February Favourites!

So what on Earth happened there?! I have only just got over the shock that it is February and now, BOOM, it's March! Woah! Hey 2013, wanna slow down a touch? hahaha Hello friends of the internet! Seeing as March has snuck right up on us, I thought it is about time I told you all about the lovely products that I have loved this past month :) This is coming to you a little later than I originally planned, as I was struck down last week with a nasty case of flu. Very convenient timing I can assure you. *grumblegrumblegrumbe*

It makes sense to work clockwise round this here image, so first up I will tell you about the lovely lip combination from Lush, of their Popcorn Lip Scrub and Honey Trap Lip Balm. These gorgeous tasting (and smelling) products not only wonderfully smooth dry of chapped lips, which I suffered from this month thanks to the Arctic conditions, but at made from all natural ingredients. This is a big plus! One product I have also been loving, which is in no way natural, however, is the Soap & Glory Dr Spot gel. This is an acid gel which works well at working deep into troublesome spots and, basically shifts them! I had a stubborn monster which graced my chin with it's presence early in the month, and at first I just let it do its thing until I remembered I had this lying around, and decided to fight it. I can assure you Dr Spot is a lifesaver, although it did take a few applications to work, and is by no means a quick fix!

This month I have been trying to shake up my makeup routine, and have begun to really enjoy using my Real Techniques Contour Brush to pat in my concealer, as I feel it makes very light work of blending it into my foundation, leaving a flawless finish. I have also begun to use my Benefit Shadow Liner more and more this month, to create more dramatic contoured eyes, and also to line under my lower lash-line to exaggerate the smokey effect. I have also reverted to using my Benefit Hard Angle Brush on my eyebrows, having had a brief flirtation with my old eyebrow pencil.

In terms of makeup, I have a few favourites I want to mention. My favourite lip product of the month has, hands down, got to be the Apocalips by Rimmel London. I love the whole line, but my favourite, and most worn colour has to be Galaxy. The colour is divine! It is super flattering, glossy, sumptuous and I have worn it almost every day. I have also been loving the Max Bold Curves Mascara by Rimmel, as it really does create long, curved lashes, which make my eyes look more awake and brighter.

Towards the end of February I purchased the new Collection Illuminating Touch Brightening Concealer, and it has replaced their Lasting Perfection for use use under and around my eyes. Whilst it doesn't have the same coverage, it does make my eyes look brighter and healthier. All month long however I have been enjoying two Maxfactor products. The first is a nail varnish that I had lying around since the Jubilee, which was the Max Effect Mini Nail Varnish in Cappuccino. This brown-toned grey was my go-to colour for February, to be honest I am not 100% sure why, but it is a classy yet versatile colour, which worked for me all month. The second is the Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink. I love how this cream blush is extremely buildable, and also blends away really nicely so that you can create a pale wash of pink, for a healthy glow.

Finally onto hair products. I have been loving the surprisingly tea tree scented Bumble & Bumble Tonic Lotion detangler and leave in conditioner. This product is extremely good quality, and also a little really goes a long way. I have also been using the Frizz Ease Perfecting Creme to smooth away frizziness in between washes this month. This is a product that was my Holy Grail a few years ago, but I suddenly stopped using. I haven't fallen back quite so in love with it, but I have remembered that it is a good problem solver product!

Okay so those were my favourites! What have been your favourite products of late? Are there any new products that you have your eye on, or are loving?

What's In My Travel Makeup Bag // Video

This video went up yesterday, and in it I basically show you what makeup is in my travel makeup bag from when I spent the weekend in Durham. In it I also show off my new cartilage piercing which I got when I was there! :D

In this video I mention:
Large Brush by H&M //  Real Techniques Buffing Brush and Contour Brush // Maybelline Dream Terra Sun Bronzing Powder // Bourjois Blush in Rose éclat // Maxfactor Miracle Touch Creamy Blush in Soft Pink // Benefit Bella Bamba // Benefit Brow Zings //  Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in Dark Brown // Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer // Mac Studio Sculpt Foundation in NC15 // Benefit Fluff Shadow and Powder brushes // L'Oréal Super Liner // Rimmel Scandaleyes Kohl Kajal in Nude // Topshop Eyes in Porcelain // Mac Eyeshadow in Wedge // Seventeen doll'd up mascara 

My January Favourites!

Charles Worthington  Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer: £14.99 // Mac Studio Sculpt: £24 // L'Oreal LumiMagique Pure Light Primer: £9.99 // Mac eyeshadow in Wedge: £12 // Brow zings by Benefit: £22.50 // Real Techniques Buffing Brush: (from the collections) £21.99

Where has January gone?! Between exams and essays and my birthday the whole month has just flown by! Anyway this month I have been loving a few things, and I just couldn't go another month without sharing :D Also the videos, makeup tutorials and makeup reviews that I have lined up will have to wait as I have become ill and therefore can't film myself or test out any new makeup. Sad times for all. But never fear here are the lovely products that I have been in love with this past month!

First up is a haircare product, the Charles Worthington Secrets Collection, Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer. Wow that's a mouthful! The product is an overnight hair mask which you just smother all over your hair, and when you wash it out in the morning you hair feels fabulous! Seriously, after using it the first time I was sold, as my hair feels plumped up, less damaged and smoother. I haven't come across any other products like this, and it is the first hair mask that I genuinely feel is doing what it says it does. I cannot rave about this product enough!

Moving onto makeup, there are a few products that I have worn pretty much everyday of this month. First up: Brow Zings by benefit. This is a eyebrow kit with a wax and a setting powder. You can use the wax to shape your eyebrow, and then fill them in with the setting powder which, if used sparingly can create a really soft and natural look. I do feel that I can sometimes be a little heavy handed with my eyebrows and don't really suit a scouse brow, but that is all trial and error. This kit is just really handy and the product works really well.

Next up I have been loving wearing the L'Oreal LumiMagique Pure Light Primer under Mac Studio Sculpt. The foundation is a godsend in itself as it is really good for dry skin, as it doesn't cling to dry patches and the colour match is perfect! It also leave a dewy finish, which is what I go for. This is where LumiMagique comes in. I have read a lot of people on the internet complaining that it is a highlighter not a primer, but if you want a radiant finish, use this. When worn under a dewy finish foundation it gives you a lovely radiant look without being shiny or iridescent, like it would be if you were wearing a highlighter. I have definitely worn this combo almost everyday this month, and a radiant face throughout the horrid weather of January was the perfect way to beat the blues :P Still in the sort of foundation realms, my next monthly favourite is my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. Words cannot explain how much this has revolutionized my makeup life. This brush is, as a brush, fantastic, it is soft, reasonably-priced, and sturdy. But by using it to buff my foundation in, my skin has never looked so good! I thoroughly recommend as it makes my foundation flawless and natural looking.

And so finally let me tell you about Mac eyeshadow in Wedge. This is a soft, matte, muted grey-toned brown. It is epic for contouring, and that is how I have been using it this month. I love to contour my eyes as I think it defines eyes and makes cat-eyeliner (my go to look) pop. The colour is subtle but buildable, and the formula is looovely: super pigmented, soft, and a little definitely goes a long way. This is an all round perfect colour to have in my collection, and I have been loving it!



So there you have it! My monthly favourites for January. I do think I will be doing this every month, however how quickly each month goes is going to scare me haha. Thank you for reading!