Top 15 Products of 2015

I didn't give myself a limit to the number of products featured in my 2014 favourites, and ended up having two mammoth posts, so I set about having just 15 this time around. It was quite difficult actually, so I may write another post with the ones which didn't quite make it!

Most of these products are ones which I discovered in 2015. There are three which I've been using for longer, but I absolutely love them, so had to include them. I haven't included my trusty NYX Cream Blush in Natural, The Body Shop's All In One Face Base in 02, Maybelline's Gel Liner in Black, or ELF's Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light, because although I've been through many of each, I talk about them all the time.

The fragrance which I'm choosing as my 2015 favourite is Viktor & Rolf's Bonbon. I haven't had it that long, and I still love all my others just as much, but this one is so different to anything I own. It's rich, warm, and sweet, rather than light, floral, and fruity. The caramel note is really what makes it, and I'll catch whiffs of it throughout the day. One spray on the neck, and one on the wrists, is all I need, and my mum will comment on my perfume when I get home from work. I've avoided smelling Flowerbomb because of the patchouli note, but everyone seems to love it, so I think I'm going to have to track down a tester or sample of that one as well.

I'm grouping the MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms together, but thought I'd show you two of the five shades I own; Cherry Bomb and Dusky Rose. They're light, balmy, and last surprisingly well. They're also only £2 a piece!

I've been using the Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colours for years, and have spoken about them an awful lot, but I had to include them in my 2015 favourites because I've been using them more than ever, and have been receiving more compliments on my hair than ever. These bottles (£1.49) add different tones to your hair, depending on which shade you opt for. I tend to use the Mahogany shade the most, which makes my auburn hair deeper and richer. I also like True Chestnut, which is less red. I'll either leave it on for an hour once a week, or put it on in the shower for ten minutes and gradually build it up over the course of a few days.

I discovered Lush's Ultrabland Facial Cleanser in 2014, but it became the only cleanser I use in 2015. When you first start using it, it feels very heavy, and so moisturising that you think it'll clog your pores, but it doesn't. The texture has become the norm for me now, and the simple ingredients are great for my skin. The best thing about Ultrabland is how well it removes your makeup. It just melts it away, and doesn't sting your eyes.

Rimmel's The Only One Lipstick in Naughty Nude wasn't going to be in here, but when I thought about it, it's a lipstick I go to a lot. It's opaque, creamy, and lasts for hours. It kind of dries down to feel like a satin/stain, but it's not drying on the lips at all.

Barry M's Satin Super Slick Lip Paint in Berrylicious isn't one I've had that long, but I really do love it. Again, it's opaque and incredibly creamy, but it lasts well, especially when I dab and work it into my lips. The colour is different to other berry shades I own as well. It's slightly more purple, more muted. It's also only £4.49, which is a bonus.

My new favourite mascara is Maybelline's Lash Sensational. I'm not great at distinguishing the qualities between mascaras, but I know that this one separates my lashes, somehow makes them look better than other mascaras do, and doesn't flake.

I also discovered Lush's Ro's Argan Body Conditioner before 2015, but I love, love, love it. I found the scent overpowering at first, but now it seems to calm me. The actual product is what does it for me, though. You put it on in the shower, wash it off, and voila. You're left with moisturised skin. No need for butters or lotions in the cold.

Boots were selling Origins Mask Marvel sets, left over from Christmas, in the spring for a great price. I think they were £20 for three 75ml tubes. My favourite out of these is the Drink Up Intensive one. You sleep with it on overnight, and wake up to incredibly moisturised, plump skin. I usually find that once you wash your face, the effects of other moisturisers and masks seem to disappear with it, but this one doesn't. It also smells like apricot, which I love.

The Body Shop's Shade Adjusting Lightening Drops are a game changer. I've been loving them so much. You simply add however many drops to your foundation to make it lighter, which is great if you're pale and find it difficult to find a foundation light enough. It doesn't change the formula of the foundation either.

I became a big fan of Nip & Fab in 2015, especially of the Glycolic Fix range. I love the mask and serum, but decided to include the pads here because of their ease. Wiping one of these over your skin will improve the texture, making it smoother and brighter. You'll see more of an effect if you incorporate them into your daily routine, but I like to give my skin a break after about a week.

I've been loving highlighting in general, and have a few favourites, but the one which tops them all is probably Topshop's Glow Highlighter in Polished. You only need a small amount of the cream formula, and it blends beautifully. If you want something that's warmer than this pearlescent shade, they have a golden shade called Gleam.

Overall, I love my cream blushes more than my powder ones. My NYX, Stila, and Illamasqua ones in particular. But I thought I'd include Max Factor's Creme Puff Blush in Nude Mauve because, out of the blushes I bought in 2015, it's the one I go to the most. The colour is so natural and easy to wear, and the formula is a dream to use. It's soft, yet not chalky, and blends incredibly well. These blushes were talked about a lot last year, and for good reason.

