This Month's Beauty Favs | April 2015

Slowly, but surely, my bathroom shelf is being overtaken by The Body Shop products - not that I mind. I feel like their products are really good when you want to ensure that you're putting quality products on your skin without breaking the bank. (Investing in skincare was a hard lesson to learn, but one that I won't be forgetting any time soon).

First on the list is the Aloe Gentle Facial Wash. I know that amongst the beauty community foaming facial wash is viewed by some with the same distrust as using make up wipes, but I like to have a face wash that I can use in the shower, and sometimes gels can be a little on the heavy side for my skin. This turned out to be exactly what I was looking for: it leaves my skin feeling completely cleansed without drying or breaking out my skin. I highly recommend this if you have oily/combination skin and struggle with finding a balance between cleansing and stripping your skin. 

The next product I've been loving from The Body Shop is the Vitamin C Skin Boost. Applied after your moisturiser, this little gem smooths your skin and gives your skin an undeniable glow. This is perfect for giving your skin a boost on non-makeup days or creating a flawless base for your make up routine. I still prefer to add a primer to this when I'm wearing foundation, but I think if you have less oily skin you could get away with just using the Skin Boost under your make up. 

I know I'm late to the party, but I have only just finally gotten into The Body Shop Body Butters. I picked the Body Butter in Passion Fruit on an offer and fell instantly in love with it. The scent is deliciously strong, instantly lifting my mood and lingering for ages. Unfortunately, it's more suited for normal to dry skin which meant that it didn't leave my skin feeling as moisturised as I like it to be. So I was really happy when I got the Shea Body Butter 50ml as a free gift the last time I was in store. Not only is it much more suited to dry skin, as I finally got to understand why this product is so raved about. The only way to describe the scent of this is "soothingly nutty" and I would recommend if you find The Body Shop's fruit scents a tad too sweet. 

My next favourite is a rediscovery. When I was in secondary school, there was a time when it no longer became cool to use Vaseline - it was all about the Carmex. I recently picked up the Carmex Cherry Tube and remembered why it had been such a raved about product. As well as being intensely moisturising, the menthol and camphor provides this tingling, soothing relief for dry, chapped lips as well as providing UVA/UVB sun protection. Vaseline is multi-purpose, but Carmex is just lush on the lips.

Last but not least, is the Barry M Nail Paint in Berry Ice Cream. It's my go-to spring/summer pastel and love it when the sun comes out and I can paint this on my nails brighter, paler shades, without looking like I'm desperate for the sunnier months. It only takes two coats to get a pretty purple colour, dries really fast for a non-quick-drying nail varnish and lasts for a good five days before chipping (for me at least). For a £2.99 nail polish, what more could you ask? 

What have you been loving this month? 

Beauty products I swore by in January 2015.

Time passes so quickly! I swear it was only yesterday I was gathering inspiration from '2014 favourites' and here we are with the first month of 2015 gone. January for most of us is a month of trying to recover from the festivities, deal with the cold weather and all its implications whilst all the while trying to decide if we're going to implement New Year's Resolutions or not (and if we do, we struggle with the stark realisation that just like bad habits aren't made in a day and so neither are they broken and replaced by good ones by the second week of January).

January was the month that I fell in love with the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser. I'd gotten a sample size in a Glamour Edit Box ages ago but hadn't really gotten into as I was still a gel facial wash sort of girl - I like the convenience of not having to faff about with muslin cloth. However, when I got into consistently double-cleansing with this, the difference it made to my skin made me fall in love, and the herbal scent that I wasn't sure I liked in the beginning came to be a source of comfort. I don't think my skin has ever been this clear! You have no idea how gutted I was to come to the end of the tube. This is definitely a product I'll happily repurchase in the future.

One product that I loved that was in fact a repurchase was The Body Shop Overnight Serum-in-Oil. It helped my skin massively during the weather transition from spring to summer, and it helped again with the cold snaps we've had over the past couple of weeks. I have sensitive oily-to-combination skin that has a tendency to dry out right before it turns into an oil spill so moisture is a necessity.. I have been loving The Body Shop Vitamin E Intense Moisture Cream to layer with the serum at night and return moisture to my skin after it's been ravaged by icy winds and snow blizzards. Despite the fact that it's 'intense moisture' I can even wear this during the day and it doesn't make my skin feel greasy or any oilier - just smooth, soft and moisturised.

