2014 Favourites

Sunday, January 04, 2015

I thought I'd do a quick - I use that term loosely after seeing the size of the list! - round-up of my favourites (beauty and non-beauty) from 2014, as I always read and enjoy other peoples' so much.

For some items, I'll do a brief review but most of these have all be spoken about before and therefore, I'll be linking back to some older posts, for if you'd like to read more. You might want to get a cuppa and settle down somewhere comfy, this is a long one...

Makeup
To start off the makeup favourites (the largest category), I thought I'd best mention something from the eye shadow palette genre. We all know I have a bit of an obsession with eye shadow palettes and the one that topped the bill wass TheBalm Cosmetics NUDE 'Tude Palette, which you can read a more detailed review on here. On the solo eye shadow front, I thoroughly enjoyed using  Maybelline's Color Tattoo. I have, again, done a more detailed review on these fab shadows here and here. Another favourite for the eyes was Benefit's They're Real! Mascara. I only own a sample of this that came out of a Birchbox box one month but it lasted most of the year and was my go-to mascara for any special occasion. It makes my lashes super long and helps them appear thicker; the look will also last for a whole day and evening too!

I'm only going to very briefly mention lips here as I will be publishing a "Lip Loves of 2014" post soon - spoilers! However, I had to mention my favourites: Mac Lipstick 'Patisserie' and the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet range. Keep your eyes peeled for a detailed review of these, as well as some others, soon!

On to my face now and NARS Creamy Concealer was bound to be a worth-while mention; it even appeared in my December Favourites as I absolutely adore it. It's the best concealer and would recommend it to anyone! For foundation, L'Oréal's True Match Foundation had it in the bag. It has a light-weight formula which gives medium coverage that lasts all day. It's simply an ace foundation that saw a lot of use throughout the second half of the year. As I started to experiment more with makeup, I delved head first into contouring and found the perfect bronzer: Bourjois Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder.  I did a full review on it but the best thing about it, besides from the perfect colour and formula? The fact that is smells like chocolate - yummy!

For nails, I fell head over heels for Essie and in particular, 'Peach Daiquiri'. You can read more on the gorgeous polish here and here but long-story-cut-short, it's a goodie. My love also grew for Barry M and in particular 'Almond' and 'Vintage Violet', both of which were utterly wonderful polishes to wear.

Tools
I purchased the Core Collection and Starter kits from Real Techniques back in January and they are just incredible. Affordable, amazing quality and perfect for applying makeup. What more could you want from your makeup brushes?

Haircare
L'Oréal's EVERsleek Shampoo and Conditioner were the clear choice for this category. They featured in my 'August Favourites' and have been real haircare saviours. I have been slowly trying to get my hair back to it's former healthy ways and this duo have been helping massively. Another highly recommended product!

Skincare
My favourite skincare range, possibly of all-time, comes from Simple. As you may have seen in my 'Night-time Skincare Routine', these bad boys do amazing things for cleaning and toning my face. I also love the Kind To Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-on, which is perfect for soothing sore, swollen or tired eyes.

A brilliant new find came from Nuxe and that was the Rêve De Miel Lip Balm. This will also feature in my "Lip Loves of 2014" post, so you'll just have to wait until the post comes out to learn more!

The final skin care saviour was Weleda Sea Buckthorn Hand Cream. I received a sample in Love Me Beauty's August Box and over the last couple of month's especially, it's been featuring heavily in my morning skincare routine. It does a great job at hydrating my hands and making them feel über soft, plus it doesn't feel at all sticky which is a bonus!

Non-beauty
Kicking off this category has got to be Netflix. Netflix and I became best friends in 2014, especially after my adoration for TV series became clearer. I am also planning on a post about my favourite TV shows over the next couple of months, therefore I won't speak about those now but I can't deny, Netflix, what a beaut!

Next up, I'd say my Kindle was also a massive help to my year. I love to read and the Kindle made it so easy to do so. It's lightweight, easy to read and compact enough to be carried easily in a handbag. I used it most during the summer when I felt like sunbathing, but it was great for curling up and getting lost in a novel during the winter too.

