Winter Favourites 2014

So I have been meaning to do a favourites post for probably the past couple of months, as there has just been so much I have been loving in June, July and now August too! So instead of choosing one month, I thought I'd pile them all into my winter favs, seeing as it's been winter here for the past couple of months anyway (disclaimer: if you haven't figured, I live in the Southern Hemisphere, so it's winter here from June- August). 

So here it goes:

BEAUTY FAVOURITES:

DAISY EUA SO FRESH- MARC JACOBS
When I put this in my last haul video, I had just gotten it after wanting it for ages, and I have just been loving it for the past couple of months I've had it. I just think its the prettiest scent and is sweet and fresh and I'm just really enjoying it!

LIP HEMP CONDITIONER- THE BODY SHOP

I have mentioned this on my blog before and it is not a new product to me, but this winter I have been specifically loving this lip treatment as my lips have been so dry and chapped, and this is, from what I've found, by far the best stuff for the job!

TRESEMME HEAT DEFENCE STYLING SPRAY
I use heat on my hair quite frequently, and must admit I am quite slack with heat protection, especially cause the one I was previously using was expensive, so I always got my mom to buy it for me (hehe), but I haven't been using one for pretty much this whole year, and thought enough is enough, so decided to buy one. This Tresemme one is not expensive at all (about R70 I think) and is just amazing! Firstly, it smells super delicious (kind of like apples almost), but the way it works, I can already see my hair looking healthier. Also, when I finish straightening my hair after using this all over, my hair feels so much softer! It is also a styling spray, so I have also occasionally used it just to get rid of a bit of frizz or to tease/volumise my hair a bit, so it works in both ways!

ESSIE 
There have been two Essie nail polishes I have been loving! The first is in the shade 10 and is called 'Blanc'. I would definitely say this is my winter favourite overall. I just really have started loving wearing white nail polish, and it goes with everything! So yeah, I wore this a LOT these holidays. 
The second shade I have only just got recently, but wanted to put it in because I have already fallen for it! It's called "Borrowed and Blue' (shade 746). This is literally the prettiest really light baby blue colour and I just think it is so cute!
Not to mention of top of these beautiful colours, the polish is great quality and lasts for a long time! 

MAKE-UP FAVOURITES:
BOURJOIS BRONZER
Bourjois only produce this one type of bronzer (like it comes in one shade, etc.) but I have heard great things about it for song long that I had to get it. Its reasonably priced for what you're getting and is just a really nice golden colour with a tint of shimmer in as well. I just have been loving it a million times more than my old bronzer, and am so happy with it! It is also in a really cute little box that closes magnetically, and the powder is pressed to look like chocolate blocks, and it kind of smells like that too, which is delicious... so yeah, this is a bronzer I've been so happy with, it's super pigmented and so a little goes a long way!

LIPSTICKS BY ESTEE LAUDER
I don't own much Estee Lauder because it is very expensive stuff, but I have come across these two lipsticks in the past few months and am just loving both so much!
The first is
Estee Lauder Crystal Lipstick Pure Colour Creme- in the shade 01, Crystal Baby. This is so beautiful, it is a natural berry pink sort of colour and because it is a "creme lipstick" it is super moisturising and smooth on the lips which makes it  look super natural and just feel a lot nicer, it also means you can still wear it if your lips are chapped, without the lipstick coming out gross and clumpy. I am usually a fan of matte lipsticks, but I actually love the shimmer in this one, maybe because it is so glossy and creamy, but yeah it just looks super pretty on, and I like that it is a similar pink to your lips, so it is a nice everyday type of lipstick and is not too bold. 

The second one I've been really loving is the Estee Lauder Signature Hydar Lustre Lipstick in the shade 'Venetian Rose' (09). This one is actually fairly similar to the previous one, but the colour is a bit more of a coral pink than a berry pink. It is very natural, and when you have it on, it kind of just exentuates your natural lip colour with lots of pigmenting, so it just looks very pretty. It has a few sparkly glints, but is a bit more matte than the other one. 

