2017 FAVOURITE FAVOURITES | PART 2

*this post contains affiliate links and/or press samples

If we can all just overlook my New Year 'announcements' about my posting schedule and indeed the lack of any posts since that very announcement and instead dive into Part 2 of my yearly favourites. Yes it may be woefully overdue but it is (April!) favourites time.

Once again my review of 2017 favourites features items that were very much staples throughout the year. Everyone approaches their yearly favourites different whether only speaking of new releases from that year or items that featured in monthly favourites. For my review I like to reference the products that were picked up repeatedly, not just over one or two months but over the course of that year.

All that said my first two favourites were a 2017 release, They're Real Double The Lip from Benefit*. A quirky innovative product that features a teardrop shaped bullet in two complimenting shades. The darker tip provides your liner and the fuller end fills in your lip. Admittedly I haven't paid much attention to the application process and it's been the shades Revved Up Red and Nude Scandal that I've enjoyed. Revved Up Red is the perfect everyday red shade, not too bright but enough pigment to have my favoured red lip in evidence. The 'USP' of this release was it's method of tilting the lip bullet to apply your lip liner and then using the fuller part to fill the lip. For me I tend to just apply in one go and find it works well enough although as wear has applied the teardrop shaped has rounded so even if I were to use the application method (and indeed my application is reason enough for the shape to change) it wouldn't quite work. And more sadly as I reached for Revved Up Red last week the bullet, which is thinner than your regular lipstick actually snapped leaving me devastated. Now I'm slightly torn with whether to replace or rely on the other 3973729576 red lipsticks I own!

Another favourite which is reached for when the Autumn season arrives but is still being reached for as recently as last week is Milani Color Statement Lipstick in Plum Rose. This Milani lipstick feels oddly nostalgic in so much as it feels like the traditional lipsticks I knew and loved in my younger years. The packaging isn't anything special and the lipstick formula is rich and creamy. Not matte, not a liquid lipstick just a good old lipstick. The shade Plum Rose is described as a rich mauve but on the pink end of the scale. You're wearing lipstick but its an obvious subtle shade which I find more wearable than a nude.

When I did want a nude it was Burts Bees Lip Shimmer in Peony I'd reach for. I think I saw this on Alessandra Steinherr and was instantly taken with it as if I'm wearing a nude lip I like a pink tone. On that note Mac Syrup has been another and longterm favourite and recently repurchased. Both shades are easy wearable Pinks. The cliched 'your lips but better'  and really I'm inclined to abandon any other nude shades and stick with these. Burts Bees as the name suggests has a shimmer whereas Mac Syrup whilst a lustre is more subtle. Both these shades compliment the rare occasions I wear a heavier eye look or more likely the days I wanted to wear lipstick but didn't want the full impact of a red or similar.

The final in the lip pick for 2017 is a strange one because its a favourite on one hand and troublesome on the other. To explain the Clarins Lip Comfort Oil hit the beauty scene and everyone was in raptures and I was somewhat bemused at 'how good could it really be'. I then received a sample and first couple of uses I felt that it was nice but still didn't join the bandwagon. As I'm in the continued state of wanting to use what I have before I'm able to purchase others I had this sitting atop my dressing table and would apply as part of my morning and evening skincare regimes and watched my lips transform from a dry mess that I finally saw what everyone was raving about.

So impressed was I that I decided to purchase in it's full size, picking Red Berry to add a tint to my lips and I once again swayed from loving and hating the product in equal measure. I certainly found Red Berry stickier than the one I'd previously used and in part due to my lip colour found it didn't so much as add any colour apart from some pooling around my lip line. I also wasn't a fan of the large sized applicator, prefer a more traditional size, the larger seeming to make far too much mess and cause wastage. I still found the quality of the product itself and the benefits to my lips outweighed any of my gripes and I would buy again, just perhaps in the traditional 'shade'.

