2015, eh? One moment it's January, and just a moment later it's over. Still, 2016 promises a whole new load of experiences and exciting new products, but first... here are a few favourites from 2015.
Hair wise, I discovered a few really excellent masks, which are an absolute essential when your hair is as heavily colour treated as mine.
Bleach London's Reincarnation Mask has become a firm favourite - I'm on my fourth tube now - because of it's rich, thick texture, intensive moisture-giving properties, and the fact that it contains wheat protein, which my bleached hair really loves.
Ojon's Rare Blend Moisture Therapy Conditioner has also become a favourite - it's less intense than the Bleach mask, but it still packs a ton of moisture into my hair in the two minutes I let it sit before rinsing. When I want a quick moisture fix, this is the stuff I turn to.
And on the topic of Ojon, I'm still very much in love with their
Rare Blend Cleansing Conditioner. It's a very gentle cleanser, and does a great job of cleaning the hair without stripping moisture or colour. I can't use it every wash, but I alternate it with my favourite low sulphate shampoos to keep my hair super clean.
Makeup wise, I found a gorgeously soft, candle lit blush in the form of
Max Factor's Creme Puff Blush - it's cheap, it's buildable, and the finish is natural and glowy without any sparkle. Love it.
Foundation wise, there's only one absolute stand out from the year -
Bare Minerals' Complexion Rescue. A light, hydrating gel texture combined with a light to medium coverage with a gorgeously fresh and natural finish, I use this product a couple of times a week and have already repurchased.
My brows have gone from red to pink to a cool grey/brown this year, changing to match my ever changing hair colour. Since I moved away from trying to match my brows to my hair, I've been completely loyal to
Anastasia's Brow Wiz in Granite - it's a super fine stick colour with a spoolie included to tame the brows. The hardness and fineness of the colour makes for a strong, defined brow - something I absolutely love - and the Granite shade is cool and grey enough to match whatever colour I choose to put on my hair.
I loved every last drop of Clinique's limited edition
Chubby Lash mascara in Black Honey - an unusual deep burgundy shade, it made my eyes look more green whilst adding a ton of volume. So sad it's not permanent. Bring it back, Clinique!
Nails wise, I've spent a lot of the year wearing gel, as a result of a huge amount of travel and a fair amount of laziness. When I've been wearing normal polish, I've been wearing
Kiko's Power Pro - intense colour, smooth application, and amazing wear make it a winner, particularly at the fabulously low Kiko price of £4.90.
2015 has seen some great palettes released, but my favourite came relatively late in the year.
Urban Decay x Gwen Stefani is a fantastic palette if you're pale and cool toned - it's got a great range of pale-friendly neutrals, with a few pops of colour for good measure. I particularly love the number of matte shades included - there are just a few all-out shimmer shades, with the rest being either a more subtle pearl or true matte.
Brand of the year for me is definitely, definitely Colourpop. The inexpensive LA brand offers some amazingly metallic and duochrome eyeshadows (
see my first purchases, and then
my second set) and gorgeously pigmented
matte lipsticks. And now the brand has added gel and pencil eyeliners to their lineup, I can see myself buying more of their stuff in 2016.
Skincare wise, my stand out product of the year is Alpha H's amazing
Liquid Gold. I started using it in August, and my skin has never been more smooth or more even. I use it every three days - I find it too intense to use every other evening - and always wake up to clear, smooth skin. My original 100ml bottle is almost finished after six months, which makes this product a bit of a long term bargain - £33 for six months of clear skin? Well worth it.
So those are my 2015 picks - what have been your favourites? Here's to a 2016 made of all sorts of gorgeousness.
This post originated at www.londonbeautyreview.com. If you're reading it elsewhere, it's been stolen, violating my copyright.