2014’s Top 10 Favourites

Image taken from weheartit.com

This is a post that is long overdue, and I’m finally getting the time to write it! As regular readers will know I’ve been away on holiday the past two weeks so any posts I usually have up on my blog at the start of each month, haven’t really been there this month. Great start to the year eh?

But better late than never eh?

I’m going to show my top ten favourites from the year and there might be a few from 2013, but I don’t care. If it’s a good product, I’m mentioning it!

• Garnier Pure Active Wasabi Fresh Face Scrub.

I’ve mentioned this on my favourites in the past and it has definitely been a great scrub to add to my bathroom in 2014! It’s actually for men, but this works perfectly on my female, sensitive skin so I’m not complaining. My boyfriend uses this too and I noticed a dramatic change in his skin, so it isn’t just me who noticed how good it is. This isn’t the cheapest scrub but I’ve owned this for months now, I use it twice a week and it’s still lasting me ages. There is also a face wash to go with the scrub but I won’t be trying it, maybe my boyfriend will in the future. Since using this scrub I’ve noticed any dry patches on my face have vanished and any signs of blackheads have dramatically evaporated. I highly recommend this scrub, even if you have sensitive skin like I do.

• Lush Comforter Bubble Bar.

I love Lush, regular readers will know this. I bought this bubble bar for the first time months ago when I went to Bristol for mine and my boyfriends first anniversary and it’s safe to say I have fallen in love with it. I’d always smelt it in the shop and loved it’s replica smell of Ribena but as soon as I eyed the price I left it. I regret never buying it until 2014 as this bubble bar lasts ages! The scent is so strong that you only need a little chunk and it’ll go a long way. I’ve found myself getting a good six baths out of one bar, some may prefer to use the whole bar in one bath or two halves to make two baths but I’m quite stingy with my Lush products and I like to make them last. This is really good for the skin and not only does it leave me feeling nice and soft, but it leaves me smelling gorgeous too! I love using this on days where I’m having a lazy day in the house and want a pick me up. It’s also nice to use before you go to sleep as when you get under the covers you can smell it for ages. This is definitely going to be a bath staple for me now.

• Easy Nails Fast & Fruity Nail Polish Remover.

This is by far one of the best nail polish remover pots I have ever used and that includes Bourjois too. Bourjois nail polish remover pot was the first one I tried and for how much it cost, I was incredibly disappointed. I’ve recently got it back out of my nail polish drawer to try and use up as I’m sick of the sight of it now. For less than a £1 you can pick up the Easy Nails pot and it does a hell of a lot more than the Bourjois one has ever done. I pop my finger in, twist it back and forth ten times and I’ll pull it out as clean as the nail was before I applied the polish on the nail. I stock up on these as soon as my current one feels dry. With glitter nail polish I don’t find it works as well as the aluminum foil technique does (if you don’t know what I’m talking about, Google it. But I will write about this technique very soon) but I don’t want it to get rid of glitter polish. It’s just so great to use and quick too. I wish I had taken one on holiday with me as it would have come in handy when I painted my nails there.

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet.

I’ve written a review for this before and whilst I’ve now replaced this with Clinique, I still loved it in 2014 and would be lying if I said otherwise. This was perfect during the summer and my prayers were answered when it came out as it was boiling outside and this really did cool me down. As well as that it left my skin feeling super moisturised and feeling soft. This was rumoured to have some sort of matte texture to it, but I didn’t really notice that myself. I took this on holiday with me and it really did keep my skin feeling cool, soft as well as feeling good in the evenings. This is great to use both in summer and winter but I do find the benefits of the cooling sensation work a hell of a lot better when the weather is warmer. If you want to read more about this, definitely check out the review for it!

• Carmex Moisturising Lip Balm.

Another product I’ve reviewed  and used time and time again. I’m currently using it as it’s my go to lip balm whilst I’m in the house. I first tried this after attending VintSetFest and this was in my goodie bag. I’d heard nothing but good things about Carmex but never really thought to use them before but now I love them! I even bought the strawberry flavour not long after getting the original one, which I haven’t loved as much but it’s still good and what I used whilst I was on holiday. I probably won’t buy another one of these for a while just because I want to use my current lip balms up, but I think the next one I will try out will either be cherry or mint.