Speaking of smooth, one night I went to apply my eye cream and noticed that the area under my skin was so soft, moisturised and healthy looking. I've been using the B. Energised Eye Cream that I picked up in Superdrug when I was last in London, and at first I wasn't sure it was even doing anything but last month I really began to see a difference, and it's one of my favourite parts of my skincare routine. The gel-like consistency is cooling, has reduced the look of my puffy eyes and does it's best against the bags under my eyes. 

For my eyes, I reached for the Yves Rocher Volume Elixir Mascara  every day in January. Not only is it a gorgeous gold, it gives me the longest, fullest non-clumpy lashes that a girl can ask for. It's perfect for those days when you want your lashes to be full, but not glamorously so, and long but almost as if they were naturally that way. I love that you can really layer it on, and the way the brush bristles are means that you have to really try hard to make your lashes clumpy. Paired with eyelash curlers, this gives the prettiest eyelashes.

Last but not least, is my Make Up Revolution Brow Dual Arch & Brow Eyebrow Pen in the shade Darkest . During January, my brows became part of my signature look, and the Arch & Brow was something I reached for every day. I love that it's double-ended: one end is a felt tip, perfect for drawing the outline and a sharper arch, and then the other end is a wax-like pencil that is great for filling in and creating that fuller brow. I really enjoyed experimenting with it, and I would highly recommend it if you're curious about the Anastasia Brow Wiz  or Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil because this is a much affordable product and will allow you to determine what kind of eyebrow pen girl you are. 

What products did you swear by last month? 

November Favourites 2014

I can't believe it's already December! I feel like I've been saying this at the start of every month. These past couple months feel like they've passed at lightening speed - what's the rush 2014, huh?

This month I've been loving:

• Yves Rocher Sébo Végétal Pore Minimizing Serum and Zero Blemish Gel Cream
• Blink Intensive Tears Protective Eye Drops 
• Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub
• Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence Conditioning Spray 

I've already raved about the Yves Rocher Sébo Végétal range here, and I continue to love it, especially these two gems. The Pore Minimizing Serum has been keeping my complexion bright and clear whereas the Zero Blemish Gel Cream glides on like a dreamand mattifies without drying out my skin. I only wish it had SPF, but you can't have it all, right?

With the colder, windier days, I find that my eyes can be really sore and itchy by the end of the day and these Blink Intensive Tears Eye Drops have been a life saver. Speaking of lifesavers, the Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub has been just that. My lips have a tendency to flake which makes for terrible lipstick application, and this tasty beauty has been helping to smooth out my lips so that hopefully I'll soon be able to join the ranks of matte lipstick wearers rather than just sticking to lipgloss.

Last but most definitely not least is the Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Conditioning Spray. My friend raved about the Elasticizer in the same rang - I am raving about this, which has been dubbed the  From the first use it left my hair feeling soft and easy to manage, and I really like that it protects against heat, breakage and environmental damage. For some reason I can never bring myself to buy heat protection spray on its own and prefer to have one product that suits all my needs.

Can you believe it's December already? Have you used any of these products? What were your November favourites?

September Favourites 2014

I can't believe it's October already. Luckily we've had quite balmy weather these past couple of days here in Belgium and I'm holding on to the last remnants of summer before the cold weather arrives in full force. I remember once upon a time I would have wholeheartedly agreed with the majority of bloggers who seem to be greeting autumn with lots of love, but I don't know - I'm going to miss being warm and dry!

September has been a month of me focusing on using up the products that I already owned. I'm prone to impulse buys but for the sake of my purse strings and the bathroom storage I want to get into the habit of using up the products I already have and researching what I'm going to buy rather than impulse buying. Though some days it can't be helped. Especially when there's an offer to good to be passed up! 

My favourites this month are also skincare orientated. Transitioning through the season can be really tricky for my skin so I was so happy to find a combination that worked.

I didn't expect much when I picked up the Yves Rocher Purifying Micellar Water 2-in-1. It's aimed at combination to oily skin, and is classed as a 2-in-1 because it has the cleansing effects of micellar water, promising to remove your make up and leave your skin feeling cleaned as well as toning the skin. I'd just run out of toner so was attracted to combining the two. And I haven't been disappointed. It has a gorgeous, fresh smell that's neither too herbal or synthetic, it leaves my skin feeling cleansed and soft all without the tightness that similar products can have. I have noticed a difference in my skin since I've been using it. I'm not entirely sure it lives up to its promises of sebum control (or perhaps I just have a really pesky t-zone) but my skin has looked a lot healthier and brighter. 

