My Top Products of 2014

Everyone is doing one of these posts so I thought I'd jump on the bandwagon! I try out a lot of different products throughout the year but I have chosen a selection of products/brands which have really impressed me more than any other.

La Roche Posay skincare! Ever since I took a bad reaction to a Clarins cleanser, I switched up my skincare routine (actually it was more of a complete overhaul). I went and bought everything La Roche Posay and the condition of my skin has improved dramatically. I love each and every single product I have bought, and I will continue to repurchase. The prices are kinder to my wallet too. I seem to have amassed quite a collection of La Roche Posay products over Christmas! Honestly it will now take a lot for me to stop using this brand.

This year I started using Mane 'n Tail products on my hair this year, and am so impressed. I am just mad that after several years of paying big bucks for the likes of Kerastase shampoos, I could have been using this. Mane 'n Tail just really agrees with my hair. I have found that my hair gets less greasy, and the detangling spray is a godsend for my tatty hair. Wonderful range of products and reasonably priced too.

I tried a lot of makeup throughout the year too, but only one new foundation which was the Clarins Extra Comfort. I am so, so impressed with the coverage of this product and how comfortable (as the name would suggest) this foundation is to wear. It is extremely beneficial to dry skins and contains a lot of skincare and anti-ageing properties. It was quite a spendy foundation, and the packaging isn't at all practical but it is the only make uppy product that really overwhelmed me in 2014.

Another skin care product! Clarins Instant Eye Make-Up Remover is the one and only eye make up remover which really works for me. It is kinda expensive (£18) but I have tried drugstore alternatives and they are just not a patch on this stuff. A bottle of this usually lasts me about 2 months so I have gone through quite a number of bottles in 2014! And I shall continue to purchase this in 2015. It is the best make up remover and is really gentle on my eyes too.

It is interesting that this year my favourite products are mostly skincare. I had to include some make up too. I wanted to include something that I reach for every single day, so I cannot choose between the Clarins Lip Balm Crayons and Tanya Burr Lip Glosses! I reach for one of these every day. I love the colour selection and pigmentation of the Tanya Burr glosses (and they smell lovely) and Clarins Lip Balm Crayons really were my holy grail products especially during summer. Especially the shade "Creamy Pink".  I have worn them down quite  a lot and they are nearly done - sad times! At the moment I am wearing Tanya Burr lipgloss in "Aurora" which is a lovely sparkly, pinky-nude. I wore it a lot over Christmas too. Beautiful!

Since I really got into the habit of fake tanning in 2013, 2014 was the year when I kinda laid off the tan and went for something a little lighter. Cocoa Brown Gentle Bronze is in fact my holy grail gradual tanning product! It's the total opposite to the hideous gradual tanners I used many years ago. It has a lovely light consistency, it absorbs really quickly and has a nice scent. I am left with a beautiful colour the next morning, no streaks or patches either! Just one application of Gentle Bronze has been perfect for me, when I want a little hint of tan but not too much. I have really particularly taken to this product in the Winter months. For me, this is the best gradual tan out there. I will have to stock up on a few more tubes for the new year! 

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think? Oh and of course, Happy New Year to everyone! :) 

Updated - My Hair Care Routine!

I've been paying close attention to my hair in recent weeks - I had my hair lightened a bit which of course can compromise the condition of your hair. I really love the lighter bits through my hair, I feel like it gives it so much depth and it looks so different  to how it was before (to me, anyway!).

I've been trying out the new John Frieda Luxurious Volume shampoo and conditioner*, and so far I really like them. I love the smell of these! It sounds strange but I like using shampoos which are "clear", I think they are probably the best to use on your hair. I read somewhere a long time ago that shampoos which have colour have more chemicals in them, so that's why I like clear ones. Also, I really like shampoos and conditioners which come in tubes like these. They are just so much easier to use while in the shower. I do like to try a shampoo and conditioner for a good couple of months, so perhaps I will do a full review on these when I have tried them properly.

So, when my hair is wet I so desperately need my Mane n' Tail Detangler! My hair gets super super tatty and the only thing that remedies that is this Detangler. It's probably the best hair product I have ever used! I have also tried their shampoos and conditioners (and used them on my dog too!) and they are excellent as well!

