April Favourites

Hi everyone, it's Favourites time again. I'm a little bit late with this one as it's already the 5th! The months are flying by so quickly, it'll be Christmas again before we know it. Last month saw me add a lot more beauty/skincare products to my collection and I will be doing full reviews on all of them for you in the next couple of weeks. For today though, let's get on with my April Favourites:

 

Gone Girl

(Buy here)

My first favourite for this month is a non-beauty love of mine. There's something so satisfying about finding a novel that you cannot put down. Gone Girl is a thriller in which a woman called Amy goes missing on her 5th wedding anniversary and her husband Nick looks increasingly guilty of being involved in her disappearance. I don't want to give anything else away as there are some amazing twists and turns - particularly one twist right in the middle of the book that left me stunned. The story is told from both Nick and Amy's perspectives and the two narrators are telling very conflicting stories, leaving you wondering who is telling you the truth. Gone Girl spent weeks at the top of the New York Times bestsellers list and I totally agree with the Mail on Sunday's comment (see picture) as I was dying to find someone else who had read the book so I could talk about it with them! I read this in three days as I needed to know how the story would end. I was really sad to finish this book and have been trying to find an equally thrilling novel to take its place this month. If you have any recommendations please let me know!

 

Real Techniques Stippling Brush

 

(Buy here)

The Real Techniques brushes and I have had a love affair going on for a few months now. I own the Core Collection (the Buffing Brush has changed my life), the Powder brush, the Blush brush, and as of this month - the Stippling brush. Since delving into the world of cream blushes this month, I knew I needed the perfect tool for applying them and the Stippling blush was definitely the right choice. As with all the Real Techniques brushes I've tried, this brush provides faultless application and helps give your makeup a really natural-looking finish. I've been using this to apply powder blushes as well, I use it by dabbing the blush onto the apples of my cheeks then lightly brushing it up towards my hairline.

Bioderma Crealine H2O

(Buy here)

This micellar water from French skincare brand Bioderma is massively hyped-up in the blogging world, and rightly so I have to say. I bought this around two months ago and have been using it every day to remove my eye makeup and most of my face makeup. The Crealine H2O solution is from the Sensibio range which is especially for 'peaux sensibles' (or sensitive skin to us English girls) so it doesn't irritate the eyes or skin in the slightest. Full review coming soon.

Lancôme Hypnose Mascara

(Buy here)

After much deliberation between the original Lancôme Hypnose mascara and their new Doll Eyes mascara, I decided to go for the original. Lancôme are one of the bestselling high-end brands for mascara so I was excited to try one out to see if it would rival my YSL False Lash Effect for the Holy Grail Mascara spot. I'll be doing a full review of this too, so you can read all my thoughts in that post!

L'Oreal Colour Riche Le Kohl Liner

(Buy here)

 



I've heard a few beauty gurus advise that blondes should opt for brown eyeliner instead of black as it looks less harsh. As a kohl-addict since the age of 13, I thought it was about time I gave brown eyeliner a try, and I have to say, since I bought this, my black eyeliners haven't seen the light of day. I expected a brown liner not to make my eyes stand out as much, even to be barely visible but this kohl liner is fantastic. It applies smoothly along the lashline and in the upper/lower water lines and helps to define my eyes whilst looking noticeably less harsh than black. I chose the shade 102 Pure Espresso and I think I will definitely be repurchasing this when I inevitably sharpen it to within an inch of its life.

Marc Jacobs Daisy Eau So Fresh

(Buy here)

 

I mentioned this perfume in a recent haul post, and I have been loving it so much this month. It is THE perfect fragrance for sping - light, floral and fruity. It has such a fresh scent and people comment on how amazing it smells when I wear it, which is always the sign of a fantastic perfume for me. Also, the bottle is just stunning. I love the oversized flowers adorning the lid, this looks so beautiful displayed on my dressing table.

 

YSL Blush Radiance

(Buy here)

 

I've had this blush in my collection for over a year now (hence the slightly battered packaging), and this month I have been reaching for it a lot. The shade I own is 02 which contains two gorgeous coral shades (one light, one darker) arranged into a pretty quad. The packaging is typical YSL - sleek, shiny and gold, and it has a handy little mirror inside which is great for applying makeup on-the-go. I think this shade is just perfect for spring/summer, it adds a really natural, pretty flush to the cheeks without looking overdone. I've been applying this with my Real Techniques stippling brush.

 

So that's it for another month! Don't forget to link me to your April Favourites posts if you comment as they are seriously one of my favourite kinds of posts to read - I love to see what products everyone else has been enjoying so I can add more things to my ever-growing wishlist!

 

Holly xo