2014 Favourites: Part Two

Part two of my 2014 favourites includes skincare, haircare, and bodycare products (you can see my makeup favourites here). I'm probably missing something, but the ones above are the ones currently in my collection. I've given the full prices, but, aside from the Lush products, I've never paid them! They're on offer more times than not.

The Body Shop's Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (£12) and Silky Cleansing Oil (£10) have become my favourite cleansers. They remove makeup so well and leave my skin feeling incredibly soft. I find they both do the same job; they're just different formulas. The Silky Cleansing Oil is quicker to dispense, but the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter won't leak if you were to travel with it.

The other cleanser I've been loving is Lush's Ultrabland Facial Cleanser (£7.25/45g or £11.50/100g). Like the others, this is my second repurchase, and it won't be my last. Again, it removes my makeup well, and I can open my eyes without it stinging. It leaves my skin feeling moisturised, and my combination-oily skin would be fine if I didn't use anything else. It makes my skin feel moisturised in an ever so slightly tacky way, like I have actually just moisturised.

Another Lush favourite of mine is the Ro's Argan Body Conditioner (£16.50). This second pot was a gift I asked for, for Christmas, because it's expensive. It''s amazing, though. You put it on and wash it off in the shower, and you're left with moisturised skin, just like you would be with a body butter. It makes moisturising in the winter so easy (and a lot less cold!).

Another body product I've enjoyed using is the Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Wash in Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig (£2.99-£3.15). I've tried all the scents, and this one's my favourite. I just love foam shower gels, and think these are a great alternative to the Rituals ones.

In terms of hair, the TRESemme Platinum Strength Shampoo (£4.99) really impressed me last year. I find most shampoos do the same thing, and as long as they clean my hair and don't dry it out, I'm happy. This did those things, but also made it feel incredibly soft, without weighing it down or making it greasy. The conditioner was also good, but I didn't even need it with this. I now have an entire draw of this range, which should last me through 2015!

The Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner (£4.39) is still a favourite of mine. It smells great and conditions my hair like no other. The shampoo is also good, but can be a little too clarifying at times. The brand no longer has a website or social media accounts, but can still be found in Boots. I really hope they stay there!

Well, this is no surprise. The Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colours (£1.49) have been favourites of mine for years. Some of my most popular posts are of these, and they're included in nearly every Empties post. They just give my auburn hair that extra vibrancy, which I'm regularly complimented on. They've gone up in price to £1.49, but were recently on offer for 3 for £3, so I bought another 9 to add to my stock.

2014 saw me find a new appreciation for hand creams. My absolute favourites so far are the Figs & Rouge ones (£3.95/20ml or £6.95-£7.95/80ml), particularly the Cherry Blossom and Mango & Mandarin scents. I also love The Body Shop Hand Creams (£3.50), with Mango, Frosted Cranberry, and Vanilla Brulee being my favourites.

Finally, I'm never without a pack of Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets. They absorb any excess oil without disturbing your makeup, and I normally use these at lunchtime to freshen up. I don't think they're available in Boots or Superdrug anymore (I think they were discontinued), but you can get them on eBay and Amazon. I bought 5 packs for £3.49 including delivery (they used to be £2-3 individually).

Do you love any of these products?

Bargain Beauty Haul

I've bagged some great bargains recently, especially in the last few days, so thought I'd gather them together and have a little ramble!

The first product is the Nina Ricci Nina perfume. I was going to buy this from Boots, but found it on allbeauty.com for £31.80 instead of £54. Although it's still not the cheapest perfume out there, I thought it was a great discount.

On top sits a set of three Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters in Berry Smoothie, Strawberry Shortcake, and Peach Parfait (all shades I've considered buying in the past). I found this little gem in TK Maxx for £7.99, instead of £7.99 each. It's the first decent beauty item I've found in there! 

I bought the Maybelline Elixir in Mandarin Rapture in Boots yesterday. This retails for £6.99, but I used a couple of vouchers towards it. There's also a 3 for 2 on all Maybelline products at the moment, if you're interested. Apart from the slight shimmer (and it's only slight), I like this so far. It reminds me of the NYX Butter Glosses, in the sense that it's balmy, glossy, and still packs a punch of colour. Unfortunately, we don't have a huge shade selection over here in the UK, but there's still a couple of others I have my eye on.

The EOS Sweet Mint Lip Balm wasn't a huge bargain, but thought I'd include it here anyway. I bought it from Amazon for £3.91 including P&P, but they've now changed the price, so I'd suggest looking around yourself. I wanted to know if these hyped little balls were any good before buying a big value pack for presents. So far, so good. I'll keep you posted!

