Monthly Favourites | January 2013

The end of the month is upon us and I cannot believe we are already 30 days into 2013 - I'm still writing 2012!!! This is my first monthly favourites blog post so please do enjoy!

Make-Up

 

First is my Stila Tinted Moisturiser in Bare 02*. I love this because it has medium coverage but feels like a second skin.

My MUA Pro Base Concealer Palette is a new release this month but will be in my makeup bag for a while - the peachy shade works great for undereye circles.

Another MUA product... the Bronzed Perfection was so hard to get hold of but I was determined to get it after seeing FleurdeForce use it and I loove it! It provides the perfect glow to Casper the Friendly Ghost-esque complexions.

The e.l.f Clarifying Pressed Powder is such a holy grail product for me and it never seems to run out!

I am a huge fan of the Natural Collection blushers and my new shade, Sugar Plum, is no exception - it is such a nice neutral taupe-y brown.

Last but not least is my MUA Undressed Palette that is so cheap at only £4 but works so beautifully - the black shade (11) is great in the outer crease.

Skincare, Bodycare and Haircare

 

I got S+G's Peaches and Clean Cleanser for Christmas after hearing MissBudgetBeauty rave about it forever and I completely get what she's on about! It is so smoothing yet really refreshing and cleansing - a-ma-zing!

The Dove deodorants have always been my go-to and this Green Tea and Cucumber scent is so fresh and simple.

Primark Beauty Deep Cleansing Wipes are the ONLY wipes I can find that don't irritate my eyes and they work brilliantly.

In the little white pot is the Benefit Tripe Performing Facial Emulsion that I got as a sample when I made an order and I have been wearing this daily underneath my moisturiser as another layer in the cold and my skin has been so soft!

The Yes to Carrots Mint Lip Balm is so moisturising yet not sticky or wet - a must-have for me!

My Taylor Swift Wonderstruck perfume has been go-to this month and smells so good!

I had never used a leave-in conditioner before so when I found this Toni & Guy Rapid Response Leave-In Conditioner in my beauty cupboard I gave it a go and so far I love it as my hair has been so soft and sleek.

Others

When shopping with my bessie Becca, I found these super-cute Hello Kitty slippers in Primark for £3! I love them - they're so comfy and cute (and my Mum's really jealous!). 

My jewellery favourite is this necklace from Debenhams with a bow, a teddy and a pearl on it - so gorgey with everything!

Then my book favourite this month out of all the books I've read has been Daniel Handler's 'Why We Broke Up'. It made me laugh, blub and all that jazz. It's got some really sweet quotes in the front aswell!

My fashion fave has been this dress from Zara Basics. It's blue with a cream collar but looks so cute with boots and super cosy tights.

So, that's my January favourites; I hope you enjoyed them and stay tuned for a 'What's in my Bathroom?' post coming soon.

* I found this on Xtras online for £1.99!

http://www.xtras-online.co.uk/cosmetics/stila/

NOTD | Nails Inc. Old Park Lane

As I said in my last Nails of the Day post, I love Nails Inc. polishes despite the hefty price tag. This is no exception. 

Old Park Lane is a one-coat chrome with a hint of reddish-pink in some lights, a toffee in others. With a single coat the opacity is immence and I love this colour so much.

Nails Inc. Old Park Lane is available from Debenhams in the UK for £11.00 - http://www.debenhams.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/prod_10001_10001_123941940299?CMP=OTC-GOOGLEPS&tmcampid=28&tmad=c

I ♥ Drugstore Makeup TAG!

This has been my favourite tag to watch on youtube recently and so decided to do it myself - so on with the tag...

1.)  What is your favourite drugstore makeup brand?

For me, this is between three (slightly breaking the rules but oh well): Rimmel, as I love a lot of their lip and face products.

Make Up Academy, because their products are so well-priced and fail to disappoint.

and e.l.f, as their products are so cheap yet such great quality.

2.)  What are your favourite face, cheek and lip products?

 For face, I love the e.l.f clarifying pressed powder in Ivory as it provides coverage as well as being super affordable and mattifying.

For cheeks my favourite blush is the e.l.f studio blush in Blushing Rose as it is such a warm, Winter shade for pale skin tones like my own.

For lips my Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipglosses in SOS Red and Pink Cocoon are the best as they are quite opaque and last long as well as being really moisturising.


