Blogmas Day 24 - 2014 Beauty Product Favourites

Good afternoon my lovelies and Happy Christmas Eve! I can't believe that it is the last day of Blogmas, the time has flown by and I have really enjoyed writing a blog post everyday. Although I think that this may be my last post for 2014 and I might treat myself to some time off until the New Year. So I thought what better way to end the blog posts for this year with a 2014 favourites. I found it difficult selecting my favourite products that I have loved from the whole year and writing this now I can already think of extra products that I have also loved but I've got to be sensible otherwise I could go on forever listing more and more products. 2014 has been a special year as I have achieved a few things this year such as finishing my a-levels, passing my driving test and it has also been the year that I started my blog back in August. I have loved developing my blog and watching it grow. It is a hobby for me that has become more and more important and I will be carrying on with it next year. I have noticed as it has grown the more love and time that I have put into it. Sometimes I look back at my earlier posts and I can already see a difference in the quality of my posts. I currently have 10 followers which probably doesn't seem many to most people but to me it seems a lot. I remember when I first started blogging and thinking that nobody is reading these and just hopping that one day I will gain a follower to show that what I'm doing might be good. So I just wanted to say a big thank you to my followers for supporting my blog which has turned into my baby.

Enough waffling for now, a favourite hair care product for me is the Garnier Ultimate Blends Sleek Perfecter range which has been a recent discovery for me. I honestly think that this has helped to save my ends. As I have mentioned before years of straightening my hair has left it a little on the damage side so when it comes to hair care products I am always on the hunt for new products that will restore or revive damaged hair. Since using products from the range my hair has appeared shinier and healthier. I think that it has also grown more since using these probably as the ends are breaking less. After using these products I don't need to worry about styling my hair or applying heat. If you have dry hair or split ends then I would recommend that you try these products. I know that this shouldn't be an important factor but they also smell of coconut of which I have recently developed a love for.

Moving onto make-up and starting with skin care, there will be no surprises in the fact that this one is in my 2014 favourites. It is the Maybelline baby Skin Face primer which I'm pretty sure is mentioned in at least half of my blog posts. This is just a really good affordable primer that reduces the appearance of pores, makes your foundation appear smoother and it also helps to make your make-up last for longer. It's just a really good affordable every day primer. I would say that it has an oily base to it which would usually make me go no as I have very oily skin but I think that it actually helps to reduce my oily skin as they say you counteract the oil with oil. This means I don't tend to worry about applying powder throughout the day anymore which is an added bonus for me. I use this pretty much everyday and it is an essential in my make-up routine.

The second face product in my favourites is by Bourjois and it is the Delice de poudre duo with a bronzer and highlighter. I don't know why but I the chocolate bronzing powder has never appealed to me before, I have read lots of posts of other bloggers raving about it but I also thought that it was a bit gimmicky in the fact it looks and smells like chocolate. Although I hate to miss a new trend so I finally gave in and I was pleasantly surprised. I find it really good to contour with as both products appear very natural on the face. I use this most days as part of my everyday make-up routine to add some definition to my face as I am conscious of the fact I have chubby cheeks. I personally think that it's a really good product and it doesn't need the gimmicky packaging. It is a matte bronzer and the highlighter has a really pretty gold shimmer to it. I will be 100% repurchasing this when it runs out.

Moving onto eyes, again there will be no surprises that I'm mentioning this product - the Barry M Showgirl mascara with extra volume. I have never been one to get excited about mascaras where as lip, nail and eye products I do and I am always buying more to try and test even though I don't need them. With mascaras I previously would stick to Maybelline as they do amazing mascaras and theres that old saying 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it'. When I picked up two Barry M nail varnishes in the autumn there was an offer on that meant I got this new free mascara of which after testing I have fallen in love with. I just think that it is a really good everyday mascara as it adds volume but also length and definition. It has a really good all-rounder brush. I also love the packaging as I have a bit of a weakness for rose gold. Actually that's how I would describe this product as a really good all-rounder as although it claims to specialise in volume, it also adds other aspects to your eyes. The good thing about Barry M is that they are really affordable products yet at a good quality.

