Rounding up 2013

The year 2013 has been a pretty good year to me and I’m proud to say that I will be heading into 2014 will some fantastic memories.

This year I’ve celebrated numerous engagements, a marriage and a birth. I’ve gained new friends and spent more time with those who I have known for years. I’ve laughed a lot, cried a little and finally feel as if my feet are firmly on the ground.

Along with all of this, I’ve also discovered some fantastic beauty products too. They haven’t always been new, in fact some are old time essentials that I wish I discovered sooner. So here’s my round up of some of my best loved beauty products of 2013…

Maybelline Baby Lips

Quite possibly my favourite lip product of all time, this year this little gem became a real staple for any beauty junkie. It’s perfect handbag sized, affordable and truly nourishes lips and to be perfectly honest, I won’t go anywhere without it. To read my full blog review on Maybelline Baby Lips, click here.

The foundation brush

Okay, I’ll admit. Before summer 2013, I had never owned a foundation brush (I was more of a sponge-applicator lover) but after seeing how flawless my sister’s skin was after applying her make up, I got make up envy.

The first foundation brush I purchased was by Eco Tools from Boots and I loved it. I was so impressed at how little product I was using and yet coverage on my skin had improved – with a couple of simple sweeps, my skin looked flawless and surprisingly lasted a lot longer than it ever did before.

I’m not that experienced when it comes to make up brushes, which is why I’ve promised to invest in a decent, worthy set in 2014.

L’Oreal Skin Perfection Day Moisturiser

I blogged about this moisturiser not that long ago (in fact you can read it here) and it has completely transformed the health of my skin. I relied on an intense daily moisturiser that gave protection again daily stresses like pollution, sun and wind damage, but I had never realised that hydration was actually what my skin needed.  

Since using this product, my face looks brighter, healthier and my complexion has improved. I love the texture and although it feels quite heavy when applying, it actually sinks into skin quickly and feels extremely light. This is definitely a repeat product that I will carry on purchasing into 2014.

Nails inc.

Last but not least, my favourite nail brand of the year. The bright bods at Nails Inc. have bought us so many types of nail polish this year, from lettered nail art and beads to gel finishes and feather effects. Although they seem quite pricey on first look, I’ve never known a Nails Inc. polish to go gloopy or stringy and lasting a lot longer than any other polish I own.

In 2014 I hope to discover many other beauty products like these and share them with you. I’ve promised myself to up my blogging game and blog as often as I can (expect a post a week)!

In the meantime, I would like to wish all readers of Jade’s Beauty Blog, a very happy New Year.

Santa's Lip Scrub from Lush

Dry, cracked lips are common in winter, so a lip scrub is essential for keeping lips super soft and mistletoe ready.

Santa's Lip Scrub from Lush is a cola flavoured scrub that when applied to lips, helps scrub away any dead skin and bring blood vessels to the surface, which is fact can help plump lips and make them look fuller, healthier and more kissable! 

The Lush Santa's Lip Scrub combines caster sugar, coconut oil and extract of cherries and dates to give a rich red lip scrub with cute little red hearts too. Perfect for adding a subtle Christmas touch to your makeup bag. 

Santa's Lip Scrub is available from Lush for £5.50. 

The Christmas tag!

Courtesy of weheartit

So I thought, what with it being nearly Christmas it was time for the famous Christmas tag! I saw this one over on Kirstie's blog - A Yellow Brick Blog - so here goes... 

1. What's is your favourite Christmas song?

Oh wow, now that's a toughie to start with. I can't possibly pick one, but certainly a good contender has to be Mariah Carey's - All I Want for Christmas. It is a complete classic and reminds me of some of my best times at university. Every Christmas, my housemates and I would put this song on full blast and dance and sing around our flat until we lost our voices. My second favourite is by all means The Pogues - Fairytale of New York. The perfect song to have a drunken singalong down the pub.

2. Which is your favourite drink? 

Without a doubt, mulled wine. I'm really not a red wine drinker, so it's quite surprising how much I love mulled wine. 