• The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector.

I’ve mentioned this hand cream many times and a year later I’m still using the same tube! This tube really is huge and a little bit of this hand cream does go a long way. As this one is for dry to very dry skin it’s perfect for when my hands begin to show signs of eczema and so far my hands haven’t had any issues… Well apart from when I landed in the UK from my holiday, my one knuckle split. Hello cold weather, much? I use this before I head out and whilst I’m out and about, as I often use other hand creams in the house. I definitely recommend this hand cream to anyone who suffers with eczema like myself.

• MAC Lipstick in Goddess of the Sea.

This is the last MAC lipstick I bought and it’s definitely one of my favourites. It’s a gorgeous purple shade and is cremesheen so it not only lasts ages but looks slightly glossy too. I can’t wait to try this underneath my new Estee Lauder lip liner as I’m sure it’ll look beautiful. I have used it with a dark purple lip liner and it looks really dark and gothic, which I rather like. I especially love the packaging for this due to the water effect, something I am a huge nerd of (I love water!) so this appealed a lot when I went to buy it. I don’t wear this shade as much as I do with some of my MAC lipsticks because it’s limited edition. I think if I find it somewhere cheap I’ll definitely buy myself a back up.

• Viktor & Rolf BonBon EDP.

Since the start of 2014 when bloggers started to announce the release of these and tell us all the notes and how yummy it smelt I was excited. So when it finally came out in the UK and on the shelves to test out and buy, I gave it a sniff as soon as I could. I fell in love with it, but however I didn’t fall in love with the price and for ages I put off buying it. However before I went to uni I decided it was time to use the points I earn at work to use to buy this, so this cost me NOTHING, not a single penny! I took this on holiday with me and was lovely to wear on days when I wanted something light, but powerful enough to last all evening. If you haven’t smelt this yet, please make sure to as it’s not like anything that is out there at the moment, plus the bottle is adorable.

• Macadamia No Tangle Brush.

I’ve owned this brush over a year now and it’s by far the best brush I have ever owned. I got it for £10 at VintSetFest and since then I’ve not replaced it, although I do need to buy another one asap as this one is getting a little battered now. It’s a no tangle brush, as the title states so it helps me to brush my long hair without ripping, causing damage, or causing any pain to myself. It also feels really nice to use due to the soft bristles. I especially like that this has a handle as it’s easier to hold and means I can have control whilst brushing my hair, unlike brushes like Tangle Teezer’s. I definitely recommend this brush over the Tangle Teezer.

• OPI Nail Lacquer in How Is Your Dane?

This is by far my favourite nail polish by OPI that I own and there’s a couple of reasons why. First of all the name, which is shared by my boyfriend, who is called Dane. I of course love the shade too, which is a beautiful chocolate-brown shade with a gel like finish. I was going to wear this on holiday but decided against it incase it got ruined due to the heat, or any other reasons. This is definitely the perfect polish to wear throughout autumn and winter, but will be nice to wear throughout all of the year. I like to wear it with glitter nail polish, as well as with a matte top coat to give it a different finish.

So those are my top ten favourite products from 2014! There are already so many more things I’ve found for my top ten for 2015 already.

What were your favourites from 2014? Make sure to let me know in the comments down below.

Until next time, take care all.

July Favourites 2014

I can’t believe it’s August already and I also can’t believe it’s been raining. I started writing this post up on Friday and literally sighed after each time that I looked out the window, how dramatic huh?

This months favourites are pretty summery, which is to be expected after all the lovely weather we’ve been having the past month. Fingers crossed this rain passes so we have some more.

There are quite a lot of new products featured on here that I’ve either only just reviewed or really need to get round to reviewing, sooo if you see anything you would like to see being reviewed, PLEASE let me know in the comments!

