2014 has come to an end so I thought I would look back on all my stand out products of the last year. These are all the products I have used over anything else and ones that I have, or would repurchase time and time again. For someone like me who has tonnes and tonnes of makeup it was definitely a real challenge hand picking out only a few from each category, however I think I have done very well. I have tried to choose at least one item from each category so I have covered a full face of makeup. I haven't featured a primer because I really didn't enjoy any of the ones I tried out last year. Anyway, here are the products from 2014 that did make the cut.....
Hair Products:
It's safe to say that I tried many different hair products last year. I am very particular with what I use because my hair (no matter what I do) gets ridiculously knotty and it dries out very easily too. This means I am forever trying out different conditioning and leave-in products. Since buying these, I have used them every single time I've washed my hair and I really have become dependant on them. They are amazing and I'm not sure I could use or switch to any other hair products now. These are;
Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-in Treatment For Distressed Hair - It retails from £17 but is completely worth every penny if you have dry, damaged or naturally knotty hair.
Umberto Giannini "Mend My Hair" Intensive Damage Repair Oil - Retails from £8 but boots always have deals on the Umberto Giannini brands. Perfect for leaving in the tips of your hair after washing and brushing in. Leaves your hair feeling and smelling amazing.
Umberto Giannini Instant Beauty Leave-in Conditioner - Retails from £9 but again boots do deals on the brand. This works perfectly as a detangling spray into wet hair and also acts as heat protection too. Gives you hair all the moisture and protection it needs.
Redken Extreme Anti-Snap Leave-in Treatment For Distressed Hair - It retails from £17 but is completely worth every penny if you have dry, damaged or naturally knotty hair.
Umberto Giannini "Mend My Hair" Intensive Damage Repair Oil - Retails from £8 but boots always have deals on the Umberto Giannini brands. Perfect for leaving in the tips of your hair after washing and brushing in. Leaves your hair feeling and smelling amazing.
Umberto Giannini Instant Beauty Leave-in Conditioner - Retails from £9 but again boots do deals on the brand. This works perfectly as a detangling spray into wet hair and also acts as heat protection too. Gives you hair all the moisture and protection it needs.
Skincare:As I have mentioned in a previous post; I really am not one for skincare. I know a lot of people frown upon this in the beauty world but it has never been something I have needed (touch wood.) Last year I definitely came out of my comfort zone (or laziness shall we say) and experimented more with skincare. My skin can get very dry (especially in winter) so I have found all these products to be very useful towards that. Here are the products that made it into my routine;
NARS Skin Aqua Gel Luminous Mask: This has definitely become my holy grail and something I recommend to anyone who has dry skin. It acts as a kind of- primer and soaks into your skin, leaving it feeling and looking hydrated and luminous. It really does make all the difference to your foundation and makes it apply so much more even and smooth. Worth the £30 I paid for it.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist - What an absolute Gem for only £8. Perfect in the summer for quick spritz to cool you down and perfect in the winter as a quick hydrator if you're getting a bit dry. Also works brilliantly as a primer, make up setting spray and is good to spray on your makeup brushes before use. A good dupe for the Mac fix plus.
Soap And Glory Peaches and Clean Cleanser - My third bottle of the year! Not only does this smell absolutely yummy but it also works like a dream too. Removes makeup perfectly and leaves your skin feeling fresh, clean and soft all day long. Retails at £10.
NARS Skin Aqua Gel Luminous Mask: This has definitely become my holy grail and something I recommend to anyone who has dry skin. It acts as a kind of- primer and soaks into your skin, leaving it feeling and looking hydrated and luminous. It really does make all the difference to your foundation and makes it apply so much more even and smooth. Worth the £30 I paid for it.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Face Mist - What an absolute Gem for only £8. Perfect in the summer for quick spritz to cool you down and perfect in the winter as a quick hydrator if you're getting a bit dry. Also works brilliantly as a primer, make up setting spray and is good to spray on your makeup brushes before use. A good dupe for the Mac fix plus.
Soap And Glory Peaches and Clean Cleanser - My third bottle of the year! Not only does this smell absolutely yummy but it also works like a dream too. Removes makeup perfectly and leaves your skin feeling fresh, clean and soft all day long. Retails at £10.
Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Light 3 - Started using this shortly after I was given a small free sample in Selfridges and haven't stopped using it since. The colour match is perfect for me, it's a light to medium coverage, and leaves my skin looking and feeling luminous and smooth. Perfect for the Summer if you don't want anything too heavy. Retails at £30
Mac Face and Body Foundation in N3 - This is every make up artists favourite and I can see why. Very buildable coverage but brilliant as a light foundation. Colour match is perfect and this foundation is also good to mix with other ones to find the right colour or consistency. Retails from £22 for 50mls.
Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum - This is by far my favourite drugstore foundation. I chose the serum as it was a lighter/more dewy consistency than the foundation but I like that there is a choice of both. Beautiful in the summer or for those days when you don't want to wear too much on your skin. It comes in many shades and it really does look so natural and healthy. Retails from £11 - cheap and cheerful!