3.) What are your least favourite products?

A recent Poundland find was this Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip Tint. It's basically a pen with a balm at the end. The balm is okay but the stain/tint is barely visible on my hand and worse on my lips - a hate as I had such high hopes.

When I first started collecting makeup, I bought a lot of Natural Collection (UK only). It was then that I discovered these ghastly eye and lip liners - they are chalky, patchy and they pull at your eyes like god only knows what. Buy the MUA ones; they're cheaper and so much better!

Another Rimmel Product! This Rimmel Colour Mousse Eyeshadow in Galaxy is so not pigmented (check out the swatch!) and is so irritating to my eyes - I had to get it off right away as it was stinging so much!

4.) Best MakeUp Bargain?

I love this NYC foundation as it's so blendable, long-lasting and a perfect colour match for me. And it's only £3.99 (only $2.99 in the States!).

MUA lipsticks are also fabby as they are creamy, come in a variety of colours and are only £1!!!!!!!

5.) What is your favourite underdog (under-hyped) product?

Natural Collection seems really overlooked in UK 'drugstores' as it's so cheap but a lot of it is really good. I love the creaminess of this concealer and the coverage is phenomenal!

A recent Poundland find, this Miss Sporty duo eyeshadow in Fun-loving as the pigmentation is so good and the pink all over the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Permanent Taupe with the grey in the crease is soooo pretty!

6.) A drugstore product that is overpriced?

 

I generally think Bourjois is overpriced as their foundations are £10+ and this so/so lipgloss is over £7!

7.) Dupe(s)?

Being someone who uses mostly drugstore produsts, I can't dupe too manmy high end products but the e.l.f $1/£1.50 primer is just as good as my Too Faced Original Shadow Insurance.

8.) Drugstore product(s) that are overhyped/not worth the hype?

I really don't understand the hype of Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch. I admit, it does make me look awake but so does any concealer I used under my eyes. Not worth £6.99 for sure.

Next is slightly contoversial as I must be the only person who is not too keen on this. It is Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I feel that it cakes up on my skin and it looks so dry though the coverage is amazing - not a fan, I must say though I'd rather wear this than leave my bright scarlett skin on show!

 

NOTD | Nails Inc. Cumberland Street

My mum and I are huge nail polish haulers and Nails Inc. is one of our favourite brands (I long to try 'Elizabeth Street'). 

This colour is such a vibrant cornflower blue and looks so gorgeous with fair skin tones like mine. With only one coat, the colour is already completely opaque with no patches. An easy-use applicator and no fuss removing - a great line, a great colour!

Best in Beauty | 2012

I may be a little late with this post (soreee...x) but I didn't want to upload bad images and my camera was lost - now it is found! (obvz.x). So I have categorised everything into, well, categories (hmph... that didn't go as planned). So, here they are...

Haircare

 

Dry Shampoo - this year I discovered and fell in love with dry shampoo. As someone with naturally greasy hair, even just after washing, I really appreciated this miracle and love Batiste (which my Dad also loves) and Superdrug Own Brand.

VO5 Strong Hold Hairspray - A virtually no-residue, long-lasting, weather-resistant hairspray that I love and will continue to repurchase.

Timotei Shimmer Shine Shampoo - I have a really sensitive scalp and this ph balance shampoo does not irritate it - I'm so sad it's discontinued!

Herbal Essences Hello Hydration Hair Mask - This has made my hair so soft, detangled and shiny - I just love it and is well worth a try!

Skincare and Bodycare

 Dove goFresh Green Tea and Cucumber Deodorant - A great deodorant, an even better smell!

St Ives Apricot Blemish Fighting Scrub - Leaves my skin supersmooth and fights and prevents blemishes and acne.

Superdrug Tea Tree Facial Wash - An easy wash for mornings - I may have found something better but I used this for most of the year whilst loving it.

Clean and Clear Dual Action Moisturiser - Originally I did not like this but my skin was gradually becoming less blemish-prone and acne-fied - I know it was this and I will repurchase when it runs out.

Primark Beauty Deep Cleansing Wipes - These do not irritate the eye area when removing makeup, work so well and smell delicious.

Blistex Moisture Max - After a really bad cold my lips were left soooo chapped and this was the only thing that would work! 

