Product Likes and Dislikes for 2019

As we come to the end of a decade and arrive in 2020, I have looked back over my reviews for the last 365 days and uncovered a lot of products I absolutely loved, many of which I have re-purchased a fair few times and then we have two products which I didn't love at all in 2019 but featured them on my blog, one out of frustration and the other as a dupe post.

It was really hard to choose which products stood out for in 2019 because there are so many from different brands that I just love and many that I constantly rave about, but I did manage to choose a mixture of skincare, fragrance, makeup and some non-beauty products that I loved and almost everything featured has been repurchased with a few exceptions. 

One brand I had really wanted to try was Drunk Elephant.  When something is as raved about online via social media as some brands are, you can't help but want to try them. So, I purchased the Drunk Elephant Slaai Makeup-Melting Butter Cleanser (review here). Anyone who knows me or reads my blog will know that I am a huge fan of balm cleansers, this one included.

Staying with skincare and of course, Emma Hardie was going to make it onto my list with the Moringa Light Cleansing Gel (review here).  I am a huge fan of the cleansing balm and it is always a product I have within my stash for double cleansing with, but this gel is a perfect alternative for a morning cleanse and it smells just as incredible as the balm.

I never thought I would be someone who loved trainers, but ever since I injured my ankle on the last bank holiday of the year in 2018 and honestly, the photos of my ankle are grim so I haven't shared them with you.  However, with my injury, which was essentially every ligament torn, tendons over-stretched and a flare-up of Plantar Fascitis means it has been agony to walk and I was on crutches for a few weeks too.  So,  I have had to resort to comfort shoe over 'but I really like those boots' and to begin with I was less than happy. However, Skechers trainers have been an absolute dream to wear.  I can walk without being in agony, they don't hurt my feet, they feel like you are walking on clouds and my physio said I have to wear them, so what is a girl to do.  My current Skecher of choice is the Skech-Air by Skechers and I absolutely love them.

Choosing a fragrance is something of a personal choice, it is rare I can walk into a department store and find a scent I like from the first sniff, I have to walk away and try it within an environment I am likely to spend some time in.  In 2019 I came across two fragrances that I have continually worn.  The first is from Jo Malone with Nectarine Blossom and Honey and it is a scent that came into my life accidentally (review here) but it is one I have since repurchased because it is stunning.  The second is from Floral Street with Electric Rhubarb (review here) and honestly, not only does it smell just insane, it lasts and it lasts and it lasts on the skin, on your clothes and I have had so many compliments about it when I wear it.  When you really love a fragrance that much, chances are you will like others within the range, so now I have my eye on London Poppy from Floral Street and Honeysuckle and Davana from Jo Malone.

When it comes to eyeshadow palettes, I am very happy with my Nude/Neutral shades and I don't think I will ever venture too far from them.  The palette I have surprised myself by using a lot during 2019 is the Diego Dalla Palma Nude Eyeshadow Palette (review here). 

The palette Nuda contains 12 stunning, highly pigmented shades all of which are nude and warm colours and they are said to have been inspired by the colours of the earth. 

My happy place when I am stressed, feeling poorly or just want to take a time out is in the bath.  We recently had our bathroom renovated and I am up for using any excuse I can find to use and try new products.  I am a huge fan of bath salts, in my opinion, they are very much underrated and this year I've been lucky enough to try two new brands - Verdant Alchemy and London Bathers.  Liquid Yoga by Mama Mio will forever be a product in my bathroom and I can never rave about it enough, but bath salts have been a lifesaver.  The Drift Off Mineral Bath Salts from Verdant Alchemy (review here) is designed to calm your mind and help you drift off and alongside Epsom and Dead Sea Salt, you will find ingredients such as vetiver and lavender. With London Bathers, I was lucky enough to try a trio of Soaking Salts (review here). London Bathers are an independent, family-run company on a mission to offer high quality, low impact bathroom products and accessories.

