BEST OF 2013 | Hair, body, face, fragrance

The past year has been the year that I really got into beauty, I believe. It's something I've always loved and been interested in but 2013 was the year I gained a lot of knowledge on the subject, branched out into more brands and found some products that I know I'm going to be loving for life. The following products are my favourite hair, body, face and fragrance ones of this year. And in the next couple of days, I'll be letting you into my favourite make up items.

Face

The La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo - £13.00 (review) is a serum that I still constantly use. It sent the blogosphere into a frenzy this year and for good reason too - keeping spots at bay is its forte. The blogging world went acid crazy and my favourite acid was without a doubt the Nip + Fab Glycolic Fix Exfoliating Facial Pads - £12.99 (review). Not only are they easy to use but they remove dead skin cells and leave the skin looking glowing and feeling incredibly soft. A must have in my skin care routine. The Epiduo (prescription only) also changed my life. I'm now spot free the majority of the time which is fabulous. And finally, my favourite product of this year is the Super Facialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil - £10.99 (review). It's a bargain, removes make up instantly, smells like oranges and brightens the complexion. I can't rave about this enough and I'm already on my third bottle.

Hair

This year I've been crazy over hair and the TIGI Reparative Nocturnal Therapy* - £26.95 (review) makes looking after your locks easy. Simply spread over the hair at night, wash off in the morning and you're left with beautifully soft, strong hair. I've also been addicted to oils (mainly Moroccanoil but sadly I've ran out) and the L'Oreal Elvive Extraordinary Oil - £9.99 is a recent favourite. Much cheaper than the premium brands, this oil does exactly the same thing.

Body

I first tried the Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* - £3.49 (review) ages ago and it's still a staple in my collection today. It's extremely nourishing without being heavy and the scent (cherry almonds) is to die for. Fake Bake's 60 Minute Tan* - £24.95 (review) changed fake tanning forever. In just one hour you can be left with a natural looking, streak free tan that looks like you've been jetsetting all over the world. I'm addicted to this stuff and it's perfect for those last minute nights out.

Fragrance

This year I rediscovered an old favourite. My all-time favourite perfume, Britney Spears Believe Eau de Parfum - £10.15 (review). This smells extremely beautiful - very grown up yet still young and with that classic celebrity fragrance behind it. Sadly, it doesn't receive much attention, but if you ever spy it, have a whiff. You'll end up addicted. This was also the year I fell deeply in love with the Taylor Swift Wonderstruck Eau de Parfum - £19.00 (review). The only way I can describe this scent is "me." And the bottle is to die for too.

What have been your favourite products this year?
*PR Sample

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Fake Tanning Preparation Products

When it comes to fake tanning, preparation is key. There's no point in applying fake tan if you don't have a good base to start off with. It sounds silly but there really is an art to fake tanning. If you don't prepare your skin correctly, then you will without a doubt end up with patchy, streaky, nasty fake looking tan - and who wants that?!

To start off with, all body hair must be removed. It allows the fake tan to apply more evenly and it means that it won't cling onto the hairs. I use the EOS Vanilla Bliss Shave Cream* - £9.45 as it's my favourite shaving cream. You can use this shaving cream wet or dry which is amazing in itself. Since using this, I haven't cut myself once shaving. Which is amazing considering I'm extremely clumsy. It also smells lovely - not overpowering but nice, sweet and fresh - and it moisturises the skin. Secondly, it's incredibly important to exfoliate your skin to get rid of any dead skin cells which will allow a smooth application. I love the Burt's Bees Cranberry & Pomegranate Sugar Scrub* - £12.99. Once again, this smells lovely. It's a big, fruity mess that does a wonderful job at buffing away any dead skin. I prefer sugar scrubs to normal exfoliators when preparing my skin for fake tan as I find that they do a really good, abrasive job yet without being harsh. And this one doesn't let me down.. I use a moisturising body wash just so that I can get as much moisture into my skin as possible so I'm not left with any dry patches. This step isn't a necessity but I do it anyway just in case. I love the Naked Ooh La La Coco De Mer Body Wash* - £3.79 and the Philosophy Christmas Cookie Body Wash - £14. These two smell incredible and they do a great job at adding moisture into my skin. Finally it's so important to moisturise your skin - especially your elbows, knees, ankles and hands. If you don't, the fake tan will go patchy on your dry areas and that really isn't attractive. I either use the Dove Summer Glow Nourishing Body Lotion* - £4.99 or the Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* - £3.49. I use the Dove Summer Glow as a sort of primer as it adds a little bit of a glow/colour to my skin while moisturising it. The Jergens moisturiser is without a doubt my all time favourite moisturiser. It smells so delicious, sinks into the skin quickly and adds so much moisture without being sticky.

