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Friday 31 January 2014

January Beauty & Non-Beauty Favourites 2014

So it's the end of January and ergo the time to show you what things I've been loving this month. I thought that I'd mix it up a little bit between beauty things and a couple of random bits and bobs just to make it a bit more interesting. Without further ado, favourites please maestro!


Let's start with the beauty, because that's always the most interesting part. I'm sure you're all sick of hearing about the Urban Decay Naked 3 palette. Christmas morning, girls (and some men, I'm sure) ripped off the wrapping paper to uncover this beauty and undoubtedly wasted no time in trying it out. I can't say it was any different for me. My lovely parents splashed out a bit and bought it for me after a couple of hints dropped here and there by yours truly. 


Sadly, the picture doesn't do justice to just how pretty these shades are. I absolutely love love love the darkest shade 'blackheart', which I've sported on a couple of nights out. OTT in all of the right ways, I must admit! I also really love the shade 'strange', which is the lightest colour in the palette. It works well as a highlight or just to put all over the lid if you fancy a bit of a 'light-eye' makeup day, as I call it.


A bronzer boasted about by the masses is the next favourite of the month for me. Nars' 'Laguna' bronzer is just the right shade for my skin tone. I'm fairly fair skinned and after reading/watching the views of many bloggers about how it suited their skin tones, I thought I'd give it a go. Now, I've tried and tested a fair few bronzers over the past few years and I can safely say that none of them come close to the contouring genius of this one. To apply, I give my Real Techniques Blush Brush a whirl around in the powder and lightly brush the hollows of my cheeks. I've used this non-stop this month and I don't think it's going to be moving from my make-up bag anytime soon!


If you've read any of my older posts, you know that I rave on endlessly about The Body Shop and their Vitamin E Moisture Cream. I'm always applying it to set a base for my foundation to look after my skin as much as possible, so when I saw a little box of Body Shop goodies in TK-Maxx all centred around their Vitamin E range, I hastily made my way to the check-out. 

My skincare regime for the second half of 2013 was non-existant and I definitely noticed the difference as soon as I stopped taking care of it. I've been using this nightly for the past month and it's certainly made a difference. My spots (ew) have cleared up considerably and my face feels really smooth afterwards. The box of goodies also had a facial brush, which I use to apply the facial wash. I leave it on for roughly half a minute and then wash it off, dabbing my face with a towel afterwards. It's lovely! 


Another hyped about beauty product here. Half a year ago, I was nosing through the magazines in Tesco and found one that had a mini Benefit 'They're Real!' mascara, so I picked it up with the intention of trying it out. I'm one of those people that can't start a new mascara until I've completely used up my old one, so when my trusty Clinique 'High Impact Mascara' gave up the ghost, I gave this gem a go. Now, I'm definitely not the first to sing this baby's praises, but boy is it good. So good that I bought the full-sized version from Boots for a whopping £19.50. I must be mad, but I think it's worth it! 


Again, this isn't the first time I've mentioned this particular favourite of mine. Tanning? In January? I know, it's ridiculous. St. Tropez 'Gradual Tan' is an everyday body moisturiser that gives your skin a bit of a healthy sun kissed glow that I can't seem to get enough of. I don't use it every day, otherwise I'll look like I've just got back from Spain mid-July, but I have applied it a few times this month just to make it feel a little bit like Summer in the freezing cold! 


Perfume seems to have sneaked it's way into a tradition for me at Christmas. A new bottle of a different perfume is now a must that I'm not complaining about! The scent of choice was 'Daisy' by Marc Jacobs and it smells divine. I'm awful at describing scents, but if I had to put a label on it, it would be fresh and floral. Descriptive or what? The Eau So Fresh version is much lighter than the Eau De Parfum, which I like, but it still lasts for the whole day. I've found myself sniffing at my wrists in the middle of the evening, it lasts so long. No reapplying necessary!


Non-beauty favourites time! I've had my eye on this beautiful necklace for a very long time and I must say that this picture doesn't do it justice. To have a better look, click here to check it out on the Daisy website. I did a little bit more hint dropping and managed to have this stunning piece of neckwear as a birthday present from my mum and dad. This necklace has seen a fair few fun nights over the past month and I'm sure it'll be subjected to much more! The jewellery Daisy London sells is all so dainty and pretty, I really recommend you go and check them out. They even have a 15% off offer at the moment just in time for Valentines day. Might even treat myself to something! (Totally the point of Valentines Day. Treat yourself if nobody else does!)


Bit of a strange one, but lets roll with it. I've been loving this app to record all of my calories, track my weight loss and it also has a nifty way of letting you record the calories you lose from your exercise. I got into using this last year when I started seriously dieting and I've continued straight through to this year with vigour. Once I've recorded my daily calories and submitted my diary for the day, it even gives you a little prediction of what weight you could be in five weeks if you keep going. It's a nice little motivational tool that helps you keep on track with what you eat and stops you going over the top on snacks! 

Another love of mine this month has been my shoes that I bought off ebay last year in October. Whenever I go out for meals or for a drink with the girls in the evening, these have been my first choice of footwear. They're super comfortable and don't require you to tot around all evening! Easy to walk in is key when you're sipping on some wine (or something stronger!) and these fit the bill. They're a little battered (hence the lack of a close-up), so they aren't the most long-lasting of footwear but they certainly didn't break the bank. You get what you pay for, I suppose!

I hope that you enjoyed this post and you've gotten a bit of insight into some of my beauty and non-beauty favourites of the month. Comment below what some of your recent favourites have been so that I can make the excuse of sneaky purchases being for research purposes! On a side note, I've also been posting a lot more on Instagram since the start of this year- so follow me @dailybeaut if you fancy it!

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