I always love seeing these kind of posts, I really enjoy seeing what everyone has been loving throughout the year and what new discoveries people have made. This year I feel like it has been my year for spending the majority of my money on makeup, 2016 was my year of makeup. But as well as makeup, I am also going to share some other beauty products, skincare and miscellaneous items that I have been loving this year. Enjoy!
MAKEUP
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Hydrating Primer. ($17, Sephora USA)
I have tried a lot of primers this year, however nothing has compared to my favourites that I still used last year. However, because them ones focus on pores, I wanted to include this little sample of the Make Up Forever primer which I bought when I was in New York. I am trying to use it sparingly as it is only a sample size but I have really enjoyed using this in the Winter when my skin has been super dehydrated. It feels so cooling and refreshing and gets rid of my dryness ready for applying my foundation.
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation. (£7.99, boots.com)
This is my foundation pick for 2016. This has beaten all my high end foundations because it just looks so good on my skin, the shade 100 Ivory is an almost perfect match to my skin. This is my go-to medium to full coverage foundation as I know it never fails me. It blends out like a dream with both a brush and a beauty sponge and it gives me a lovely demi-matte finish. The only flaw I have with this is that I do need to set it because I can still feel it on my skin.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer & Colour Correcting Fluid. (both £17.50, urbandecay.co.uk)
These 2 little expensive impulse buys have been one of the best I have made this year! I absolutely adore the concealer, I use the shade Light Warm and it is great for both my under eyes and on my super dry blemishes and covers them up so well. When I am going out-out, I like to pair the concealer with the Peach colour corrector to get rid of my dark under eye circles. It took me so long to find the perfect colour corrector but this is worth the splurge.
Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Powder (£34? Sephora USA)
Another cheeky purchase from America, when one of the girls in Sephora tried this on my skin it made my skin look instantly flawless that I just had to buy it. This is stunning because it is a powder foundation but it blurs out every imperfection on your skin, even with only a tiny bit. Still need to use it sparingly because it is an expensive and less accessible product to repurchase. Love, love love!
Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (£25, toofaced.com)
Soap and Glory Solar Powder (£11, boots.com)
I had to pick 2 bronzers that I have discovered this year. The first is the Too Faced bronzer which is a matte finish and is beautiful for both bronzing up the skin and contouring. It is so velvety to the touch and it smells like chocolate which is a great plus! I also loved the Soap and Glory Solar Powder this Summer, it has a matte side and a shimmer side and it looks so good just to warm up pale skin giving a lovely sheen.
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop ($38, Sephora USA)
As soon as I swatched this in America, I was so impressed! I have never seen something so pigmented and glowy. I'm not the biggest fan of cheek highlight but when I do want some, I only need the tiniest bit of this to really glow as too much will very easily overpower a makeup look, but I do really like it.
Nars Blush Oasis (£23, John Lewis)
Aside from the concealers mentioned above, this is also one very big impulse buy as I would never normally spend alot of money on a blusher. I got given a complimentary makeover at the Nars counter and when she applied this blush it looked so nice! It is a lovely plumy colour which is so flattering in the colder months and you only need a tiny bit for it to show. And although it looks like there is so much glitter in this it really doesn't show the glitter particles on the skin unless you use a duo-fibre brush.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (£7.99, boots.com)
With no eyebrow favourites, I'm moving straight on to mascara. Everyone and their mother has talked about this mascara and I am very late to the party. This mascara is so good that it has replaced my Benefit: They're Real as my 'going out' mascara, and is so much cheaper! Depending on which side of the brush you use you can get either get long separated lashes or you can go big and voluminous. And it doesn't transfer and dries fast! I really do recommend you try this mascara.
Collection Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Eyeliners in Punk and Hustle. (£2.99, boots.com)
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (£5.00, boots.com)
I wanted to include these eye products as a part of my favourite high street picks. The Collection glitter eyeliners are fairly new to my make up bag but they have become a firm favourite and I have worn them non-stop in the party season. So easy to apply and they stay put all night long, not scratchy and are easy to take off as well. I also wanted to mention the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil as one of my favourite eyeshadow bases of the year. It lasts and it makes all my coloured eye shadows pop and has become an essential if I ever try to do any colourful creative looks.
