HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! - My top beauty finds of 2013!

Firstly, let me start by wishing you all a very very HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! I hope you've all had a happy and healthy Christmas and are looking forward to what 2014 might bring. I must also apologise for my lack of new posts over the festive season and promise to be far more organised this year.

I thought I'd take the chance of beginning 2014 with a quick review on some of my favourite beauty discoveries of 2013. I usually stick to my familiar products, cautious of trying out something new. However, since taking up blogging and reading lots of interesting posts from you guys, I have been persuaded to give some new products a go!

Clarin's Beauty Flash Balm

One of my most favourite discoveries this year is Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, £29. I'm sure many of you have already tried this one and are probably wondering what took me so long! This now has a permanent place in my bathroom cabinet, a real 'pick-me up' for tired looking skin, particulary useful for any post New Year hangovers! I did a post on this earlier last year so do check it out.

Clinique's Moisture Surge CC Cream

Next on my list would be Clinique's Moisture Surge CC Cream, £28. I have never been a big fan of heavy foundation creams or powders, preferring instead a good tinted moisturiser. Recently I have struggled to find one I liked after Estee Lauder discontinued my regular product, I hate it when that happens!!! This however, forced me to look elsewhere and that's when I discovered the Clarin's alternative. This cream comes in nine different shades making it easy to match you're skin tone. When I enquired in Debenham's they gave me a sample to try at home, I was so impressed with the cream that I returned a week later to buy the full size product. It is easy to apply, blending in any blemishes while still leaving a hint of my freckles (my mum calls them 'sun kisses'). It also contains SPF 30 meaning protection for my face from the suns harmful rays, I didn't burn once during our blissful Summer this year.

Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess Bronzer 

This summer I also started using a bronzer. I'd previously used Estee Lauder's Bronze Goddess but been a little scared of using it to its full potential, preferring instead to use it more as a blusher. Again Estee Lauder decided to discontinue my usual product so I was forced to try their new Bronze Goddess product, £30. This turned out to be a bonus, a product I can no-longer live without! It comes in four shades, I chose medium for my skin tone, applied with a good quality brush, it gives a natural looking healthy glow.

Estee Lauder's Metallics Eyeshadow collection
Again, I am sometimes reluctant to try new colours, particularly when I have my reliable go-to shades in my make-up bag already. However, Estee Lauder's Metallic Instant Intense Eyeshadow Trio, £27, have very quickly replaced some of my favourites. I have already reviewed Artic Zinc in a previous post but have since added Steel Lilacs (seen above) and Smoked Chrome to my ever growing collection. Both of these have proved very useful over the party season and will continue to be a regular part of my essential make up kit.

Dior Nail Glow

Finally, one of my most used new discoveries last summer was Dior's Nail Glow, £18. I acquired mine from Garden.co.uk, my usual source of lovely beauty buys, but you should also be able to buy this still at retailers such as Boot's or Debenham's. I took this on holiday this summer and used it continually throughout the season. It gives you're nails a healthy glow with a hint of french manicure, a very easy to wear varnish and Dior's lovely wide brush also makes it a doddle to apply. I wouldn't go on holiday without it now! I also always take a pot of Bourjois nail remover, another holiday must have.

All these products have now become very firm essentials in my collection and I would find it very hard to live without any of them now.

Finally, I want to say a big THANK YOU to all my followers for you're much appreciated support since I started my blog back in September. Also a very big THANK YOU to my daughter Lisa, who as been soooo patient with me whenever I've yelled for help. She has her own successful blog called Topaz and May, it's well worth checking out. I hope you will continue to check in occasionally to see whats been happening.

What beauty essentials have you discovered in 2013?

Deborah

XXX