Lush Wishlist

I am addicted to Lush, there is no point trying to deny it. But whenever I go into an actual Lush store, I get over whelmed by everything and end up buy a few bath bombs and thats it, but I have made a vow to myself that the next time I am in Lush, I will only buy products I haven't tried before, and these are on the top of my list to try.

Ocean Salt Face and Body Scrub

I will admit, exfoliating is one of the skin care tasks that I never do. I have a facial scrub but I hate the scent of it, so it goes untouched. However, with ingredients like Lime and Grapefruit, I'm hoping this will smell amazing. I have heard people raving about this for years saying it has made a huge difference in there skin. At first I thought the price was quite a lot but as it can be used on both face and body, I think it's definately worth the try

Eau Roma Water Toner

Toner is my favourite step in my skin care routine, I think its so relaxing, soothing and refreshing. And I am always on the look for a new one. I have heard a lot about Lush's toners, but I think this would be the best as Rose helps sooth and calm redness to the skin, and I have a lot of redness from blemishes

Sultana of Soap

I have tried a lot of Lush's solid soaps and I adore them, but I find that they can dry out my skin a bit, so when I heard that this soap is really creamy and hydrating, I got rather excited and I cannot wait to see if this is hydrating. But my problem is, I can never seem to see it in my local stores 

Mask of Magnaminty

Okay, so I lied, I have used this before so its not all new products, but I love it! My skin is very picky with face masks and they either dont work or they make my skin worse, but this is instant improvement. When I wash it off my face, my blemishes are reduced, theyre not as red and my skin is soft. This isnt a fresh face mask either, so it will last over a month. 

Charity Pot 

I am addicted to body lotions, I cannot get enough of how they make my skin feel. I hear a lot about Lush's lotions, but this one appeals to me the most. Not only does the money from this go towards charity to help other, but it smells amazing, I have never had the money on me to buy a big tub, but as soon as I get the money, I am getting one!

Popcorn Lip Scrub

I am almost out of my Mint Julips lip scrub, and as much as I love its minty goddness, I want something different, I dont like the bubblegum one as I find it tastes quite artifical, but I do love the scent of this. Its a mixture of sweet and salty popcorn, and I want it so badly! I think I could get addicted though.

Seanik Shampoo Bar 

This is something completely new to me and something that honestly scares me a bit. I havent heard a lot about these, but what I have heard has been good. Im always looking for a new shampoo as I havent found one I yet like enough to call a staple in my routine. I think this will be just a fun thing to try out and I hope it will last longer than my shampoo currently does.

Sweetie Pie Shower Jelly

I honestly have no other reason for wanting this other than, it looks amazing and smells like heaven.

Have you got any Lush products you recommend?

Top 5 | Spring Nails

I am obsessed with nail polish, any excuse to buy one I will take it. New collection, new range, new colours, new formulation. What ever it is I will take it. So trying to narrow down my top 5 Spring Nail Polishes, was very very tricky. 

Revlon | Minted
I love Mint, it is my favourite colour, and this is the perfect pastel mint shade. The formulation is a tad thin so it takes 3-4 coats, but its so worth it, its bright yet pastel and its just.. perfect.

Rimmel 60 Seconds | Rose Libertine 
I'm not a huge lover of pink nail polish, but I do like this, its a muted pink, I think this is such a classic colour that everyone should have in their collection, I love the formulation, quick drying and only takes 2 coats

Models Own | Lemon Meringue
Yellow makes me so happy, I grew up surrounded by yellow flowers so this nail polish just makes me smile, it also reminds me of easter and little chicks, its opaque in 2 coats which is good for such a light colour.

Barry M Gelly Hi Shine | Prickly Pear
This is my go to nail polish at the moment, I am just obsessed, it takes 3 coats but its so shiny and the perfect lilac that its worth the wait, I also find that they are incredibly long lasting, I have gone a week with no chips before! By far my favourite nail polish range.

Maybeling Forever Strong | Ceramic Blue
This was my favourite nail polish of 2012 but I discovered that it had been discontinued, which broke my heart. However, last year I found out that Fragrance Direct sell these, so I stocked up and brought 4 bottles, as I cannot live without this colour, it is the perfect pastel blue, it has slight shimmer running through it but is barely noticeable. If you can find this, get it!

What are colours you love in the spring time?

Any nail polish recommendations?

Top 5 | Spring Lips

It's hard to tell if Spring has come to England, as it gets really sunny and warm, and then suddenly pisses it down with rain. But I have decided that to boost my mood on this groggy day, I would do a post telling you my most used lipsticks in the spring time

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm | Striking
This is my new love, I absolutely love this red lipstick, most reds I have are a classic bright red, but this leans slightly pink so it's more flattering for the soft spring weather. This formulation is so easy to work with and really long lasting.

