2014 Favourites

With 2014 over, it is now the time to look back at the best of the best for both make up and skincare. It's been reallllly hard to come up with just one favourite of each item but after much deliberation I have done it (...I think!)

Skincare

Make up Remover:

Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water: This product gets 10/10 straight up from me. This takes make up off in seconds and is so much cheaper than other micellar waters you can buy. To begin with this was the dupe of the Bioderma but the Garnier version is a great size and lasts a really long time. I'm only on my second bottle since the beginning of last year so it's great value for money too!

 

Cleanser:

Liz Earle Hot Cloth Cleanser: I have almost used this for a year now after a recommendation from a friend, and boy, am I happy she told me about this. 2014 was a turning point in my skin care routine. Before, I had loads of products but there was no routine or continuity to when I used them and what they were for. Now I understand my skin so much better and it is literally thanks to this product, it kicked started my passion for skincare and has made me into a total hoarder and lover of skin care. This product in particular is great, it's gentle on the skin with a creamy texture and can battle through even the most stubborn make up - including waterproof mascara! It's improved my skin no end, including texture, complexion and even tone. Definitely a 2014 favourite!

Treatment:

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo +: This stuff works wonders. It's literally amazing. This anti-blemish cream is light and fights the signs of oily blemish prone skin. If I ever get the signs of spot coming, I pop some of this on and by morning any redness is gone. A new feature of the duo + is that this can also fight the appearance of  marks on the skin. Again, another great product.

Eyes:

Super Facialist Vitamin C Brightening Eye Cream: Again, another find from last year and I've started to fall in love with the range by Una Brennan. This stuff claims to improve dark circles and I feel like I've really seen a difference. It's a light texture and you need the tiniest bit so it lasts for ages. 

Masks:

Super Facialist Rose Intense Moisture Mask: This has been a life saver in the winter months. My skin has become sooo dry so this mask is a real treat. It boosts the moisture levels in my skin and can work on even sensitive skin which is great as my skin can sometimes react badly to masks. You can have this on from as little as 5 minutes and still see results, so you can treat yourself even when you super busy!

Make up

Foundation: 

So the best foundation goes to..... Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua... AND Maxfactor Skin Luminizer.I couldn't pick between the two, and really, they're both very different foundations. The Chanel is great for when you just want a light base and don't need much else after i.e. a powder. The Maxfactor foundation gives better long term coverage and gives a nice healthy glow with its light reflective particles (sounds very fancy!). Both foundations are great, depending on the occasion.

Primer: 

This one goes to Pore-fessional by Benefit. It's a soft, lightweight texture and minimises the appearance of pores and fine lines. You can use it alone of under make up, I personally just sweep it across my face like a moisturiser before I put my foundation on.

Powder:

My favourite powder has definitely got to be the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish. This gives a lovely matte finish and provides perfect light coverage, to be used to set foundation or as a touch up throughout the day. It's also really handy to have in your bag as it also has a compact mirror... so as long as your aren't a 'dropper*' then have this in your bag for any much needed touch ups.

* If you are a dropper don't go and crack a) the powder and b) the mirror... Just leave it at home ;)

Bronzer: 

The body shop have come out with a few of my favourites last year and the Honey Bronzer has to be one of them. I'm quite a pale person so this bronzer is great for adding warmth and definition to my face. It also seems to last a long time, with mine still going strong since August last year!

Concealer: 

A reasonably new find which has ended up in my 2014 favourites is the Maybelline Instant Anti Age Eye Eraser. This has a weird spongy top which applies the product really nicely, and then i just blend it in with my ring finger. This one I only use under my eyes, not on blemishes. I find the Bourjois Java Rice Powder also goes really well with most under eye concealers and brightens up any dark circles.

Blusher: 

Since working at Boots I have really embraced the No7 brand. One  of my favourite finds has to be the blusher they have on offer. I have the shade coral flush and it's perfect for anything - day to day tasks and work but also for a night out or event, it adds just the right amount of natural 'flush' to your cheeks, and in such a beautiful shade!