I found a new brand to dominate my brush collection in 2015, and that brand is Zoeva. They look and feel more expensive than they are, and the ones I own have not disappointed. The two I use the most are the Silk Finish and Brow Line ones. Even after using the Silk Finish brush to apply my foundation after all these months, it's still just as in shape and dense as it was when new. The Brow Line brush is thinner than any other eyebrow brush I've used, so it doesn't pick up as much product, and allows you to have more control. This comes in particularly handy when using pomades.

Have you used any of these products? What were your favourites of 2015?

New Favourites

Since my last favourites, I've bought and tried a whole lot of products. I'm fond of most of them, but to keep things short and sweet, I've only picked a handful to write about today.

I'm still not big on body scrubs, preferring to use exfoliating gloves, but one I really like is The Body Shop's Vineyard Peach Body Scrub. I like intense scrubs, and used to think ones with large scrubby bits were better for that, but actually, the finer ones are. I think this is because the bits don't fall off your skin, meaning you can really work them in. This is what the Vineyard Peach one is like, and it's creamy, so leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. It also smells incredible, but that goes without saying.

I feel like I've spoken about the face masks above a lot recently, so I'm going to just give you the links to my reviews. Click here to read my thoughts on the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, and click here for the Nip + Fab Glycolic Instant Fix Mask. They do more than other masks I've tried, and for that, I applaud them.

The Topshop Glow Cream Highlighter in Polish (review here) is amazing, and probably the best highlighter I've used. It's iridescent and glowy and beautiful. Plus, the pot is going to last a long, long time.

Another Topshop cheek product I've been loving is the Cheek Jelly in Reign. I'd describe it as a water based cream blush, and it's very natural. Sheer, slightly dewy, blends well; an all around winner.

I've bought so many blushes this year, and have ended up loving them all. One of my favourites is the MUA Whipped Velvet Blush in Ritzy. I love every shade I have (review and swatches here), but I've been leaning towards these natural, flushed colours recently. The Whipped Velvet blushes are like mousses, and are very light in texture. They're only £3, too, so I'd definitely recommend checking them out.

Everyone's been raving about the Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes, and for good reason. They're pigmented, not chalky in the slightest, and subtly illuminate without relying on a huge amount of shimmer. I have Nude Mauve and Gorgeous Berries, but have just featured Nude Mauve here because I've already featured two berry toned blushes.

I've been reaching for the MUA Sweet Sheen Lip Balms more than any other lip product recently. You can read my review here, but they're essentially light, moisturising, tinted lip balms. They're quite pigmented for what they are, actually. The only one I haven't featured here is Coral Reef, and that's because it looks like a hot pink on my lips, which isn't my favourite colour.

The ELF Studio Eyebrow Kit in Light is still my go to eyebrow product, but I've been so impressed with Makeup Revolution's Brow Dual Ultra Arch & Shape in Medium. It's the perfect shade for me, is easy to use, and looks natural. The pen side is my favourite, but the pencil's good, too. It's the £3.50 version of Soap & Glory's Archery, but there's four shades instead of two. I don't know how quickly it's going to dry out, but for the price, I'm not going to be too upset when it does.

Recent Purchases

You know when you buy something here and something there, and you don't feel as though you've bought much recently? And then you gather these purchases together and realise your shopping habits haven't changed? This is how this post came about.

I'll start with the items dominating the photos. I bought the Aussie products on a 3 for £10 deal, but they're now 3 for 2, which works out cheaper, annoyingly. I picked up another bottle of the Miracle Hair Insurance Leave In Conditioner because I use it all the time. Then I opted for the Mega Shampoo and Conditioner. This was last month, and I've nearly finished these now. I really like them, so may include them in my next favourites post. They don't leave my hair as soft as the Tresemme Platinum Strength range, but they're more light weight. Because I've been impressed with these, I then bought two shampoos and a conditioner from the Miracle Moist line.

I bought the Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Nude Mauve (£8.99) with my Boots points, then went back and bought Gorgeous Berries. Pigmented, illuminating, blend well, and I don't have shades like these in my collection.

I've been using the Real Techniques Stippling Brush daily for nearly two years now, and was considering buying another. Then one found itself on my store's clearance stand, so I had to buy it. Normally £11.99, but I think I paid £4-5.

I also bought a couple more packs of the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes. These work out as 42p with the £5 off vouchers and staff discount, so I like to stock up when the vouchers are around.

The last bargain purchase from Boots is the Origins Mask Marvels Gift Set. £20 down from £50, you receive the Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask, the Out of Trouble 10 Minute Mask, and the Clear Improvement Active Charcoal Mask. These are 75ml instead of the full sized 100ml tubes, but that's still a hefty saving! The 100ml tubes are £23, so these 75ml ones work out as £17.25 each. £20 instead of £51.75 isn't bad at all. I've heard great things about these products, so I'm excited to try them.