Make Up Geek Single Eyeshadows (£6.00 beautybay.com)
In my many eyeshadow favourites, I have to give an honourable mention to Make Up Geek and my custom palette. I use this pretty much every day and I adore all the shadows that I have chosen, and even though I use some more than others I do really adore these eye shadows.
Tarte Tartlette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette ($45, Sephora USA)
I will never regret buying this palette as it is one of my all time favourites, never mind just for 2016. There is something so special about it that I adore so much. It is my perfect all-matte palette and I can create so many looks with it from day to night. The shadows themselves are so pigmented and easy to work with and the mirror is a God send.
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (£39, toofaced.com)
Again, very late to the party but I got this for my birthday in 2016 and I really do love it because it has everything you need. You can create so many looks with this and the shadows themselves are some of the smoothest I have ever come across. I also have a soft spot for the highlight shade Champagne Truffle which looks so beautiful as an inner corner highlight but all the shadows are lovely to use, a great palette to travel with.
The Balm Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipstick in Committed (£13.50, Debenhams) not pictured
Moving away from eyes and onto lips, I will disclose that I am not the biggest fan on liquid lipsticks as the dry out my lips. But The Balm do some stunning ones which I personally feel are very underrated online. They are so easy to apply to the lips and I really enjoy the colour range which is very neutral. They are also minty which is a bonus.
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks in Lolita and Lolita II ($20, Sephora USA)
I couldn't do this list without mentioning these beauts, I couldn't decide which one to choose so I had to put both in, The reason these are so good and I love them so much is because the colours are so unique and I can't find anything like them. These liquid lipsticks are also so nice to apply and they last for so long without drying the lips out.
Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipsticks in Velvet Beige and Clay Crush ($6.99, boots.com)
These are 2 beautiful high street lipsticks that I have discovered this year which I absolutely adore. Velvet Beige is from the Nudes collection and it is my perfect every day colour which I know I can just throw on and can look good with everything, it isn't drying and has a creme finish. Clay Crush is from the Mattes collection but it is such a comfortable matte to wear, the colour is a cross between MAC's Velvet Teddy and Taupe and it looks so nice even if my lips are super dry.
BEAUTY AND SKINCARE
Palmers Coconut Oil Body Lotion (boots.com)
Another recent addition to my skincare but I love it! I have always used the original Palmers Cocoa Butter on my skin but this one feels so much more hydrating and soaks into my skin much quicker offering the same results as the one I used to use.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner (thebodyshop.com)
This was a blessing to me in the Summer when my skin was very oily and I was breaking out all the time. I used this with a cotton pad over my blemished skin and the next day my skin looked so much clearer! I don't use this every day, only when my skin is feeling fairly irritated to improve its appearance.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Face Mist (thebodyshop,com)
I love using this on gym days where I don't wear makeup or when I need a pick me up on long days. It is super hydrating and makes me feel so much more awake while reaping the skin benefits. It is also able to be used over makeup as a setting spray and is great to just throw in your bag.
Lush Vanishing Cream Face Moisturiser (lush.com)
A fairly pricey moisturiser but you can really tell when this isn't on your face or when you have forgotten to apply it. I love the consistency of this moisturiser and it just sinks into the skin and also helps with my blemished skin.
Lush Love Lettuce Face Mask (lush.com) not pictured
This face mask is a beautiful, cooling and exfoliating face mask which is so nice and luxurious and is fuelled with lavender which helps calm my skin if it has had a bad breakout.
MISCELANEOUS
Hollister Body Mist in Willow Cove (hollister.com)
This is my favourite Hollister scent that I have only just discovered in 2016. It is a warm coconutty smell which is stunning. My friends and family know when I wear this as they always comment on how lovely it smells.
Mitchum 24hr Protection Deodorant (boots.com)
I know, deodorant is a weird one to put in a yearly favourites, but this is the one deodorant that I am able to use without feeling self-conscious about my body and how much I sweat because it actually works! I've not used anything else since.
