- - My Top 14 Favourite Beauty Products of 2014 - -

Hi friends!

Anyone who is familiar with the Julian calendar knows that January 14th can be considered New Year's Day. So today we are saying goodbye to the old year, 2014, and welcoming in 2015 (now officially)!

To mark this modest occasion (and it really is nothing major) I thought it would be fun to do a recap of my favourite beauty products from 2014. If you've been following this blog for some time, you'll know that I've gotten tons of different subscription boxes in 2014, so you'll understand how tough it is to boil down all those options into 14 favourites. I will, however, try!

Read more after the jump...


The beauty products below have been chosen as my official 2014 favourites because they are items I have fallen in love with so much that I have incorporated them into my daily routines. So here they are, in no order in particular, my top 14 favourite products of 2014:

1 | Bulgarian Rose Pheromone Perfume in Pink Angel (Kskin) 

I'm going to start with the one item that isn't pictured above (didn't notice one missing item, did you! Oh, you did...?). If I had to pick a top favourite fragrance of 2014 it would be this one, which I received in my very first Memebox. The pleasant mix of western rose and damask rose flower oil produces a wonderful soapy scent that is unlike anything I have ever come across before. I have long since thrown out the box and the empty roll-on tube, and unfortunately I'm having trouble finding a place to purchase this fragrance from.

2 | Blush Powder in Libertine (Lise Watier)

I have never been so committed to a blush as I have been to this one. I got this shade in my February Topbox last year and I initially didn't think too much of it. It was my first product ever from Lise Watier and I had never tried out such a pleasant and neutral shade of pink before (all of my blushes used to have brighter pink tones). However, as soon as I started using this shade I fell in love with it! The shade works really well with my skin tone and looks very natural. I use it pretty much every day to give my face a bit of life - especially in the early mornings!

3 | Banana-Flavoured Lip Balm (Epic Blend) 

I initially found out about Epic Blend when I got a coconut lip balm at the beginning of last year. I was pretty surprised how hydrating the lip balm was. Seriously - none of my other lip products could compare! It's a hydration that last a long time, which is pretty tough to find nowadays. I have since purchased almost all of the flavours and I have to say that the one that I like the most and the one that has worked out the best for me has been the banana flavoured one. It's a limited addition lip balm - although Epic Blend may introduce it to their regular lineup (which I think they really should!) if they get enough positive feedback for it. I think the banana flavour is the best flavour for someone looking for an introduction to Epic Blend, so I have actually purchased the bulk pack on several occasions just to give out to friends (all of whom have fallen in love with Epic Blend!). Also, what's not to love about a Canadian company that uses natural and organic ingredients in their lip balms?

4 | Keratin Smooth Flat Iron Smoothing Spray (TRESemmé)

This was one of the items that I received in a goodie bag that was given out when I went to the Canadian Living meet & greet with Jodi Picoult. I already talked a lot about this spray when I reviewed the goodie bag, so I won't go into too much detail. I really like how light and not dry my hair feels when I use a blow dryer and a straightener after using this spray.

5 | Make Me Cool Foot & Leg Relaxing Gel (The Face Shop)

I have two retail jobs both of which require me to walk around for about 5-8 hours every day. So it's really nice to come home and put this on my feet. The gel has menthol, which gives it a nice cooling feeling. The applicator consists of three balls that help to give your legs and feet a massage as you're putting on the gel. It's another one of those products that I have incorporated into my daily routine as soon as I tried it out.
 

6 | Crème Eyeshadow in Champagne (Inika)

It doesn't seem like much at first, but if I had to choose just one product from this list to be my top product from 2014 it would be this eyeshadow. I have a more in-depth look and more photos on the page where I reviewed the box this came from. In short - I used to wear only eyeliner and mascara, but because Champagne is such a subtle shade, I now use this cream eyeshadow, then eyeliner, and then mascara. This product is the best introduction I can think of for someone looking to start using eyeshadows - it's easy to work with and functions well as a primer!

 
 
7 | Mighty Nail & Cuticle Serum (Julep)  

Early last year I noticed that my nails started peeling really badly (which could really indicate a number of things) right after I used the Oxygen Nail Treatment from Julep. It just didn't work out with my nail chemistry. Anyways, it was the first time in my life that I was experiencing peeling on such a scale and I just didn't know what to do. To make a long story short, I came across Mighty and after using it intensely for about a week I noticed SUCH a difference in my nails that I think this product rightly deserves a spot on this list.

8 | Over Girl Edge Lip Crayon in RD02 (The Face Shop)

There is something like 9 or 10 shades of this lip crayon at The Face Shop and it's a new release for November, so the Toronto stores still have quite a bit of stock. What I love about these lip crayons is that they are long-lasting, well-pigmented, semi-matte, and their shape allows you to use the edge as a lip liner as well:

The lip crayons are just soo nice! I have most of the colours and I use them on a regular basis.

9 | "It's So Big" Volumizing Mascara (Elizabeth Mott)

I didn't realize that it was possible to have a favourite mascara until I tried this one, which I got in Beauty Box 5 last February. I love the shape of the wand and find that it's one of the only mascaras that lengthens my lashes and gives them volume at the same time. This sample has long since dried up and I've been seriously loafing on purchasing the full-size mascara, but I will soon.

