2014 BEAUTY FAVORITES

2014 is over, which means that it's time for me to share my favorite beauty products from the past year! At first I thought that this was going to be a very difficult task for me to pull of, but it was actually surprisingly easy to narrow it down to only 14 products. You might have seen a lot of these products in my monthly favorites posts already, but let's go on and take another look at them! :-)

 ♥ Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette, (HERE). 

 ♥ Urban Decay Naked Basics Eyeshadow Palette, (HERE). 

The Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette has been my most loved and used palette back in 2014. It has a beautiful selection of six neutral eye shadows, one shimmery shade and five matte shades. Every shade in this little palette is gorgeous! They are all pigmented and easy to blend, but they are a bit powdery. I personally don't mind that, but that might be a deal breaker for some of you. If you love neutral eyeshadow palettes, the Naked Basics Palette is definitely worth checking out, it's a wonderful little palette for everyday wear! :-) 

♥ Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15, (HERE) & Maybelline Fit Me Foundation in 110, (HERE). 

The Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 15 has been my favorite and most used concealer from the past year. It's very easy to blend and it has nice coverage. It doesn't crease too much under my eyes, which is one of the reasons why I really like it. I like to use it in combination with the Maybelline Fit Me foundation, because they work so well together! :-) 

I'm sure that this next product won't come as a shock to anyone of you who have been keeping up with my monthly favorites posts! It's the Fit Me foundation by Maybelline New York! This foundation has been a huge favorite of mine for a couple of years now and also my go-to foundation throughout the entire year of 2014.

If you are looking for a foundation that will give you some coverage and still look natural on the skin, this one is a great one to add to your collection. It's very easy to apply and it blends flawlessly into the skin. I like to apply it with my damp Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge. The sponge makes it look very natural and not too cakey and heavy, as it would if you used a brush.

 ♥ Stila Cosmetics One Step Correct, (HERE).

Another product that have adored and been using non-stop in 2014 is the One Step Correct by Stila Cosmetics. You might have seen this beauty featured in a couple of my monthly favorites posts already. If you haven't seen them and you're not familiar with it, it's a color-corrector, brightener and anti-aging skincare serum primer. It contains 3 color-correcting brighteners. A green tone which instantly neutralizes redness and conceals blemishes, a lavender tone which counteracts sallow undertones for a vibrant, energized look and a peach tone which brightens, illuminates and helps diminish the appearance of sun spots.

It neutralizes my skin and makes it look less red and more even. It also makes my foundation go on smoother and look a lot better. It leaves behind a nice and natural looking glow as well, which I'm a big fan of. It feels very nice and hydrating on the skin, so it's a lovely product to add to you're makeup routine if you suffer from dry skin! :-) 

♥ Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional Pro Balm, (HERE). 

Another beauty favorite from the past year has been the Benefit Cosmetics POREfessional Pro balm. It's a primer that minimizes the appearance of pores and fine lines. It's easy to apply and it feels silky smooth and lightweight on the skin. It makes my makeup go on even and stay put throughout the day. Definitely a product worth checking out if you are looking for a new primer to try out! :-) 

 ♥ MAC Cosmetics Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle, (HERE). 

MAC Cosmetics's Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle was my most used and loved highlighter thoughout the entire year of 2014. It's really shimmery and pretty and it make my cheeks look so glowy and beautiful, it's a real stunner. I know MAC Cosmetics isn't the most affordable beauty brand available on the beauty market, but if you were to buy only one product from their range, I highly recommend that you check out Soft and Gentle.

Give it a good swatch the next time you are at your local MAC counter, I'm almost sure that you are going to fall head over heels in love with it just like I did the first time that I tried it out. It's definitely a must have in my book! It's going to be with you for a very long time, you probably won't need to buy another highlighter again for a very, very long time! :-)

 ♥ Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Mascara in Black, (HERE).

The Rimmel London Lash Accelerator Mascara in Black has been one of my favorite mascaras in 2014. It gives my lashes some much needed length and volume, without making them look clumpy and stuck together. It's also easy to remove, which is very important to me. If a mascara is a pain in the butt to remove, I will most likely not be buying it again. The Rimmel London Lash Accelerator is a mascara that I will be re-purchasing over and over again, because that is how much I enjoy using it! :-)

 ♥ Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes Eyeliner Pencil in 12L, (HERE). 

The Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 12L is a beautiful, blue eyeliner pencil with green highlights. It's nice and creamy, long lasting and I like that it makes my green eyes pop. I love how it looks paired with a bronzed eye, it just compliments it so well and it's how I have been wearing it since I got it. As for the staying power, it does last a while on the waterline before it fades away and needs to be re-applied. I'm really impressed with this eyeliner pencil from Make Up For Ever, I'm really tempted to go on Sephora's website and order a couple more shades from this range, they all look so pretty! :-)

♥ NYX Cosmetics Powder Blush in Peach, (HERE). 

NYX Cosmetics's Powder Blush in Peach is another product that have been getting a lot of love from me in 2014. It's a beautiful peachy pink blush with a satin finish. It blends beautifully into the skin, while leaving behind a very natural look. If you have a fair/light complexion like myself, you need this blush in your life. It's the perfect everyday blush, I just can't say enough good things about it! :-) 

 ♥ Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder, (HERE). 

Make Up For Ever HD High Definition Powder has been my favorite powder to use to set my under eye concealer in 2014. I like that it doesn't look too heavy under my eyes, it doesn't settle into my fine lines and it keeps my concealer in place throughout the day.

I have heard some people say that this have made them look extremely white in photos. I haven't had that problem. I only use a teeny amount of powder to set my concealer, so that might be the reason why? A little goes a long way with this powder, so it's going to last you a good while. I bought mine a couple of years ago and it doesn't even look like I've used it. I highly recommend this powder from Make Up For Ever, it's one of the best powders that I have tried! :-) 

♥ Benefit Cosmetics Gimme Brow, (HERE). 

If you haven't had a chance to try out Gimme Brow by Benefit Cosmetics yet, you definitely need to jump on the bandwagon and give it a try. It's been my go-to brow product for months now and it has quickly become a staple in my daily makeup bag. I'm not good at filling in my brows with pencil or powder, so this is right up my alley. It's so quick and easy to use and it makes the eyebrows look very natural and pretty. It instantly gives them a boost and makes them look more put together, without looking too overdone. Definitely a must try! :-) 

♥ Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray, (HERE). 

The Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray has been my go-to and favorite makeup setting spray in 2014. What I really love about this makeup setting spray is that it really does make my makeup last longer and it keeps it looking nice and fresh and pretty throughout the entire day. It has prevented my makeup from melting of my face during Summer, it's truly heaven in a bottle. It's hands down the best makeup setting spray that I have tried so far, it's definitely worth checking out if you are looking for one to try out for yourself! :-)

 ♥ Makeup Revolution Lip Geek Lipstick in Totally NOT Boring, (HERE). 

Makeup Revolution's Lip Geek Lipstick in Totally NOT Boring has made it into my 2014 beauty favorites! Totally NOT Boring is a beautiful, deep pinky purple with a cream finish. It has great pigmentation and a nice creamy texture, which glides on the lips like butter.

If you love a pretty dark lip, Totally NOT Boring is worth adding to your lipstick collection. Makeup Revolution's entire Lip Geek lipstick range is currently on sale for only £1.99 so if you have been wanting to try these out, now is definitely the right time to do it! :-)

♥ Carmex Lip Balm in Cherry, (HERE). 

The Carmex Lip Balm in Cherry has been a huge favorite of mine in 2014! It's been a lifesaver during the past couple of months when it's been really dry and cold outside. It has kept my lips nice, soft and moisturized throughout the day, which have been so amazing. No more chapped and painful lips, hurray! At night, right before I go to bed, I like to apply a thick coat of this lip balm. When I wake up the next morning, my lips feel so soft and smooth, it's incredible. It has a cherry scent and taste which I didn't like when I tried it out for the first time, but now I actually find myself enjoy it a lot! :-) 

So there you have it, my favorite beauty products from 2014. What products were your favorites from the past year? :-) 

- Love, Christine ♥

MONTHLY FAVORITES: SEPTEMBER 2014

Happy Monday! How are you guys doing today? It's almost October, which means that it's time for a brand new monthly favorites post. September has been a good month. When it comes to beauty products I have been sticking to a lot of the same products as I showed you in my previous favorites post, but I do have a couple of new items that I have been reaching for a lot during the month of September.