Revlon Lip Butter | Juicy Papaya 
My favourite natural lip for spring, I have a problem with wearing orange on my lips, but I find as this is quite sheer, its really complimentary. I have a massive ongoing love for lip butter, I think theyre so easy to wear, so smooth on the lips and adds a pop of colour without being to harsh. My only problem? Rubbish lasting power, 3 hours and its all gone :(

Revlon Matte Lipstick | Pink Pout
Why yes, Revlon is my favourite lip product brand. I think you cannot beat them. I feel like this little beauty has gone missing out of its lime light though, but I dont know why. Its a lovely soft pink that has a very slightly purple undertone. I think if you're new to pink lipsticks this is a great one to start off with, as it's noticeable but not over the top.

Rimmel Kate Moss | 05
When I fancy a change from my red lip, I go to this beauty, its a deep pink that brightens the skin and adds a lovely pop of colour. I adore the Kate Moss range from Rimmel, they have a great pigmentation and are very long lasting.

Collection Cream Puff Lip Cream | Cotton Candy
You might have guessed by now but I do love a matte lipstick, I think they're a lot easier to pull off and last longer, I have brought around 5 tubes of this as I love it so much. Firstly, it smells like vanilla cake, amazing! It applies smoothly but dries to a matte finish and takes a long time to wear off, I'm not sure how they would compare to the NYX Matte Creams, but Im assuming these would be the UKs version, I'm quite gutted that they only have 3 shades though, a pink, a nude and a coral.

What are your favourite spring lipsticks?

The First Step In Getting Over My Fear

I have many fears in my life, typical ones like spiders and heights, but this particular fear I have, I think is stupid and pretty pathetic. The first step of getting over a fear is admitting it and facing why you have that fear. So Ladies and Gentleman, I admit, I have a massive fear of getting my hair cut. Whenever I think about getting my hair cut, even a trim, I shake and start to cry. Last time I got a cut, it resulted in a panic attack.

This isn't a fear I have always had, when I was younger I used to love getting it cut and styled. I managed to have quite reasonably long hair considering I took so poor care of it, but one afternoon at the age of 11 I made a very quick decision of chopping off my lovely locks and getting a very short, almost Victoria Beckham like, bob. At the time I loved it, in fact, I dont remember ever hating my hair shorter. It was quicker to style, easier to treat and just a lot more fun. But as I grew older, I saw people with long hair and frankly, I was jealous. They could put it up in cute buns, they could curl there hair, they could do anything with it. So I decided to stop getting it cut short and grow it out. But in stead of just getting small trims, I just stopped going to the hair dressers for a whole year.

After that year, I decided I needed a trim to tidy it up, but this was during the time I was constantly bleaching and colouring my hair, so my hair was so damaged, the hair dresser cut it all off, leaving me with short hair again. And I think this is where my fear came from. I became so obsessed over the idea of wanting long hair that I just have this thought stuck in my head that the hair dressers will just cut all my hair off and ignore what I want as a customer.

But I am 18 years old now and my hair is the longest it has ever been. And I hate it. Its so hard to handle, its tangly, I cant achieve the 'cute' hairstyles I thought I would, the ends are dead and split, and to be honest, I miss my short hair. So after some serious thought and support from my boyfriend, I have made myself an appointment with a professional stylist, not a home hair cutter, to get my hair sorted out once and for all, and to say goodbye with this attachment I have with this god awful hair of mine. I thought I would celebrate this first step by sharing my hair past with you, so alas, here are my hair choices through the years.

1999 - 2006 - 2006 - 2007

2010 - 2008 - 2008 - 2010 - 2007 - 2009

Im excited to see what is next for my hair.

12 Books before 2015

Every year I always say that I want to read more books, but I usually only read around one a year. I used to read a lot when I was little, but I guess growing up I just lost the passion. I was too busy with GCSEs, then college and now work, that I just felt like I didnt have time. But I have made a stand this year and I will read 12 books at least, and these are the ones I want to read and my thoughts on a few I have already read.

Girl, Interrupted by Susanna Kaysen 

Growing up I have heard countless amounts of quotes from this book, I think it sounds very interesting and I am dying to read this.

The Coma by Alex Garlan

I was recommended this book by my boyfriend, I was a bit sceptical at first but when I started reading, I couldnt stop and I ended up reading the whole book in one day. It plays with your mind and is incredibly gripping, I loved it.

Crank by Ellen Hopkins

I recently discovered this book when randomly browsing Amazon and I then heard it was banned in some places for its content, its based on a girl and her relationship with Crystal Meth

Looking for Alaska by John Green

I read this book at the beginning of the year and I have to say I was disappointed. Now dont get me wrong, I love John Green, but I think I just got sucked into the hype of this book and I felt it fell short, without giving spoilers, I felt that it didnt move me emotionally like I think it should have.

Stoner by John Williams
This definatly not the usual kind of book I go for but I have heard a lot of people saying its an amazing read and is inspiring.

Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Coyle
I am a huge Sherlock Holmes fan, I love the films and the TV series, so I feel its only right to find out where the character first began.

