Heads up: this is the longest post ever, sincerest apologies. I took a break from doing monthly favourites for a spell. Not because I don’t love writing them – they are actually one of my favourite – but because I never have my shit together by the end of the month. I always want to include products I have never mentioned before and ultimately decide to hold off until I have done a review first, but now I say to hell with it. I got back from France just yesterday (post soon, if you want . . . let me know?) and the weather was so bright I wanted to play with shadows and light in my pictures for something a bit different. I have both favourites and epic disappointments in this post so hold onto your hats. I’m excited. Hope you are too, much love guys let’s jump in.
FAVOURITES
Eyes.
We shall start with the favourites first as I have a lot more of them, thankfully. The first is the Master Palette by Mario (out of stock – only find an eBay buy with caution) from Anastasia Beverly Hills (review here). This palette stole my cold dead heart because it is everything EVERYTHING for brown eyes. I love it more than the Modern Renaissance palette and I reach for it all the time. Took this and the Huda Beauty Rose Gold Palette (review here) to France and didn’t even pull Huda out of the sleeve; it was surplus to requirements. My only con is that the shadows do have a lot of kickback but the quality is spectacular and the colour selection is so versatile and appealing that it outweighs the single drawback. You can tell from the photos that my palette is beat-the-shit-up and yet I am not close to hitting pan on even one shadow. This beauty will take you from day to night easy, I don’t think it would work on people with super pale skin but for all you warm, olive-toned honeys get your hands on this if you still can. This palette should not be limited edition at all.
Skincare.
My friend recommended the Tea Tree Micellar Water (£3.29) from Superdrug and I love it. Tea tree oil on its own is incredibly potent so this a lovely, gentle way to reap the benefits. I have unbalanced, acne prone, oily, annoying af skin and this really helps keep it calm and balanced. I use it as a toner more so than a micellar water. I like to use it straight after I have cleansed my face and then go in with my trusty Liquid Gold. I have loads of other skincare products that I have fallen in love with this past month but you’ll have to be patient because I am determined to get reviews up first, stay tuned.
Primers.
It’s prime-time: 3 primers that I put to use this month are the Dr Brant Pores No More (£31), Too Faced Hangover Primer (£27) and Too Faced Shadow Insurance Eye Primer (£17). I have been using Shadow Insurance, yes the same tiny tube, for almost 3 years (don’t call the police) I don’t think I am even halfway through it. It works like a dream for me, I know it receives mixed reviews but I reckon I will only need this one tube for the rest of my life. My eyeshadow sticks to it and lasts all day. What more could you want? As for the Too Faced Hangover Primer, my skin has been feeling dry particularly around the mouth and this is the most hydrating primer I have ever used. Plus, it doesn’t make my oily skin feel greasy and it smells like coconut. The packaging is gorgeous, primers that come with pumps make me feel so fancy I want to change my name to Chanel and move to Monaco. Which brings me to Pores No More, not quite as pretty but also with a pump and cap, if you have pores this will be your best friend. It has a colour to it but it fills in your pores and smells really good, you only need a small amount as well and it works great beneath all makeup.
Lips.
The NYX Soft Matte Lip Creams (£6) have been buzzed about from kingdom come and I purchased three eons ago. Being the weakling that I am I couldn’t remove the outer plastic packaging so let it sit forgotten in an old makeup bag. I fished it out when creating a look for the blog (see here) and felt insta-love for this tiny tube of nude goodness. The colour London (a mid-tone beige) is my ride or die at the moment, I don’t even want to think about the other two it would feel like cheating. I love her, she’s beautiful and she flatters me oh so well. Nudes for my skin tone have to be a little darker so this is honestly the perfect shade for meThey smell like cake, apply smooth and buttery like a mousse and dry down matte but genuinely feel like nothing on the lips. I didn’t know this was possible. Obsessed.
Lashes.
The only thing I hate more than wearing and removing mascara is washing my hair, but also wearing and removing mascara on holiday tops both. Hate it. So, quelle surprise, when in France I didn’t even pack a mascara, not on purpose but it seems my subconscious acts on my behalf more often than I knew. I did, however, throw in a cheap pair of eyelash curlers (£2.30) in my suitcase and they were a lifesaver. They make such a difference to my eyes and make it so I don’t even feel I need mascara, that extra boost at the roots of my lashes gives an instant fanned out effect. I don’t think I will ever wear mascara again.
Nails.
I got my nails done for the first time ever almost 2 weeks ago, just a nude gel mani so I didn’t have to look at my chipped nails while I was abroad. She did a stellar job and even now my nails are in perfect condition. I am shook. I can’t wait to see how long they last. In addition, my nails feel really strong as well they are all the same length and I have no issue with breaking or anything. I do all kinds of mad shit on holidays, I hike, climb, clean, wrestle with my suitcase, doors and stairs on the regular and through it all my nails remained impeccable and intact. I am so impressed. The next time I go I am going to opt for something bolder but I highly recommend checking out your local nail salon if chipped, imperfect nails bother you as much as me especially as pre-holiday prep. I can see myself getting lash extensions next, when did I become so boujee?
FAILS
Foundation.
I mentioned the L’Oreal Total Cover Infallible (£10) foundation before (see this post) and so you all have an idea that it’s not at the top of my list already but since then I have fallen out of mild dislike and into vivid hate with it. Only because it should be my perfect foundation so it low key angers me that it’s not at all working for me. None of the shades seem to match me which is infuriating and on top of this the formula is thick and streaky and feels heavy and looks cakey. I can’t find a single thing I like about it, I want to throw it into the sea but I wouldn’t because the sea is far too beautiful to be associated with such a lacklustre foundation, maybe I will toss it into my local grungy canal instead. I swear there are dead bodies floating in that cesspool. Joke guys, you know I recycle. I am an upstanding member of society. let the people know (if you got that OITNB reference I love you).
Blush.
I really wanted to love this, Tati from Glam Life Guru mentioned Peach Honey (£18) from Pixi by Petra and it looked so gorgeous on her that I wanted it for myself immediately. It was glowy, radiant and just made her look so healthy as if she drank water and meditated 24/7. I am not sure if it was the shade I picked, Rose Gold (£18) because it looked more suited to my darker skin tone, or if the camera lied to me but this was just like pure shimmer on the cheeks. No colour whatsoever, it looked like nothing but sparkles and I was utterly underwhelmed and agonised because this tiny thing does not come cheap. You get a kabuki brush with it which is wonderfully soft but not worth it A total waste of cash, if any of you want it let me know and I will send it to you in the post for free. I really don’t mind. You can email me [email protected] and we can work something out.
You have reached the end of this post, congratulations. I had no intentions of it being this long but it seems I had a lot to say. Thank you so much for reading and to all of you who kept coming back even while I was away you are the fucking best, no doubt about it. Thank you, keep up to date by following me on Bloglovin’ here and have a kickass weekend. Don’t forget to share your product loves and hates in the comments below and feel free to bask me in compliments for actually managing to post this. It really means a lot to me that you read my shit, lots of love. Take care.