Like always, I have included a couple of personal favorites too such as a fashion favorite and a TV show that both Simon and I have been loving! :-) 

 ♥ My September Favorites. 

 ♥ Stila Cosmetics One Step Correct Primer, HERE. 

One Step Correct by Stila Cosmetics is a color-corrector, brightener and anti-aging skincare serum primer. It contains 3 color-correcting brighteners. Green tone which instantly neutralizes redness and conceals blemishes, a lavender tone which counteracts sallow undertones for a vibrant, energized look and a peach tone which brightens, illuminates and helps diminish the appearance of sun spots.

It looks very pretty and flawless on the skin. It covers skin imperfections very well and it also gives you the glow from within look. It makes the foundation go on a lot smoother, because of the even texture that it creates on the skin. It feels very hydrating and moisturizing on the skin, so it's definitely a great primer for people with dry skin.

 ♥ Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray, HERE. 

I'm head over heels in love with the Urban Decay All Nighter Long-Lasting Makeup Setting Spray. It holds my makeup in place while making it look nice and fresh thoughout the day. This is the travel size bottle, which is part of the Sephora Favorites Summerstash set that I ordered from Sephora a while ago. The set is still available online at Sephora's website if you are interested in checking it out. You can find it HERE! :-) 

This is the best makeup setting spray that I have tried so far, definitely worth checking out if you are looking for one to try out. I don't have a lot left in the bottle, so I need to order myself a new one ASAP! :-)

 ♥ Makeup Revolution Lip Geek Lipstick in Totally NOT Boring! HERE 

Makeup Revolution's Lip Geek Lipstick in Totally NOT Boring is a pretty deep pinky purple with a cream finish. It's got a nice and creamy texture, which glides on the lips perfectly. Since it's got a very creamy and buttery texture, it only last about 2-3 hours on my lips before I need to re-apply it. I normally don't wear lipstick for more than a couple of hours at a time, so that doesn't really bother me.

The Lip Geek Lipsticks from Makeup Revolution are only £2.99 each, so they are definitely worth checking out if you want good quality but still affordable at the same time. I reviewed the entire Lip Geek Lipstick range from Makeup Revolution a while ago. If you missed that post, you can check it out HERE! :-)

 ♥ Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in Black, HERE. 

The Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara in Black has been a big favorite of mine for a while now. I have been using it for the entire month of September and I just can't get enough of it. The brush is quite small, which gives you a lot of control over the application. It's not messy to apply nor does it make my lashes feel stiff or look clumpy. It's also easy to remove with a waterproof makeup remover! :-)

♥ Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 12L, HERE. 

The Make Up For Ever Aqua Eyes in 12L is a creamy, long lasting eye liner. 12L is a beautiful, blue with green highlights which makes the eyes really pop and stand out. It last a while on the waterline before it fades away and needs to be re-applied. Before I apply any eye liner, I like to take a cotton swab and run it along my waterline to remove any dirt and oils. I feel like that prevents the eye liner from fading away too soon.

For the past couple of months I have been obsessed with wearing this eye liner on my waterline. I love how it looks paired with a bronzed eye, it just compliments it so well. There are some serious stunning shades in the Aqua Eyes range, I definitely want to try out some more shades now! :-) 

 ♥ Fashion Favorite: Handbag from Zara. 

Ever since I was a little girl I have been obsessed with handbags, especially large handbags. This beauty from Zara has been my go-to bag ever since I ordered it from their website a while ago. I love handbags that are big in size, because I usually like to carry my entire life with me in my bag, ha ha. I'm sure most of you girls can relate to this! :-)

This bag may look a little small to you, but it can actually fit a lot of things in it which makes it the perfect every day bag for me. Unfortunately this bag isn't available at Zara anymore, but they do have a bunch of other bags that are just as gorgeous and awesome as this one. You can check out their entire collection of bags HERE! :-) 

♥ Favorite TV Show: Breaking Bad - Photo Source HERE. 

Breaking Bad is one of my all time favorite TV shows. Simon surprised me the complete box set a couple of weeks ago, which made me want to watch it all over again. He haven't seen the show before, so we decided to watch it together. We just started watching season 3, which is one of the best seasons in my opinion.

