May Favourites

So it's time for another favourites post. I've kept it pretty short and sweet this time but I'm absolutely loving everything I've included. So lets have a look:

For makeup I've gone back to an old favourite: the L'Oreal True Match Foundation. I did a post a while back comparing the new formula to the original and I was pleasantly surprised that they had in fact managed to improve the formula. It's still super lightweight on the skin and the coverage is nicely buildable but it has a little more glow that help it to look super natural on the skin. I've always gone back to True Match for the warmer months and I'm super happy that I still love it.

If you haven't already heard me harp on about Sunday Riley's Luna Sleeping Night Oil, I think you're a minority on the blog. When this first launched last year I was very much put-off by the price. I've tried a couple of Sunday Riley's oils in the past and I've not been nearly as impressed with them as I have been with other more affordable (but still pricey) oils (MV Organics Rose Plus Booster, and the Clarins Lotus Oil to name a few great options). While I still don't rate the other oils in the lineup, Luna has earned a permanent spot in my skincare stash. It just makes your skin look better overnight and since I've started properly looking after my skin I'm finding it's not often I find skincare products these days that do that for me. Totally worth the hype.

Another skincare product that I've been obsessed with this month is the Tata Harper Regenerating Cleanser. I got a trial size of this in a set I got for Christmas and had it have not been in that kit I definitely wouldn't have picked this product out of all the things in Tata's range but I absolutely love this cleanser. It has super refined granular particles (think more "grains of sand" than "those horrible plastic bead things") that are held in a thin creamy cleanser that just feels great on the skin. I like to use this as a morning cleanse or a second cleanse in the evening. Since it's a bit exfoliating so it's definitely not one to be removing makeup with. Also, I know I go on about scents all the time, but the scent on Tata Harper skincare products is just amazing, this has a light citrusy scent that's so fresh and relaxing.

And finally this month, something I never thought I'd be including in a favourites post: Stila's Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner Pen. I never thought I'd find a liquid eyeliner that I enjoyed. I generally have loads of trouble applying liquid liner and if I do manage to apply it I end up with panda eyes before long but this is different. The nib is a long thin felt tip nib that just makes applying your liquid liner so easy to do that I've literally been reaching for this everyday since I got it. the formula is nice and long wearing but it isn't completely smudge resistant, if you have especially watery eyes or you rub your eyes a lot this will move a bit.

Then and Now - L’Oreal True Match

I've been using the L'Oreal True Match Foundation on and off for a few years and it's been in and out of my favourites list ever since the first time I tried it. After having forgotten about it for a while I rediscovered it around a year back and fell back in love so I was a bit nervous when they announced that they were reformulating. (I though it was going to be the Revlon Colourstay all over again). Long story short, I picked up a bottle of the new formula and I've been trialling it against the old one to see how it compares.

In terms of the packaging, quite a lot of people have been commenting that the new packaging is "more sleek" and seem to really like it. I think it's just really basic and I prefer the shape of the old bottle. The old one has some nice curves to it and it just looks a little more unique and a little more interesting. Both the old and new bottles are made of glass, both have sturdy silver pumps and both have clear plastic lids so they've not changed up the layout, it's just the shape.

I use shade "N1 Ivory" in both the old and new formulas and there doesn't seem to be any difference in the shades available. None seem to have been renamed and none seem to have been removed so if you had a skin tone match in the old formula the shade you used previously should still match you in the new one. The blendability is equally nice on both formulas, I personally like to apply most foundations with a damp sponge and that's what I do with both of these.

In terms of the actual formula, it does seem to have changed. The new formula has a slightly higher coverage and is a bit more moisturising on the skin. Interestingly, despite there seemingly being a higher moisture content in the new formula, it also seems to last a little better on my skin. The original formula seems to start breaking down after about 6-8 hours where the new one I probably get 7-9 hours out of the new formula before any shine starts breaking through. Not much of a difference there but still worth mentioning for those who struggle with staying power.