The Curious Incident of the dog in the night time by Mark Haddon
I was made to read this in school by my teacher but never got the chance to finish it and it was always playing at the back of my mind, so I got hold of a copy and 4 years later I have finished it. Its told from the angle of a 15 year old with autism, its like nothing I have read before and really helps you understand the condition

The Fault In Our Stars by John Green
This book is the first one I read this year and is also the first book to ever leave me crying. I cant say anything but read it if you havent!

The Great Gatsby by F.Scott Fitzgerald
I will admit, I have never heard of this until I saw the trailer of the new film and thought it looked amazing, I havent got round to watching the film yet, so Im excited to see what all the glits and glam is all about.

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee
I have wanted to read this since I was 12, but back then I think I was too young to really understand the book and the meaning of everything, so I want to read it this year and finally appericate it

The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks
Do I need to explain this? Im a girl and I like romance

The Perks of being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky
Again, another book that I hadnt heard of until they released a film, by the looks of the trailer it looks like a great relatible story line.

If there's any books you recommend, let me know 

Im always interested in reading new books and different styles of writing

Maybelline | Big Eyes Mascara Review

Mascara was the first make up items I ever brought, I was 12 years old and I brought a Natural Collection one, 6 years on and I am still buying different mascaras trying to find the best one.

My eyelashes are very spares and short, and they struggle to hold a curl. I have tried countless brands and by far the best is Maybelline, so when I heard they brought a brand new mascara out, I had to buy it. 

The Big Eyes Mascara is a double ended mascara, one end is a thicker larger wand for the top lashes, this wand is like no other I have seen, it reminds me of the Falsies in the fact that it's quite flat with longer bristles at the side, but the bristles spiral around the wand. Its rather hard to explain. I found it applies rather easily and takes 2 layers to build the volume and length that I like. It can tend to clump but if you brush through them gentle and don't wiggle the wand at the base, it helps them fan out nicely. It holds a curl really well and doesn't flake. I have worn this for 9 hours and it looks the same as when I first applied it. Amazing!

However, at the other end of this product, is a smaller thinner brush that is used for the lower lashes. I am not a fan of lower lash mascara, I find that it makes my eyes look smaller and it tends to smudge everywhere, not a good look! But I thought I would give it a try, and I was pleasantly surprised. It made my eyes open up nicely, and added definition. the wand was very easy to work with, but similar to the bigger wand, I found it clumped my lashes if I didn't take the time to apply it slowly. It lasted well as a lower lash mascara, 6 hours and no smudges or flaking, I found after that it just started to disappear.

If you have time to apply your mascara carefully and layer it and work with it, I highly recommend this mascara, it hold really well and looks amazing, its the closest I have gotten to looking like I have false lashing. However, if you're looking for a mascara that you can grab on the go and apply quickly, this won't be it.

How do you feel about double sided mascaras?

Do you like them?

Maybelline | Baby Skin Primer Review

I will put my hand up and admit, I have never used a primer before. I have wanted to but I have never had the money to splash out on them or thought that the cheaper versions would be worth it. But when Maybelline came out with their Baby Skin Primer I had to try it, as I have a few pores on my nose, forehead and chin, they're not big but my foundation does skin into them and makes them more visible.

First thing I noticed about this product was how smooth it felt, as I was applying it to my face, focusing on my pores, I just felt like it glided so effortlessly. It made my oily skin feel so soft and it had a demi matte finish to the skin. In terms of 'Instant Pore Eraser' when used alone on the skin, it made no difference, But when I applied foundation over top, it didn't sink in to my pores, it created an even base so my foundation looked better than it every had. I tested it using my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, as this usually separates on my skin and doesn't look that great. But with the Baby Skin primer, it lasted 8 hours happily and still looked good and felt really soft. As I said before, I haven't tested any primers before so I sadly cannot compare it to any higher end products.

I recommend this to anyone who is looking for a smoother and even foundation application. This has made me want to look into higher end primers, but for now, this baby is making me very happy!

Whats your experience with Baby Skin?

Do you have any primer recommendations?

Revlon Colourburst Matte Balm | Striking and Elusive Review

As a huge fan of the Kissable Lip Balm Stains, I was very excited to hear that Revlon were releasing a similar product, in a matte formulation. Matte products are my favourite as they last longer and I think they look more casual than a glossy lip. I knew I had to try these products so on the day of release I went to 3 different Boots to try and find them! The one Boots I found only had 4 shades in, and to my disappoint  only 1 of them were the one I wanted, but as they were on a 3 for 2 deal, I decided to bite the bullet and step out of my comfort zone and try something new. So I got 2 of the Matte Balms and 1 Lip Lacquer (Review coming soon!)

The packaging of these are amazing. Chubby Pencil products are everywhere now, and I adore them, they're so easy to apply, they're small and sleek so it will travel easily and also you don't need to sharpen this as it twists up. They have the same scent as the Kissable Lip Balm Stains, a light minty scent, I have heard a few people say they dont like it, personally I am a fan. You can kind of taste the mint when you apply it, so I suggest you smell the product to see if you like the scent first as it can be tasted.