B. Makeup Brush Cleanser (superdrug.co.uk)
Superdrug's own brand B. is often overlooked but this brush cleanser, I can't sing its praises enough! This is exactly what I need in between washes, just spray on the brush swirl it on some tissue paper and gets rid of EVERYTHING! Seriously, try this now!
New Look Pure Colour Gel Nail Polish in 03 Dark Grey (newlook.co.uk)
This has been my favourite nail polish this year. I won't bore you too much about it because I did a full review of it here.
RANDOMS
Fitbit Charge HR (argos.co.uk)
Another birthday present that I received this year and I am obsessed with it. The Charge HR tracks everything you need and with me getting into fitness this year, I have loved wearing it to help me track my progress.
Gym and Fitness
This is something that I have just been getting into this year, I am planning on doing a full blog post all about my fitness journey and how my mindset has changed from never stepping foot in a gym to going up to 4 times a week.
Bullet Journal
2016 was the year that I discovered bullet journals and I just love the concept of them, especially considering how creative I am and how busy my life gets. I turned my every day diary into a bullet journal but I am going to start a new book for the new year which I am really excited about.
Sia- This is Acting
I listened to this album going to and from America on both trips on repeat, that's how much I loved this album. So much emotion and depth throughout and each song is recognisable for its own reasons, give it a listen!
Tally ThatQuirkyGirl, Heidi Somers &Carly Rowena
This year, I have really been enjoying watching these 2 YouTubers. Granted, I do personally know Tally but she has done so well with her channel this year and her videos do truly reflect her personality and her lifestyle. I also really enjoy her content and the way she edits, check out Tally's channel here. With me getting into fitness this year, I have also been really enjoying Heidi Somer's and Carly Rowena's fitness vlogs where you get an insight into each lifestyle as well as a workout which is really refreshing and makes fitness videos enjoyable to watch. Check out Heidi's videos and Carly's here.
AND BREATHE!
That rounds up my 2016 favourites of the year. To be honest, it really didn't take me long to decide them as stuff stood out to me straight away, 2016 really has been a good year to me and I am excited to see what 2017 holds and what will be discovered this year! Happy 2017!
MAKEUP
Make Up For Ever Step 1 Skin Equalizer Hydrating Primer. ($17, Sephora USA)
I have tried a lot of primers this year, however nothing has compared to my favourites that I still used last year. However, because them ones focus on pores, I wanted to include this little sample of the Make Up Forever primer which I bought when I was in New York. I am trying to use it sparingly as it is only a sample size but I have really enjoyed using this in the Winter when my skin has been super dehydrated. It feels so cooling and refreshing and gets rid of my dryness ready for applying my foundation.
Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation. (£7.99, boots.com)
This is my foundation pick for 2016. This has beaten all my high end foundations because it just looks so good on my skin, the shade 100 Ivory is an almost perfect match to my skin. This is my go-to medium to full coverage foundation as I know it never fails me. It blends out like a dream with both a brush and a beauty sponge and it gives me a lovely demi-matte finish. The only flaw I have with this is that I do need to set it because I can still feel it on my skin.
Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer & Colour Correcting Fluid. (both £17.50, urbandecay.co.uk)
These 2 little expensive impulse buys have been one of the best I have made this year! I absolutely adore the concealer, I use the shade Light Warm and it is great for both my under eyes and on my super dry blemishes and covers them up so well. When I am going out-out, I like to pair the concealer with the Peach colour corrector to get rid of my dark under eye circles. It took me so long to find the perfect colour corrector but this is worth the splurge.
Make Up For Ever Pro Finish Powder (£34? Sephora USA)
Another cheeky purchase from America, when one of the girls in Sephora tried this on my skin it made my skin look instantly flawless that I just had to buy it. This is stunning because it is a powder foundation but it blurs out every imperfection on your skin, even with only a tiny bit. Still need to use it sparingly because it is an expensive and less accessible product to repurchase. Love, love love!
Too Faced Milk Chocolate Soleil Bronzer (£25, toofaced.com)
Soap and Glory Solar Powder (£11, boots.com)
I had to pick 2 bronzers that I have discovered this year. The first is the Too Faced bronzer which is a matte finish and is beautiful for both bronzing up the skin and contouring. It is so velvety to the touch and it smells like chocolate which is a great plus! I also loved the Soap and Glory Solar Powder this Summer, it has a matte side and a shimmer side and it looks so good just to warm up pale skin giving a lovely sheen.