Perhaps my stand out product of 2017 and even into 2018 has been Milani's Luminiso Blush. A cult blogger favourite that I've myself mentioned many times on these pages it's a fail safe blush which accompanies any make up look. On appearance it's a peach shade but leans enough to the pink to make it a colour I enjoy to wear. There is a shimmer but not sparkle that suit my mature skin and it's pigmented enough to make a statement without being overbearing. On my trip to the US last year I picked up a replacement as unfortunately the product outlasted the packaging and it was making transporting it cumbersome and I didn't want to find myself in a situation where it became damaged and I was left without.

Finally it's my mascara favourite, all from L'Oreal who have become, if not always been my go to brand for mascara and last years picks were; Volume Million So Couture, False Lash Sculpt and Lash Paradise. Volume Million and False Lash Sculpt were a duo I enjoyed together, the former a fave alone for simple looks. The favourite for long volumised lashes was Lash Paradise and I agree with all the rave reviews but for the fact on me it does have some fall out but there are few mascaras that I don't suffer that fate with.

Sorry this post took so long for me to hit publish on and indeed I do hope I can pick up with some more regularly blogging in coming weeks - I've missed it.

2017 Fragrance Favourites

If you were to ask my holy grail fragrance it would be Chanel Coco Mademoiselle but two favourites this year that always make me smile and bring about a waft of memories are those that I reach for as the seasons change.

As the leaves turn orange and a chill in the air beings I bring out Jo Malone Ginger Biscuit and I am instantly ready for the fun that Autumn brings and indeed the festive season. Original released in 2013 as part of the Sugar and Spice Collection it was an instant hit but alas Limited Edition. Thankfully my prayers were answered when it was added to the line up of returning fragrances available only in London's Regent Street store.

I defy anyone to not find themselves licking their lips at the description of Ginger Biscuit from Jo Malone website 'Just-baked biscuit. Spiced with ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon, melting into caramel. Butter crumbly with roasted hazelnuts. Warmed by tonka bean and vanilla. Irresistible.' literally good enough to eat.

This scent certainly has a sweetness but with an spiciness that makes it mature and warm and just perfect for this time of year. It's strong without being too overpowering and lasts well into the evening after it's first spritz. I am slowly coming to the end of this bottle so I will look forward to marking the arrival of Autumn this year with a trip to purchase a new bottle.

Summer still seems so far away but when it does indeed arrive I will be jumping straight back onto the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess bandwagon. I first picked up a bottle two Summers ago and have finished off one bottle already but I'm lucky enough to have a new bottle lined up ready to go but will once again make a plea that they offer a travel sized version.

It's everything cliched about scent for the Summer months yet with an anything but cliched finish. Again like Ginger Biscuit it's different from the fragrances I'd usually wear but it just works so perfectly for the warmer months and reminds me now of so many holidays I have been on.

What scents have you loved in 2017 or indeed are you looking forward to trying in 2018?

*this post contains affiliate links

2017 FAVOURITE FAVOURITES | PART 1

Today's review of favourite make up products from 2017 is quite interesting as 2017 was very different for my due to spending half of the year not working and the other half finding my feet in my job and getting back into waking to an alarm and getting myself into the office on time.

For those reasons the type of make up products I was using varied more than they would usually depending on what I might be doing beyond the routine of 'office make up' and also the fact I spent much of the time putting myself on a spending ban of sorts and committing myself to using the products that I actually owned or decluttering them.

I also looked back on my 2016 Favourites (Part 1 and Part 2) and there were one or two duplicates so rather than repeat them here I'll be doing a 'Where Are They Now' post next week so please look out for that.

I tried one or two new primers in 2017 including GOSH Primer Plus and Lottie London Insta Filter Power Eraser Stick but it's Benefit Porefessional I've returned to for the most part of the year. Whilst I know many aren't a fan due to it's silicone texture it's one I find that works best for me and smooths out the appearance of my pores before applying foundation. In the latter months I've been using this combined with a small sample of Wet n Wild Focus Photo Primer which despite being the Matte Version feels hydrating to my skin and gives the boost of moisture I need as my skin leads to dry at this time of year. I'm still keeping to my 'spending ban' in 2018, certainly until I visit the US again in April, but Benefits new release, Porefessional Pearl Primer may be the product to break it.

