January 2013 Favourites

So last year I wasn't the best at getting my favourite's posts done, I think I did 3 if that, this year I'm going to be more organised and get a post up each month. I haven't done a favourites post in a long time so there are a few things that I'm really loving at the minute, quite a few things are new but that is because I have been trying out presents that I was given at Christmas, I think for future posts I will include makeup that isn't new to me but that I have rediscovered in my collection.

Real Techniques Brushes: Buffing Brush, Blush Brush & Contour Brush
These brushes are amazing, they are really easy to use and find they really help your makeup look it's best. I have found that the blush brush is great when using bright blushers as it picks up the right amount of blusher so you can build the colour or just get a hint of colour.

Sleek Blusher in Pixie Pink
I bought this after seeing Tanya Burr using it in one of her youtube videos (here), I don't really have many blushers and wanted to expand my collection. It is a really bright pigmented pink, but if you only use a small amount, you can build up the colour that bests suits you. I have really enjoyed using this blusher and have worn it nearly everyday.

MUA Cream Blusher in Dolly
I bought this when MUA first released their cream blushers, I never really wore it though as it seemed a bit of a faff, but recently I have been experimenting with the blusher and I absolutely love it. It does require a bit more effort than powder blush but it's worth it, I especially love blending the colour into my skin with my Real Techniques Stippling Brush. It gives my skin a really nice natural glow.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Liner in Brown
I already have the nude eyeliner from this range and really liked the texture of the liners, so I bought one in brown, the liner has a slightly metalic finish to it which I really like, it's great as a normal liner or smudged out for a smokey finish, I have worn this practically everyday this month.


Topshop Crescent Moon Highlighter and Sleek Bronzer in their Face Form Palette
I have really been enjoying learning to contour and find these products have been great to create a really lovely subtle contoured look. You can see my review of Sleek's face form palette here.

(L-R) Topshop Crescent Moon, MUA Dolly, Sleek Pixie Pink & Rimmel Scandaleyes

Barry M White Foundation Creme
I recently did a post on this (you can see it here) but this is a must for my pale skin, don't know how I managed without it... oh yeah I looked orange all the time!



Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish
I know I'm late to the party with this one, but I love this cleanser, I use it everyday and it's perfect for my winter skin, it's also brilliant at taking off my eye makeup.

Liz Earle Brightening Skin Tonic
I've never really been that fussed about toners before I know I need to use them to make sure my skin is cleansed thoroughly and they help to close your pores but I never really see a difference in my skin after using them, that was until I started using this toner, my skin looks brighter and more healthy after I use this toner. It's not a miracle worker and my skin is still in bad condition but I can see a difference when I use this. I love it!

Clarins Hydra Quench Moisturiser for Oily/Combination skin
I'm still loving this moisturiser, you can see my full review here, it feels lovely and rich without being too heavy or greasy, it has been an essential part of my skin care this winter.

Bioderma
The bloggers best friend. When I was in Paris in September I was sure to stock up on this as it is much cheaper over there as there isn't a stockist for it in the UK. Bioderma is essentially a cleansing water, but it is really gentle and doesn't leave my skin feeling tight or sore. I don't use this everyday but I have got in the habit of keeping it by my bed for days where I have been too lazy to wash my face with my Liz Earle or Emma Hardie cleansers, and that is why it's in my favourites I love being able to use it when I'm sitting in bed, it might not be the thorough double cleanse i probably should do but it's better than going to sleep with makeup on (which I have been guilty of too many times).
Rumour has it that Boots will be stocking Bioderma later in the year!

Full product reviews will be coming soon!

What are your January favourites?

Elaine

2012 Favourties... Skin Care and Hair Products

2012 was definitely the year of skin care for me, when I first started blogging I was quite happy with my face wipes and simple face wash that was until I started reading other blogs and learning more about skin types and skin care, so now I am trying out new products to see what is the best match for me, so these are my 2012 favourites of skin care products that I love and will definitely be buying again and again.