If you're not familiar with the show, it's about a high school chemistry teacher who turns to a life of crime in order to provide for his family's future. The show is so well done and all the actors are fantastic! I highly recommend that you check it out on Netflix if you haven't watched it yet. It's very additive though, so don't blame me if you can't stop watching it! :-)

Disclaimer: 
The Makeup Revolution Lip Geek Lipstick was sent to me by Makeup Revolution for review purposes only. No payment was received for this review. My reviews are based on my personal opinions and experience using the item(s). All opinions are my own and 100% honest.

What beauty product(s) have you been loving for the month of September? Have you seen Breaking Bad? Do you like it? What TV shows are you currently watching? :-) Love, Christine♥

SEPHORA BEAUTY HAUL: BARE MINERALS, HOURGLASS, STILA, TARTE, JULEP, URBAN DECAY & MORE

Happy Monday! How are you guys doing today? I hope that you are having a wonderful and fun filled day so far. I'm so sorry about the lack off blog posts lately, I just got back home from my trip to London. Simon and I had such a lovely time together, we did so many fun things during our stay there. The Lion King Musical, IMAX, Natural History Museum and lots off shopping is just a few off the things we ended up doing. I picked up quite a few beauty products in London, which I will be sharing with you soon!

Anyway, my package from Sephora arrived a couple off days ago. I ordered these items back in June as a birthday treat, I'm so happy that they finally made it home safe and sound. Now, let's get this haul post started! :-) 

 ♥ Sephora Favorites Summer Stash Set, HERE. 

 ♥ Sephora Favorites Lash Stash To Go Set. 

 ♥ Sephora Favorites Lash Stash To Go Set.

 ♥ Julep The Resort Collection Set, HERE.

♥ Julep The Resort Collection Set, HERE. 

♥ Stila One Step Correct Skin Tone Correcting Brightening Serum, HERE & bareMinerals Bareskin Pure Brightening Serum Foundation, HERE. 

 ♥ Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Radiant Magenta, HERE. 

 ♥ Tarte Cosmetics Amazonian Clay 12-Hour Blush in Tipsy, HERE. 

♥ Make Up For Ever Mascara and Lipstick Set (Sample) & Murad Acne Spot Fast Fix (Sample).

    

I will be posting more regularly now that I'm back from London. I have lots off fun posts coming up for you guys, so definitely stay tuned for those. Let me know if you want to see reviews on any off the products above. I will make sure to have them up for you guys as soon as possible! :-) 

 What is your most recent beauty purchase? Have you ordered from Sephora before? :-) Love, Christine♥

MY MONTHLY FAVORITES: OCTOBER 2013

Hey Everyone :-)
How are you doing today? How is your weekend going so far? Any fun plans for the evening? I can't believe that it's November already! Christmas is right around the corner, which makes me oh so happy. Is it too early to start shopping for Christmas presents? I don't think so, LOL!!!

It's been a while since I have done a monthly favorites post, so I thought it was time for me to finally do one again. So without further ado, here are the items that I have been loving for the month off October :-) 

♥ MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle.

 ♥ MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle.

♥ Swatch: MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle is probably my all-time favorite highlighter. It's a very pretty champagne highlighter which looks stunning on all skin tones, and it gives the face the most beautiful glow. I also like to use it as an eyeshadow/inner corner highlighter.

I've had this baby for a couple off years now and it's still going strong. If you are looking for a new highlighter, I highly recommend that you check this one out. I know it's a little expensive, but I think that this is a product that is totally worth the money and it's going to last you a very long time. Soft and Gentle is a total must have in my book :-) 

 ♥ MAC Paint Pot in Painterly.

 ♥ MAC Paint Pot in Painterly.

♥ Swatch: MAC Paint Pot in Painterly. 

I'm a huge fan off MAC Paint Pots and Painterly has been my go-to paint pot for the entire month off October. It's a pretty nude beige shade, which completely neutralizes the blue veining on my eye lids and preps them for eyeshadow application. Painterly can be used on it's own, but I prefer to just use it as a base before I apply my eyeshadow. It makes the eyeshadow last longer and it also makes the color off the eyeshadow a little brighter as well.

