OCTOBER FAVOURITES

So this weekend I had every intention on taking a heap load of photos and scheduling some posts to go up over the next week or two but then in the very early hours of yesterday my body decided to fail and I've been in bed since. Yay me.
I woke up feeling a little better today so I took a few photos from the comfort of my bed and hopefully I will get the other posts sorted next weekend. Now that is goes dark so early, by the time I get home from work, there's no light and well, my photos aren't that great with light..!

Anyhow... on to yet another favourites post. This months is very short and sweet.

I'll start with the least glamorous product to ever feature in a beauty blog favourites post but it's my new true love... Quinoderm. Quinoderm is bought from the chemist, over the counter, and it only cost £2.79 for this tube. I'm sure you'll have guessed from skincare posts in the past that I have a constant battle with spots. I cannot get rid of them. My friend told me about this and I bought some and oh boy... literally instant results.
My spots are a million times better. I still have some and some days they come up bad but I whack some of this on and I see results within hours. If you're really having problems with spots, I would 100% recommend this but I will warn, this stuff STINGS. Not like a little sting. Like, it feels like your face is burning off. It takes a good few weeks of using it before that feeling goes away too. I don't have any problems now but they do say no pain, no gain! I also found my skins got a lot of dry patches using this so make sure you have a good exfoliator and moisturiser.

My favourite nail polishes this month are the new releases from Barry M - their matte range. I think there was about 5 shades in total but I picked up these two in Mocha and Crush. I thought they'd be the best autumn shades and I love matte nails and these are perfect. You can definitely get away with one coat and they dried quickly. I found they lasted a while too so all in all, a huge thumbs up from me.

And then lips and this baby is finally in my life. I mentioned MAC's Rebel in my previous post. Once upon a time (okay, about a year ago) I saw a BeautyCrush video and Sammii did a tutorial with the shade and I wanted it so badly. Then recently ViviannaDoesMakeup started talking about it and then I just happened to find myself in the Beauty Hall in Selfridges and then my debit card just popped itself in the machine. And then my love affair began.
I have already worn it to death. It can look a bit frightening on the bullet but one the lips its a lovely plum colour with a sort of fuchsia undertone to it - so it's not a full on purple on the lip. The finish is Satin so it can be put on quite a sheer application or built up and it has a nice glossy without being sticky finish. Beautiful!

What are your favourites this month?

SEPTEMBER FAVOURITES

This has got to be the smallest favourites post ever. I've not really tried anything new this month but the things I have tried, I have loved.

I bought the Maybelline Brow Drama Mascara without hearing anything about the launch or reading any reviews. In fact, the lady was only just putting it on the shelves for the first time when I bought it. From what I could see there was 3 colours. I got Dark Brown, the darkest, as my brows are really dark. The wand is like a mascara wand but it has a ball shape on the end to help sculpt and shape the brows. I've really been loving using this and I've hardly been using my Benefit Brow-zings this month. It doesn't really fill in the brows like I usually do but it adds just a tint of colour and keeps them in place all day and keeps everything very natural. It's really been great as part of my "lazy girl does make up" thing that has happened this month.

Now the Rimmel Apocolips are something everyone on the planet has surely heard about by now. They launched earlier in the year and I bought one back then and really liked it. Rimmel recently released new colours and I much prefer the new ones. I got the shade Eclipse which is a lovely deep purple/berry colour and a perfect shade for the season. I've much preferred this one to the first Apocolips I bought. I think because I now know how best to apply them - less is definitely more with these. Otherwise the lacquer gets everywhere and this stuff does not budge!

The last item was seen in my last haul post. I've been having major skin issues so I bought a few products from The Body Shop's Tea Tree range. As I just said, I've been majorly lazy this month with all things beauty and I've not even kept to a skin care routine *slaps hands* - I've just been using the 3 Tea Tree products I bought, mainly. With a scrub and extra cleanser when I could be bothered. I have enjoyed all the products I bought but the Skin Clearing Toner has definitely been my favourite. It has a layer of mattifying powder at the bottom, so you shake it up and just wipe all over the face. I have noticed my skin calm down a bit and it's so refreshing. I've been using it in the morning and at night. It gets away any overnight shine that may have happened and feels so nice. Only a fiver too so definitely worth trying.


And that's September favourites done! What have you been loving this month?

AUGUST FAVOURITES

Yep, that time again. When your blog and youtube feeds are overloaded with favourite products and I would hate to disappoint by not putting in my two cents...

