My Favourite Products of 2011

I realise that this is later than I would have prefered, and I also would have prefered to do this a a video...But Ive currently got tonsilitus and its just not a pretty sight (or sound for that matter). So here it is in blog post form....Theres quite a lot of products in here but Ive truely been loving each and every one of them to death this year! So lets get started...

Brushes...

 ELF Angled Eyeliner Brush - This is perfect for applying gel liner, and so affordable too. The angled part kind of helps to get into the eye better, if that makes sense?!

Sigma F80 Flat Top Kabuki - The only brush Ive used for foundation since I got it, amazing!! But a bit of a bitch to clean.
ELF Powder Brush - Pretty similar to the Sigma one, good for foundation but brilliant for cream blush, or setting powder

MAC 217 Blending Brush - My best investment this year, really soft, applies eyeshadow like a dream! Absolutely fab for blending as well as applying shadows. I want more of these.

 Face Products...

Firstly I'd like to mention MAC's Mineralize Skinfinish Natural as my favourite powder of the year, I ran out and have another en route in the post so dont have it to photograph otherwise it would be here.
MAC Dollymix Blush - Its bright pink, and its beautiful with a light hand, great for both winter and summer.
MAC Blushcreme Ladyblush - The perfect everyday colour, looks incredibly natural on the skin, my fave.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer - Creamy, long lasting, fab coverage, inexpensive...best concealer ever.

Jemma Kidd Light As Air Foundation - Really blendable, a little goes a long way, feels so lightweight on the skin but gives an amazing coverage and is incredibly long lasting, my ultimate foundation. I even have a back-up....and I never do that with foundations!

Eye Products...

MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow - I use this over my lid most days, everyone should own this! It will go with any skin tone too, great for a  wash of colour and a flick of liner.

MAC Satin Taupe Eyeshadow - An absolute staple in my collection, the perfect crease colour.

Urban Decay Naked Palette - Need I explain this one? Love it to death, cant wait to try Naked 2!

Avon Supershock Mascara - Loved this for years its amazingly volumising, couldnt be without this in my collection.

ELF Eyeshadow Primer - Its £3 and keeps my eyeshadow in place all day, bloody amazing.

ELF Eyebrow Treat and Tame - I only use the tame side, as a blonde brow gel, its cheap and works well too.

MAC Vintage Selection Paint Pot - Its an unreal primer, and also so pretty alone, Ive worn this to death this year.

Avon Supershock Eyeliner - It sso creamy but doesnt transfer, blackest black ever, this is my third this year! Literally cant see myself trying a different black eye kohl ever.

Maybelleine Gel Liner - Drug store price for a high end quality product. Stays in place all day and goes on a dream, much easier to use than liquid I think.

Lip Products...

Avon Pro-to-go Lipstick in Provocative Plum - Its the perfect "wash" of plummy colour, and is a nice colourul daytime option without being too full on. Lovely.

Carmex Cherry Lipbalm - Simply put, its the most effective lip balm Ive ever came across.

MAC Big Baby Plushglass - You can see how much Ive used this, its a perfect peachy nude and lovely formula, favourite ever lipgloss.
Nars Turkish Delight Lipgloss - Only bought because of Kim Kardashian (ridic.) But its actually bloody gorgeous, and looks great over nude lippie.
No7 Lip Pencil in Plum - These are so cheap with a £5 off No7 voucher and are lovely liners, really soft, I have a few and love them all just decided to picture this one
MAC Girl About Town Lipstick - My favourite night out lipstick, lovely and bright but doesnt look too crazy, I always get compliments when I wear this.
Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipstick in Nude Delight - The perfect nude for my skin tone, no concealer lips here! Alsot he formula is super silky and gorgeous.

Skincare...

Firstly, if I could I would include my new Liz Earle products and my Clarisonic in here as they blow all other skincare Ive used out the water, but since I only owned them for 6 days of 2011, I cant really...so these lot are things I have liked, but not as much as my new stuff!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream with SPF50 - This is my go to sunscreen, which I should use everyday but often forget. Its not greasy or suncream-ish at all, and is really a lovely moisturiser in itself. Applying this once in the morning on holiday protected my face from burning all day. Winner.