As I mentioned above my make up choices changed whilst I wasn't working and none more so than with the products I'd reach for as my base. When working full time of a weekend I will happily pop to the supermarket without a stitch on but whilst I was 'unemployed' I found my errand running and the fact I had some time on my hands did call for a little more coverage but certainly not one that would be too heavy and unnecessary. As part of my decluttering I decided to return to ByTerry Light Expert Click Brush* which if you refer to my initial review will possibly shudder at how old.

I had actually purchased this product in its original version and was then invited to it's relaunch event but due to the products light coverage it wasn't a product I would reach for day to day when working and again as I've said at a weekend I tend to be make up free but that meant it was the perfect product for those days when I wanted 'that help'. Interestingly the more I've used it on those days of 'unemployment' I've reached for it even on days in the office when I just wasn't interested in bothering with make up but didn't want to scare anyone! It really does give a velvety look and feel to the skin and if you want to fool people into think you're fresh faced this is the product to look at.

I'm torn between suggesting it's overpriced at £48 and then looking at the product I have left to use (just under half) and acknowledging it's had some very regular usage over the past year (in fact it was my base of choice for this past weekend celebrating New Year with friends at an AirBnb) and last such a long time when you consider it made an appear in March 2017's favourites post.

Last month I hit publish on a blog post featuring some new favourites under £6, one of which was The Ordinary Coverage Foundation, and if I had indeed published a December Favourites this would have been in it. Since I purchased it has been my go to foundation for daily use and looks natural with a medium coverage. It doesn't particularly last long after a day in the office so for those evenings I'm heading out, or indeed when I was running around London all day on job interviews or more recently when I knew I'm heading out for Christmas drinks I'll apply Chanel Le Teint Ultra Tenue Ultrawear Flawless Foundation, one of Chanels fuller coverage and long lasting foundations. For this reason it's not something I want to wear every day nor take the time to apply it as easily as I can the two previous products I've mentioned (those work well just using fingers) but it's my go to since they reformulated Make Up Forevers HD Foundation which was my original holy grail.

Finally are two products that I didn't instinctively think to include because I've allocated them in my own filters as 'Summer products' and certainly two that work as a duo, Bare Minerals Foundation in shade Medium Beige and B. Pro Contour Stick* in Universal Shade.

Bare Minerals Foundation is an old favourite with the B. Contour Stick being a new introduction this year. I favour the contour shade rather than the highlight and like that it is thinner than other contour sticks I've used in the past so ideal especially for contouring the nose. Applied first I then blend with the mineral foundation and it creates the perfect coverage and base for warmer days - it's just unfortunate I find it cumbersome of travelling with.

That brings part one to a close, what favourite products featured in your 2017 round up?

*this post contains press samples and affiliate links

Happy New Year | 2018

Happy New Year - is there anything more satisfying than it beginning on a Monday?

I'm not typically one for reflective nor goal setting posts for my blog and I have sat in front of the laptop trying to put something of it's sort together and it does not appear to be happening. Yes I could offer some platitudes about my intentions for these pages but quite simply my only goal is to return to the more frequent blogging of previous years.

The good news for me is that whilst I've not found myself actually writing and hitting publish on posts I have still been working in background taking photos with the intention of sharing them so some of the hard work has been done.

For the next month I hope to publish on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays as I think that will work well with my lifestyle - time will tell and before I fail on the aforementioned schedule and the final hours of the first day of the new year slip away I shall hit publish and wish you all the best for 2018 - lets see where it takes us.

New In Beauty and Skincare - All Under £6

As I gathered together my recent beauty purchases I realised that they were for the most part under £6 which is rather fabulous - although of course when you add them all up it's not so budget friendly but we'll overlook that for now!