This post is going up later than my usual favourites posts, but I’ve just been so busy and such that I sadly didn’t get time to post this until today. Oh well, better late than never!

Image taken from thebodyshop.co.uk

• The Body Shop Banana Shampoo.

The reason this is a picture taken from The Body Shop’s website and not an actual photo of said product is because I don’t actually own this shampoo… But my boyfriend does. I bought him this just before we went to Bristol in June as part of his anniversary present and to this day he has loved it. Whenever I stay at his house I use this shampoo and it really does leave my hair feeling soft and smooth, as well as looking healthy. The most appealing thing to me about this shampoo is the smell! It smells like real bananas, which makes me happy, as (random fact!) I’m actually allergic to bananas and due to this I often have to avoid banana things that contain actual bananas, just incase they cause me to flare up. However I gladly discovered in Bristol that this shampoo doesn’t set off any allergic reactions, so since then I’ve used this on and off. I do intend to buy my own bottle of this soon, when however, I don’t know! This is for all hair types and I really do recommend it, especially if you love the smell of banana as much as I do!

• The Body Shop Body Sorbet in Strawberry.

When I heard about this coming out well before June, I KNEW I needed it in my life! As much as I love having soft skin, like pretty much most women out there I loathe moisturising. It can take ages (well 10 minutes for myself) and never wants to sink in as quickly as well all hope. I have found moisturisers that DO sink in, as well as the patience to apply them, but during the recent hot summer days it just feels too hot and clammy to wear any moisturiser. However, The Body Shop have brought out their Body Sorbet’s just in time! These cooling moisturisers help keep your skin soft and smooth, as well as cool feeling and smelling gorgeous. They come in 5 scents and the one I picked up was Strawberry, my favourite Body Shop scent. You can read my full review for this here, but I have  loved using this throughout July and I know I’ll continue to enjoy it throughout the rest of the year, not just during summer.

• Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy EDP.

This is the only celebrity fragrance I currently own and is by far one of my favourite fragrances to wear. It smells gorgeous and lasts all day and for an 100ml bottle it costs just £19.99, bargain eh? But anyhoo, as to why I like this in the first place… When the weather is really warm I often reach for stronger perfumes and this is probably one of the first ones I will reach for, for many reasons. Not only is it a strong perfume but it also smells of blueberries, which is a really nice for the summertime, I think anyway. I’m near the end of my massive 100ml bottle, so I am going to be buying a new bottle really soon as I can’t really live without it. I love wearing this for work as well as over the weekend as it’s just a lovely perfume to use to keep you smelling beautiful all day long.

• The Body Shop Vitamin E Aqua Boost Sorbet.

I heard about this coming out over the pond in America because it had even hit shelves over here in the UK the same time as the Body Sorbet and I have to say how much I love this stuff! I was hesitant to purchasing it, even after testing it out in store (and admittedly falling in love with it) I didn’t feel it was worth the price tag of £12. However I walked around town for a while after trying it and decided that it was actually something I needed in my life, even for £12. The sorbet is both cooling and very hydrating for the skin, as well as that it’s also meant to leave your skin with a matte finish too, which is pretty much what my skin needs, as it’s combination. I already know I’ll be re-purchasing this moisturiser, and will be writing a review up of it very soon! My skin has improved so much since using it.

• Benefit Benebalm Hydrating Tinted Lip Balm.

I can’t remember when these came out, but I remember reading about them being released and I was so damn excited! There are four of them to choose from and when I went shopping with my friend Poppy back in June in Milton Keynes, we popped into Boots and my advantage points were burning a hole in my pocket, so I decided to treat myself to this lip balm and I’m really glad I did! It was a tough choice between Benebalm, Lollibalm and Chachabalm, but I love my reds so this one won! This lip balm is super hydrating and lasts for ages. It’s been a staple for long close shifts at work, where I’m usually too busy to get a chance to keep reapplying lip products. It’s nice worn alone or underneath/over a red lipstick. I’ve teamed it with my Lush Santa Baby Lip Tint (review here) quite a lot throughout June and it’s worked really well! I’ll definitely be reviewing this soon, as well as buying the other balms in future.

