2012 Favourites: Part 2.

Welcome to Part 2 of my 2012 Favourites. Yesterday's post featured my favourite beauty and hair products of the past year and today's post focuses on my favourite makeup products of 2012. So let's get started!

Face:

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium: I'd have to say that MAC was definitely the discovery of 2012 for me- I'd never used or (shamefully) heard of their products before 2012 but fell in love with their high end, high quality products. My favourite MAC product is their Mineralize Skinfinish face powder which is also by far the best powder I've ever used (take note Chanel). It's super smooth, blendable, soft and long lasting and gives amazing coverage and finish. It's also lasted me nearly a year and after daily use, I've still not hit pan!

e.l.f Eyebrow Kit in Dark: It's cheap, it's compact and it's good quality. I don't leave home without using this on my brows and it's the least messiest and simplest brow product I've ever used. It definitely gives a dramatic brow look so it's not for the faint hearted but I can't imaging not using this brow kit. 

No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation in Calico: This was a late discovery in 2012 but with the launch of No7's new Foundation Match Service came my new found Holy Grail of makeup- my perfect base. The colour, formula and finish are all perfect and it's also super affordable. I've had this foundation since September and I'm only about half way through so it's looking like it's going to last me a good six months or so. This foundation gives me that flawless look that previously I had only dreamed of.

 Eyes:

Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara: As well as being the year I discovered my perfect foundation, 2012 was also the year I found my favourite ever mascara. I like a mascara that makes my eyelashes longer, fuller, curled and generally fake looking- too much to ask? Not with this bad boy. It does all of those things in one tube- I'd actually previously been using two different mascaras to attempt to create a similar look. 

Maybelline Eyestudio Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner: Since buying this eyeliner in September 2011- yes, over a year ago- I've not looked back. Gone are the days of flaky, dry liquid eyeliner; gel have been my daily staple for over a year now. And can you believe I'm still on the same tub? (Never fear, it lasts 24months once opened). Now I wear a lot of eyeliner and I hit pan about a month ago now and it's still going strong. Wonder product this is my friends. 

Avon Super Shock Gel Pencil Liner: It's super smooth, long lasting and super intense black. There's not a lot more that I can say about this apart from it's better than any other pencil eyeliner I've ever used, and trust me, I've tried a lot of them!

Urban Decay NAKED Palette: It wouldn't be a 2012 Favourites without the NAKED palette really. We've read a million and one reviews of this product so I won't bore you (click the link to read my full review). I just love how wearable and versatile this palette is, as well as the quality of the powders themselves. 

Lips:

L'oreal Rouge Caresse and Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balmstains: It's been a year dominated by two lip products for me and I coincidently own four of each! The L'oreal Rouge Caresses give a hint of colour whilst being super moisturising whereas the Revlon Balmstains give intense long lasting colour. I love both products equally as they serve different purposes and are appropriate for different occasions. My favourite Revlon one is Valentine (not available in UK) and my favourite L'oreal one is Rose Mademoiselle. 

e.l.f Lip Exfoliator: Another late discovery in 2012, this e.l.f Lip Exfoliator is a dry lip saviour! It's perfect for last minute dry skin banishing before applying your favourite lippy. It smooths, softens and hydrates the lips leaving them as the perfect base for any lip product. 

So there you have it, my 2012 Favourites are complete! It's been a great year (if not a busy one) but I'm excited about 2013, especially as I'm starting it by moving into our new house tomorrow eeeeee! Tell me when you get sick of hearing about it btw! 

2012 Favourites: Part 1.

I thought instead of doing a December Favourites post, I'd do a 2012 Favourites instead. I've split the post into two parts- part one will focus on beauty and hair products and part two (coming soon) will feature makeup. I've had so many favourites this year but I've tried my very hardest to whittle it down to these products. Enjoy!

Face:

Soap & Glory Peaches & Clean Deep Cleansing Milk: I love everything about this cleanser: the packaging; the scent; the formula and, most importantly, the results. This cleanser deep cleans my skin, banishing any dirt or makeup, as well as calming and controlling any blemishes. It leaves my skin feeling soft, smooth and clean and a little goes a really long way- I'm still on my first bottle! 

Superdrug Oil Balancing Serum: This is a product that I miss when I stop using it; without it my skin becomes oily during the day and my makeup begins to fade away. With it, however, my skin it matte and fresh throughout the day. It's a bargain product but, for me, it really does the job.

Clinique 7 Day Scrub: I didn't want to like this because I can't really afford to replace it.; but I love it (alas!). It's not at all harsh on the skin but still cleanses and removes any dead skin or dirt. I also find it quite hydrating as it's a cream based exfoliator. I try and use it twice a week and find it to be really great for keeping my skin soft and smooth.

No7 Beautiful Skin Day Cream for Normal/Oily Skin: I started using this moisturiser from it's launch earlier in 2012 and I loved it: it's super light and hydrating on my oil skin whilst keeping it matte and smooth throughout the day. It's also got SPF15 and UVA protection which are big positives for me as I'm paranoid when it comes to sun damage. I've not been using this over the past few months as I've got a Clinique moisturiser to use up and I can tell you now that I'm missing using this soooooooooo much! It's just perfect for my skin type and I can't wait to get back to using it.

 Body:

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter: I'm super lazy when it comes to body moisturising and exfoliating and general messing about but this product it just everything I want in a tube. It looks amazing, it smells so nice it's unreal and it leaves my skin feeling so soft and smooth I can't wait to have a shower and use it again! I also think it's a bargain at £8 for 250ml as a little goes a real long way. Soap & Glory, I salute you and your time saving products! 

Hair: 

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Cherry and Lace: I honestly don't know how I lived before Batiste. It's a fringe saver as it saves me washing my hair everyday and it also adds texture to 'just washed' hair if I'm wanting to back comb or style it. Lace and Cherry are my personal favourites as I like their scents and packaging (let's not kid ourselves here). 

Mark Hill Turn Up The Heat Protection Spray: I bought the mini sized bottle of this to try out and fell inlove! It protects my hair from heat damage without leaving any residue, scent or texture behind on my hair. A little goes a long way so it's cost effective and I love the packaging. I don't dry my hair without this any more ladies!

Perfume:

Ed Hardy Born Wild EDT: I could have chosen loads of perfumes for my 2012 Favourites but I couldn't kid myself that this wasn't my overall favourite. I only started wearing this perfume at the start of 2012 and I've already been through two bottles and have two more waiting in the wings. It's sweet and floral and lasts all day. I love the traditional flash design on the bottle and I never leave home without it! It's a bit pricey at £36 but I can honestly say I've never paid full price for it- watch out for those Boots fragrance sales!

So there you have part one of my 2012 Favourites! The next post will feature my makeup favourites from this past year. Please comment me with any links or let me know what you're favourites were this year. Happy New Year everyone!