S&G Off Your Face Wipes - If you could ever find a face wipe that was really good, this is it. Expensive, but so much nicer than the cheap ones in every way.

Clearasil Seal and Clear Spot Treatment - Slightly gross, but I find this works nicely at reducing any breakouts, especially if I get them as soon as they arrive!

Dermalogica Face Mask & Exfoliant - Boy have I made these babies last me! Teeny samples but Ill never afford the full size. Each use has seen my skin magically so much cleaner and clearer and beautiful. Loveeeee.

Nails...

Barry M Nail Paint in Pink Flamingo - I never had this off my nails all summer, so pretty in the sun with a tan!

Revlon Facets of Fuschia - Love at first sight with this one, so so pretty camera doesnt do it justice.

Sally Hansen Insta-Dry Top Coat - Pretty awesome topcoat, makes my polish last ages longer! This bottle has gone gloopy now though and its nearly empty, time for a new one!

Barry M Red Glitter Nail Paint - Nothing is more Christmassy than this polish, but I want to wear it nowwww. So pretty it distracts me from things haha.

Hair...

Aussie Aussome Volume Shampoo/Conditioner - I literally cant use anything other than these two when washing my hair or it goes flat as a pancake, used them all year and my hair is still responding nicely. I wont be straying at all in the near future.

Batiste Tropical Dry Shampoo - Its cheap and works fine in my blonde hair for freshening it up, I only like the Tropical scent though.

Elnett Hairspray - Its just the best, by far. I love how it brushes out and doesnt leave much build up on your hair at all but still holds a style amazingly. I once had full on curls for 3 days because of this.

The Tangleteezer - The most effective yet gentle brush ever. So kind to my hair, I havent touched another brush since I got this.

John Freider Go Blonder Controlled Lightening Spray - This has brought a new lease of life to my nautrally dull blonde hair and its such a prettier colour now and I havet had to dye it properly. Savior!

Body, Bath, Etc...

S&G Hand Food - Best hand cream ever, gone through tonnes of this stuff now, Im slightly addicted to it.
S&G The Righteous Butter - I have got the world and his wife using this now, even my good old Nana loves it. Such a silky body butter that works wonders and smells unreal.
Paco Robanne Lady Million - This is my signature scent now. You must all smell it, Im in love with it and barely wear anything else now.
S&G The Breakfast Scrub - Another thing where I wont be straying to sample different brands, this is my favourite scrub by miles. Smells so good I could eat it and does a fabjob at slogging off my dead skin, lovely thought I know!
Lush Pop in the Bath Bubble Bar - Ive been through dozens of these this year, they have a gorgeous fresh smell that Im always in the mood for, lovely bubble bar :)
Rituals Foaming Shower Gel - Only had this a month but really love it. It leaves you feeling super clean and fresh and the foam feels rather luxurious, definately will repurchase it!


Dear me this has taken me SO long to sit and write I think I need a good cup of tea haha. Thanks for reading if you got this far!

xoxo

12 Days of Christmas Giveaway Day 5!

Today I decided that although this giveaway is the "12 Days of Christmas" I will be adding a further ift each day until the 12th, but the giveaway will run until the 15th when Ill draw a winner at random.

Its so so easy to enter just subscribe to my blog and leave a comment on my first post here with your email address. You can look back over the past few dys to see the prizes you will win and more prizes will be added to the gift box until the 12th!

Todays prize is a mini Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor Deep Conditioner.
This is so well known for being a great deep conditioner to give your hair a little treat, especially in the winter months when its so cold out, and its so nice to pamper yourslef in a nice hot bath. Your hair will really need it too after all teh styling its gunna go through for Christmas and New Years parties!

Dont forget to enter!!

xoxo

Review: Aussie vs. TIGI Bed Head....Volumising Shampoos and Conditioners

I know the title is a bit of a mouthful...but hey at least you know what youre getting with this post! Im the kind of person who doesnt like to have a load of shampoos on the go at once. I buy one, I use it up, then I buy another one. I dont know why but even when I love a shampoo/conditioner, once Ive used it up I still want to try a different one, always on the hunt for the perfect combo for my hair.