Lipsticks;
I decided to be'ave myself and only choose two, otherwise I would have been here all night talking about thousands of lipsticks. I've narrowed it down to a summer favourite and a winter favourite (but there were definitely more contenders.) Both lipsticks are from Mac - which is my favourite brand of lipstick ever ever evurrrr and they all retail at £15.50. You can decide on whether they are cheap or expensive!
Mac Morange (or Neon Orange) - A vibrant and bright Orange lipstick with an Amplified finish. Very opaque colouring but still a creamy consistency. Perfect colour for summer.
Mac Rebel - A beautiful deep purple with a satin finish. Very matte and opaque on the lips but not drying - definitely my favourite winter shade (or night out colour if you want something more daring than red)
Face/Contour Products;
This was definitely the hardest category for me as there are hundreds of bronzers, highlights and blushers I loved last year. These definitely however have to be my top picks of last year...
Nars Bronzing Powder in Laguna - The most natural looking - yet pigmented bronzer I have ever used. Absolutely perfect for contouring your face (and for contouring your eyes if you want a subtle look.) It's neither too orangery or too muddy which is something I always look for in a bronzer as I do not fake tan and I am quite pale skinned. I was lucky enough to get this as a birthday present but I do recommend spending the £27 it retails at if you want a luxurious bronzer.Mac Mineralize Blush in Dainty - A very pretty and easy to wear pink. It's quite shimmery so it could be used as both a blusher and a highlighter. Not too bright or dark and very natural looking. Retails at £21.
Mac Cream Colour Base in Pearl - A beautiful cream highlight for both contouring and eyes. Wasn't sure on this when I first purchased because I've always been a powder-highlight person but the consistency and the shimmer of this product is absolutely beautiful. Also very buildable so it can be as subtle or opaque as you like! £15.50 and you get so much product for the price.
Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette - The most perfect contour palette I have ever tried! The quality, the pigment and the colours in this palette are amazing and it is so versatile and easy to wear. The highlight is my favourite with its very unique champagne colour and it also looks beautiful in the tear duct of your eye with a Smokey look. Completely worth the money and yet another amazing product by Urban Decay. Prices range from £22-£25
Rimmel Stay Matte Powder - An oldie but a goodie! So cheap and cheerful at £3.99 and I have never found the need to use any other face powders. Very matte formula and has excellent staying power.
All About Eyes;Last but certainly not least i'm going to share all of my favourite eye products of 2014. I've been loving so many by different brands lately so this definitely became a slight challenge.
YSL Baby Doll Mascara - Definitely my most luxurious mascara. This is now my second in only a few months and I absolutely love it. It gives the most amazing volume and also gives thickness without any clumping. No fall out and the applicator gives amazing precision. Ranges from £17 but often in sets or deals
Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara - This makes my eye lashes really stand out and give that "false" look. Perfect for nights out or when you really want your eye makeup to last. Definitely the mascara I wore the most in 2014. It is £19.50 which is on the pricier side for a mascara, but if you're looking for a cheaper alternative then the Maybelline The Falsies Mascara is fantastic.
Soap And Glory SuperCat Liner - In my eyes the best eye liner out there. It's in pen form which means it's very easy to apply and gives amazing precision. It lasts all day long and will not smudge or dry out until removed. It's only £6 so you really cannot go wrong.
Mac Paint Pot In Painterly - One of my most favourite products ever! The best eye primer/base I have ever used. It really does hide all of the dark shadows/imperfections on your eyes and it'll hold your eye shadow in place literally all day long. No fall out and no cracking. I 100% recommend this product to anywhere who wears eyeshadow.
Mac Eyeshadow in Tempting - The most beautiful shimmery gold. Can be worn as a casual everyday colour or with a smokey golden eye. So highly pigmented and bendable Definitely my favourite eyeshadow of 2014, I went through a stage of wearing this everyday. One for every eyeshadow lovers collection. Only £10.00 which is brilliant for the quality of Macs eyeshadows.
Mac eyeshadow in Mystery - This is my perfect brow colour. It's a very dark matte brown and works so well as an eyebrow powder. I use this almost everyday with a small angled brush by real techniques and it just looks so natural. Definitely one to try if you're a brunette.
Finally for eye products we have the 24 Hour Colour Tattoo By Maybelline - The quality and pigment of these creams are absolutely amazing. Really good as bases or just on their own. My two favourite colours are On and On bronze and Pomegranate. These are also so affordable at only £4.99 each and the amount of product you get for that is amazing. I've had mine for about 6 months and used them not far off daily and there is barely any dent in the pot at all.
So there we have it - my 2014 beauty favourites. There were so many more products I could have featured but A. I didn't want to make this any longer than it already is and B. It definitely would have got too boring for you all to read. I hope you have enjoyed reading about all my favourites as I have with everybody else's these past few weeks and I definitely hope this gives you a few ideas if you're looking for some new products to try.
Ayesha x
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