One thing I didn't like so much about the new formula is that it's not as matte in finish. This is obviously going to be one of those things where your own personal preferences will come into play but if you do prefer the matte look, you can take away some of the shine with a mattifying finishing powder. It's possible that L'Oreal have made the True Match less matte as their Infallible Matte Foundation is now catering to that audience for them and they wanted to make this a bit more of a middle ground option.

My 2015 Hair, Bath and Body Favourites

So the final instalment of my 2015 beauty favourites is going to be focusing on all things hair, bath and body. If you've been keeping up with the rest of these posts you'll already know that these aren't "hall of fame" type posts, they're very much like the monthly favourites I post. But here we have it:

I've loved two shampoos pretty equally this year and both are from the L'Oreal Sulphate-Free range. The first one I liked was the Ever Pure and I've since moved on to the Ever Strong as it gives more volume but I love this range in general. Leaves your hair really clean but not stripped and is great for not making colour-treated hair fade too quickly.

My other hair favourite this year is the only styling product I've ever been faithful to: the Color Wow One Minute Transformation. I got this in a gift-with-purchase at a Space NK event back in February and I've loved it ever since. I literally use a tiny pee-sized amount in the roots of my hair to give some lift after straightening and it's great.

My favourite bath product of the year was a tough choice because I've used and loved so many this year, but when it came down to it the one I wouldn't want to be without it the Aromatherapy Associates Bath Oils. I've had the mini set for a while now and since some of the oils are getting pretty low I've recently invested in the slightly larger Ultimate Bath Jewels set that they had out this Christmas. They're just so relaxing in your bath.

For body scrubs I've tried some great ones towards the tail end of the year but my consistent favourite has been the Soap & Glory Pulp Friction. The scent on this is lovely and the scrubbie-particles are really exfoliating without being painful or irritating at all. The best thing about this is the formula though, the particles are suspended in a creamy formula that really clings to your skin and so it doesn't go everywhere and leave your bathroom a mess.

Last but not least we have the Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream. Smells like mint, feels great. You just apply a thin layer to your feet,pop on some socks and there you have it, silky smooth feet in no time. The tube recommends wearing it to bed but I can't sleep in socks so I just wear it under my socks around the house when I haven't got much on and I love it.

So my 2015 favourites series has come to an end, but check back on Monday to see what products I really didn't get on with through 2015.

30 Lips in 30 Days - L’Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss

A 3rd of the way through now, day 10 and still going strong. Today we have the L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss. The packaging for this is simple but sleek and for £6.99 they won't break the bank, this product also comes in other formulas but the shade we're looking at today is one of the matte finish glosses.

The name here needs to be taken with a pinch of salt, I would simply call this a liquid lipstick, but it is a little different in the way that it doesn't 100% dry down. It applies to the lips nice and creamy and doesn't settle into any dryness you might have going on and has a nice sweet scent which I think is pleasant but not over-whelming. I also love the shade on this one "The Bigger The Better" is a lovely, bright mid-tone pink.

Empties: Round Three

As part of my pledge to use up my stuff, I'm here with another empties post. Sadly my backups drawer seems to fill up just as quickly as I manage to get through stuff (I blame the Boots 3-for-2 offers). It's a good mixed bag this year with lots of bath and body, some hair, skincare and even a little bit of makeup, so since we have a lot to talk about, lets get on with it.

So I've worked my way through 2 shower gels this month (is it just me that seems to have 2 or 3 different shower gels in the shower at any one time? Hopefully not?). The first of which being the Radox Nourish Shea Butter & Ginger Shower Cream. This is a great shower gel that you can usually find on offer for £1-£2 and the scent is amazing. Lathers well, smells great and lasts quite a long time for the price, a nice unisex shower gel that I would repurchase if I didn't have more shoer gel than I'd care to admit waiting to be worked through. I've also finished a mini Life NK Ultimate Unwind Body Wash. The scent on this was just a bit bland and it was pretty expensive for how average it was to use. Wouldn't pick up another.

