My Make Up Favourites of 2015

2015 was I really weird year for me beauty wise, I always loved make up and had an extensive beauty regime but it wasn't really a passion. In 2015 that all changed, I became a lot more conscious of  the products I was putting on my skin and the way I was doing my make up. I stopped wearing make up to look good for others and started doing it because I felt more confident and I really enjoyed the process of doing my make up. Doing my make up became a creative process for me and it eventually became a hobby and collection. Along with the hobby came a lot of criticisms like "Why do you wear so much make up?", "You would look a lot better if you didn't wear bold lipstick because guys don't like that" and "Don't waste your money on make up". Before I would have taken it to heart but it is something I love so I just shrugged it off because let's be honest my boyfriend needs to love me in bold lipstick because I'm not going to stop wearing it any time soon.

I started experimented with new products and the more I learned about make up the more products I wanted. Not a lot of brands that majority beauty bloggers use is available in South Africa so I was quite limited but I am developing a bigger collection of make up than your average girl.

I apologize for the long introduction but the following products are what stood out for me in 2015:

MAC Strobe Cream: I am a huge fan of dewy skin and this creates the perfect base. I makes my skin glow whilst adding a ton of moisture back into my skin.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation in No. 52 Vanilla: This foundation has such incredible coverage and leaves your skin feeling hydrated and looking glowy. I also really like the smell of this foundation.

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush: Real Techniques recently just launched in South Africa and after hearing a ton of people raving about this brush I knew I had to pick it up. This is such an incredible brush. It applies foundation flawlessly and really buffs it into the skin. However, if the brush is really dirty it does leave your foundation looking streaky. 

Always clean your brushes kids!

(L)Catrice Bronzer for medium skin (R) Catrice Blush in Rose Royce

MAC Studio Fix powder in NW13: Even though this is a powder foundation I loved using this to set my foundation because it makes my foundation last all day and adds just a little bit more coverage.

Catrice Bronzer for Medium Skin: This bronzer is the perfect in between cool and warm shade. It worked so perfectly for me as a contour with a smaller brush and if I just wanted to bronze it worked so well with a fluffy brush.

Catrice Blush in Rose Royce: With a light hand, this blush gave the most natural flush of colour to my cheeks. It is amazing. It pairs so well with almost any look.

(L) Soft and Gentle (R) Oh Darling

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle: This is honestly my go to highlight. It is so pigmented and if I go to town my cheeks look wet. The colour is perfect when I don't go for a bronzed look and it makes my skin look so dewy

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Oh Darling (Limited Edition): I saw a ton of swatches before it was launched in South Africa and I knew instantly I had to have it. I tried buying it online and at a pro-store as soon as it was released but it was sold out. I finally got a hold of it at a store an hour away from where I live and I have no regrets. It gives my skin such a beautiful golden glow even though I am super fair. This product is honestly worth the hype!

Inglot 4SS brush: I always struggled to apply my highlighter properly until I stumbled on this brush. It is marketed as an eyeshadow brush but it is so perfect for highlighter. It is such a good size to just apply on the top of the cheekbones and it blends it out wonderfully.

All That Glitters eyeshadow

MAC Painterly Paint Pot: A lot of people have raved about this and the Soft Ochre Paint Pot being incredible eyeshadow bases and when I finally tried it I could understand why. The colour covers my veiny eyelids perfectly and once I set it it helps blend out my eyeshadows beautifully and definitely increases the longevity of my eye look.

MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow: This is honestly my all time favourite eyeshadow. It is so creamy, pigmented and blenable. I use it almost every time I wear make up. It is such a gorgeous all over the lid shade and goes well with any crease shade.

Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara: This is one of the only mascaras that I have come across that lengthens my eyelashes and holds the curl. This is pricey but it is one of my favourite products I have ever come across and I would recommend it to anyone who wants longer lashes!

(Starting from the Left) Twig, Please Me, Lady Danger, Rebel

MAC Satin Lipstick in Twig: This lipstick is perfect for the on trend mauve lip. This is one of my favourite everyday lipsticks. If I don't know which one to pick I pick this one.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Please Me: This is such a wonderful lipstick I even own two. It is the perfect mid-tone pink. I love wearing it in summer and spring.

MAC Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger: I cannot wear orange lipstick, it always looks weird on me. I then discovered this lipstick, It is such a beautiful orange-red. It just adds something edgy to a classic red lip. I have been reaching for this more than any other lipstick.

MAC Satin Lipstick in Rebel: This is one of my oldest lipsticks but my love for it is still going strong. This is my go to winter lipstick. When it's colder Rebel has a permanent spot in my handbag.

Leave a comment below telling me your favourite beauty products of 2015!

Festive Make Up Look

The Holiday season is one of my favourite times of the year because it is a time about family, love and giving. In South Africa it is summer over the festive season it is very difficult to get into the spirit of things but it does give me an excuse to wear red lipstick 24/7.

Before I put any foundation on my skin I like to prepare and moisturise my skin. That way my skin is protected and also forms a good canvas for everything I am going to put over it.

