February Beauty Favourites

It’s a new month which means, February beauty favourites blog post! The time where I gather up my favourite products of the month and share them all with you lovely people, so let’s get started!

Face

1. Benefit Hoola Bronzer

I’ve never been much of a bronzer girl, I always contour to slim my chubby cheeks down but It’s just not something I’ve ever felt like buying a high-end version of. It’s a lovely colour, not too orange but not to brown toned. Whether you’re a bronzer girl, contour girl or both, this is perfect for all.

2. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

If you haven’t heard of this concealer yet, then you’re clearly not a blog reader or avid YouTube watcher like me. It’s probably one of the most talked about drugstore concealers ever. I stopped using this for a while and I don’t know why, It gives such good coverage and not only that its super affordable. I don’t use this under my eyes because I think it’s a bit too heavy for such a delicate area. Why spend out when you can find such an amazing drugstore concealer.

3. Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder

Another very talked about product on blogs and Youtube. This is a lovely drugstore powder, I have the shade ‘Sandstorm’ which is perfect for me. This powder can look really natural on the skin, it gives you a little coverage, is super affordable and sets your make up in place. Job well done.

4. L’Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer

Another amazing drugstore product. This is my favourite under eye concealer at the moment, It’s not too heavy for the delicate under eye area,  gives coverage and highlights. This can also be used to highlight cheek bones, brow bones and the cupids bow.

5. Mac Mebla Blush

This is my go to blusher. Its one of MACs very well-known blushes and I can see why. I think it’s a shade that would suit many skin tones, it’s a soft coral peach. It’s such a wearable shade and gives you a warm peachy complexion to your cheeks.

Eyes

1. Maybelline Falsies Mascara

This is one of my favourite drugstore mascaras ever. It’s so easy to work with, you don’t have to apply layers and layers to get full long lashes. Two coats and my lashes have a lot of volume and length. I can’t speak highly enough about this mascara, try it!

2. & 4. Max Factor Excess Shimmer Eyeshadow

The thing that I was most drawn to about these eyeshadows where the fact they reminded me of the Maybelline Colour Tattoo Eyeshadows, not only that but these two gorgeous shades Bronze and Copper. They are a strange mousse-like creamy consistency and I love these used all over the eyelid paired with other shadows in the crease or used together. I have noticed some creasing after a long time wearing these alone on the eye lid, but all in all I really do love the shades and look of these on the eyes.

3. MAC Quad & Eyeshadows

From left to right, Shroom, Woodwinked, Wedge and Swiss Chocolate.

These are my first ever eyeshadows by MAC and I love creating looks with this quad. MAC describes shroom as a soft beige with shimmer, woodwinked as a warm antiqued gold, Wedge as a soft muted beige taupe and Swiss Chocolate as a muted reddish-brown. They all work together so well to create different looks, from day time natural looks to smokey looks. Although, I’m really unimpressed with Wedge, getting the swatch above was nearly impossible, I’m not sure if I just got a dodgy one.

Lips

1. & 2. MAC Lip Pencil (Stripdown) & MAC Lipstick (Honey Love)

 This has been currently favourite nude lip pencil and lipstick combo. In the picture above Stripdown looks a lot browner than it is and it looks very different on the lips. MAC describes Stripdown lip pencil as a creamy brown-beige, and Honey Love lipstick as a matte light beige tone with rose. It’s a very different shade nude to what I’ve had before as its more beige toned rather peachy toned, but it’s really grown on me and it’s quite moisturising for a matte lipstick.

2. Nuxe Reve De Miel Lipbalm

This is my all time favourite lip balm. Its one of the best lip balms you will ever try, it is a pricey £9.50 but I think it’s worth every penny. I apply this once before I do my makeup and once before bed and I never need to re apply it through out the day, unless my lips are particularly dry. I find some lip balms are moisturising whilst sitting on your lips, but once its worn off you need to re apply it. This is a thick, citrus scented and extremely hydrating lip balm. If you have chapped lips, this is your new best friend, you wont regret it.

3. MAC Lipstick (Crosswires)

Crosswires and Honey Love have both been my go to lipsticks in the month of February and I don’t see that changing any time soon. MAC describes this as a clean pinky orange. The formula of this is a creme sheen, which is MACS creamiest and most moisturising formula, which is why this lipstick is so comfortable to wear. It’s the perfect in-between bright and nude shade. Perfect for everyday wear.

Have tried any of these products?

Let me know in the comments one of your February favourites!

Anna

♥

3 Step Guide For Silky Smooth Summer Skin

The nights are staying lighter for longer and the temperatures are rising,  with  forecasts in the uk showing sun for the next week or so and hopefully we will have a lot more of it! Baring all with bare legs in dresses and shorts, teeny bikinis and swimsuits and arms all out, its time to get our skin smooth and ready for all  these things! I’ve been wanting to write a blog post about this for a while but I wanted to wait until it seemed worth while and weather appropriate so I’ve decided to do it now! This is my 3 step guide on how to get silky smooth summer skin!

