Best Beauty Finds From 2015

I’ve more been into my beauty regime in 2015 than I ever have before. At university I created my entire Final Major Project on a cosmetics company so I’ve turned into a bit of a beauty magpie. Admittedly, my bank balance does hate me for it, but I’ve tried out a load more products this year than sticking to my makeup bag firm favourites. While some have been a bit average I've also discovered some miracle products that I thought I’d share if you wanted some new additions to your makeup bag.

 

Bobbi Brown Cleansing Oil 

My best friend works for Bobbi Brown so she has managed to turn me into a bit of a Bobbi convert after previously being a MAC girl through and through. The cleansing oil has probably been my best find this year. When I initially used this product it felt a bit wrong as I was rubbing oil into my skin to remove my makeup, so it takes a bit of getting used to. When rubbing the oil into your skin you can literally feel it picking up all of the makeup and dirt off my face at the end of the day- yes, it seems a bit gross but it's weirdly satisfying. It wipes away all of my makeup when I rub it into my skin and it is not like face wipes where I can feel lots of chemicals on my face drying out the skin. It's super soothing, gentle for sensitive skin like mine but also does the job really efficiently. It can still feel slightly oil after use so I tend to wash my face with Lush Angels on Bare Skin afterwards, leaving my skin super soft and clean. Using this is a lot better for your skin than your standard face wips and has definitely become a firm favourite within my skin care routine.

Origins High Potency Night-A-Mins Moisturiser 

Night creams are tricky business for me because I often find them too rich for my skin. I frequently find that when I go to sleep I wake up with a thin film of oil on my face so I’m always looking for a night cream with a less rich texture but one that is still highly soothing. It seemed like a losing battle until the moisturising gods led me to Origins Night-A-Mins moisturiser. The moisturiser itself has more of a gel-cream consistency and a little goes a long way. I apply it by rubbing a small amount onto my fingers (by warming the cream the skin will absorb it better) then pressing it into my face and neck with a soft upward motion. The scent is more on the citrusy side, but the subtle smell of orange makes it fresh without it being too overwhelming. It doesn’t grease up my face and it allows my more oily type of skin to get the skin repairing benefits without getting that dreaded oil layer on my face in the morning. I would definitely recommend it if you’re looking for a moisturiser that is less about firming and more focused on nourishing and hydrating the skin. 

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick and Whirl Lipliner

Just like 2015 was the year of the Biebs, it was also the year of the Kylie Jenner lip. Love her or hate her, she reignited the love of the brown lip that was worn throughout the 90s. The colour she supposedly always wore was Velvet Teddy with the Whirl Lipliner, and it was a bit of a fight to get hold of one as well as other liners including Spice and Soar. But one miraculous day in 2015 I went into the Bath MAC and Velvet Teddy and Whirl were in stock so I had to pick them up. Personally when I wear this look, I use the Whirl Lipliner to both cover and line my lips then layer Velvet Teddy on top as I’m not a massive fan of a different lip liner colour round the edges of my lips. The Velvet Teddy lipstick has more of an orange nude tone to it, so I find the colour really wearable throughout the day with just a slight smokey eye or it’s great teamed with some amazing lashes and more of a nude lip look for evenings. If you’re considering trying a brown lipstick for the first time this is definitely a great colour to try out first as its got a good balance of nude and brown compared to other darker brown lipsticks available on the market. This MAC combo I feel is great for all skin tones especially if you have more fair skin as it really warms up the brown shade. Admittedly, MAC lipsticks are notorious for being quite drying so I always layer up on lip balm before application so my lips don’t get too dehydrated. When I do this, the colour lasts really well all day and the lip liner has really good staying power. Perhaps not the best for hydration but in terms of colour this was my staple go-to for 2015 and no doubt will continue to be a cult product in 2016.

Rimmel, Stay Matte Powder 

This wasn’t necessarily a new find in 2015, but it was the best rediscovery. I think I’ve tried every powder going- from MAC to Bobbi to Maybelline- but I stumbled upon the Stay Matte powder again in the summer (when I was a bit short of money) and I haven’t used anything else since. I remember using this powder back when I was at school because it was a great cheap alternative to some of the high end products on the market. It keeps any shininess at bay and all my makeup set the entire day. I think its under £5 so it’s a great alternative if you’re looking for a cheap and cheerful product before payday. The powder is available in a variety of different colours, but I've tended to stick to 001 Translucent as I felt the other ones I've tried have been a little orange. It's been written about online so I'm sure you've proabably tried it, but if not its a brilliant high street product to add to your makeup storage or to try when your current powder is used up. 