Ren Mayblossom T-Zone Control Cleansing Gel
This cleanser leaves my skin feeling really clean and refreshed, but doesn't dry out my skin at all. I've already bought another bottle of this cleanser and have recommended it to friends. (You can see the post here)

Clarins HyrdaQuench Moisturiser
I love this moisturiser it has really improved my skin, especially in the cold months, I have been using it twice a day in the winter, but I think it will be great as a night time moisturiser in the summer. (You can see the post here)

La Roche Posay Hyrdaphase Intense Mask
I use this mask all the time, it leaves my skin lovely and moisturised, I love it and will definitely be buying it again. (You can see the post here)

Decelor Ylang Ylang Balancing Face Oil
I got this on a bit of a whim after a lovely lady at the Decelor counter gave me advice about my skin care, she said that my oily skin was probably being made worse as my skin was unbalanced and that the ylang ylang will balance my skin. It is really expensive but I bought it for half price in Paris and you can get it cheaper on feel unique. I love using this as it smells gorgeous and my skin feels lovely when I use it. (Mentioned in this post here)

Emma Hardie
This has done the rounds on most blogs, I was lucky enough to get a sample size for free to try from Whats in my handbag, I love this cleanser it smells gorgeous and just melts my makeup, leaving my skin lovely and soft. (You can see the post here)

Figs and Rouge Lip Balm
Sorry I forgot to include this in the photo! I really like this lip balm, for me it is just as good as the infamous Nuxe lip balm but half the price! (You can see the post here)

I'm not really that into hair care products, it's not something that has ever really interested me, but at the same time I am obsessed with trying different volume products to find anything that give my hair any sort of boost. These products are the only products that I use again and again, I can't get loads of volume but they do give my hair a bit of extra body and shine.

Aveda Phomollient Styling Foam

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo and Conditioner

V05 Miracle Concentrate Elixir with Argan Oil

Elaine

2012 Favourites... Makeup

When I was thinking about the different makeup products that I wanted to include in my 2012 favourites that list was getting very long and I was getting a bit concerned this post would turn into a bit of an essay, so I cut the list down and decided to only include the products that I turn to all the time without thinking and that list was easy to make. So here are my 2012 favourites...

L'Oreal Million Lashes Mascara
This is my all time favourite mascara, I love it!! I talk about it in this post.

Garnier BB Cream
I love this BB cream it is perfect for my combination/skin, it's really easy to wear and BB cream has lasted ages I bought this back in May (i think) and I still have loads left and I wear it everyday! You can read my post here.

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation
I really like this foundation, it is medium coverage and really does last all day, I know a lot of people compare this foundation to Revlon's Colour Stay foundation, which I have, but I think that the double wear gives a much better finish compared to the colour stay, you can find the foundation here, I will do a post soon!

Rimmel Stay Matte Powder
This powder is brilliant, there is not much I can say about a powder but it keeps my skin nice and matte all day and for only £3.99 it's a bargain, although since I have been using the Garnier BB cream I haven't been using it as much. You can find it here.

Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer
I recently did a post on this, which you can see here, but I am obsessed with concealer and use it everyday!

Collection 2000 Extreme Liner
This range of eyeliners are really great felt tip liners which can rival other brands such as L'Oreal and Rimmel for only £2.99. It's mentioned in a post here and here.

Avon Super Shock Gel Liner
I use this liner on my waterline and it is such a great true black I love it, I bought it from Ebay but you can find it here.

Benefit Blushers
I've included the Hervana blusher in my favourites, but I could easily wear any of my Benefit blushers any time. (You can see my post here and here)

I love all 3 of these lipsticks, they are so easy to wear, I have a LOT of lipsticks but I reach for these the most.
Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti (You can see my post here)
Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Lip Stain Balm in Crush (You can see my post here)
L'Oreal Rouge Caress in Dating Coral (You can see my post here)

MUA Heaven and Earth Eye Shadow Palette
I know everyone raves about the undressed palette, which I also have, but the Heaven and Earth palette is always the range of eye shadows that I reach for most often for daytime and evening makeup looks. I just realised I haven't done a post on this so I will get some swatches done soon, in the mean time you can find it here. 

