Sunday 27 December 2015

2015 Favourites ft. Sephora, Formula X and more

The year is coming to an end, and the time for yearly favourites has come. Whilst I was thinking about what I wanted to write as my first beauty post after my long break (read more about it here), the beauty faves of the last few months kept making an appearance in my head. And so I thought: what’s better than the products I’ve loved for months as my 2015 favourites? Let’s start!

Sephora Outrageous Curl Formula X System to go L'Oreal So Couture Vichy

Skincare wise, I have a couple of firm favourites that never disappoint me: the Sephora Waterproof Eye Makeup Remover and the Vichy Normaderm Hyaluspot. The Sephora makeup remover is great at removing heavy makeup or just for being sure that every scrap of mascara has been removed, doesn’t irritate my eyes and so little is needed that it lasts for a really long time. I’ve been using this for years, and even if sometimes I like to try something different I always come back to it! The Vichy spot treatment is something I’ve only started using in the last couple of months, and while I still think my Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel is incredible (review - that stuff is the bomb against angry blemishes!), I’ve been enjoying this as a more gentle spot treatment. It’s specifically designed to treat blemishes without drying out the skin, thanks to the Hyaluronic Acid in it and it’s equally great to treat blemishes as it is to prevent them from coming out as angry monsters once you start feeling them coming under the skin (gross I know, but it’s the ugly truth!).

Speaking of makeup, the stars of the year for me have undoubtedly been mascara and eyeliner. Even on minimal makeup days mascara is something I just love to wear: when I came back from holidays this summer I was so in love with my tanned skin (and I didn’t have a matching foundation, to be honest!), that I took advantage of it and only worn concealer, mascara and brow pencil for a good two to three weeks. But I need an amazing mascara to be able to wear it alone, and my absolute favourite has been the Sephora Outrageous Curl Mascara. The tiny brush is able to give a not clumpy but incredibly voluminous look, gives amazing length to the lashes and as the name suggest is amazingly at holding a curl. A true winner!
2015 has been the year of the eyeliner for me, as I’ve been wearing it more than ever. Most days it’s just been a good sharp line made with an eye pencil (love the Kiko one I shared in my monthly favourites here!), but when I wanted an intense black line my favourite one to use has been the L’OrĂ©al Paris Super Liner So Couture. I bought it more than a year and a half ago when it came out with the So Couture mascara (loooooooved that one too!), and it’s still my fave. It’s incredibly easy to use as the nib is really fine but not too flexible, and it gives a really opaque waterproof black line that’s not glossy but not too mat. It looks good with eyeshadow and on bare lids too, and I always come back to it after trying something else. Love it!

Nail Polish wise, I have no doubt. 2015 has been the year of Formula X. The System is something amazing at keeping nail polish on for ages: I get almost two weeks of wear and remove the nail polish before it chips because I have too much nail showing for my liking, at their nail polish formulas are the best around. Lately they’ve been coming out with portable kits which include either a classic shade alongside the System or a nail care program which targets different nail conditions. I love these To Go kits too and I find them great to save space on luggages or as an intro to the brand.

My favourite perfume has been, without a single thought, YSL Black Opium. The coffee gives an unusual twist to the vanilla in it and since I discovered it more than a year ago (and run out once already too) it’s been all that I’ve worn. Everyday, without fail. I prefer the original Eau de Parfum to the newer Eau de Toilette, and the bottle is incredibly beautiful too. I can’t see me changing perfume anytime soon as after more than a year I’m still in love with this one like the first day.

Here it’s my little selection of products that I’ve truly been loving throughout the year. A lot more springs to mind, but these are the true winners that deserve the title of “yearly favourites”. For the others, there are always Monthly Favourites posts… ;)

Have you tried any of these products? Let me know what your favourites products of 2015 have been, and feel free to link me your posts or videos in the comments!

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Sunday 20 December 2015

I'm back! Life happens, going barefaced and getting fit


Long time no see around these parts! I know, I’ve disappeared all of a sudden a few months ago and it’s only been in the last couple of months that I’ve been at least a little bit active online on my Instagram, but, as they say, life happens. And, well, a lot has happened. My life has changed in so many ways I couldn’t even imagine, and in that process the blog took a backseat.

But I’m back!

I’m back to start writing again about my beauty discoveries and loves, about the new exciting launch and the daily face I’ve been sporting, and about the products I don’t find all that great too. I’m back to talk with you about beauty in full swing!

In these months of silence I’ve kept watching the odd YouTube video and read a few blog posts here and there, but I’ve also gone more than a couple of weeks without wearing makeup and went a couple of months without even stepping my feet into Sephora. Yeah, I thought I was going mad too, lol! Jokes aside, I’ve been experiencing my love for beauty in a more relaxed way, and I like it. I’m going to talk more about it in future posts, but for now I can tell you that I’m more than happy to walk around barefaced as much as I adore putting on my daily makeup loves, and that’s a change from how I used to be.

Speaking of getting into more than beauty, if you follow me on Instagram you’ve seen it transition from almost makeup only, to “life”, and in the last coupe of months into a mixture of what I’ve been most into lately, being food and fitness alongside with makeup. The ongoing journey toward a fitter me is something I’ve already talked about in previous posts (here’s a couple of links! link, link), but in the last months I’ve attempted to take it pretty seriously once and for all. The fact that I’ve moved out and I’m now living with my new boyfriend (will be six months since we first met in a couple of days - told you life happened!) has helped tremendously: being the one taking care of everything makes for better choices and a more active life. There are going to be some posts about this topic too - I hope you’re all going to like them!

Tell me, what have you been up to in the last few months? What have been your favourite beauty discoveries?

See you next Sunday! ;-)

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