MAC 266 Brush 

Previously I used the brush from the Real Techniques Eye Starter Kit however my eyebrow game went up a gear when I found the 266 brush. The brush is stiff and angled, which lets me slowly build up my brows by creating sharp, precise lines. The brush itself is small so its great for creating a sharp arched brow as well as filling in when I team it with my MAC Charcoal Brown shadow. I've had a go at a few different eyebrow products but this is a great brush to really define your brows when teamed with a bit of gel to keep them perfectly in place.

Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter 

I’ve always done my makeup in a way that was similar to contouring, but the Benefit Watt’s Up Highlighter made such a difference once I bought it last year. Initially, I was hesitant at buying it. £24.50 is a lot to spend on what looks like wind up stick of Champagne coloured product, but I received some gift vouchers for my birthday so I took the plunge. I am so pleased I did. The slightly golden, moonshine highlighter is flattering on the skin and blends in really well over foundation.  The colour makes my cheekbones really pop when I’ve added a bit of bronzer underneath and also looks great to highlight under the brow bone. The Watt’s Up Highlighter is a flat-headed wind up product that can be applied directly onto the skin- admittedly I haven’t had much use out of the sponge end of the highlighter as I find my fingers and other brushes work better. The product itself has quite a strong gold champagne colour so a little goes a long way- you won’t need layers and layers of this stuff for it to show up. It’s really visible on application and has just the right level of shimmer to add that sun kissed natural glow we all look for in a highlighter. There are a lot of dupes of these on the high-street- that I’ve also tried- but so far this still remains the best. It is a high end product at nearly £25, but you get so much use out of it that I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a summery highlighter ready for spring.

Sephora Collection Colourful Shadow, No 82 Hollywood's Calling 

I was debating whether to put this product in as Sephora is a bit more annoying to get a hold of in the UK, but this colour is too beautiful not to share. I picked up this shadow when I was in Paris earlier in the year and it’s the ultimate shade to create that perfect autumnal smoky eye. The product itself is really pigmented and is so easy to blend in with other colours so you can really build up the colour. Again this was super cheap, it was around £6 so couldn’t recommend it more if you’re off to a Sephora store while on holiday! Sephora also now ship to the UK online and also give away free samples with every purchase, so it may be worth having a gander!

Bobbi Brown Shimmering Sands Eye Palette 

I got this eye palette back in June for my birthday and it's been such an amazing natural eye staple in my makeup bag since. This palette includes 12 eye shadows, a large compact mirror and a small dual-ended shadow brush, making it a convenient palette to carry around while travelling. The twelve colours have a mix of textures from sparkly and metallic to satin and matte. Admittedly this palette is more on the shimmery/sparkly side as there is only one true matte shade- all of them seem to have a more metallic finish or include some tiny sparkles in them. The shadows themselves are really smooth and I’d say the pigmentation level has a sheer to medium intensity. If you wanted something subtler this would be a great investment- I personally tend to use primarily Bobbi Brown and MAC shadows which also have a similar pigmentation level, so for me these worked really well. Admittedly I wouldn’t use this product primarily on its own- the shadows work well on their own as a wash over the entire lid, but they won't work well as definer shades without eyeliner or a dark cream base, as they are too translucent and not nearly dark enough to shade and define. I’ve tended to use this palette to add finishing touches, for example blending one the shimmery shadows to another shade to add a bit of depth into my crease. For me this product is more about versatility as a daily palette and as it easily gives me lots of options for transitioning between day and night. As someone who has all the staple nude smokey eye colours (for example, the colours featured on the Naked Palettes) this is a great addition as I feel its great at adding those little finishing touches which really bring the look altogether.  As a bit of a magpie for anything with a bit of glitter in, I’ve loved this throughout all of 2015 and I know I will get a lot more use out of it when Spring and Summer arrives in 2016.

I hope this has inspired you to maybe try some of these products or to give you some ideas about how to give your normal makeup bag a bit of an update!

What miracle products did you discover in 2015?

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