Beauty Review: The 2016 January Haul

It wasn't intentional but I seem to have acquired a lot of beauty products this month and over the Christmas period. Last year, I posted a January Mega Beauty Haul on a whim and it proved to be my most successful posts to date with thousands of you deciding to give it a read. That in mind, I figured I'd post a 2016 edition...

Up first is The Night Before Christmas LUSH gift set which was kindly purchased for me by Jack's sister, Lily. The funny thing was I so very nearly bought this for myself and so it was a lovely surprised to receive it as a gift. You can tell already why it caught my eye being so beautifully wrapped in moon paper. The gift box contained the Snow Angel Bath Melt, a softening and sweet smelling cocoa butter melt with shimmer. Also in the box is the Intergalactic Bath Bomb; a multi-coloured bomb made from popping candy and scented with grapefruit oil. Naturally, I loved both of these and couldn't wait to try them out. Big thanks to Lily for my amazing gift. 

Next up is something I've been tracking for a while - The Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Posh Spice. I've always been a little apprehensive about liquid lipsticks as they remind me of lipglosses and stickiness but I cannot recommend these enough. I was amazed then at how easy this was to apply and the stunning finish it gives the lips. My lips still felt moisturised and maintained a full matte finish for the majority of my day and maintained the fullness of the colour also. If you want long lasting matte colour, full moisture and a stunning range of colours - these are the one for you. Better yet, for you ethically-minded beauty lovers, all Jeffree Star products are vegan and cruelty free. 

I had never tried Sleek products before now but it's safe to say I am now converted. My usual eyebrow kit (which I swear by) had run out and despite city-wide search, no where seemed to restock it in the correct shade. Alas, I was forced to fork out a little bit more cash and find a replacement. I found it in the form of the Sleek Extra Dark Eyebrow Kit and I could not be more pleased with the results. Despite being a little bit more pricey than my usual kit, I've been using it for the past week or so and it lasts all day and as of yet, I've had no accidental smudging. The kit itself comes with two small brushes and a mini pair of tweezers to apply and maintain your brow along with a darker brown wax for shaping and a lighter powder to finish. 

Having picked up my new brow kit and, it being a 2 for £10 offer in Superdrug, I also picked up a Sleek Corrector and Concealer Kit in shade 2. The kit is presented as a pallette and contains three shades; a pale skin tone to lift to the eye area, and the concealer and finishing powder to neutralise discolouration. I've always used MAC for concealers and so, being a drugstore product, naturally this wasn't going to compete in terms of coverage. I did find, however, that this palette is ideal for contouring and highlighting or if you're just looking for a compact top-up. Overall, I'm very impressed with Sleek and am excited to try out more of their products. 

I visit MAC at least once a month and I'll admit I splurged a little more than usual over Christmas and January. I had tried every MAC and online for months but I finally managed to get my hands on the very much sort after Stone, Smoked Purple and Diva matte lipsticks. As you know from past posts, I love dark lips and these were right up my street. My favourite for sure is Stone whilst Diva wasn't quite as I expected. Having purchased online, it wasn't quite the colour I thought it would be based on the sites guide and so it's not 100% the tone I was hoping for. It is, however, another to add to the  ever-growing collection. Of course, I don't need to review the products themselves as we all know MAC speaks for itself but I couldn't resist sharing them with you. 

Some of you may remember that over Christmas I attended a Body Shop press day for their #24DaysofHappiness campaign. I received a rather awesome goodie bag from the day but they were also kind enough to send me a package with some extra products. Up first are these products from the Seaweed Collection. I've always had combination skin and so the seaweed range is perfect for controlling both the dry and oily parts of my skin. As I already use the face wash daily, I picked out the matching Seaweed Clarifying Toner*, an alcohol-free toner which cleanses whilst preparing the skin for moisture. To complete the set, they sent  a rare treat in the form of the Seaweed Mattifying Moisturiser* which is by far my favourite moisturiser. As well as smelling fresh and clean, it works to control excess oil but keeps the skin hydrated whilst maintaining a matte finish. What a treat. 

Also in my gift bag was this Japanese Cherry Blossom Eau De Toilette*. I love the design of the bottle and think it's really taken their usual sprays to a more premium level. It has a light, floral scent created by thousands of hand-picked, cold pressed cherry blossoms. I adore this product - it's ideal for a light, everyday spray and it doesn't look bad on the dressing table either. 

Finally in my package was this Body Shop Honeymania Body Butter*. I remember working as a makeup specialist for Body Shop at the time this was released and just loving the smell and creamy texture. I already use the body wash on a regular basis but was very pleased to get my hands on this big tub. With all Body Shop butters, they really do keep your skin moisturised for a while and I love the rich, floral scent. 

So there you have it for another January Beauty Haul. I hope you guys enjoyed it as much as last years! What beauty items did you pick up this month? Have you got any favourites from today's post? As always, I love hearing from you so please do leave your comments below. I'm officially moving house tomorrow (first goal of the year ticked off!) so I may be a little quiet over the next few days but rest assured I'll be back as soon as we get our internet installed. Hope everyone's having a great week so far,