I had two candle crushes in 2014: Diptique's 'Épice' (read more here) and Yankee Candle 'Snowflake Cookie' (read more here). Both burned away throughout the winter months and smell utterly divine.

That's my round-up done and I feel happy with that list. There were lots of other things I could have mentioned but I didn't want to go too overboard and bore you all to death with a books-worth of items!

I did find some great new things to love during 2014, as well as, continuing adoration for some older products too. I'm now excited to see what 2015 will bring and look forward to comparing my favourites at the end of the year too, let's see what stays and what goes... 

What were your favourites for 2014? 

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33 comments

  1. Great post! Also really enjoyed They're Real and the Colour Tattoos. Really want to try the Simple skincare range this year x

    Jordan | Keep Dreaming ♥

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    1. Thanks Jordan :) They're really good and the Simple skincare range is so nice on the skin, definitely worth a go. Let me know how you get on if you do try them :) x

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  2. Your pictures are always spot on!
    heymil.blogspot.co.uk

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    1. Thanks Millie, I really appreciate hearing that so thank you :) x

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  3. I absolutely love this post - I love all of the products, the photos and yes... snowflake cookie was my FAVOURITE yankee candle this year! mmmmm.... - Becca xx

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    1. Thank hun!! I'm so glad you think so and it's no wonder, it is an amazing candle :) xx

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  4. Great post! Am nodding along to all of them!

    www.beautylymin.blogspot.com

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    1. Thanks lovely, I'm very glad you agree with them :) x

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  5. I want to try the mac lipstick & Bourjois bronzer so bad now haha x

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    1. They are both amazing! You'll have to let me know what you think if you do try them out! :) x

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  6. I love how Bourjois' Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder is shaped like a block of Chocolate! ^ ^

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  7. Really great post - I'm such a Netflix addict too!

    Drea xo
    Drea's Junkyard

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    1. Yay, a fellow addict! I think it's hard not to be though once you've signed up :) x

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  8. I'm mad about my Kindle too. I enjoy reading so it's perfect to me.

    The MAC lipsticks are always the best ones xx

    Chelo
    flyinginvogue.com

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    1. It's brilliant isn't it! I go through stages of wanting to feel a book in my hand, but other than that it's awesome :)
      And yes, I agree!! :) xx

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  9. Every time I see the Maybelline colour tattoo's crop up in posts, it reminds me that I have to get my hands on a couple - I bet they are amazing!

    The Velvet Black // UK Style & Beauty Blog

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    1. They are amazing, really easy to apply, great pigmentation and so long lasting. Definitely worth picking them up :)

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  10. Great favs! The rouge edition velvets are definitely my favourite finds for the year as well!

    Georgia | www.georgiajade.com

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  11. Bourjois lipsticks are the best!!! It's a bit expensive for students but it's totally worth it! :) RAYA
    http://www.raysofraya.com
    https://twitter.com/raysofraya
    http://instagram.com/raysofraya/
    https://www.facebook.com/raysofraya

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    1. They are amazing, that's for sure. Definitely a worth while purchase, even if you're a student ;)

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  12. Great post and great picks you have there! LOVE the color tattoos!
    I remember that I bought pink gold after reading your post, so thank you ^^

    Z ♥
    http://beautybyz.blogspot.se/

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    1. Thank you! I am SO pleased to hear you bought some and loved them, that makes me happy so thank you for that as well :) Really glad you liked them!! :) xx

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  13. Love this post! So many good favourites!

    Jana
    Life of Jana

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  14. love those brushes and the benefit mascara!

    xx danielle // shades of danielle // bloglovin

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  15. I love these roundup lists they are always so fun! Looks like you have great taste! ^_^

    Anyhoo, I found your blog through a fellow blogger.. I just thought I would stop by and say hi! I'd love it if you stopped by my blog, or better yet, keep in touch!! - www.domesticgeekgirl.com

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    1. Thanks for stopping by and commenting! I love reading the end-of-year roundup posts too! :)
      I've just checked out your blog and it's lovely, I've started following you on Twitter so I can keep an eye out for your new posts :)

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  16. Great post! Happy New Year Amy :)

    Camille xo

    www.cococami.blogspot.co.uk

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Thank you for your comments!
I enjoy reading each and every one of them!