serum is an easy one: Indeed Labs Hydraluron. The Sarah Chapman Skinesis Hydrating Booster is pretty similar for effect but feels a bit nicer going on if you're feeling a bit spend-y or you're wanting a bit of a treat. But bang-for buck? Indeed Labs every time. I've repurchased multiple times. It's in the backup drawer. It's used at least 3 times a week. Absolute must-have. I always stock up when it's on offer in Boots.

For my moisturiser step, I flit between them all the time depending on how dry/oily my skin is, whether I'm wearing makeup ect. So rather than pick a favourite I'd just mention a few that have worked great for me over the last year: the MV Organics Rose Plus Booster, the Clarins Lotus Facial Oil, the N-Spa Oil-Free Moisture Gel, Sarah Chapman Overnight Facial, Omoravicza Illuminating Moisturiser and the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser. There's probably some that I've missed out but they've all been great for me in 2015.

Check back on Friday for the "Other Beauty Bumf" edition of the 2015 series. :)

My 2015 Makeup Favourites

So I've spent an awful lot of time trying to plan out how I wanted this post to look. It's my first annual favourites post and I wanted to make it informative and interesting, but also appropriate for where my collection sits right now - I've been doing this whole blogging thing for almost a year now, but I'm still no where near an expert.

I love the annual favourites where things are laid out as the best in a certain category but, realistically, there would be gaps where I don't have a "Holy Grail" type product. I also think that format works better for vloggers and could get a bit lengthy and dull via blog post. So with all that in mind, I figured I'd just run over the products this year that have wowed me. There's no rhyme or reason and there's no "Best of" type set up, this is just the things I've loved most this year. So lets get going.

While I'm not sure I need to mention the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder, when I thought "what's the one product I would go straight out and repurchase if it was lost/stolen/etc?" that was the only permanent product that came to mind. There will more than likely be a day that I stop harping on about this product, but that day is not today. If you're oily/combination or have any patches on your face where you struggle with oil control (for me it's my T-zone) this powder is great. While it doesn't leave me completely touch-up free all day, it's the longest lasting product I've found so far.

Another base product I've adored this year is the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer. I did begin the year with the Nars Creamy Radiance Concealer and that is very similar in texture. I just think the shade range is better on the Urban Decay and I was able to get a better skin-tone match with that one. Also, it's a tad cheaper than the Nars and the formulas are very comparable.

When I was thinking about coloured complexion products for this post, I got a bit stuck. I'm quite promiscuous when it comes to blush, bronzer and contour. I love my Nars One Shocking Moment Palette but I've still been using my L'Oreal True Match Blush and my Soap & Glory Solar Powder in rotation with it so it didn't quite make that top spot. Then I realised that whatever I'm contouring with, I always use the Charlotte Tilbury Powder and Sculpt Brush. It's just the perfect shape for chiselling out some cheek bones.

For eyes I have two slightly different products. The Maybelline Master Drama Khol Eyeliner Pencil has made it into this list because, While I do still use my Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliner in "Perversion". I'm at the point where I'm just using it because I have it and it wasn't cheap. I think the Maybelline is just as good and won't be repurchasing the Urban Decay again once it runs out. (Although the colour selection on the UD is much better and I would still go to them for the out-there shades).

My other pick for eyes is one product where I thought "what's the one eyeshadow product that I'd be really upset to lose?" and it was the Nars Steven Klein Eyeshadow Single in "Stud". This would have been my "go straight out and repurchase" product had it not been a limited shade (please make it permanent Nars! We need more of this!). It's just the most beautiful, subtle but glitzy shade ever. It's a light bronze with a subtle almost greenish tone to it and then a super fine gold glitter running through it. The formula is lovely and creamy. It's stunning and I wear it constantly.

Finally, my least favourite decision of the whole post: the lip product. In this last year I've become somewhat of a lip product junkie so narrowing it down to a single product was quite tricky. In the end I just thought, "what have I reached for most throughout the whole year?" and from the very beginning of the year until the very end I'm sure it's got to have been the Lipstick Queen Big Bang Lipgloss in "Creation". Similarly to the Nars eyeshadow, it;s a neutral shade with something a little special. The formula is nice and comfortable, the colour is sheer but not too sheer and the shimmer to it is super pretty but also really fine and you can't feel it on the lips at all.

So there we have it, my makeup favourites for the year. Next up is skincare, see you on Wednesday!

December Favourites

So first things first: Happy New Year everyone! As you read this, I will be nursing a hangover and begging the boyfriend to make me tea and bacon butties for breakfast (there is nothing like a brew and a bacon sandwich to nurse a hangover).

So with December being over and done with, I figured it was time for my December Favourites. I've still chosen to do a December favourites as well as my 2015 favourites because there's some new stuff I've been loving this month that wouldn't make it into the yearly favourites and I don't want them to get missed out.

In the spirit of Christmas, I spent most of December sporting various shades of red and berry on my lips, and to compliment that I've been going for quite an understated, neutral eye and the Soap & Glory Lid Stuff Palette in "What's Nude" has been perfect for that. It has a matte cream, a matte dusty pink, a matte medium brown and a shimmery pinky-taupe shade. These do kick up quite a bit of fallout but they're easy to blend and the shades are so wearable.

Another product for the eyes that I've been reaching for a lot this month was the Clarins Instant Light Brush-On Perfector in the Shade "00" - the lightest shade. I've loved everything I've tried from the Clarins Instant Light range so far so I really need to go and pick up some more of it. This one is kind of like the YSL Touche Eclat but stepped up in terms of coverage. A great under-eye concealer that covers and brightens effectively.

On the topic of glow-givers an absolute steal of a product that I've loved this month is the Revolution Radiance Palette. This is one of their 3-shade highlighter palettes and they've been coined as being dupes for the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders. Now I haven't tried any of the Hourglass powders yet to compare but the Revolution ones are really nice. I don't use the darker shade as I'm really pale but the far left shade works great as a face powder for me and the centre shade is my highlight of choice lately.

I've been cheating on my Dove Invisible Dry Deodorant with the Mitchum 48hr Anti-Perspirant & Deodorant. I tried a Mitchum spray-on in November and really liked it so I thought I'd give this one a go. It's not my favourite in terms of texture but it's more effective than the Dove, I think I'll have to experiment with which formula I prefer but this looks like a winner for me.

And finally, I have a confession to make. December has been a real lazy month for me. My skincare routine went completely out the window for a good week when the Christmas shopping blues hit me. Between working full time and Christmas stuff I wasn't getting an awful lot of sleep so I traded in my skincare routine for extra minutes in bed and just did a quick morning cleanse with the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water. I wouldn't recommend using this all the time but for lazy days it's better than nothing.