Happy New Year! My best wishes for all of you. May 2016 be a beautiful, happy & healthy year spent collecting memorable moments. I'm very eager to start the new year - I have some resolutions lined up which I'll be trying to keep to for the next year and al very much so looking forward to all the new and exciting adventures that are lined up for the people I love and myself. I'm also looking forward to spending a little more time on this blog than I could the past few months. I hope to find back that blog mojo that my busy work schedule pushed back the last few months - I already have a mental list of all the things I want to tell you about, so I hope you're ready for more of Minnebelle again in 2016. But before we kick off this new year.. It's time to look back on 2015 and talk about the products that I loved using the most. It wasn't an easy list to assemble and I've had to kill (figuratively speaking, of course!) some of my beauty darlings to come up with a reasonable favourites list. And yes, I know it's still pretty extensive.. Lez get to it.


1. HAIR TLC:
Lush American Cream: I have been looking into silicone free hair conditioners for the last few months of 2015 only, but I can easily say that it's my favourite conditioner of the whole year. It doesn't coat my hair like most conditioners do, but leaves it feeling nourished and smelling amazing without weighing it down instead. // Aveda Damage Remedy Restructuring Shampoo: In my quest for more natural hair care I purchased this shampoo in the new Aveda store in Antwerp. I really like the sulfate free rinse which still cleanses thoroughly while also reinforcing my hair strands. // Oway Nurturing Drops: I love the scent and I love how soft this makes the ends of my hair feel. It's a great leave-in treatment for processed hair. Heads up: does contain silicone. Full review here.

2. BODY CARE:
Rituals Mandi Lulur: Both the Bath Foam & Shower Foam deserve their spot on this list as the fragrance is just so yummy. Sadly it was a limited edition range.. I do hope they bring it back as a permanent collection! Full review here. // The Body Shop Japanese Camellia Cream: Extremely moisturising, easy texture (not too thick, not too liquid) and with an amazing scent that lingers on all day: this is without a doubt my favourite body moisturiser of the year! Full review here. // Oway Remedy Hand Balm: The tube is pretty battered as it's been in my purse for most of its life, but this hand cream is really lovely. It sinks in pretty fast (but not too fast!) and has a very nice and natural scent. // Nivea Stress Protect Roll-On Deodorant: While I didn't like the spray version of this deodorant, I really love the roll-on. I switched to roll-on deodorants around October since my skin was reacting a little to the spray deodorant I had been using for years. It proved to be a very good decision: my skin is calm again and the deodorant really works too.

3. ACNE FIGHTING:
Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel: Made it to last year's favourites as well. I love this gel for a night treatment when I have a sudden flare-up of active acne. Apply only on the affected area for best results. // Caudalie Purifying Mask: formulated with white clay, zinc and a blend of essential oils this cleanses skin and tackles impurities. This is definitely a great weekly treatment for oily or acne prone skin and my favourite mask of the year! // Avène Cicalfate: An oldie, but a very goodie. I have been guilty of picking some pimples this year during stressy times (we're all human..) and this cream helps speed up the healing process. // La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo+: I have used the regular Effaclar Duo before but purchased the new Duo+ version towards the end of the year. It has the same powerful effect! I use it underneath a light moisturiser on targeted areas. // A recent full article on how I deal with adult acne can be found here. 

4. SKIN CARE: 
Caudalie Make-Up Removing Cleansing Oil: This smells like marzipan! Oh, and it also cleanses really well and is formulated with precious and gentle ingredients. 'Nough said. // Mixa Bi-Phase Eye Make-up Remover: This bi-phase eye makeup remover is the best bi-phase formula I have ever tried - and I am including high end alternatives. This removes waterproof makeup like a badass and is super gentle on both my skin and wallet. // Caudalie Polyphenol C15 Overnight Detox Oil: When I'm in need of a little more glow, I use this as a night treatment. This is without a doubt the best night time oil treatment I've ever tried! Full review here. // Bioderma Eau De Soin SPF30: I am not sure whether this one is already available more easily outside of France, but this is just wonderful! It makes using SPF on a daily basis just so much easier. The consistency is light-weight and super comfortable: I use it both under and over makeup.


5. MAKEUP BRUSHES:
It Cosmetics Airbrush Powder Brush: Part of a bigger set I bought in Ulta in NJ, this is my favourite powder brush of the year. It was a tough choice between this one and the Real Techniques blush brush, but I chose this one as I feel like it's the most versatile (powder/brush - your pick). The quality is amazing for the price, this one hasn't shed a hair or lost its shape after many washes. Full review here. // Zoeva 226 Smudger: The perfect brush for smudging out liner or applying eyeshadow to the lower lash line. // Zoeva 228 Crease Brush: The best brush to use when you're in a hurry and quickly want a perfectly blended colour in your crease. // Zoeva 104 Buffer Brush: I used this one for powder at first, but started using it for liquid foundation this year. It gets the job done super quickly and leaves a flawless finish! // Zoeva 227v Soft Definer Vegan: The perfect brush to quickly apply cream eyeshadow - this one made it to last year's list too! // And not on the picture but definitely deserves to be on this list.. BeautyBlender Solid Blender Cleanser: The best brush/sponge cleanser I have ever used! I used to think that some brushes (mostly foundation brushes) could never be 100% cleaned or would always be stained.. but I was wrong. This cleanser gets rid of everything and does it quickly too. Amazing!