THE BODY SHOP ALL-IN-ONE BB CREAM: COLOUR ADAPTING TINTED CREAM (SHADE 02)
I really like this BB cream. It comes out of the tube white with little speckles and then you mix it with a brushfor a few seconds and it adapts to your skin colour! I have been wearing my BB cream a lot more than base recently, cause I think it's important to let my skin "breath" a bit and not constantly be covered in a thick layer of base. This leaves my skin feeling so fresh and soft and the actual cream smells delicious.

GENERAL FAVOURITES:
Okay so now onto some non-beauty related favourites. I actually have loads of these, probably because we had such a long holiday in June/July, so there was plenty of time to watch movies, download good music and do exciting new things. 

MUSIC:
I have two artists that I have recently become obsessed with!

1) JULIA CHURCH
This girl is phenomenal and is definitely going far! She is 17 and is from South Africa, so is still in school and doesn't have anything on iTunes or anything yet, but do yourself a favour and go take a listen to her SoundCloud. She does the most beautiful covers of Riptide , Oblivion, Mountain Sound (those are my favs) and just so many more, so go have a listen! You can also download her stuff to iTunes from her SoundCloud if you like her!

2) VAMPIRE WEEKEND
This is not a band that's new to me, I have always loved them, but recently, I have downloaded some of their stuff and have just been really into them. I would say their music is kind of indie rock, electronic and alternative, a little bit like Shortstraw ish. Some of my favourites are Oxford Comma, Kids Don't Stand a Chance, Holiday, Unbelievers and Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa. 

TV SERIES: 
It will be no surprise to you that I obviously have started watching even more series'! There were two that I really got into this winter!

1) ORANGE IS THE NEW BLACK
I hadn't heard of this before until a friend swore by it and said it was literally like her favourite show, so I had to give it a try, and of course the bug has bitten me! It has Taylor Shilling as the main character, and I really like her, and the show is just unlike anything I've seen before in a TV series and has such a good plot, definitely check it out! 

2) HOUSE
It has taken me eight full seasons and the actual finishing of the show to start this, but doing medicine and all, I knew I would love it, so have decided to watch it! I finished the first season in about 2 weeks and am now onto the second one already! I just love it, I find it super interesting, and just really really good!

MOVIES:
DIVERGENT
I actually watched this a while ago, but had to include it cause I thought it was incredible. I am obsessed with the two main characters, and I hadn't read the book, so didn't know what to expect, but wow, I thought this was brilliant, can't wait for the next one! I have a new crush on Theo James (oh my goodness) and am very excited that it's a trilogy, I can't wait to see what the others are like. 

THE FAULT IN OUR STARS
This was such a stunning movie! I fell in love with the book, and whilst for me, a movie never quite seems to matche up to a brilliant book, this one did a pretty decent job at getting very close. Again, it has Shailene Woodley in it, and wow, it's just so well created, with some amazing acting!

MUSIC VIDEO: 
CHANDELIER- SIA
I know this is a bit odd to put into my favourites, but I cannot even tell you how many times I have watched this music video in the past few months! I love the song (even though it did actually take me a while to get into it), but this video, my goodness #@!&%@$! It is this little girl doing this amazing dance routine to the song! Her name is Maddie Ziegler and she is only 11, but is the most incredible dancer! I just think the choreography is so so cool and really artistic and just so brilliant! Check it out:

Massive Winter Beauty Haul - Beauty and Skin Care

Yayy, I have done some shopping! 

I kind of went a liiitle overboard- but in my defence, these were not all bought in one day. I was in great need of a lot of beauty and make-up items and so over the past 2 weeks or so, I seem to have accumulated a pretty big stash! Seeing that I have had quite a few of these for a couple of weeks now, I have tried most of them, so I will give you a little run-down on how I'm finding them and so on... :)

So here it goes!

I am splitting this haul into 2 posts, one for beauty and skin care products, and the other for make-up, because I don't want one extremely long post, I would rather have two shorter ones. 

