When it came to writing this post I decided instead of multiple categories I would narrow it down to 14 products I truly loved in 2014, little did I realise how tough that would be?! But I did it!
The products below truly are favourites of mine that I would recommend to everyone and I'm sure will continue to be throughout 2015. With more expensive products, I've featured them due to them being not only great but are either multi-purpose or offering a lot of product for your money - so I feel are worth the extra spend.
I really hope you note a few of these products down to try out in 2015 - you won't be let down!
01. Clarins Mineral Loose Powder
However many powders I buy time and time again I go back to this. It leaves the skin perfectly defused and matte with a lovely velvet touch. This is also a massive 30g which is literally lasting me years!
(£30.00 in 3 shades - Boots here)
02. Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette
I've owned nearly all the Naked palettes but this compact Basics palette is exactly what I need. All the shades get used and are perfect for day and night nude eyes. I also use the black eyeshadow (Crave) as liner and the brown (Faint) on my brows. Just the perfect nude palette.
(£22.00 - Feel Unique here or Debenhams)
03. Benefit Hoola Bronzer
This is a total bronzer staple for me. I've pretty much ditched everything else and use this to contour with every time I do my makeup. It's the perfect tone and looks so natural. I'm so glad I discovered this in 2014!
(£23.50 - Feel Unique here or Boots)
04. Sara Happ Lip Scrub in Red Velvet
Now this is a little luxury for me but as I suffer from dry lips I wanted something I could use daily and enjoy using... also like the above Clarins Powder you get a lot of product for your money so I feel it's worth it. This lip sugar scrub is beyond yummy tasting (as are all the flavours, especially Creme Brulee) and really exfoliates the lips. Worlds apart from the Lush ones which I find falls off the lips and dries out in the pot over time.
(£15.20 - Beauty Bay here)
05. Soap & Glory Thick & Fast Mascara
I feel mascara is such personal choice depending on the type of lashes you have and it's a matter of trial and error until you find ones that work for you. But still I had to include this in my favourites as in 2014 I struggled to find a daytime mascara I liked, but then I came across this and found it to be the right amount of volume with no clumping. This is also a bigger brush than I'd normally go for but somehow it hasn't been a problem. Also lasts all day without flaking or transferring above or under the eyes.
(£10.00 - Boots here)
06. Maybelline Color Tatoo Eyeshadow in On & On Bronze
Maybelline's Color Tattoos are pretty much the high street/budget answer to MAC Paint Pots! So even though this specific shade is my favourite and most used, I highly recommend the entire range. These are super pigmented, creamy and easy to work with either using the fingers or a fluffy blending brush. Just love, love, love! Will be making sure I pick up more shades this year.
(£4.99 - Boots here)
07. Lanolips Lip Ointment with Colour in Rose
This is a hybrid lip care/lip colour product that is perfect for an effortless lip. I have a few of these now but this specific shade is always in my handbag as it great to whip on after whatever I've been wearing has faded. Slightly thick in the tube but these melt onto the lips and feel so comfortable.
(£7.99 - Boots here or Waitrose)
08. Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Scrub
Ahhhh, the best smelling product of 2014! Before this scrub I was obsessed with S&Gs The Breakfast Scrub but when I smelt this I knew it would be an instant favourite. This is super zingy and refreshing with just the right amount of exfoliating granules in it to buff the skin. If you are looking for a new body scrub then seriously have a smell of this when you're in Boots next.
(£8.00 - Boots here)
09. Nip + Fab Deep Cleansing Fix
This was a discovery toward the end of 2014 but one I instantly was so impressed with and used over every other cleanser I loved. The cleanser is a super soft cream cleanser that reminds me so much of a lighter version of Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish. It removes makeup a dream and leaves the skin feeling perfectly clean. It also doubles up as a face mask which actually works really nicely. Slight downfall that it's in a tub but I can overlook that due to the amount you get for the price.
(£5.30 - Boots here or Tesco)
10. Mudd Original Deep Cleansing Clay Mask
With oily and sometimes blemished skin I love a good face mask that draws out excess oil and dries out spots and this is exactly what this mask does. This simple face mask literally soaks up excess oil amazingly well and leaves the skin looking and feeling so much better. I've tried so many face masks catered towards oily skin but this for me gives the best results. (£3.39 -Amazon here)
11. Yes To Grapefruit Exfoliating Facial Wipes
I have a love/hate relationship with face wipes as I love using them but getting over dependant on them to remove makeup just isn't great for the skin. But if you are mindful of that then it's possible to enjoy using them, especially if it's just to prep up the skin when you aren't wearing makeup. These wipes do just that for me. The smell is refreshing and zingy and the feel of these on the skin is quite awakening and again refreshing. You can also just feel they are quality compared to other face wipes. They also remove makeup well but again, not something I'd use to cleanse with.
(£4.00 - ASOS here or Boots)
12. China Glaze Ridge Filler Base Coat
At the beginning of 2014 my excessive nail polish wearing took it's toll, leaving me with sad yellow stained ridged nails. So in came the regular use of China Glaze Ridge Filler Base Coat which protected my nails from more staining (also meaning my nails grew out the old discolouration and are now back to normal!) and concealed all the ridges in my nails. Once you get ridged nails other than carefully buffing them there really isn't anything you can do to correct them but a good ridge filler under nail polish works wonders. I've tried a few now but this is so far the best at giving a smooth finish.
(£7.95 - eBay here)
13. L'Oreal Ever... Shampoo Range
If you've read Makeup Savvy for any time you will probably know that I like to avoid SLS's in face, body and hair products - basically if it foams it has to be SLS's free (I just find it drying and a rubbish ingredient). But as it's the foaming agent in products alternatives can sometimes be a bit rubbish especially when it comes to shampoos. However my favourite of 2014 was the L'Oreal Ever Range with the EverRiche one being my absolute favourite. Not only does this foam a dream but I love that it's a creamy shampoo that really is perfect for dry/damaged hair... it also smells pretty incredible. I'm not sure how well this would work for anyone with bad scalp conditions but if you do get dandruff or a dry scalp then this would be a great shampoo to switch to. Also if anyone is looking for a more hydrating creamy shampoo then the L'Oreal EverRiche Shampoo is definitely worth trying.
(£5.99 - Boots, Tesco, Superdrug)
14. Phyto 7 Hydrating Hair Day Cream
Lastly another hair product that I surprisingly fell in love with. This came with a bundle of other products in a Selfridges Beauty Box and I really didn't know what to make of it. Did my hair really need a day cream? The answer to that question was yes, yes it definitely does! This cream isn't for styling the hair though it does tame frizz but it's to give life back into your hair! Sounds dramatic but it's surprising how much hydration your hair towards the ends needs, it literally drinks this stuff up leaving it tamed, soft, shinier and all round happier. I now use this on damp hair before drying, after drying for extra taming and after using dry shampoo to remove that coarse/dry feeling. If you love your hair then you need this in your life!
(£13.95 - Feel Unique here)
Marathon blog post - DONE!
Really hope you enjoyed reading through my favourites and discover a few new great products out of it!
Fee xo.