The Body Shop Satsuma Body Butter - I used this for most of the year and love the smell (however, though I have only been using it recently, The Righteous Butter by Soap and Glory is better).

Harajuku Lovers 'G' Fragrances - I love all of these and am so sad of the discontinuation of the line.

Morgan de Tol 'Sweet Paradise' - A great sweet, fresh summer scent and a staple.

Face Make-Up

e.l.f Tone Correcting Powder in Cool - As you can see, I've used this so much. I creates a really even complexion with just this! I also use the yellow for my undereye area to brighten.

e.l.f Clarifying Pressed Powder in Ivory - I've loved this more than the Tone Correcting as it provided coverage - great for school!

Witch Anti-Blemish BB Beauty Balm (http://thelilbeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/11/witch-anti-blemish-bb-beauty-balm.html) -  I have loved this all year, especially for summer, as it was sheer coverage but treated my acne instead of masking it.

NYC Smooth Skin All Day Long Foundation in 737 Classic Ivory - I wore this on days I needed more coverage and lasted all day long. A great bargain at £3.99!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in 1 Fair - I love this for hard-to-conceal things as it works so well and is so full-coverage!

2true 3-in-1 Concealer in 1 Light - For everyday and medium coverage this is my favourite concealer - it conceals so well for £1.99 and is by far my favourite overall.

e.l.f Tone Correcting Concealer in Rosy Beige - For summer, I used this and it lasted long and looked perfect on better skin.

e.l.f Studio Blushes in Blushing Rose and Peachy Keen - Great, pigmented, glowy blushes that I've used soooo much and loooove (notice tons of ooos x) 



Lip Make-Up

MUA Lipstick in Shade 2 - A great wintery, vampy, dark lip for night or day in a creamy formula!

No7 High Shine Lipgloss in Smile - A 'my lips but better' colour for everyday.

17 Ultimate Volume Lipgloss in In the Nude - A gorgeously opaque bronze gloss that looked amazing with a light tan.

Bobbipin Lipgloss tin (colour unknown) - This is a longlasting dark plum for everyone and looks so pretty. I wore this at least one day a week.

Eye Make-Up

  

MUA Heaven and Earth Palette - The neutrals in this worked for two days a week and looked great everytime!

MUA Trio Eyeshadow in Pink Sorbet - Such pretty pinks to be worn together or on their own for a gorgeous light eye paired with a bright lip.

MUA Intense Colour Eyeliner in Jet Black - Used this everyday in my tightline (upper lash line) for fuller, thicker looking lashes. It did not tug and was super creamy.

No7 Stay Perfect Eyeliner in 10 Brown - This was great as a lashliner or for my pale blonde brows.

MUA Single Eyeshadow in Shade 17 Matte - Again, a great brow product as well as concealer setting powder. 

Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Pink Gold (http://thelilbeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/maybelline-colour-tattoohttp://thelilbeautyblog.blogspot.co.uk/2012/12/maybelline-colour-tattoos.htmls)- Loved this under the MUA trio as it was such a nice glittery base.

Clear Mascara - I've really gotten into brows this year so this has become an essential.

NYC Showtime Mascara - Such a great, cheap, volumising mascara that always fails to disappoint.

Too Faced Shadow Insurance - Love this primer and use it all the time, alternating with the...

e.l.f Eyelid Primer in Sheer - Love this and is just as good as Shadow Insurance. 

Randoms

    

Avon Nail Colour in Wicked - A gorgeous black/red that makes my nails really stand out.

Momiji dolls - I have Smiling and Gigi and looove them on my little shelf.

Company Magazine - The fashion in this mag is me down to the 'T' - I love it so much (even though the've bumped up the price about six times this year x) 

Lawson Cahpman Square - My absolute fave boyband of 2012 - I say of 2012 because now I am obsessing over Of Monsters and Men x

My Sister Lives On The Mantlepiece by Annabel Pitcher - This book made me cry sooo much and you cannot live without reading it!

Malteasers Hot Chocolate - A total step above normal hot chocolate and with marshmakllow fluff cannot be beaten!

and finally...

my baby... My IKEA Gosig Golden dog Muchamore who I looove so much and he sleeps on my bed next to me.

I hope you had a great Christmas and New Year and wish you all a great 2013!