Real Techniques Brushes
This year I have become really interested in using makeup brushes, I never quite understood the need for them before I became a blogger but now I am obsessed, especially with Real Techniques brushes, I first bought the Stippling Brush which I love, I got the core collection for Christmas so I can't wait to try them.

What have been your favourite makeup products this year?

Elaine

My favourite things to do at Christmas

(Source)

I love Christmas I can honestly say it is my favourite time of year. 

As soon as the Christmas adverts start on the TV (and they have been great this year) I begin to feel festive and genuinely look forward to buying presents for people. 

I'm not the most creative/arts and crafts person but when it comes to Christmas I always feel inspired to make something to give as presents, but I'm a bit rubbish I have accepted this! So my way to meet my want to be creative is to make Christmas present gift tags! I keep all the Christmas cards from the previous year and I enjoy sitting cutting out all the pictures from the cards to add ribbon and create my own unique gift tags, I really like going through all the cut outs to match tags with my family and friend's personalities, Rachel always gets a cute cat gift tag!

(Source)

When it gets close to Christmas I love having a day to myself to sit next to the Christmas tree with a lovely Christmas cinnamon candle making gift tags and wrapping Christmas presents, and of course I have to watch my favourite Christmas films at the same time!!

ELF

(Source)

Santa Claus the Movie

(Source)

 Love Actually 

(Source)

To me Christmas isn't Christmas without watching these films at least once!

What's your favourite thing to do at Christmas?

Elaine

A Slightly Late May Favourites

Benefit Moon Beam

I’ve had this and two bottles of High Beam lingering in my make up drawer for awhile. It used to be a staple of mine a few years ago when I wouldn’t go a day without mixing a tiny bit into my foundation but for some unknown reason I stopped using it. Now because of the nice weather I’ve fallen back in love with its subtle warm glow. I also just noticed that Benefit have released Sun Beam a new bronze highlighter which looks great. I must say tho if you are looking to buy this product I would never pay the full and quite extortionate price of £18.50, you can get it far cheaper on a number of websites including ebay and there are a number of dupes for both High Beam and Moon Beam.

BM Beauty Brushes

I was kindly sent the BM Beauty Eyeshadow brush to review and I was so impressed I went out and bought the foundation brush. Both these brushes are extremely soft and densely packed with cruelty free synthetic bristles. The eyeshadow brush is perfect for blending and picks up eyeshadow extremely well.  I’ve also washed both and so far not a single hair has fallen out. These are now some of my favorites and without doubt up there with my Real Technique brushes. I will definitely be buying more of these. (Ethicalsuperstore.com have these at 25% off at the minute)

Topshop Infared lipstick

This now famous lipstick has been my go to shade for the past few months. It’s a stunning bright orange which is perfect for nights out and on summer days (the few we have had anyway). You can see a full review here.

NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

I bought this a couple of weeks ago when ASOS had a 20% beauty event, I’d been umming and arring about buying this for quite some time as I wasn’t sure I wanted to spend that much on a tinted moisturiser. However I am so glad I did, I think it’s amazing and I’ve been using this every day since buying it without fail. I’ll do a full in depth review soon.

Clinique High Impact Mascara

I got my first sample of this awhile ago in a magazine and really liked it, so I was thrilled when the mascara swap came back to Debenhams and I snapped this up. I think it’s a lovely mascara for the daytime and doesn’t leave your lashes hard, flaky or clumpy in the slightest, just beautifully long and soft. (I’m not quite sure I would call this High Impact though! If your after a bit more vavavoom I would recommend YSL Shocking mascara)

Sorry its a wee bit late but I hope you enjoyed it!