I used up two of my back-ups of Lush Butterbear Bath Ballistic. They're essentially the Butterball Bath Ballistic but slightly smaller, cheaper and bear shaped and were a limited edition release last Christmas. I picked up a few because I like to put Butterball in the bath with bubble that doesn't give you that hydrating feeling to make them a bit more luxurious but I only have a little bath in my bathroom so the smaller-sized christmas releases are usually more than enough. I hope they bring it back this Christmas.

I've also used up quite a few body moisturisers. One I wasn't so keen on was the Soap & Glory Girligo Spray-On Body Moisturising Mist. I love S&G's body butters and body creams but this spray was a bit flimsy for me and my skin didn't really get on with it, I'd rather just go for one of the other formulas from them in the future. I also used up the last of my Aromatherapy Associates Renewing Rose Body Cream. This is one of the nicest smelling body creams I've tried in a while and I was sad to see the last tiny bit be used up, at £36.50 for the full size it's a bit overly pricey for me to justify a repurchase when the texture wasn't much more than that of a £10 S&G body cream but it was a treat to use up.

If you want a body lotion that's a bit of a treat but that won't break the bank quite so hard as the Aromatherapy Associates choice, let me point you in the direction of the Cowshed Gorgeous Cow Blissful Body Lotion. At £18 for 300ml, it's not too expensive but the scent and the texture on this is really nice. One thing to keep in mind with this one is that the scent is really quite strong and it will linger on the skin, Space NK are currently advertising a gift set with this body lotion and the shower gel that might just make it onto my Christmas list this year.

A few picks for hair, I'm sure no one will be surprised to see the L'Oreal Pure Colour Shampoo in an empties post. This was my favourite shampoo for a while but last time I went for a repurchase it was out of stock and since I've tried the Ever Strong from the same range and I think I actually prefer that one. The L'Oreal sulphate-free range in general is a really nice one and I'm sure you'd be able to find a formula to suit your own hair needs.

I've also got two heat protectors in this empties. The Vo5 Heat Protect is my all-time favourite that I continually repurchase and will continue to use and love and I've been through another one of those but I also tried the Bumble and Bumble Hairdressers Invisible Oil Heat/UV Protective Primer and used up that. It's a nice formula and the scent is lovely but for me it was just a bit too heavy in the roots of my fine hair and while it was nice through the ends and I did manage to use it up, I'd rather just stick to my Vo5 next time.

I finally made it through my giant pot of Emma Hardie Amazing Face Moringa Cleansing Balm. I will more than likely be picking up another eventually but right now my cleansing cabinet is so over-flowing that I can't justify it just yet. It's a lovely cleansing balm that's equally good for make-up removal or an AM/PM main cleanse. Another skincare pick I've worked my way through is the Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Eye Gel. While I used this up and didn't mind how it felt on the skin, the texture was a bit lumpy and it's not quite as cooling as other formulas I've tried so I can't see myself repurchasing this one.

And finally, some make-up picks. I had a mini of the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara and thankfully it dried out on me pretty quickly. I really didn't get on with this mascara, it did nothing for the length of my lashes and just made them look clumpy and spider-y. I also made it through another Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot Powder, need I say more? I've got back-ups upon back-ups of this now and have pretty much given up on testing other formulas, it's my favourite setting powder by a long shot.

And there we have it, another empties over. If you have any recommendations for things I should try that could make it into the next empties post, give me a shout in the comments section.

September Favourites

Another month down and its been a good one this month both for finding new favourites and rediscovering old loves that I'd forgotten about. With it being the end of skint-tember, not everything will be high-street this time around but there's some affordable products in the mix. An honourable mention needs to go to the Fleur De Force Lipglosses, I love these at the moment but haven't had them long enough for them to qualify as a monthly favourite but I didn't want to leave them out.

