Favourite Discoveries Of 2014

While it seems that 2014 has been the quickest year ever, I feel that I have made some great discoveries this year and there have been some products that I have been using pretty consistently throughout. Doing Christmas on a student budget doesn't exactly leave much to spare, so I haven't tried many new products through the month of December and so I thought it might be more appropriate to show some of my stand out finds from 2014, instead of my December favourites.

Xen Tan's Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe is a product that I had tried before the beginning of the year but as much as I loved the moisturising finish and olive toned colour, I just didn't feel that the tan it left behind was as dark as what I was used to. It was this year I discovered that applying this on two consecutive days, leaves you with the most perfect dark tan that lasts almost a full week. For me thats pretty amazing, as my incredibly dry skin seems to just repel tan after a couple of days, leaving me patchy with the urge to run home and scrub myself. I do think that this tan is very pricey, and for that reason I do have some others on rotation, but nothing else quite measures up. 

I have fairly sensitive skin, so never got on very well with typical 'gritty' exfoliators, but this year I have loved using chemical exfoliants on my skin. The Clarins Gentle Exfoliating Brightening Toner is lovely, I use this every other evening and it helps to keep my skin looking bright, feeling smooth and tackling any dry patches. 

I won't go on about this one too much as I know I have already mentioned it multiple times on here, but the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation is what has been on my face for the majority of the year. The coverage can be taken from a natural wash of colour to a full coverage foundation that really does make you look healthy and glowing, and the lack of SPF and great lasting power make it perfect for evenings too.

I have never been happy with my naturally sparse, thin brows and always felt that Brow Pencil and Powder start to look un natural when you are wanting to actually alter the shape of your brow. Discovering the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade has made me so much happier with the look of my eyebrows, as with a little angled brush (MAC's 208 does it for me) you can draw on tiny individual hairs and create the look of a thicker, defined brow. The product is also waterproof so you don't have to worry about it going anywhere, or touching up throughout the day. 

The By Terry Celluarose Blush Glacés are one of the most unique products I have tried this year, and they are the blushes that I turn to whenever my skin is looking dull or lacklustre. These have a watery consistency that once blended in look like a natural flush, and the glowy finish makes you look instantly healthy. 

2014 has been the year that I have really gotten into bold lipsticks, and have been loving matte liquid lipsticks in particular. I love the formula of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets, and 01 is the red lip choice that I have reached for most over the year. Its a very flattering, slightly darkened red on me and the lasting power makes it perfect for dinner or a night out. 

The Maybelline Forever Strong Super Stay Gel Colours are in my opinion the best nail varnishes available in the drugstore, these things combine some serious staying power power with a beautiful formula and shade range, meaning I have built up quite a collection over the year. 

Lastly, a bit of a strange one thrown in - but I have been using the Rapidlash Eyelash Enhancing Serum on and off throughout 2014, and I really can see a difference in the appearance of my lashes and brows. After consistent use for a month or two my lashes look longer, thicker and healthier and I am certain my brows have slightly more going on than they used too. I think this may have gone up in price from when I purchased it a year ago but it is definitely something thats worth looking at if you are unhappy with your lashes, or possibly need to get them back in a better condition following lash extensions. 

I hope you enjoyed this little round up of my top picks from the year, I chose to do this over a full 2014 Favourites as I wanted to just show the bits that have really stood out, and for some categories such as Mascara I have chopped and changed so much throughout the year that I don't feel I could pick just one! What are your some of your favourites from this year? Let me know! 

Xen Tan Round-Up

As a long term tanning addict I have tried and tested quite a few over the years. I wear tan pretty much all the time, and Xen Tan is a brand I've loved for a while now. I find them to be the most long lasting on my horribly dry skin, and love the natural colour they give.

So lets start with possibly the most hyped up tan of all time.. the Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe. A quick note about this product is that I don't actually find it to be all that dark. After one layer, I'm left with a natural glow, so normally I would use this for two consecutive days to get to the colour I want. This product also doesn't really have a guide colour, on my pale skin tone it shows up slightly, but on anyone darker than me you really wouldn't be able to see where you have applied, which may be a worry for some! Aside from that, due to its luxurious and moisturising formula, I find this the most long lasting tan that I've tried.

The second product I've tried from Xen Tan is their original Dark Lotion Weekly Self Tan. This is a really great all rounder, it leaves you with a lovely olive toned tan, feels moisturising on the skin, and I think you get a good amount of product for your money. I also really like the packaging of this tan, it may not be as fancy but the pump is really practical as it helps you use an even amount of product round your body.

The most recent addition is the Xen Tan Moroccan Tan.  From first application I fell in love with the seriously dark colour of this product. I love a really really deep tan, and this pulls that off on my pale skin with out looking too orange or un natural. The formula is more of a gel consistency as opposed to the other two which are true lotions, but due to the Argan Oil enriched formula, the Moroccan tan still feels moisturising.

Its worth mentioning that all of the Xen Tan products smell lovely too, Absolute Luxe and Dark Lotion have a warm marzipan sort of scent, while Moroccan tan smells of coconut and holidays!

Price wise, none of these tans are the cheapest, I find the pricing is on par with the likes of St Tropez, but I think Xen Tans range of products perform much better.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any other suggestions of tans that I would like then please comment below, I'm always looking for an excuse to spend money!