June Beauty Favourites (+ randoms!)

I actually can't believe we're more than half way through the year. Before we know it it's gonna be Christmas, then new years, then 2014! I'm going to Dubai next week (ahh!) so expect a couple travel-type posts in the upcoming week :) Anyway, here are my June favourites - as always, links are at the bottom of the post!!!

NARS Powder Foundation (Fiji), Model Co Ultra Shine Lipgloss (Strip Tease), Urban Decay Naked Basics, Maybelline Instant Anti-Age Concealer, Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

Sudocrem aka The Miracle Product

Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream

Sudocrem Antiseptic Healing Cream is probably the cheapest skincare product I use and love, and I never thought I'd like it this much! Perhaps known best for using on babies, I've found it to work amazing on the skin of, well, non-babies :P

Top: Nude Lipsticks

NYX Black Label #India, MAC #Myth, MAC #Creme D'Nude, MAC #Hue, Barry M #154, Revlon Super Lustrous #Nude Attitude 001

(A non-skincare posts I know, I know)

Nude lipsticks are my favourite and I have so many, yet I've narrowed it down to my top 6!

Clinique Haul

Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel, Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara

I hate liking products, especially the unnecessarily expensive ones, simply because repurchasing them is a pain and hurts my wallet.

REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser Review

REN Clearcalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser

To be honest with you I find skincare, and the whole process day and night, boring. Recently I have become so lazy when it comes to looking after my skin that I've just been relying on makeup covering all the problems on my face. Yet I noticed that, however much makeup I applyed, the imperfections still were showing through so I knew action had to be taken.

Garnier Moisture Match "Start A Fresh" Review, Range Overview

Garnier Moisture Match Start A Fresh

Garnier have just released 5 new moisturisers which they say are "tailor made" to suit any skin type with various skin concerns. Here's a quick run through of the different variations.

Pink Pout

In the summer it's either no lip products, or pink lip products.

Nudes are my fave but they can be boring especially on holiday, so here's a round up of all my favourite pink lip products.

Long, Defined Lashes

Elf Brow Comb & Brush, Clinique High Impact Mascara, Urban Decay 24/7 Glide-On Eye Pencil in Perversion, Tweezerman Eyelash Curlers, Benefit They're Real, Tweezerman Tweezers, MAC Eye Kohl in Smolder

I'm someone who literally spends 20 minutes applying mascara in the morning. I don't wear falsies everyday so I like to make my mascara as though I am wearing them. Sometimes I like the clumpy look, other times I like the long and defined looked.

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream Review

First Aid Beauty Ultra Repair Cream 

I seriously don't know why I didn't pick this up sooner. In love!

The First Aid Ultra Repair Cream is marketed as an all-around intensive moisturiser. It can be used on the body and face and is suitable for even the most sensitive skins. Added bonus: it's fragrance free!

I mainly use this on my body as it's a really thick cream texture. It absorbs into the skin super fast and is perfect for dry patches as it instantly hydrates and deminishes the appearance of flakey skin.

If you fake tan then this is perfect to using for keeping the tan looking new and to stop it becoming patchy and dry looking. When I fake tan, around my elbows, wrists and knees tend to get dry and, as a consequence, can make the tan appear flakey and just "ugh" looking! So to prevent this I use this everyday on those areas to stop it from happening. Works wonders. 

I haven't yet used it on my face as I have a favourite moisturiser already and I hate messing up my skincare routine(!!!), yet I can imagine it to be amazing if you have super dry skin. Definitely recommend!

You can buy it from Beauty Bay for £8-£20 here! Xoxo

Nadine Coyle Eylure Lashes

 

Nadine Coyle Eylure Lashes

Eylure are my go to brand for fake lashes. They're always on a 3 for 2 offer in Boots or Superdrug and this time I decided to try one of the Girls Aloud lashes. Out of the five I went with the Nadine Coyle lashes as they are a similar style to what I'd normally wear, plus she's the most gorgeous one! 

They are super easy to apply (glue comes with each pack) and if your new to lashes there is a guide inside. However I do find the band that you apply the glue too is too thin and the eyelashes themselves are really flimsy - it's hard to keep the in shape when applying as there is no structure! For this reason it did take a little longer than normal to get them perfect looking however, for the price, I can't really complain. 

To keep any false eyelashes nice and new and reusable I recommended that, after you take them off, to wipe off the glue as if you leave it on your just applying more glue ontop and it can become difficult to cover the white 'band' with eyeliner if you choose to do so. It just makes them look nicer anyway.

Regardless, I think I'll be sticking to the regular Eylure lashes from now on...

xx

May Beauty Favourites

Happy June 1st! I love this day for many reasons: it's a sign that we're already half way through the year and that summer is approaching, school is nearly over (2 weeks left for me) and it's also my parents wedding anniversary! 29 years today which is so crazy! Anyway...

I only ever do monthly beauty favourites when I actually have favourite products to talk about, normally they're just the same as any other month so I rarely do them, but this month I have a lot of top picks!

Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer, Essie #Tart Deco, Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch, L'oreal True Match #W3, NYX #Sweetheart, Benefit They're Real, MAC Lip Liner #Saunter, MAC #Creme D'Nude

Laura Mercier Oil Free Foundation Primer
Best primer hands down! I've only just recently bought this and I'm already in love. Before I was using the Smashbox Photo Finish which was good as a primer but bad for my skin. It broke my out every time I used it so I stopped using primers for a while. On a whim I picked up the Laura Mercier one, in oil free, and I noticed the difference immediately. It contains no silicone which I think is what broke my out before and is so lightweight and refreshing as it's a cream product. I just love it and 100% recommend it to anyone needing a new primer or in the market to try a new one.

Essie #Tart Deco
One of my favourite summer nail polishes, it's such a nice coral colour which looks uh-may-zing with a tan! Boots normally do these on a 3 for 2 offer or something so check them out! I also love Mint Candy Apple which is a bright mint green.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Concealer
It's the best concealer/highlighter hybrid I've tried. It doesn't crease under the eyes, it covers up dark circles and also acts as a really nice highlighter on the cheekbone. It's super cheap as well (only around £7) and lasts forever. I'm not even half way through mine and I've been using it everyday since I bought it around two months ago. I have shade 2.

L'Oreal True Match Foundation
My favourite foundation of the moment. It's a medium coverage but can be built up for a more full coverage - it's quite thin in consistency meaning it feels lightweight and doesn't cake up. It applies really nicely over the Laura Mercier foundation primer and it's what I've been using everyday - I'm already on my second bottle. They bottle doesn't last that long however but for £10 I don't mind repurchasing. I'm in the shade W3 normally but when I tan I'm a W6, even W7.

NYX Mega Shine Lipgloss #Sweetheart
I love NYX lip glosses - they come in so many shades and are not sticky. Unfortunately they don't have the best staying powder, some are better than others. This month I've been wearing Sweetheart over the top of Creme D'Nude by MAC and it looks so nice. It's a shimmery pink nude shade.

MAC Lipstick #Creme D'Nude
This has been my most used lipstick of the month. Creme D'Nude is a peachy nude shade that is very smooth and has a gloss-like appearance. It's really creamy, hence why it's a cremesheen. For a nude it's really easy to wear, probably the easiest one I have. It's one of my favourite lipsticks ever and I've been particularly using it a lot this month.

MAC Lip Liner #Saunter
I hate putting limited edition products in favourites posts but I do believe you can get this on the House of Fraser website still. It's the perfect nude lipliner which can be used as a lip pencil as it's so opaque. It does cling to fine lines and dry areas so make sure you exfoliate and add loads of lip balm before. I like using this with Myth lipstick (practically the same colour) and then adding a pink gloss over the top like Sweetheart by NYX or even a Rimmel Apocalips lip laquer.

Benefit They're Real! Mascara
I got this with a magazine as a sample and I'm in love! It's marketed as the best mascara and the UK's most popular with 10 being sold every minute or something like that, so I always thought it was fake. So when it came with my favourite magazine as a sample I thought I'd give it a go and I'm so glad I did. It lengths the lashes perfectly and makes them look false, it doesn't give much volume which is what I'm normally used to but I can deal with that as it's so good. I'm really tempted to buy the full size even though it's nearly £20 and they run out so quickly! Ugh decisions...

Anyway they're my favourites, I hope you have a great forthcoming month!

xx

Top: Bronzers

L-R: Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in 52, NARS Laguna, Benefit Hoola, Elf Contouring Bush and Bronzer in Antigua

The four pictured are my favourite bronzers that I own; they each have slightly different undertones, finishes and textures which makes them perfect for when choosing a certain look.

Up first is NARS Laguna which, as you can see, is my most loved and most used bronzer. It has a slightly orange undertone which is noticeable next to more true browns such as Benefit (see swatches) yet nevertheless is still a really lovely shade and perfect for an every day use. You do need a light hand when applying it though as too much can look a little muddy.

Next is probably my favourite and most versatile bronzer and that is Benefit Hoola. It can be used not only as a bronzer and for adding warmth around the face but also for contouring. It's a light brown, matte shade which makes it perfect for contouring the face as there are no shimmers and it doesn't go muddy when it's built up. If you haven't tried this one you must!

The other two are drugstore bronzers which are surprisingly good. I always stand by the saying "you get what you pay for" which basically means the more you pay the better quality. Yet, why these two may not be as good as the NARS and Benefit, they are still decent in application and get the job done! The Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder in the shade 52 has a very strong orange undertone which means too much can look muddy looking. However this bronzer is really good for adding a slight warmth around the face. There are some shimmers in it but it's hardly noticeable once applied, if anything it makes the bronzer a little more wearable. My only issue that is isnt that pigmented, so I do have to keep reapplying more layers or I just use another one on top.

