With the first day of 2015 upon us, i thought it was time to round up my most loved beauty products of the past year. Undoubtedly, 2014 saw the rapid expansion of my makeup collection, feeding my beauty hoarder tendencies and upping the standard of products i seek dramatically. Many products gripped my attention this year which can be seen in a collection of This Months Most Adored posts, but only a set range made this hit list..
MAC MINERALIZE SKINFINISH IN SOFT AND GENTLE: (£23.00/€30.00)
On the more luxurious end of this apparent budget-friendly collection, this highlighter has carried me from start to finish. The velvety soft texture of this champagne toned highlighter gives it the ability to apply seamlessly, allowing for blending for a more subtle glow. Highly pigmented, it's important to note to need for a light-handed when applying, to avoid an over-powering glow. Since my review in the earlier stages of the year(here), my opinion still remains the same as it is quickly becoming my holy grail highlight.
ELF COOL BRONZER: (£3.95/€5.04)
2014 saw my love of contour reach an all time high, and while many methods of contouring were experimented with, the old reliable powder contour undoubtedly came out on top. With a swirl in the centre of the pan, this ELF quad makes the perfect matte warm brown contour shade to sculpt how cheek bones and add an overall definition to the face or to add an overall glow to the complexion. Undoubtedly, a budget-friendly highly pigmented bronzer to add to any collection.
SLEEK BROW KIT: (£8.49/€9.99)
To me, beauty-wise 2014 has been dubbed the year of eyebrows and my trusty old powder methods of filling brows were fast replaced with this highly-acclaimed brow offering from Sleek. Fitted with a wax and powder duo, this highly pigmented kit is ideal for shaping the brows and adding definition paired with an angled shadow brush this has been an important member of my daily makeup routine the past 12 months.
KARORA SELF TAN MIST: (£17.00/€22.00)*
An abundance of fake tans made their way into my stash this year, however one tan managed to stick out from the rest due to it's ability to fade evenly while carrying you over five days with a sublime glow. While it's on the more luxurious end of the scale, it's fulfilled the role as my occasion tan since it's found it's way into my collection. As a tan mist, it absorbs into the skin almost immediately while being tres easy to apply. A fast absorbing tan that there ain't no denying i have been loving.
L'OREAL MISS MANGA MASCARA: (£8.99/€13.49)
Undeniably, this mascara was a firm favourite for me in the earlier parts of the year and no else seemed to outweigh it's glory. While it has since been somewhat out done, it was still deserving of a mention. Equipped with it's highly celebrated flexible wand, its the perfect offering to apply an even lashing of mascara, while separating and adding a notable amount of volume and length to the lashes.
YVES ROCHER LASH PLUMPING MASCARA: (£18.50/€23.50)
This mascara is the one that robbed the aforementioned of it's spotlight fast becoming a firm favourite in my daily get-up. With a pretty standard mascara wand it works wonders at working through the lashes creating volume and length all in one go. While the wet formula suggests the possibility of clumpy lashes, it goes against all odds leaving behind to clumpy lashes. The waterproof formula makes it entirely smudge-proof allowing for long lasting wear.
YOU ORGANIC NIGHT BALM: (£11.60/€14.99)*
Dry skin be gone with this offering from Irish natural skincare brand You Organic. Packed with a collection of natural anti- oxidants and skin protecting ingredients which works at nourishing the skin, working on hydrating any dry areas. A little goes along way with this balm, and when massaged onto cleansed skin before bed your skin looks visibly much more radiant and smooth the morning after..the night before.
BOURJOIS ROUGE EDITION VELVET LIP LACQUER: (£8.99/€12.49)
These lip creams in all their long lasting glory have satisfied every checklist in my book that a lip product must satisfy. The fact i have accumulateda trio of shades with full intentions on gathering more of the vast shade range available suggests my ever-growing love of them. In terms of formulation they have got it all goin' and the list of positive qualities is seemingly never ending, scoring them a full blog post in their dedication.
BOURJOIS CREAM BLUSH 02 NATURAL GLOW: (£7.99/€10.49)
Blush has gotta be a staple in any girls makeup collection at any time of the year. This highly pigmented coral cream blush from Bourjois is the perfect shade for adding colour to any skin tone. With long-lasting staying power and a cream finish it provides the perfect natural glow to brighten any complexion during any season. Applied with my trusty Real Techniques Buffing Brush dabbed just above the cheek bones and worked back to the temples its perfect for both day time and night time wear.
FUSCHIA EYESHADOW PALETTE: (£19.80/€25.00)*
Fuschia is an Irish makeup brand that came onto my radar during 2014, one particular product from there that managed to woo me was this custom shadow palette fitted with five beautiful eyeshadows that i've found myself regularly reaching for for daily wear. The decent colour pay-off and notable longevity of the shadows all make it a real winner in my book.
BLANK CANVAS COSMETICS BRUSHES*
BCC brushes really grabbed my attention this year with some incredible new releases. They are most definitely a brand to watch; with supreme quality brushes at affordable prices while still looking on the expensive end of the spectrum. Two of their brushes that particularly woo'ed me was both the F40 and F42. The F40 comes in at a small tapered contour brush perfect for fitting under the eyes, down the sides of the nose or in the hollows of your cheekbones to add precise contour. The F42 on the other hand is quite big in comparison, perfect for adding an all over glow. With a full review readable here.
A outstanding collection of products that have ticked all the boxes in my year long makeup routine, covering all bases while ending the lust for long lashes..
* denotes PR sample, read my full disclaimer here.