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Shimmering Skin Perfector Champagne Pop ($38, Sephora USA)
As soon as I swatched this in America, I was so impressed! I have never seen something so pigmented and glowy. I'm not the biggest fan of cheek highlight but when I do want some, I only need the tiniest bit of this to really glow as too much will very easily overpower a makeup look, but I do really like it.
Nars Blush Oasis (£23, John Lewis)
Aside from the concealers mentioned above, this is also one very big impulse buy as I would never normally spend alot of money on a blusher. I got given a complimentary makeover at the Nars counter and when she applied this blush it looked so nice! It is a lovely plumy colour which is so flattering in the colder months and you only need a tiny bit for it to show. And although it looks like there is so much glitter in this it really doesn't show the glitter particles on the skin unless you use a duo-fibre brush.
Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara (£7.99, boots.com)
With no eyebrow favourites, I'm moving straight on to mascara. Everyone and their mother has talked about this mascara and I am very late to the party. This mascara is so good that it has replaced my Benefit: They're Real as my 'going out' mascara, and is so much cheaper! Depending on which side of the brush you use you can get either get long separated lashes or you can go big and voluminous. And it doesn't transfer and dries fast! I really do recommend you try this mascara.
Collection Glam Crystals Dazzling Gel Eyeliners in Punk and Hustle. (£2.99, boots.com)
NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk (£5.00, boots.com)
I wanted to include these eye products as a part of my favourite high street picks. The Collection glitter eyeliners are fairly new to my make up bag but they have become a firm favourite and I have worn them non-stop in the party season. So easy to apply and they stay put all night long, not scratchy and are easy to take off as well. I also wanted to mention the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil as one of my favourite eyeshadow bases of the year. It lasts and it makes all my coloured eye shadows pop and has become an essential if I ever try to do any colourful creative looks.
Make Up Geek Single Eyeshadows (£6.00 beautybay.com)
In my many eyeshadow favourites, I have to give an honourable mention to Make Up Geek and my custom palette. I use this pretty much every day and I adore all the shadows that I have chosen, and even though I use some more than others I do really adore these eye shadows.
Tarte Tartlette Amazonian Clay Matte Palette ($45, Sephora USA)
I will never regret buying this palette as it is one of my all time favourites, never mind just for 2016. There is something so special about it that I adore so much. It is my perfect all-matte palette and I can create so many looks with it from day to night. The shadows themselves are so pigmented and easy to work with and the mirror is a God send.
Too Faced Chocolate Bar Palette (£39, toofaced.com)
Again, very late to the party but I got this for my birthday in 2016 and I really do love it because it has everything you need. You can create so many looks with this and the shadows themselves are some of the smoothest I have ever come across. I also have a soft spot for the highlight shade Champagne Truffle which looks so beautiful as an inner corner highlight but all the shadows are lovely to use, a great palette to travel with.
The Balm Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipstick in Committed (£13.50, Debenhams) not pictured
Moving away from eyes and onto lips, I will disclose that I am not the biggest fan on liquid lipsticks as the dry out my lips. But The Balm do some stunning ones which I personally feel are very underrated online. They are so easy to apply to the lips and I really enjoy the colour range which is very neutral. They are also minty which is a bonus.
Kat Von D Everlasting Liquid Lipsticks in Lolita and Lolita II ($20, Sephora USA)
I couldn't do this list without mentioning these beauts, I couldn't decide which one to choose so I had to put both in, The reason these are so good and I love them so much is because the colours are so unique and I can't find anything like them. These liquid lipsticks are also so nice to apply and they last for so long without drying the lips out.
Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipsticks in Velvet Beige and Clay Crush ($6.99, boots.com)
These are 2 beautiful high street lipsticks that I have discovered this year which I absolutely adore. Velvet Beige is from the Nudes collection and it is my perfect every day colour which I know I can just throw on and can look good with everything, it isn't drying and has a creme finish. Clay Crush is from the Mattes collection but it is such a comfortable matte to wear, the colour is a cross between MAC's Velvet Teddy and Taupe and it looks so nice even if my lips are super dry.