One item that has probably made a bigger impact than I had anticipated is silk pillowcases and to date, I have tried three different brands and there is no going back.  Slip Silk was the first brand I tried (review here) and it was like waking up someplace new and as someone who is a constant pillow turner because I hate having a hot pillow, it was quite the change.  Then I tried Holistic Silk (review here) again, literally, life-changing sleeping on something so soft, smooth and not having the pillow crease face the following day is quite something.  The final brand I tried most recently is SilkUp (review here) and as with the previous brands, a silk pillowcase comes with so many benefits, I simply couldn't switch back.  If it is something you can afford to treat yourself too, then definitely do.

The job I do can result in a lot of stress, so I tend to opt for products which can help de-stress me and as well as spending time in the bath, I am a huge fan of candles and this year I have shared quite a few on my blog.  However, Bath and Bodyworks Stress Relief Candle (review here) are definitely one I go too to create that relaxing atmosphere as it uses Eucalyptus Essential Oil to help clear the mind as well as Spearmint Essential Oil which soothes and uplifts.  The entire range is just totally divine.

When I am stressed, one place it shows is my scalp and I can have a nightmare with a dry scalp at this time.  Two products I've been introduced too during the last year come from Omorovicza and Living Proof.  From Omorovicza we have the Revitalizing Scalp Mask (review here) a pre-shampoo treatment which is packed with amazing ingredients such as Hungarian Moor Mud a product featured in the majority of the brand's range.  Then from Living Proof, we have the Restore Dry Scalp Treatment which you use on clean, damp hair. Again from Living Proof, we have a product which uses a hyaluronic acid-based Molecular Patch delivers instant soothing and sustained hydration to the scalp.

Lip Balm is an absolute must and I have recently bought the Rabot 1745 Lipbalm (review here) for a friend as part of her Christmas box because it is just so good.  Part of the Hotel Chocolat range, this lip balm smells absolutely incredible and yet on the lips, it is as moisturising and hydrating as some of the higher-end brands that I have tried.

The final skincare product that I just absolutely loved comes from Fresh Beauty and having read and seen so much about the brand on my social media timeline, I went in search of something to try.  The Lotus Youth Preserve Rescue Mask (review here). Described as being designed to combat signs of tired and overstressed skin, this mask uses a whole host of amazing ingredients hydrate, improve radiance and promote a youthful-looking complexion.

The final part of my likes for 2019 is book recommendations.  I have been a huge book worm since the day I learnt to read and for the last few years, I have used my Goodreads account to set goals and challenges for books to read throughout the year.

For 2019 there are two books that need to read if you haven't done so already, whether you are an avid reader or sometimes pick up a book and then forget about it.  The first one is by Gail Honeyman with Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine. Described as being an astonishing story that powerfully depicts the loneliness of life, and the simple power of a little kindness, I can guarantee you that Eleanor Oliphant will be someone who makes you wonder how she is, despite being a character in a book, she is someone we can all relate to in so many ways. An absolute heroine who cannot help but want to be friends with.  The second book is The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris and there are so many words to use to describe this book, but it is described as a beautifully written harrowing story of one man's will to survive in Auschwitz...it is a story of hope and endurance and a beauty that emerges when all around is painted in black. As a reader, you cannot help but be affected by this account the simplicity of the storytelling only adds to the poignancy. This book had me in tears, it made me smile, it made me cheer and it made me realise just how strong that human spirit to survive is.

It is rare I feature products I dislike on my blog because I prefer to promote the things I actually like, however, there is one product which drove me to distraction and that was the Revolution Foil Frenzy Creation Eyeshadow Palette (full review here). At just £8 and knowing how good Revolution usually is, I had high hopes for this palette.  

Unfortunately, it was just awful and the swatches turned out to be nothing like those I had seen on the Revolution Instagram page, even when I wet them to attempt to get some colour pay off.  Definitely not in my good books!

The second product in my dislike pile is the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Daily Cleansing Pads. I am not a huge fan of Nip + Fab as a brand in any case, I think they are overpriced for a highstreet brand especially when you can get better products for less and more so when I compared the Aldi Lacura Daily Cleansing pads (full review here) which are an almost identical dupe.

At a different in the price of more than £11 or a saving of more than £11 depending on how you see it, there was no question for me as to which product was the better of the two, more so that the ingredients are nearly identical.   