3. Do you have a favourite Christmas film? 

I think there's one film everyone loves at Christmas and that's Elf. Close second is Home Alone.

4. What is at the top of your Christmas wish-list this year? 

This is one question I'm constantly asked and I honestly don't know. I would love a new camera and a set of hair rollers. To be honest, I'm more about the giving than the receiving.

5. What is your favourite festive makeup or nail art look?

Glitter nail polish is a must for perfecting a festive look. I'm currently loving Nails Inc. Sloane Gardens, a navy glitter polish that comes out perfectly opaque after two coats. I also have a bronze glitter too from Accessorize. As for my party makeup, I like to keep my eyes dark with smokey shades. I've always loved the red lips look, but I'm convinced red lips don't suit me. So 2014 is all about experimenting with more lip shades and finding the perfect one to suit my pale complexion.

6. What is your favourite outfit at Christmas time? (LBD? Christmas jumper? Pjs?)

My favourite Christmas outfit has to be an oversized cosy jumper with my Ugg boots. There's nothing more than that. Every girl loves a sparkly party number, but there's nothing I feel more comfortable in that a cosy outfit.

7. Would you rather play out in the snow or enjoy it from inside with the fire and a cuppa? 

There's no doubt about it, definitely out in the snow! I'm a keen skier and don't get to go as often as I'd like, so any opportunity to snap it up and I would.

8. Wrapping presents - love or loathe? 

I love wrapping presents, it's all part of Christmas!

9. What is your favourite Christmassy food? 

Pigs in blankets. I could eat those until I popped! 

10. What is your favourite thing about Christmas?

I love the smell of Christmas. That may sound odd, but there's nothing better than waking up in the morning and smelling a real Christmas tree. I also love the cosyness of it all, sitting in the warmth and the pretty lights. Finally, I love how it brings people closer together - I haven't met a person yet, who doesn't love Christmas! 

If any of you do this tag, please comment below with a link to yours. I'd love to read them. 

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Day Moisturiser

It dawned on me the other day that after years of going back to the same old trusty moisturiser (FYI Neutrogena Daily Defence Moisturiser) that maybe I was too old to be using Neutrogena. So aged 26 I finally realised that it was time to invest in a grown-up moisturiser. Cue Skin Perfection Day Moisturiser, the latest innovation from L’Oreal.

Designed to help transform the appearance of skin quality by evening out skin tone, improving skin texture and minimising the appearance of unsightly pores caused by everyday stresses and an unbalanced lifestyle, L’Oreal have really cracked it with this product. The silky-smooth moisturiser helps lock in moisture for up to 24 hours, putting the glow back into a dull and lacklustre complexion and giving stressed out skin a sudden lift.

I must admit, at first this moisturiser felt like it was going to be far too greasy for my skin. But after a couple of weeks, I saw such a huge difference to my complexion. The pores on my nose are barely visible and I have my glow back – something that has been missing for a while. Plus, my skin doesn’t feel so dehydrated. In fact, on the odd day that I haven't used this moisturiser, I've really been able to tell. 

After a couple of weeks of using this product I’m almost coming to the end of the pot and I will honestly say I have been completely converted. Not only has this product improved my skin texture, but I now feel that my complexion will benefit from it over time. In fact, I've recently seen that they have a Skin Perfection BB Cream, which I will definitely purchase alongside the day cream on my next trip to Boots. 

I bought L'Oreal Skin Perfection Day Moisturiser from boots for £9.99/50ml. For more information visit www.loreal-paris.co.uk. 

Yves Rocher France Cocoa & Raspberry Hand Cream

In my last blog post I said "there's always one treasure in each Glossybox" and boy I wasn't wrong. This was by far my favourite product and I haven't stopped using it since.