A couple of products I found when testing affordable products for Skint-tember are the L'Oreal Le Blush and the Maybelline Master Drama Khol Liner. The blush is a nice peachy pink that's easy to apply and just brightens up the complexion and the texture is lovely on the face, I wouldn't necessarily have picked this up if I hadn't been trialling products specifically for the posts for last month (one day I'll show you how the blush drawer has gotten out of hand since the blog) but I'm really glad I did because this was a nice affordable find.

I've been picking up a few pieces from Maybelline's Master range lately and it seems to be a line of on-point releases from what I can see. I discovered the Master Sculpt Contour Palette last month and that went straight into a favourites post and this month I picked up the eye liner from the range and again it's shot straight to the top of my love-list. It's a nice strong black eyeliner that wears well but is creamy to apply.

On the topic of the Maybelline Master Sculpt, I may have been cheating this month. Birchbox sent me a small size of The Balm's Balm Desert Bronzer/Blush and I've been liking this for a contour shade lately. It's a bit deeper than the Maybelline so I do have to be a bit careful but it's been nice for popping in my makeup bag when I'm on the go.

I've also shelved my long-loved L'Oreal Pure Colour Shampoo for a while. I ran out a few weeks back and when I went for a repurchase I couldn't find it in stock anywhere, so after a few moments standing at the display in dismay I decided to try the Ever Strong from the same range. The Pure Colour is marketed for "Flat, Coloured Hair" and the Ever Strong claims to be new and is for "Fine, Flat Hair and Delicate Scalp" and it's still sulphate-free from what I can see so good for the colour too and I think it's my new favourite. It's just so much better for giving texture and volume to the hair and I like it a lot.

I've recently been investing in some nice quality brushes as well. I've been using a set I picked up from Frauline for the last few years and they were a great, affordable starter set for me but they've gotten a bit old and need replacing and I've decided to slowly start switching them out for really nice ones (if anyone wants an update on all of my recent brush buys let me know and I can do a post on that). After finally picking up a MAC 217 I don't know how I've managed without one for so long and I'm tempted to go back and pick up this brush in duplicate. It's makes eyeshadow application so easy and if you don't own this brush and you're into eyeshadow, I'd recommend giving it a go.

A re-discovery this month has been the Aromatherapy Associates Bath & Shower Oils, I particularly like the "Relax" and "De-Stress" sub-ranges and will more than likely be picking up a full size of some of these soon. I've been saving these oils for special occasions but I've decided I need to just get using them because they're lovely. I like the miniatures set because I think it contains a mini of all the ones in the range and you can sample which ones you like best before you buy. And if you have a small bath like me you can get 2-3 baths out of each bottle. They're also a great size for travel.

And finally, I wanted to throw in a random favourite this month. My boyfriend and I have made our way through a marathon of most TV series' by now and we decided we wanted something new to do together and decided on getting an xbox game to play. He's really into gaming and I've been known to have a dabble at things here and there. So after much deliberation, we decided that the Lego Games range would be a nice way to introduce me to gaming as they're aimed for a younger audience and generally a bit easy. We picked up Lego Jurassic World a few weeks back and it's been great, the two player is good and there's lots to do so you get a lot of game time for you're money, we've also recently picked up Lego Star Wars so we've got some variation and hopefully I'll pick up some Xbox skills and we'll be able to get something more difficult next time but we're really enjoying it so far. If anyone has any game recommendations for next time we're all ears.

The Skint-tember Finale - Highstreet VS Highend (Drugstore Dupes/Alternatives)

We couldn't end Skint-tember without looking for some high-street alternatives to higher end products and I've had a good rummage through my collection over the last few days to pick out some that I think are great.

I'll get this one out of the way because I have already mentioned it this month but I thought I'd touch back on it in case you missed my original post: if you still have took the plunge and picked up the Urban Decay Naked Palette and the price is putting you off, you might want to give the Revolution Redemption Iconic 1 Palette a go. The original post include side-by-side swatches so you can see how close they come and it's a steal at just £4 compared to the Urban Decay's £36.

