Beauty Review: Best of Beauty 2012.....

2012 saw me try & experiment a lot more with numerous beauty brands & products. 

Now normally I am one for sticking with the same, tried & tested products- mainly because I know 'z' product works for my skin, it doesn't break me out, I like the way it feels, it looks good on me ect. But this year, having been watching a lot more beauty videos then normal on Youtube, I wanted to try more products everyone else was raving about & enjoying using.

This I feel has allowed me to be a little bit more daring & adventurous! So 2012 was a year of breaking out of my comfort zone & trying new things, not only in beauty, but in life. 

So pour yourself a cup of tea, grab some chocolate & a pen & paper & let's get into my pick of products I have really been enjoying using & feel like they have made such a difference.

Bioderma Solution Micellaire Crealine H20:
This product had so much hype on the blogging scene, so much so that when I went on holiday to Paris in the summer I felt the need to purchase it whilst I was there (because its not available in the UK) & I wanted to give it a try! It is a cleanser that you do not need to wash off afterwards, you can use it to remove makeup if you wish & is delicate for sensitive skin. I have tried many, many makeup removing cleansers & there are a lot of them out there that just leave my skin feeling dry, tight & generally un-happy!! Well, let me tell you.... I am so so happy I brought it because it is amazing!! 
Now I know many-a beauty blogger has had a love/hate relationship with Bioderma, but I can safely say that our relationship has been a very loving one- even though its only been five months, I can feel a deep connection! The thing I love most about it is that it does not leave my skin feeling tight & irritated, honestly it's like removing my makeup with water (oh, by the way I should have mentioned I use it to take off my makeup!)& it does not leave an oily residue like most makeup removing solutions after use, even though it removes every single trace of makeup! I feel that because it removes all the makeup & dirt off of my face, my skin is looking more healthier (I have hardly as many breakouts as I used to) & feels more plump & softer because its not bogged down with yuckiness!!

Caudalie Eau de Raisin Moisturizing Spray:
Another brand that has been floating around the blogisphere for a while, mainly the Caudalie Beauty Elxier which has got a huge celebrity following. For me however, I wanted to try something that was a little more refreshing & to be honest, that didn't smell like oranges/medical! Again I purchased this when I was in Paris & it is such a lovely product to use. To start off with, when I was in Paris it was 32 degrees plus every day & just spraying this all over my face every morning & evening would calm my skin down & left it feeling hydrated. Not only did I use it on fresh skin, but I also use it to set my makeup, throughout the day to cool me down & freshen up my skin & lastly I use it underneath my makeup before I apply my foundation. This I find works really well as a base before foundation as it makes applying foundation a dream, it literally just glides on & also helps to make it last! This product I feel has made my skin look & feel a lot more healthier because (I believe) it is getting more moisture into the skin throughout the day, but also if you are using it at night, whilst you are sleeping.  

Clinique Dramatically Different Mositurising Gel:
I have been struggling to find the perfect moisturiser for years! Since I was a teenager, I have never been able to find one that does not make my skin go crazy & have a major meltdown, does not irritated my skin in some way & hasn't left my skin either really dry afterwards, or like someone spilt oil all over my visage! Even the ones claiming to be for oily/acne prone skin or for teenagers, would still make me have huge breakouts. Yes as I got older my skin did calm down a little, but when I hit my twenties & still was having breakouts like I was at fifteen, I knew I wanted to try to end years of unhappiness. So way back when I first started doing Youtube videos, I was kindly sent by the Clinique team a 3 Step kit sample to try out & review. This was a huge break through for me because it was the first time in a long time where my skin did not go crazy because I was trying a new product, but it also started to clear my skin up little by little.
So after I had used up all of the products, I repurchased the kit again & have since just been using the gel. This I feel has been the main component as to why my skin has looked & felt so much more better than it has in the past. I believe it is down to the consistency of the gel- it is not heavy or sticky & sinks into the skin quickly without leaving any product left on my skin. As I said before my breakouts are very minimal now, (it does take time however & I would advise you to stick with it for a couple of months, for it to start making a difference) my skin looks healthier & also feels a lot smoother, it is not as oily as it once was & leaves my skin feeling moisturised. 

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Lotion:
I accidentally picked this up in Sephora in February when I was over in New York, I thought I was getting the gel but it turned out to be the lotion!! Automatically I knew this would be far too heavy for my skin, so didn't use it & left it in my draw just incase someone in my family needed it. However as winter drew closer, I starter to notice that I was getting dry patches in random areas of my face (which has never happened before) & my other moisturiser was not strong enough to get rid of them. So I remembered I had this lurking around in my draw & broke it out to just give it a go, & wowzers!, it cleared up all the dryness & (this amazed me) did not break my skin out!!!! As I have said before my skin is combination to oily & even the teeny tiniest rich/oily products always makes my skin go crazy, which is why I was mega chuffed that the dryness disappeared without a single blemish in sight! It is very nourishing & rich when applying it to the face, (you don't need tonnes of the product to feel like your skin has been thoroughly moisturised & I did only just apply it at night)my skin did look again healthy after using it & it cleared up all the horrible dryness!!!

The Body Shop Elderflower Eye Gel:
I dedicated a whole blogpost to this baby back in June, so there is no surprises as to why it is in my 'Best of Beauty' for this year! Now I shan't ramble on about it because other wise we will be here all day (if you want to know more about it then head over to that post), but it is a little beauty! Sooths my under eye area, makes my eyes look brighter & it feels so refreshing & rich when applying- amazing!!