The first shade I got was the one I was most excited about, Striking.
Striking is a gorgeous vibrant Red, I personally cant see any undertones, but reading other reviews I have seen people say they think it leans more orange, and others say it leans pink. For me, I say it comes off as a true red. I am always on the hunt for the perfect red lipstick and this rates pretty high.

It applies so effortlessly, a few swipes and your lips are opaque. I recommend using a lip balm under these for smoother application but it isn't a necessity like some matte products as it is more of a velvet finish than a true matte, so it isn't as drying, this shade doesn't show any dry patches on the lips either. However, I find that after a few hours, you can feel your lips becoming dry, but a bit of lip balm or a reapplication fixes that perfectly. I first tested this out when me and James went out to have some lunch, I had a cup of tea and a panini, and I noticed that the product began to fade at the centre of my lips, but it wasn't obvious until I looked closely into a mirror. I think without drinking or eating, this product can stay strong for 5-6 hours.

The second shade I got is Elusive, this is the one that scared me.
I am a big red lipstick fan, and I can wear it with ease, but for some reason, the thought of wearing a pink lip scares me, I think pink lipstick can either look good on someone or rubbish. But I swatched this shade and thought I would give it a go as it was quite a wearable shade of pink.

Elusive is a nice dusty pink, that is a perfect subtle shade to wear if you want a hint of colour but nothing to bright or in your face. I found that this took a few coats to get the right opaquency that I wanted and it chowed dry patches more than Striking, I believe this it because it is a lighter shade. I found the texture the same as Striking, it started velvety then dried down to a matte finish. I wore this to wore and it lasted really well over 4 hours, but after my lunch break I did have to reapply, it then stayed strong until I got home 5 hours later.

I think these lip products are absolutely amazing, I think they're one of the best lip products on the high street right now, the only fault I could find with these is that you have to reapply after eating but I dont know any lipstick that you dont have to do that to. They are a bit pricey at £9 each, but they are really worth it, I am looking forward to getting more shades when I can find them!

Liebster Award!

Rules of the Award:

1. Link the blog that nominated you for this award

2. Chose 11 bloggers to nominate that have less than 200 followers 

3. Answer the 11 questions given to you

4. Let the people you have nominated know you have done so

5. You cant nominate the person who nominated you

6. Create 11 questions for the people you have nominated to answer

7. You must follow the blog that has nominated you

So I was about to upload a new post when I noticed the lovely Selina  had nominated Pale and Painted for the Liebster Award. I did not expect it as I have only been blogging since August! I am so grateful! :D

1. Do you have any pets?
Yes I have 3 Staffordshire Bull Terriers, The oldest male called DJ, and his 2 puppy sons called Scooby Doo and Scrappy Doo. We also have a goldfish called Osso

2. One thing you would never wear.
Bootcut jeans. I see others wearing them and think they look good, but as I have thin short legs, the end up looking horrible on me.

3. Which is your favourite animal?
Owls, no question about it. I think they're so beautiful and graceful, but they have a vicious side to them. I would love to hold and feed an owl

4. Do you have or would you ever get a tattoo?

No I dont have any at this moment, but I do have plenty of tattoos that I would like to get, the first one being my grandparents handwriting on my wrist 

5. Cat person or dog person?

As an owner of 3 dogs, I have to say dogs. As cute as cats look, they make me freak out because of their claws, am I the only one?

6. Which country would you like to live in?

Some where in America, I dont know where though, New York, Texas, California.. To be honest, I would go any where that has good food!

7. Style Inspirations

I dont really have any style inspirations, I was always brought up to wear what made me happy and not to follow others, but I do find myself going to Pinterest a lot of ideas, so can I say Pinterest?

8. Do you play any instruments?

I used to play the Clarinet in a Jazz band but I stopped t do my GCSEs, I miss playing a lot and will probably start playing again. I also learnt to play piano and saxophone but I wasn't that great at them

9. Summer or Winter? Why?

This is the impossible question! As soon as it gets cold I want Summer, but as soon as Summer comes I want Winter. I really do like both, Winter because its always cosy and bright because of Christmas, but I love Summer because you can wear cute dresses all the time and eat ice cream every single day. As of right now, Summer, because its horribly cold right now and I miss wearing shorts.

10. Your favourite memory from the school days?

I have far too many! I was very lucky to have an amazing bunch of friends at school so no day was boring. A few are falling asleep in the Prefect room on bean bags with Amy (Best nap of my life), Every Drama lesson and performance , Making outfits for fashion shows, Science lessons with Mr O who would teach us about how sound travelled by shouting swear words across the field, and slow dancing at prom with Lauren.

