2014 Favourites || Beauty Edit

I wasn't sure whether to do one of these posts or whether it would be silly given I have done monthly favourites throughout the whole year but I think it's always helpful to know which are the ultimate favourites of the year. Sometimes you can have a fad with a product and love it for a month but then later realise they aren't as great so here are the beauty related products that I've loved throughout 2014.

I've tried to roughly pick through my favourite beauty picks for different parts of the face because if I thought you would have found it interesting then I could have done a whole separate post on purely my lipstick 2014 favourites and the same for eyeshadow etc but I thought this was better. I've also got a Lush favourite thrown into the mix too.

L'oreal True Match Foundation

My foundation favourite for last year without as doubt is L'oreal True Match. It's got amazing buildable coverage, has the perfect colour range for everybody with different skin tones and it has an amazing blendable texture that looks flawless on the skin. I have normal skin but I have friends who use this with dry skin too and love this but it's not at all oily so I'm sure it would work for oily skin too. The best thing about this is it only costs £9.99 which i think is a barain considering this foundation beats any other high end one that I have tried.

Rimmel Lycra Flex Scandaleyes Mascara 

My mascara favourite of the year is one I would never have expected to be in my ultimate favourites from my previous history of trying Rimmel mascaras and that is Rimmel's Lycra Flex mascara. This mascara is amazing, before I was paying over double the price of this for Benefits They're Real but now I will always go for this one. It's packaging isn't the prettiest in it's bright green tube but it does give incredible length and volume and it's much quicker to use than my They're Real one.

Urban Decay Naked 1

My favourite eyeshadow for the whole year was probably my hardest one to chose because I've discovered so many amazing eyeshadow palettes this year. I've really started playing with eyeshadow colours and textures so I've absolutely loved my Make-Up Revolution Flawless and Eyes Like Angels palettes, also my Too Faced natural eyes and my custom Mac eyeshadow palette. However I chose the eyeshadow palette that I've used all year round and loved the most and that is Urban Decays original Naked palette. I know everyone must be bored of hearing about these by now but they really are just that amazing so that's my top eyeshadow palette for 2014.

Mac Chatterbox, Mac Russian Red and Kate Moss #30

As I mentioned previously I could do a whole post on my favourite lipsticks of 2014 but I've managed to narrow it down to three, my favourite Summer lipstick, favourite all year round and favourite Winter. My first favourite is Mac's Chatterbox which is my Summer favourite, it's a gorgeous pretty pink which looks amazing in summertime but I have worn it all year round just because I love it so much. My favourite Winter lipstick has been Kate Moss #30 which is a beautiful berry toned purple and I have absolutely loved this throughout Winter for a subtle take on the purple lips trend. My favourite red lipstick that just looks incredible whenever you want to wear it is Mac's Russian Red which is much loved by everyone and rightly so, it's long lasting, pigmented, stunning and smells amazing.

Tanya Burr Lip Glosses

I know Youtubers releasing products is a controversial one and a lot of people have said they don't think you get the quality for your money and for the most part I agree. However when it comes to Tanya's lip glosses I disagree because I love them, there are some shades that aren't so great but Picnic In The Park, Aurora and Afternoon Tea are amazing. I never used to wear lip gloss until Tanya's glosses but she has got me totally into them. They're pigmented, smell amazing and they look really lovely on the lips, I've even loved wearing them in the Winter (apart from the wind causing hair stuck to lips situ of course!)

Make-Up Revolution Sugar and Spice Blush palette

My blusher favourite will be of no surprise to anyone and that's Make-Up Revolutions sugar n spice blush palette. It contains two beautiful highlighters but my two favourites have been the pink shade in this and the coral shade next to it. They're such pretty blush shades and I love having different shades of blusher available all in the same palette, it would be perfect for taking on long holidays where you want variety but don't want to have to take lots. The only thing I would prefer is that the shades had names but that's just a personal preference thing.

Barry M gelly polishes in Almond & Coconut

Nail polish wise in 2014 I've been reaching for nude nails much more than colours and my two favourites have both been Barry m gelly ones. The first is Almond which is a taupe nude shade, it's nude but a darker nude and it goes with everything. My second favourite is Coconut which is an off white shade and it's another great one for chucking on and knowing it will go with absolutely everything.

Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Stag

When it comes to eyeliners, I have never been fussy I've always just picked up a cheap black one from the drug store that was however before I came across Urban Decay eyeliners. They're so creamy and long lasting not to mention the array of colours they're available in. They are pricey but I personally think they're worth it.

Clinique Pore

This is what I like to refer to as my magic potion and it is without a doubt my favourite skincare item of 2014. Ever struggled with enlarged pores? you know the big ugly ones on your cheek, nose, t-zone because I know I have!! I don't suffer from these half as much anymore though and it is thanks to this, I've tried multiple 'enlarged pore hiders' as I like to call them but this is more an 'enlarged pore curer' which is of course much more beneficial for fixing the problem rather than disguising them. This is pretty high end for skincare but is there a price you wouldn't pay for good skin??