So that is my 2019 round-up of products and I would love to now if you have found anything here that tempts you or is one of your own favourite products to use?

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Glossybox Merry Metallics

This month Glossybox have treated us to quite the beauty of a box with a varied mix of products inside. There is no denying that the festive season is upon on and by the time this review goes live, we will be looking towards 2020 and saying goodbye to 2019 - how quickly did that come about by the way?

Promising to give your routine a touch of glitz and glamour, the Merry Metallics edit is filled with full-sized products which features everything you need to see in the new year looking absolutely fabulous!

The first product out of the box comes from Lasplash Cosmetics with their Golden Gatsby 3D Faux Mink Lashes.  Can any look be truly complete without long, flirty and fluttery lashes?

Designed to help you channel your inner 1920's flapper girl, these cruelty-free false lashes are quite stunning and all you need is your lash glue and you are good to go.  I am really picky when it comes to false lashes, I tend to prefer ones which are pre-glued, though these ones are really easy to work with.

The second item out of the box comes from Original Source with the Sweet Rhubarb and Raspberry Shower Gel.

This shower gel is described as being packed with 4 essential oils which are designed to leave your skin glowing as well as scented with the fragrance which reminds me of Rhubarb and Custard sweets.  What's more, this bottle is recyclable and the product is vegan.

A brand I got to know through beauty boxes is Bellapierre and within this box we have the Liquid Eye Shadow Eye Candy in the shade Venus which is just stunning.

Liquid Eyeshadows seem to have been quite the thing to use during the whole of 2019 and this one definitely does deserve a mention.  Extremely pigmented, it has an easy to use applicator wand which allows for easy application and once in place, it doesn't move or crease, which is definitely a huge plus point.  I love the shade, it is definitely one which is within my comfort zone being a bronze colour and whilst it is pigmented with shimmer, it isn't something which irritates my eyes like some brands have done.

If a loose powder pigment is more your product, then we have another brand that I have again got to know via Glossybox and that is Steve Laurant.

This glittery multi-purpose pigment powder is very much the formula that you can use on your eyelids for that shimmery look, it can also be used wet and applied along the lash line for a sparkly eyeliner, or if you are wanting to really make your look pop, a little dabbing above the cheekbones for a beautiful highlight.  The one thing I will say is that you only need a small amount to create an impact.  Again, this shade sits within my comfort zone of colours because again, it a bronze shade with a slight rose gold hue.

The final item within the box comes from L.O.V and it is the Lipaffair color and care lipstick.  I have the nude shade and actually quite like it.

Described as being a lipstick which boasts a unique blend of pigments, the texture is quite creamy and it applies nice and evenly without dragging or pulling over the lips.  Enriched with Kendi Oil and Hyaluronic filling spheres which help to smooth your pout, it is also said to visibly plump the lips too, though this isn't something I have noticed.  It definitely does give really good colour payoff and it lasts a good 4-5 hours because it has totally disappeared and needs to be re-applied, but overall, I really like the shade.

Again for me, this is another really good box from Glossybox and one which fits with the Merry Metallic theme, though I think it is more of a New Years Eve than a Christmas Eve box for helping to create that wow factor look. 

As always you can subscribe to Glossybox right here and if you use the code BQUEEN20 you can get yourself 20% off that first box!  

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

Polaar | Arctic Beauty Secrets

I love discovering new beauty brands and the latest one to land in my lap comes from Polaar, a brand which has quite the story to tell and it looks just as good as it sounds.

The Polaar adventure began 30 years ago with a lovely story which goes like this:

During his Arctic expeditions, Daniel Kurbiel discovered the unique ability of native plant life to survive in extreme weather conditions thanks to their natural active ingredients. With this knowledge, Daniel joined forces with Karine Roche to found Polaar - a range of hard-working skincare using concentrated ingredients from these plants to strengthen, purify, and protect your skin in all seasons.

So having been kindly sent The Genuine Lapland collection box, I was keen to get to know these products and try them out.

The first one to catch my eye was the Polaar Genuine Lapland Cream which comes packaged inside a beautiful tin which fastens tightly to keep the freshness.

