August Favourites

As I only made a few new purchases last month, there are only five products that have made it into my August Favourites, but each one is amazing and some are definite contenders for holy grail status.

My favourite base of the month, and possibly of all time (ooh!) is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation. I've raved about this foundation here and here and the more I use it, the more I fall in love with it. It gives me the most natural-looking, smooth complexion and a beautiful lit-from-within glow without looking shiny. This is perfect for daily use or for nights out as it can built up for higher coverage. Basically, if you want your skin to look healthy and flawless, you need to try this. I've also tried the Healthy Mix Serum from the same range, which is more of a gel consistency, but the foundation just completely blows it out of the water. This is definitely the best highstreet foundation I've ever tried.

On my cheeks, I've been loving the Illamasqua Androgen Cream Pigment, which is a multi-use cream colour that can be applied to cheeks, lips and even eyelids (though maybe not this particular shade). Androgen is a beautiful peachy pink shade, and as it's a pigment the colour pay off is amazing - a small amount of this on a stippling brush creates a beautiful flush of colour and can be built up for a more intense look. Considering I struggled with applying cream blushes in the beginning, I'm now their number one fan and they are dominating my makup drawer.

My favourite lipstick of the month has been Mac Ravishing, a peachy coral with a creamy formula packed with shine. This is a beautiful lipstick that looks great with pretty much any makeup look. The lasting power isn't amazing, as with most of the cremesheen formulas from Mac, but I'm never one to complain about pulling that sleek black bullet out of my handbag to reapply!

In terms of skincare, I've been loving using the Origins Ginzing Energy-Boosting Moisturizer as my day cream. This moisturizer contains panax ginzing and coffee beans to really wake up the complexion and works really well with the Healthy Mix Foundation to make skin look revitalised and luminous. My favourite thing about this cream, though, is the gorgeous orange scent which is one of my favourite ever smells. 

Now my final favourite product of the month only made the cut in the last few days of August. For the last three weeks, I've been having a nasty breakout on my chin (mm, sexy I know). No matter how long I waited, it just wouldn't clear up, until I started using the La Roche Posay Serozinc morning and night and my breakout cleared up considerably within a couple of days! This is a zinc sulphate solution spray-on toner which cleanses and soothes the skin, helping to prevent and heal breakouts. This has made a massive difference to my skin after only a few days and I think this toner will be a staple in my routine for months to come.

What was your favourite product in August?

Holly xo

The Summer Series // The Beauty Bag

 

Hi girls, it's time for the next instalment of the 'Summer Series'. This time I'm showing you all the beauty products (not including makeup - that will be the next post) that I'll be taking with me on holiday on Monday! This includes sun protection, hair products, body products and skincare essentials that will keep me feeling my best during a week in the sun.

 

 

Firstly, and probably most importantly - here are the products that will be protecting my skin from the sun's rays. Nivea has always been my go-to brand for sun protection because it's always been my mam's favourite brand. She laughs at all my expensive skincare products pointing out that the original Nivea moisturiser is all she's ever used - and I must say her skin is great and everyone does comment on how young she looks. So their sun protection range was always a staple in my childhood. This year I am desperate to get a decent tan, but also know how important it is to stay safe in the sun, so the Nivea Protect & Bronze range sounded perfectly suited to my needs! This water-resistant sun cream claims to support the skin's natural tanning ability - whilst containing no trace of fake tan - using a plant extract that stimulates the body's own melanin production (the natural pigment that determines skin colour). I'll be using the factor 30 for the first couple of days until my pale skin has hopefully developed a base tan, then I'll move onto the lower factor 20. Sticking with Nivea, I also like their after sun range. I love the packaging of their products as the spray nozzle makes application so much easier and prevents waste. So I picked up the moisturising after sun spray, but also the after sun lotion for more intensive moisture if I burn. Both of these products contain aloe vera to soothe and cool the skin after sun exposure. I'll be keeping these in the fridge for an extra refreshing feeling.
Finally, I am taking my favourite face SPF product - the Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream in SPF 30 which is perfect for daily use in this country and abroad, as it is non-greasy, smells lovely and protects against UVA and UVB rays. This was a highly recommended SPF product by Caroline Hirons (my skincare crush), and I am loving it so far.  I'm also taking the Nivea Sun Protect Lip Balm SPF 30 which I forgot to photograph - BAD Holly.

 

 I always find my hair gets a bit dry and frizzy when I'm on holiday, so this year I thought I'd try some hair products that are specifically tailored for use on holiday. Cue the Charles Worthington Sunshine range. I'll be trying out the UV-Protection Shampoo and Conditioner as well as the Sunshine Protector Leave-In Spray to protect my hair from being frazzled in the constant heat. Hopefully these products, which contain moringa seed oil and added UV filters, will amp up the moisture and keep my long hair protected and refreshed (as the packaging promises). I'll also be taking my trusty Moroccanoil treatment to use every night after washing and before blow drying to keep my hair silky soft and help to keep split ends at bay.

