Tuesday 3 January 2012

Favourite Products Of 2011

I have probably spent more on makeup in the last 12 months than in any other year of my life. It sure is expensive work being a beauty blogger! Luckily it means that I've found some products that I really love and can see myself using for a long time to come. Here are some of my favourite things that I used last year. I liked a lot more stuff than what I've listed here but these are the products that really stood out to me.


Skincare
Clarisonic Mia / Liz Earle Eyebright / Dermalogica Active Moist

The best thing that I invested in last year was my Clarisonic Mia. There is no other skincare product or treatment out there that compares to what this will do for your skin. I love how it makes my skin look, almost like I've had a spa facial every time I wash my face. I love all the Liz Earle products that I've tried so far. I use Cleanse & Polish with my Clarisonic & follow up with their Skin Tonic too. Eyebright is a bit of a wonder product as it instantly cools & refreshes your eyes. Its brilliant if you've had too many late nights or need to look & feel more awake. Active Moist has been my favourite moisturiser for a while now. Its perfect on my normal/combination skin type. I haven't really liked any of the moisturisers I tried last year so I'll be sticking with this one for the foreseeable future.


Haircare
Tangle Teezer / Kerastase Ciment Thermique / Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo / Frédéric Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream

For anyone still wondering if Tangle Teezers work, yes they do & mine has saved me from some pretty horrific knots. I still really like the Kerastase Ciment Thermique & I don't think that any other heat protection product compares to this one. The grapefruit scent lingers on your hair & its absolutely beautiful. I only recently managed to purchase the XXL Volume Batiste as its been really hard to track it down. Its literally always sold out. I'm so glad I got this as although it does make your hair feel like utter crap, it does give you lots of volume. Just whack some serum on afterwards and you're good to go. The Brilliant Glossing Cream is kinda like a cream version of Moroccanoil so it helps to weigh down your hair more. Some people won't like that but I do as it means less flyaways & a more polished looking hairdo.


Base
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Corrector / MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base / Illamasqua Hollow Cream Pigment / MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural / Dior Amber Diamond

Last year I became obsessed with finding the perfect base products. I bought a ton of different products but these are my favourites and I use all of these every day. Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation has been a revelation. I finally have a foundation that matches my exact skintone and has no SPF in which stops the 'ghost face' that Estee Lauder Double Wear used to inflict upon me. Like everyone else I love that Collection 2000 concealer. Its practically opaque & covers pretty much everything. I couldn't live without my Bobbi Brown Corrector as although the Collection 2000 concealer is really good, this product colour corrects my dark circles making me look really awake & like I've slept for 12 hours each night. MAC MSF Natural has been my fave powder for ages, I just wear this with some concealer if I have no time at all to get ready. When I use the Illamasqua foundation I just use this to powder under my eyes because otherwise my mascara ends up all over my face. Pearl Cream Colour Base & Amber Diamond are the perfect highlighting duo. I've bought more highlighters than I can count in 2011 and these are the best of the best. I like a lot of glow so using a cream under the powder makes my cheeks look super shiny & it lasts all day. Hollow Cream Pigment is something I only bought recently but it is the best contour product ever.


Eyes
Lancome Doll Eyes Mascara / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / HD Brows Palette / MAC Shroom & Patina Eyeshadows / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil

The mascara that I've most recently fallen in love with is the Lancome Doll Eyes one. When I first got it the formula was a lot more fluid and didn't really give me the volume I wanted. But as it dried up a bit it got thicker and it is everything I could want in a mascara. It makes my lashes super long, thick & black. I use the L'Oreal eyeliner on a daily basis as I think I look weird without it. This one is really black, long lasting and pretty cheap too which makes it the best eyeliner I've bought this year. I love the eyebrow powders in the HD Brows Palette, they're so pigmented and just brilliant. I only use the one in the bottom right corner as the others don't suit me but I use the others as eyeshadows so its a fab product. The eyeshadows I've reached for most are Shroom & Patina by MAC. I don't really wear eyeshadow much but these are subtle enough for everyday wear. I love this MAC eyeliner pencil as it makes my eyes look bigger & brighter without being a really obvious white line.


Blusher
Illamasqua Katie / Illamasqua Thrust / NARS Deep Throat / Topshop Head Over Heels

I like to wear a lot of blush as it adds some pretty colour to my deathly pallor which saves me from bronzing my whole face to an unnatural colour. My fave blusher at the moment is NARS Deep Throat, I think its the perfect colour for me with just the right amount of sparkle. I adore Illamasqua's powder blushers. Katie is a lovely pastel pink & Thrust is a bright magenta. It looks so scary in the pan but its a gorgeous colour if you apply it with a light hand & blend it properly. I want to try some of Illamasqua's cream blushers next as they seem really good too. The only cream blushers I own are from Topshop but they are great quality for the price. I like the shade Head Over Heels best as its a very pretty peachy colour thats perfect for Summer.