Rachel

My Everyday Favourites

As Rachel is currently on holiday in Morocco for her birthday (lucky...) I thought I would do a post about my everyday favourites rather than just May's as I realised I hadn't posted about this yet.


Makeup
I just wear basic makeup during the day, I just find it easier when I'm half asleep getting ready for work in the morning.

I have mentioned most of these before so I wont go on and on...

L'Oreal Million Lashes Extra Black - Still my all time favourite mascara, I just bought this on Cheapsmells.com for only £7.99 and free p&p.

Collection 2000 Extreme Felt tip eyeliner - I love this it is soo easy to use I also have the purple and Teal colours. Be warned don't try the teal as a tested on your hands it really does last 24 hrs, the purple and the black not so much.

Maxfactor Khol eyeliner - Has to be the blackest softest eyeliner pencils I have ever used.

Garnier Eye roll on in Light- Brilliant for those tired days and my friend Sophie told me hey are on offer in Morrisons for only £2!!

Garnier BB Cream for combination/oily skin - Love it! See my earlier post.

(T-B) Hervana, Coralista & Thrrrob

 I use these Benefit blushers everyday (not all at once of course!) and I love them, they are quite expensive at £23.50 per blusher but I was lucky enough to receive them as presents, apart from Hervana I have used these everyday for a good couple of years and I'm yet to hit the pan. They last on your cheeks all day, which is amazing as they sometimes out last foundation.

Hervana is a lovely berry colour when it's all mixed up, Coralista is a rosey gold which is perfect for the spring/summer and Thrrrob is a pretty glowing pink great for all year round.

(L-R) Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti & 17 Mirror Shine in Beehive

I am obsessed with these two lipsticks and if I'm not wearing one I'm wearing the other, I find they complement my skin tone really well and are soo easy to wear. I have bought many other lipsticks since I got these but I always seem to reach for tutti frutti and beehive instead.

Skin Care
I go through phases of trying loads of new skin care products so I haven't included everything I use as it changes all the time, so these are my staple products that I always use.

Simple foaming face wash and face wipes - I normally buy loads of the face wipes when they are on offer and recently found the face wash for half price in Bodycare!

Olay Complete Care Day Fluid - I use this everyday as I find it is a perfect moisturiser for my oily skin and I feel better knowing I am covered with SPF 15, I normally find it on offer but you can get it for around £5.

Figs & Rouge Lip balm - I have posted about this before so I won't go on but I do love it!

Hair Care

I'm pretty fickle with hair products if there is a new shampoo promising me volume or brilliant shine chances are it will be in my bathroom within a couple of weeks, I often have around 3 shampoos on the go at any time, but this is the shampoo and conditioner I have just repurchased in a huge (400ml) bottle, which is very rare for me.

Firstly I have to say I absolutely hate the fragrance of the Aussie shampoo, but luckily I got used to it and I don't find the fragrance is in my hair after I have dried it.

I wouldn't say that this gives my hair anymore volume than others do after I have dried my hair but the main thing is the body it does give my hair actually lasts all day, I find the layers in my hair look better and overall my hair looks better and more of a style rather than just hanging there, this works even better when I use it with my Aveda Phomollient, which I couldn't find when I took these photos but I use that pretty much everyday too.

Perfume

I am obsessed with Ralph by Ralph Lauren and was going through bottles of the stuff until I found this extremely cheap dupe in Boots for only £3.99, it's called you & me by Love Parfums, it smells lovely and fruity so I use that during the day and save my Ralph for best!

So these are my everyday favourites, sorry it's such a long post hope you didn't get bored!

Elaine

April Favourites

I know it's a bit late but here are our April favorites!

