My 2015 Beauty Favourites

2015 was a year that I discovered a lot of new beauty items. It also became the year that I learned a lot of new tips and techniques for applying makeup. I realised last year that I'd practically been doing my face the exact same way since I was about 17; sheer foundation (with absolutely no powder, blush, highlighter or contour), natural brows, a thick wing of gel eyeliner and Mac's Patisserie lipstick (which is the exact same colour as my natural lips, ZzZzZz). I mean, there's nothing wrong with that, I do still rock it from time to time, but I guess I never ventured into making every day a different look before, or putting literally as many products on my face for going to the supermarket as possible. 2015 was the year I discovered the beauty blender, 'greige' lips and the amazing-ness of a good nose contour. Because of that, I feel like I've entered 2016 feeling a lot more comfortable and confident with how I do my makeup. And as well as the things I mentioned above, here are my other beauty favourites of 2015.

➳ Illamasqua Skin base Foundation in the colour '2'

 

I've always wanted to try Skin Base, but being piss poor, I've never been able to justify spending £32 on a foundation. I'm still piss poor and I still can't justify it, but oh well, I've bought it now. 

I love it. It's a nice texture and the coverage is surprisingly buildable; I was expecting a super heavy coverage so I'm glad I can choose to go more sheer. I bought the colour '2' which is one shade up from their pure white. It was a risk when buying it, but being so pale I've always struggled with brands' supposedly 'lightest' shades being practically mahogany compared to my skin. So I wanted to make sure there was no way of that happening. Luckily, it's the perfect colour for me and stays that way throughout the day; no oxidisation and it doesn't go patchy, dark or orange. 

➳ Zoeva Brush Set Vol. 2 in Rose Gold

I can't say enough good things about this set. If I could only ever use one set of brushes for the rest of my life, I'd have everything I needed in this one. The eye brushes are incredible, the face brushes are even better. And they're rose gold and of course I'm obsessed with rose gold.

➳ Soap and Glory Speed Plump Moisturiser

This smells like chocolate orange. I mean, come on, if that's not a reason to put it in my favourites then what is? But in all seriousness, this moisturiser is really good and it leaves your skin the perfect texture for foundation, so I've been using this non stop since I bought it as an every day moisturiser as well as a primer, and it works beautifully. 

➳ Sleek Face Contour Kit in Light 

I find the best contour for me is usually an ashy toned brown or a 'greige' and in the past I've just used eyeshadows to create the perfect contour. But I ran out of the shadow I was using at the beginning of 2015 and picked up this compact out of panic to replace it. Although it's very warm and 'bronzy', it's given me the most beautiful contour every single day, and the highlight is pretty darn smashing too (as you can probably tell from the blaring bit of pan in the middle of it). I sometimes even put the bronzer slightly higher on my cheeks to create a subtle 90's inspired bronzey blush.

➳ The Balm MaryLou-manizer

What can I say? 2015 was the year I became unhealthily obsessed with highlighter. I put it everywhere; cheeks, temples, forehead, nose, lips, chin, brow bone. I'm addicted. I'm one of those people who loves a ridiculously strong, intense highlight. And when I pack this on, my cheekbones legit look like mirrors. 

➳ Lime Crime Venus II Palette

The most beautiful packaging and an even more stunning collection of colours. I'm aware of the controversy surrounding the brand and I tend not to give them much time on my blog for fear of annoying anyone. But I can't not shout out this palette when it is so so so so so so so so so so so so good.



➳ Anastasia Beverly Hills Dip Brow Pomade in Dark Brown

Such a staple for so many people and a bandwagon that I am very late to join. I have been so pleasantly surprised by how natural I can make my brows when using this product as I thought this was going to be a super heavy product. I love it and I have used it every day since buying it. I love using the 'brow line' brush from the Zoeva set to apply this. 