The Witch primers were on clearance in Superdrug for £1.75, and they were buy one get one free. Two primers for £1.75? Yes, please! The Superdrug Colour Effects Conditioning Colours (£1.49) were also buy one get one free, so I picked up a couple more.

I definitely didn't need any more wipes, but had a £5 No7 voucher to use, so thought I'd pick up the No7 Beautiful Skin Quick Thinking Wipes (£7). My staff discount on top made these just 42p. It would have been rude not to! I then bought the Beautiful Skin Cleansing Balm (£9.50) with another voucher I had, and ended up paying just £2.36 for this. Lastly, on the No7 front, I bought the BB Lips Beauty Balms in Geranium and Blush Coral (£9 each). I had a £3 off voucher, and because I bought two makeup products, I received a free gift box. It contains a mascara, eyeliner, eyeshadow, and eyeshadow brush. The shades are ones my mum will love, so I'm going to give it to her as a present.

There's currently a 3 for 2 across all hair products in Boots, so I picked up the Aussie 3 Minute Miracle Reconstructor (£4.99), the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Shampoo (£4.39), and the Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner (£4.39). I also had 25% off and double points vouchers, making these even cheaper.

After I bought these (and annoyingly used my 25% off voucher), I noticed that the Organix Hydrating Macadamia Oil Shampoo and Conditioner bottles were on clearance for £1.75 each (down from £6.99). They also qualified for the 3 for 2 offer and discount, so I paid just £1.02 each. I think it was meant to be because there were just three bottles left, and two of them were shampoo (I go through more shampoo than I do conditioner).

Have you picked up any bargains recently?

New Favourites #04

Lush Ro's Argan Body Conditioner - £15.95/225g

An in shower body moisturiser that leaves your skin feeling soft and smelling great. I found the rose scent overwhelming at first, but have gotten used to it now. It's expensive, and I don't think I'd have bought it if I didn't have credit to use, but it's impressed me. I think it'll be going on future birthday/Christmas lists! I'm reviewing this in the next couple of days, so look out for a more in depth review!

Lush Ultrabland Facial Cleanser - £6.95/45g

Removes all of my makeup, doesn't sting my eyes (so I can open them when I'm convinced someone's about to murder me in the shower!), and leaves my skin really moisturised. From other reviews, I was expecting to be left with a heavy film, but this isn't the case. Because I have combination oily skin, I go easy on the moisturiser after, sometimes skipping altogether (don't shoot me!). 

Naked Smooth Silky Conditioner for Straight/Longer Hair - £4.19/250ml

I've mentioned Naked conditioners in a few Empties now, but don't think they've featured in a Favourites before. Anyway, I love them. They seem to condition much better than other conditioners I've tried. I think my hair's becoming too used to them, though, so will stop using for a while, and then return.

Revlon ColourBurst Lip Butters in Juicy Papaya and Wild Watermelon - £7.99 each - Wild Watermelon swatch and review here

Love! These are my first Lip Butters, and wish I'd bought them sooner. Juicy Papaya is a peachy shade, and looks surprisingly natural. It goes really well with my colouring. Wild Watermelon is a little more out of my comfort zone, but I've been loving this summery, juicy red. I'll be swatching and reviewing Juicy Papaya soon, so look out for that!

Illamasqua Cream Blusher in Dixie - £18 - Swatch and review here

Creamy, pigmented, and blends well. On the cheeks, this translates as a peachy pink, and gives you a warm glow. It's not quite as creamy as my beloved NYX ones, but it's still up there. I paid £6.75 for this in the sale, and can't wait to pick up a couple more in the next!

What products have entered your Favourites recently?

Empties #05

Two Empties posts in a month! What is going on?! I must have been nearing the end of all my products at the same time. You probably won't see another for months after this.

The Body Shop Body Mists in Cranberry Joy and Mango 

I love fruity scents, so it was no surprise I loved these. I've already repurchased both! They're £7.50 full price, but there's always a great offer going on. I actually got the Cranberry Joy one in the sale, and there was a code on top of that, so ended up paying just £2.10.

The Body Shop Hand Cleanse Gel in Mango

I have every scent of these, and unsurprisingly, I finished the mango one first! Will definitely be repurchasing. They're £2.50 full price.

NSPA Lime Hair and Body Wash (review here)

Finally, a lime shower gel that's just as zesty, if not more so, than my beloved Original Source one. At £2 for 500ml from Asda, I'll definitely be repurchasing.