I picked up this cute travel bottle set from ebay last week so that I could de-pot some of my larger skincare/bodycare goodies that I simply can't live without for a week. I'll be taking my absolute favourite bodywash - the Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Fresh and Foamy Body Wash. I just repurchased this after using up my first 500ml bottle, I can honestly say I never want to be without this stuff - the sweet citrusy smell is so refreshing and delicious, I've even purchased the Sugar Crush Body Butter to go with it. I'll also be taking my Bioderma Sensibio H2O for removing my makeup, my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish cleanser, Vichy Aqualia Rich Moisturiser which will keep my skin hydrated throughout the day/night as it's a fairly heavy duty moisturiser and my Caudalie Beauty Elixir that I received in the Selfridges Beauty Box last month - this will be great for refreshing my skin throughout the day. I'll also be de-potting some of my Origins Drink-Up Intensive Overnight Mask to use a couple of times during the week to inject some much-needed moisture into my sun-parched skin - I think I'll take this in my hand luggage and use it on the plane too as aeroplanes are notorious for dehydrating the skin - and we don't want that on a 5 hour plane journey!

 

I'll obviously also be taking the boring stuff - mini toothpaste, mouthwash, a toothbrush and some deodorant (Soft & Gentle Lotus and Watermelon if you were wondering!)

Hope this post wasn't too boring ha! What are your holiday beauty essentials?

Holly xo
 

Current Skincare Favourites

Hi everyone, sorry the blog has been slightly neglected this week, it's exam month as I'm sure a lot of you know, and I've never known stress like it! I sat my hardest exam today though (Psychobiology, Sensation and Perception ooh) and my last one is on Thursday so hopefully I'll be back to posting regularly soon!
 

Now, skincare...

Until fairly recently, skincare was nowhere near top of my list of priorities. I was very much a 'remove my makeup with a wipe and slap on some cheap moisturiser in the morning' kind of girl. Oh the shame. Then I discovered all the amazing skincare products that are raved about on beauty blogs every day and my eyes were well and truly opened. Now I'm working towards developing a staple skincare routine and these three products are definitely contenders.
 

 

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish is a plant-based cleanser containing naturally active ingredients like eucalyptus and cocoa butter which work to clean, smooth and add a radiant glow to the skin. I've never tried a cleanser like this - it is a rich cream which you apply to dry skin and then buff off with a muslin cloth which gently exfoliates away dead skin cells. I must admit, I'm a bit lazy when it comes to washing the muslin cloths so I often just wash the cleanser off with warm water which works fine too. A lot of people are fond of the smell of this cleanser, I personally think it smells a bit like vapour rub, but the scent is not overpowering at all so it doesn't bother me. I also really like the packaging of this, I'm not sure why! The pale turquoise bottle is sturdy and smooth, and the pump dispenser makes the product so much easier and more hygienic to use. Cleanse and Polish is priced at £13.25, or £14.75 for the starter kit which contains the same 100ml bottle of cleanser as well as two muslin cloths (which is the option that I went for). I think this price is extremely reasonable considering the cult status of the product! Overall I really love this cleanser, and I can definitely see myself repurchasing it.

 

Moisturiser has always been a key product for me as my skin can get a little dry sometimes, particularly on the tops of my cheeks. I always apply moisturiser in the morning and have been trying to apply it every night now too. Dehydrated skin is the most common skin type, and even oily skin needs to be regularly moisturised, so I'm always on the lookout for a new staple moisturiser. Vichy Aqaulia Thermal is a very rich creamy moisturiser with a gorgeous scent (it reminds me of holidays, I think it smells like sun cream or aftersun but I can't put my finger on it). This moisturiser comes in two formulations - light and rich, I bought the rich pot as at the time my skin was very dry and I wanted something really hydrating, but if you have combination/oily skin, the light pot may be a better option for you. The rich pot is non-greasy and non-sticky and really helps to relieve any feelings of tightness in my skin (I sometimes get this feeling on my forehead). The 50ml pot retails for around £16.00 at Boots or slightly less on Escentual. I'm not sure I will repurchase this as I think I am still yet to find the one in terms of daily moisturisers.

 

Finally, a product that was on my wishlist a while back: Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. I always associate skin masks with a feeling of luxury and relaxation, and this apricot-scented mask definitely provides that. The mask is massaged into the skin before you go to bed and it deeply hydrates and moisturises the skin while you sleep. What's not to love? This is great to use on its own or as a follow-up to a clay-based mask for impurities which can leave skin feeling dry and tight. At £20.00 for 100ml, this mask isn't cheap but it is long-lasting and has definitely earned its cult status, and its long-term status in my skincare collection.

 

I do still try to keep my skincare routine fairly simple as my skin is quite sensitive and often reacts badly to new products, but these three products have done nothing but good things for my skin so I definitely recommend them!

 

I hope you enjoyed reading about my current favourites, I can't wait to get paid and add more products to my collection: next on the list are the Emma Hardie Amazing Face Cleansing Balm (at a hefty £34 it had better be damn good!) and Hydraluron from Indeed Labs - I blame Caroline Hirons, the incredible skincare guru who writes Beauty Mouth for these latest product lusts as that woman really knows what she's talking about, doesn't mince her words and therefore I totally trust her recommendations - and she replied to my tweet last week! (chuffed)

 

What skincare products could you not live without?

 

Holly xo