• MAC Goddess of the Sea Lipstick.

As many will know, this lipstick is from the Alluring Aquatic collection and one I snapped up pretty much before it was due to be taken off the shelves forever. I was going to buy this lipstick in Bristol after swatching it the first day I was there, but by Monday it was taken off of the shelves and I was told it was no longer available to buy. Fast forward a week or two later and I had it in my possession! I picked it up from the MAC counter in Birmingham’s Selfridges and the woman who sold it me was so lovely! Anyhoo… This shade is gorgeous! A dark violet-purple and due to it being a cremesheen it is perfect to wear during the summertime, as it feels comfortable and the colour just works perfectly! I’ve been wearing this loads during my time off work, as well as in work. I’ve had many compliments on it and upon telling customers it was by MAC they just sighed and said, “I can’t afford MAC!” oh dear. xD But anyhoo… This WILL be reviewed in the future, probably one of the days this month. I can’t wait to review it quite frankly as this has fast turned into one of my favourite MAC lipsticks and I wish I had picked up two of these now so that I had a spare for the future.

• Maybelline Baby Lips in Cherry Me.

As my previous reviews of Baby Lips show (Mint Fresh review and Pink Punch review), I’ve owned these lip balms before and whilst I loved them at first, I slowly grew for forget their existence and for a while they just sat in the bottom of my handbag gathering handbag dust. However everyone has always ranted and raved about Cherry Me the most, including my closest friends. SO I decided to pick it up for myself to see what was so great about it, and I really do love this lip balm. It reminds me so much of Nivea’s Lip Balm in Cherry, which I used to own and use every moment of the day when I was at school. I remember it well and the scent just reminds me of that time. I pretty much just have this lip balm for work to apply to my dark and red lipsticks, it works beautifully over Rebel, for example. I can see this being my go to lip balm for winter time mind as it tastes gorgeous, smells gorgeous too and is lovely to wear and quick to apply! Another product I’ll be reviewing soon!

• Simple Kind To Eyes Soothing Eye Balm.

This is an eye balm I have gone back to time and time again and this is it. It’s always been gentle on the skin around my eyes, as well as doing what it actually should. Other eye balms don’t compete against this one, price tag included on that! I’m just glad to have this back in my beauty regime as it’s just something I can’t really live without. In this warm and humid weather it can make my eyes feel very dry and tired, but this eye balm leaves them feeling cool and awakened, which is definitely what I need for early starts at work! A roller ball eye gel would work wonders too, but I never find these work as well as they should. I definitely recommend this one though if you’re after something cheap and cheerful, which will actually do what it says on the tin.

• Ciate Nail Polish in Pillow Fight.

This was a freebie in Marie Claire magazine back in June and I picked up two of these magazines for the nail polishes. I wrote about the first Ciate set I picked up, but I managed to get myself another set, which included Pillow Fight. Pillow Fight is a gorgeous purpley grey nail polish and something different, that I knew I needed to have in my collection for autumn and winter. This being said I have been wearing it a lot over the course of June and it has worked beautifully with some glitter nail polish too! I would definitely and probably will in the future buy the full size version of this, as it’s just too gorgeous not to keep in my collection.

• The Body Shop Hand Cleanse Gel in Strawberry.

I love scented hand sanitizers and whilst I love my Pocketbac’s, they’re too pricey to keep using 24/7, so I opt for The Body Shop’s versions instead. I’ve pretty much tried all of them bar a couple and my most recently used one is Strawberry, which has fast become one of my favourites. I keep these in my handbag to use whilst on the go, as well as for work and I always get lovely compliments about how gorgeous they smell, mainly from my manager who can always smell when I’ve used it! They usually have their hand sanitizers on 3 for 2, so I always pick some up whenever I pop into The Body Shop!

So those are my favourites for July! What products did you enjoy using last month? Make sure to let me know in the comments.

Until next time, take care all and I hope you had a great weekend!