Eyelure 101 Lashes

I love wearing fake eyelashes when I'm doing anything nice because naturally I have rubbish eyelashes, they're quite short and there aren't loads of them so I really enjoy wearing nice full lashes. I hate over dramatic lashes because I like wearing them even if it's just for a date night or for a blog event so I like to wear ones that still look pretty natural but just give me that little boost. I like that they come in a set of three at the moment because it's better value than buying them individually and I love the Eyelure glue it comes with a lot better than 'Duo' glue.

Dessata Hair Brush

I love this brush, it's like a tangle teezer but in this beautiful rose gold colour. It also comes with a handbag compact version which as a girl who finds travelling light impossible really comes in handy for me.

Lush Melting Snowman

My favourite Lush product of the year is a fun one that I thought I would throw in because I absolutely adore Lush and use their products all year round. This one is my favourite Melting Snowman which is a Christmas release but I stocked up on this in the boxing day sale last year because I love him that much. He's a bubble bar so you only need to use a little of him at a time and he creates the most warming, spicy, Christmassy bath. I tend to have more baths during the colder months so it was obviously going to be a Christmas product that made it in here.

I hope you enjoyed seeing some of the products that I have loved throughout 2014, what have your favourites been?

Lots of Love,

♥

L'Oreal True Match Foundation || Review

Hellooo lovelies,

 As some of you may remember a few weeks ago I did a haul showing my new L'oreal True Match Foundations that I had bought. I had got stuck in a bit of a rut with my foundations and I only ever really used Nars Sheer Glow or Rimmel Wake Me Up. In fact in my whole entire life I have only ever purchased two drug store foundations (which is craaazy for a beauty blogger), I guess I always thought it was worth investing more when it came to your skin. However, there are some fabulous drug store bases out there and upon hearing that L'Oreal True Match was a dupe for the well loved Georgio Armani Luminous silk foundation I just had to give it a go.

 Packaging
 The packaging of this product is nothing particularly special but I actually quite like the simplicity of it and I love that it has a silver lid. This instantly makes it look a lot more chic than your average drug store foundation. A massive plus for me is that it has a pump because my bug bear is when foundations do not have a pump because it becomes impossible to get the amount of product out that you need. It's mainly the high end brands that pull the no pump stunt off though to get you to spend more of your money.

Consistency
 The consistency of this product actually really surprised me because it was a lot runnier than I expected. It has a consistency very similar to MAC's face and body so it runs very quickly and needs to be worked with quickly to avoid any foundation running onto clothes situations etc. This doesn't necessarily bother me but I do prefer to have a slightly longer time to work with it just in case I get distracted whilst doing my makeup. It's super blendable though and buffs into the skin really nicely.

Colour Match
 In terms of colour range, this foundation has got to be the best out there from the drug store. I've actually never come across a foundation with such an amazing colour range other than MAC before. It has every shade you could possibly ask for including cool, warm and neutral tones, however not every Boots store stocks every single shade available so make sure to keep an eye on that. I got mines in N2 for when I'm pale which is called 'Vanilla' purely because I felt the lightest neutral shade was a tad too light for me. Who knew there was a foundation TOO LIGHT for me when I don't have tan on, I was shocked too! The second shade I got was for when I am tanned either naturally or fake which is pretty much most days during the Summer is 'Golden Natural' which is the fourth warm shade. It has SPF 15 in it too so it's fabulous for during the Summer but beware of the flashback it will give if getting photo's taken so it's definitely one to avoid for prom, weddings, club nights etc.

Coverage
 This foundation definitely is not a full coverage foundation but I would say it could certainly be built up to be one. I'd say it's light to medium coverage, it covers the redness of spots but it definitely wouldn't completely mask your face and hide them completely. I personally would say it's the ideal consistency of a foundation for this time of year.

Longevity
 I've been trialing this foundation since I got it and it's lasted all day every day for me. It's very long lasting on my skin and I would say I have normal to oily skin. Occasionally I have used a primer under it if I've been applying make-up really early in the morning and needing it to last till late at night but other than that it's done the job great!

Price
 This foundation is slightly more pricy than other drug store foundations but only by a pound or two so I would say it's 100% worth the money. If it is a dupe for the Georgio Armani (which unfortunately I can't vouch for having not tried it) then it's definitely the one to buy because it's significantly cheaper.

Have you tried L'Oreal True Match? What did you think of it?

Lots of Love, 

A x x x

Previous Posts

Honey Love || MAC Mondays

Eucerin Cleanser || Skincare Saturdays

Nike, Topshop, Misguided & More Haul

MAC, Sleek, Rimmel, Accessorize And More Haul!

Helloo my lovelies,

On Saturday I went shopping in town with my boyfriend because I long needed a break from all my uni coursework which is why I haven't been posting as much as I usually would. Believe me I've had to resist the urge to give up and write a blog post many a time but I just don't have the time to put my best effort into it at the moment. I will be going back to posting 4/5 times a week when it's all finished though which (thankfully) is very soon! Anywaaay I ended up getting quite a few things but I still have another few bits and bobs on my list so you may well see a second haul before long! 

