I really wasn’t going to do a 2015 Beauty Favourites post, but I’ve been asked so many times, so this is kind of a quickly-put-together round up of things I know I’ve loved and used a great deal or been thrilled to discover. So, the top row is:

Murad AHA/BHA Exfoliating Cleanser (£34 HERE). Such a cleansing winner for leaving skin super soft and looking brighter. I keep this in my shower so it’s not my every-day cleanser, but more of a quick-cleanse when I really don’t want to do the whole double cleanse thing.

Erborian Solid Cleansing Oil (£29 HERE with an offer for a free CC cream) . Omg.. I LOVE this stuff – it’s really the product that persuaded me that double cleansing is well worth doing. I use the solid oil as the initial, balmy cleanse, and follow on with Erborian Double Mousse (currently not available but any moussy or foamy cleanser will do), removing both with a konjac. I definitely think it’s helped my skin to look more vibrant and glowy.

Salon Science Hair Serum (£12 HERE). I discovered this mid way through the year and loved it so much that I begged for it to go in one of the BBB Dream Boxes. It’s a light serum that doesn’t weigh my hair down, but makes it smoother and easier to deal with.

bareMinerals Complexion Rescue (£20.80 on offer HERE). This has been in daily use since I first got hold of it – I’m on my third tube. I use it daily when I walk the dog so I’m not totally bare-faced and white as a sheet. Although I like a fuller coverage for going out anywhere else, Complexion Rescue has served me extremely well as a light and hydrating coverage with a gel like consistency that my skin loves.

The Non-F Shabon Roller. I loved this discovery – the foamiest cleansing soap you will ever, ever find. You literally just whip up a foam with a little bit of water and it transforms from a solid soap into a light and airy foam cleanser. It’s completely genius.

Australian eco brand, Go-To, caught my attention because it’s so much about the future of beauty products. Bright and light packaging that looks honest rather than medical – fun stuff that works – and the product (all used up now) that really made me happy is Exfoliating Swipeys – little exfoliating pads that you quickly swipe over your face, eliminating the need for grains. They use lactic acid rather than AHAs. Go-To does ship internationally. The site is HERE. 

2015 Favourites

I gave up my lash extentions this year (I had promised myself 6 months of extensions as a treat… three years later I was still having them!) so I’ve had a lot of fun re-discovering mascara. The one that got my beauty heart beating was the limited edition Clinique Chubby Lash in Black Honey. I hope they bring it back again because it was thrilling – a dark, dark burgundy mascara that give as much eye definition as a black mascara but with a little colour twist. It got me looking at Clinique mascaras, and it turns out that Lash Power Long Wearing Mascara (£19 HERE) is one of the best.

Chanel Le Volume Ultra Noir (£25 HERE) is the mascara I’ve used the most, I think. You will never have blacker lashes, of that I’m sure, as well as some very decent volume. The easiest way to judge a mascara’s durability is at removal stage – if there’s nothing much to remove at the end of the day, then you know you have a mascara fail. While Clinique Black Honey was a bit alarming in that your cotton wool looked like you’d had an eye bleed, at least there was practically all of it still to remove. The same applies with Chanel Le Volume in Ultra Noir. I’d highly, highly recommend it.

Clarins Khol Eye Pencil (£17 HERE). I did a big long post lamenting that I’d lost this, my favourite khol in the world, and miraculously, about an hour after I’d posted, I found it! This is a supreme glider on inner rims, the little brush (rather than a pointless nub of rubber) means you can smoke out your outer line so it doesn’t need to be accurate (great for wobbly hands) as mistakes or wobbles are simply blended away.

Of all the bronzers I used in the summer, the Make Up For Ever Bronzer was my top pick (as you can see, it’s rather well used!). It’s matte, super light powder that looks natural from the get-go. It’s £28 HERE.

Delilah Pure Light Aura (£36 HERE). This was a late in the year discovery, but a lot is made by a couple of brands in particular about their illuminating powders. Turns out that it’s not as difficult as you might think to produce something stellar that’s light catchy and flattering because Delilah’s turned out to be better than any other. So much so that it’s sold and sold and the next delivery date is February! I’d still highly recommend getting your order in now to make the most of the spring light when it comes.

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon Eye Pencils (£19 HERE). Even though I’m pretty cross with this brand right now, I still turn to these pencils very, very often. The new shades of Colour Chameleon are perfect (although Bewitching Black is quite difficult to blend) for quick slicks of sheeny colour that don’t need anything much more than a quick blend to create a look. Always use an eye primer otherwise they’ll disappear. I also think they’re great for anyone who wears glasses and finds accuracy an issue.. glide and blend is all it takes but opt for paler shades that are less dependent on perfection.

My star product of the year in the main picture is Institut Esthederm Molecular Care Intensive Vitamin A Oil Serum (£46 HERE). I loved using this (I have a second bottle waiting in the wings for when I’ve finished with BioEffect) and my skin really benefitted – visibly – from it in terms of looking brighter, more plumpy and smoother. It didn’t take very long for results to show either – I don’t like to wait – so I’d highly recommend it as a bit-knackered booster from time to time rather than year round use. Oh, and if you’re under 30, you don’t need it.