My First ever MAC Lipstick was their "Lady Danger" which is a great matte orangey red. The dupe I've found for it is the Maybelline Colour Drama Intense Velvet Lip Pencil in the shade "Fab Orange". While I would say that the Maybelline is a teeny bit darker and slightly less orange-y toned than Lady Danger, on the lips you wouldn't be able to tell that it's two different lipsticks. Additionally, I find the pencil application method of the Mabelline makes it easier to get a smooth lip line without having to use a lip line.

I love Estée Lauder Colour Envy Lipsticks and the shade "Tumultuous Pink" is a particularly nice, bright pink shade. In the picture I'm wearing "Tumultuous Pink" on the bottom lip and on the top lip I'm wearing NYC Expert Last Lip Colour in "404 - Air Kiss" and, again, they're practically identical. If we're being picky the Estée Lauder is a tiny bit more blue in undertone and obviously has a better wear time but the NYC is much more of an affordable option at a mere £1.99.

I've been a fan of the Urban Decay 24/7 Eyeliners for years and last year I picked up the Christmas set that included the shade "Faint", it's a lovely light brown that offers a subtle definition that I really like on the lower lash line especially. Side by side against the Rimmel Scandleyes Eyeliner in "004 Taupe", you can hardly tell a difference. "Faint" is a tiny bit warmer than the Rimmel option but the lasting power is very comparable and the Rimmel is just as creamy to apply.

When I was building my first ever MAC quad, I made the mistake of picking up a shade without swatching it first and got suckered in by how lovely it looked in the pan. MAC's "Gleam" is an amazing glittery peachy-pink shade but it's a nightmare to apply, it's bitty in texture, the glitter falls down constantly, and by the end of a day wearing it you have no eyeshadow left on and glitter all over your face no matter what you're using for a base. So while It does actually cost a tiny bit more to pick up the L'Oreal La Palette Nude Blush, you're getting more colours for your money and the 5th shade from the left is a dead-on match for "Gleam" but it's nice and creamy to apply and doesn't fall down at all.

And finally, the dupe that I'm most excited by. When I first heard about the By Terry Ombré Blackstar in "Misty Rock" I had to have it, it was so unique and the formula was nice too, but the £28 price tag made my eyes water a little bit. I justified it because the colour was so unique and I've used it a tonne, but then I picked up the KIKO Long Lasting Stick in the shade "05" and it's identical in colour and the formula is creamy and long-lasting. I will continue to use and love "Misty Rock" but when it's time to repurchase, I think I'll be picking up another from KIKO.

The High-Street Makeup Starter Set

It wouldn't be a high-street-centric month without a post dedicated to my top high-street makeup picks, so I've rounded up my recommendations for what I'd pick up for someone just starting out in makeup. Maybe you don't need an item from every category but if you wanted to buy a full face with every step, here's what I rate from the high-street:

So for primer, there's only one, high-street or high-end, that I really reach for these days and that's the MaxFactor FaceFinity Foundation Primer. It's designed to make your makeup stick to your face better and I think it does a great job at just that. This is one of those products that I maybe don't reach for everyday, but when I need my base to really last I crack this out.

In my opinion, L'Oreal do some of the best foundations on the high-street, and their True Match Foundation is one I've been a fan of for a long time now. It feels light on the skin but the coverage is nice and last a long time without feeling heavy on the skin. Also? The shade range is great, so there should be something for most people.

Concealer was always that product that I thought high-street brands didn't do overly well, I'd tried a good few over the last few years and they were all just a bit heavy or drying on the skin. In the last year or so that seems to have changed dramatically and now you can pick up great formulas for less and my favourite at the moment is actually the New Look Liquid Concealer, it feels like it could be a skincare item it's so light on the skin, and the coverage is nice without being cakey, it's also insanely affordable.