I never thought I'd be overly impressed with a hand cream. I mean come on, how exciting can a hand cream really be?! They moisturise hands and...and that's about it (unless you're convinced by their outrageous claims) but this one by Yves Rocher is so simple. That's why I love it. Oh, and because it smells frickin amazing too! The indulgent scent of cocoa and raspberry isn't at all overpowering or sweet and does in fact smell of chocolate and raspberries - something that seems so simple, yet so easy to get wrong - and it's long-lasting too. 

Yves Rocher France isn't a brand I'm overly familiar with and by the sound of the name, I expected high-end expensive products from across the pond. So I was surprised to see that the products were actually extremely affordable - this hand cream, you're looking at £1.95 for 75ml. 

I would definitely consider purchasing from Yves Rocher France in future - I've already got my eyes on their Moisture Boost Concentrate. Head over to www.yves-rocher.co.uk to see a selection of other treats. 

Eva Cosmetics Mystic Diamond Argan Oil Hair Elixir

There’s always one little treasure featuring in each Glossybox and during October it was this beauty.

If anyone knows me well enough, I’m sure they’ll tell you how in love I am with Argan Oil. To this day, I have never found any other product that will nourish my hair like Argan Oil does. I’ve always suffered with really dry ends and this can get worse after my hair has been coloured, so Argan Oil has become my hair-saver.

But you’re probably thinking, what makes this product different to others? The answer is simple…Diamond Dust.

This gorgeous little product contains a small amount of Diamond Dust - a special ingredient that gives hair an amazing shine. Combined with the Argan Oil for nourishment, it's a match made in hair heaven.

I received my sample from Octobers Glossybox, but you can buy the full size (100ml) for £22.70.  

Lancôme Hypnose Drama gift set

Last week I turned 26. A milestone age in my opinion. I no longer belong in the 18-25 age category. It also dawned on me that I would be in the Overs category on X-Factor too.

However, being 26 isn't bad. I'm proud of what I've achieved and how far I've come. Aside from the soppy stuff, you also get the best gifts too! 

One of my favourites was this very special gift set from Lancôme. The Hypnose Drama gift set comes with two mini versions - the Bi-Facil and Crayon Khol Noir and the full sized version of the Lancôme Hypnose mascara. 

Being a beauty blogger, I'm embarrassed to say I've never, ever used a Lancôme product before. I could never justify the price tag, and so, I just awed from afar. But now I can definitely say the products are certainly worth the money.

 

In my quest to find the ultimate eye makeup remover, I think I may have found a very strong contender. The Lancôme Bi-Facil is a sensitive, non-oily liquid that almost melts eye make away in one sweep. A full bottle of this stuff costs a pricey £26, but you really don't need that much. 

Another product that came with this gift set was a mini pencil eyeliner. Pencil eyeliners are about as simple as they come, but this one has definite staying power and doesn't budge from the moment you apply until you remove it at the end of the day. In fact, I'd tested out on my hand and two days and two showers later, it still was there. I wasn't sure how I felt about that at the time, but it's actually a perfect day to night product. 

The last product in this gift set was the Hypnose Mascara. Mascara is my favourite kind of makeup product and I was gutted to be so disappointed by this one. For a £22 mascara, I thought it was going have a bit more of an impact. Instead I found the wand too clumpy and the mascara slightly flaky and there's a perfectly good reason for this - natural bristle wands and me do not get on. I find that they hold too much product and don't give lashes the natural look a plastic wand does. 

Apart from the disappointment with the mascara, I was really impressed with the other products. I'm not sure I'd pay out the amount to buy the eyeliner and mascara but I'd definitely invest in the Bi-Facil. 

For more information on Lancôme products, visit www.lancome.co.uk. 

Full-sized products are priced at:

Lancôme Bi-Facil £26/100ml

Lancôme Crayon Khol Noir £16

Lancôme Hypnose Mascara £22 

nails inc. Lucky Dip #2

If any of you are signed up to the nails inc. newsletter, you would have seen the other day they were offering seven nail polishes for £18 - a bargain that I couldn't possibly miss and considering I've purchased from the nails inc. Lucky Dip before, it wasn't long before my bank card was out of my purse and I was typing the digits onto the screen.