11. What do you want to be?

I have changed this answer so many times, its been a ballerina, an actress, a lawyer, a forensic scientist, a criminal psychologist (I blame Criminal Minds for those choices) a photographer, a make up artist, a director, a hair dresser, a nail technician, a tattoo artist, a primary school teacher.. I constantly change my mind with this, but right now I will just settle for a Sales Consultant until I can decide 

My Questions to You:

1. What inspired you to start blogging?

2. Where would you like to go on holiday?

3. If you could only own 1 lipstick what would it be?

4. Favourite fashion trend?

5. What are you looking forward to in 2014?

6. Would you rather spend more on hair products or skin care?

7. Whats your guilty pleasure movie?

8. What is one book you recommend?

9. Worst product you have ever used?

10. How long does it take you to get ready?

11. Pastel or brights?

The blogs I nominate?

1. Renee Allen
2. isobelxhayes
3. All Things Abby
4. HoneyBelle
5. Like a Little Fox
6. Lulu-Ele
7. BellaRae
8. Lipstick and Lyd
9. Josephine Jade
10. Becka Here
11. Nashbag

Rimmel Apocolips | Big Bang Review

Every since these were released I have heard people raving about them, and I got sucked into the hype and had to get one. As a huge red lip fan I thought Big Bang was the best choice especially as I am on the hunt for a holy grail red lipstick. The first thing that drew me towards this range was the packaging. Oh the packaging it gorgeous, its very sleek and the colour of the product is clearly displayed so you don't have to worry about searching for the label to find the shade.. But sadly that's where the excitement of this product ends..

Formulation

The formulation was the big selling point for this product. Its a liquid lipstick, it has the shine of a lipgloss but its opaque like a lipstick, if you dont like the shine you can blot your lips on a tissue and it will mattify your lips. Its a really creamy formulation, that feels smooth on the lips, not sticky or cakey. But it can feel thick if you apply too much. At first this product was nice but when it started to dry, I started having troubles. It went really stiff and cracked on my lips, it looked a mess. Even when I tried to apply over top, it felt clumpy on my lips and thick and even when I blotted it still felt bad and looked bad. When I removed it, my lips felt irritated and chapped.

Application

I found the easiest way to apply this is to outline your lines first with the tip of the doe foot and then fill in, you get a neat line and makes the likeliness of going outside your natural lip shape a lot less. The applicator of this product is really good. The doe foot applicator has a dip in the middle which stores product which means you dont have to re-dip your wand several times.

Colour

Big Bang is a true red, it wasn't too blue toned or yellow toned, it sat perfectly in the middle. From what I have seen from swatches I think it would perfectly go with every skin tone, however I think your skin tone will change how the lipstick looks, for example I have seen this look darker on some people and brighter on others.

Staying Power

This is where I became disappointed with this product. I have heard people say that this lasts so long and stained there lips. However, after 2 hours I found that this has smudged everywhere on my face, it was on my chin, my upper lip, and I think at one point my nose. It didnt fade nicely, it went horrible patchy and settled into the lines and felt really drying and uncomfortable.

Overall I was really disappointed in this product, I expect a lipstick to last longer than 2 hours and not make me want to scrap it off of my lips and lather them in lip balm, especially one that advertises itself as having a 'conditioning formulation' I definitely think a red lipstick is a staple for a collection which has to be done correctly so the fact that the red failed me, makes me question if the rest are actually that good either. I wouldn't recommend these to anyone, I am a huge fan of Rimmels lip products so I hate that I hate this, but it really is that bad. 

Did you had the same experience as I did?

Christmas Tag

Source

So I wasn't actually tagged but I think it's a fun tag so I don't care, I'm going to do it. 

What's your favourite holiday movie?
I have too many I like Santa Claus, The Grinch, Elf, Muppet Christmas Carol, Love Actually...

What's your favourite Christmas colour?
It typical but yes it is red green and gold, I cannot help it but I just love the traditional Christmas colours. I hate the pink Christmas trees.

Do you open your presents Christmas Eve or morning?
On Christmas eve we open our pyjamas and a teddy, we have our stockings in the morning, then we go downstairs and open the rest of our present

What's your favourite winter fragrance?
This year it's been either Britney Spears - Midnight fantasy or Body Shops Brazil Nut Body Spray, they're both sweet but warm

Favourite Christmas smell?
The Christmas dinner cooking, it has to be. No smell can beat that!

What's your favourite holiday drink?
This year I have been loving Ovaltine as well as the Honeycomb and Cream Hot Chocolate from Costa. So tasty! 

Candy cane or gingerbread men?

Candy Cane. Everytime.I dont like ginger bread or any spices like that.

Favourite Christmas song?
Just one? I cant do that. My top 3 are Mariah Carey - All I want for Christmas is you. The Pogues - Fairytale of New York, Elton John - Step into Christmas. 

Have you ever made a snowman?
I make a snowman every time it snows. Even if he is only 3 cm tall. I will make a snowman.

What is most important to you about the holidays?
Being happy and spending time to appreciate and enjoy time with your family. I think people over stress about Christmas and forget the real point is about spending time with each other, not spending a lot on each other. 

If anyone has done this tag, link it down below, I would love to read others answers.

Merry Christmas Everyone!