Witch Anti Blemish Skin Clearing Primer

I finally finished this! It seemed to last an age. I liked it. Makeup went on smoother, and it prevented the concealer from creasing around my eyes. I will repurchase, but would like to try something new first. It's normally £6.99 in Superdrug, but currently on offer for £4.66, if you're interested.

Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner 

At £4.19/250ml, Naked conditioners are more expensive than I'm used to paying, but I love them. They condition much better than other conditioners I've tried.

Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In Wash Out Conditioning Colour in Warm Chocolate Brown (review here) 

Do I really need to say anything here? At least one of these little bottles is featured in every Empties post! Warm Chocolate Brown wasn't as intense as the others, but still made my hair a little more rich and vibrant.

Biore Ultra Deep Cleaning Pore Strips

I had these for ages, as you can see by the old packaging! I wasn't impressed. They lifted a few blackheads, but that's it. I was expecting more. I've also heard they can rip your skin, but I never experienced this.

Have you tried any of these products?

Empties #04

Half of the products you see are featured in nearly every empties post, but I have some products that are new to the feature this time!

Imperial Leather Foamburst Luxurious Body Washes in Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom and Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig (review here) - I love these. The packaging is beautiful, they're foamy, and they smell amazing. At £3, or £2 when on offer, they're more expensive than my usual shower gels, but I'd still happily repurchase them. Sweet Vanilla & Cherry Blossom isn't a scent I usually gravitate towards (I go for fruity ones), but this is beautiful and delicate. Bewitching Blackberry & Wild Fig is more up my street, and I'm tempted to stock up straight away, even though I have so many other bottles to use.

Naked Brunette Radiance Shampoo* and Conditioner* (review here) - Like I said in my review, the shampoo was okay, but it didn't do anything more than my cheaper ones do. The conditioner, however, was great, and was more like an intensive treatment. I've already purchased two more tubes of Naked's conditioners because my Alberto Balsams do nothing in comparison!

Alberto Balsam Shampoos in Strawberries & Cream and Coconut & Lychee - My go to shampoo brand. They're cheap and they do the job! My all time favourite scent is the Strawberries and Cream one.

Superdrug Colour Effects Wash In, Wash Out Conditioning Colour in Mahogany (review here) - Are you sick of me mentioning these yet? Since I used this one up a month or so ago, I haven't been using them, but will start to again next week. I remember going back to uni after using this a few times and a friend thought I'd dyed my hair red. It wasn't until then that I noticed how much of a difference it makes! As well as this, my sister's friend thought I was actually brunette and had just dyed my hair an auburn shade. I like dyed auburn hair just as much as natural auburn hair, so no complaints from me.

Cutex Nourishing Nail Polish Remover - Another product I've mentioned time and time again. Removes your nail polish and smells better than others. 

Soap & Glory Peaches and Clean Deep Cleansing Milk (review here) - This has since been repackaged, just to let you know. I liked it, but after using for 8 months, I became bored of it! It did its job, though, and that's all that matters. I'll repurchase, but not for a while. I fancy trying something new.

Simple Baby Moisturising Wipes - I use these for a little bit of everything. Taking makeup off if I'm not cleansing in the shower, wiping off swatches, and cleaning off any products that are looking a little grimy. They're £1.99 for 80, but they're often on offer for 99p. Even better, Lloyd's Pharmacy sometimes have them included in their '6 for £5' offer, and then my sister gets 20% staff discount, so I get 6 packs of 80 for just £4!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer (review here) - I believe this took me 14 months to finish. 14 long months. In the beginning, I loved it, but towards the end, I wasn't sure if it was actually doing anything. My concealer would also sometimes go bitty and roll off my skin, if you know what I mean. I thought this was because I was using too much of this primer and that I didn't let it sink in well enough, but then I went back to using my Witch one and didn't have this problem, so who knows? It's great value for money, though, and I think I just became too used to it to notice its benefits.

Have you tried any of these products?

Recent Purchases from Boots, Superdrug, and Primark

I was ahead of schedule for one of my assignments last week, so decided to do a spot of shopping! 

From Boots, I picked up a couple tubes of Naked Conditioner because they were on offer for £2.79 each (normally £4.19). I highly rate their conditioners; they make my hair as soft as intensive ones do. 

I then bought the Rimmel Eyebrow Pencil in Hazel for £2.99. In the last year, I've developed the habit of pulling out the hairs of my eyebrows when I'm stressed or in deep concentration, and this sometimes leads to the shape of my arch disappearing, so wanted a pencil to recreate this. I'll still be filling in most of my eyebrows with a powder, but wanted this for definition. Hazel looks like a light-mid brown in the pencil, but I've found that it transfers to a very warm tone. I have auburn hair so this isn't a problem for me, but I'm not sure if it will suit some brunettes (many seem to love it, though). The L'Oreal blonde one looks like a similar shade, but cooler in tone, so I may try that next.

