I always end up regretting it though - not much, only a tiny bit - come January when I have a load of end of old year/start of new year content going up throughout the entirety of January. Its the same every year, January should be known as favourites month on here, because basically every post is either a round up of everything I loved last year, like this one, or welcoming in the new year and all the excellent changes I'll be making to become a better person, but I digress.
Beauty wise 2016 was a good year, that involved some ride or die skincare discoveries and some rediscoveries of old loves, MAC's Dame I am taking to you! So let's get down to it.
Sleek Solstice Highlighting Palette - £9.99 from Boots
This little beaut of a palette is one of the drug stores hidden gems. I picked this up in a Sleek haul a while back (read more about that here) and it has become my go to for when I want my highlight #onfleek. The overall quality of the palette is excellent, especially when you consider the low price point, and that dreamy packaging. Its made up of four different shades and formulas; a cream, two baked powders and a shimmer powder. Personally my favourite is Ecliptic, the champagne cream. The formula is lovely and it leaves a very subtle, but noticeable, sheen on my non-existent cheekbones. Love it.
Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless Foundation in Ivory - £5.99 from Boots
This foundation was one of my most used foundations of last year, the other being Bourjois' 123 Perfect CC Cream but I'll get to that. It has a beautiful fresh matte finish. Its not flat, drying or cakey at all but has a very flexible, liquid consistency. It adds a lot of radiance to the skin and makes my skin look lit from within. It also has amazing longevity, I've worn it to the gym multiple times, yes I wear make up to the gym #sorrynotsorry, and it lasts amazingly well. It does all this AND it provides really good coverage. It really is a thing of wonder. I love it!
Sunday Riley Luna Sleeping Night Oil - £85 from Cult Beauty
Luna is one of the ride or die skincare products I was talking about earlier, and she really is one hell of a performer. She's like the Beyoncé of skincare, she costs an absolute fortune but she is totally worth it - I'm not entirely sure why I keep referring to Luna as a she, I'm just gonna go with it. - There's just nothing that can't be fixed by massaging a few drops of this blue genius oil onto your chops. Dry skin? Dull complexion? Redness? Acne? Luna can handle it all while you sleep. So not only is she a genius but she's terribly considerate too. Luna is the first thing I reach for whenever my skin's in need of some serious TLC because it just works!
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel - £29.50 from Cult Beauty
That brings me to my second ride or die skincare product. Oh Oskia you rose scented delight! This cleansing gel is a gift from the skincare gods. The magical gel to oil formula removes any and all make up in seconds and does a good job of caring for your skin while its at it. Its also stuffed full of pumpkin enzymes and contains MSM, incredible anti-inflammatories that reduce the appearance of spots, acne scars and hyper-pigmentation. Its amazing stuff. Amazing.
Mario Badescu Drying Lotion - £14 from Beauty Bay
And now onto my third and final ride or die skincare love. This teeny tiny bottle of magic is a miracle worker. I bought this after seeing Allana Davison talking about how amazing it is on YouTube, and it might actually be the best thing I bought last year... although I did buy my ukulele last year. Okay so its the second best thing, but I've gotten off-topic. If you are someone who suffers with spots in any capacity then you need this. Its a bi-phase formula with calamine lotion, salicylic acid and zinc oxide as it's active ingredients. It drastically reduces the appearance of spots, even those nasty under-the-skin ones. I use it every single time I break out and, whilst it doesn't completely rid me of spots, the difference it makes is really incredible.
Revlon ColorBurst Balm Stain in Honey - £7.99 from Boots
If I ever had to choose between lip gloss and lipstick I would always choose lipstick, without a second thought. I'm just not a gloss kinda girl, but there are two exceptions: Seventeen's Lip Lustre in Wild One and this one, Revlon's ColorBurst Balm Stain in Honey. I just love it and have used it so much in the past 12 months. To the point where I've actually worn the pointed crayon like nib into more of a traditional lip bullet shape. I always have it in my bag because it makes for a really easy to wear, everyday lip. Revlon's Balm Stains are a hybrid between a gloss and a lip balm so they have a lovely non-sticky formula, that is really hydrating and so comfortable to wear. They also have good colour pay off. Speaking of which the colour of this one is really pretty! A your-lips-but-better plummy, rose toned nude, which is my go to these days, once upon a time it was fuchsia but I'm a grown up now. The only thing I will say that it does have a really glossy finish that I'm not overly keen on but I always smoosh it into my lips with a fingertip after applying, which mattifies it slightly, so I'm left with more of a satin finish.
Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream in Ivory - £9.99 from Boots
I picked this up purely for a blog post (read it here) and never expected that it would become one of my absolute favourite foundations, second only to L'Oréal's True Match foundation. I think I was put off by the fact that its billed as a cc cream, but I'm a big enough person to be able to admit when I'm wrong, and I was really bloody wrong about this foundation. Its amazing. Seriously. It has a semi-matte finish which, like the Maybelline Fit Me Matte & Poreless foundation, adds a gorgeous luminosity to the skin, while still looking very natural. Its very lightweight and moisturising and gives really good, buildable coverage. In terms of texture and consistency its much closer to that of a liquid foundation than a cc cream and it really does have excellent coverage. I think it might be one of the best foundations on the high street, just gonna throw that out there.
Collection Velvet Kiss Moisturising Lip Cream in Cotton Candy & Mulberry - £2.99 from Boots
I've talked about Collection's Velvet Kiss Moisturising Lip Creams quite a lot recently (read more here and here) so I won't bore you with the details, I'll save that for a review of the entire collection coming up next week. They're really amazing matte liquid lipsticks. They're comfortable to wear, they apply beautifully, have some serious lasting power and have a really nice shade range. My favourites are Cotton Candy, which on me is more of a muted rosy pink and Mulberry, which is a deep berry shade. They're an absolute bargain and a serious contender for the title of Best Liquid Lipstick on the High Street. In fact the only real competition they have is Bourjois's Rouge Edition Velvets, which are also amazing!
Good Things Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser - £7.99 from Boots
I could wax lyrical about the wonder that is this moisturiser, but I have quite recently and I wouldn't want to run the risk of repeating myself and boring you all to tears, so you can read that here instead. Its just a really nice, rich moisturiser that really nourishes the skin. I love it, and sadly so does my mum so we now have joint custody of it. It is really good though so I don't blame her.
This Works Sleep Balm - £10.25 from Beauty Bay
It is no secret that I'm a fairly rubbish sleeper. I love sleep but I really struggle to switch my mind off. This has been a problem for me since I was really little, so a 10g tub of what is basically lavender scented vaseline isn't going to cure it. BUT it does help. Now there is definitely something of a placebo effect at play here but it does help to calm my frantic mind and switch off. I like it because it smells really nice, like lavender and chamomile, its a very calming and relaxing scent. Whether it actually helps me fall asleep I don't know but I've been using it for the past couple of months to help me settle. I just rub it onto my pulse points and onto my top lip and then try to shut my brain up. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't but its become a part of my evening routine and is one I really look forward to.
Garnier Intensive 7 Day Restoring Hand Cream with Shea Butter - £1.95 from Superdrug
If you are a regular reader then this will not be a surprise for you, because I have talked about this, and the reasons I love it a ton (read more here and here). For those of you who aren't regular visitors allow me to provide you with a little bit of context. I was diagnosed with OCD, specifically hand washing and overusing hand sanitiser, about 18 months ago. My hands take a battering every day and are constantly dry, sore, cracked and bleeding and its really painful. This is the only thing that helps. Its a lifesaver for my poor abused hands because its incredibly moisturising, it absorbs really quickly and even lasts after washing. At the moment my hands are in the best condition that they've been in in a really long time, and its due to this. I refuse to be without it.
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Matte Revolution Lipstick in Secret Salma - £23 from Charlotte Tilbury
I bought this in September in a moment of madness in the Charlotte Tilbury store in Covent Garden (read more about that here) and haven't looked back. I'm so in love with this lipstick that I've already earmarked a few more to make their way into my possession so this one isn't lonely. Secret Salma is a warm rosy plum shade - my favourite type of lipstick for those of you who have been paying attention ;) - it has a beautiful formula; matte but comfortable to wear, it doesn't dry out or cling to the lips and stays in place for hours and smells wonderful. Like cake. I love it and it's incredibly beautiful packaging.
Maybelline Lash Sensation Lash Multiplying - £7.99 from Boots
And now onto my final favourite, Maybelline's Lash Sensational Mascara. I have talked about this an absolute ton (read about here and here) but I have yet to find a mascara that tops it, because it is perfect! It has a long lasting, inky black formula that doesn't flake or smudge, and a fanned out brush that volumises, defines and lengthens the lashes. It is incredible, and it costs less than a tenner! Like I said, perfect!
If you read all of this then seriously well done! It was a long and rambly one this year. Hopefully next year my favourites will be in a video, but I'm making no promises.
What were your beauty favourites from 2016? Let me know by commenting below - I always reply so check back -, on twitter, or dropping me an email at lolarocknroses@gmail.com. Also check out my instagram, facebook, bloglovin', snapchat -search lolarocknroses - & pinterest for regular updates.
Love love love xxx
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