Happy February everyone! January has been a bit of a tough month and like many I’m happy that it’s over but there have been some lovely things along the way, including of course the world of beauty products so here are my January favourites.

Lorac Pro Palette

My beautiful best friend Sofia gifted me this stunning palette for Christmas. I was amazed at the effort she went to as Lorac isn’t readily available in the UK and oh my, what a palette!!!! There will be a detailed post on this soon but I’ve been reaching for this palette almost everyday since I received it, so it is most definitely the star feature of my January favourites. The palette consists of 16 shades with a good mix of matte, shimmer and satin shadows made up of the most gorgeously flattering neutral shades. With this palette you can achieve a huge range of day, evening and smokey eye looks and I’ve definitely been having a lot of fun playing around with this! Thank you Sofia!

Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer

I have a problem with dark under eyes so I’m always on the look out for good under eye concealers and this drugstore find has been a very impressive purchase. It’s really easy to apply and I just gently blend it in with fingers. The formula of the concealer helps reduce both puffiness and the appearance of dark circles. I use the nude shade which works perfectly for me and the coverage is great and not cakey in the least.  

MUA Undress Your Skin Baked Bronzer

This bronzer has become a makeup bag staple for me which you may have seen in my review post. It has been perfect for injecting a healthy glow to the skin through the dull January weather and is an excellent drugstore dupe for the MAC Mineralize powders at incredibly purse-friendly price.

Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Gel Eyeshadow 

This cream eyeshadow is an old favourite for me as it delivers the perfect wash of colour in one sweep which is ideal for when I’m in a rush in the morning. The staying power is great as I find it lasts well all day and there is no need to reapply if I’m heading out in the evening. Despite the name, the shade isn’t really bronze, but more of a metallic taupe. A really beautiful shade which really lifts the face. I get so may compliments on my eye makeup when wearing this eyeshadow.

Dove style and care dry shampoo

This dry shampoo for me is the best I’ve tried. It meets all my dry shampoo needs which I’ve talked about in more detail in my review here. The Dove dry shampoo is great for adding texture and volume to hair and really importantly doesn’t leave any white powdery residue in my hair. I’ve been heading to the gym after work a lot more and I’m so tired by the end of the day I’m guilty of often going to bed with wet hair which can sometimes mean I wake up very flat hair in the morning. On those occasions I find myself reaching for this dry shampoo and within seconds it injects life and fullness into my hair. 

Poundland Makeup Gallery Shimmer Bronzer

You can clearly tell that my skin has been a bit dull and lacking glow throughout January by the fact that bronzers have been a make up staple for me this month. This amazing value bronzer has been a real surprise for me as I wasn’t really expecting much for just £1 but I’ve been really impressed with the texture, quality and finish of this bronzer and you can read more on the bronzer here.

Estée Lauder Advanced Night Repair

This serum is a real cult product and has won many awards including InStyle Best Beauty Buys 2014. I have to admit it is the most I have ever spent on a serum, but the results are very noticeable so I completely think it’s worth it especially as a little does go a long way. My skin is left feeling and looking smoother and plumped up as it’s hydrated overnight. My skin tone is more even and the improved condition of my skin makes it the perfect base for make up. 

L’Oreal Paris Skin Perfection Anti-Fatigue Perk Up Cream 

This cream has been a new discovery for me and it’s been a great all rounder. I find it especially great for after the gym or an over night bag if you’re away for the weekend. The cream is infused with Vitamin E and B5 and contains SPF 20 to provide important sun protection. L’Oreal Skin Perfection cream contains micro-pearls which blend with the skin on contact to provide an even tone and help reduce the look of tired skin. I know some people use this as a tinted moisturiser but I find for me, it doesn’t quite provide the level of coverage I prefer, but is great as a moisturiser and primer rolled into one and I love that saves me time in the morning.

The make up bag is from Alphabet Bags and has pride of place on my dressing table.

What have been you January favourites?

Jx

I know, I know….I’m hugely late with this post…I’m sorry but I really wanted to share with you the beauty products I’ve been loving through January:

Face:

Chanel Vitalumière Aqua Foundation in 50 Beige (£32 – Boots) – this is a fairly new-ish purchase, I bought it about four weeks ago, but I’ve really been loving it. As light as tinted moisturiser but provides more coverage. I’ll be doing a full post on this soon.

Bobbi Brown Blush in Apricot (£18 – John Lewis) – my lovely best friend bought me this and the Bobbi Brown sheer powder brush and it was love at first sight really. The blush is beautiful, the colour in the pan is a lot more vibrant than it is on skin. A little goes a long way and it gives the most beautiful natural blush which is a look I’m a huge fan of.

Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush (£29.50 – John Lewis) – this brush is absolutely amazing! I’d been wanting a domed brush like this for ages, but wasn’t sure I could justify it so it was lovely to receive it as a gift. This really has become one of my favourite brushes and I’m not sure how I managed without it before. I use it mostly for applying blush but it’s also very handy for applying powder or highlighter, a good all rounder.

Eyes:

Laura Mercier Long Lash Mascara in Black (£18 full size – Liberty) – I received this a few months back in my Birchbox and I think it’s one of the best mascaras I’ve tried. I love the brush, the mascara glides on easily without clumps and provides a lovely coat to the lashes, giving amazing length and definition and the sample size is perfect for popping into my makeup bag.

Hourglass Arch Sculpting Brow Pencil in Dark Brunette (£26 – Liberty) – Ok this may be the most expensive eyebrow ‘pencil’ I have purchased, after I read about it in a Liberty Beauty email, but this is by far my favourite eyebrow tool and I have tried a fair few. The ‘pencil’ combines powder, pencil and wax to create naturally fuller looking brows without making you look like the dastardly baddie in an old film. There is also a brush one end to help set your eyebrows in place.

Maybelline Color Tattoo Cream Gel Eyeshadow in On and On Bronze – (£4.99 – Boots) – I know everyone has been raving about this eyeshadow for absolutely ages but I only picked this up at the beginning of last month when I splurged out on my Boots points. I adore this cream eyeshadow, the colour is gorgeous and shimmery in all the right ways (no huge chunks of glitter). I haven’t found it to be a bronze shade at all which I was pleasantly surprised about. The shade really brightens the eye and I’ve received so many compliments when wearing it. The lovely lady doing my Origins facial loved it and had thought it was one of the premium brands. The texture of the shadow is lovely, it glides on and stays put and create the perfect look with a slick of mascara.

Collection Work the Colour Eyeshadow pencil in Hot Chocolate – (£3.19 – Boots) – I did a review of this eyeshadow pencil here, so for those who’ve seen it, it’ll come as no surprise that I’ve really enjoyed using this pencil. It’s so handy when I’m rushing to do my makeup before work. I’ve been using it for an one wash of colour look but also have been layering it over the On and On Bronze to create a subtle smokey look for the day.

Perfume:

Diptyque L’Ombre dans l’Eau (£50 for 50ml – John Lewis) – Most of you will know I’m a huge Diptyque fan and a while ago when in Paris, I received a sample of this perfume with the purchase of a bottle of Diptyque Volutes. In January I was having a bit of a ‘shop my stash’ moment when I pulled the sample out the drawer, spritzed some on and dashed out the house and oh my it is such a beautiful scent! It’s a gorgeous hint of rose and blackcurrant and is the perfume match to Diptyque Baies and I absolutely love it! I’m not looking forward to when my sample finishes.

What have been your January favourites?

Jx