As it was Christmas and I was lounging around at home eating chocolate for half of the month, there aren’t as many beauty favourites as usual. I didn’t wear much makeup on the weeks I was off. There are, however, still some really great products for you to discover.

I usually put books into my lifestyle favourites, but as this one is a dedicated beauty book, I thought it was more relevant to include it here. The Nature of Beauty by Imelda Burke (£13.60 from Amazon) is all about natural and organic beauty. It’s a guide to how you can become an expert in what your own body needs and in creating your own skincare regime. It really makes you more knowledgeable about ingredients and what you are putting on your skin – helping you to make more informed shopping decisions. More and more people are turning to natural beauty products and if you’re interested in it, this book is for you.

There’s a new hairbrush from Paul Mitchell that I’ve really been enjoying using. The Neuro Round Brush in Medium* (£20.95 from Salon Success) has an industrial-strength vented titanium barrel and it really cuts down my blow drying time. It has nylon anti-static bristles, so it keeps your hair smooth and frizz-free. 

I’ve been teaming this brush with L’Avoly’s The Special One* (£15 from Salon Success) when blow-drying my hair. It’s a 10-in-1 Styling Cream that you put through your damp hair. It literally does everything you could need – it’s a detangler, it helps prevent split ends, it boosts shine, controls frizz, gives you heat protection when styling, moisturises, prevents against salt and chlorine damage, provides UV protection and primes your hair for a lasting style. It has a really light and pleasant fragrance too, that’s hard to describe.

Onto makeup, the New CID i-illuminise Liquid Illuminator with Brush in Opal* (£19.60 from Look Fantastic) is so pretty. It comes in a clicky pen with a brush on the end and you can purchase refil cartridges when you run out. Opal is a beautiful rose gold irridescent shimmer. It’s formulated with micro-fine pearls, so you get a real glow. I like to applyy it to my cheekbones etc with the brush and then pat it in and blend with my finger.

Finally, the new limited edition Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion in Enigma (£16 from Urban Decay) is so good. It really keeps your eyeshadow in place and helps to smooth out the lid for better application and less visible flaws. 100% of the proceeds from sales of this nude matte shade with go to women’s empowerment charities through Urban Decay’s The Ultra Violet Edge initiative – particularly focussing on reducing homelessness. The primer has a handy doe-foot applicator and a very pretty jewel-like lid.

What products have you been loving?

This post contains press samples, but all opinions are my own.

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