Top 10 Beauty Discoveries of 2015

Whilst over Christmas I discovered I'm a pro at Pictionary, over the course of 2015 I discovered some rather wonderful beauty products. Usually a little pondering goes into selecting my yearly beauty favourites, but this year the following 10 products stood out amongst the rest. Here are my top beauty discoveries of 2015...
1. Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick in 'Serenity' £9.50 My favourite lip product of 2015 is undoubtedly Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipstick in Serenity. The liquid lipstick is a beautiful warm pink, with hints of brown and has a formula that's close to perfection and one that Kylie Jenner approves of! Encased in a sleek frosted tube, the formula applies wet like a lip-gloss, before it dries down to a matte finish. It's comfortable and light on the lips, doesn't bleed, smudge, feather, peel or crack and although it's matte it's far from drying. And if that hasn't won you over, it has incredible staying power, unlike any other lip product I've tried, lasting for a full 5 hours before showing signs of wear. Incredible.  
2. Urban Decay Naked Skin Complete Coverage Weightless Concealer £17.50
Urban Decay's Complete Coverage Weightless Concealer was everything I hoped the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer to be, but more. The liquid concealer applies like a dream, melting into the skin with either my fingers, or damp beauty blender. The rich yet lightweight formula offers complete coverage and has a demi-matte finish. It's also infused with peptides and sodium hyluronate to help the skin retain moisture, which is an added bonus for us dry/combo gals. It's lasting power is pretty good, lasting a full 5-6 hours before showing any wear and that's without a setting powder! And it doesn't stop there, it doesn't look cakey, or settle into fine lines. 
3. Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette £56.00 (Limited Edition) Gifted to me on my birthday back in July, this palette boasts three utterly beautiful blushers. The trio of baked blushers offer a pop of colour mixed with the best-selling Ambient Lighting Powder formula. Their quality, wear and colour pay off are second to none and their soft focus, subtly illuminating finish makes them unlike anything else I own. The three shades; Luminous Flush, Incandescent Electra and Mood Exposure have a soft texture that kicks up a little product when applying, but this doesn't translate onto the skin. It's safe to say, I'm head over heels... 
4. L’oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation £9.99 This quality long-lasting drugstore foundation has become my go-to when I require a higher coverage (aka bad skin days/girls night out). The L’oreal Infallible 24HR Foundation offers me everything I ever wanted from a high coverage foundation for just £9.99, without those high coverage foundation traits. It’s applies beautifully, has a satin/luminous finish. Feels comfortable on the skin and combined with a little setting powder it can withstand the heat and a 12 hour shift! I’ve put this base through its paces and it’s safe to say I can’t fault it. If you have tried the matte version and weren’t impressed, I’d give this a go instead and if you like MAC’s Studio Fix Fluid these two foundations are very similar.
5. Lush Mask of Magnaminty £5.75-£9.95 This seriously minty mask from LUSH cosmetics  includes fourteen ingredients, thirteen of which are natural including; honey a natural antiseptic, peppermint oil which helps to absorb excess oil and aduki beans which gently exfoliate the skin. After applying the gloopy mask to my skin for 10 minutes my skin instantly looks calmer, my blemishes and active breakouts are noticeably reduced and soothed and my skin feels soft and appears to glow. And did I mention it's self-preserving a.k.a no fridge required face masks. 
6. Eylure Dybrow In Dark Brown £9.49 This time last year I'd leave my brows to the professionals but the Eylure Dybrow in Dark Brown is straightforward and fuss free. On a monthly basis, I apply a little Vaseline around the brows to avoid dying my skin and simply mix the two solutions together and apply the dye onto the supplied wand and brush through my brows. The rich brown dye helps my brows to appear naturally thicker and more shapely. A brow booster to try. 
7. This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray £16.00* Spritzed at arms length (unless you fancy sleeping on a soggy pillow) the This Works Deep Sleep Pillow Spray instantly creates a relaxing, sleep-easy atmosphere, perfect for my pre-sleep ritual.  The soothing scent is thanks to it's combination of 100% natural essentials oils including: Lavender, Vetivert and Wild Chamomile. Now it doesn't send me off to sleep within seconds, but it does help calm my nerves, alleviate stress, help me drift off that much faster and settle me into a much deeper sleep - it's a little like having a few alcoholic beverages before bedtime! I now can't go without it and you know it's good when you buy a back-up. 
8. Anastasia Dip Brow in 'Medium Brown' £15.00 Until this pot of goodness came along from Anastasia, I was very much a powder kinda gal when it came to filling in my brows. But the Anastasia Dipbrow Pomade is a brow game changer. With a little practice and the correct brush this product creates beautiful brows. I wear the shade 'Medium Brown' and have no complaints with the colour - it's a great match. Unfortunately it does have the tendency to dry out, but thats nothing a little drop of baby oil doesn't fix. Nevertheless, the formula is smudge resistant, waterproof and highly pigmented, so a little goes a long way. 
9. Maybelline New York Lash Sensational Mascara £7.99 I've never been a fan of Maybelline mascaras or fibre wands for that matter, so when Maybelline released Lash Sensational, which has a resemblance to two of my all time favourite mascaras; SEVENTEEN's Doll'd Up Mascara & Benefit's Roller Lash Mascara, I had to give it a try. And boy, I wasn't disappointed. Lash Sensational adds both length and volume to my lashes, wears well throughout the day, holds a curl and is intensely pigmented. It can on occasion be a little stubborn to remove, but besides that, I have no complaints. Go buy it. 
10. Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge £5.99 The Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge has transformed my makeup routine. The orange beauty blender delivers an air brushed even finish, that's not achievable with any brush. The sponge is either to work with, with rounded sides, a precision tip and flat edge and is easy to clean with a bar of simple soap. I haven't used a foundation brush since and don't intend to anytime soon. 

What's your favourite beauty discovery of 2015?  Emily