Victoria's Secret Pure Seduction Fragrance Mist:
I have loved the Victoria's Secret body sprays since I first brought one in New York almost two years ago. What I love most about them is they are not too sweet & sickly, (though there are some that are so if you like those scents don't worry!) they last for such a long time & there are so many to choose from. I brought this one again in February when I was in New York & again I use it every single day- it is my all time favourite scent! Pure Seduction is a mixture of red plum & freesia scents- but I would say it smells a lot more like a melon & is a really nice scent for summer. I absolutely love the smell- it's so Melony & fruity & makes me so happy when I smell it!!! I'm seriously addicted to it!

L'Oreal Elvive Smooth Intense Anti-Frizz Serum & V05 Miracle Concentrate:
Argan Oil has again been one of those products that has been floating around the beauty community for a while. Now I can't remember when I brought this product, it must have been sometime around the spring time of the year, but ever since I brought both of these my hair has never felt as healthy as it does when I have used them. I remember someone saying that Argan Oil is like 'liquid gold' for the hair, like Moroccan Oil it leaves your hair really well nourished & easier to maintain. The way it has made my hair look & feel is why I love both of these products an equal amount, I don't favour one over the other, I just alternate between the two after I wash my hair. So the way I apply them both is after washing my hair, I towel dry it & just add one drop/pump of the oil to the palm of my hand & run it through the ends of my wet hair. I then blow dry & style my hair as normal.
Aaarrgghh.... it just leaves my hair so soft & healthy looking, it is much more easier to style because it's not knotted or damaged looking after styling & my hair is shiny! I have had so many friends/work colleges asking me what I use on my hair to make it so shiny & soft, & I always recommend both of these products to them because it really does change the way your hair looks & feels forever. I doubt you will want to go back to the way your hair was before after using either of these!

The Body Shop Body Butters:
In August I was given one of The Body Shop's Body Butters in Mango for my birthday & I don't know how I had missed this product before! Yes, I know, it's because I have favoured Lush over The Body Shop & so spent many years just buying Lush products, but this year it all changed as I re-discovered everything The Body Shop has to offer! Their body butters are amazing- they smell so so yummy, (there have been many a time when I have wanted to 'dig into one' especially the chocolate flavour!) they feel so moisturising on your body & the scent stays with you until you next shower!! As I said, I had the mango scent & used that right up until November when I ran out! This then led me into buying two more: Strawberry & Gingerbread (limited edition for Christmas) which again I just love because the smell is so addictive & they leave my body (ooerr) feeling really soft & moisturised- I want to eat my arm every time I apply it!

Chanel Rouge Coco Hydrating Lip Creme in 35 Chintz:
This is the colour I have been searching for in a lipstick for years! Yes, it was a slight splurge, but it was worth it. It feels really nice & hydrating on the lips,- not drying in the slightest (don't you just hate the feeling of feeling like you have lipstick on?) it has a slight scent to it of what I can only describe as being rose (which I love) & it looks beautiful on (whenever I wear it, people always compliment me on how nice the colour looks). Chanel, you have been my lipstick saviour!

Mac Studio Finish Concealer in NW15:
I brought this back in February when I was in New York, I needed to stock up on concealer while I was over there as it is slightly cheaper than in the UK & also because I had just run out of the Mac Concealer I was using at the time. I wanted to get a concealer that was a little bit heavier than the last one I was using (I felt like it didn't cover up scarring & blemishes as well as it should have) & that would last longer too. I know that sometimes Mac foundations, concealers & powders can look cakey on the face & I was slightly worried that this one would be too heavy because of how much more thicker the consistency was then I was used to, however I was pleasantly surprised. 
Now the first thing I want to say is, I have been using this concealer since February (every single day) on blemishes, scares & under my eyes & look how much I have left of it!!! This was a mega plus because the last one I owned being a fluid consistency, only lasted a good few months. But with this one I feel like I am getting my moneys worth! It has great coverage on scarring & under eye circles- not too heavy in the slightest! blends really nicely into the skin & does not have the look like you are wearing concealer, lasts all day with only a few touch ups needed on occasions & it makes my skin look flawless! 

MUA Eyeshadow Palette in Heaven & Earth:
Yes, I do realise people with brown eyes should not use brown eye shadows, but I can't help but love a good ol'natural smokey eye & happen to think brown shadow looks nice on my eyes!! But back to the product... I actually brought this right at the very, very end of December the previous year (2011) & again have been using this palette every day! It's from the brand MUA (Makeup Academy)which is available in Superdrug & for the small price of just £4 (can you believe that!!?) you could be the proud owner of some gorgeous colours. 
Now the reason why I love this palette is not only because of how much of a bargain it was and how well it fits into my makeup bag, but because of many other reasons! The quality alone is brilliant(on par with Mac & Nars I would say)- a mixture of some matte shades & a few more pigmented shades means that you can get some really good definition & texture on your eyes. I love the mixture of different tones of browns you get in the palette & they are all very buildable. 

Collection 2000 Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Liner in Black:
Now I am a total clutes when I apply liquid eye liner, I don't know how I do it but it just gets everywhere!! So I was watching one of Barbara's videos when she mentioned that she was more or less in the same boat as me, she could not apply eyeliner properly. & then she showed this product & said how much more easier it was applying eye liner as it just felt like she was drawing a simple line- I thought well if Barbara can do it then so can I, so i ventured into Superdrug & brought it. Another bargain at £3.49!
Now this is still the only liquid eyeliner that I can actually use without messing up my eyes completely! It has such a nice tip that feels just like a black felt tip liner (yes, the name may have been a give away!) and because its in a pen like applicator, just makes it a lot more easier to apply/use. Love it as it now allows me to be able to finally wing out my liner!

♥

^^^ Check out the video for more info^^^

I hope this has given you some useful info & has maybe persuaded you into trying a few new bits & bobs, if you were slightly hesitant before!

What's been your favourite beauty products you discovered in 2012?

Much love,

Elle

xoxoxo

♥