Simple Kind To Skin Facial Wash | Simple Anti-blemish Moisturiser | La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo | L'Oréal Studio Matt & Messy Salt Spray | ELF Nourishing Cuticle Pen | Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer | Barry M Confetti Nails 'Dolly Mixture'

About 7/8 weeks ago I ran out of my Effaclar Duo and didn't have chance to go into town to the big Boots that stocks La Roche Posay and I wasn't that bothered but after a few days of not using it my skin just erupted! The spots were huge and sore and so I decided to go back to basics on the skincare front until I could get my hands on the Effaclar Duo and I picked up a few bits from the Simple range. I'm pretty confident that almost everyone used to use Simple back in their early teens and I don't know why I don't still use their products because they are so good! They're all really gentle and actually do wonders for the skin. I bought the facial wash and I love the consistency of it but I didn't realise they also had a version of it in the Spotless Skin range but this really helped calm down the blemishes. My favourite product of the whole month is definitely the anti-blemish moisturiser. I noticed a difference from the first time I used it so I'm definitely going to carry on using this from now on. Only problem is that it doesn't seem to last very long and I don't feel like I'm using any more of it than I normally use with moisturiser. Still, it's pretty cheap and it does the job. I did end up picking up the Effaclar Duo again and I have definitely seen a difference since having it back in my daily routine. I will have to make sure I have a spare on hand for next time it runs out!

When I left my job 3 months ago (3 months!! So insane!) the people I used to work with put together a little bag of goodies for me and the L'Oréal salt spray was in it. I once used a really cheap salt spray and I really didn't like it. This one has been so different. It's more of a texturising spray to give a bit of volume but it does leave my hair nice and wavy. I kind of go a bit crazy spraying it through whilst my hair is wet and it doesn't dry hard or sticky. I can't even tell it's in. I feel like it makes my hair dry a lot faster too which is good because I don't blow dry my hair. I'll definitely repurchase this when it runs out.

I bought the ELF Nourishing Cuticle Pen quite a while ago and I wasn't really sure why and I'm still not entirely sure. I hear people talk about cuticles and removing them by cutting them off (?!!!) and that sounds painful and I'm not entirely sure why people want to remove them (anyone able to answer that?) However, I remembered I bought this and I've started wiping it around them before I paint my nails and it does make my nails look a lot nicer. I'm not sure if it has benefits but I've enjoyed using it recently so I put it in!
On the nails front, I finally caved and bought one of the confetti polishes from Barry M. I got the Dolly Mixture one and I really like it. It looks so cute over a nice bright colour.

Last favourite for this month is the Soap & Glory Kick Ass concealer. I actually bought this a couple of months ago but I've got really into using it the last couple of weeks. It has 2 concealers in it - one for under eye and one for blemishes, and it has a translucent setting powder too. I only actually use the one for under eye and it is amazing! It does such a good job at cancelling my dark circles and I set it with the powder and it doesn't crease all day. I wasn't too keen on the blemish concealer. It doesn't really cut it again the Collection Lasting Perfection.


What have you been loving this month?

JULY FAVOURITES

Oh look, it's that time already! Since buying too much make up, I put myself on a ban. No more make up unless I have absolutely run out of something like foundation/concealer/powder. I have been very well behaved as well... except from buying nail polish yesterday because Superdrug had 3 for 2 but we'll just ignore that little slip up.

First thing I've been loving is this Blush By 3 Sweet Cheeks palette from the latest Sleek Candy Collection. I've mentioned before how I've got really into blush recently and this handy little palette has a cream, matte and slightly shimmery blush. From left to right the shades are Candy Floss, Dolly Mixture and Cupcake, so cute! The colours, as with all Sleek blushes, are super pigmented and last well. You can apply them subtly or build them as intense as you like. I really like Cupcake the most and Dolly Mixture is really nice just for a little hint of colour on lazy days. I think it was about £10 but for 3 different blushes, absolute bargain.

I wrote about my Clarins purchases here. I've been really enjoying using these products together this month. They just feel a lot more luxurious on my skin as opposed to Boots branded products and other drugstore brands I had been using. Can't fully get used to the smell of the toner still but I feel like it does a much better job than other products I've used. I am trying to use them every few days to make them last but I do love them.