My powder recommendation is obviously the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot, will I ever stop bleating on about this? Probably not. Its finely milled, controls oil amazingly. A must-have for all with oily skin.

I've foud that MaxFactor seem to do the best blushes on the highstreet, with both there Creamy Touch Blushes and their Creme Puff Blush formulas being lovely, L'Oreal do some nice powder blushes too but I think MaxFactor wins on the grounds that they offer two different but great formulas in a good range of shades and so I can imagine most would find something they liked from Maxfactor.

If you're into contouring, you can now have that on a budget with the release of Maybelline's Master Sculpt Contouring Palette. I really struggle to find contouring products even in the high end, they're always a bit dark or a bit orange or a bit muddy. But this one is amazing, and it comes with a small but perfectly formed highlighting powder too. Genius.

If contouring isn't your thing but you just want a bronze-y glow, the Soap & Glory Solar Powder is probably a pick you'll enjoy. It's has two shades, a lighter and a darker bronze that can be used separately or swirled together which means you can customise how much bronze you get. And they're updated the packaging so it's not so flimsy anymore, yay!

Finding a traditional eye-primer on the high-street was a tough-y. The only brand that really seems to stock one was Rimmel, and while their Exaggerate Shadow Primer doesn't quite rival formulas from Urban Decay and such the like, this is still going to be a nice base for your eyeshadow that will make them apply a little easier and last a bit longer.

For a powder eyeshadow palette, I was going to choose the Maybelline The Nudes Palettes because the shadows in that palette are not messing around, they're buttery and pigmented and rival higher-end brands in terms of quality, but if you're trying to cut back the price even more then it's got to be the Revolution Redemption Iconic 1 Palette, as mentioned in my review post last week, it's a dupe for the Urban Decay Naked Palette for £4, who could ask for more?

Now for eye-liner I was going to recommend the Rimmel Scandaleyes, and if you want some nice coloured liners, that's where you need to go, but for a basic black the Maybelline Master Drama swooped in at the last minute and stole my heart. It's a great formula, a solid jet black, so comparable to Urban Decay's Perversion liner. I won't dwell on the Maxfactor 2000 Calorie Curved Brush Mascara because we all knew it would be in here. It's amazing, it's the best, need I say more?

For brows I'm loving the No7 Beautiful Brow Sculpting Pencil the chunky nib makes for a speedy application and the spool-y brush on the end is perfect. This has kicked my Soap & Glory Archery Brow Pencil to the back of the class in my collection.

And then for lip products, I had to pick two, a bold matte and a glossy neutral, becuase not everyone likes both. The bold? Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvets, again you've heard about them on here quite frequently but they're just great. The my glossy option would be the Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Glosses, nicely tinted, not sticky, great shine.

And there we have it, a whole face of high-street products.

Empties Two

So it's been a while since I did an empties post and with my month of no buying and trying to use up my stuff I'd noticed that my empties box was looking more than a little bit full. (clicky link here) if you want to know more about those ones. There's some repeats in this post that were in my previous empties post so I'll skip over those pretty quickly and you can check that one.

The repeats from last time are the Dove Invisible Dry Deodorant and the Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder. They're just a couple of those products that I always use and usually you'll find back-ups of in my stash as I just can't be without them.

There's quite a large selection of hair/bath/body bits in this months empties so I'll touch on those. I'm not sure where I picked up some products from the Amouage bath and body range but the scent on these is great, I have the Bath and Shower Gel and the Conditioner and they smelled lovely. I didn't pick up the shampoo as it has SLS in it but the other two were nice. The shower gel lathered nicely and the conditioner was moisturising but not too heavy.

I also used up a mini of the Bumble and Bumble Hairdressers Invisible Oil Conditioner which I've mentioned on the blog before (clicky link here) and it's not really my favourite from the range. The shampoo would be in here too but I'm rationing the tiny bit I have left because it's trés expensive but I love it. And finally for conditioners, I also used up the last of my VO5 Nourish My Shine Conditioner, which was a repurchased favourite until I discovered the OGX Argan Oil Conditioner.

