My top 15 'forever repurchased' beauty heroes

I have a lot of beauty products. And I'm not saying that to brag...I'm saying it to confess. I buy far too much makeup, and too many skincare, bodycare and haircare items, and am lucky enough to be able to try the occasional new release for my job too. But there are some bits that I literally feel I couldn't live without, and are my all time staples. When trying to put this list together (it was initially meant to be made up of 10 items...) I decided by asking myself what I would run to the shops to repurchase the second I knew I had ran out of it. The above 15 products are what I finally decided on. I would recommend them all whole-heartedly, and they will forever be my beauty heroes! 
1. Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray for perfectly tousled waves.   2. Real Techniques Buffing Brush for flawlessly finished foundation. 
3. Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche perfume for a fresh and citrusy aroma. 
4. Xen Tan Moroccan Tan fake tan for those rare occasions when I fake tan- this is the only thing I trust! 
5. Charlotte Tilbury Bronze and Glow palette for totally perfect bronzing, highlighting and contouring.
6. Bioderma Micellar Water for cleanly cleansed skin before a balm cleanser at night. 
7. & Other Stories Fig Fiction body souffle for deliciously unique smelling and soft skin. 
8. Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot powder for a shine-free face. 
9. Mac All that Glitters eyeshadow for a beautiful sheeny all-over eye shade. 
10. Makeup Forever HD foundation for absolutely spot on coverage all day. 
11. Makeup Forever Full Cover concealer for especially stubborn spots, scars and everything in-between. 
12. NARS Creamy Concealer for erasing under-eye circles completely. 
13. Pixi Glow Tonic for exfoliated and toned skin. 
14. Seche Vite top coat for making painting your nails 10,0000x easier. 
15. Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in perversion for the most seductively dark pencilled eyes (I've never found an eyeliner like it!)

What are your top beauty heroes? 

The Top 13 of 2013

In the spirit of New Year honesty, I will admit to you that I seriously considered a 2013 beauty favourites post and maybe, just maybe a video. I decided that setting up a Youtube account might be more of a 2014 aim however, so settled for a slightly more restrained version in the form of my Top 13 beauty products of 2013 (catchy ey?). The 13 include makeup, skincare, haircare, nails and body; and let me just tell you that whittling it down was not an easy task. But here they are: the staples, special editions and standouts of the year, according to yours truly...

Urban Decay Naked Palette 3: Despite being given to me just 6 days ago at Christmas, Urban Decay's newest cult offering has already wowed me more than the other two versions combined...it's definitely love. Warmer, pink based and encased in an even better tin, what's not to lust after?

Chanel Chance eau fraiche perfume: 2013 was the year of the scent search for me, and this Chanel classic became my one and only. I'm already on to my second bottle and I predict this will be the first repurchases of many...

Oribe Maximista Thickening Spray: Oribe was a brand that seemed to blow every beauty blogger away this year, including me. As a member of the limp and flat hair klan, this product has been a saviour in a bottle, and it doesn't smell half bad either (full review here). 

Chanel le volume de chanel mascara: As well as a scent, I do believe Chanel has officially made my most beloved mascara to date. The volume and length of lashes after one use of this is unrivalled in my opinion, and I will definitely be repurchasing like crazy this year. 

Ren Clarifying Clay Cleanser: This spot saw a toss up of my nightly cleanser (Emma Hardie's amazing face balm) and this beauty, which I use in the mornings. The thing I love about this the most is how brilliant it is for oily and problem skin. It also lasts FOREVER. I bought this in June, use it every day, and it's STILL going. 

Laura Mercier Almond Coconut Milk Scrub: I always feel it's so hard to find the perfect scrub. Lots I've tried are far too gritty and almost hurt to use, but this is so gentle on skin but also really gets to work (and smells good enough to eat).

Mac Creme Cup and Show Orchid Lipsticks: I know this is sort of cheating but I couldn't choose just one. Creme cup is my go to everyday shade whilst I only bring out Show orchid for those extra special 'show' stopper occasions. 

Lush Snow Fairy Shower Gel: Smells like sweeties, is full of glitter and has the cutest name, need I say more? As it only comes out once a year around Christmas I made sure to pick up and extra big bottle this time round. Lush...NEVER discontinue this! 

Essie After School Boy Blazer: Super Shiny Navy Blue/Black shade. I am praying this bottle will last forever as it was a limited edition buy. 

Origins GinZing moisturiser: I have just repurchased my second little tub of this stuff, because I truly have found no moisturiser like it. It has such a light gel-like texture which is perfect for my skin slightly oil prone skin.

Philip Kingsley Elasticizer: Three words: SAVED. MY. HAIR...(and still does). 

Estee Lauder Cheek Gelee in Tease: Another limited edition product which I have grown seriously attached too. Tease is a gorgeous pinky blush/highlighter hybrid which gives a light winter flush or full-on party glow depending how you want to wear it. 

Diorskin Nude BB Creme: This single handedly changed my opinion about BB cremes. I was so anti-them and had had such terrible experiences with until I started using this. It gives a light weightless coverage and perfect glow. 

So there we have it: my top 13 of 2013. 

As cheesy as it sounds, I just also want to take a second in this post to thank anyone and everyone who has supported my little blog since I started it back in March: any readers or followers, the lovely fellow bloggers I have met throughout the process, any brands that have reached out to me and offered me the opportunity to attend their events or collaborate with them, and to my friends and family for helping to promote my blog any way they can, helping with photographs and all in all just being awesome. 

