So I realise I've been a very naughty blogger and I haven't blogged since October...slap on the wrist for me. I've been so busy running and organising Her Campus Exeter - an online magazine for female university students - and working on my degree that I've neglected my little piece of the Internet.
So, I thought I'd pretend that the beginning of February 2013 is actually the beginning of January, and my resolution is to blog at least once a week.
I thought I'd start with an age-old blogger favourite: my favourite beauty products of 2012. I've included hair products, make-up and skincare in this low-down of my top high-street beauty picks from last year, and links with where to get your hands on them.
Skincare
This body scrub has a lovely coconut scent that isn't too sweet. I hate smelling like fruit/chocolate/anything sickly, and this scrub gets it right. The granules are large enough to feel like they're having an effect, and skin feels very soft after use.
A primer that really does leave skin instantly smooth, silky and soft. Even though I haven't got any wrinkles yet (I'm calling them laughter lines, ok?) this provides such a great base for foundation or concealer - I would only really use it under my eyes to stop mascara/eyeliner running and to keep concealer in place.
Ok so it was a tough choice between this and Burts Bees Beeswax Balm, but I really can't resist the taste of the Balance Me salve. I received the tube free with Glamour magazine, and every time I feel like giving my lips a treat I whack this on. I smells and tastes divine (not that you're really meant to eat it) and has really encouraged me to try out the rest of their range.
I like beauty/skincare products to smell of soapy things, NOT fruit/sweets/herbs/food or anything else manufacturers can think of (I'm looking at you Radox and Herbal Essences). A light floral scent is fine, but anything else is just a big fat NO. I'm the same when it comes to deodorant - I do not want to smell like a Pomegranate. This stuff keeps you dry and smells fresh - does what it says on the tin really!
Comes out very dark, but gives a good all-round tan even for fair skin. Personally, I'm not a fan of the actual 'shimmer' version and would always stay matte. This fake tan is cheap, effective and if applied properly (with a mitt and after exfoliation/moisturising) will give great results for a night out. Beware: it does come off on clothes as it is only a temporary tanner, and DO NOT get caught in the rain, or you will incur massive streaks down your newly bronzed limbs.
I've already posted about my love for this range - although it's meant for older skin I really like the 'glow' it gives my face and décolleté, and it is a great moisturiser. Brilliant for achieving a 'dewy' look before applying make-up.
7) Savlon
General all-round beauty saver. Lips dry? Savlon. Spot? Savlon. Redness after plucking your eyebrows? Savlon. Grazed knee? Savlon. Sometimes I feel like the Dad in 'My Big Fat Greek Wedding' who thinks Windowlene is a cure for everything.
Leaves your skin feeling soft and very clean. Great level of satisfaction when you see all the muck on the cotton pad that has left your face. This cleanser smells great too, very fresh and light, and not too chemically.
Do what they say on the tin, soft and non-irritant. Boom.
One of my all-time favourite beauty products. Work into dry skin for a luxurious massage-like feeling, then wash off with warm water to get rid of impurities. It contains 'Marula Oil' - heaven knows what that is but it sounds posh. It leaves the skin very soft and gets rid of most heavy make-up, although you will probably need to use a wipe/eye make-up remover to take away the last remnants of mascara.
Make-up
A really great bronzer is quite hard to fine: I really dislike anything too shimmery on my face and most beauty brands seem to think that glitter is an essential ingredient of bronzer. It isn't. A quick swipe of this Benefit bronzer over my fore-head, nose and cheekbones will leave me looking like I've just returned from Dubai. Ok, exaggeration, but as bronzer's go it is my favourite.
I only really wear shades of brown on my eyes, as they are blue and brown tones really make them stand out. I can't really get on with very bright colours. This palette is the ultimate nude fan's go-to - excepting maybe Urban Decay's Naked Palette. Ranging from matte taupes to a shimmery dark brown/black which is perfect for a night out, I don't really need much else in my eye make-up repertoire!
At the end of December, I had a disaster. I had run out of my all-time favourite foundation, the MAC Studio Fix Foundation in NC20. I had to buy some new cover-up, and since nowhere in deepest darkest Devon stocks MAC make-up, I had to settle for Bobbi Brown. Although I do like Bobbi's foundation, when I have run out I will be returning to the old faithful. On the plus side, I love the lavender smell of the Bobbi Brown, which is meant to soothe redness, and it does give great coverage.
No explanation needed really. A great little highlighter, with a more pinky/golden tone than the ubiquitous HighBeam from Benefit. I prefer this overall colour as I think it suits my complexion more. What I really dislike however, is Benefit's latest offering 'Sun Beam' which looks like someone's mixed bronzer and highlighter. Weird.