What are your must-have fake tanning preparation products?

xxx
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What I Use On... My Legs

When it comes to nights out, I always try and make sure that my legs look good and I thought it'd be interesting to show you which products I use on them as I think I've found some true gems!

Dove Summer Glow + Soft Shimmer* £4.99 - I use this to top up my fake tan throughout the week. I probably use it two-three times and it's the only gradual tanner that doesn't leave the skin looking streaky. It also has a pleasant smell that doesn't smell like nasty biscuits. It's great on the legs because it adds subtle shimmer.

Jergens Original Beauty Lotion* £3.49 - This is the only body lotion I'll ever use. It's definitely my go-to one as it's my favourite ever smell, cheap and it does the job. It sinks in nice and quickly and doesn't leave a nasty film on the skin. The moisture also lasts a while as I only need to use it once a day.

L'Oreal Perfect Slim £6.95 - I use this a couple of times a week to tighten up and tone my thighs and arms. It's a nice gel formula that's quite cooling. I'm not sure if it works but it feels nice so I continue to use it.

Dr Ceuticals Leg Tone & Shimmer* £8.49 - This is another toning moisturiser and I use this whenever I go on a night out as it adds a lovely amount of shimmer to the skin which really highlights the legs.

Xen-Tan Mousse Intense* £23.99 - My perfect fake tan! When this runs out, I need to get the lotion version as I prefer lotions to mousses but this is amazing. It leaves the skin a natural olive colour and although it has a green guide colour, it doesn't stain bedsheets. It's also very easy to use, doesn't leave streaks and lasts for around a week while fading evenly. Perfection!

Ministry of Waxing Ice Cream* £21 - Even though this is supposed to be used after waxing, I use it after shaving if I ever accidently cut my legs. It cools the skin and stops little nicks from irritating it.

diego dalla palma Spray on Tights* £22.61 - I hate tights with a passion! But I love how they leave the skin looking perfect. So I've found a middle ground. This Calze Spray is pretty much a foundation to the legs and if I have a bruise on my legs, I'll spray this before going out and it lasts all night and covers it up perfectly.

Caudalie Divine Oil* £25.00 - As well as using moisturiser, I also enjoy using oil. This is a spray bottle so it's easy to apply and it leaves my skin looking glowing, healthy and feeling soft and smooth.

Soap and Glory The Breakfast Scrub* £9.50 - My favourite body scrub! This smells beautiful and does a great job as keeping my skin smooth. Whenever people ask me why my legs are so soft, I say it's because of this beauty! 

What products do you use on your legs? Have you tried any of the above?

xxx

*PR Sample

REVIEW: Jergens Original Beauty Lotion Cherry-Almond

The Jergens Original Beauty Lotion Cherry-Almond Body Moisturiser* (phew, that's a mouthful) has finally made it's way to the UK. This is a classic and it's famed for its cherry-almond inspired fragrance and it's set out to be the new go-to body moisturiser for women in the UK. This is a new formulation to the UK market and it uses a mix of moisturising ingredients to give dry, dehydrated skin the thirst quench it needs.

I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful parcel in my letter box. A big thank you goes to Holler PR for their incredible PR skills. This package came with the beauty lotion and all things sweet and cherry almond like. It's fair to say that the Cherry Bakewells didn't last long and neither did the Cherry Drops or the Sugared Almonds. I've been using the Jergens Beauty Lotion every day since I received this parcel and it's actually become like a drug for me. Almond is my favourite scent and the added cherry makes the product smell good enough to eat. So good that I find myself sniffing this for fun - how embarrassing. The moisturiser itself is also very good. It sinks in quickly and leaves the skin feeling beautifully soft and exceptionally nourished. Like I said, I've been using this every day and I find it great as a base for fake tan as it really moisturises the dry areas of your skin.
Jergens are also running a promotion whereby Facebook fans can win a collection of prizes including a designer handbag, a designer scarf, a pair of designer shoes and the complete range of Jergens moisturisers. You can find out more about this competition and enter here.
I honestly believe that I've found my go-to body moisturiser. The scent, the results, the ease of packaging, the formulation, the price. Everything is perfect. And like I said earlier, it's definitely my drug.
This retails for £3.49 and you can find out more and purchase this product here. Have you tried this moisturiser before? Will you be trying it?
xxx
*PR Sample