Mascara: 

This was so tough to choose just one, but if I had to pick I'd say it has to be the 'They're Real!' mascara by Benefit. This gives great definition to my lashes, lengthens them, separates them and also gives volume. It's an all in one product and I absolutely love it. It may even be my all time favourite of 2014...!

Eye Palette:

This one goes to one of my long time loves - The NAKED2 Palette by Urban Decay. The range in this palette is great, it has anything for a day look or night and is a nice step up from the original NAKED palette. The pigmentation of these are also amazing and can just about last for a full day at work with no primer underneath what so ever, so you can imagine the wear of them with a primer as well.

Eye Liner:

My favourite eyeliner has been the same for quite a while now. Ever since I 'mastered' (ish) the cat eye look, I became obsessed with the Glam Eyes liquid eyeliner by Rimmel. This stuff is amazing. The wear is great - for a whole day it can just about stick around and it can last all night if I'm out. It also comes off nice and easy - might be down to the make up remover - but I'm not having to scrub at my eye just to get my eyeliner off, which is a plus in my book.

Eye Shadow:

I'm a big fan of anything that can make people think I put all my effort into a look, when really it was effortless. That's where the Maybelline Colour Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow comes into play. This can create the perfect base for any look, or make great smokey eye. I have a few shades including Immortal Charcoal, And on Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate.  

The Perfect Red combo: For lips I have split them into two different looks. First red, I would normally use  a red lip liner to help shape my lips... the weapon of choice: Rimmel's Exaggerate Full Colour Lip Liner. Then the lip stick: L'Oreal Collection Exclusive Pure Reds by Blake Lively. This red is to die for, the formulation is amazing, it stays on for hours, even when I'm drinking and eating, however it does transfer... so be careful!

The Natural Nude combo: For this Kylie Jenner-esque look I use the Model Co. Lip Enhancer Illusion liner in the shade nude, and on top I sweep over MAC's Creme Sheen Pure Zen and Soap and Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker in Pink Apricot. A great natural look for everyday or a statement eye!

Nail Varnish:

Summer shade - Essie's Mint Candy Apple was almost permanently on my nails last summer so it has to be in my 2014 favourites. I love any mint shade but the Essie formula just seems to last longer on my nails. It stayed on for a good week at a time with little or no chipping.

Winter shade -  In winter I tend to tone down the bright shades and go for more indulgent deep, dark shades. I really love a nice dark red on my nails, especially around Christmas time so I would say my favourite shade has to be the Barry M nail paint in Raspberry. Two coats of this and I'm good to go! I find it goes with most my clothes as well in winter (mainly because I live in black/white/grey sometimes with a splash of maroon or navy haha!) so it stays on my nails for a week or so, whether it wants to or not!

So that's it! My 2014 favourites for you all. Do have any favourites that stand out to you from last year?

Emma x

A look back at 2014

So a lot of these posts have cropped up, and I've had this waiting and meant to put it on yesterday but ended up forgetting! I'm gonna blame the fact that I was very busy sale shopping and stuffing my face at TGI Fridays... *woops*

     Photo from Pinterest

Anyway, last year was a very busy one for me, one where I tested my abilities, had enormous amounts of stress put upon me, jumped through hoops attempting to get a job, but also had amazing experiences with friends and family. I'm definitely a different person now, I've grown in myself (sounds cheesy, I know), and gained so much more confidence... These are a few of the valuable lessons I've learnt:

Don't be so harsh on myself:

This time last year I was at the beginning of a very long slog of applying for numerous jobs for part of my university course. My degree is Fashion Management at Nottingham Trent and for it to be a Sandwich degree, I have to spend a year out in industry to gain experience. As you can imagine I applied to anything and everything from ASOS, Debenhams, M&S, George and L'Oreal. The application process for all were exhausting - mentally and physically draining. Getting 'no' after 'no' can really start to knock your confidence and I found I began to doubt myself. Thankfully, in May I was offered a job at Boots which I was beyond excited about and it seemed to be the perfect fit. For me, the main thing I can take from that is to remember every 'no' you get means your learning every time, as long as you can have patience, the right job or whatever your looking for, will come to you.