Continuing with my current obsession with Aldi I threw their Activ Roll On Deodorant into my basket on a recent shop having seen reviews where people spoke highly of it and for 59p I thought it was an experiment I could afford. Thus far I'm pretty impressed. Whilst I do love Sure Maximum Protection it isn't the cheapest of products and I'm sure half is lost gathering in the holes of the lid no matter how clean I try to keep it. Whilst I don't think Aldi's will replace regular use of Sure it'll mix things up and add to Sure's longevity.

Sticking with the Aldi products, those of you who are regular Aldi shoppers will be familiar with their Special Buys, products that are released on either a Thursday or Sunday 'until stocks last'. They do make reappearances and range from the sublime to the ridiculous and their beauty and skincare ranges often cause bulk buying and stock piling from fans.

I really didn't need to pick up Lacura Mineral Powder and Aldi really isn't helping my streamlining of my make up collection but I was swept up in the moment. Having enjoyed using my Bare Minerals Powder Foundation this summer I thought, with a trip to the hot and humid Orlando next month perhaps this could be another 'dupe' (is Aldi becoming the new Make Up Revolution I ask myself).

First impressions were the packaging isn't ideal for the product. The lid is too deep to allow the brush easily sweep up the product and so I found myself tipping powder into the lid and back into the 'sifter' side to apply. The brush is also dreadful. I had heard mentioned that it shed and as I applied I thought I was doing ok until I went for a closer look and found a near on beard appearing. I'm currently on the fence with whether to put away till next Summer or admit defeat and clear space in my make up collection.

I have been using the Caviar Night Cream from Aldi in between other products but I really don't enjoy it. Despite not being a fan of Lavendar I thought I'd give their new version a try and it's another thumbs up from. Likewise the eye cream whilst not a replacement for my favoured Kiehls Midnight Recovery Eye helps avoid using either too quickly and cause a dent in the bank balance when it's time to replace. The Aldi offerings are both priced at £3.99, the cost of which can easily be hidden in my weekly shop.

The mascara's were another product everyone was raving about in the forums so I again decided to get involved. I have tried a mascara from Aldi previously and wasn't too impressed but these both had different brushes, the fuller type I like and were screaming volume. For £2.49 again it was worth trying them out.

I have since tried both products and been most impressed on arriving to the office and proceeding with my usual check under the eyes in the lift to remove any transfer that there was none. This is unheard off.

I do find the brushes a little too big that I get a lot of product on my lids, more so with the XXL Extreme Version and yet on my lashes there isn't so much. It's nicely defined and really does lengthen them but at the weekend I applied to one eye and the other with my L'Oreal Lash Paradise and the latter was certainly more evident and volumised although if you don't like that heavy look then you may indeed prefer Aldi's offering.

I don't think I'd necessarily look to replace either of these or 'bulk buy' as many seem to do when they are re-released but they were both worth trying and are serving me well currently.

Finally I was holding off hitting publish on today's post as I waited to have sampled The Ordinary skincare items; as weeks have passed and I've still yet to dabble yet am loving the foundation I thought I'd hope that publishing my post would finally give me the kick I need to add them to my skincare regime.

 

Starting with The Ordinary Coverage Foundation which I am loving and it's my go to foundation of choice at present.  I wouldn't say it's the fullest coverage foundation I own but it balances the bridge between natural and full nicely for me. I do find that it suits me better when my skin is on the oiler side, if not gets better throughout the day as my natural oils escape so I'd be conscious if my skin type was the end of either.

 

The packaging is fantastic and for its size and how frequently I'm using I expected it to be one of those products you think is a great price until you're replacing so frequently you should've invested in more expensive products but it's still going strong.

 

The Retinol and Vitamin C products I picked up completely consumed by the blog coverage until panic set in about how to use, ensuring SPF is worn and being wary of the side effects of retinol usage but I think I've done sufficient research to start adding them to my routine.

 

What products have you been buying recently?