➳ Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in Coffee Shimmer

So these pictures do not do this lipstick justice. It's the softest, sheerest warm brown shade ever. Brown lips are a huge statement trend right now, and although the bold, matte dark browns are some of my favourite to wear, sometimes an effortless copper-ish brown is so much better. I say it's sheer, however the pigment and colour pay off is great; you can pop a little on and give your lips a lovely stain, or sweep plenty on and get a pretty dense shade. Brown/Beige/Greige lips have been my statement in 2015, wearing some variation literally every day. This lipstick has virtually never left my bag.

➳ Chanel Chance (Not sure which one, the newest one I think!)

Before I got this, I had one fragrance that I wore every single day; Jo Malone Blue Agava & Cacao. It takes a lot to become one of my 'signature' fragrances, and in 2015 this one immediately stole my heart. It smells beautiful, fresh and feminine. It's super distinctive and so long lasting; you can spray this on a cardigan or scarf and still smell it when you next put them on. I have jumped between my Jo Malone and this bottle of Chanel every day since around May and I still have half left, super happy with that. 

There's a lovely story behind how I got this perfume which you can see in my '2015 Favourites' YouTube video below!

➳ Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer in Fair/Neautral

The hype is real. This brightens and highlights and just... lifts my under eye area. It's nice and creamy, and blends beautifully, especially with a beauty blender. The only bad thing I can say about this is that I (...and it may just be me) don't find it that great for concealing spots and blemishes. I still find myself reaching for my Collection Lasting Finish for that. 

➳ Mac Fix +

I've never owned any sort of setting/fixing spray before. But Fix+ was always on my wish list. Since getting it, I use it all the time; I spray before and after my makeup, I dampen my beauty blender with it and I spray my brushes before picking up eyeshadows I want to be more pigmented. It's amazing and I love the fresh scent and feeling it gives me too.

To anyone reading this, I hope you enjoyed it and please let me know what you loved in 2015, or even better, tell me what you absolutely hated!

Leigh xo

                                                                                                                   

Twitter: @leighbop

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2016: The Year of Consciousness & Self Improvement

The end of 2015 has been an eye-opener, and certain events have brought a lot of feelings to the surface. I won't say they were feelings I was choosing to ignore, exactly, they were more like feelings I wasn't consciously aware of, or paying attention to. 

Through everything, I feel like I have woken up. I'm more aware of what I'm doing and how I feel. I think that's a really important mindset to be in; it makes you harder to manipulate or be taken advantage of, it makes you aware of your actions and the outcome that your decisions will have on everything and everyone. It makes you understand your mind and body, it helps you decipher when you're wrong, or when you're being attacked, it gives you a sense of peace when it comes to things that you simply can't control or do anything about.  And from all of that, the end of 2015 has brought me to a place where I’ve finally realised that it is okay to be fragile. 

There’s so much emphasis on acting like a brick wall these days, and if you can honestly say you don’t care then that’s awesome, but it’s almost become ‘cool’ to say you don’t give a fuck. Well, I do. I give way too many fucks; I don’t deal well with conflict, or sadness, or malice. I dwell on things, I worry and I strive for harmony, even if that means putting my own feelings aside to make it happen. I’ve been attacked, upset, and tested to within an inch of my mental capability, not just this year, but for a larger part of my ‘adult’ life. And I’ve reached a point where I’ve realised that  it is okay to say you can’t handle it. To ask for help. Saying you feel weak does not mean you aren’t strong, admitting you cannot handle the shit someone is attacking you with isn’t something to be embarrassed about. 2015 has been the year I learned that. 

It is important to remember that we are all different. We handle things differently and we all have very different levels of resistance. I’m not going to be as strong as other people, and that's okay, because I don't have to be. What may be a feather to you, could be a bullet to someone else. 

2016 will be the year that I work on myself. When I accept myself and everything that I am, when I stop blaming myself for other people's issues and put my energy into tackling my own. 

If any of you are here to follow me on this journey, thank you. If you have any opinions or 'resolutions' (cringe, I hate that word) of your own, let me know below! 

Leigh xo

                                                                                                                           

Twitter: @leighbop

Periscope: @leighbop

Instagram: leighgoodall