2016 Makeup Favourites (So Far)

We're about a quarter of the way through the year, so I thought it would be worth looking at my favourite makeup bits and pieces so far this year.  Some of these are still favourites which I included in my 2015 Makeup Favourites post, and some of them are new finds.

Urban Decay Cosmic 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil Set

I am loving Urban Decay lately, I am using so many of their products every single day at the moment.  I was on the lookout for a brown pencil kohl-style eye liner, and I stumbled across this Cosmic set of the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Liners.  I am an absolute sucker for anything miniature so I just couldn't resist, even though I'd never tried any of their eye liners before.

Spring Lipsticks

Lately, we're beginning to see the first signs of spring.  Hopefully I'm not jinxing it, but I've been enjoying clear blue skies and leaving my hat and gloves at home.  When it comes to beauty looks, I love spring and summer - I am a sucker for a pastel lip, fresh base and bronzed complexion.  I've already phased out my deep vampy lipsticks and the paler shades have been on their way into my makeup bag.  These are the shades I'll be reaching for the most over the next few weeks.

Urban Decay Eye Shadow in Pop

Since I bought the Urban Decay Gwen Stefani palette before Christmas, I have been smitten with it.  It has the perfect mixture of matte and shimmery shadows in a range of neutral shades with a few brighter colours thrown in too.  It is perfect for creating any eye look, and lets face it - it's gorgeous.

Everyday Hair Accessories

I know what you're thinking - every time I see the title of a post saying something about hair accessories, I expect to see sparkly scrunchies and My Little Pony clips, but that's not what I mean.  Teaching children every day means I am constantly conscious of where my hair is - I definitely don't want any 'visitors' so I always tie my hair up and these are the hair accessories I usually reach for.

ColourPop Ultra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Solow

After reading so many incredible reviews of ColourPop Ultra Matte Lipsticks, I was desperate to get my hands on one.  Lately I've been loving matte liquid lipsticks (along with everyone else!) and was too tempted by the huge range of colours on offer from ColourPop.  Colourpop Cosmetics isn't particularly easy to get hold of in the UK so I did a bit of research and ended up risking an eBay order.

A Matte Base

Usually, I am a huge fan of a matte base.  I love a touch of highlighter and some shimmery eye shadow, but I am not a girl after the dewy look.  I have spent so long powdering my skin to stop it looking oily that I'm not about to start using foundations and spritzes that add shine.  Lately I feel like I've mastered the matte base and I want to share the beauty bits I've been using.

Benefit Mascara Battle: They're Real vs RollerLash

When I am looking for a new mascara, I find it pretty hard to decide - there are thousands of options on the market, each claiming to do very similar things.  How do I know which ones will make my lashes look long, black and fluttery without ending up comparable to spiders legs? How do I know which ones will flake down my face half way through the day and which will be impossible to remove at the end of the day?  Reading some reviews helped me realise that Benefit know what they're doing when it comes to mascara, but which of their options to I choose?  I received a sample of Rollerlash in a magazine last year, loved it, and kept re-purchasing over and over again.  But until now, I didn't know how it compared to one of the brand's most popular products; They're Real.

The Original Beauty Blender

It's pretty hard to avoid the hype which has surrounded this pink sponge for years,  I have tried a few similar tools, and I really loved using the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge, so when I spotted the Beauty Blender on Wowcher for £7, I made my order.

Benefit The POREfessional Matte Rescue Primer

As an oily-skinned girl, foundation doesn't last three hours on my skin without the help of a good primer.  When I reached the end of my Illamasqua Matte Veil a few weeks ago, I fancied trying something new as a replacement.  The Benefit POREfessional Matte Rescue primer seemed to be everywhere to looked, and I was reading amazing things about it's power to keep oil at bay, keep makeup in place and prolong wear so I made an order.

Red Carpet Manicure Gel Nails Starter Kit

I have never been the sort of girl to go and get my nails done every other week, even though I'd like to be.  I've had my nails done professionally once in my life, I had acryllic extensions and they were a pain in the arse, so I never had them again.  I do, on the other hand, love to paint my nails.  I hate how my hands look with bare nails, so spend way too much time and money painting my nails every colour known to man.  

Recently, gel nails seem to be having a bit of a moment, but I wasn't keen on paying over £20 for mine to be done, so I thought I'd give it a go myself.  I spotted the Red Carpet Manicure Starter Set on offer on Beauty Bay just after Christmas, so I went for it.

Plaited Top Knot Hair Style

I have a new favourite thing to do in my spare time.  I love to watch hairstyle videos on instragram.  I waste hours watching people braid, curl and style their hair in different ways, and although I definitely am not talented in that area, it's made me a bit braver when experimenting with my hair.

I've never posted any hair styles on my blog before, but I found this braided top knot so easy to create and I love how it looks, so I couldn't resist!

Game Changing Beauty

Every now and again, I find a beauty product which completely changes my makeup routine, and I know I'll be repurchasing for a long, long time.  These are the current game-changing products I have in my stash which I just can't get enough of.

Clinique Nude Pop

Back in December, there was a choice of Clinique free gifts with Glamour magazine.  I had heard incredible about these Pop lipsticks, so as soon as I saw that there was a nude one up for grabs, I was desperate to get my hands on it!

Perfect Brush and Beauty Matches

I've build up a bit of a collection of make-up brushes, and there are a few brush-and-beauty-product partners which are truly a match made in heaven.  After reading a similar post on From Roses, I was inspired to write my own post all about my favourite brush and beauty product pairings.

January Favourites

I'm not usually one for monthly favourites posts, but this month there have been so many bits I've been loving that I can't resist including them.

Valentines Day Gift Ideas for Her

Every time a gift-buying opportunity comes up, I find myself searching the internet for wonderful gifts that someone would love to receive, so this year I thought I'd contribute my gift ideas for the lovely ladies in your life.  Of course Valentines day is around the corner, so you might be looking for a gift for February 14th, but these gifts would be perfect for birthdays, Christmas, anniversaries or any other occasion. Amara kindly sent me a few bits and pieces to include in this post (marked with a *), but I have added a few bits and pieces of my own.

Skincare I've Fallen Back in Love With

For some stupid reason, when I finished my last tube of La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+ and pumped out the last bit of Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish I never re-purchased.  Last month, when my skin took a turn for the worst and my face was covered in painful blemishes I was all out of ideas for how to fix it, so I made an emergency order of these two products.

Charlotte Tilbury Makeup: Dolce Vita Palette and Lipstick Charms

I was lucky enough to receive some beautiful Charlotte Tilbury make up from my parents for Christmas and over the last few weeks I have further and further in love with these beautiful bits.  These products have been on my wishlist for so long and I was over the moon to open them on Christmas day.

Zoeva Classic Brush Set

After falling madly in love with the Zoeva Rose Gold Eye Brush Set in 2015, I had my sights set on one of their face sets. After listening to me talk about them for weeks, my parents kindly bought me the Classic Face Set for Christmas, and I've been using them every day since!