My Monthly Favourites - December 2013

Hi guys! As promised in the post I uploaded yesterday, 'My New Years Eve Make-Up,' here are my December Favourites. Granted this post is a few days late now (I cannot believe it is now 2014) but better late than never, eh! Usually, my favourites tend to consist of products that I have been loving for quite a long period of time, as I like to give honest and well-rounded reviews of things that I have tried and tested for at least a month. However, all of this months products have only been in my possession for a week or less. In addition, three of the products I will be mentioning today were given to me as Christmas presents,  which I am incredibly grateful for! With that being said, let's get straight into my five favourite products during the month of December.

Clinique Superprimer Universal Face Primer - £20.00
First up is this lovely primer from Clinique. I have been after this particular primer for a fair few months now after I used a sample of it that I found in a magazine. Up until now, I have only used cheaper high-street primers which I haven't got on with too well (Revlon's Photo Ready Primer in particular.) I have only used this product once so far, on New Years Eve, and I must say that I am impressed already. It provided a smooth base for my foundation, which seemed to stay put all night whilst I was out clubbing. My parents bought me this for Christmas and I am so grateful because it's a product I probably wouldn't have been able to afford or fathom buying otherwise. As it is so special, I am vowing to only use it on special occasions and nights out!

Marc Jacobs Honey Eau de Parfum (50ml) - £39.50
This perfume was another surprise present that was given to me by my Mum and Dad. I am a huge fan of Marc Jacobs fragrances overall, both their smells and packaging are amazing. I was actually given the gift set version which includes a shower gel and body lotion with matching scents to the perfume. The eau de parfum itself is a pretty sweet scent, which I usually steer clear of, but due to it's added fruity elements - it is a lot more wearable. I would agree that it is more of a spring/summer fragrance but it's gorgeous none the less!

Soap & Glory Butter Yourself Five Fruits Super Rich Soothing Body Butter  - £10.50
Next, my lovely aunt and uncle bought me this tub of Soap & Glory body butter. I am a lover of the brand and both me and my Mum use Soap & Glory products religiously. Considering that they are a widely available high-street brand, the quality of their products are amazing. The Righteous Butter has always been my favourite but now I am converted. I tend to prefer fruity and refreshing scents as opposed to cocoa or shea butter scents, though I still love both. This moisturiser is extremely rich and sinks into the skin really quickly, which is an added bonus.

Real Techniques Powder Brush  - £12.99
I have owned the Real Techniques Core Collection, which consists of four brushes; buffing, contour, pointed foundation and detailer brushes, for quite a while now. However, I have been stuck using a brandless powder brush that is pretty useless. The hairs of the brush always used to shed, leaving little black hairs all of my face (how frustrating!) So, with some cash that my Nan gave me for Christmas, I have finally gotten around to buying this brush. As with all Real Techniques brushes, the bristles are really soft and I know that I am going to get a lot of use out of it. I also hope to expand my brush collection in the near future. Next on my list is the Starter Set that features 5 eye brushes.

Maybelline Super Stay 24hr Color in Cherry Pie  - £7.99
Last but not least is this lovely lip colour from Maybelline. I am always on the look out for long-wearing lip products, as there is nothing I hate more than lipstick that barely lasts an hour without fading, transferring onto your teeth or bleeding outside of the lines. I bought this particular product after my friend Sarah recommended it to me, as she has it in a different colour. I bought the shade 'Cherry Pie,' which is a deep red colour which is so pigmented. The lip colour is dual ended, one end being a liquid lipstick and the other being a clear balm. What you have to do is apply the lip colour, wait for it to dry sticky and then apply the balm over the time. I assure you, this product DOES NOT budge! In fact, it is so long-lasting that is actually a nightmare to remove and it requires a lot of scrubbing to do so. That, however, is the only downfall to this amazing product. My only wish is that I purchased a slightly more wearable colour so that I can wear it in the day time too, so I might have to do that some time in the future.

So, that's it for this month! I hope that you enjoyed reading about my December favourites. Please let me know if you have used any of the aforementioned products, I would love to know how you have got on with them. Also, feel free to let me know what products you have been loving over the past month - I love getting recommendations! Thank you :)