If you are thinking about picking up a paint pot by MAC, I highly recommend Painterly. If you already have Painterly in your collection, Bare Study is another great choice. I'm thinking about doing a MAC paint pot collection post with swatches soon, is that something you would be interested in seeing? :-) 

 ♥ Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick 08 & NARS Lipstick in Blonde Venus. 

♥ Swatch: Rimmel London Lasting Finish Lipstick 08 & NARS Lipstick in Blonde Venus.

The Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 08 is one off my favorite lipsticks at the moment. It's such a beautiful, deeper shade that feels very soft and smooth on the lips. It doesn't feel drying at all, and it's got a sweet scent which I really like. I have been really into more darker shades for Fall and Winter, and this is a great pick :-) 

Another lipstick that I have been enjoying for the month off October is Blonde Venus by NARS. Blonde Venus is a lot lighter and more on the browner side, than the Rimmel London Lasting Finish by Kate Moss in 08. It's easy to apply, and it feels very smooth and soft on the lips too. It doesn't feel drying on the lips, nor does it have an unpleasant scent :-)

 ♥ NYX Powder Blush in Peach. 

 ♥ NYX Powder Blush in Peach.

♥ Swatch: NYX Powder Blush in Peach.

The powder blushes by NYX Cosmetics are some of my favorite blushes off all time. Peach is a pretty peachy pink blush with no shimmer/glitter, and it's one of my favorite shades in their entire powder blush range. It blends easily into the skin and it's a great everyday shade for your cheeks. I have been using Peach for almost the entire month off October and I just can't get enough off it :-) 

 ♥ Make Up For Ever HD Powder. 

♥ Make Up For Ever HD Powder.

I'm a big fan of the Make Up For Ever HD Powder. I bought this product at Sephora in Paris, and I have been loving it ever since. I use it to set my under eye concealer, and it works perfect for that. I just use a tiny amount of powder to set the concealer, and it keeps it in place during the entire day :-)  

What do you think about my favorites for the month off October? What products have you been loving for the October month? :-) Love, Christine♥

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?

Hey Everyone :-)
Simon and I recently got back home after a lovely trip to Piteå, Sweden with a bunch of our friends. I thought I would do a post and show you what beauty products I took with me on our weekend trip to Sweden. I always tend to over pack every time we go on vacation, but I think I did pretty good this time. Let me know what you think in the comments down below :-) 

 ♥ Benefit The Porefessional, Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream, Maybelline Fit Me Concealer & Make Up For Ever HD Powder. 

 ♥ Urban Decay Original Naked Palette & Wet n' Wild Coloricon palette in Greed. 

♥ Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion, Maybelline The Falsies Volum Express Mascara, e.l.f. Cosmetics Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Light, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Flipside & Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude. 

 ♥ MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle & NYX Powder Blush in Peach. 

♥ L'Oreal Paris Fairest Nude, Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle & Berry Smoothie. 

I think I did pretty good this time, and I feel like I didn't go completely overboard with my makeup. I did manage to use most of the products I took with me. There were only a few items that I didn't reach for, like my Wet n' Wild Greed palette, the Benefit POREfessional and my L'Oreal Paris lipstick in Fairest Nude :-)

Urban Decay Original Eyeshadow Primer Potion - HERE. 

Urban Decay Original Naked Palette - HERE. 

Wet n' Wild Coloricon Palette in Greed - HERE. 

Benefit The POREfessional - HERE. 

Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in Light - HERE. 

Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in Light - HERE. 

Make Up For Ever HD Powder - HERE. 

Maybelline The Falsies Volum Express Mascara in Noir Glamour/Black - HERE. 

e.l.f. Cosmetics Eyebrow Treat & Tame in Light/Clear - HERE. 

Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Flipside - HERE. 

Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal in Nude - HERE. 

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle - HERE. 

NYX Powder Blush in Peach - HERE. 

L'Oreal Paris Fairest Nude - HERE. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle - HERE. 

Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Berry Smoothie - HERE.

I packed everything in my Urban Decay Quinceanera makeup bag, which is my favorite makeup bag to take with me whenever I'm going on vacation. The size of the bag is great, it's nice and sturdy and it can hold a lot of products. It's the perfect makeup bag for me :-)  

Do you have any plans for the rest of the summer? Do you over pack? :-)