My lucky dip this time around was just as good as the last. I love how they really mix up the colours.

Left to right: mortimer street, chancery lane and sloane gardens.

Left to right: richmond terrace, mayfair, pembridge crescent, mornington crescent.

I'm loving mayfair - a gorgeous pearly white;  richmond terrace - a rich, deep brown; and sloane gardens - a dark, glittery navy, perfect for the Christmas party season.

Nails inc. nail polishes are priced at £12 each. For more information visit www.nailsinc.com. 

We have a new look!

If you're a regular visitor to my blog, you may have noticed that it has adopted a whole new look!

I've been meaning to update my blog for a while, but once I started fiddling, I ended up breaking it and I felt I needed to get a professional in. This is where Felicity from The Pursuit of Felicity came to my rescue and by god, hasn't she done a fabulous job!

Felicity was so easy to work with and produced the most perfect design that was exactly what I was looking for. You should definitely check out Felicity's blog and have a look at her wonderful designs too! 

Face Soap and Clarity: 3 in 1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash

I'm a bit lazy when it comes to skincare and makeup removal. So in order to branch away from my usual routine, I took full advantage of the 1/3 off on selected Soap and Glory products in Boots and purchased this little gem.

Now I'm not the biggest Soap and Glory fan. I feel like I'm paying more for the packaging than the product itself and having not been wowed by previous products, it's not really my brand of choice. Needless to say, I was quite pleased I picked this one up.

For me, a good face wash is one of the hardest skincare products to find. There's plenty out there, but very few live up to their claims. I want one that requires a one-step process - that's removing my make up with me having to go back over it with make up remover and you know what, I may have found the one!

Face Soap and Clarity 3-in-1 Daily Detox Vitamin C Facial Wash is infused with soft jojoba beads for scrubbing, vitamins and minerals for detoxing, protecting and rejuvenating, glycerin for leaving skin super soft and SUPERFRUIT YUZU for skin energising, toning and brightening. Basic it's just one killer cleanser and it certainly lived up to its claims too!

What makes this face wash different from others is that it leaves you skin feeling squeaky clean from the moment it touches your skin. It has quite a refreshing feel and the jojoba beads aren't harsh either. In fact I was surprised to see that it has removed most of my makeup in the shower, where as previous face washes have meant that I've had to almost re-cleanse before applying my moisturiser.

Basically it was love at first sight (or use?!) and it is by far my most favourite product I've used this month. Considering I've used almost half product already, I will definitely re-purchase one it's finished!

I bought this product from Boots. Current price £8

Maybelline Baby Lips

I recently had a bit of a haul in Boots and ended up spending a fortune on a huge range of products. One of those products was the much raved about Baby Lips from Maybelline. Yes, that's right I jumped on the Baby Lips bandwagon!

I'm sure you're all thinking the same as what I was - but its a lip balm, what's the big deal - and to be fair my opinion remains the same. But the fact that it was a Japanese and US only product gives it its exclusivity.

I'll be honest and admit, the reason I picked up this product was because my lips had become dry, cracked and sore in the sudden change in the weather and I was on a mission to fix them before they became a horrible mess. I picked up the moisturising lip balm and was quite impressed at the results.

Promising 8 hour hydration, it's actually a really good lip balm. The packaging is colourful and fun and rather than coming in a tiny pot that gets lost in your bag, it comes with a roll stick for quick application.

I would definitely consider buying another product from the range, and for £2.99 (Boots) each, it's definitely worth every penny.

For more information on Baby Lips products, visit www.maybelline.co.uk.

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Lacquer

Since this product launched in January I've read many mixed reviews - some loving the product, others finding it mediocre, but each one commenting on the range of colours. With eight colours to choose from, I opted for nude. The reason for this being that I'm not exactly the most daring when it comes to lip colours. I don't ever believe I could pull off the red lips look and bright pink can make my lips look like they've disappeared, which is why I played it safe.