I've already posted about how much I love a nude lip (seems like 'nude' is becoming a recurring theme here!). Whilst MAC's Creme d'Nude is my ultimate favourite, Topshop's cheaper version is just as good. Seeing as they are produced by the same manufacturer, this isn't really a surprise! Not too shimmery for the daytime and perfect for a night out.
I love a bit of nail art and I'm constantly changing my nail colour. I love the Topshop range of nail polishes because there are so many to chose from. Matte, shimmery, glittery, crackle and nail-art pens, they have it all. It is pretty cheap at £5 a bottle so you can stock up on a rainbow of colours. It lasts for quite a while and is easy to apply. What's not to love?
A very simple, no-frills, light pressed powder.
This mascara makes my lashes really thick and dark, without clumping. If applied in two layers, the effect is even more dramatic. Generally pretty good at not smudging - but it does not stand up to the crying-in-a-nightclub-at-1am test. I'm still looking for a mascara that does.
A mouthful to say but a legendary beauty item. It really does clear up dark circles instantly. I tend to use it as a finishing touch after applying the rest of my make-up, as if I have any smudges from eyeliner/mascara/shadow under my eyes then this clears them up a treat.
A great liquid eyeliner pen with a thin tip that rivals my favourite Kat Von D liner from America. Stays on relatively well - again it fails the 1am cry-athon in the nightclub toilets - but it's a rare eyeliner that succeeds in this test. At £6.50, it is a great staple to have in your make-up bag.
From my favourite perfume brand in the world. I love Jo Malone's elegant range of scents in her amazing collection: I want all of them. Even better, they can be used together to create a unique smell of your own creation. When I travelled to Rome last November, I couldn't help buying this perfume. I felt like I should leave my trusty 'Grapefruit' cologne for a while (I know I sound like a hypocrite but trust me this is a fresh citrus smell not a sickly-sweet synthetic pile of rubbish!) and branch out. I've had so many compliments on this perfume, and I always feel pretty sophisticated whilst wearing it: Britney Spears's 'Fantasy' this is not.
Haircare
A great, herbal-smelling moisturising treatment for brittle, bleached and worn-out hair like mine. Warning: only use on the ends to avoid greasiness. For a brilliant hair-treat, cover the ends of your hair in the product, wrap in cling-film, wrap in a towel-turban around your head, leave for a few hours or over-night, then rinse off. Happy hair.
Recommended to me by the wizards at Daniel Hersheson's, this set is meant for hair that is naturally or chemically weak. It leaves the hair feeling clean and shiny, with no feel of residue or heaviness as experienced with other 'repairing' haircare products.
I love love love big hair. I'm constantly back-combing (I know, ultimate hair sin) so anything that can help me with volume is a hair-saviour in my book. With so many volumising products, I've found they only weigh my hair down and make it feel dirty. The 'Small Talk' Thickifier is used before drying hair, and I only need a pea sized amount. It leaves the hair smooth but bouncy. The only other product I've found that works is L'Oreal Techni-Heroes Super Dust - although I only use this for nights out as whilst it creates lots of volume, it does have a strange texture.
I've been using this serum after washing my hair for a long time now. Again it does not leave my hair feeling heavy or greasy, but it does keep the majority of dryness from straightening at bay.
Ok, I know what you're thinking, she's a brunette. However, since getting my 'Balayage' (french method of highlighting/ombre style treatment) in the summer, I want to keep up a light blonde colour to the bits which are highlighted. This spray does what it says on the tube - although I think it had more of an effect when I first bought it. As it's winter, I really want to keep my hair from going anywhere near the orange/brassy stage that brown highlighted hair sometimes goes through. I need another session at Daniel Hersheson's desperately though as November was my last visit! Hair is beginning to look a little straggly...
A classic. Also in mini, great for nights out and crazy hairspray/backcombing sessions in the loos.
So I've been a GHD convert before, but when I was 15 a friend converted me to Corioliss. They kept my hair straight for far longer than the GHD's, and felt very smooth gliding over my hair. I find that the GHD ceramic plates can catch my hair sometimes, which isn't ideal. These C2's have a temperature control, turn themselves off after 30 minutes (great for anyone paranoid of burning their house down like me) and due to their thinness it is very easy to create curls. I've had my pair for about 5 years now and have never been let down.
So there we go, a very long post to make up for a very long absence. As always, all these opinions are my own and as I have combination/sensitive skin and extremely dry hair, products that are right for me may not be the best choice for others.
Hope you enjoyed my top beauty picks of 2012!
TTFN
x
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