 Probably the most exciting thing I bought was a MAC lipstick in the shade Pink Pearl Pop, it's this gorgeous light pink and I looove it! It's a cremesheen lipstick although to me it looks sort of more like a Frost finish as it has tiny shimmery bits shot through it. I have four lipsticks on my MAC most wanted list at the moment so I was very, very restrained and only bought one but I have a feeling I'll be back before long...

 The next big thing I got was a new handbag! My current handbag is the Zara Office City bag which I do like but it is maaaassive which is great for when I have lots of textbooks or when I'm staying somewhere but for everyday it's just too big! I opted for this one from Accessorize because it's very Spring/Summer like and I love coral colours, plus it's smaller than the Zara Office City bag yet it still seems to fit loads into it. Usually with me when people say they can fit a lot into a bag, I'm like 'not my definition of a lot' because I carry a ridiculous amount of stuff around with me! But no.. this bag really is like a magic hideaway! I may do a what's in my bag with it to show you just how much stuff you can cram in here if you would be interested(??). It's not too dissimilar to the Michael Kors selma bag either, which I really love but just can't justify buying right now especially not in a pretty colour like this as it won't go with every outfit I wear.

 This bag also comes in a bright jade green colour which I love also and was debating between which colour to buy but I opted for the coral as I thought it would be more wearable with the clothes I wear. Who knows I may end up going back for the green!! It also comes in a navy shade and a pretty pastel, lilac shade which would also look really great for Spring!

This bag was only £32 pounds as well which is a bargain compared to the Michael Kors Selma!

 A little bit of a random purchase but I thought I'd throw it in anyway because I know how many people love Zoella! If by some chance you haven't heard of Zoella she's a You tuber and blogger and she's probably my biggest inspiration because like me she suffers from anxiety and panic attacks and she's given some pretty great advice on how to deal with them. So when I heard that she was going to be on the cover of Company magazine I just had to buy it! It also came with a free 'Company' mascara but I've not got high hopes for it since magazines own branded make-up never tends to be that great!

 As I'm sure you all know by now, Boots have 3 for 2 across everything in store right now so I thought I'd get myself in on some of that action! Firstly I picked up two bottles of my favourite ever foundation, Rimmel Wake Me Up in shade 100 and 201 for when I'm tanned. Then I picked up my favourite Concealer, Collections lasting perfection, two in shade 1 Fair and one in shade 3 Warm Medium for when I have fake tan on. The lady on the Boots counter actually said to me 'You do realise you've picked up all these in different shades' hahaha. I also got two samples of MAC's face and body foundation from Harvey Nichols in shades N5 for when I'm tanned and N2 for when I'm not. I'm really interested in buying this foundation but I have combination skin so I'm not too sure but I'd really like it for when I go to events where I'll be getting my photo taken as it doesn't have SPF in it. Have any of you tried it? What did you think? If any of you have any reviews on it then pleeeease link them below as I'd be really interested in reading them!

 In my coursework procrastination I was browsing Sleek's website and I noticed that they had two new blush palettes out that caught my eye. The first one was Californ.I.A. and the second was Pink Lemonade and I was going to buy these online but as you know I have a lot of trouble with parcel couriers so decided to just pick them up in store!

 The first palette is Californ.I.A. and it has three cream blushers in it. I actually only own one cream blusher and I really like it so I thought I would invest in some more and for just under 10 pounds for three blushers you can't complain! The shades are really gorgeous colours for Spring with peaches and pinks and I think cream blushers look extra nice in Spring and Summer. Sleeks products are always really good and I'm yet to find one that's disappointed me and their blushers pigment are definitely comparable to MAC in my opinion.

 Pink Lemonade is an equally gorgeous palette which is full of pink blushers so I obviously wasn't going to be leaving Superdrug without it (you all know my love of Pink!). It has two powder blushes which are a light pink and a corally toned pink and both have shimmer shot through them. The middle blush is called Macaroon which is just such a pretty name for a blusher and this one is a pink cream blush and all of these blushers will look beautiful this season. I really love Sleek's packaging with these aswell as it's very streamlined and fits into my make-up bag with ease. The mirrors super handy aswell because it's a big mirror and it saves me from carrying a compact one around with me! I will definitely be doing a review on these blush palettes soon so keep an eye out!

 The last item I bought was a Collection work the colour eyeshadow pencil in a chocolate brown shade called 'Hot Chocolate'. I already have two of these pencils 'Vanilla Sky which is a pretty white for highlighting and a dusky pink called 'Vintage Blush' and they are really good for a quick swipe, all over the lid colour. These are extremely creamy and blendable and this shade would be really nice for a crease or outer corner colour! They're extremely pigmented and they only cost a few pounds but I actually ended up getting this for free because of my other purchases.

Hope you enjoyed this post. Have you tried any of these products? What did you think of them?

Lots of Love,

A x x x