Though I think that is because I've been using it in conjunction with the DHC Deep Cleansing Oil Make Up Remover that I received in the Glamour Summer Beauty Edit in order to fully remove my make up first as I don't think that the Yves Rocher Micellar Water can quite do the job, and though I'm not yet entirely sure of the benefits of double cleansing, using the two products has most definitely made a difference. I like how this works. You apply it to your face with dry hands where it starts breaking down the make up, and then when you add water it turns into this milky texture that you can work into your skin like soap. The instructions say that you can just rinse this off, but I highly recommend the use of some sort of wash cloth to avoid leaving residue and/or ruining your face towel.

With my face well cleansed, my skin has been highly receptive to the Body Shop Vitamin E Overnight Serum-in-oil which has been highly touted as the best affordable face serum, with most serums of the kind going for double the price. I can't really fault this beauty. As someone with oily sensitive skin, I can often find myself stripping my face of moisture which does the opposite to what I want: my skin is not only irritated but overproduces oil. This serum restored the moisture balance in my skin, and I'd wake up with fresh, glowing skin. A little on the oily side, yes, but because this is an overnight serum, I can use a mattifying day cream without worrying that I'm drying out my skin. I'm finding that with my kind of oily skin it's a constant battle to balance out potentially drying products aimed at oily-to-combination skin with more moisturising products for sensitive skin.

I've also been loving the Rituals Magic Touch Organic Cherry & Rice Milk Ultra Rich Whipped Body Cream that came as a free gift in a magazine. This stuff smells a-mazing, and that's just a plus point. I'm often disappointed by body creams that aren't specifically aimed at dry skin, finding that they're nowhere near as moisturising as they claim but it was not so with this. When I use this (and I use it sparingly because I don't want to use it up too quickly) I get compliments on how glowing my skin looks. This contains antioxidants, Vitamin E and Centella Asiatica which helps to strengthen skin, so overall this products smells amazing, moisturises the skin beautifully and has added benefits - what's not to love? I have no idea why I don't check out Rituals more often. It's not the cheapest brands but it's far from being expensive. 

Last but not least, this little gem is something I only picked up a couple of days ago, but I just had to include it in my favourites. It's the Balmi Cube Moisturising Lip Balm in Strawberry. I was intrigued by the similarities between it and the spherical EOS lipbalms, and since my lips were going through a really bad phase how could I resist something that not only has Vitamin E, Shea Butter and Jojoba oil but also contains SPF15? Expecting to be disappointed, this has become an instant favourite. The conical shape makes the application easy, it really is moisturising and I've noticed a significant improvement in my lips just from using this a couple of days. Plus it's really cute and smells tasty. Am I obsessed with strawberry smelling products? Perhaps.

Have you tried any of these products? What have you been loving in September?

August Favourites 2014

I can’t believe that it’s September already. It feels like it was just yesterday that I was sweltering in the London July heat; August sort of washed away, and now the last weeks of summer in September are announcing the arrival of autumn and then: winter is coming. Time really does fly. However, despite feeling that August didn't really stick around, I did manage to amass a few favourites that I'd like to share with you. 

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Lash Extending Treatment Mascara

Whilst I was in London over the summer, I picked this mascara up at TK Maxx in a kit that also contained a sample size of the Elizabeth Arden Lift and Firm Eye Cream with SPF15 and the All Gone Eye and Lip Make Up Remover. While I have yet to use the eye and lip make up remover, and I'm still undecided as to how I feel about the eye cream, I have come to absolutely love the mascara gor one reason, and one reason only: it works! I know I’m not the only one who’s ever brought a mascara which promises to do all sorts of things to your lashes only to be a little let down by either the lack of volume, the lack of length – the lack of whatever it promises. Not with this mascara. It applies well, doesn’t clump and gives you long lashes that frame your eyes quite naturally. You can either double up for a slightly more dramatic look, or I like to use a volumising mascara on top of this to get really full lashes. Honestly, when I’m just nipping out to do some grocery shopping and I want a quick no-make up look, I just dab this on, tidy up my eyebrows, powder my face and off I go!

Another reason I’m particularly keen on using this regularly is that the treatment side works. Since I begun using this daily, I have noticed a significant difference in the length of my lashes – without the mascara. The mascara contains Ceramide, vitamins A, C and E, as well as Keravis, which is said to help strengthen and fortify lashes, and after years of abuse (sleeping in eye make up – guilty as charged!) my lashes probably rejoiced at being taken care of. I think it is worth noting that, whilst it doesn’t clump or smudge, if you’re a fellow oily-lidded gal or your make up just has a tendency to travel southward, this stuff stings. And not just an annoying tickle but a full-on “I will rub my eyes right here on this bus and have panda eyes if I need to because dammit it hurts” kinda sting. This can also happen when removing it given that it has the stubbornness of a waterproof mascara, but that might be a sign I need a better eye make up remover or use the one that it came with. 

Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp Ultra Volume Mascara

This is the mascara I’ve been pairing with my Elizabeth Arden one for beautiful full lashes. Again, it’s another one that keeps its promise. I first got this mascara three years ago as a sample and absolutely loved it, so when I had money off (Yves Rocher will suck you in with their brilliant deals, there is no use resisting), I knew I had to get this. It’s not quite a false lash effect, but your lashes will definitely not go unnoticed with this baby. I particularly like the brush of this. Some mascara’s have some scary brushes or ones that end up hurting my eyes, but not this one. I would highly recommend and will definitely repurchase.


Maybelline Fit Me Concealer in 30

Until I bought this, I’d never used a concealer before. I spent most of my teenage years in a confused haze where it came to make up, and not only was I not entirely sure what concealer was for, there was also the difficulty of finding a drugstore brand that has a decent colour range of concealers. I didn’t want to splurge the first time I used a beauty product I wasn’t even sure how to use. However, after watching many a Youtuber and reading an abundance of beauty blogs, I finally understood what a concealer was for, and jumped at the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer when I saw it. Now I can’t go without. It covers signs of late night studies and acne scars without going cakey. It’s light-weight, and natural and it lasted me a good three months – I recently repurchased it. I just really enjoy the consistency of this when I'm applying it, and if this is what I can get at drugstore prices, I'm looking forward to trying higher end brands.

What I will say about this is that, at least for me, blending with fingers isn’t enough. I not only have oily skin, but I’m a glasses wearer, so even with a primer this had a tendency to slide or settle in odd places on my face. Luckily I discovered that I could less this problem significantly by blending the concealer in with a brush before setting it with a powder.

Barry M Brow Pen Liquid Eyebrow Marker in Dark Brown

When I first picked this up in Superdrug over the summer I second-guessed my purchase – I even tried to return it to no avail. However, after a few uses I decided that it was fate that Superdrug excludes make-up from its return policy. I’m still perfecting my brow technique, and this definitely made the job a lot easier than pencil or powder. The shade is just the right colour, and the thin nib allows you to lightly fill in and outline your brows. I feel like you have to be really heavy handed with this in order to get the thick Sharpie look. On a night out I liked to pair this with a powder to give me really defined brows that stayed in place the entire night. There’s no Barry M in Belgium, but I just discovered the Barry M site delivers to Belgium which makes me so happy as this isn’t the only Barry M product I’ve been loving.


 
Nail Paint by Barry M 308 Berry Ice Cream

This was my perfect summer shade. Pretty, pastel and purple! I didn’t always want to go for brights, especially with August a lot rainier weather wise, and this colour just fit the bill. Since Barry M is so affordable, I was surprised that the staying power rivalled my Nails Inc and Essie shades, though you do have to apply two coats to get a nice opaque colour (I feel three shades starts to look a little like Tippex or actual paint). It also had a glossy finish that I liked, and I’ll definitely be looking for some darker shades in this range as we move into autumn.

Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral and Fruity Blush (50ml)

I picked this up on a whim when I was getting some other travel-sized beauty products mainly because I wanted to sate my curiosity as to whether this would work on my hair type. I have chemically-straightened black hair, but in between treatments the roots acquire their natural, coarse frizzy texture. I’d also heard complaints that it either didn’t work or that it left behind white residue that is hard to brush. I was pleasantly surprised. A good shake of the can, a couple of sprays and a good brush through and voila! I have glossy, revitalised hair. It’s great for when washing your hair isn’t a possibility (or just feels like effort that day). I personally wouldn’t Batiste more than two days in a row. Though it does freshen up, it is another hair product, and in the end will contribute to the grease build up.

Body Shop Vitamin E Moisture Lotion SPF 15

Though I think my skin is beginning to show signs of a need to switch up my routine and find a more suitable face cream, this got me through the summer months. I first got this in June when my face was dry and irritable from drying skin products that had left my skin begging for moisture. This was lightweight (great for those hot summer days!) and left my skin sufficiently moisturised without leaving greasy. I used it throughout July even if a higher SPF might have been called for, but it was perfect for cloudy and rainy August. I liked that I knew that my skin was moisturised and protected without needing two separate products. 

What about you? What did you love over August?  Have you used any of my favourites? What did you think of them?