Beauty-wise, February for me is never about extravagant, indulgent beauty purchases - emerging from the rear end of winter with dull skin and frizzy hair calls for products that do exactly what they say they will. The past month has been one of the busiest of my life, and my lifestyle has more than reflected in my beauty picks this month; five products all with one thing in common, the ability to perform at maximum potential with minimal effort required.
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February 14th falling on a Sunday means you can devote the entire day to primping and preening; whether in preparation for date night or by means of luxeing up your 'secret single behaviour'. If your sweetheart has scheduled a candlelit dinner, schedule extra prep time to indulge before arming yourself with with your beauty secret weapons [there's no underestimating the power of lipstick and perfume]. And for single gals? On perhaps the one day when it's not only allowed, but also actively encouraged to splurge on oneself, a few chic upgrades to your regular beauty routine can go a long way. At the very least, today is the ultimate excuse for a girl to indulge during a rare free moment in her overpacked schedule.
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No matter what beauty trends are currently en vogue, the appeal of a lipstick-led look is eternal. A nod to the bold glamour of the 1950's; wear it with a spur-of the-moment up-do, almost no other makeup, and an all-black ensemble for a contemporary twist. With the right cocktail to hand, you will feel like you can take over the world.
Read MoreIn contract to the typically pared back approach I take the rest of the year, there's no time like your birthday to allow one's inner exhibitionist to embrace colour and glitter with full force. And the best thing about a January birthday? After a December’S worth of festive parties and Christmas soirees the glam look is perfected. Ahead of an evening of food, drink, dancing, and laughter with my closest girlfriends, these were the products I reached for.
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Between the post-festive slump and January blues, the month may not be everyone’s favourite time of year, but for me January is great for two things: my birthday, and new beauty launches. Whilst not all of the below are hot off the press per se, they’re all new to my routine, and as you’ll see, I’m quite smitten
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For many years I championed the pale look in lieu of jumping upon the faux tan bandwagon; admittedly, partly from laziness and partly from fear of a category of beauty to which Boots devotes a section larger than that housing toothpaste [an overwhelming enough category as it is]. However, pursuing a career in beauty writing meant that, inevitably, parcels of false tan began to frequent my doorstep, and [after initially surrendering these to the depths of my wardrobe] curiosity eventually got the better of me. I’ve since discovered that, as extensive and overwhelming as the range on offer is, it’s very easy to sort the good from the bad, and admittedly this is a task typically aided by a higher price tag...
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Despite my best intentions, a ‘year in beauty’ post didn't quite make it into the works this year. Given the time I could easily have compiled an exhaustive list of brands and products I’ve used and loved this year, but I’ve edited it down to just ten in order to truly set the elite above and apart. These are the best of the best, each 100% guaranteed a repurchase and a permanent home in my makeup drawers/bathroom cabinet/heart. If you’re a long-term reader you’ll undoubtedly recognise these from numerous posts, and my monthly favourites roundups throughout the year.
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December brought with it an explosion of festivity and cheer that couldn't help but inspire me to shake up my beauty regime just a little - see below, a do-it-all primer, a new hue of eyeshadow, and an indulgent in-shower treatment. Similarly, the weather’s effect upon my complexion called for a boost on the hydration front, and if there’s one thing I’ve learnt this year it’s that moisture can [and should] be sought from more than just one’s moisturiser. This month, replacing my makeup remover with a cleansing oil, followed up by a luxe treatment oil has been just the ticket in restoring a much-needed glow.
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Any trip home for the festive season requires a calculated effort on the packing front. Fitting a week’s worth of loungewear and cosy knits in around carefully wrapped presents and those select pieces of laundry you trust only to your mum’s washing machine [wisdom] leaves little room for anything more than the bare necessities when it comes to beauty. For this reason I cultivate a skincare edit consisted almost entirely of samples and miniatures in order to efficiently accommodate the many requirements for a suitably festive makeup look.
Read MoreInspire your last minute shopping dash with a compilation of gift edits catered to fit some of life’s most intricate personalities.
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Think of the contents of your clutch bag as the artillery base of your on-the-go beauty cannon. Party-season demands no less than the brightest, boldest of looks, which necessitates a portable beauty strategy as quick and effortless as it is alluring. Products worthy of inclusion must be both compact and high-performing additions - never has the need to streamline your beauty edit been quite so vital.
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If the inevitable increased spending activity ahead of the holidays is already giving you an uneasy feeling, and preventing any self-indulgent beauty purchases, then consult this compilation for ten beauty buys that strike the perfect balance between quality and affordability. Because editing your beauty routine for winter [and amping up the the luxe factor] needn't always come hand in hand with an extravagant price tag...
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This month's standout products are far from exceptionally profound additions to my beauty routine; instead they've assimilated themselves with a quiet subtlety that has rendered them the sorts of staples that go almost unnoticed, despite their efficiency. Meet the five hero products you didn't know you needed...
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Since I’m a winter-lover through and through, writing this season’s content is one of my favourite times of the year. Come November I relish the chance to shake up my beauty routine; the shelves of department store beauty halls are always crowded with exciting new releases, and old favourites come back into play, bringing nostalgic scents and reaping seasonal benefits.
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Despite being a typically spring-inspired hue, pink, in almost every form and variation was rife across the AW15 runways - just one of many features contributing towards an overwhelming trend for a simultaneously excessive yet delicate femininity.
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Over recent seasons we've become accustomed to a makeup look that is increasingly natural and minimal; gamely swapping an opaque matte base in favour of a complexion that is overwhelmingly sheer and dewy. "Shiny" was once the dirty word of the makeup world, but these days shine is in - glossy skin with a fresh sheen-like finish is all about recreating the appearance of a well-rested [and well-moisturised] healthy glow.
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My requirements for a successful addition to my blush collection call for a light wash of colour that serves to subtly warm, sculpt, and enliven my skintone without looking clown-like. Effortlessly natural and wearable, a barely-there blush dials down the bigger/brighter/bolder associations of rouge and negates the need for precision placement and copious blending.
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