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

I'm a bit obsessed with this brush, I use it everyday, it gives a great finish to my foundation and blusher, I'm definitely going to try other brushes in the range. (I also LOVE this brush it's perfect with cream blusher, Rachel)

Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer

I've had this for a while, but i's only now that I use this everyday it's perfect for under my eyes, the shade has a slight pink colour which is perfect for my skin tone, it is quite liquidy but I use some powder to set it so it doesn't settle in fine lines!

Boots Vitamin e Eye Cream

This eye cream is a bargain at around £2.50 (sorry I cant find it on the Boots website), it is really gentle and it contains SPF 15, which is brilliant as I haven't seen any reasonably priced eye creams with SPF.

Benefit Hervana Blush

This is such a cute blusher, it gives you a lovely berry glow, perfect for this time of year.

Revlon Lip Butter in Tutti Frutti

I wasn't sure whether I was going to get this but I caved and I'm pleased I did, the orange colour is just what I wanted as it's sheer enough to wear during the day, it has been my go to lipstick, though I'm not convinced about it's moisturising qualities...

Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

I got this sample free with Red magazine and I love it, the smell is divine and I find it quite energising in the morning. I'll do a review soon and I will definitely be buying a full size bottle or maybe get it for my birthday (HINT, HINT)

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream - Dry / Very Dry

This is great for really dry skin and skins in fast, although it's too much for my t-zone. Theres not much to say about it really it's quite a simple moisturiser, it does what it says on the tin.

Rimmel Pro Nail Polish - Beige Style

I've blogged about this in one of my NOTD posts and I've been wearing it all the time, simple and classic. Looks great with a matte top coat.

Collection 2000  Long Lasting Concealer

I've heard so much good stuff about this concealer but I didn't quite believe the hype as when I've swatched it in store I found it quite heavy, but I was wrong. My skin has been awful and this shade is perfect for covering spots, it even stayed on during sweaty gym sessions - AMAZING

Bobbi Brown Gel Eyeliner
This month I've been loving simple make up with a classic cat eye and this is my new go to eyeliner. It has great staying power, it's easy to apply and doesn't look as harsh as a liquid liner - all round winner.

March Favourites!

Here are a few things that I have been loving this month!  


Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara

I had been dying to try this since it's launch last year but could never bring myself to spend £18.50 on a mascara. 

But my lovely friend Sophie got me the travel size version of the mascara from Sephora when she was in New York, and it's soo cute, I really wish companies in the UK sold smaller versions of their products I would be more likely to try out a variety of their products.

I really like this mascara and have been using it all the time, it really adds length to your lashes and the plastic brush adds definition to each individual lash with the spikey end of the brush allowing you to reach your smaller lashes. I love mascara that adds volume and this manages to do this whilst adding definition. I will definitely be buying this when this one runs out!

Topshop Lipstick in Innocent

 I have mentioned this lipstick before so I won't go on about it, but I absolutley love it! It's the first Topshop lipstick I've had and I will definitely be getting more, the lipstick feels really nice on and the colour is really pigmented. For some reason my camera isn't picking up the lipstick colour very well, it's actually a really nice subtle barbie-ish pink!

Rimmel Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick in shade 12 

This is a really nice orange/red lipstick, I love it! The lipstick was only £5.49 so a bargain too! This was my first bright lipstick so I was a bit unsure about the colour, but it's really easy to wear. 

Rimmel Colour Show Off Lipstick in Kiss Me

This looks very much like the Kate Rimmel lipstick but it's not! I had just bought the the Kate lipstick then saw this on a blog sale and had to have it, this is one of Rachel's favourites too as she has had it for over a year. This is more of a neon red than orange/red. I got this for £1 but you can get it in Boots for £6.29.

17 Mirror Shine Lipstick in Bee Hive

I've mentioned this before and I still love it, it's only £4.59 from Boots. This lipstick is a perfect nude lipstick with a lovely pink tint (which the camera hasn't picked up again...!), it's more of a sheer lipstick which is perfect to wear during the day.