2013 Favourites | Miscellaneuos

L to R- Garnier PureActive Anti Imperfection Cleansing Gel, Vaseline Spray & Go | Cocoa Radiant, Original Source | Mint and Tea Tree, Re-Gen Cream, Loreal Skin Perfection Micellar Water , Soap and Glory | Sugar Crush Body Wash and Body Buttercream

L to R- Aldi Miracle Oil, Britney Spears Midnight Fantasy Perfume, Body Shop | Brazil Nut Body Mist and Shower Creme

The final post of my 2013 favourites is a bunch of miscellaneous products that I've been loving but instead of putting them all in separate posts I have stuck them all in one big post.

Garnier PureActive | Anti Imperfection Gel Cleanser - This year my skin went from dehydrated and dry, to rather oily so I have been trying to revamp my skin care routine and this is the product I have felt that has helped the most. I take off all my make up and massage this into my skin, I then add some water to foam it up and remove, it leaves my skin feeling so soft and matte and clean, its amazing. I use this twice a day and I definately notice the difference when I use it and when I don't. The best part? It is under £2 in Superdrug!

Vaseline Spray & Go | Cocoa Radiant - This is a new product to me I believe I got it in November but it is a complete winter winner in my books. There is nothing worse than stepping out of a hot shower or bath into the freezing cold, applying moisturiser and having to wait for it to be absorbed. But this cuts all the waiting out, it absorbs in so quickly and is really deeply moisturising. I get eczema every winter, but this has actually helped combat that and kept my skin hydrated and not itchy! I would love to try the Aloe Vera one in the summer.

Original Source | Mint and Tea Tree - I am the worst person for waking up in the mornings, especially in the summer, I just wake up and feel sweaty and sticky, TMI? Oh well.. This completely perks me up, makes me feel really clean and happy. Its so nice and I also know James is a fan of this as well. So its perfect for you and your boyfriend.

Re-Gen Cream - Moisturisers are something I have never really been bothered with, I usually stick to Simple as I know they work for me. But when I saw this in B&Ms for £3 I picked it up as it says it helps with blemishes and scarring, it's pretty much Bio-oil in a cream form. I cant say I have noticed any difference in my spots but I haven't had any scarring and the acne scarring I did have was becoming less visible.

L'Oreal Paris Skin Perfection | Micellar Water - This is what I have been using to remove my eye and face make up, I have never tried Bioderma so I cannot compare them, but this is the best make up remover I have tried, it doesn't sting my eyes or make me scrub them to remove my mascara. I feel like I do run out of this quickly but its pretty cheap so I'm happy to repurchase it.

Soap and Glory | Sugar Crush - I have both the body wash and the body buttercream, I could not live without these in summer. They are so amazing and the smell is heavenly. I find the body wash is really creamy and moisturising so you could use it alone but if you want more hydration the body buttercream sinks in quickly, its a weird texture as its just like a body butter but it feels slightly whipped.

Aldi | Miracle Oil - My hair and I have a love hate relationship. Sometimes it goes exactly how I want and other times it just wants to be a frizzy ball of god knows what. When I got my hair cut in the summer my hair dresser used Moroccan Oil and I found it really made my hair soft and manageable and I fell in love, but I wasn't willing to spend £30 on a big bottle, my hair dresser kindly told me that this product is the exact same thing as Moroccan Oil and recommends it just as much as the real deal. So I went out to get it, at £3 I am so surprised how good of a job it does. My hair has never felt so good and it has a lot less frizz and it is a lot easier to control.

Britney Spears | Midnight Fantasy - I feel like this is kind of a cheat putting it in here as this is actually a life time favourite rather than 2013, but I finished off my smaller bottle that I brought in 2011 and found the bigger size for £15 on Fragrance Direct and ordered it and I fell back in love. It's my perfect winter everyday perfume. Its so sweet and girly, it reminds me of winter berries.

Body Shop | Brazil Nut - This year the Body shop brought back there Brazil Nut scent and James kindly brought me the body cream and body spray. Its so good! I wish it was a permanent scent or that I stocked up as I am almost out. I have gotten so many compliments when I wear this to work, it's smells like a blend of chocolate, coffee and nuts. Its heavenly!

What's some of your favourite random bits of 2013?

2013 Favourites | Lips

L to R- Loreal Glam Shine Stain Splash | Lolita, ELF | Runway Pink, Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte | 107, Rimmel London Moisture Renew | Rose Passion 

Bottom- Revlon Lip Balm Stain | Honey

This year I have really gotten into lip products, before this year I only ever wore tinted lip balm, but I have really enjoyed trying new products and seeing how much a lip product changes an entire look. These have been the products I have been reaching for the most.

Carmex | Cherry - For about 2 years this has been my go to lip balm, it is amazing. It fixes my chapped lips, stops any sore pains I have, I like to apply this thickly at night so it can soak into my lips, it does tingle quite a lot but I don't mind that as I feel like it's actually being taken into the skin rather than laying over top it, so its repairing and giving moisture under the skin rather than just on top. They sell different scents, like the original one and a strawberry one, but I don't think anything can beat the cherry one.