The Blistex products were half price in Superdrug, so I stocked up on the Intensive Moisturiser because it's the best lip balm I've ever used. Definitely worth more than the full price of £2.59.

You can always rely on The Body Shop for a bargain. The Vineyard Peach Body Mist was £3.50 down from £7 in their current sale, and the Cranberry Joy and Vanilla Brulee Home Fragrance Oils were just £1 down from £4. They smell delicious, and I've been burning Cranberry Joy since I received it.

Let me know of any bargains you've purchased recently, and if they're still available for me to buy myself!

Two Brands I've Changed My Mind On

In the last year, I've broadened the products I use. I've started wearing foundation, I attempt to give my face some dimension with contouring and highlighting, and use brands I'd never taken an interest in before. Max Factor and L'Oreal are two these. As well as nothing ever catching my eye, I thought the products were overpriced. I also thought Max Factor was outdated and even a little boring. I unfairly judged them without giving their products a chance. However, working in Boots, and being around the new releases and offers, an interest was sparked. I thought I would talk about a handful of products which have changed my mind on the brands.

Even the lightest shade of the Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation, Light Ivory, is a touch too dark for me, but it's nothing too noticeable. It's a nice foundation - medium coverage, doesn't feel heavy on the skin, and has a natural finish. I don't notice much luminising going on, but then it's not completely flat, either.

Everyone has been talking about the Max Factor Creme Puff Blushes. Only one is pictured, but I have two of the shades available - Nude Mauve and Gorgeous Berries. Both are pigmented, blend with ease, and have an illuminating finish. Unlike many baked blushes, the shimmer is extremely fine, so looks natural. Gorgeous Berries is recommended for those with darker skin, but I quite like it on my fair complexion. It's very 'English rose'. An extremely light hand has to be used, though, because it's incredibly pigmented. One 'dab' of my brush is usually enough.

The Max Factor Colour Elixir Lip Gloss in Enchanting Coral is the perfect gloss, in my opinion. The shade is beautiful, it has some pigmentation, but not so much that you have to take care with application, it's not sticky, and it smells good, like vanilla.

The L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N1 Ivory looks incredibly orange next to the Infallible Foundation in Porcelain, but I assure you it's not. The Infallible one is just very pale! Both actually match my skin well, with the Infallible one matching my extremely pale neck more so. It can sometimes be a little too pale for the centre of my face, though, where I naturally have a lot of warmth from my freckles. Again, both have a medium, buildable coverage and natural finish, without being cakey. True Match is runnier than other foundations I've tried, which I was unsure of at first, but it doesn't hinder its coverage at all.

The last product featured is the beautiful L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick in Julianne's Red. It's a super bright, pink toned red. It provides even, opaque coverage with a satin finish, and this lasts for hours. It's too much for me to wear to its full intensity, so I usually just dab and blend a little out to create a stain.

I have a few other products from L'Oreal, including their liquid eyeliner, brow pencil, and nail polishes, all of which I've liked.

I'd love to know what your favourite products from these brands are.

Disappointing Products

This is the first post I've written about disappointing products, and have still only managed to come up with two. I do a lot of research before purchasing a product, making sure it's suited for me. Sometimes, though, it doesn't matter how well others get on with something. It's down to whether it works for you. I've been quite lucky, really. I've bought so much makeup in the last few months that two disappointing products is nothing compared to the amount of ones I love.

The Max Factor Facefinity All Day Primer (£10.99) is loved by many, so I'm still questioning whether my disappointment is down to something I'm doing or the product. I've only used it a couple times, but both times it made my foundation patchy. I've never experienced patchiness before, and the foundations I used are normally fine. I was shocked when I looked in the mirror at work, trying with all my effort to blend it together. I haven't written it off just yet, but have been disappointed so far. I'm going to try it again (on my next day off!) and see how it goes.

Gel eyeliner has become a staple in my makeup routine, and I normally used Maybelline's Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner or Illamasqua's Precision Gel Liner. I bought Rimmel's Kate Waterproof Gel Eyeliner in Emerald (£6.99) because the colour looked like a pretty alternative to black. First of all, the eyeliner comes packaged in a cheap, plastic pot, rather than a glass one which I'm used to. I don't mind this too much, though, because it's about the actual product. Said product is drier than what I'm used to (see how it's not shiny and inky?), so I have to go over places multiple times. Still, I could work with this if the colour was worth it, but I don't think it is. I wanted a rich, jewel looking emerald, but this is rather dull and not that opaque. It looks brighter on the computer screen I'm currently on, but in real life, it's not that green. That's not to say this product is completely awful. I can still work with it. I just don't love it. The brush isn't that great either (I love the Maybelline one).