As you can see I've gone a bit lipstick mad this month, but I'm trying to be a bit more adventurous with my makeup, especially with my day makeup and I think lipstick is the easiest way to do it.

Hervana Benefit Blusher - BuyaPowa Offer

My lovely boyfriend bought Hervana Benefit blusher for Valentine's Day, I was soo pleased as I love Benefit blushers, they are quite expensive at £23.50 so I normally get them as presents or in Duty Free!

Benefit have redesigned the packaging of the blushers to include a mirror in the flip top lid, which I think is a really nice touch, but you need to be careful when closing the lid as I managed to get the side of the lid stuck in the blusher! Benefit have also changed the little brush to a slanted brush instead of square which means it's much easier to get a natural blusher look.

I was a bit concerned that with all the different colours that the blusher might end up being a bit too dark for me, but I was really pleasantly surprised as the colour is a really nice subtle berry shade. 

I have been using it everyday since I got it. The only thing is I feel like I have to be very careful when I'm putting the colour on the brush as I don't to mess up all the colours, but so far they are staying the colour they are supposed to be including the light pink.

I know that some people stay clear from Benefit blusher because of the price which is totally understandable, I only ever get Benefit for Birthday's and Christmas, but I think it is worth investing in Benefit blushers as the colour stays on your skin all day when you wear it over foundation or BB cream, it's the only make-up that I have ever had that is still on when I go to wash my face at night.

The product itself is really pigmented so you really don't need much on the brush so it lasts for ages, I've had Coralista  and Thrrrob for well over a year if not much longer and I haven't reached the base of the box yet, which is great as I have heard that Thrrrob has been discontinued :-(

 

Today I have just found out Harvana is on BuyaPowa as it is currently Blogger week (KHILA FROM MISS BUDGET Pick), If you haven't heard it's a great website where you can collectively buy products cheaper deepening on how many people want to buy the product, in the past they have had the Naked palettes, but you have to be quick they often sell out instantly or the time will run out. Currently Hervana is on at £19.50 and the lowest price it will go to is an amazing £17.50 but be quick it runs out in 46 hours!

January Favourites

These are the things that we have been loving in January!

1. Batise Dry Shampoo in Tropical, I am loving their new bigger size bottles as we are both obsessed with dry shampoo, I always have to have the tropical bottle it smells gorgeous.

2. Volume Million Lashes for Hazel Eyes, I always use this mascara in black and recently saw the purple mascara in Cheapsmells.com winter sale for £5.49 so had to try it out, I really like it but I wouldn't say the purple colour was that obvious so I'm not sure I would buy the purple colour again. But I have been wearing it everyday as I like the mascara.

3. Topshop Nail Varnish in Hyperreal, this is a metalic copper colour with a hint of glitter, I got this of Rachel at Christmas and have been obsessed! Will do a NOTD soon!

 4. Olay Moisturiser, this is an oldy but a goody! It is perfectly light on my oily skin and I love how it's SPF 15 and £5.49 in Boots,but if you go hunting in places like Wilkinsons you can find it cheaper.

 5. VO5 Miracle Concentrate £4.99, I have had this for a while and stopped using it, I tried it out again a few weeks ago and it worked wonders on my hair! I don't know if my hair is just in bad condition so I am noticing how well it works this time... but i use it every time i wash my hair now.

 6. Bourjois Illuminating Touch, 96 Rose Universel, this is a really nice highlighter it gives a really pretty golden colour, I got this when superdrug had bourjois makeup on 3 for 2.

 7. No7 BB Cream, I have been using this every day and really like it, see our earlier post Garnier vs No 7.

Things we are lusting for in February!

 L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara... do I already have enough mascara.... hmm

 I love Benefit blushers, they are expensive but they do last for ages! Hervana launched nationwide on Sat 28th Jan, can't wait to try it out.

Indola Colour Style Mousse, I saw this reviewed on Good Golly Miss Hollie and now really want this, still trying to decide whether to spend £7ish on a mousse...