Wednesday 4 January 2017

2016 Favourites, Part 1!


Happy New Year! I hope you all had a great 2016 and are ready for 2017. Looking back at the past year, I can definitely say it was a really great year. Sure there were some tough times (I'm looking at you, FE1s) but I got through them and it was really worth it in the end (passed, woot woot!). Overall, the good things of the last year really outweighed the not-so-great: I had a great last semester at college, my sister got married, had a great time with a lot of my family because of the wedding (and I don't really get to see most of them often), graduation, passing my first four FE1s (the postgrad law exams), etc. I'm really thankful for the amazing year I've had!



So, onto my favourites for the last year! I have tons of stuff to share with you guys, so I've split this post into two: part 1 will be all things beauty, while part two will be all those other things, like movies, tv shows, accessories, etc.


Starting with skincare, the L'oreal Extraordinary Oil Facial Cleansing Oil is still my top pick for removing my makeup overall. It's fuss free, thorough and just a really great product! But before using the oil, I have loved using the Garnier Micellar Oil-Infused Cleansing Water to remove eye makeup and lipstick. Again, fuss free and thorough and I think it works better than the original oil-free version!


The Pixi Glow Tonic has been hyped and hyped over the years, and for a while it was always sold out in Marks and Spencer. I was lucky one day to have gone in when they seemingly just got a fresh batch! The Glow Tonic has definitely lived up the hype in my books, it is such an incredible toner. I feel it has improved my skin texture by making it so smooth!

Another thing that has helped with that is the Foreo Luna 2. I got the Luna Play first to try out, because the Luna 2 is quite an investment at €200! Luckily, the Luna Play is redeemable against the Luna 2 though. I found both give my skin a real deep cleanse, and my skin always feels incredible after. I absolutely adore the device!

Last in the skincare category is the L'Oreal Pure Clay Detox Mask. I bought all three back in August when they launched, but the Detox one has by far been my favourite. I like to put this on my nose and chin, which are the two places I get blackheads. The mask really helps to clear them out, and leaves my skin so silky smooth. I just used this last night, and couldn't get over how smooth my nose was (although I should be used to it at this point!).


The TooFaced Born This Way and the Missha M Magic Cushion Moisture were my go to foundations in 2016. The Born This Way has heavier coverage, and this was what I gravitated towards for parties, special occasions, and dinners. For daytime use though, the Missha cushion was what I grabbed: it's more natural and lighter coverage, and it has SPF 50. I love how these look on my skin, and how neither clings to my dry patches!

My go-to under-eye concealer the last year has been the Maybelline Age Rewind. I love how bright it makes my under-eyes looks and how well it covers my dark circles!

Finally, the BeautyBlender! I got my hands on the popular sponge back in April and it's been pretty much the only thing I use for foundation since! I love how well it blends out my foundation, leaving no streaks and keeping the foundation from looking cakey. It's also amazing for blending out concealer. I can't believe how long it took me to get on this bandwagon!


For my brows, I've been loving the Essence Make Me Brow the past year. I've already got quite thick brows, so I normally don't fill them in (unless I'm going all out with my makeup). The Make Me Brow has been great for those days where I want a little bit of tint in my brows and something to give them a little bit of structure.

I couldn't decide which of these two highlighter to include, but honestly, they both have been my most reached for highlighters the past year, so they both have to be here! The Becca Champagne Pop and Mac Oh Darling highlighters are so stunning, they both give such an amazing glow to the face. Obsessed. The Mac one was limited edition unfortunately, but if it comes back in another collection, RUN AND BUY IT!


I think I mentioned my love for the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in my February Favourites. It's a really lovely, thick, gloopy lip oil that is so nourishing for the lips. I use this as a night treatment because of how thick it is.

For daytime use, the Essence Prettifying Lip Oil has been my go to lip product. It's replaced my Carmex, which I was starting to feel wasn't really doing much for me anymore. Like the Clarins one, it's really nourishing, but a lot thinner in consistency so it absorbs a lot quicker. I'm so obsessed with these, I've gone through about 3 or 4 this year. I had run out at the end of August but just didn't have the time to get a new one because I was studying (all the time), and whatever lip balms I was using from then until October just weren't doing it, and as soon as my exams finished, I went and bought another one. I think my current one will run out well before my exams, so I need to make sure to pick up a backup soon!

As for actual lip colours, my absolute favourite this year has been the Meet Matt(e) Hughes in the shade Charming by TheBalm. It's a gorgeous mauvey-pink liquid lipstick, that is super longlasting but doesn't leave your lips feeling like the Sahara. The colour is perfect for everyday wear too!


I have been using the Tangle Teezer for about 2 years now I think and this year they released the Thick and Curly brush, which has longer bristles. I didn't think I could love the Tangle Teezer anymore than I already did until I got this version. It makes brushing my hair even easier, and of course anyone with curly hair knows how much of a (rare) blessing that is!

Lastly, my favourite perfume of the year has hands-down been the Miu Miu perfume. It smells like jasmine flowers, and instantly takes me back to summers in Pakistan, when my grandmother would wake us up early every other morning to pick the jasmine flowers from the trees in her garden. We'd put the baskets of flowers throughout the house, and the house would smell like jasmine for the rest of the day. I actually won this perfume in a giveaway run by my fellow blogger Filomena, her blog is enhancewhatsyours.com. Thanks again, Filomena!

What have been your favourite beauty products in 2016? Let me know in the comments! And stay tuned for next weeks post for part 2!

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