I've finished 2 minis of the Weleda Replenishing Shampoo. It's SLS free so I tried it but it doesn't lather as nicely as some other sulphate-free formulas and I much prefer the L'Oreal EverPure Colour Care & Volume Shampoo, which I've also managed to use up recently. It's sulphate-free but has a really nice lather to it and it leaves your hair feeling really clean.

Finally for hair I have an empty can of the Ojon Full Detox Dry Shampoo, now I'm on the fence about this one. On one hand, it's a great dry shampoo that doesn't leave your hair feeling too product-y and doesn't leave a white cast. On the other? It's £10+ for a tiny can and you have to use so much that it doesn't really last long enough for me to justify a repurchase. I wish they'd bring back the Batiste Hint of Red, but for now I'm trying the Bumble and Bumble Prêt a Powder.

I finally managed to finish off the Soap & Glory Orangeasm Body Wash. It's a nice shower gel but for me the scent was just not for me and it's something that came in a christmas set. I much prefer their Sugar Crush and original scent ranges and will stick to those in future. And for scent I've also finished a Soap & Glory Glam-A-Lot Body Spray which is my favourite of their body sprays an I will pick up another bottle once I've finished the ones I currently have on rotation.

I won't dwell too long on this one as it's a bit of a random beauty empty, but the Boots Cotton Wool Double Faced Round Pads are my favourite cotton pads ever and I've gone through a whole pack of those.

And now for some skincare. I finished off a tiny trial size of the Omorovicza Thermal Cleansing Balm. The scent on this does put me off as it's very herbal-y but if you like those types of scents the actual texture of this cleanser is lovely. Despite it being a tiny sample I actually got quite a few uses from it so I can imagine the full size would last you ages.

I've also made my way through a mini of the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish which was nice but probably not something I'll be running out to repurchase, it's a nice cream cleanser that I like for an AM cleanse. And I've managed to make my way through a full sized Clarins Cleansing Milk with Gentian which is the one for oily skin and I love it. It's a simple milk cleanser that again I like for morning use and it's just very gentle and refreshing, I did try to repurchase but picked up a slightly different one from the range but I like that one too.

Finally for cleanser I have a Cailyn Dizzolv'It Makeup Melting Cleansing Balm which I have a whole post about here. It's a good first cleanse for the evening but I prefer to remove my makeup with an oil cleanser and the Superfacialist by Una Brennan Vitamin C Brighten Cleansing Oil has my heart where a first cleanse is concerned and so while I did enjoy the Cailyn, I won't be repurchasing.

I've used up another bottle of the Good Things Miracle Mattifier Moisturiser but I've since moved on to using facial oils for my morning hit of hydration and so I haven't picked up a new one, but it's a nice moisturiser for those with an oily skin type and it smells nice too.

A face mask I've finished up recently is the Soap & Glory Fab Pore Facial Peel. I'm not sure why they call it a peel as it's not really a peel and you don't peel it off. I'm not sure if they've reformulated as I know they've repackaged a lot of their skincare range recently but I wasn't really keen on this mask. It took ages to use up because it didn't really do much of anything for my skin.

And finally, the First Aid Beauty Facial Radiance Pads, I'm currently working my way through the Nip & Fab equivalent of these and really enjoying them but I can see myself going back for another pot of the FAB because they're great. I also have my eye on the new radiance pads from Pixi but I'll keep you posted on those.

June Favourites

So it's favourites time again and I really can't believe how quickly this year is flying by. I've been trying a lot of new things this month but only a small selection have found a spot in my weekly rotations so I thought I'd let you in on what I've been loving this month.