BEAUTY AND SKINCARE
Palmers Coconut Oil Body Lotion (boots.com)
Another recent addition to my skincare but I love it! I have always used the original Palmers Cocoa Butter on my skin but this one feels so much more hydrating and soaks into my skin much quicker offering the same results as the one I used to use.
The Body Shop Tea Tree Skin Clearing Toner (thebodyshop.com)
This was a blessing to me in the Summer when my skin was very oily and I was breaking out all the time. I used this with a cotton pad over my blemished skin and the next day my skin looked so much clearer! I don't use this every day, only when my skin is feeling fairly irritated to improve its appearance.
The Body Shop Vitamin E Hydrating Face Mist (thebodyshop,com)
I love using this on gym days where I don't wear makeup or when I need a pick me up on long days. It is super hydrating and makes me feel so much more awake while reaping the skin benefits. It is also able to be used over makeup as a setting spray and is great to just throw in your bag.
Lush Vanishing Cream Face Moisturiser (lush.com)
A fairly pricey moisturiser but you can really tell when this isn't on your face or when you have forgotten to apply it. I love the consistency of this moisturiser and it just sinks into the skin and also helps with my blemished skin.
Lush Love Lettuce Face Mask (lush.com) not pictured
This face mask is a beautiful, cooling and exfoliating face mask which is so nice and luxurious and is fuelled with lavender which helps calm my skin if it has had a bad breakout.
MISCELANEOUS
Hollister Body Mist in Willow Cove (hollister.com)
This is my favourite Hollister scent that I have only just discovered in 2016. It is a warm coconutty smell which is stunning. My friends and family know when I wear this as they always comment on how lovely it smells.
Mitchum 24hr Protection Deodorant (boots.com)
I know, deodorant is a weird one to put in a yearly favourites, but this is the one deodorant that I am able to use without feeling self-conscious about my body and how much I sweat because it actually works! I've not used anything else since.
B. Makeup Brush Cleanser (superdrug.co.uk)
Superdrug's own brand B. is often overlooked but this brush cleanser, I can't sing its praises enough! This is exactly what I need in between washes, just spray on the brush swirl it on some tissue paper and gets rid of EVERYTHING! Seriously, try this now!
New Look Pure Colour Gel Nail Polish in 03 Dark Grey (newlook.co.uk)
This has been my favourite nail polish this year. I won't bore you too much about it because I did a full review of it here.
RANDOMS
Fitbit Charge HR (argos.co.uk)
Another birthday present that I received this year and I am obsessed with it. The Charge HR tracks everything you need and with me getting into fitness this year, I have loved wearing it to help me track my progress.
Gym and Fitness
This is something that I have just been getting into this year, I am planning on doing a full blog post all about my fitness journey and how my mindset has changed from never stepping foot in a gym to going up to 4 times a week.
Bullet Journal
2016 was the year that I discovered bullet journals and I just love the concept of them, especially considering how creative I am and how busy my life gets. I turned my every day diary into a bullet journal but I am going to start a new book for the new year which I am really excited about.
Sia- This is Acting
I listened to this album going to and from America on both trips on repeat, that's how much I loved this album. So much emotion and depth throughout and each song is recognisable for its own reasons, give it a listen!
Tally ThatQuirkyGirl, Heidi Somers &Carly Rowena
This year, I have really been enjoying watching these 2 YouTubers. Granted, I do personally know Tally but she has done so well with her channel this year and her videos do truly reflect her personality and her lifestyle. I also really enjoy her content and the way she edits, check out Tally's channel here. With me getting into fitness this year, I have also been really enjoying Heidi Somer's and Carly Rowena's fitness vlogs where you get an insight into each lifestyle as well as a workout which is really refreshing and makes fitness videos enjoyable to watch. Check out Heidi's videos and Carly's here.
AND BREATHE!
That rounds up my 2016 favourites of the year. To be honest, it really didn't take me long to decide them as stuff stood out to me straight away, 2016 really has been a good year to me and I am excited to see what 2017 holds and what will be discovered this year! Happy 2017!
Elisa :-) x
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