On first impressions the consistency of the product is fantastic. I'm really not a fan of the sticky, tacky feel that you can get from similar products, instead this one provided a smooth, silky finish. The colour is fully opaque, even with the nude.

What I love the most about this product is the brush. It has a tiny hollow hole at the end, which holds more product than the usual lipgloss applicator. This is perfect and also means I'm not constantly dipping in and out of the pot for more product. 

I must admit I'm completely won over by this product and might even invest in another colour! I purchased this product from Boots for £6.49, but it is available from other drug stores. 

Glossybox: August 2013

So, it occurred to be the other day when opening my Glossybox that I have never, ever blogged about it, and considering I was so impressed with this months, it seemed like the perfect opportunity.

This month saw Glossybox appoint new CEO, Rachel Kavanagh, and you can definitely tell. August's  'High-Flyers' box was filled with impressive beauty goodies for girls on the go - which in my opinion is every girl on the planet. I was so impressed with the selection and for once I can honestly say I've used every product. The product I was most impressed with was the Urban Veda Purifying Day Cream.

I suffer from a really oily t-zone and have quite visible pores, and I struggle to find products to completely tackle this problem, but this product seems to be half way there. The day cream contains detoxifying botanicals of pure Neem oil, witch hazel and spearmint, working to reduce sebum, tighten pores and support healthy cell renewal. Although it hasn't exactly banished my oily t-zone, but I was surprised to see a difference in my pores. This is the exact reason why I signed up to Glossybox - to discover fantastic products I would have never have discovered otherwise, so thank you Glossybox.

Other products in this month box include a Jelly Pong Pong 2-in-1 Eyeliner & Shadow, Oceane Make-up Remover Pen, TRESemme Keratin Smooth Concentrated Treatment Shot and Emite Eyelash Curlers.

If you haven't yet signed up to Glossybox, I would highly recommend it, especially if you're a beauty junkie who loves discovering new treats like these.

Eyelash extensions review

I've always loved the thought of having eyelash extensions, but the price has always put me off, but with our best friends wedding on the horizon, I thought I'd treat myself. I was recommended Alex at The Beautiful Truth in Peterborough, by a friend who'd previously had hers done and wow, what a recommendation it was!

For those of you who are considering having eyelash extensions done, I would highly recommend it. The treatment is completely pain-free and strangely relaxing. The treatment lasted approximately an hour, with 30 minutes spent on each eye. Individual synthetic lashes were glued to my own eyelashes with strong, black, eyelash glue. Although they are attached to your own lashes, they cause no lasting damage and fall out naturally with the cycle of your own lashes.

After discussing with Alex the type of look I was after, I decided to go for a natural with extra volume and I was so impressed with how amazing they looked. Still, two weeks later they look just as good. Naturally, a few have fallen out with the growth of my own lashes, but they still look as full as they did on the day.

I would highly recommend lash extensions to every female out there. Not only do they give you amazing lashes 24/7, but you don't have to worry about applying mascara, saving no end of time in the morning! They don't drop, run or clump like natural lashes and with a simple comb in the morning they stay perfect all day.

My lash extensions were £50 from The Beautiful Truth in Peterborough. Lash extensions are available nationally at a number of beauty salons.

Palmolive Ayurituel

Every girl loves a gorgeous smelling shower gel and Palmolive do this perfectly. Especially now they have extended their sumptuous Ayurituel range. The range, which already includes two shower gels - Joyous and Energy - has now been joined by Peaceful, a shower gel designed to sooth your senses with Neem and Jasmine. 

This exotic range is inspired by the ancient Ayurvedic traditions, a traditional medicine native to the Indian subcontinent and a form of alternative medicine. The indulgently scented shower gels are said to create a harmonious body and mind experience that leaves you feeling balanced and energised - the best way to kick of any morning! 

Palmolive shower gels are available from Sainsbury's, Tesco, Asda and Boots for £2.99.