 I recently finished the Aussie Aussome Volume shampoo and conditioner, and had bought the Tigit Bed Head Styleshots Epic Volume pair for when I finished my Aussie ones. I have been using the TIGI ones for about 3 weeks now so I think I can come up with a fair comparison type review of which ones are better, in my opinion anyway.

Firstly let me say my hair type is limp, kinda lifeless, very fine and flyaway...prone to static and also sticking to my head :(. Now were past my self pity, lets see what these products do for this annoying hair type of mine...

Im gunna start by saying I LOVE the Aussie range as a whole. Thyere a very ethically awae company, read up on them and youll see just how great they are! Im not going to go into product descriptions because frankly they bore me to tears reading them on blogs. Bascially these products claim to be lightweight and great for fine hair and above all, volumising, which is what you wold expect when theyre titled "Aussome Volume".

With these products the first thing I noticed was the distinctive smell, its gorgeous, but I cant put my finger on what the scent is...but its lovely anyway. I found the shampoo lathered brilliantly and left my hair feeling completely clean, like it had taken away all the gunk and hairspray and whatever, and lft me with shiney, bouncy and fuller hair. I genuinely accept that these do add volume to my hair. The conditioner is beautifully light, it doesnt feel thick and awful in my hair, it still gives a lot of moisture though and leaves my hair silky and smooth but not weighed down or greasy looking at all. I found my hair could go slightly longer between washes when using these products, about a day longer than before I used them, which means I have to use them less often so they last longer...value for money!

Theyre widely available at "drugstores" and supermarkets, and arent too expensive and are often in deals and such, I got mine for £10 for the pair. Honestly, these are the best products I have found for my hair and I would 100% rcommend them!

Unfortunately, Im not so impressed with these products from TIGI, which I'm kinda disappointed in saying as I have a whole bunch of their styling products and swear by them. Firstly, these are usually rather pricey at around £10 each, but I got mine from Cheap Smells for £15. They claim to do all sorts, boost volume body and shine, proect from heat, humidity and colour, and repair and strengthen hair. Big big claims!!

If Im totally honest, I dont think its worth the price tag. Ive pad £2 for a bottle of Pantene and got better results than I get from these. I hate to rant about products generally but I jsut cant get away with these. They smell like strawberry bootlace sweets, which to me is a little sickly and overpowering to be slathering on my hair, but luckily this doesnt linger after showering. The consistency is veeeery thick I find, and it takes a bit of elbow grease to get it to lather up over my head. Because itsd thick it takes longer to rinse out too, and once I have spent forever rinsing, my hair doesnt feel alotgether clean. I honestly am rinsing properly, and it still feels like theres product build up in my hair, even once I blow dried. I mean yeh, it cleans my hair but nothing special, and I wouldnt say it did much volumising at all.

My hair gets greasy after about 12 hours after using this, which I dont enjoy, saying as I was used to clean hair for 3 days with the Aussie ones. I feel it weighs my hair down and my hair's flat as a pancake on my head, no movement or body to it really. This is no reflection on the TIGI brand for me, as a whole I love most of the stuff I have tried from them, and these shampoos may be more suited to thicker hair, but not for fine ahir looking for volume like they claim to be. Yes, I will continue to use them...will I buy them again? Nope, Ill be going straight back to my beloved Aussie products!


xoxo

April Favourites

This is possibly the most products Ive ever had in a favourites post, I try to narrow it down. But this monh these products really have stood out to me and Ive been using them a lot. Im gonig to do proper reviews on some of them soon, but heres what Ive been loving through April...

Avon Angled Brush

This is the softest brush I own, its gorgeous. Its great for applyng blush, but especially useful for contouring with bronzer, I've used it everyday since I bought it.

Soap and Glory The Righteous Butter

My favourite body butter. I love this for before I apply my fake tan, it smells great, sinks in nicely and leaves you feeling moisturised not greasy. Its got a lovely texture to it its not too thick but not too runny, just perfect.