10 | Peel Off Base Coat (The Face Shop)

I hate to sound like a commercial, but I have often stayed far away from glitter nail polishes until I tried this peel off base. You just put it under your glitter polish and peel it off whenever you want to (literally) take off your manicure. You can check out more information about it on the bottom of this post.

11 | Cuticle Oil in Sweet Almond (Nubar)

I love cuticle oil in general, but I have also been using this specific one to treat my dry cuticles. It works pretty well and smells wonderful! Haha, yup - that's all it took for this beauty item to get a place on my top 14 list.

12 | Flawless Transparent Fixing Powder (The Face Shop)

You know what's a brilliant product? Transparent powder! First off - it suits all skin tones because, well, it has no colour or tint. Second - it's great for setting makeup. Third - it's excellent for mattifying your foundation/concealer (especially if you have oily skin) and creating a natural finish. This is another product that has become vital to my daily makeup routine. 

13 | Silky Body Soufflé With African Shea Butter & Chocolate Truffle (Avon)

I got this as a gift when I went to Latvia in October. I initially found the scent a bit off-putting, but I gave it another chance and now I absolutely love it! The whipped cream texture is really fun to run my fingers through. I use this only on my legs and I find that the cream absorbs and hydrates my skin really well.

  
14 | Shower Gel in Ginger Sparkle (The Body Shop)

This surprising treasure made it to my list last. My mom had received a holiday set from The Body Shop that contained gingerbread-flavoured items out of which I got to keep the shower gel. The scent is amazing and so familiar that I'm pretty sure I have come across it before in my childhood.

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Below are a few products that I also fell in love with in 2014 (and continue to use) that I figure deserve a mention as well.

1 | Macadamia & Shea Body Cream Shower (The Face Shop)

Much like The Body Shop's ginger shower gel, I looove the scent of the macadamia & shea shower gel from The Face Shop! The next time you find yourself at a TFS location make sure you find this shower gel and smell it - it's amazing! This is quite easily my favourite scent out of the entire store. Macadamia and shea are typically meant for really dry skin, so if you need extra moisture you can use this shower gel and it won't leave your skin feeling dry. There is an oil lotion equivalent from the same line, but I like the scent of the cream shower much better. Seriously - go smell it!

2 | SOUL Promise Ring Eau de Parfum (The Face Shop)

The Face Shop has a number of fragrances - with 3 new ones introduced to Canadian stores in December. Out of their perfumes Promise Ring is my favourite. It has a unique and pleasant floral scent. My only problem is that it doesn't seem to last very long - if it did, it would've definitely made my top 14.

3 | Beatrix (Julep)

I have amassed quite the collection of Julep nail polishes in 2014, so it seemed strange to not include at least one in this post. If I had to pick just one favourite nail polish from Julep, it would definitely have to be Beatrix. This is the only glitter nail polish worth suffering for! Julep describes the polish as "coal black with multidimensional glitter." In reality, Beatrix is a glitter top coat with a clear base. It's just so beautiful, you know? I have created manicures with Beatrix a few times and you can find those here, here and here.

4 | Baby Lips in Peach Kiss (Maybelline)

I feel like this is such a classic and popular lip product that most people are familiar with it. I like the Peach Kiss flavour the most (although to be fair I haven't tried too many of the flavours). The scent is very similar to those candy bracelets and necklaces I eat every Halloween. In addition to smelling amazing, this lip balm is moisturizing the very pale pink/nude tint that Peach Kiss has is quite lovely.

5 | Protect Me! Hand Cream in 01: Fennec Fox (The Face Shop)

Next to the macadamia & shea cream shower, this is my second favourite scent at The Face Shop. This is yet another product I recommend going in and smelling because the fragrance will probably blow you away. The scent has strong notes of mango with a bit of peach in there. This is, however, a hand cream. It's quite moisturizing and the formula is made without parabens. The adorable container makes for a great gift. :)

6 | Face It Extreme EX Brush Pen Eyeliner in 01 Black (The Face Shop)

As you can probably tell at this point - The Face Shop has played an important role for me in 2014. Ever since I found out about this brand from Amy of Michi-Mochi (I send a million kind thank you-s your way!) I have been learning about quite a bit of products. Another product I really like from TFS, and one that I quite easily use the most, has been the black Brush Pen Eyeliner. It goes for roughly $13 (CAD) in stores and it's quite a popular item since it is sold out at many TFS locations. The eyeliner has a brush at the end and if you're not quite comfortable with the liquid eyeliners that you have to dab into a jar, this one is a good alternative.

7 | Herb Day Cleansing Tissue - 70 tissues (The Face Shop)

I remember I walked into TFS last year in search of makeup removing tissues and the girl there directed me towards these ones. I had never tried them before, so I grabbed a small 20-tissue pack for $3. I ended up really liking the tissues and they are pretty much the only ones I use to this day. The Herb Day Tissues are great for all kinds of skin types - even for sensitive. They do have a light fragrance that smells light and refreshing. On top of everything, these tissues are very effective for heavy and waterproof makeup - at least in my experience.

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So there you have it - my top 14 favourites of 2014 and some runner-ups as well. What were your favourite products from 2014? I'd love to hear about them in the comments below!

Thanks for reading!