On a lighter note, I would love to hear which products you would include in your top 13 in the comments below!! HAPPY NEW YEAR! 

B.

The Christmas Wishlist

Canon SX500 IS camera. 

Honeydew Underwear. 

Alexa Chung 'It' and 14,000 things to be happy about books.

We're the Millers and The Great Gatsby DVDS. 

Makeup and Candles: Malin and Goetz Dark Rum candle, Dipytique Baies candle, Clinique eye and lip chubby sticks in ample amber and grandest grape, By Terry Baume de Rose, UD naked 3 palette, Nars cruella lip pencil, Aesop parsley seed cleansing mask, nails inc porchester sq polish, Clarins exfoliating toner. 

Now, stupidly, I handed out my Christmas list far too early this year. The problem with being such an eager beaver is that when you go shopping for other people you see things you wish you'd put on your own list. Because of this, I'll probably end up buying much of this for myself come loan time (naughtyyy). I already picked up my Naked 3 palette last week and am SO excited to get my hands on it properly come Christmas day. As I am now back from uni I am feeling extra Christmassy and am planning lots of outfit posts in the next couple of weeks, so keep eyes pealed for those! 

What do you guys have on your lists this year?

B.

Urban Decay Naked 'Flushed' Palette: The review

Admittedly, there's something that makes me a little sceptical about the fact that Urban Decay have used the success of the Naked Palette to introduce a whole range of 'naked-related' products. Is it really possible for the Naked 2 palette, Naked Basics Palette, Naked BB cream, Naked foundation and now the Naked 'Flushed' Palette to live up to the original? 

I was at the Urban Decay counter the other day, with the intention of purchasing an original Naked palette for my Mum (and this ALONE). But then I got chatting to the LOVELY lady on the stand about my blog and any upcoming blogger events, (she is a make-up artist, take a look at her facebook page here) and let it slip that I had had my eye on the Flushed palette for a little while. Silly me...as soon as I had said that, I knew how easy it was going to be to be talked into buying it...So 10 minutes later out I waltz, £56 poorer but rich in Urban decay naked-ness. 

But what about the palette itself? I have to say I am pretty impressed. The first thing that grabbed me was that the palette is a mere £20. In my eyes, this is a hugely affordable way to get a bronzer, blush and highlighter all in one. I had largely made a bee-line for the flushed palette because I had been looking for a new highlighter. I had set my heart on the new Chanel compact, but after finding out it was an outrageous FORTY SIX pounds, this one became all the more appealing to me. A Bronzer and a blush chucked in as well? How could I say no...?! The highlighter has impressed me, and I find it subtle enough to use in the day-time as well as in the evening. It is fairly shimmery however, which is something I'm getting used to. I also think the bronzer and blush are great products on their own too. The pigmentation is good and the blush is an especially pretty colour, plus you only need a little to go a long long way. I think it is a really good travel palette too; the hard casing means it won't get damaged and you don't have to take three separate products (a blush, bronzer and highlighter) on holiday if you opt for this which has all three. 

Would I recommend this palette? Yes I would. At an impressive £20 (for THREE pretty great products) it has the potential to be a big seller. And perhaps now I will think twice before judging the naked collection; next on my wishlist is the BB cream. 

Shop the collection here. 

B. 

The Roommate Review #2: AVÈNE THERMAL SPRING WATER-THE NEW MAC FIX PLUS?

So I'm going to grab your attention by saying this water has been suggested to me as a great dupe for Mac Fix+

And now I'm going to say something that might make me a little unpopular. After trying Mac fix+ I have to hand on heart say that I didn't really take to it. It's not that I didn't like it; yes it does everything it says it does technically- refreshes the face and acts as a finishing mist for make-up. But from all the hype which this product creates, I had built expectations that it was going to be some sort of magical spray that forces make-up to STAY PUT. Sadly, not so much. 

I have since been recommended various products by friends, fellow bloggers and a few experts on the make-up stands, including Lush's 'A breath of fresh air' and Urban Decay's 'All Nighter Makeup setting spray'. I am yet to try this one, but it does look pretty good. But £19.50....NINETEEN FIFTY? A bit of a gamble to fork out so much money on a product which could easily let you down. 

So that's why when my flatmate Sophie told me about a new cheaper product on the market, I got a little excited and decided I had to feature it in my 'Roommate review' monthly post. Sophie purchased the Avène Thermal Spring water in Boots for a nifty £6.50 (they also do a smaller version for half the price) after a lady on the Estee Lauder counter highly recommended it to her. Now, like me, Sophie is a bit of an impulse shopper who buys ALOT when it comes to beauty products (even once or twice buying a product then getting home and realising she had already bought a few weeks prior- oh, soph) but it really sounds like she's found a winner here. 

She has even gone as far to say that she has sprayed this over her makeup at the start of the day, gone to the gym, and found her makeup hasn't budged afterwards...pretty impressive. The consistency sounds like a dream; non-sticky and refreshing as it sprays onto the skin, with no-drip and a quick drying time. It also says it is great for sensitive skin and can be used just as a refreshing spray rather than a makeup setter. I am yet to try it, but Sophie's got me pretty sold, and trust me when I say she KNOWS HER STUFF beauty wise ;)

B.