As the year drew to a close I read many 2012 favourites posts, which have made me consider my own.Being so fickle with my beauty 'likes' it's no mean feat for a product to nudge itself into my top ten. The list isn't exclusive 2012 releases just a collection of things I've repurchased, have had a love affair with in '12 or use on a frequent basis. So, in particular order........
1. Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. The clue is in the title with this one, it really is a wonder. After draining 2 free samples I was hooked & bought a tube (£20). It's the perfect everyday eye cream, it brightens, tightens & is low in nasties. It's introduced me to the whole Balance Me range which really delivers.
2. MAC Pro Longwear Foundation. It wears longer than anything I've ever tried, more than living up to its 16 hour claim. It builds well, blends well & controls my greasy T zone. Everything I want from an everyday foundation, worth every penny of the £24 price tag.
3. Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray (£23). I only discovered this a few months ago but cannot imagine my world without it now, it knocks others I've tried, MAC fix+ , Ben Nye Final Seal & Clarins Fix Make Up, to the curb. Eyes, cheeks & base stay where they should & fresh as daisies from breakfast through to midnight feast!
4. MAC Melba Powder Blusher (£11). My fail safe for looking brighter & healthier. It's the perfect peachy shade, blends & builds nicely lasts well. An everyday essential for the girl who will free admit to having a little fear of blushers!
5. Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush (£37.50). So soft, beautifully different in styling with its wound bamboo handle & picks up just the right amount of product. It's tapered domed head is that cheek perfect size that makes applying product a dream. I use it for blush,contour, highlighting and sometimes to blend the whole eye area. Its a really hard working brush that justifies its price tag.
6. Whilst on brushes I couldn't leave my beloved Real Techniques off the list. As a self confessed brush junkie I thought it'd be hard to replace Trish McEvoy in my affections but every single on of these is perfectly crafted for the intended job, multi tasking & affordable. Every make up wearer on earth should at least own a Buffing Brush & a Deluxe Crease Brush.
7. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil (£12) in YeYo. I've loved the 24/7 pencils for so long, with Zero being an absolute staple in my box. I've included Yeyo here because I've found finding a white pencil that clings to the waterline a real challenge. I use it to highlight as well as line my waterline when my eyes need an injection of 'wake up'.
8. Collection 2000 Lasting Colour Lipsticks. An expensive feeling lipstick for £3, what's not to love. These babies really last & are pigment heavy. They don't feel at all drying either. One of my favourite finds this year, I've been converting anybody who'll listen!
9. Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum (£35 for 10x 1ml sachets, Boots). My little sachets of miracle juice! I finally invested after a Glossybox sample left me pining for more. Its one of the few products I've tried where the instant results claim actually stands up. My skins looks fresher & smoother when I use this & it really does plump out lines even if it is only temporarily. I'm actually contemplating splashing out on a 25ml pump, at £125 its an investment product but trust me when I say, I think its worth every penny.
10. Yves Rocher Tradition De Hammam Oriental Shower Oil. This was a Christmas gift & so has only been in my life for a week but it was LOVE at first use. A thick argan oil infused with oriental scents, which turns to a rich milky lotion once wet. Each shower feels like an indulgent, luxurious treat when using this, it leaves skin so wonderfully moisturised but not at all greasy. The scent lasts but doesn't over power any fragrance applied afterwards. I've already vowed never to shower without this!
So there you have it, my 2012 in 10 products. It was harder than I thought narrowing it down to ten but that's the final cut. I'm only sorry that Clinique Chubby Sticks, Jemma Kidd Dew Me & Yves Rocher Hydra Vegetal Instant Anti Wrinkle didn't make the final cut!
After much procrastination, last payday I subscribed to Glossybox. I'm a sucker for a sample & often pick them up from eBay so the beauty box concept is right up my street.
This evening I was feeling rubbish, snuggled on sofa when it was delivered. It was the pick me up I needed. After reading a few spoilers on various blogs I had a pretty good idea what to expect but I still couldn't help the excitement I felt as I opened the box.
It was beautifully packaged & the limited edition pale green box designed by illustrator Maggie Li (if you like the box check out her website, particularly the type section) is a treat in itself. I loved the tissue paper & ribbon, it felt like I was opening something really classy & special.
So I sat there, looking like death in my dressing gown (currently poorly, not just lazy!) I felt like I was holding a rather lovely gift & I began to consider the contents.
Firstly, an envelop containing 4 sachets from Rodial, 2 Glamoxy snake serum & 2 five minute facial masks.
I've been keen to try these products for a while but I have fussy skin that's easily angered so have yet to take the plunge & pay full price for something I'm not 100% sure will suit me. These products are normally sold in boxes of 10 sachets, the snake serum costing £29 and the mask £10.95, so these samples go some way in justifying the price of the box. I intend to give these products a post of their own once I've tested them, so I won't start waxing lyrical on my excitement for these right now.
Delving further into the shredded black packing I find a sample of the new Lady Gaga fragrance. Now, I'll freely admit my disdain for celebrity fragrances, so this isn't something I'd normally try in a department store. I was pleasantly surprised. On first sniff it put me in mind of My McQueen but it settled into something sweeter but by no means sickly. I wish I could put my finger on what it reminds me of, perhaps Paco Rabanne Black XS? Whatever it is, its actually very nice & seems to be lasting well.