The first eyeshadow in my favourites is by Maybelline in Iced Fudge. First of all, what a cute name. I never usually go for single eyeshadows, I prefer pallets as you have all the colours laid out for you that you can use together to contour with without searching through your collection for other colours but thats just me being lazy. Although I think that it's the fact I'm lazy that I love this product so much. This eyeshadow is a beautiful fudge/taupe colour with a beautiful silver shimmer which I would say almost has blue under tonnes to it. It honestly looks beautiful on your eyes and I recon that it's a really good neutral shade that would look good with any eye colour. I love this as it's really easy to apply and I would wear this on it it's own and blend it over my eye lid and jobs a good'en. The shimmer that it has means that I don't bother to contour as it naturally gives some definition to your eye so it's just a quick and easy eyeshadow to use if I'm in a rush. I need to check out what other colours Maybelline do as the formula is also really nice to blend with.

If you told me at the start of 2014 that I would be mentioning these in my yearly favourites I wouldn't have believed you. It's some more Maybelline eyeshadows but this time with a cream formula as it's the 24 hour colour tattoo shadows in On and On Bronze and Metallic Pomegranate. I have always been scared to try cream eyeshadows, they just haven't appealed to me. I think it's because I wear a mouse foundation and the fact I have oily skin that I always thought they wouldn't sit nicely on my eyelids and that they might slide off my face. I know that these aren't a new product this year but it's taken me several years to pluck up the courage to try these and yes I know how sad that sounds. The formula is much nicer then I was expecting although they're called cream eyeshadows the texture isn't like cream it has a more powder feel. I apply some to my ring finger and dap it onto my eyelid. I then blend this out with a brush and then I either leave it like that or I use them as a base and apply some powder on top if I want to contour. I love the bronze colour for the summer and recently i have loved using the pomegranate one as I think it's really pretty for winter and as I have green eyes, it contrasts with my eyes which makes them stand out more. They have become my new obsession and I will be purchasing more colours in the new year, sorry bank account. Other brands to recommend would be Bourjois and Benefit. In 2015 I think I'm going to pluck up the courage to try cream blushers.

The first lip product is a lip scrub from Lush in Mint which honestly tastes and smells amazing. It's a really good exfoliator for your lips if you have dry skin and it also makes lipstick appear smoother if you use this first. You just rub this over your lips and lick off any excess as it's pretty much just flavoured sugar. I then apply my Carmex lip balm on top and it leaves your lips feeling supper soft. These are really affordable and they do a range of flavours such as Mint. Popcorn and Bubblegum and they will last you a long time. I have read so many other posts with people raving about these.

The last products in my 2014 favourites are the new Revlon Colourburst Balms that were brought out at the start of 2014. They brought out two formulas and my favourite from the matte range is Elusive and my favourite from the Lacquer range is Whimsical but in general I have loved the whole range. I love balms and crayons as I think that they are easier to apply to your lips then lipsticks as they are creamier and I find that the shape of the crayon is easier to use. I have a large and growing collection of balms and crayons. The matte formula is as you guest it matte. Although as it's a balm these are easy to wear matte lipsticks as they blend nicely so they won't show up any imperfections in your lips. I think that matte lipsticks look really pretty especially in the spring/summer if you want a more subtle look. You can easily apply a gloss on top is you wanted that something extra. Elusive is a really pretty mauve pink that I loved wearing in the spring as I think that it compliments my green eyes and it is almost a my lips but better colour for me and it just adds that little bit of extra pink to my lips. Whimsical is a more autumn and winter shade. It is a really pretty berry shade that appears purple as the crayon but more redder on the lips. The lacquer balms have shimmer in them which I though that I wouldn't like but your lips don't appear glittery it just gives them an amazing shine. I also love the metallic packaging of the lacquer balms. Both the lacquer and matte balms have a minty scent which I personally love. I'm always tempted to buy more of these as they have a huge range of gorgeous shades each perfect for different seasons and occasions.

So there you have it my 2014 favourites. I hope you enjoyed reading this post my lovelies and let me know in the comments what your favourite products have been from 2014. I hope that you all have an amazing Christmas and I will see you again for 2015!