Lip Products
Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight / Beaute Wanted Weightless Lip Creme / MAC Hue Lipstick / MAC Enchantée Kissable Lip Colour

I bought a lot of lipsticks this year. In order to keep my lips lovely & smooth I use Philosophy's Kiss Me Tonight lip treatment. Its a balm that you put on before you go to bed and you wake up with beautifully soft lips. I also put some on before I do my makeup then blot it off when I'm ready to apply my lipstick. I bought the Beaute Weightless Lip Creme in Wanted after I heard that Kristen Stewart loves it. Its a lovely nude thats halfway between a lipstick and gloss. The MAC Kissable Lip Colours from their Peacocky collection use a similar formula. I love the colour Enchantée which is a cool toned bright pink. My fave everyday lipstick is MAC Hue. Its the most perfect pinky nude that looks brilliant on everyone.


Nail Polishes
Illamasqua Jo'Mina / Models Own Utopia / Models Own Pink Punch / Barry M Peach Melba

This was such a hard decision as I adore all the nail polishes I bought last year and believe me, I bought a lot! These ones stood out to me as unique colours that I always get complimented on. They all apply really well and don't chip too badly with some Seche Vite on top.

22 comments:

  1. Completely agree about Doll Eyes, I got a new one for Christmas and it's definitely not as good when it's new as it is when it's a few weeks old. I adore Amber Diamond and Skinbase too. Good picks :) xx

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  2. Some really really wonderful products! I am interested in trying the Kerastase Ciment Thermique! Sounds fantastic!

    George | frecklie.blogspot.com x

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  3. Lovely post thank-you you've helped me out! <3

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  4. Well done, I pretty much want everything I don't already own now from this post! Most of the things you've featured have been on my want list for some time, especially Nars Deep Throat and Illamasqua Skin base...I hope you're happy! I'm practically rushing out the door to buy them.
    Loved reading this post :-) xxx

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  5. great list! collection 2000 concealer is on so many faves of 2011 lists!

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  6. Love amber diamond! Nars deep throat is on my list :) x

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  7. How do you use C&P with the Clarisonic? I've recently got a Clarisonic and really want to try it with my C&P - thinking I may have to slather it on my face first then use the Clarisonic. xxx

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  8. I need Jo'Mina and Skin Base! Great picks! X

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  9. I love this post! I really want to try out the clarisonic after your review! xx
    Ella @ Belle Vintage

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  10. Really interesting post. I want to get the Clarisonic Mia x

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  11. So many of these are in my favourites for the year too. I just got the Clarisonic Mia for my christmas and so far I'm loving it. Liz Earle has also been a new discovery this year and I have loved everything I've tried from the range so far.

    Illamasqua will be the new verture for me in 2012 as I haven't tried anything from the brand yet. I love the look of the blushers and the skin base foundation

    x

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  12. I really like reading people's makeup lists. This was a thoroughly enjoyable post! I like how you broke down the products into categories and wrote about them individually.

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  13. great post/read! very much loving my tangle teaser as well! best invention I've found this year! also loving your instagram as well!.x

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  14. I absolutely adore Models Own nail polishes, they're the only ones in my possession that I can trust to apply perfectly first time, every time! I definitely need to invest in some more of the products listed here :-) xx

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  15. Great post, lots of things here that I want to try! MAC Hue lipstick and the Illamasqua Skin Base foundation have been on my wishlist for ages.

    Gillian x
    elevatormusik.blogspot.com

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  16. Follow up comment... whoops! Just letting you know I've awarded you the Kreativ Blogger award, here's my post about it :-)

    http://talbsx.blogspot.com/2012/01/kreativ-blogger-award.html

    xx

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  17. Really liked your product round up, I might just try out that syrum that stops fly aways. My hair is so fine if it's not dirty and full of talcum powder it looks disgusting!! x

    miaoliver.blogspot.com

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  18. Lovely round up and I like your duvet.
    Following.

    NRC♥

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  19. aaaah im in love with illamasqua at the moment!

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  20. I bought the XXL dry shampoo recently and I just can't bring myself to like it! I'll probably use it if i'm stuck (when my standard original dry shampoo runs out) but thats it. The feel of it on my hair is awful! xoxo

    www.pearlslaceandruffles.com

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  21. Awesome post! very helpful... i especially love your blush favourites :D

    http://primpedandprimed.blogspot.com/

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  22. love the blog babe!

    newest follower :D
    tellmewheredidyousleeplastnight.blogspot.com

    xoxo Effy

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