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.

February Favourites

This month I've been testing out new products like a mad lady so quite a lot of my usual products have found themselves being neglected. However in light of this, I've found some real gems that I'm incorporating into my routine on a regular basis.

Firstly is the make-up things, I've already spoken about the two base products on here before but I just wanted to touch back and really hammer my love for them home. I picked up the Maxfactor FaceFinity Foundation Primer from Boots a while back and though I've used others in the past and even recently have been trying out some more pricey options, I think this one still comes out on top. It's basically the glue you need to keep your foundation on all day.

With that I've been wearing the Loréal True Match Foundation, I have the shade "N1 Ivory" which is the most perfect colour match for my skin tone I've ever found on the high street. In addition to being a better colour match for me, it's a little lighter in coverage than my usual Revlon Colourstay and it's a little more satin-y in texture which works better over the Maxfactor primer as I was finding that things were looking a bit flat when I wore a matte foundation over a mattifying primer.

I've also stopped being a lazy-bum when it comes to moisturising, the winter in England is getting a bit harsh on my skin and I've been finding that my usual Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter just wasn't cutting it so I've been relying on their The Righteous Butter instead and it's made a world of difference to my skin.

I'm still religiously using and loving the Colorwow One-Minute Transformtion Styling Cream that I talked about in my "The Mother of all Goodie Bags" post. Incase you didn't catch that post it's basically a creamy texturing gel and I put a tiny blob through the ends of my hair to give it a bit more of a lived in look.

Another one from that post is the Jurlique Rosewater Hydrating Mist which has become my go-to evening second toner (so and exfoliating toner and then this) and it's just lovely. I spray around 3-4 sprays onto my skin before eyecream/serum/moisturiser and it's just very calming and hydrating on the skin. Smells lovely and provides a bit of slip for my serum afterwards. Love.

And finally, we have the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, oh my. The texture is amazing, the smell is amazing, even the packaging is amazing. I just love it. It's slightly smoother on the skin than the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm, although I do still love that one too. The mask from this range is also really nice, but I haven't used it enough to call it a "favourite" just yet. I've been using the cleanser most nights as my second evening cleanse and it really gets on with my skin and has left me eager to try more from the range.

The Mother of All Goodie Bags

So I thought I'd introduce you to the mother of all goodie bags. I was one of the lucky souls that managed to bag a ticket to Anna and Lily's Beauty Chat Live at the Manchester Space NK. The girls were lovely (and much more photogenic than I - see photo opposite for proof) and the Q&A session was really nice, but the goodie bag just sealed the deal. The £15 entry fee was redeemable against any purchases made on the night and on top of that everyone who made a £50 purchase (and lets face it, in Space NK, that's a very easy ask) received a Space NK tote-bag that when emptied, created the picture seen above. So with my haul from Monday in mind, I left with a big black bag full of goodies. From what I can tell the bag contained 25 products (3 full sized and 22 minis) as well as one of the full sized Tangle Teezer brushes, and while it ranged from make-up and skincare to hair and body products, it was rather heavy on the skincare (which I personally enjoyed). While in the week since the event I haven't quite had time to test out everything included, I have managed to test out a few and so I thought it would be a nice way to throw in a few first-impressions and mini reviews.

Now I hate to be a Negative Nancy, especially when things are free, but so we can end on a high note I thought I'd get the dud's out of the way. My biggest disappointment of the bag was that two of the full sized products were things I didn't see myself using all that much if at all. I've since passed the He-Shi Face & Body Tanning Gel on to my mother, I'm really not a tan-lover (case in point above), I'm just that awkward shade of pale that makes tanning products difficult, so the "medium" shade tanner definitely didn't float my boat. The Color Wow One-Minute Transformation Styling Cream also seemed like something I wouldn't use much. That being said I think an apology is necessary since I gave it a try and it's lovely. I think I may even be a hair product convert since I use this at least every time I wash my hair. I use a tiny dot of the creamy product and work it into the ends of blow-dried hair to achieve that "lived-in" look to the hair.

My only other quibble was that the Laura Mercier Eye Basics looked like something that I'd love, a liquid-y eyeshadow base that neutralises your skin tone and prolongs your eye-shadow wear time? All over it. But again the shade ("Tawny") was just so off for me. I have used it a few times and the formula is nice, a light, almost whipped texture that is easily applied using the doe foot applicator, the shade isn't too dark but it definitely leaves an orange-y tone to my lids (although under a cool toned shadow this can actually look lovely). Overall a nice product but if I was to repurchase I'd definitely pick up a lighter shade.

After trying the Sunday Riley Start Over Active Eye Cream I've found that the applicator on the sample is lovely, but the formula isn't my favourite. I like a good moisturising/nourishing eye cream as my early 20's skin just wants something preventative under the eyes, however I think for a more mature skin it might show results. Annoyingly, the applicator that I love so much doesn't actually seem to be present on the full size, but after a quick browse I've find a few alternatives that do like the First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy and the new Benefit Puff Off Eye Cream so I might try one of those next time.

The bag contained a lot of face masks but the one I was most excited about trying was the Oskia Renaissance Mask and it really lived up to my expectations. It doesn't tingle or sting but it leaves the skin incredibly soft and smooth (and the smell, need I say more?). Will definitely be repurchasing. Keeping with the rose-scented theme I have also really been enjoying the Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist, while it is a bit of a princess product I find it hydrating and calming on the skin and it has quickly become a staple in my skincare routine.

I found two oils in the bag and being a lover of facial oils I hopped straight into trying both. The NUDE  ProGenius Treatment Oil was nice on the skin, it sank in quickly and made my face feel lovely and silky smooth the morning after use, but the smell is a bit herbal for me. With the NUDE being a bit on the smelly side I can say that I much prefer the Caudalie Premier Cru L'Elixir which was also in the bag, sinks in just as quickly and feels amazing. It's an serum and oil in one product and so it really looks after your skin. In fact I think it may even make it into my weekly rotation. Now I still love my Sarah Chapman Morning Facial and my MV Organics Rose Plus Booster but this is really good stuff too. It definitely wont replace any of the oils in my collection but it has definitely earned a place along side some of my other favourites in my current skincare stash.

I have also been using the sample size of the Kiehl's Ultra Facial Moisturiser and it's been working really nicely for me. I have a lot of skincare categories where I have products that I love and can't be without, but I've never really found a moisturiser (day or night) that wows me. At £24 for 125ml or just £34 for the big 250ml bottle it's a super affordable, does the job day cream that I can see myself trying a bigger size of when i've finished the mini. Athough I would say I'm still in the market for a "Holy-Grail" moisturiser to add to my collection.

With all that being said for the other products, the star of the show has to be the Mio Workout Wonder. I started an intense workout class a couple of weeks ago and after my first class I was sore. On week  two I was still aching from the first class, so when I got home I slapped some of this on after my post-gym shower and I'm convinced that it may even be magic. It feels cold and slightly tingly on the skin (think walking in the wind and rain - that cold tingly feeling) which wasn't the nicest feeling ever but the results were amazing. I woke up feeling fine the next day and didn't suffer an ache all week. Amazing.