The addition of the Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream pleased me. I had a sample of this free with a magazine & have been using it as my day time eye cream frequently over the last few weeks. I have just finished the sample and was definiately considering buying a full size one. It really is very good, it smooths my under eyes well & brightens them up nicely. I much prefer it to the Weleda Wild Rose eye cream I had been using. The sample is a 7ml tube which is almost half the 15ml full size product which retails for £20, so again this is a good proportion of the cost of the box justified, especially as I know I'll use it. As an added bonus there's a discount code offering £5 off any of the Balance Me extra care products when purchased via their website.
Next I found a 15ml jar of Vichy Idealia Day Care Cream. My sister and I are quite keen on Vichy products and although she uses the skincare I've only ever tried the foundations and conclearers. The cream claims to smooth and illuminate, improving complexion radiance. I'm yet to give this a proper road test but I popped a little bit on my sallow looking face and it felt lovely, quite rich but quickly absorbed.The tiny amount I tried did leave my skin feeling smoother but as for radiance, the jury is still out. It is quite heavily fragranced but its a pleasant, fruity smell that doesn't linger. The full size product costs £25 and theres a discount code for 20% off from the sempleandsemple website.
Finally, the only product I was vaguely disappointed with, Maghrabian Hair Oil. Now I've been using Macadamia hair oil every couple of weeks for nearly a year and my hair is certainly all the better for it. I was sceptical at first as my hair is both fine and greasy and the idea of oil was initially horrifying, but there was no residual greasiness from the oil and the condition of my hair improved considerably. I guess this would be the perfect way to try an oil if you haven't already but for me it was a bit of a 'blah' inclusion in what is otherwise a good little box of products. I compared the ingredients of the Maghrabian to the Macadamia and they are virtually identical, both offering nutrition and hydration to condition and add shine and vitality. I'll probably save this sample (10ml vial) to take away on holiday instead of carting my big 125ml bottle with me. Price wise, the Maghrabian sells for £24/100ml and I get 125ml of Macadamia for £15 from amazon so I'll more than likely stick with that one in the future.
All in all, I am rather pleased with my first Glossybox, I feel the contents of the box justifies the price, the smaples are generously sized and especially with the Lady Gaga frangrance, its pushed me to try something I'd not usually consider. I'm already looking forward to my next delivery and I'm not going to read any spoilers so its a complete suprise when I open the box. I do love a suprise!
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| So pretty! |
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1. Balance Me Wonder Eye Cream. The clue is in the title with this one, it really is a wonder. After draining 2 free samples I was hooked & bought a tube (£20). It's the perfect everyday eye cream, it brightens, tightens & is low in nasties. It's introduced me to the whole Balance Me range which really delivers.
2. MAC Pro Longwear Foundation. It wears longer than anything I've ever tried, more than living up to its 16 hour claim. It builds well, blends well & controls my greasy T zone. Everything I want from an everyday foundation, worth every penny of the £24 price tag.
3. Urban Decay De-Slick Setting Spray (£23). I only discovered this a few months ago but cannot imagine my world without it now, it knocks others I've tried, MAC fix+ , Ben Nye Final Seal & Clarins Fix Make Up, to the curb. Eyes, cheeks & base stay where they should & fresh as daisies from breakfast through to midnight feast!
4. MAC Melba Powder Blusher (£11). My fail safe for looking brighter & healthier. It's the perfect peachy shade, blends & builds nicely lasts well. An everyday essential for the girl who will free admit to having a little fear of blushers!
5. Nars Yachiyo Kabuki Brush (£37.50). So soft, beautifully different in styling with its wound bamboo handle & picks up just the right amount of product. It's tapered domed head is that cheek perfect size that makes applying product a dream. I use it for blush,contour, highlighting and sometimes to blend the whole eye area. Its a really hard working brush that justifies its price tag.
6. Whilst on brushes I couldn't leave my beloved Real Techniques off the list. As a self confessed brush junkie I thought it'd be hard to replace Trish McEvoy in my affections but every single on of these is perfectly crafted for the intended job, multi tasking & affordable. Every make up wearer on earth should at least own a Buffing Brush & a Deluxe Crease Brush.
7. Urban Decay 24/7 Glide On Eye Pencil (£12) in YeYo. I've loved the 24/7 pencils for so long, with Zero being an absolute staple in my box. I've included Yeyo here because I've found finding a white pencil that clings to the waterline a real challenge. I use it to highlight as well as line my waterline when my eyes need an injection of 'wake up'.
9. Rodial Glamoxy Snake Serum (£35 for 10x 1ml sachets, Boots). My little sachets of miracle juice! I finally invested after a Glossybox sample left me pining for more. Its one of the few products I've tried where the instant results claim actually stands up. My skins looks fresher & smoother when I use this & it really does plump out lines even if it is only temporarily. I'm actually contemplating splashing out on a 25ml pump, at £125 its an investment product but trust me when I say, I think its worth every penny. 
10. Yves Rocher Tradition De Hammam Oriental Shower Oil. This was a Christmas gift & so has only been in my life for a week but it was LOVE at first use. A thick argan oil infused with oriental scents, which turns to a rich milky lotion once wet. Each shower feels like an indulgent, luxurious treat when using this, it leaves skin so wonderfully moisturised but not at all greasy. The scent lasts but doesn't over power any fragrance applied afterwards. I've already vowed never to shower without this! 
