I’m wearing my amazing Custom Dressing Gown by TuneToo UK
I get that some highly organised internet people had their favourites together last December and a post about the best beauty products of 2017 might now seem a bit late, but nevertheless her I am with mine! I’ve really changed up my beauty routine this year and fallen in love with new products and brands that have really changed my skin, makeup and hair routines. At the start of this year I was working as a Visual Merchandiser at M&S and having a discount card for their beauty department has a lot to do with that. Even though I no longer work there though my desire to discover new things and try new looks has definitely stuck with me.
Before we get into it, I want to warn you that this post is a little bit long. So get comfy, put your feet up and be prepared for your beauty wishlist to get a lot longer.
Makeup
Foundations: My skin has been the best it’s ever been this year and so trying out foundations has become way more exciting. My two favourites are the Nars Sheer Glow (which I’ve talked about a million times!) and the Kat von D ‘Lock It’ Foundation which is absolutely game changing. Before I get into both products I want to mention something that I think might be useful. I’ve started to swap out my normal shades this year for slightly darker ones, with a yellow base and I’m finding that it makes me look way more alive. For example in Sheer Glow I’m normally Mont Blanc, which is a really popular shade but I’m now wearing Fiji. It just makes me look a little sun kissed while still blending into my neck. I’m not sure if this is useful but I just thought it might be worth mentioning! As for Sheer Glow itself, it’s an iconic product for a reason and the healthy, dewy glow it gives me will never be matched by another product. The Kat von D Lock It gives me a much higher coverage though and has become my go-to night out/dinner/want to look flawless beyond belief foundation that is also 100% vegan and cruelty free. If you want to learn some more about it though you can read my full review right here.
Kat Von D ‘Lock-It’ Setting Powder: Baking was a big thing this year and became way more mainstream thanks to our favourite beauty guru’s on YouTube. I love baking my face. Yes, I’ve had some shockers with it already (flash photography is a no no) but if you want to look ‘snatched’ this is how you do it. I was given the Kat von D ‘Lock It’ Setting Powder with the foundation and it’s so glowy and light. It mattifies my face longer than anything else but doesn’t make me look cakey at all.
Bronzer: I’ve included this Laura Geller one for the sake of a pic but honestly, this year I’ve been loving bronzer in absolutely every way, shape and form. I use it to contour and also as an eyeshadow and there just isn’t any other product that makes me feel quite as alive as a good bronzer!
Mascara: I got these two Dior products for Christmas, so they’re a last minute addition to my list but still amazing. The lash primer is so ridiculously good, it makes your lashes look HUGE and helps you to separate them all evenly to get the best look. The mascara is the one Bella Hadid has in the advert where she squeezes the tube and combined with the primer it gives you the biggest lashes ever. It has a high concentration of wax and elastic fibres which plump and lengthen each individual hair.
NYX Lip Liners: These are quite a new discovery too and they’re also £3 so definitely the cheapest on the list. As I have super thin lips I like to just overdraw them and colour them in with liner and the NYX ones come in so many shades I can always find one I love.
Makeup Brushes: This year my two most used makeup brushes have to be the PUR Cosmetics foundation brush and the Zoeva crease brush. The PUR brush is the key to flawless coverage and makes my foundation look really even and well blended. It takes a while to get used to the shape but I’ve found it helps to work in a small amount at a time. The Zoeva one is what I use to put bronzer on my eyelids and it just makes blending and getting the powder in the right place so easy. I couldn’t find the exact brush on their website but I think this one is pretty much the same shape.
Skincare
Charlotte Tilbury: Charlotte Tilbury is good at literally everything to do with makeup, so it makes sense that she would bring out the best products to prep your face. The Goddess Skin Clay Mask has been one of my go-to products all year to tighten my pores and brighten my skin, especially before weddings or going out for dinner. It’s so good and definitely does what it says on the tube, giving you baby smooth skin. I’ve also written a full review here if you want to take a look. The second thing I wanted to mention is Wonder Glow, an illuminating face primer that seriously saves my skin when it’s looking tired.
Avene: I love Avene products and use the micellar water and cleansing foam everyday. Their products are so gentle and work really well for sensitive and acne prone skin like mine. I’ve also recently picked up the Physiolift night balm and it makes me look super fresh in the morning.
Glam Glow super-mud mask: This is the best face mask if you have oily or acne prone skin and you can literally see it draw the dirt out of your pores. It works really well to clear spots and calm redness without being too harsh or leaving you feeling dry. I’ve actually written a full review of this here if you want to take a look.
Emma Hardie Amazing Face: Finding a good day cream is so hard but this has been my holy grail find of the year. This cream makes your skin look so glowy and fresh, as well as having SPF 30 to protect you from the sun. Unfortunately it’s really pricey, so you might want to keep an eye out for offers if it’s something you want to try. Like most of the things on this list, I have a full review of the cream right here too.
The Ordinary Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Blemish Formula: My go-to spot product is the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo but it’s pretty pricey so I was up for finding a cheaper dupe. The Ordinary was definitely one of the biggest beauty brands of 2017 and is so forward thinking and affordable, it’s definitely made me re-think the products in my skincare routine. Their Niacinamide 10% + Zinc 1% Blemish Formula works in a similar way to Effaclar Duo and soaks up the excess oils leaving my skin mattified. It also reduces congestion and regulates sebum production to prevent spots and keep breakouts under control.
Liz Earle Eye Bright: I can honestly say I will use this product for the rest of my life. It’s insane. If you have dark circles or puffy eyes this gets rid of everything and makes you look totally refreshed.