BEAUTY: 

THE BODY SHOP- HONEYMANIA BODY BUTTER
If you read my blog regularly, you'll know how much I LOVE this scent from the Body Shop! It is quite new, and is my ultimate favourite! I had recently finished my shower gel and exfoliator that I got for Christmas in this same Honeymania range, and so I knew it was about time I went back for more! I have been absolutely loving this! It is just a run-of-the-mill Body Shop body butter, but the smell is just so so amazing!! Definitely worth a sniff next time you're there! 

TRES EMME- INSTANT REFRESH: RADIANCE DRY SHAMPOO
I am a big dry shampoo fan- particularly because I straighten my hair a lot! This one is my favourite of all brands because it is the only one, I've found, that actually stops my hair from feeling and looking greasy- which is essentially what you want from a dry shampoo, right!? It smells like apples and with a quick comb through after, it doesn't leave behind any white specs or anything! I'm onto my fourth or fifth can of this since I started using it last year sometime, and I've stuck with it because it really is the best one I've found. 

NIVEA: DAILY ESSENTIALS- REFRESHING TONER (NORMAL & COMBINATION SKIN)
I have been so impressed in general with the Nivea Daily Essentials range! Nivea isn't specifically renowned for amazing skin products.... what I mean by that is that when someone talks about amazing face washes/exfoliators/toners/make-up removers/moisturisers, and so on, Nivea isn't a brand that comes up often. But currently, I would highly recommend this Nivea range to anyone looking for quality skin care products that are affordable. I love this toner- it's light and gentle on my skin, and always leaves my skin feeling refreshed! I have used one bottle of the same type before this, but by mistake bought the toner for dry skin, and when I went back to buy more, I saw that this (normal/combination) one is the one I should be using. I really like this, so definitely give it a try if you're looking for a new, fairly cheap toner!

CLICKS: SKIN ESSENTIALS- 3-IN-1 FACIAL WIPES
(Sorry my picture is a bit blurry) 
These are nothing too special, but I just feel like everyone needs these in their bathroom to wipe off  a night of make-up quickly... I often use these if I'm having a super lazy night and can't be bothered to do anymore than just wipe off my make-up with one of these and then use a moisturiser. They have a toner, cleanser and make-up remover all in one, and so they do a good job at just clearing my face quickly. Clicks is a South African drug store type shop, so I don't think you could get these anywhere else but here, but like I said, they are nothing too amazing, just a staple I think everyone should have :) 

DERMALOGICA- CLEAR START BREAKOUT CLEARING: DAYTIME TREATMENT
For such a long name, this is essentially just a good moisturiser. I don't know if Dermalogica is an available or well-known brand overseas, so depending, you may not be able to get your hands on this brand, but I do know that it is Australian (I think). I wasn't enjoying my Yardley London moisturiser that I had, and so made a transition to this, and in fact, have pretty much decided to use this brand for all my face products because it is so good. I think what I like the most is that all the products are very gentle on one's skin- and my skin needs products like that because it tends to get irritated by products quite easily and is very sensitive. There is also SPF in this, and it always leaves me feeling fresh-faced. It is a bit on the pricey side (my mom bought it for me :P ) but worth it if you can!

I also bought the 'Dermalogica Clear Start Cleaning Face Wash' (which is also very good) but didn't take a picture because it I have been using it for a while now and it was wet in my shower and a bit empty and so on....

My mom also bought me little sample sachets of other Dermalogica skin products that I have been using (sparingly, but still). 

DERMALOGICA- CLEAR START BREAKOUT CLEARING: PORE CONTROL SCRUB

(the green sachets)

This is their exfoliator in the range, and I have really liked it. Obviously these are small little samples, so could only get about 4 uses from the sachets I have, but I did enjoy it, and might well go back (when I make some moola) and buy a proper sized tube of it. 