I still use the Schwartzkopf Colour Freeze heat protector. I squeeze out a little blob, rub my hands together and smooth it through my hair. It's a cream, with  a very light texture and it doesn't leave any sticky residue or anything in my hair.

I have been curling my hair a lot lately with my Remington Pearl Curling Wand. I have worked out a system where I can curl my hair with it in about 5 minutes. I just wrap huge sections of my hair around the wand, and I get a loose, wavy tousled effect like in the photo above.

My hairdresser recommended this L'Oreal Wild Stylers Next Day Hair spray. I think if you are wearing your hair curly, this will compliment it perfectly. It's kind of a cross between dry shampoo and volumising dust. I spray it in the mid lengths and ends of my hair, and brush through my hair with my fingers. I have heard that other texturising sprays like this can make the hair feel sticky or crunchy, but this one most definitely does not! It creates so much volume when I wear my hair curly, and leaves just enough texture so that you could easily style your hair into an up-do.

Next on my wish list is a L'Oreal Steam Pod! I want one so badly, it is amazing for straightening and curling the hair, and it is probably the heated hair tool which is actually kindest to the hair, using steam rather than ceramic plates.

Are there any hair products I am not using that I should be using?

Life's Little Saviours... Beauty Edition

I was thinking about what little essential products really just make life easier while at the same time being incredibly useful. So I went through my bathroom cabinet and make up drawer to see what I could come up with. Surprisingly there is only one "make up" product.

1. La Roche Posay Cicaplast Mains - I love a good hand cream and this is what I am currently using. I got this just before Christmas when I spotted it in my local chemist. I have read so many La Roche Posay reviews, so I couldn't resist. It is kind of a gel-like formula which acts as a barrier too. Great if you suffer from seriously dry hands. Mine aren't too bad but this hand cream is really brilliant.

2. Mane n' Tail Detangler - This is a fairly new product in my collection, but in those couple of weeks it has made life so much easier for me, you know, hair wise! My hair is so incredibly tatty. If I brush it through smooth, I will have knots in it after about 30 seconds flat! I spray this Detangler in my hair after I wash it, and it is incredible how I can brush my hair with ease. You can use the Detangler in dry hair too, but I find just using it in my wet hair is enough, and I can still brush my hair easily right up until I next wash my hair. Fantastic product.

3. Cocoa Brown 1 Hour Tan - I never used to wear fake tan apart from the odd special occasion...now I wear it all the time. Ever since I discovered the fabulous Cocoa Brown a little over a year ago, I use it religiously at least once per week. It is the most lovliest tan, easy to apply, not a streak in sight and it gives me the most perfect colour. It looks so natural. I don't even remember what I look like un-tanned! Honestly, this is one product I could never be without.

4. Batiste Dry Shampoo - Another hair product! My hair gets greasy pretty quickly and if it wasn't for this dry shampoo, I would have to wash my hair every day and that is just not happening! Now I can wash my hair and get a good three days out of it. I have used other brands of dry shampoo but Batiste is by far the best. They have a huge range of scents but the original is my favourite, it smells quite citrusy and I actually think it is the most effective on my hair. It's also great for adding texture to your hair for styling.

5. Burts Bees Lip Balm - A good lip balm is essential every day and Burts bees is my favourite. They are so moisturising and last a long time on your lips before having to re-apply. The scents are just amazing too. The original honey is my favourite, but the chocolate and blueberry is gorgeous too! I have one of these in my handbag, on my dressing table and one at work as well. They are really good quality for the price. When you compare them to something like Baby Lips, you can really tell that the Baby Lips are a little waxy in comparison. Burts Bees are just so nourishing and beneficial.

6. YSL Touche Eclait - I got this for Christmas and I swear I have never looked back since. I am extremely conscious about my under eye area. I have spent years searching for concealers to cover my under eye bags, but nothing worked. I realised that I actually don't have bags or dark circles, just the natural contours of my eye. What I needed was a brightening product, and one which has a thin/light consistency. Enter Touche Eclait. This is every thing I had been searching for. A quick stroke of this and my eyes are transformed. It is a wonder product and one which I now could not be without.