MAC Studio Fix Fluid in NW15

This is the perfect colour for my skin right now, it dries pretty quickly and is really buildable for nights out. It covers all my imperfections but still looks natural looking on the skin if you apply it sparingly. Just one pump does my enitre face and neck with ease so its going to last me ages. I couldnt be wthout this now.

Cherry Carmex Lip Balm

I thought I had lsot this but found it in a bag a few weeks ago. I forgot how amazing this is, its not too thick on your lips, just does the job of healing any chapped parts and really moisturises. It deserves its fantastic reputation.

V05 Weightless Volume Whipped Mousse

This was my holy grail hair mouse for years but I ran out in October and only just got round th getting a new one. I dont know what I did without this, it really does what it says on the tin, its totally weightleess but still gives plenty of lift, volume, and hold. My hair jsut feels rubbish witohut using this now.

Aussie Aussome Volune Shampoo and Conditioner

Ive noticed a real difference in my hair since I started using these. My hair lasts longer between washes without getting greasy, and it actually is more volumised when I wash it. Also the smell is amazing and lasts nicely in my hair for a day or so after its washed, I catcha whiff of it walking down the street now and againa nd it makes me feel lovely and fresh.

Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub

Just wow! I cant remember if Ive done a review on this or not but  will if I havent. This is a million times better than Flake Away (no greasy resiue leftover!). It has the best smell ever, like something you just wanna eat for breakfast, like maple syrup. Honestly the yummiest smell EVER! Its my holy grail scrub and it works well with my false tan too. Its just beyond amazing!

So thats my favourite products this moth, hope you enjoyed it!

xoxo

Haul: Boots and New Look

As today was so sunny I decided to talk a wander into town (my legs are killing). As usual I couldnt help myself in the shops. But I had been given some Easter money off famly to buy some Easter clothes, and I needed some neccessities so heres what I got:

I visited Boots first to make sure I got the things I was in need of before wasting it on other stuff, I was a good girl and avoided the make-up counters at all costs....

As you can see I stocked up haha, Ive never used Boots' own cleansing wipes before, but saying as they were on offer I thought I would give them a go, I only use them for fixing my makeup (mascara marks etc) so I guess they cant do much harm.

I like to just shove my hair up in the warmer weather out of the way, and it came to my attention the other day when I went to do so and I had one hair bobble left and of course all of my hair grips have ran away, so some more were needed.

At the minute Im using David's Mam's Tresseme for thick frizzy hair. This is not doing anything good for my thin flat hair so I invested in the Aussome Volume set from Aussie. Ive never used them but heard great things about Aussie so I thought I would give them a go :)

The VO5 Volume Mousse is my Holy Grail hair mousse. I ran out of it a few month ago and Ive jsut been using TIGI Bedhead Superstar Queen For A Day Spray instead, but I really prefer the combination of this with a bit of TIGI Superstar Blowdry Lotion. Cant wait to get my old hair routine back!

I took a ander over to New Look and picked up these few summer essentials...

I really like aviator shades but my head is comically small and can make big sunglasses look ridiculous on me.  tried these on and they are just right for me, they still look fairly oversized, but in a good way, looooove them and their pricetag of only £2.99.

Ive seen these a few times on trips into New Look and have wanted them each time. I know its a good item if I see it a few times and still want it just as much each time, so this convinced me to get these. New Look shoes always seem good quality for the price as these were only £15. Theyre more corally in real life and I think I'll get a lot of wear out of them over summer.

It was actually impossible for me to get a good shot of these shorts, Ill have to do an OOTD to do them justice. These were such a nuaghty impulse buy for me as I just seen them and took them straight to pay for them. I didnt try them on or anything but luckily when I got them home they look good. Theyre so soft and light for summer and I can match them with anything. I originally wanted to get them in the more burnt orangey colour but Iim really glad I got these instead as they suit my skin (when its St Moriz'd) and will go with more things. Loveeee them :)

Quite a successful trip into town me thinks!

xoxo