MAC Fix+: I spray it all over my face just to add moisture to my skin

Elizabeth Arden 8-hour lip cream: I put this on my lips to soften and moisturise it before I put on a drying matte lipstick

Smashbox Hydrating Primer: I love wearing a primer because it makes my make up last so much longer

MAC Strobe Cream: I love adding this to all of the high-points on my face like my cheekbones because it gives my skin the most gorgeous glow

Boujois Healthy Mix and L'Oreal Infallible Foundations:

I love mixing these two foundations together to form the perfect finish and shade

I use the MAC Concealer to cover any imperfections and conceal my dark circles using the MAC Prep and Prime Pen in Lightboost. I set everywhere I put the concealer with Yardley's Loose Powder

MAC Studio Fix Powder: I love using this powder to set my foundation because it adds just a little bit more coverage

I always bronze and contour my skin using the Catrice Bronzer for Medium Skin. I love the Catrice Blush in Rose Royce to give my cheeks a slight wash of colour. My highlight is the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade because it gives the cheeks a frosty silver look

Because I tint my eyebrows to make them darker, I only use the Catrice Eyebrow Filler Gel to fill in any gaps. I prep my eyelids with MAC's Painterly Paint Pot and I set that using the Rimmel Stay Matte Face Powder

For all over my lid I used MAC's All that Glitters EyeShadow (the one on the right) and in my crease I added MAC's Satin Taupe Eyeshadow (the one on the left). I used MAC gel liner in Blacktrack to create a wing and MAC Vanilla Pigment as a brow-bone and inner-corner  highlight. I topped it off using the Lancome Dolls Eyes Mascara

For the star of the show I lined my lips using Essence Lip Liner in Femme Fatale and wore MAC's Ruby Woo lipstick over it

Tweet me or tag me on Instagram if you recreate this look and leave a comment below telling me what your favourite look for the holidays are!

Top Three Favourite Perfumes

Ever since I could remember I always loved perfume from spritzing my mom's when she wasn't looking to getting my very first one when I was thirteen. 

I feel like a specific perfume suits a specific mood and outfit and that's what I love about it. It adds something to the way you feel and the way people perceive you. I can definitely feel when I forgot to spray perfume; I feel naked. 

I always use a heavy hand when it comes to perfume because it fades throughout the night. I spray my perfume in the front of my neck, behind my ears (that way when someone hugs you they can smell it) as well as on my wrists.

Si by Giorgio Armani

I have wanted this perfume for so long but I have quite a collection already and I wanted to use some of my other perfumes first. I received a bunch of samples of this perfume and I fell in love because not only does it smell incredible it is also works beautifully with me. It has become a staple perfume for me and I know I will always repurchase it. 

The main notes in this perfume are vanilla, rose, jasmine, mandarin and blackcurrant.

I find this perfume extremely classic and elegant. The creator of this perfume, Christine Nagel, describes it as feminine.

I love wearing this perfume when I a wearing a classic outfit be it jeans, a white t-shirt and a red lip.

This is a perfume I would recommend to absolutely anyone because I feel like it would work with anyone.

Roses by Chloé

People often tell me that I was born in the wrong era because I absolutely adore vintage things and this perfume is vintage in a bottle. It is such a fresh floral scent that instantly transports you to the perfect era wear everyone wore big floral skirts and bows. It's incredible.

The main notes in this perfume is magnolia,rose, musk and amber.

I love wearing this in spring and summer during the day because it is not overpowering at all. It does smell a bit sweet so I know this is something not everyone would love but I think it's amazing.

Manifesto L'Elixir by YSL

This is my all time favourite night-out scent. It is very fierce and edgy.

The perfume itself is a very strong scent so you have to be quite light-handed but it is amazing for a sultry night-out.

The main notes is this perfume are woody amber, jasmine and vanilla. 

When I wear this perfume I feel sexy because it is such a sexy perfume!

I would not recommend this if you are not a fan of strong scents because it is also quite sweet and get sickly very quickly. This is not an issue if you have two or three spritz in total.

Definitely check it out if you like stronger smells!

Review: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

When this product first hit the stands I was extremely skeptical; I thought of it as fancy water. As the product became increasingly popular it was often compared to Bioderma's Micellar water as a strong contender. Micellar water is a very new concept to me and I wasn't going to pay a lot for the Bioderma product if I'm not even sure what exactly it is. When this was released for R80,00 at Clicks I immediately picked it up because it was an acceptable price for a product I was unsure about.

Micellar water is made up of tiny little oil molecules suspended in water and these molecules grab onto impurities and make up. You pour some of the product onto a cotton pad and simply wipe everything away. I have the product made specially for sensitive skin and I can literally pour the entire bottle into my eyes and it would not burn. One bottle has lasted me over two months and I use it almost everyday!