6. NAIL POLISH:
Chanel Le Vernis in Rouge Noir: Oh how I love this shade! It's iconic, bold, beautiful, classy, .. It's quite something. A must for anyone to have in their nail polish stash! // Chanel Le Vernis in Châtaigne: This one goes hand in hand with Rouge Noir. So beautiful! I could wear it for weeks in a row.. Full review here. // Formula X Nail Polish in Exquisite: I fell in love with the shade and then immediately fell in love with the formula as well. Sephora does these exquisitely well! Instagram pic wearing this shade here.

7. FRAGRANCE:
Narciso Rodriguez For Her EDT: If I could only keep one fragrance, this'd be the one.. It's pretty much perfect in every way. Full review here. // Modern Muse EDP: If you love For Her, you'll love Modern Muse too. Same kind of musky perfection. Full review here. // Guerlain La Petite Robe Noire EDP: Pictured here in the new purse spray that came out for the holidays, La Petite Robe Noire is one of my all time favourite scents and definitely deserves its spot in this list. Very fruity, sensual & long-lasting. Full review here. // Dior Addict EDT: As the name implies, this one is so addictive. A warm floral scent that lingers on. // AERIN Gardenia Rattan: Hands down the best fragrance launch (in Belgium) for 2015. This is such a unique and delicious scent - I own nothing like it. Full review here.

8. THE PERFECT BASE:
Laura Mercier Foundation Primer Radiance Bronze: I am quite pale and can look a little ghostly sometimes.. Mixing this primer with my usual foundation adds a beautiful soft bronzy glow without looking fake orange. Review here. // Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation: My all-time most trusted foundation. Covers acne and scars, stays put on my face all day and comes in quite a big shade range. Foundation perfection! // NARS Stick Concealer in Custard: A repurchase that kind of got lost in between a bunch of other concealers, but made its way back to my top concealer picks. This shade covers up my dark under eye circles like a boss! // NARS Creamy Concealer in Vanilla: This light shade works beautifully to conceal & illuminate the area under my eyes. I apply it with my bare fingers as this gives the most natural finish. Works well hand in hand with the stick concealer for those super glam nights. // Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion: A quick swipe of this primer makes your eyeshadow last a whole lot longer.


9. MAKEUP:
Dior 5 Couleurs in Cuir Cannage: I used this one so so very much during the first half of the year. The colour combination is just perfect! Swatches and review here. // Dior Diorskin Nude Tan Light in 001 Aurora: The pan is already peeping through -that's how much I love this bronzer! It's the perfect shade for pale girls like me - this will give you a beautiful warm glow without looking orange. // Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette: I had a hard time deciding whether I was going to add Naked 3 or the Gwen Stefani palette to this favourites line-up. The truth is however that I've only discovered Naked 3 in 2015 and that I have used it an awful lot since getting it.. I feel like it deserves the spot more than the Gwen palette at this point. The rose hues are so beautiful and totally up my alley! Review & look here. // Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Bobbi: This was another hard choice to make.. I discovered quite a few beautiful nude/brown lipsticks this year but this has been my ultimate favourite. A beautiful rich nude brown colour & a hydrating formula is a winning combo! Review here. // Maybelline Color Tattoo in Bad To The Bronze: I have hit the bottom of this little pot already, it's such an easy cream eyeshadow to use whenever you're in a hurry in the morning. Extremely pigmented, crease-free throughout the day and very long lasting.. It's pretty much the perfect bronze cream eye shade! // MAC Cosmetics Lip Pencil in Soar: The hype is so real - this lip pencil is absolutely gorgeous. I can't get over how beautiful this shade is! I use a lip balm underneath so my lips don't get too dry & then it stays put for hours and hours.. Worn in this look. // MAC Cosmetics Eye Shadow in Haux: The perfect rosey brown crease shade! This combines so well with warm brown shades and takes every look to another level. // Helena Rubenstein Lash Queen Fatal Blacks Mascara: Again, a hard choice to pick the best mascara of the year. I ended up choosing this one as the formula fits me the most: it's not too wet so I don't get smudges all over my eyes. It also lengthens, adds a lot of volume volume and is pitch-black. Keeps a curl all day through, doesn't smudge throughout the day and is easy to remove. So yes, adding all of that up: the best mascara I used in 2015 for sure!

Whew.. These posts always seem like such a marathon. Now I'm definitely ready for the new year! I hope this one gave you some beauty products inspiration for the coming year. Do let me know what your favourites have been in 2015 - I always love to discover your recommendations!