December Favourites 2014

I can't believe it's my last Favourites post of the year, where has 2014 gone? 

Top L-R:  W7 In The Buff: Lightly Toasted Palette, Tom Ford Black Orchid, L'Oreal True Match Foundation in C2 Rose Vanilla. Bottom L-R: My Little Beauty Eau Micellaire Démaquillante, Dr Jart V7 Balancing Toner, Ingredients Lemon Hand Butter, Twinings Salted Caramel Green Tea, Nuxe Crème Fraîche de Beauté Masque Frais Réhydratant et Apaisant 24HR & Cinnamon Caramel Waffles.

My Little Beauty Eau Micellaire Démaquillante

I was debating whether or not to feature this as a favourite because I can't say I'm that crazy about it, and have definitely used better cleansers but this is the one I've been reaching for throughout December. It's just good at getting my make up off when I really can't be bothered to do my entire skin care routine and it leaves my skin feeling clean and refreshed. 

Dr Jart+ V7 Balancing Toner

I've been using the Dr Jart V7 Balancing Toner religiously every night because of my rubbishy skin and it has made all the difference. It has a light, refreshing formula that's full of vitamin complexes that target certain areas of problem skin but primarily helps to contain the production of sebum to prevent spots. It also promises to regenerate sensitive and damaged skin and in doing so reduces the appearance of scar tissue and hyper pigmentation caused by acne. Since I've added this to my evening skin care routine my skin has been looking a lot clearer and breakouts have been fewer and further apart. But it has to be said my absolute favourite thing about this toner is the pipette! It makes me feel like a scientist when I use it!   

Tom Ford Black Orchid

This is a perfect Winter perfume, it's not too in your face or offensive in any way it's just a really lovely, wintery scent. With base notes that include Amber, Chocolate, Vanilla and Sandalwood and very floral top notes of Jasmine, Gardenia and Blackcurrant Black Orchid is just the most beautiful warm, spicy scent. Not only does it smell incredible the longevity is amazing.  One problem I have with fragrance in general is that my skin just eats it and more often than not the scent will have disappeared a few short hours after I've spritzed. This is so not the case with Black Orchid. It is so long lasting. I wore this to a family party last Saturday and could still smell traces of it on my skin the following Wednesday and I had showered a lot since! Just amazing. 

Ingredients Lemon Hand Butter 

Due to the cold weather and me being a hand sanitizer happy germophobe my hands have been in a right state lately. They're dry, cracked and sore, and this is the only hand cream that has been up to the task of getting them back to normal. The difference it has made to my parched hands is incredible! This is due to it's amazing buttery, and surprisingly non-greasy consistency that just melts into the skin, leaving my hands feeling moisturised and so nourished. To top it off it smells so good I want to eat it. I won't though. 

Nuxe Crème Fraîche de Beauté Masque Frais Réhydratant et Apaisant 24HR (Soothing and Rehydrating Fresh Mask) 

I've been singing this face masks praises for a while now because it's lovely. After all the bitterly, cold weather we've been having here in the UK my skin has been in need of some serious hydration. My skin's not been great anyway but the winter weather has dried it out so much. I've been using this face mask once a week to give my skin a much needed moisture boost and it has made all the difference. My skin is looking and feeling much better for it. It has a lovely formula that intensely hydrates whilst soothing irritation and cooling the under eye area. If that wasn't enough it feels so beautiful against the skin. I just put it on for 15 minutes and let it work it's magic. I love it. 

W7 In the Buff: Lightly Toasted Eyeshadow Palette 

Three points to anyone who can guess which cult beauty favourite this palette is an obvious dupe for! Everything about the W7 In The Buff: Lightly Toasted palette screams Urban Decay Naked! From the shadows themselves to the name and even the colour scheme of the packaging. The only real difference being about £30 in price. I picked this up in T.K. Maxx for £6.99 and have been obsessively in love with it since. The palette is made up of 12 shadows, predominately shimmers with a handful of mattes thrown in for good measure, the colours are perfect for everyday to smokey eye make up looks and everything inbetween. The shadows themselves are seriously good, they're longlasting and highly pigmented with a soft texture that is only slightly on the chalky side, but considering it cost under £10 this is to be expected. Overall it's a really good eyeshadow palette and a fantastic dupe of a cult classic. This is a perfect alternative to the Urban Decay Naked palette for those of you who are broke students, like myself, and want it but can't afford it. It's brilliant. 

  

L'Oreal True Match Foundation in C2 Rose Vanilla

The L'Oreal True Match Foundation is my absolute favourite foundation! There I said it! A bold statement, yes, but I think this little beaut has earned it. It's incredible, it applies like an absolute dream, literally melting into the skin at the lightest touch. The coverage is great, I've been in need of some serious coverage of late and this is perfect. It's medium but can be built up without looking like it's been caked on. But more importantly it doesn't feel like you're wearing a lot of foundation because the formula is so light. Honestly I could bang on about this foundation forever because I love everything about it! The colour is a really good match for me, the finish is lovely, somehow managing to be both dewy and matte! What is this magic?! and has some serious staying power. I LOVE it! 

I've also got some non-beauty favourites this month. The first of which is..

Sorted Food

Image via

As ever I'm really, really behind the rest of the world but oh my God! I am so OBSESSED with Sorted Food! Like actually obsessed! To the point where it almost makes me angry that I didn't know about them before. This is the level of obsession that I'm talking about here. It's getting to the point where I can't go on youtube, and I LOVE youtube, because I will inevitably click over to the Sorted Food channel and just lose hours, sometimes days, of my life watching their amazing and hilarious videos. And that's fine I would more than happily spend a day doing that and also definitely have done that... more than once. But you know sometimes I have plans, and things I need to do, it's rare but it does happen. Anyway my point is I seriously love love love Sorted Food. I'm even watching a video now as I write this. If you haven't seen any of their videos before you can check them out here. But be warned they're amazing and chances are you will fall in love with one of them, and that one will probably be Mike, because I definitely have. (Seriously he is all kinds of heart eyed emoji!!! And the one zesting the orange just fyi) 

Cinnamon Caramel Waffles

Another foody thing. I love food. These cinnamon caramel waffles are delicious. Seriously I didn't think it was possible for something from a packet to taste this good. They're from Lidl or Aldi... I forget which and cost like £1, and they are so amazing. Yummy. 

Twinings Salted Caramel Green Tea

I drink a lot of Green Tea, like a lot a lot. After being diagnosed with Acid Reflux Disease (the less said about that the better) two years ago I cut out milk to make the attacks less frequent, and whilst it has made a huge difference it did mean I had to give up my morning cuppa and find an alternative. Green tea was that alternative. Now the thing with Green Tea is it's an acquired taste and takes some getting used to, I'm used to it, but this is just straight up delicious. Non Green Tea drinkers could enjoy it because it's so yummy. I've been drinking it constantly because it's amazing! Twinings also have a Gingerbread Green Tea which is really nice too.

Have you tried any of my favourites? What did you think? Love them? Hate them? Let me know on twitter, by commenting below or even by dropping me an email. I'm all over social media so also check out my instagram, Bloglovin, facebook and pinterest (if you want too ;) 

That's me for tonight, I hope you're all having a lovely festive time, relaxing and eating all the food. 

Until then...

Love love love xxx