I have quite a few make-up favourites this month and one that I've already mentioned in a post this week is the L'Oreal Infallable 24 Hours Matte Foundation, which I picked up as it seems to be warming up a little bit in England now and I've been wanting to try some more long-lasting foundations in an attempt to mark 2015 as the year I finally escaped the shiny-nose-syndrome that I've suffered every summer since birth. While it hasn't quite managed to keep me 100% all day long it's definitely the best foundation for oil control I've tried to date from the high street.

Another product type that I don't always gravitate to but I reach for a lot in the summer is bronzer, and the one I've been reaching for this month is the Bourjois Maxi Delight Bronzer. This thing is massive so I can imagine it'll be in my collection for quite some time as I only use a little bit in the place of blush to warm up my complexion a bit for the summer months.

My final make-up favourite for the month is my No7 Stay Perfect Shade and Define in the shade "Cool Mink". This isn't my favourite texture for a creamy eyeshadow stick (I much prefer the By Terry Ombre Blackstars but trés expensive) but the colour of this is a lovely everyday neutral that you can just smudge on and go. I would still use an eyeshadow primer with this product just because it can get a little crease-y after a long day without one.

Now for some skincare, a product I've reviewed on here recently that I've been using like crazy this month is the Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil which is an oil that is specifically targeted toward those of us who have a combination/oily skin. I've been using this most days in the place of a morning moisturiser as it's hydrating enough for m skin but sits really nicely under make-up and seems to help with oil control throughout the day. Love.

A skincare favourite that I can't believe hasn't made it into a favourites post before is the No7 Beautiful Skin Overnight Revitalising Eye Balm. I did post a dedicated review post for this a while back but I've been loving it for a while now and looking back through my favourites posts I can't find it so it seems to have slipped under my radar. It's a lovely eye cream tat I use pretty much every night that it moisturising but not too heavy.

The Complexion Dream Team

In a bid to get myself out of a slight make-up rut I picked up the L'Oreal Infallible 24H-Matte Foundation so I can try to experiment more with my base. I haven't tried it with a brush or fingers yet but I've fallen in love with it after using it with the Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge.

As a combination-oily skin girl, I sometimes find that I struggle with foundation in the summer because the heat makes my foundation just slide off my face but this is matte enough to stay in place with just a light layer of powder to set which is nice, and the shade selection seems good (although maybe not so good for a very dark skin-tone).

The fact that the foundation is quite a matte finish means it could probably leave looking looking a bit flat if you aren't careful but, when applied with a dampened sponge, it gives a lovely fresh finish that looks healthy without adding any unnecessary shine to an oily complexion.

My First Hair Mask

It occurred to me the other day that despite being the type of person that tries to really look after their hair, I'd never tried a hair mask. There wasn't really a reason other than "I don't really know what I'd be looking for in a hair mask". When I'm looking for a face mask, I know that I want something exfoliating, hydrating or deep cleansing, with hair masks? Who knows, but I wanted to see what all the fuss was about so I picked up this one from L'Oreal recently and gave it a go.

The first thing I noticed about this mask is the smell. It's a lovely minty fragrance with a hint of sweetness to it and it's lovely on your hair but not overpowering if you want to go in with a fragrance after using. With it being in a pot you have to scoop it out in the shower to apply it to the hair which can be a little bit fiddly, especially if your shower doesn't have any shelves or raised ledges in it. I found it easiest to scoop the product out, put the lidless container on the shower shelf, apply the products and then go back and put the lid on the pot. So it might be nice if they put it in a squeeze tube like Aussie does with their hair treatments/masks.

For the way the product actually performed? I'm not sure. Don't get me wrong, I do really like it, but I think it's maybe been mis-labeled/mis-marketed. The mask claims to be "Radiance Enhancing" and is supposed to make your hair look shinier, but I feel like what it really did was make my hair really soft and smooth, but didn't really do anything to it's appearance. I will continue to use the mask and report back if I see any difference in the shine but for now I will just be using it for it's moisturising/hydrating effects.