Step 1. A Hairy Subject

Yep that’s right I’m talking about shaving. I like to use the ‘Gillette Venus & Olay Razor‘ which comes with a shower holder, that is super handy so you don’t have to leave your razor in its own puddle of water on the side of the bath or shower, it can drip dry in its own little holder! The main thing I love about this razor are the moisture bars above and below the blades, these mean you don’t need to use shaving foam or soap to shave with, it does it all for you! It leaves you with a close smooth shave and has a creamy light scent. Now ladies, I know a lot of you will relate to me with my next shaving related problem, Ingrown hairs, razor bumps and rashes! Unfortunately I suffer with these things rather a lot especially under my arms and around the bikini area, they are incredibly sore and don’t exactly look nice either! I have been using ‘Tend Skin Refillable Roll-On In-Growing Hair Solution‘ to try to combat this problem and I think its working. This is a solution you can apply after shaving that helps to stop with the annoying above problem. The roller ball application makes it easy to apply and I prefer it to the bottle version which I applied with cotton pads, half the product soaks into the cotton pad anyway! I apply this after I shave for a day or two then as and when needed if I get any problems. I ran out of this for a little while and had to re purchase it after the problems started getting worse again!

Step 2. Scrub-a-dub-dub

The next step is using a body scrub. You can do this before you shave to get rid of dead skin cells, get a closer shave and prevent ingrown hairs, but regular use in-between shaves helps un trap hairs, clean away surface oils and dead skins cells! I tend to do it after shaving as I feel like the hair stops the scrub from working as well (It probably doesn’t though).  So all in all its going to keep your skin looking and feeling good. I recommend the ‘Body Shop Raspberry Body Scrub‘ which I wrote a blog post about you can read HERE. I also love the ‘Soap & Glory™ Sugar Crush™ Body Scrub‘ it does a really good job and it smells so delicious like coca-cola, lime and sugar mmm!

Step 3. Butter Up

With all the sun, sea and skin on show its important to keep your skin well hydrated, which will help your skin stay soft. I love using Body Butters and the body shop do some great scented ones. Again I love the Body Shops’s ‘Raspberry Body Butter‘ which I also wrote about in the same post about the body scrub, so click the same link to have a read. I also love the ‘Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream‘ which has the same sweet scent as the Sugar Crush scrub! Another great thing I have been enjoying applying this summer is the ‘NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Oil – Golden Shimmer‘ which I also wrote a blog post about HERE so many self promos haha. This looks so lovely applied to the legs for a pretty golden sheen, it also looks lovely on the rest of the body in general and its super hydrating and not too greasy like some body oils!

What products do you use to keep your skin silky smooth?

Anna

♥

Nourishing Nuxe: First Impressions

I have never tried any products from the brand Nuxe, until now. Why I decided to dip my toes into a new brand of products was the fact I have very very dry chapped lips at the moment. I got sucked in by the generously sized free gift you received when buying two Nuxe products on feelunqiue.com so I ended up buying an extra unplanned product, oops. I haven’t used these products a lot yet but I thought I’d talk about my first impressions of these products and what I think of them so far.

I had heard a lot of good things about the NUXE Reve de Miel Baume Levres Ultra-Nourrissant Ultra-Nourishing Lip Balm although the price of this does means splurging a little, as it is £9.50 and that’s the most I have ever paid for a lip balm! I am glad I did, my chapped lips are clearing up and when you put this balm on your lips it just feels like its doing something and really healing your lips! Its a very thick consistency so its not glossy in texture or too look at on your lips. A lot of lip balms to me feel like I have just applied a lip gloss, which is all well and good if your lips need a little moisture, but when you have chapped dry lips it doesn’t really hit the spot. The smell of this lip balm is also rather nice, its very refreshing with a lemony citrus scent to it. Its not sickly and over powering, you just get a hint of it as you apply it to your lips. This is a good lip balm to apply at night to wake up with nourished lips as It is quite thick. Because my lips have been particularly dry I have been applying mine at both ends of the day as apart my morning and evening skin care routine for lovely soft lips.

The second Nuxe product I caved in and bought was the NUXE Huile Prodigieuse OR Multi-Usage Dry Oil – Golden Shimmer. I’m pretty sure I had heard this product mentioned before, but It wasn’t something I used to take  much notice of. For a while I was completely against using any oils on my hair or body for the fear it would weigh my hair down and make my hair and body greasy. I recently got a sample of an hair oil which has nearly run out and I really enjoyed applying a small amount to the ends of my hair. It didn’t weight my hair down or make it greasy like I thought. Firstly this product looks incredible in the bottle thanks to the tiny gold particles in this oil, pictures just don’t do it justice. I was sold when I saw this product was not only for the hair but also for your face and body! Its a dry oil which means its not as greasy and slippery like a regular oil.I thought this product would be gorgeous in the summer applied to bare legs, arms or the décolletage area. I also think it will make you hair appear more shiny when the light reflects of the glitter particles, whether it will do that or not I don’t know. In summer our body’s need moisturising just as much as during the winter. The reasons for this are: the damaging effects sun can have on our skin. The drying effects of salty sea water and partaking in lots of shaving to wear shorts, dresses and bikinis. Also just so our skin looks and feels nice. Not only that the gold flecks in the oil will leave your skin with hint of golden shimmer in the sun, and the great thing is its not to noticeable so you don’t look like a walking glitter ball.

My free gift was a NUXE Spa Le Parfum d’Ambiance 75ml, I’m not sure if you can buy this product by itself as I could only find the free gift link. I am always spritzing perfume around my room and on my bed, and its such a waste. I don’t  know if its a body mist or what but I have been using this around my room and it smells lovely. Its exactly like something you’d smell in a spa, clean and fresh with a hint of sweetness. I have been enjoying this a lot and its a lovely spring/summer scent. Its only available whilst stocks last so you better be quick!

Let me know if you’ve tried and of these products and what you thought of them in the comments.

Anna

♥