Lush Lip Scrub | Mint Julips - I already have a review which can be found here, so if you want to know more click there, but in a short. I love this, it removes all dead skin leaving your lips soft and its tasty. 

Loreal Glam Shine Stain Splash | Lolita - This is probably the biggest shock product of the year, I had a coupon for this so I paid around £3 for this, I hate lip glosses, but I heard so much about these I tried it hoping it might change my mind and it did. This is amazing! It goes on feeling like water, its quite cooling, as it settles it gets slightly thicker, it's not sticky or too slippy. the colour shocked me as in the tube it looks pink, but on the lips it's more of a mauvey brown shade. What I liked the most about this is the lasting power, I went 6 hours, with drinking and eating and it was still perfect, not a single touch up needed!

ELF | Runway Pink - For a while I hated light pink lips, they always reminded me of Nicki Minaj or 12 year old concealer lips, but this one is actually really wearable. It compliments my skin tone really well. This applies really creamy but goes to an almost velvet finish, it hasn't got the best lasting power, but I'm not fussed about reapplying.

Rimmel London Kate Moss Matte | 107 - This is an obvious choice as it is everyone's favourite, but it is just a beautiful dark red lipstick, it looks good on every skin tone, it has a velvet matte finish so it isn't drying. It lasts around 5 hours before it begins to fade, and when it fades, it fades badly, it stays around the edge and goes into the cracks, not a nice look! You can easily fix this by using a lip liner though

Rimmel London Moisture Renew | Rose Passion - I think everyone should have a darker red and a bright red, and this is my go to bright red. This red is so creamy and moisturising, it doesn't last a long time, only around 4 hours but it feels so nice to apply that I don't mind topping up. I love the moisture renew range, but Rimmel have recently reformulated this line so I'm interested in trying them. 

Revlon Lip Balm Stain | Honey - This is my most recent favourite, I love the Revlon Lip Balms Stains but I never tried this shade before. Its quite a dark mauvey pink, which is a really nice everyday shade, it applies smoothly, it adds a bit of moisture to your lips but it feels just like a lip balm, when the balmy feel has gone away it feels like nothing on your lips but you are left with a lovely pink stain.

What lip products do you recommend?

2013 Favourites | Nails

L to R | Models Own-Utopia, Nails Inc-Piccadily Circus, Rimmel London-Rose Libertine, Barry M-Pink Silver Glitter, Essie-Mint Candy Apple, Models Own-Luis Lemon

L to R | Barry M Gelly Hi Shine - Greenberry, Prickly Pear, Blueberry

Oh nail varnish, my weakness. I have loved nail varnish for years, which is probably why I have a collection of at least 70. This was probably the hardest to narrow down as I change up my nail polish at least every 3 days. So I picked the colours that I went for the most.

Models Own | Utopia - This is my go to neutral shade, I find true nudes look horrible on me, but Utopia is a gorgeous light pinky purple off white shade. It looks good all through the year and is a perfect shade for any glitter top coat. 

Nails Inc | Piccadily Circus - This has been my go to winter colour, its almost the exact same as Barry M's 'Raspberry' but ever so slightly darker, I find red shades hard to wear as they make my hands look dead, but dark berry reds are amazing and perfect for autumn/winter.

Rimmel London | Rose Libertine - This was my go to spring shade, its a gorgeous pink, it does come out slightly orange in some lights. I love Rimmel nail polishes, I think they're amazing quality for the price, they dry fast and have a lovely shine that lasts around 2-3 days without a top coat.

Barry M | Pink Silver Glittler - Every year I have stayed away from opaque glitters as I have hated the look of them, but I picked this up on a whim and I fell in love, its opaque in 2 coats, it doesn't feel incredibly gritty like others. I like wearing this on my ring finger as an accent nail, I found depending on what you wear it with it brings out different undertones. For example, when i applied this with Piccadily Circus it looked more pinky, but with a dark blue shade it looks more gold.

Essie | Mint Candy Apple - In the summer this almost never left my nails, its the perfect mint shade, its not too blue, or too green and its a lovely vibrant shade. I love the formulation, its opaque in 2 coats, it lasts 3-4 days with no chips, the brush is wide enough to cover the nail in one swipe. If you haven't already, get this shade!

Models Own | Luis Lemon - When I first got this, I was disappointed as it was really sheer and not as bright as I thought it would be, so I tried putting a white base underneath and it made a huge difference. It is a super bright neon yellow, that glows in the sun light. I think this would look gorgeous with a tan. But this isnt only great for summer, I like wearing it when the weather is dull as it really brightens up my mood.

