My 2016 Beauty Favourites

Firstly, I have to confess that I have been using many of these products for longer than a year. I don't tend to change up my skincare too often, and there are some makeup bits that I can't live without which have to be included, even if I have loved them for the past 3 years. Luckily I have the benefit of posting on a brand new blog, so you wont have seen me mention these products in previous years! Now on with the favourites ...

Skincare

Oskia's Renaissance Cleansing Gel is (and will probably always be) my holy grail cleanser. It smells amazing, it feels amazing, and it makes my skin as soft as baby skin, plus one bottle lasts me for about half a year, what more could you ask for from a cleanser?! 

Clinique's Moisture Surge Moisturiser is another dream skincare product and is the only moisturiser that helps to keep my incredibly dry skin moisturised. I do have a tendency to power though a 50ml pot very quickly though, so it's definitely not the most budget friendly option for me, but I can't imagine my life without it so it's a sacrifice I'm willing to make (I know,  I'm a little dramatic).

I wanted to keep my skincare picks down to just 3, so after spending a little too much time staring intensely at my skincare draw, I decided that I had to feature Kiehl's Daily Reviving Concentrate. You can't tell from the picture but the bottle is now completely empty, and I'm already feeling anxious about spending the next few days without it. It's definitely helped with my dry skin woes as it can be applied under foundation without making my skin feel oily, I also love the citrusy smell. 

Makeup

A few products jumped out at me immediately as I though back on my yearly favourites, and Estee Lauder's Double Wear Foundation was the first to pop into my mind. I adore this foundation. It covers everything, and I have some tricky areas to cover (mainly old acne scars and dark circles under my eyes from my horrible sleeping patterns), and it stays in place better than any other foundation that I've tried before. 

Though Double Wear has fantastic staying power, Laura Mercier's Translucent Loose Setting Powder certainly helps to keep everything in place. Before I discovered this product I hated setting powders, but this one not only manages to keep my makeup looking fresh through my 13 hour day, but also never flakes, it was definitely one of my top discoveries this year. 

In the year of the highlighter it was tough to narrow this down to just one, but the product I reached for most in 2016 was Charlotte Tilbury's Filmstar Bronze and Glow. This also doubles as my favourite bronzing product of the year, as it's pretty much the only bronzer I have used in the past 3 months. I love the convenience of this duo and the shades are perfect for me, plus they're not glittery which makes them ideal for everyday wear. 

I cheated a little here and chose 2 lip products. I wore Charlotte Tilbury's Matte Revolution lipstick in Lost Cherry constantly through July and August. It's a bright coral pink shade, and it now reminds me of hazy summer days. The Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipstick in Nude-ist also had to be included as it has been my go-to shade in 2016. It's my ultimate "my lips but better" product, and for a matte lipstick it isn't drying at all. It's perfect for sleepy winter mornings when I'm not alert enough to make decisions, as I know it will look great throughout the day. 

Tarte's Tartelette in Bloom palette is one of my more recent purchases, but one which I have already got so much use out of. It has so many different shades that it can be used for any occasion. I find myself reaching for the neutral shades most often, but the darker shades are gorgeous too!

Another of my seemingly endless Sephora purchases this year was the Too-Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. I hate the name because I think it makes the product sound tacky, but this is actually an incredible mascara for my short, straight lashes, as it adds a bit of a curl and a lot of volume.

Lastly, I have to mention my most recent purchase, NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer. I usually opt for a drugstore concealer but when I ran out last month I decided to treat myself, as I had heard so many good things about this product. So far I have not been dissapointed, this concealer covers everything and I don't find it to be too cakey, plus NARS have a great shade range which makes a nice change from the drugstore offerings. 

Well done if you made it to the end of this post, let me know what products you've loved this year in the comments and I hope you all have a beautiful start to 2017!

F x