I use it mainly as an eye and face make up remover but I often use it during the day when I have been sweating and not wearing make up as a quick clean. Sometimes when I do this I am super surprised at the dirt that is then on my cotton pad. I do not use this as my only way to remove make up because then a use way too many cotton pads. I double-cleanse when removing my make up; I start with a cleansing oil on my entire face to get rid of the majority of my make up and then I use this to remove my eye make up and anything the oil might have missed. This also removes waterproof make up like a dream and you do not have to tug at your eyelashes to get rid of the mascara. I often use this on a cotton bud to fix my eye make up like winged eyeliner because it is not thick and doesn't disturb the rest of your make up. 

This is honestly I product I would recommend to anyone on a budget or anyone just looking for a good beauty find. I am definitely going to repurchase this!! 

August Favourites

This month was extremely experimental for me in the beauty department. I tried out new make up looks, new hair products and even contouring. I always felt like contouring on me would look like a mess but now it is my favourite step in my make up routine.

A lot of the things I've been loving this month are products I loved last month but a couple of new things have made their way into my heart.

OGX Kukui Oil Curl Cream

I absolutely hate curl creams because they always make my hair coarse like I used hairspray or they end up giving me poodle hair. I went out on a whim and decided to buy this because I heard incredible things about OGX and it is now one of my all time favourite hair care products. It gives my hair perfect waves and it nourishes it. I used to hate my freshly washed because it was super frizzy but with this my hair dries wonderfully!

I honestly recommend this to anyone with thick, coarse and curly hair!

Pure Argan Oil

I personally do not use Moroccan Oil because it is too expensive so I use the drugstore dupes for it like the Tresemme oil elixir which works just as well but I went into an organic shop recently and I came across pure argan oil. Not only is this really moisturising and nourishing for you hair but for your skin as well. It also helps with scarring. I use a couple of drops for the ends of my hair and sometimes a couple of drops into my bath and my skin ends up feeling amazing. This is honestly an incredible product. The only issue I have with it is that it smells weird but I suppose it is because it is pure oil(it is worth it).

Charlotte Rhys No. 17 Eau de toilette

I am a complete sucker for different scents and perfume so I am always buying and trying out different things. Charlotte Rhys is a Cape Town based company that sells candles and room diffusers in a number of scents and then they launched the eau de toilette in those particular scents and I knew I had to get hold of my favourite one which is called No.17. 

The scent is very musky making it feel like a unisex scent but it is so light and floral at the same time which makes it feminine and perfect for everyday! Honestly, it is so beautiful and so affordable!

Bobbi Brown Rich Chocolate Eye Palette

This palette is perfect for someone who is serious about their brown smokey eye. It has five matte shades and two slight shimmer shades. This palette is pricey fro someone who is just starting out with make up but I think this is so worth it if you love nude eye looks. I love using the lightest shade called Bone as a matte brow bone highlight when I do not want a shimmer look to it. I also use the two darkest shades called Cocoa and Rich Chocolate to fill in my brows since I dye them. It gives me the best look and matches the colour of my brows perfectly! Definitely a great investment!

Catrice Absolute Rose Eye Palette

This is a gorgeous eye palette from the drugstore for an amazingly affordable price. What I love about this is what a subtle mauve smokey eye it creates prefect for day time but the colour is buildable for an evening look. I loved this palette in winter because it is so cool toned. Catrice is an amazing drugstore brand with many dupes for high-end products.

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

I have always been a big fan of Benefit but the brand wasn't sold in South Africa in over four years making it almost impossible to get hold of. Once I heard they were being sold here again I went to their counter and purchased this straight away. It was quite expensive but I love this mascara. It is so lengthening and that is all I want in a mascara! The actual brush for this mascara is very similar to that of the Lash Sensational mascara from Maybelline in case you have more of a budget!

Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Happy Nude Year

I have been watching Youtuber KathleenLights non-stop this month and she always talks about liquid lipsticks and I heard this product was such a good drugstore liquid lipstick to try out so I bought it and loved it. It does not dry out my lips as much as I thought it would considering it is matte and the colour is just such a perfect day to night nude that you can wear with any look anywhere. It has a coral undertone which makes it perfect for spring. The only thing I do not like about it is that it smells like paint.

Lovisa Gypsy Necklace

I love the look these sort of necklaces give an outfit but I only have the large statement necklaces so I purchased this because it is small and understated but still gives a boho look. I love wearing this during the day for something a little bit extra.

Typo Weekly Planner

I am an absolute freak when it comes to planning and being in control. I found this weekly planner that has these big blocks open for everyday and I  use it to plan out my week and to brainstorm blogpost ideas and when they will be going up. Each month's pages have different patterns and colours. I use markers and pens of different colour and plan out my week. It is perfect to get your life organised!

Let me know in the comments below what you have been loving this month!

Style Icon: Victoria from Inthefrow

Victoria is a London-based blogger and Youtuber who I think does not get the credit she deserves.

Not only is she gorgeous with amazing style; she is smart to. She also has a PhD! She is really good at make-up and I'm a religious viewer of her YouTube channel!

Can I just say what major hair and closet envy I have!

None of the photos above are mine. I took them from Inthefrow.com.