Barry M Hi Shine | Greenberry, Prickley Pear, Blueberry -I thought I would end on my favourite nail polish range this year, quite is the Barry M Gelly Hi Shine range, I think Barry M are always on point with the latest nail trends and they always make them at good affordable prices. But I fell in love with this collection, all the colours are gorgeous and unique, they dry quickly, they take about 2-3 coats depending on the colour, they are ridiculously shiny and last a long time without chipping, they usually last around a week on me! These are the 3 most worn in my collection, the first is Greenberry, I loved this in summer, this is a bright turquoise shade, I don't usually go for this kind of colour but its a great pop of colour. The next is Prickley Pear, I love this shade as it is a pastel purple but its still quite bright. This does need 3 coats but its so shiny and long lasting, as you can see, I have used it a lot. And the last is Blueberry, I didn't originally like this shade as I was expecting more of a light blue, but this is a bright sky blue, it is a really bold colour that stands out in the summer sunshine.

What has your favourite shades of the year been?

2013 Favourites | Eyes

This is part 2 of my 2013 favourites and were talking about Eyes, Eye products were something I didn't really experiment with in 2013, but I did find some holy grail products that I cannot live with out in my day to day life.

L'Oreal Super Liner Eyeliner | Black Crystals - I will admit I am rubbish with applying eyeliners, but this product makes it so easy, the applicator is a fine sponge tip, so its not hard or scratchy, it applies flawlessly and quickly, its really easy to create a thin line and you can create a dramatic cat eye in seconds. I accidentley picked up this shade but its actually quite nice, its an opaque black but has a slight shimmer in it, it isnt like a huge glittery shimmer, but it makes the liner look unique, not matte but not shiny. It is also the most long lasting waterproof eye liner I have tried.

MUA Eye Palette | Undressed - Whilst everyone is fussing over the Urban Decay Naked palettes, I'm still loving this cheap ass dupe. It's £3 and amazing quality. I have never been into using bright colours on my eyes, as much as I love it on other people, I feel stupid so I stick to my neutrals, this has a great selection of day time colours and darker shades to mix it up at the night time. The only issue I have found is that if you have oily eyelids like me, you need a primer as it can crease, but that is no different to any eye shadow I have tried

Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Eyeliner | Nude - Last year I always wore white liner in my waterline as I thought it opened up my eyes, but I soon realised it actually looked weird and my eyes looked red. Luckily that was around the time this got realised, and I heard so many reviews I had to buy it. I like using this in the morning as it cancels out any redness on the waterline with out looking so fake, it only lasts a few hours but that is expected in the waterline.

Maybelline Rocket Mascara - I have never found a holy grail mascara but this came close. It has short rubber bristles that coats the lashes really well, it needs 2 coats to get voluminous lashes, I would like it to be a bit more lengthening but I still like the results it gives.  It holds a curl really well and is so easy to apply. I think Maybelline is the best drugstore brand for mascaras.

Have you found any holy grail eye products this year?

2013 Favourites | Face

As everyone is saying, 2013 just flew by and I cant believe Christmas has come so quickly. So I thought I would end the year by writing about my favourite products from this year. After gathering everything together, I realised how many things I had been loving this year and couldn't go without, so I'm going to separate them into different posts starting with my favourite face product..

Foundation | Bourjois Healthy Mix - This is the only foundation I have tried this year that didn't break me out, which is a huge thing! This foundation has a really good coverage, Id say medium but buildable without going cakey, it matched my skin perfectly so I don't have to spend ages trying to blend it. I've found in the past that dewy foundations don't work well with my combination/oil skin but this lasts really well. I highly recommend this foundation, if you have drier skin I believe the Bourjois healthy mix serum is more hydrating.

Powder | Rimmel London Stay Matte - I apologise for the lack of label in the photo but the packaging for this product isn't the best, but the powder is. Im not usually a fan of powders as they usually go on really bad on me and usually doesn't make a difference in the wear time of my make up, but this helps take away any unwanted shine and helps with the lasting time. You do have to be careful about how much apply as it can go on cakey, but I actually apply this with a stippling brush, so it goes on lightly.

Bronzer | NYC Smooth Skin Bronzer 'Sunny' - Before this year I had never tried a bronzer, I never thought that it would look so good on my skin, as I'm so pale. But I saw this on sale in B&Ms for £3 and I had heard people saying this was a dupe of Benefits 'Hoola' Bronzer, so I thought I would give it a go. It is a really nice light contour shade, its not too orange or look muddy. Its very hard to go to OTT with this, but if you do it blends really easily.

Blush | Sleek 'Lifes a Peach' & ELF 'Tickled Pink' - I honestly could not pick one blush, these 2 have been my go to blushes the first blush is from Sleek, its a gorgeous peach shade that leans more to the orange side, it looks quite bright and scary in the pan but its quite sheer, you can pack it onto the skin to get a brighter shade but when worn lightly it creates a really nice natural glow, its a great shade for spring and summer. The next blush is ELFs Tickled Pink, it is the most gorgeous natural pink, it has a slight shimmer but its barely noticeable on the skin. I go for this everyday in winter as it creates a lovely 'been out in the snow' glow to your face.

What face products did you fall in love with in 2013?