The cream is formulated to be used on either your face and body. It uses a unique mix of three berries – arctic raspberries, cloudberries, and lingonberries all of which are known for their antioxidant properties, and all are rich in vitamins A, C, and E. On the skin, this cream not only nourishes and pampers dry skin but it also leaves behind a protective layer of hydration.

What I particularly like about this cream is that it doesn't have an overly thick texture, it glides onto the skin smoothly and absorbs quickly.

The second product from the package is the Polaar Genuine Lapland Handcream which comes packaged inside a squeezy metallic tube.

I am a huge fan of hand creams and without question, it is a product I always have on my desk, in my handbag and beside the bed. This particular hand cream, like the cream above, is enriched with Arctic Berries. Its job is to deliver a cocoon of moisture and protection to the hands to soften, replenish and relieve. 

When I use a hand cream, I want something that absorbs quickly without being greasy and I want something which isn't oily. From Polaar we get a hand which ticks both of those boxes and it leaves my hands not only feeling soft and smooth, but also hydrated and without too much of a fragrance.

The final product within this trio is the Polaar Genuine Lapland Lip Balm and like hand cream, for me, a lip balm is a must-have beauty product and it is something I go through quite a lot of.

Again, it will come as no surprise that this lip balm, like the two products before it has a formula which is infused with a vitamin-rich blend of arctic raspberries, blackberries and lingonberries for powerful antioxidant protection against wind, cold temperatures and pollution.  Alongside the berries, this lip balm is also packed with Shea butter, Beeswax and Coconut Oil, all of which come together to repair dryness, moisturise and comfort the skin.

This balm has a slanted tip, so the application is really easy.  Once on the lips, it absorbs really quickly, much quicker than some other balms I have tried.  It is non-greasy and has little fragrance to it.

As a brand, Polaar has other collections available which include Northern Lights, IcyMagic and Eternal Snow to name just a few and you can find them all here from lookfantastic.  The range is cruelty-free, vegan and contains no mineral oil or alcohol.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.

MOR Precious Pomegranate Giftset

With a newly renovated bathroom comes the excuse and excitement to open new products and make the bathroom look all pretty, I promise there is a post coming about the changes soon.  As a brand, I have featured MOR a few times on my blog, here with a beautiful candle and again here with the Marshmallow range.

Recently added to the bathroom from MOR is the Precious Pomegranate Giftset (£35) and it smells just as divine as the name might suggest. Packaged inside a beautiful red tin with fetching black bow, you will find a Pomegranate Hand & Body Wash and a Pomegranate Hand and Body Milk.

Discover a fragrant Orchard. Rich with fruity perfumes and bursting with ruby pomegranates and blackcurrant berries, it's a paradise of deliciousness to delight and pleasure your senses.

The one thing about MOR as a brand is that their descriptions of the product scents have always been absolutely spot on and this range is no different.

The hand & body wash is blended with oils of Blackcurrant, Rosehip, Neroli, Apricot and Hazelnut Seed to nourish the body and it also contains Ginger Root, Mango and Peach extract known for their skin conditioning properties.  As soon as the wash is released onto the skin, the boldness of the Blackcurrant is not something you can miss and it is so fresh a scent that you cannot help but really enjoy it.  It lathers slightly when in contact with the water and in doing so, it leaves the skin slightly scented with the fragrance after use.

The hand & body milk is the perfect accompaniment to the wash, again it is blended with oils of Blackcurrant, Rosehip, Neroli, Soybean, Sweet Almond and Macadamia Seed for silky-soft skin and alongside this comes Mango and Peach extracts known for their skin conditioning properties before the final inclusion of nourishing SheaButter to hydrate body.  What I really like about this body milk is that it is much more of a lotion than a milk, it isn't as runny as I had expected it to be, but once on the skin, it absorbs quite quickly and without being greasy or tacky on the skin, it leaves behind a beautiful fresh scent of berries. 

This Precious Pomegranate gift set would make a lovely gift for anyone who not only loves luxurious products in their bathroom, but it makes a nice alternative to what other brands have to offer.  You can find MOR products readily available online from sites such as Lookfantastic and Feelunique.

*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.