If anyone is a regular reader of this blog – Mum, this is your cue, you’re up again – or has been around long enough to have read a post or two, you’ll know that I love to chat. About anything. Really I’m just rambling – but we’ll pass this off as creative juices flowing yeah? great stuff… – so you can imagine how hard it will be for me to narrow down my January favourites having just had Christmas – and practically receiving the entire skincare department of Selfridges – and not talk you all into 2016 about all the things I’ve been loving lately.
It’s going to be tough, but as Kanye once said, “What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger” (Wtf, did I actually just quote a Kanye West song in a blog post? #CompleteAndUtterTitSays) but here goes…
The Cleansing duo – The Body shop Silky Camomile cleanser (not pictured due to an oil leakage, #BloggerProblems) and Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish. Luckily for your (very patient) souls, I have an in depth post on both of these beauties (so feel free to check those both out) but in short – I use The Body Shop oil cleanser to remove all makeup, all. It literally doesn’t leave a scrap on your face. Shall I use an Italic ‘all’ again just to emphasise that?… All! 😉 I then follow it up with the Liz Earle cleanse and polish for an extra thorough but gentle cleanse. The perfect combo!
Liz Earle Superskin Moisturiser – Again, this is another product I’ve raved about recently – Oh yeah, I’ve really got my shit life together when it comes to reviews lately. Miracles do happen 😉 – which you can find here. In short, it is an incredibly light, liquid-like formula that is extremely nourishing, it almost turns into a mixture of a face oil and cream when massaged into the skin meaning that your skin is so plump, hydrated and… and it’s just good skin in a bottle, OK? Ok…
Urban Decay Half baked – I mentioned recently in this post that I’d been ‘having a moment’ with this shadow (p.s I promise to stop completely butchering that phrase in every single blog post) and ladies, that moment is still ongoing. The perfect warm, bronzey gold that would work well on all skin tones. Amazing as a one wash shadow but also pairs perfectly for a smokey eye (I like to add a bit of smog in the outer corners) I just love this shadow, and have already hit pan on it in my Naked 1 palette.
Anastasia Archery brow pencil – I did a full review on this product here (Jesus, I really am just so organised with my reviews these days. She says, staring at a basket full of PR samples that need testing out, photographed etc.) But it is just the most perfect brow product. Natural, fool-proof, great value for money.
Korres Body Milk – My body lotion/body butter/body milk [insert your own choice of body product label here] collection is as embarrassing as Kris Jenner. It’s huge, it’s totally unnecessary and on the most part – it is pretty much unused. I’m just quite lazy when it comes to skincare for your body you see, but this Korres Body milk has completely changed things. (Crikey, this is turning into a bit of an X-Factor contestant sob story, ‘journey’ isn’t it?) But seriously, this stuff is so light. It absorbs into the skin in minutes, no greasy film, no tackiness – this is my biggest bug bear, and also my lame excuse for neglecting my body – but it really is so undetectable. Because of it’s absorbability, you could be fooled into thinking that it doesn’t really do anything, right? Wrong. This stuff leaves your body feeling so soft, hydrated and smooth… You know what ladies, just go and buy it. It’s £11 so it’s not outrageously expensive, and it’s a beautiful, (much more) natural brand than most on the market right now. And can we just appreciate that packaging please? [insert heart-eye’d emoji here]
Essie Dive Bar – I’ve had this polish for a long time, and have pretty much always loved it, so I really can’t imagine why it’s never cropped up around these parts before (Because you’re a shit blogger that needs to get their shit together more often?) but alas, I’m talking – the hind legs off a donkey – about it now. It’s a stunning metallic, duo chrome dark green colour that pulls navy in certain angles. It’s from the Essie diffusion line so it has a great brush and a perfect formulation. Oh, did I mention that I’ve reapplied this 3 times in January already? As a serious nail polish commitment-phobe, this never happens!
Scandal – Oh good lord, Mary mother of Joseph… I am in love with this show. I started it only a couple of weeks ago and have already caught up from the very beginning, to where we are at with Series 4 in the UK. I don’t want to give away any spoilers/storylines for anyone who hasn’t seen it, but what I will say, is that when I’m older, I would like to be Olivia Pope please. Or at least have just a bit of her sass. #GirlCrush
Genius Gluten Free Blueberry muffins – They’re soft, they’re moist (hands up who else hates that word *watches all hands raise*) they’re incredibly tasty, and they don’t fall apart/taste like sawdust like 99% of other GF cake brands. Score!
Twinings Salted Caramel Green tea – Anything salted caramel flavoured is going to go down well in my books, but add in a form of tea and I am right there!
Those Duo boots – I posted about these boots just a few days ago. I’ve now had them for a couple of weeks and I haven’t worn anything since. Head over to my review to see/read just how stunning they are up close.
I’m sure you’ve all heard – or even regularly read – these wonderful ladies blogs already so I promise not to waffle into 2016 [*insert Gospel Choir-esque Hallelujah! sound effect here] so here is a short – well, this is me, so as short as I can possibly make it. It definitely won’t be short – description why I love these blogs so much.
Zoe London – I have read Zoe’s blog – and watched her Youtube channel – for a very long time. From the London Lipgloss days to full-time blogger Zoe London, Zoe’s blog has remained a firm favourite of mine throughout. With amazing, amazing tips and tricks type posts, beautiful beauty and fashion posts, and an insight into London’s hot spots, the latest gigs etc…. Zoe’s blog – and her easy-going, friendly personality – is one that will forever remain a go-to, “I need inspiration, please give me all the inspiration” blog. Bookmarked on my computer, saved in my heart. (Too much? Too much…)
Corrie, The Dizzy Brunette – Again, Dizzy Brunette is a blog I have read – and followed closely – for years. However, since Corrie recently went full-time, her blog content and Youtube video’s really are next level stunning. (Not that they wasn’t amazing before, because they were!) Not only are they funny, informative and engaging, but she also comes across as one of those down to earth, girl next door kinda girls (which is right up street, so much so that it’s incorporated in my bloody blog name #loser) that you could easily sit and have a cuppa and a good chat with. My favourite kind of bloggers. Oh, and can we just talk about that hair for a second?! [All the heart-eye’d emoji’s here]
Zoe Newlove – Zoe’s blog is a new addition to my blogroll and I’m only disappointed by the fact that I didn’t discover her sooner. With perfect, pinterest-worthy photography, a clean, reader-friendly layout and just really amazing content, Zoe Newlove has become my perfect distraction from work, procrastination practice, lazy day binge-reading material, going over all of her previous posts. Yeah… dedication to the cause or what? (Pretty sure that makes me some kind of working class hero! Or a massive lazy sloth)
Polly, Polly’s pocket book – I’m actually a little lost for words when trying to express my thoughts on Polly’s blog. I came across Polly via Twitter, clicked through to her blog and spent the best part of the next 2 hours reading through her posts, and in particular… her cancer story. I pray to god she doesn’t mind me mentioning her – or her story – here but I just feel compelled to mention them, as it made such an impact on me. There’s so much I want to say – but won’t, nobody want’s to get to the end of this post and realise it’s 2017 – but what I will do is urge you to check out her blog for yourself. In short, she is one of the most inspiring, brave (although I hasten to add that as she’s also ridiculously modest and will probably argue that she wasn’t brave, and just did what the doctors said) ladies I have ever discovered. And in a community where the biggest thing to “go down” of late has been whether a YouTuber actually wrote their own book or not, reading Polly’s blog has put such ridiculously silly things such as that into perspective.