e.l.f haul

e.l.f or eyes lips face is a brand that I have turned to time and time again since their UK launch in 2007. e.l.f's ethos is to allow makeup lovers to experiment without sacrificing their budget. There are a lot of hits and a few misses within their range, but on the whole I find that e.l.f really delivers high quality, low cost products.

I hadn't picked up anything from them for a little while and they'd recently added a few new products to their range, so I had a little bit of a splurge and made this video to show you what I bought.

Have you tried anything by e.l.f? What are your favourites?

The Buddha Beauty Company Spiced Apple Candle

As mentioned in my 2012 Favourites video, last year was the year that I really discovered my love of candles. I had always liked them, but the purchase of a Neom Candle made that like develop into a bit of an obsession. Now you'll find a candle adorning practically every surface of my home.

I've never really been a fan of those artificially sweet scented candles (you know the ones that I mean), instead preferring something a little more natural. I also prefer my candles to be soy or vegetable based, as candles made from paraffin wax don't tend to burn quite as cleanly and can throw out quite a bit of soot. Apparently, they're also not that great for your health.

I had been looking for something a little more wintery than my much loved Neom Sumptuous candle for a while, when I stumbled upon The Buddha Beauty Company whilst perusing the stalls of the Manchester Christmas Markets. They have a number of beautifully scented candles within their range and the Spiced Apple candle fitted the bill. It has a sophisticated crisp apple scent with a hint of spice, making it perfect for this time of year.

These candles are made with 100% soy wax and come in glass 30cl containers. They burn cleanly (no soot stained walls here) and have an average burn time of 60-65 hours. The Buddha Beauty Company candles are priced at £15 and can be bought directly from their website.

Favourite Products of 2012

Slightly belated but here it is, my favourite products of 2012. I tried out A LOT of new things in 2012, some things I loved, some I did not. The items that are mentioned within the video were the cream of the crop.

Just to be super helpful, here's a little rundown of everything mentioned with reviews where applicable: 

• Temple Spa In The Beginning Deep Cleansing Melt
• Lucas' Papaw Ointment
• Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter
• Korres Aloe & Dittany Shampoo
• Pureology Hydrate Shampoo
• Jemma Kidd Light as Air Foundation - Shade Light 2
• NARS Sheer Glow - Shade Deauville
• ByTerry Touch-Expert Advanced Concealer - Shade 02
• Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer - Shade 52
• Stila Sun Bronzer - Shade 02
• NYX Blush - Taupe
• Sleek Suede Effect Pressed Powder - Shade 01
• MUA Blusher - Shade 02
• Real Techniques Brushes - Buffing Brush, Contour Brush & Multi-task Brush
• Sigma Large Angled Contour Brush - Mr Bunny Travel Kit Collection
• Wet'n'Wild Eyeshadow Trio - Walking on Eggshells
• Korres Lip Butter - Guava
• Urban Decay Lipstick - Revolution
• Topshop Lip Marker - Get Lippy
• Topshop Nail Polish - Eyes of Steel
• Neom Luxury Organic Candle

Diptyque Philosykos Perfume Oil Roll-on

Diptyque has long been a brand that I had admired from afar thanks to their rather lovely, but expensive candles. Whilst in Space NK recently, I was browsing the shelves and intended to purchase one of their candles, until I caught a whiff of the Philosykos perfume.

Fig is a scent that I am really rather a fan of; most of the candles burning around my apartment are fig and the shower gel that I love (Korres) is also fig, so falling for a fig scented perfume seemed like a natural step.

For me, Diptyque’s offering is a little more grown up (in a good way) than a lot of other figgy scented perfumes that I have sampled in the past. 

Diptyque use the whole fig tree in the production of this scent including the leaves and bark, rather than just the fruit. There's also some white cedar in there for good measure. 

The oil within the roll-on is highly concentrated, therefore a little goes a long way and the scent lasts for hours after application. At £32.00 for 7.5ml, this certainly isn't cheap, but is great for throwing in one's handbag due to the small compact size. It would also make a beautiful gift for someone who really likes their perfumes.

Whilst I'm not sure that I would purchase the roll-on again, I would certainly think about purchasing the larger size bottle, where you get a little more product for your money.

Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter

Described by Soap & Glory as a shower gel and moisturiser in one, this little gem has been the only shower gel that I have been reaching for lately. It's designed to be used for when you just don't have time to moisturise and as I'm someone that loves my bed, anything that means that I can have an extra 5 minutes in the mornings is a winner in my eyes.

This body wash is made up of 25% moisture oils and butters including sweet almond oil, grapeseed oil, macadamia nut oil and cocoa & shea butters and it smells rather lovely to boot.

Scented with pistachio, almond and sweet vanilla, the fragrance is slightly different and a little more grown up than Soap & Glory's usual offerings, which I personally love. The wash has a lovely thick consistency which leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. It also makes shaving a breeze. 

Soap & Glory products can be purchased from Boots. Whipped Clean Shower Butter retails at £8.00 for 250ml.