Lastly we have the bronzer from the Elf Contouring and Blush kit in Antigua. From the swatches you can see it's extremely dark compared to my skin tone and it's the most pigmented out of all four. It does have quite a lot of shimmer and glitter in which makes it a little hard to wear and also has a strong warm orange undertone. However for nights out this is perfect as it is noticeable and emphasis your bone structures insanely well. This bronzer would be perfect for those with a tan or a much deeper skin tone as it would work more effortlessly. For only a couple pounds you can't go wrong, and you get a barbie pink blush too!

Recommendations:

- If you have fair/medium skin with warm undertones, try Benefit Hoola

- If you have fair/medium skin with cool undertones, try Bourjois Delice de Poudre in 51 (fair) and 52 (medium)

- If you have medium/tan skin with cool/warm undertones, try NARS Laguna (or Casino for deeper skin tones)

- If you have dark skin with warm/cool undertones, try the Elf Contouring and Blush Kit in Antigua

Hope this was somewhat useful.

xx

L'Oreal True Match Foundation Review

L'Oreal True Match Foundation W3 (right) and W7 (left)

My normal go-to foundation is the Estée Lauder Double Wear (in desert beige) as it's pretty full coverage and lasts all day. It does however feel heavy and can look cakey if it's not properly buffed into the skin. Plus it's £28.50 which, for a product that runs out fairly quickly if used everyday, does add up over time!

I'm always skeptical about trying anything from the drugstore let alone face products as I brake super easily so drugstore foundations are a massive no-no for me. Yet, I heard so many amazing reviews on the L'Oreal Ture Match Foundation and when I saw Nicole Guerriero state it was one of her holy grail products I knew I had to try it. L'Oreal are also good at skincare so I hoped for the best and I wasn't wrong.

I love this stuff! It's the lightest foundation I've ever used that also provides medium coverage that can be built up for full coverage (even more than Double Wear). It doesn't last as long and it does go a little patchy, yet for work or school hours (8-9) it lasts perfectly. I don't normally need to wear concealer on blemishes and imperfections when I use this as it covers everything really well. And it looks super natural like skin which is a bonus.

One negative I have found is that it can oxidise during the day - I've found this to happen with the darker shades (W6 and W7). What I love about the True Match range is that there are so many colours that follows a similar system to MAC. "W" shades have a more yellow, olive undertone whereas the "N" shades have a more pink, cool undertone. And then the numbers range from light to dark, so it's super easily to find a shade that matches, even the darkest of skin tones! I have the shade W3 which is my normal skin colour and W7 which is the colour I am when I'm tanned.

Even if you are skeptical about trying drugstore foundations I definitely recommend you try this one.

You can pick it up from Boots for £9.99. Xoxo

Miracle Hair Products

Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum, Leo Bancroft Instantly Sleek, Macadamia Healing Oil Treatment, Kerastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique

These are my hair saviours, the products I cannot - repeat, cannot - live without. My hair type: long, normal with very dry ends, never been dyed, naturally straight yet unruly, I use heat on it everyday. My real hair is normally disguised by my extensions yet I still take really good care of it.

Up first is the Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Serum (£18) which is designed for people with straight hair who want to keep their hair straight whilst reducing frizz and fly aways. It's super lightweight, smells lovely and you only need to put a tiny bit on after towel drying your hair. It's lasted me forever and I'll defo repurchase.

Macadamia is one of my favourite hair brands, I love their deep repair mask and their shampoo and conditioners but the stand out product for me is the Macadamia Natural Oil Treatment (£6-£21). It works in the same way as the famous Moroccan Oil yet it's just so much better! It's way lighter on the hair and doesn't leave it greasy even if you put it on dry hair which is what I tend to do.

Another saviour is something I randomly picked up in Tesco and it is the Leo Bancroft Instantly Sleek Smoothing Serum (£4). I use this on the days where I straighten my hair as it keeps it dead straight all day. It's also really good for in humid weather as you don't get fly aways, and it's so cheap!

Lastly is probably my favourite - Kérastase Nutritive Nectar Thermique (roughly £18) as it does so many wonderful things: it protects hair from heat-styling tools and improves hair straightening and drying performance, it softens and moisturises hair and adds smoothness and shine. It's targeted towards people with dry to very dry hair and it works so well. I'd definitely repurchase this again and again despite the price.

I hope this was helpful

xx

Body Shop Shea Range

Shea Shower Cream, Shea Body Scrub, Shea Body Butter

The shea range at The Body Shop is my favourite. It's probably the most boring range they do scent-wise especially as they do lemon and chocolate but nevertheless it's my favourite.

I've tried practically all of the shea products they offer from soaps to scrubs to perfumes to oils and the three above are my favourites! The Shea Body Butter (£13) is extremely thick and moisturises the skin so well, a little goes a long way with this product. I love using this after showers and after tanning as it keeps it looking fresh. I also love the Shea Body Scrub (£12) for exfoliating in the shower - it has small beads which have an abrasive feel to them. I do have to say they can sting a little when you wash them off but the results are great so it doesn't bother me too much. My only complaint is that it doesn't last long! Lastly is the Shea Shower Cream (£4) which is soap-free and really moisturising - can't say anything bad about it really.

Check out the shea range here!

xx