Being organised really helps:

If my rooms tidy, my minds tidy. Last year really tested my organisation abilities and I'm sure a similar thing will happen this year. You can go into something with the best intentions and suddenly, half way into your assignment you realise you forgot to do that reading you were meant to do or type up your report. These things just creep up on you and end up knocking you down. The best thing to do is keep a diary/organiser and stick to it. This coming year I've got to juggle work, uni work and somehow create great relationships with those in my work place which will be valuable next year for my dissertation. I can already see that this will be a massive challenge so I've taken steps to make it easier for me. Organisation and foreseeing possible issues for me is key.

Take every experience as it comes:

This past year I've been through some amazing experiences and enjoyed them all. My downfall: before I go to things - especially ones that I don't know about details wise - I tend to freak out. I really like to know what's going on and when I don't I can end up ruining it for myself before I even go. I've experienced quite a few already at Boots and they really don't tell you anything until your there. They all turn out to be really good, I've been the same when I go on holiday or even on a city break. I just needed to learn to take a step back and take it for what it is.

I'm really excited for 2015, I know it's going to be a difficult year in terms of work but I'm determined to stick to some new resolutions for the new year.

Firstly, the old favourite, exercise and eat healthy!

Yes, I know that is so cliche but it's true. I want to be on a beach in summer and feel confident about how I look, hopefully with few self conscious body worries. Don't we all have that slight feeling of wanting to look like a Victoria's Secret Angel? No? Just me?

I don't necessarily want to loose weight, just have more definition and tone, so i'll be doing more muscle workouts than cardio, though I am going to attempt to take up running (God help me). On the eating healthy side of things, don't get me wrong, I don't binge and eat jars of nutella or cheeseburger after cheeseburger... I have a pretty balanced diet already, but mainly want to eat less of the bad, so less chocolate, sweets and crisps etc. However, I'm not about to punish myself for indulging on a bag or two every now and then of giant cadbury buttons! I just want to feel a bit more confident come summer.

Next there is one I realllllly want to stick to: create great, more focused content for the blog

I think my main downfall on my last blog was creating random posts. I want to start having some kind of organisation to my blog, keeping a theme of beauty running throughout but also having set posts of 'monthly favourites' and regular updates on changes to my everyday make up routine, or skincare etc. Throw in a few outfit of the day posts and instagram updates of the week and that will be the jist of this blog. Hopefully looking very organised! 

Then there's another hard one: To stop comparing myself

It sometimes feels, in all aspects of life, that there is a competition. When I was apply for jobs I wasn't just up against all the girls on my course, but girls and guys all over the country trying to apply for a job and I'm telling you now, it's dog eat dog out there. But there's not only that, I find my self comparing myself to those I work with now, people on the same scheme as me, friends, friends of friends, celebrities, other bloggers, the list could go on! All I need to do is stop, at the end of the day you need to feel good about yourself before others can see how good you are.

Finally, one I'm sure many of us are trying to do after Christmas: Save money

With me earning from my job this year, I feel like I'm rich everyday pay day comes around -- similar to that feeling you get when your student loan comes in, but it lasts longer and comes round more frequently! However, I am very veryyyy aware that come September, I will not be earning and will be a poor student once again... this time with a car to run. So it is at the forefront of my mind, that yes, while I have the money I should enjoy it, but I should also attempt to save at least some of it!

Quite a few goals there, and I aim to stock to the majority of them! May as well aim high! I hope that 2015 is a great year for you all, have you made any resolutions/goals for this year?

Emma x