Have you had different experiences with these products?

Playing Catch Up With Foundation

Until last year, I never used foundation. It just didn't seem to sit right on my skin. Then I started using concealer to match my freckly nose and rosy bottoms of my cheeks with the rest of my face, as well as under my eyes and on blemishes. I was using it nearly everywhere, so thought it'd be more cost effective to buy foundation. Now I'm discovering a wide range of products I've never even glanced at before, and it's exciting.

I acquired some vouchers which made the No7 foundations very affordable, so bought the Stay Perfect (£14.50) and Beautifully Matte (£13.50) ones in the lightest shade, Calico. Both have a medium-full coverage and don't feel heavy. The only difference is the Stay Perfect one is more satin than matte. Beautifully Matte doesn't feel or look as expensive, but the packaging is much more practical.

Last month, I bought the Max Factor Skin Luminizer Foundation in 40 Light Ivory (£11.99). I was sent the Skin Luminizer a few months ago, but it was in the wrong shade, and then I completely forgot about it. I was drawn to it on that day, though. It's thick, but, again, not heavy, and it also has a medium coverage. The reflecting shimmers are very subtle, unlike Rimmel's Wake Me Up. Everyone seems to love that foundation, but my sister looked like a disco ball when she wore it!

I also bought the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in C1 Rose Ivory (£9.99). I don't know what tone my face is because I have warm freckles and rosy patches, but this looked pale, so I went for it. The colour seems fine, but what I was most surprised at was the formula. It's very runny, so I thought it was going to be quite sheer, but it's not. Its coverage is just as high as the others.

L'Oreal had a 2 for £12 offer going on in Boots last week, which was amazing, so I couldn't resist buying two more. These next ones were technically free because I used my Advantage Card points to buy them. I chose the L'Oreal True Match Foundation in N1 Ivory (£9.99) to see if it'd be a better match for me (I think it is), and I also picked up the L'Oreal Infallible Foundation in 015 Porcelain (£9.99). You can't really tell from the photo, but it's lighter than the others, which is rare. I've used it a couple times so far, and it's probably the best match, especially on my neck. This one also has a medium-high coverage, a natural satin finish, and seems to sit and last well on my skin (I always moisturise and prime before applying makeup, though).

I still use my fingers to apply these, like I do with my concealer, because I find it looks the most natural. I'm going to try out some different techniques in the next couple of weeks, though, to see if there's a better way.

What's your favourite foundation? I know a lot of people love the Bourjois ones, but they're too dark and yellow for me. Let me know!

New In

This next haul post is coming to you from Boots (and one item from Topshop). Working there has definitely encouraged my beauty spending habits!

I prefer cream highlighters to powder ones, and had heard a lot about the Topshop Glow Highlighter in Polish (£9). I'm impressed so far, and will probably be reviewing it soon. I also had my eye on one of their powder blushes, but I have enough already. I'm also not a fan of the packaging because it gets so grubby.

The Max Factor products are actually my first purchases from the brand. I'm running out of my Witch primer and wanted to try something new, so thought I'd give the Face Finity All Day Primer (£10.99) a go. I was sent the Skin Luminizer Foundation (£11.99) a few months ago, but it was in the wrong shade and I wasn't really into wearing foundation back then. I've heard good things since, and was in the spending mood yesterday, so popped it in my basket. I'm hoping it's light enough for me! Max Factor is currently on 3 for 2, so I also picked up the Colour Elixir Lip Gloss in Enchanting Coral (£7.99). I'd had my eye on this for a while - it's a beautiful, pinky coral shade with no shimmer (for once!), and has a good colour pay off.

Wearing foundation has opened up a whole new area of makeup for me to try, which is exciting. After doing lots of research on many brands and foundations, I decided to try the L'Oreal True Match Foundation (£9.99). I was going to go for the Revlon Colourstay one, but it looked too dark for me, so maybe I'll try that in the summer. Now, I thought it'd be best to go for the shade N1 Ivory, but my store only had C1 Rose Ivory. I thought it'd be too cool toned for my skin, but then I compared it to other foundations in the store, including my current No7 one, and it didn't look any different, in terms of tone. I'll let you know how I get on with it! L'Oreal is currently 2 for £14, and as tempting as that was, there wasn't anything else I wanted.

I love Maybelline mascaras, and the new Lash Sensational (introductory price £5.99, normal price £7.99) looked like a combination of the Rocket and Falsies, so I had to try it. I then bought another Eye Studio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner in Intense Black (currently £5.99, normally £7.99) because my current one is starting to dry up. I love this eyeliner, and I actually use the brush that comes with it!

When I showed my family what I bought (does anyone else do that?), my dad said I didn't need any more makeup. Sometimes, I feel like he doesn't know me at all...