January: The Love List

January has finally come to an end - and it's time for me to talk through all of my Beauty Favourites for the very first time in 2020! I really feel like I've found some utter gems this month, so I'm super excited to share them with you all. Let's get straight on into it...  

B PERFECT X STACEY MARIE CARNIVAL XL PRO PALETTE - First off - I have to start with this awesome palette, right? One of my Christmas presents, I eagerly began testing it out this month and so far - I love, love, LOVE it! It's the same impeccable, awesomely high quality as the original Stacey Marie Carnival Palette - just with more shades! I actually did a full review earlier on in the month which you can check out here, so I'll try not to ramble on too much in this post but all in all - this is such a gorgeous palette and has definitely become one of, if not my favourite in my collection! There's everything from your brights to your neutrals and everything in-between and with such a great variation of undertone and depth too - I really feel there's not one shade missing from this palette, it's got everything you need! With a great mix of super-pigmented, blendable mattes and intense, foiled-like shimmers - what more could you ask for? I can't wait to continue doing more looks with this in the future!

SOAP AND GLORY THICK AND FAST MASCARA - It was time for me to open a brand new mascara this month as my last one was all used and dried up - and this one from Soap and Glory was the mascara I chose as it replacement! I actually got this as part of a Soap and Glory gift set I received for Christmas and I was super eager to give it a try - so jumped at the first chance I had! I was also admittedly a little apprehensive as I thought I could remember trying this same mascara out from another Soap and Glory gift set a few years ago and I really wasn't a fan at all. However, I don't know whether I am remembering a different mascara or it is indeed the same one and has been improved - but I actually really like it! It lengthens and thickens the lashes - whilst still separating them out nicely at the same time - and adds some volume too. A nice, all-in-one - just what I look for in a good mascara!

BENEFIT COOKIE HIGHLIGHTER - Another makeup item that I tried this month and has been a definite, stand-out highlight ever since - literally - is this incredible highlighter from Benefit. I have pondered trying this out for ages now - right from when it was in the cheek sets to now being sold as a single - and especially so since hearing MakeMeUpMissa (who has basically become my go-to enabler when it comes to buying makeup) raving on and on about it and use it in her videos. But, with some Christmas vouchers and money in hand, I finally caved and bought it - and let me tell you, I have not looked back since! This is such a stunning highlighter. A gorgeous, pearly champagne that strikes the perfect mix between pink and gold and thankfully, works perfectly on my paler skin-tone. It's so super intense and blinding with even the smallest amount on your brush, but it applies so smoothly onto the skin at the same time - no chunky glitter to be seen! Just a really pretty, glowy, wet-look sheen. I'm so glad I finally gave into the hype on this one...

MUA BROW DEFINE MICRO BROW PENCILS IN 'MID BROWN' AND 'DARK BROWN' - I wanted to try a new brow pencil as I'd noticed Primark have been out of their pencil in the darker shade that I like to use on the bulk of my brows. I didn't want it to potentially disappear completely and then be stuck without another option to switch to, so thought it was about time I started trying alternatives. This range from MUA looked to be almost identical in terms of format - dual-ended pencil, with a spoolie on one side and a super fine mechanical pencil on the other - and they were a similar super affordable price too. Basically, they looked to be the next best option - and it turns out I was right! I picked up two shades, as I always do - a lighter colour to use on the front of my brows and a deeper colour for the tail end - and I'm pretty pleased with them so far. Admittedly, I think I need to pick up slightly different colours next time as I feel they're both a touch too dark, but I can easily make do for now with using a lighter hand. The formula is just as amazing as the Primark ones - well pigmented and with a texture that's creamy enough to apply with ease but waxy enough to give complete control and ensure your brows last all day/night long. And for only £2.50 each? You can't go wrong! I actually think these may end up being my new go-to, no matter what happens with Primark...

NYX BUTTER GLOSS IN 'PRALINE' - Lips-wise, I tried a new shade of the NYX Butter Glosses - which has fast become one of my favourite lip gloss range - this month and as you can probably tell, I've got another new favourite! This rich, pinky-brown nude is definitely deeper than what I've bought and tried from the Butter Glosses previously but so far, I'm in love. For days when I want a slightly darker gloss - I think this will be my new go-to. Same awesome formula that's super high-shine, but without being heavy or sticky in anyway and with just the right amount of pigment that means it's not too opaque but still shows up on the lips - it's another thumbs up from me!

NYX SUEDE MATTE LIPSTICK IN 'BRUNCH ME' - The second new lip find of January - well, in terms of actual lip colour - once again comes from NYX. And yet again, it's a new shade I've tried from a range I've sampled from and loved in the past! Their Suede Matte Lipsticks was a formula that I finally tried late last year when trying to find the perfect matte bullet berry lipstick for my Friend's Wedding. I'd heard so many pretty amazing things about the Suede Matte range and all in all, ended up agreeing entirely - so much so that it ended up being the lip colour I chose in the end! The other week when perusing Boots, I decided to have another look at the range and see if there were any other colours that took my fancy - maybe a more nude tone - and there was indeed something which I liked the look of - the shade 'Brunch Me', a super pretty, dusky rose nude. It's got the same awesome formula as before that glides on so creamily and full in pigment, leaving behind a super matte finish that lasts pretty impeccably throughout the day. All in all, I think this may be one of my new favourites for when I want a slightly deeper, rosier nude lip!

REVOLUTION PRO SUPREME LIP RELIEF - Finally for Makeup, I had to give a well-deserved mention to this new lip balm love of mine. Another suggestion from MakeMeUpMissa that she was raving about a while ago and I've only recently decided to give a whirl - but yet again, she was not at all wrong! This is such a great lip treatment. It comes out of the tube so thick it's almost solid, but gently rub it onto your bare lips and it soon melts into a thin, oily texture that glides over your lips and instantly leaves them feeling and looking so much more hydrated and plumper too. It works both as a treatment overnight or throughout the day or underneath lip products - simply apply some at the beginning of your makeup routine and by the time you come to your lips, you can just blot of any excess product and your lips are prepped and ready for lip colour!

SOAP AND GLORY 'SOAPS AND DREAMS' ORIGINAL PINK SOAP - I was gifted this soap as part of a Christmas present and I was eager to get started on it - and that's exactly what I did straight away in January! I've never tried a soap from Soap and Glory before - I believe they're pretty new to the range so that's likely why - but I'm pretty happy I did! This one in particular had the classic 'Original Pink' S&G scent which we all know and love, myself included and it really comes across well in this format. Strong and lasts well on the skin without being overpowering at all! It cleanses the skin nicely but doesn't leave it feeling stripped in anyway. Instead, my skin is always left feeling so soft and smooth - and smelling pretty nice too, which is always a bonus...

SOAP AND GLORY FACE MASKS -  Finally for this first Beauty Favourites of 2020 - we have yet another Soap and Glory inclusion - and this time, I'm talking their fabulous face masks! I've tried and love a few of them before, but this month I not only had the opportunity to re-familiarise myself with one of them, I also got the chance to try a couple of new ones. All work so well for me - they never leave my sensitive skin feeling or looking aggravated at all, they do what they say on the tin and are pretty inexpensive too. Great for an extra pamper treat!

So there have it - the first Monthly Beauty Favourites of 2020! I think it's clear to see that I've already found some utter gems that have potential to become year-long favourites and it's only January! I can't wait to see what the rest of 2020 has in store, beauty-wise...