I didn't own a silver glitter, and wanted one to apply over lilacs, so bought Barry M's Diamond Glitter Nail Polish for £2.99.

Because of the 3 for 2 offer, I then got Sinful Colours' Nail Polish in Easy Going for free! I've already swatched and talked about it here.

From Superdrug, I just had to buy 2True's Nail Polish in 17 for £1.99. I can't resist bright, peachy shades! I haven't used this yet, so am not sure what the quality is like, but I'll be testing and blogging about it next week.

I bought the Elegant Touch Kaleidoscope Nail Wraps last month, but they're still available in my local Superdrug, so thought I'd include them in this post. They were £2.50 down from £6, and I think they're so pretty. I'm going to use them for accent nails.

From Primark, my sister bought me this lamb dressing gown/nightie thing as an early Christmas present, and it cost £10. It's so soft and comfortable! I want to get the teddy one next.

I bought my sister the penguin throw for Christmas last month, and it was only £5! I thought I'd include it in this post as well because it's still available to buy.

I also ordered a knitted jumper from Boohoo for £15 last week, and it's okay, but nothing special. It's the kind of knitted jumper that goes fluffy straight away, and not in a good way.

Other purchases include two pairs of jeans and a satchel from ASOS, and a satchel from Accessorize. The jeans are standard, and I'll probably write a separate post on the satchels!

What have you been buying recently?

Naked Brunette Radiance Shampoo & Conditioner

Although I don't have brunette hair, I do have dark auburn hair that I like to keep looking rich and radiant; two aspects most darker haired girls strive for. Not many brands cater for us redheads, so between products catered for brunettes and products catered for blondes, I'm going to choose the former! I've used a Naked conditioner before, which I really liked, but don't recall ever using one of their shampoos. I was intrigued to see how it compared to my usual ones (which are not 97% natural). I've been using the Naked Brunette Radiance Shampoo* & Conditioner* (£3.99/normally £4.19 in Boots, but they're currently on offer for £2.79!) for a couple of weeks now, and here are my thoughts: They both have a slight herbal scent, which I don't normally like, but this is pleasant. The shampoo cleanses my hair well, but I've found that it can be drying if I don't follow up with the conditioner. It also doesn't perform any better than my regular shampoo, which is less expensive, so I wouldn't rush out to buy it. The conditioner, however, is amazing, and I'll definitely be buying a few tubes while it's on offer. It leaves my hair feeling so soft! It performs much better than my regular conditioner, and is more like an intensive treatment, so I wouldn't mind paying more for it. I don't think my hair is looking any more radiant or shiny than it did before, though. Being the colour my hair is, it naturally reflects a lot of light anyway. Saying that, it hasn't hindered the radiance or shine.

The shampoo is okay, but it's the conditioner I'd recommend you try. Have you tried any products from the Naked hair range before?

*PR samples

Naked time!

I love Groupon. They've had some great deals in the past. I recently purchased the Naked deal, where you paid £8 for a £20 voucher to spend on Naked products. This has been mentioned very little in the blogging world so I'm guessing not many people purchased it. I must admit, I only purchased it because I had Groupon credit, meaning I got the deal for free. Because of this, I only had to pay for P&P. So what did I buy for £3.99?

• Scrub Up Naked - Sea Minerals Salt Scrub - £6.99. This smells like the ocean, which I thoroughly enjoy. I've already discovered that a little goes a longgg way.
• Naked Rescue Intensive Care Conditioner - Frizzy, damaged hair - £3.99.
• Spoilt Rotten Coco De Mer Collection - £9. I wanted to get the body butter (I have far too many but still want more!) so I thought for £4 more, I may as well get the bundle, which includes another two products: body wash and bath foam. These contain passion flower and coconut oil, so understandably have a floral scent, with a hint of coconut. Not a scent I'd usually go for (I like fruity/sweet scents) but I quite like it.

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Groupon Deal: £8 for £20 to spend on Naked products

Another Groupon deal I couldn't pass up! I've always wanted to try Naked products and this is the perfect excuse.

I had Groupon credit so actually got this deal for free and will only have to pay P&P. That's £4 for £20 worth of products! I want to try the salt scrub, a hair conditioning mask and their body butter (Body butter is my weakness).

This deal ends tomorrow night. Click here to go to the deal and click here to go to the Naked website.

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