Beauty Favourites 2016

There were some amazing products released in 2016, loads that I liked, and some that I just happened to discover throughout the year. I have listed below the ones that I loved near enough since the first use and use pretty much on a daily basis. 

Nivea Men Post Shave Balm 
I purchased this at the beginning of the year in 2016, and a full year later I am still using it. If you have not heard about this being used as a primer as part of your make up routine, then where on earth were you in 2016. This does not really blur imperfections or pores, but it smooths the skin and keeps your making looking fresh and seated in place all day. 

NYX Liquid Suede Cream Lipsticks
I have three of these now, as they are long lasting, non drying, and have an amazing range of different shades. 

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer

Simply the best highlighter that I have ever used. After the first use I new I loved it, as it was the first one I had tried in ages that really did cover and brighten the dark circles under my eyes. It is creamy but blends out really nice and does not crease. 

Urban Decay Afterglow 8 Hour Powder Highlighter 'Sin'
This is something that I had to wait a while for before I could get my hands on it, as it was always out of stock and when I did finally purchase it, I was so glad that I did, and the wait was definitely worth it. I get comments every time I wear it, it is quite intense but not overly glittery or shimmery. 

Freedom Eyebrow Pomade 

The product I use every day to fill in and shape my brows. It is such an amazing dupe for the pomade from Anastasia and this one is pretty much a quarter of the price. The shades are great however as far as I am aware, the lightest shade is 'blonde' which I use, which to me is definitely not a light shade. 

Make Up Revolution Pro Fix Fixing Spray
I have re purchased this so many times in the past year as it just never fails me. There are two versions of this which is great as you can buy the one perfectly tailored for your skin type. It does not have an overwhelming scent, it dries quickly and helps my make up stay in place all day. 

Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette
 I reviewed this product here, the packaging is beautiful and luxurious looking, there are four different shades with different formulas, and all are highly pigmented.

Rimmel Exaggerate Waterproof Eyeliner
I was really impressed with this, as I can be quite picky when it comes to liquid eyeliner. The pen is very black, easy to use, and does not dry out quickly. I just wish there was more product actually there, as I have used eyeliners before that have more of a felt tip end than this one, but the product itself is great. 

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

My favourite foundation, that never lets me down and gives a dewy, lovely finish to my skin, covering up my imperfections and pores. 

What were your favourite beauty products of 2016? 

Make Up Wishlist

Once again I am lusting after more make up, and not particularly affordable make up either, which means my bank balance is in trouble. 

Mac - Mineralize Skinfinish - These contain four shades in one pan designed to give a healthy glow. The design is so pretty and reminds me of a batten-berg cake! 

Hourglass - Ambient Lighting Blush - I have heard lovely things about this product. There are loads of shades to choose from.

Burberry - Complete Eye Palette - This contains four shades of brown which is my favourite shade to wear on my eyes.  I love the Burberry fabric design and this pan looks so versatile. 

Charlotte Tilbury - Magic Foundation - Another product I am desperate to try. I always like trying out new foundations and any that claim to be long lasting, high coverage but feel lightweight on the skin are ones that I get really excited about trying. 

Urban Decay - Afterglow 8 Hour Powder Highlighter - This one is leaning more at the top of this make up wish list, I have read raving reviews about all three shades and a little goes a long way. These are meant to give a strong highlight and is described as being a very luxurious product. 

Nyx - Angel Veil Primer - I am always interested in finding and trying out new primers. Again, I have read great things about this product, it has a matte finish with a moisturising texture. 

Nars - Illuminator - I am getting more into using liquid highlighters, either on their own or mixed in with my foundation, and the Nars ones are a huge favourite in the beauty world. It is designed to give a radiance to your complexion. 

Nars - Audacious Lipstick - This looks like a gorgeous shade for spring and summer. Applies like satin with a strong pigment to it. 

Laura Mercier - Invisible Loose Setting Powder - I rarely stray from my trusty Rimmel Stay Matte powder, however this loose powder is at the top of my list of loose powders to try out. Again, only great reviews found of this product. 

What products are you loving right now? 

High End Favourites

The majority of my make up collection is made up of drugstore beauty products, but now and again I like to splash out on some more expensive higher end products and these are my favourites! 

Nars Creamy Concealer

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Coded Eye Shadow Palette - Dolce Vita

Mac Lipsticks - Whirl, Stone & Velvet Teddy

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation

Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer

Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfecter - Champagne Pop

Estee Lauder Double Wear Light Foundation

I am so impressed with these products and they never let me down so the higher price tag makes sense considering how luxurious these products are. 

What are you favourite high end make up products? 

My Current Favourite Blush Products

I never used to wear blusher often at all, it was definitely not something I grabbed for when applying my make up on a daily basis, but this year, and this summer in particular I have been loving wearing blusher to add some natural colour to my face. I now own a number of blush products but these five are my top favourites at the moment. 

Sweethearts Perfect Flush Blush in Candy Glow | Too Faced - I best like to use this product by swirling a brush in all three colours for a really pretty, girly pink shade. 
Ultra Blush Palette in Golden Sugar | Make Up Revolution - The blushers in this palette are such pretty, light colours and so they are perfect for summer. 
Baked Blush in Luminoso | Milani - A lovely peachy shade which looks nice with a bronzer and highlighter. 
Blush in Pomegranate 923 | Sleek - A darker colour, maybe not one you would initially reach for in the summer, but I like to wear it with a minimal eye look, or in the evening. 
Blush in Rose Gold 926 | Sleek - A dupe for the Nars blush in Orgasm, this is my favourite of them all, it gives a peachy pink colour to the cheeks that looks really natural. 

Nars Sheer Glow

Nars sheer glow is by far one of the most talked about and blogged foundations there are. I'm quite proud of how long I resisted buying this, but after reading many reviews and just imagining it being in my make up collection, I finally took the plunge. One of the reasons why I held off buying this for so long was not just the price, but because no where near me has a Nars counter and so I could not get colour matched, after so much research I internet matched myself to 'Mont Blanc' and was very happy when it arrived as it was the perfect match - well done me! I wouldn't say this is a dewy foundation, although some people describe it as such due to the name, but it has more of a satin finish that gives a glow to the skin to make it appear healthy and natural. It does stick to any dry patch of skin so I ex-foliate regularly and always apply moisturiser before use, usually one with an SPF as this foundation doesn't have one. 

The only downside to it I would say is that it does not come with a pump, although the packaging is lovely it can get messy if you have a wobbly hand like I do, so for an extra £3 you cant go wrong, and that way you aren't using excessive amounts of the product each use! 

Overall this foundation blends well, there are lots of colours to choose from and it gives a flawless finish that photographs beautifully. 

Laura Elizabeth xo