October Favourites

It seems like only a minute ago I was feeling guilty about missing out on September Favourites (sorry about that, was feeling a little uninspired that month), and now it's November and time for the October installment. Sorry to be cliche, but this has to be the fastest year of my life so far. For me, October was a month for settling into my final year of uni and convincing myself I like drinking green tea. It was also a month for trying out berry-toned lips, matte nails and rose cheeks, amongst other products. 

As you can see, I mainly favoured highstreet makeup this month, which my bank balance certainly appreciated. The elf blush in 'Blushing Rose' (£3.75) is a mauve, almost plum-toned pink with great pigmentation. The shade has cool undertones but adds a lovely flush to the apples of the cheeks. This is a beautiful shade for Autumn and looks great applied lightly with the Real Techniques Blush Brush. 

The L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara (£9.35 at FeelUnique) has been in my collection for years. Though it doesn't occupy the top spot of 'best mascara ever' (which I thought I had filled with the YSL Faux Cils Mascara, but have decided otherwise), it is definitely in my current top three. This mascara adds incredible length to the lashes, lifting and coating them root to tip. The slim plastic wand makes it easy to reach even the smallest corner lashes to create a fanned-out effect. I'm fairly sure I'll repurchase this mascara when it runs out (as it's sold on those discount makeup stalls for around £2.99 - who could resist that?). 

The start of a new academic year also means a few weeks of incredible student discount offers and student nights at large shopping centres. I attended the Student Shopping Night at Eldon Square, Newcastle at the beginning of October and saved myself a ridiculous amount of money. That was the night I bought my Topshop Aubrey Boots (post here) and the night I entered a competition to win a Fenwick giftcard - which I later found out I won! As a beauty blogger, I was of course very excited by the discounted high-end makeup available that night. MAC were offering a very rare 10% off so I decided it was the perfect time to start building a 15-pan pro palette. The first eyeshadow pan that I picked up was MAC All That Glitters (£10.00 for pan alone), an extremely popular shade which MAC describes as a 'beige with gold pearl'. I find that this shade leans quite peachy on the lids. It does a great job of brightening the eyes and it works especially well paired with a slick of my other discounted beauty purchase of the night - the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Demolition (£14.00). This is the softest crayon-style eyeliner I've tried and the shade Demolition is a great matte dark brown which is a slightly softer alternative to black. The staying power is good, and the pigmentation is insane but my main problem with this eye pencil is how quickly it's running out! Because the liner is so soft, it needs to be sharpened after every use as it disappears so quickly. I've already used almost half of this eyeliner in a month, and I don't even use it every day. At £14.00, that's not a great investment. I probably will repurchase this but I'll always have a cheaper brown liner at hand for everyday use, and use Urban Decay's offering sparingly. 

Barry M released two new collections for Autumn this year, a glitter collection and a matte collection. I picked up the shade Vanilla from the Matte collection (£3.99) which is a really unique colour. Its a silvery grey with lilac undertones - a great Wintery neutral shade. Although it's not what I'm used to wearing on my nails, I actually really like the finish of these polishes. I'd say they're more semi-matte as they have a small amount of shine, thought they're definitely not glossy. You could always apply a glossy topcoat over the polish if you love the colour but aren't a fan of the finish. I'll pop up a full review of this polish at some point so you can see the finish :).

Finally, what would an Autumn monthly favourites post be without the ultimate Autumnal lipstick - Rimmel Kate Moss Matte 107 (£5.49). In the bullet, this lipstick appears to be a dark purple, but on the lips it can appear either dark fuchsia or dark red, or a mix of the two! It's a seriously gorgeous shade and the semi-matte finish makes the colour even more intense, thought still completely wearable. It's very comfortable on the lips and as it's not a glossy lipstick, the staying power is great.

What have you been loving throughout October?

Holly xo

 

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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

July Favourites

July was hot. The UK was hit with the longest heatwave in seven years which meant jeans and jackets were replaced with shorts and sun dresses, and SPF products became top of the skincare priority list (I hope!). My sun protection pick was the Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream SPF 30, which protects against both UVA and UVB rays (something we should all be checking for in our SPF products as both contribute differently towards skin cancer, sunburn and skin aging so a sun screen that only protects from one type of ultraviolet radiation is not offering you full protection from the sun damage). This cream is quickly absorbed, non-greasy and did a fantastic job of keeping my skin moisturised and protected from even the slightest sunburn! Job done. 

I took a little five day holiday with the family this month and there were three makeup products that I used almost every night and have continued to pick up most days since I got back. Firstly, my Inglot Freedom System Palette which I reviewed in full here - a completely personalised and hand-picked palette of bronzey neutral shades and a stunning champagne highlighting colour. These eyeshadows are by far the most pigmented in my collection, the texture is perfect and the shimmer is intense, making it the perfect collection of shadows to create a bronze smokey eye. 

On the creamier side of the eyeshadow spectrum, I've also been favouring the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On & On Bronze which I feel like I've spoken about far too much recently but it is seriously such a brilliant highstreet cream shadow. Soft and blendable with amaaazing colour payoff, I can't believe I was ever without this product in my makeup bag.

For lips, an old favourite made a welcome return - the Sleek True Colour Lipstick in Barely There - the most perfect peachy pink shade which has a creamy and moisturising texture whilst being completely opaque on the lips (see full review here). 

This month I also discovered a new favourite nail polish range on the highstreet. The Rimmel Salon Pro range has a shiny gel-like finish and lasts really well on the nails. There is a great selection of colours available - I particularly like the collection that Kate Moss has designed for the range in which all the shades are named after music genre. My favourite this month was 'Jazz Funk', which is a deep rose pink. I liked it so much that I went back and bought another three colours from the range. 

Finally, this month a hair product has made its way into my favourites. The L'Oreal Studio Matte and Messy Shine-Free Fibre Paste is great for adding texture to my hair and giving it that messy, undone look. I think this particular product from the range is actually intended for men, but it works so well in my long hair. I just rub a small amount of product between my hands and rake it through the ends of my hair before blowdrying it roughly and it adds the perfect amount of grit and texture. Take a look at the effects of the Matte and Messy range here.

Have you tried any of these products?

What is your favourite product of the month?

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