Best of Beauty 2016

Hello everyone! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and new year. Christmas for me was amazing and I got to spend lots of time with family and ate… a lot! I had a little bit of a break from my blog and Instagram over the festive period and it was nice in a way but I have missed it. So here I am with my best of beauty for 2016. Whilst a lot of these items aren’t new releases from 2016, they are my most used products and they will be seeing me through 2017 too. I also don’t have a firm favourite for every category as some things like primers and eye creams, I am yet to find something that really wins me over. Let’s make a start with skincare:

Cleanser – Vichy Pureté Thermale Micellar Cleansing Oil

I’m pretty sure that I have been using this since 2015 but after trying a few other cleansing oils, this is by far my favourite. It takes all scraps of makeup off with no effort, is gentle on the skin and doesn’t cause my skin to breakout. I use 2 pumps to remove all my makeup, including eye makeup, and use a face cloth to remove. The oil itself is quite light and doesn’t feel really heavy on the skin so you can remove it easily. As it has such a nice texture, you can use it all through the year. A bottle of this product lasts me around 4 / 5 months and it’s reasonably priced too. 

Moisturiser – La Roche-Posay Toleriane Fluide

I switch between this moisturiser and the Toleriane Ultra depending on how my skin is behaving. This one is my all round, basic but effective moisturiser. It has minimal ingredients so is suitable for super sensitive skin and the texture is extremely light and sinks into the skin very quickly. It makes for a good under makeup moisturiser as it does not sit on the skin. This is also a very reasonably priced product which you can normally get on offer for less than £10. 

Mask – The Body Shop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask

This time last year, I was not a mask person at all. I’d make up my own clay masks but that’s as far as I’d go with face masks. This product has completely changed my opinion! The first time I used it, I wasn’t too keen as it tingled so much but once I knew what to expect, I started to enjoy it. After a few uses, I noticed that my skin was looking so much better and I started to look forward to using the mask. It helped clear up my acne, gave my skin a deep exfoliation and generally made it look clearer. Unfortunately, I was pretty heavy handed with it when I first bought it so it’s not lasted very long so in future I will use it more sparingly. 

Foundation – Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra

I don’t have much luck with foundation at all but this is the one that I keep going back to. This foundation provides a medium / full coverage, is buildable and actually lasts on my face! The problem I have with foundations is that they break down on my skin very quickly and some of them can literally last a few hours. This one will last all day, it’ll wear a little on my chin but it’s nothing too bad. It doesn’t settle in my expression lines at all which is a really good thing as I have a very expressive face! I think it’s similar to Estée Lauder Double Wear, but not as heavy feeling. 

Bronzer – The Body Shop Bronzing Powder 01

This bronzer is perfect for pale girls, it is light and doesn’t pull off orange at all! I’ve gone off blush completely as I have a lot of redness in my skin and I feel that blush can exaggerate it so I’ve been wearing more bronzer instead. This bronzer blends easily into the skin and adds life and a bit more structure especially when using a higher coverage foundation. I’ve been using this everyday and will continue to. 

Brows – Urban Decay Brow Beater 

Another product that I keep going back to is the Brow Beater by Urban Decay. This brow pencil is the perfect colour for my brows, it’s super skinny so it’s precise and it fills in my brows quickly and effortlessly. I’ve tried other brow pencils over the year but none of them compare to this one in my opinion. I just wish it would last longer!

Eyeliner – Kat Von D Tattoo Liner

Kat Von D became available in the U.K. in 2016 and I was so excited! This liner was hyped so much and for good reason. I personally prefer pen style liquid liners but sometimes the felt tip can get a little worn and can be a bit more difficult to apply. This liner has a bristled tip but in a pen form so you get the best of both worlds. It’s really long lasting, doesn’t smudge and is very precise. I also love the packaging of Kat Von D products, the detail is beautiful. 

Eyeshadow Palette – Urban Decay Naked 2

During the week, I don’t wear eyeshadow, I favour sleep over full makeup! But my most used palette over 2016 was definitely the Urban Decay Naked 2. This palette contains all my most used lid shades, they are well pigmented, last a decent amount of time and blend easily. I only wish it contained another matte crease shade as one is not enough!

Lipstick – Bourjois Lip Velvet 07 Nudeist

This lip product has been my most used over 2016. I’m not a huge fan of liquid lipsticks but this one doesn’t completely dry down on the lips so is much more comfortable. The texture is literally like velvet when applying and has great pigmentation. These don’t dry out my lips at all and the shade 07 Nudeist has been my most used shade. Absolutely love these. 

Haircare – GHD Straight & Smooth Spray

This is hands down the best straightening spray I have ever used. This smoothes the hair down when you straighten it and it actually helps hold the style. If I don’t use this, my hair is frizzy within a few hours after straightening it. I put around 6 sprays into wet hair before blow drying it and then I straighten it the following morning and it will stay straight all day. 

Nail Polish – Essie Ballet Slippers

I have used this polish so much this year. It’s the one I reach for when I want something that is low maintenance but looks well put together. This lasts around a week without chipping and even looks good without a top coat. It’s a beautiful light baby pink which looks good with everything and it gives a great opaque colour in two coats. 

Body Care – The Body Shop Wild Argan Oil Body Butter

This body butter is super thick and luxurious. The scent is divine, you really need to go into a store and smell this range if you haven’t already! I love using this when my skin is feeling especially dry and it nourishes the skin and keeps any dryness at bay. I have used this so much this year and can see this being a winter staple. 

Perfume – Viktor & Rolf Flowerbomb

This perfume is sweet but sophisticated and a bit musky. It’s difficult to describe scents but this has been my favourite over 2016. Even though I love it, I find that it doesn’t last very long on the skin which is a little disappointing considering the price of this perfume. 

And that is my best of beauty for 2016! What were your favourite products? Take care and I’ll be back next week ❤

Instagram – @stephaniealexandrablogs