Best Beauty Discoveries 2017

Happy Christmas Eve little elves!

Hope you're all having a lovely cosy day whatever you're up to. I've been meaning to do a post like this for a while, but as I discovered all these products this year I thought it best to round it up into one 'best of 2017' post. How snazzy!

I LOVE makeup, as most people who know me are probably way too aware of. It sucks up all my money and the majority of my time too. So why not waste MORE of my time on it by writing a blog post of my favourite products.

I'm always careful to only buy cruelty-free products, so all the ones I've written about are animal-testing and animal by-product free. A cool Buzzfeed guide to cruelty-free beauty shopping can be found here!

So without further ado, here we go...

---

The Ordinary- Primer and Serum Foundation

This is hands down the best discovery of the year! I am obsessed with both of these.

The primer is non-oily and creates a lovely smooth base - and works with other foundations (I've tried it with Rimmel Match Perfection and it works equally well)

The smooth serum foundation blends in like a dream- it's thin, but still with a good coverage and a very smooth and soft feel. It comes in 21 shades (apparently at least 2 should fit you), with all different undertones (pink, yellow and neutral). The 1.1P is a perfect shade and even though the bottle is small, it's mighty - you only need a small bit as it's a thinner serum, and a little goes a long way with a damp beauty blender. They're even cruelty free, oil free and vegan!

It's so good my mum got herself some as well (she hates foundation as it's too heavy, and has always stuck to tinted moisturiser instead), and she loves it; she's happy applying it with her fingers instead; which still works for her.

Best of all, the foundation is only £5.90. YES, REALLY! And the primer is only £3.90. What are you waiting for? Buy from Cult Beauty, treat yourself to another little something and get free standard delivery when you spend over £15- find the foundation here.

Collection Products

I feel like me and my friends all swear by so many Collection products. They're so cheap, but still good quality- and they don't animal test their products either.

Here's my tried and tested products I keep going back to:

Eyebrow Kit

Collection's eyebrow kit comes with 3 different shades, so you really can't go wrong as if you're brunette, one of the shades should fit you. I'm quite happy with the middle one. It even comes with a slanted brush and a small pot of brow gel, which sets them well (although mine is looking pretty brown by now as the brush keeps mixing with the powder).

Credits for this photo to HannahLouiseFashion as my Collection concealer is looking a bit worn out...

Lasting Perfection Concealer

Collection's concealer has been plugged again and again by Zoella, and for good reason! It provides such great coverage, is smooth and non-cakey, lasts a while and costs only £3.

Extreme Bold Eyeliner

I wear eyeliner every day; and over eyeshadow I find eyeliners dry out more and more quickly, so I'm always reluctant to spend lots on an eyeliner which may only last a couple of weeks. I bought this on a whim as it has a similar shape to the L'Oreal Super Liner and Maybelline Master Precise liner, and it does the job perfectly, stays in place all day and goes on smoothly on top of eyeshadow. Well worth £3 (£2.70 with my Superdrug student discount...)

Revolution Eye Palettes

Revolution produce some gorgeous eyeshadow palettes, all with very pretty packaging and amazing pigmentation for the price. I've got two new favourites this year:

Life on the Dance Floor palette in VIP

I CAN'T STOP USING THIS PALETTE. And the packaging is So. Sparkly. I know this palette was a lot of bloggers' least favourite out of the 'Life on the Dance Floor' range but I love it; particularly the right end of the palette with all the golds, bronzes and deep reds. They're so pigmented and wintry, and the glitters and shimmers can be made extra strong with some setting spray on your brush.

Midnight Unicorn Palette

This was £4 in a promotion and I couldn't say no- especially when I was being a mermaid for Halloween! The colours are bright, vibrant and highly pigmented. They're not just for Halloween or fancy dress either, I love the lilac and pink colours and use them loads- I think they'd be perfect for summer too. I've shown my Halloween look below.

Revolution Pro Fix 'Oil Control' setting spray

This stuff is ideal for nights out- as someone with combination skin (with a particularly oily t-zone) this setting spray never lets me down, and is a dream on my brushes for making shimmer eyeshadow shades really stand out. I don't like to use it too much or when I don't need it though, as I feel the 'seal' on my makeup may stop my skin from breathing properly and result in breakouts if I used it every day.

Revolution 'I Heart Makeup' 'Goddess of Love' Highlighter

Not much can be said about this except OHMYGOD IT IS SO SHIMMERY AND GOLDEN AND PIGMENTED, AND COMES IN A PRETTY HEART CASE YET DOESN'T TEST ON ANIMALS.

Sleek 'Matte Me' lipstick

I have 3 of these. They're non-drying, last all night and even leave a nice lip stain with the darker shades if you prefer that! They're also pretty cheap at £6 each and are cruelty free, again!

Primark Beauty Range

Believe it or not, Primark's beauty range is all cruelty free as well, and obviously MEGA cheap. I've tried out a couple of products this year, and will give you a few of the best...

- PS... Nail Polish

From 60p a bottle to the slightly higher end InstaGirl £3 range, these nail polishes are really good quality for the price and come in some really lovely colours. I got one forest green bottle for 30p and it's been my favourite so far!

- PS... False Eyelashes

I've always been reluctant to spend loads on falsies, and loved Primark's 'intense' and 'natural' false lashes, but bought wispies separately. But now they've come out with wispies (called 'full look) too, which I am buzzing to try! Best part is, they all come with glue and for a pound you can't argue.

- PS... Acrylic Nails

For either £1 or £2 for the metallic/holographic/glittery nails, these really are great for the price. You can see Primark's gold ones featured on my nails in all the photos in this blog post! The glue is really strong and the nails last a good 3 or 4 days, but be careful when applying!

- Zara 'Femme' Eau de Toilette

I hated spending so much on new Ghost Deep Night whenever I needed it. One day I asked my friend if she was wearing Lancôme's 'La Vie est Belle' and she told me it was Zara! I had to try it out and was chuffed it was only £10 for a big bottle (it's £12 now, I've noticed, but still such a steal!) Everyone always tells me I smell amazing when I wear it. It's floral and has lasted me ages...I've asked for a new one for Christmas!

---

That's all for now! I'm excited to spend more of my student loan on makeup in 2018 and intend on bringing this blog post back!

Hope each of you has a lovely Christmas and peaceful new year, and thanks for reading!

- Christmassy El xoxo

(follow me on Twitter! @reindella)