DERMALOGICA- CLEAR START BREAKOUT CLEARING: EMERGENCY SPOT TREATMENT
(the red sachets)
I highly highly recommend this to any one whose skin can occasionally just stop co-operating completely. I, generally speaking, have never had really really problematic skin, but of course, like all of us, my skin has its good and bad days. About 2 weeks ago, my skin seemed to have a bit of a meltdown and I was doing everything I could to kind of just treat it kindly and get it back to normal. So I got some of these sachets of this spot-fix serum type stuff. It is SO good! It is alcohol based, so really kills any bacteria you may have around little blemishes and within about 4 days of using it, my skin was pretty much completely clear. I definitely want to go buy the large version of this!

TIP TOP NAIL VARNISH- SHADE 974: "IN THE NAVY"

Tip Top is a South African brand of nail polish, and it is one of the two brands I actually like buying. I really hate using polishes that chip within a few days, or require loads of layers just to get the colour properly but Tip Top is super good, in that 2 layers will do, and generally I can go a week or so until I need to redo it or take it off. It is winter here and so I have been wanting a dark colour, and decided I wanted a navy blue colour. I found this one and it is exactly what I wanted. It is pretty dark, but you can see it is blue not black, and it is just very nice, I have been liking it a lot. 

ESSIE NAIL POLISH: SHADE 10- BLANC
ESSIE NAIL POLISH: SHADE 686- CUTE AS A BUTTON
I ordered these two online, and am so happy I did, because I am such an Essie fan! Let me start with Cute as a Button- the pinky-corally one: I ordered this wanting a coral colour and so was quite disappointed when I saw it, because it is a lot more pink than the sample shade looked (never trust the Essie thumbnail samples- I say this with experience haha). Buut it has since grown on me a bit- when you paint it, is does look a bit more coral than it does in the bottle, and I've decided that it will look really nice on my toes in summer, not too sure about my hands yet, but we'll see. 

The second one, Blanc, is one that I am loving!! I have wanted to try white polish for a long time because I have seen a lot of girls do it recently, and I really like the way it looks, not to mention that it goes with everything you wear :) Blanc was one of their very very first colours they ever made and even thought they have since made quite a few other whites, I wanted this one because it is the original one and is very crisp and clear, and doesn't have shades of anything else in it! 

Both of these don't chip for at least a week, usually more, and I only need 2 layers to have the colour perfectly pigmented. Also, they don't come out streaky and yeah, they are really good quality. 

LUSH- MELTING MARSHMALLOW BATH MELT
I have used this one once before, and so thought it was about time I tried it again because it just smells too delicious. Its a Lush classic I'd say, because it's always there, and not part of any special range or anything, but sometimes simple is best. As you could guess, it smells like marshmallow, but not so hectically that it is overwhelmingly sweet. Being a bath melt, you just pop the whole thing is your bath and it melts into the water, with all its delicious smelling goodness and I promise you, my skin felt so soft afterwards! I love this one, and I think sometimes a bath melt is best if you just want something plain and simple that smells delicious and is good for your skin too. 

LUSH- SAKURA BATH BALLISTIC
This is one of the new products for the Spring/Summer range (at least it's new here in SA, it may not be elsewhere). It smells like cherry blossom, which is a scent of theirs I hadn't smelt before. I've not yet used it, but from the look of the colours and the popping candy stuff on the outside, it looks pretty exciting! 

MARC JACOBS PERFUME- DAISY (EAU SO FRESH) 
I have been wanting this Marc Jacobs fragrance for a long time now, but it is so bloody expensive that I haven't been able to. So of course, it was the first thing I asked for when my mom asked me what I'd like from her trip to Ireland. I am so happy with this! I love the scent, is is floral (say what, a perfume called Daisy smells floral haha) and quite sweet, but not so much so that is smells childish or anything, so yeah, I'm super happy with the scent. So far, it also doesn't give me allergies, which is my main priority when buying perfumes because my nose is very sensitive to smells and fragrances and stuff. I also love the bottle, and there is a lot of perfume in there, so I think it will last a long time! 

So that's it for beauty and skin care stuff, if you want, go check out the second part of this haul which is some of the make-up I picked up :)