Haircare
Paul Mitchell Express Dry Wash: I’m a bit of a dry shampoo junkie. Not just for greasy hair days but to add some much needed volume to my messy buns. I was sent this one to try and wasn’t sure how I would like it seeing as I’m quite picky with hair products but it was actually amazing. It sucks up any oil without making your hair look dull and adds lots of texture too, making your hair look fuller and freshly washed.
Kenra: I was also sent some stuff from Kenra to try this year and can tell you that the hype around their products is 100% justified. I have two faves and my first is the Blow Dry Spray which cuts down drying time and also helps my hair to hold a style making my blow-dry last longer. The second is their Silkening Mist which basically gives you super shiny, healthy hair immediately and is great at hiding dry, crispy ends. I’ve actually written a whole guide to Kenra haircare that you can read here.
Josh Wood Radiant Hair Oil: This is hands down the BEST hair oil I’ve ever tried and works really well to make my locks look healthy and shiny, especially after lots of heat styling. The oil is really nourishing and smells amazing and I love putting it in my hair when it’s wet so that my blow-dry looks super shiny.
Philip Kingsley Elasticizer Extreme: If you’ve over bleached your hair, this is exactly what you need to bring it back from the dead. The Elasticizer hair mask is really nourishing and repairing and replacing moisture that is lost from dying and heat styling. It’s a holy grail product for me and has really helped this year while I grow out my awful hair cut.
Body
Autograph Tan: I love wearing a thin layer of fake tan to take the edge of how pale I am and I also think it helps to cover any redness in my skin tone too. The worst part about fake tanning is getting streaks and over the years I’ve found it really hard to find a formula that works for me. The Autograph tan range from M&S is the best I’ve ever tried, even over the more expensive ones. My favourite is their dry oil as it’s easy to apply, smells amazing and never leaves me streaky.
Hotel Chocolate Body Butter: I was given this butter for Christmas last year and it’s by far one of my favourite scents ever. I’ll be honest, before this I didn’t even know they did skincare but I’m so glad I’ve found out about it. It’s a great moisturiser and is really rich but not too sticky or oily.
Sally Hansen Airbrush Legs: I get that this has been around for a million years but my friend suggested it to me for a wedding this year and now there’s no way I would go bare legged without it. It’s essentially a foundation but gives your skin a golden glow while making your legs look completely flawless. Just make sure to avoid white sofas!
Fragrance
Chanel Coco Mademoiselle: This bottle makes me happy every time I look at it because it’s just so beautiful and I’m so excited to have it back in my collection. I actually used to wear this scent when I was younger too and it’s one of my absolute favourites as it’s girly without being overly sweet or floral. It’s main notes are orange, violet and rose making it a really sophisticated take on a feminine fragrance.
The Scent Intense by Hugo Boss: This is a new discovery of mine and was sent to me for a collaboration with Fragrance Direct. It has top notes of honeyed peach and freesia blossom which are feminine but not too sweet. This is mixed with the warm scents of cocoa and vanilla which combined makes it a perfect shout for the winter months. I am also completely in love with the bottle, it’s so luxurious and the colour is totally divine.
Velvet Rose & Oud Cologne: This is my all time favourite scent and if I had to name a perfume that was most me, it would definitely be this. I love rich fragrances and anything that includes Oud or Amber I’m instantly drawn to. It’s unfortunate that this is unbelievably, ridiculously and outrageously expensive though but I guess in a way, that’s what makes it so special. If you’re not into typical girly or floral fragrances I would definitely recommend this.
Marc Jacobs Decadence: Of all the perfumes I’ve ever had, this one has brought me the most compliments. It’s mix of scents like Italian Plum, Iris and Saffron that make it a really rich and glamorous fragrance. I think this year they have developed a new version of this too, so it’s definitely one that’s sticking around.
If you’ve made it to the end of this post, thank you so much for reading! It’s a little bit crazy how many beauty items I’ve worked through this year but I’ve definitely learnt a lot about what works for my skin. If you have any 2017 favourites of your own or have tried any of these, let me know what you think in the comments below!
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In the time it’s taken me to get this blog post up Kylie Jenner has dissolved her lip filler and killed a big trend faster than she started it. You would think that writing a post about making your lips look bigger with makeup would be kind of pointless now but I follow these tips everyday so I thought it would still be useful. This post isn’t so much about creating that insanely full Instagram lip anyway but more about enhancing what you have to balance out your features. Here are the four easy steps…
Step 1: Exfoliate
Step 1 : If you don’t have a lip scrub
Step 2: Overline
Step 3: Apply a plumping gloss
Click to shop // 
I finally made it outside today! I literally can’t tell you how bloody happy I was to get out of my house. This storm is driving me a little bit crazy and I’ve realised that snow days as an adult definitely aren’t as fun as snow days when you’re a kid. Mainly because I had to work from home and couldn’t spend all day in the park throwing snowballs at my friends…
Mother’s Day is on the 11th of March this year and is fast approaching, so it’s definitely time to get thinking about the perfect gift! My Mum’s favourite flowers are white roses but I’ve bought them for her so many times it just doesn’t feel as special anymore. I think as you get older, presents are a good way to spoil people with the luxuries they probably wouldn’t buy for themselves, and I feel like perfume is one of those.
My Mum’s favourite perfume is 
City breaks are my absolute fave and it feels so good to get away and explore somewhere new. I always feel more inspired coming back and seem to have way more ideas too, which is the best excuse for a holiday!
Save it: Ebay has a function where you can save your favourite searches and sellers for later, so that you can keep checking for new listings. Say you’re searching for a ‘Furla Metropolis Bag’ save your search including location (if you don’t want to pay for shipping for example you can set it to UK only), the maximum price, colour etc. and then check on it once a week for anything new or any discounts. You can also follow your favourite sellers which is good if you find someone who loves the same designer as you and likes to clear out their wardrobe often!
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