Kind of cheating a little bit here as I haven't actually used these products but the ones I have used, I foolishly threw the packet away. Recently I have got so into using face masks. I just want to do them every day and have to restrain myself. I try and just leave it for a Saturday or Sunday night but I'm loving them. I got these 2 along with another 2 from Superdrug. I think they're 99p each and they were on offer when I bought them. I got about 3/4 uses out of the other packs and they were brilliant. I had a cucumber peel off mask which was really soothing and a de-stressing mud mask which has definitely been my favourite. It left my skin so soft. So I have high hopes for these 2 and I would definitely recommend picking up some of these.

The Maybelline Color Tattoos, especially this shade in On and On Bronze, have been insanely raved about. I got the shade Permanent Taupe quite a while ago and really liked that. It's a matte browny-grey colour and perfect for lazy days when you can't really be bothered blending eyeshadows together. I caved and bought this popular shade and I totally get the hype! It's a beautiful, shimmery gold-bronze colour that can be built up so easily to get a good solid block of colour but looks lovely just with one swipe across the lid. I like these because they do last all day without primer and you don't even need a brush to use them and they still look great.
I got the eyelash curlers from ELF and they are the mini eyelash curlers. I had my last pair for years, literally since I was about 13, so I thought it was time for a new pair. The "grabby bit" (great technical term there...) is tiny and covers about a third of the lash line meaning you can get right into the corner so that all the lashes get gripped and curled. My eyelashes are pretty long and I rarely curl them at all to be honest, but the results from these are amazing.
Lastly, the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer. I have had this for months. I think I might have got it when it was released and I have always liked it and every now and then I'll grab it to use just because it's there but this month, for some reason, I've really been loving it. It's a brilliant under eye concealer and I feel it really brightens the eye and it has great coverage. I don't think I'd ever paid that much attention to the coverage before, I was just using it, but I noticed how well it covered the dark circles I've got and I've been using it practically every day since.

Just a few products this month. What have you been loving?

JUNE FAVOURITES

It's that time again... monthly favourites! I only have a few this month as well.

Quick Fix Facials Calming Clay Mask | Essie 'Bikini So Teeny' | Rimmel Nail Rescue | MUA Pro-Base  Fixing Mist | ELF Matte Lip Color 'Rich Red' | Avon 'Coral Connection' Lipstick

I won't go on too much about this as I did a review the other day, which you can read here. But it's a really great face mask. I feel like 'calming' is a great way to describe it but you will need to exfoliate before or after it to get nice, soft skin.

I actually bought this a couple of months back but I've been really loving it this month. It's one of those fixing sprays like Urban Decay do but a lot cheaper. You just spray it all over your face when you've done your make up and it keeps it in place. Basically hairspray for your face. It dries super quick and I honestly feel like my make up last longer and looks better when I've used this. I think it was about £5 too.

I'm not sure I should have the Essie polish in this months favourites as I got it last week but I am so impressed! I will be having a full review hopefully next week but I got this one and another from Fragrance Direct for £1.99. I put this on my nails last Sunday and it only started chipping after 5/6 days and that was still very minimal chipping. I put off buying Essie nail polishes because of the price but now I think they're definitely worth that money. This shade is beautiful too and completely worth the hype.
I have also reviewed the Rimmel Nail Rescue, which  you can read here. It's completely made my nails stronger and longer. 100% recommend it!

This Matte Lip Color (the American spelling stresses me out!) is in the shade Rich Red and it's lovely. It's a lip crayon, basically, and it lasts forever! Literally. You can eat and drink and you can definitely get away without topping it up. I've been wearing it on it's own and I've been using it as a lip liner too.

It was pretty much impossible to get a decent photo to show the colour of this Avon lipstick. The colour is Coral Connection but it's quite a dark coral. It's a very burnt orange colour and it's not totally opaque but it's definitely buildable. I actually wore it in this post. It's so pretty and I've been reaching for it a lot this month. I can't remember the price but it was very reasonable.


What have you been loving this month?

And whilst you're here, you are probably sick of hearing about Google Reader finishing today so if you want to keep up to date with my blog, the Bloglovin' link is in the sidebar or you can just click HERE. hope you'll join me over there!

MAY FAVOURITES

I always try to get my favourites posts up in the last week of the month so that they go up by the last date. However, I've been super busy this week with finishing work and going straight into the new job.

Only a handful of products this month as I haven't really bought all that much but I've really been enjoying all of these things.

A mini Bourjois haul happened...
I bought the Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal Foundation mainly because of essiebutton's constant raving over the Healthy Mix Serum (I wasn't aware they were different things when I purchased...). Usually with foundation I like quite full coverage but this is pretty light and sheer however, it is really buildable. I've really been loving it though. Some days I feel a bit lazy and don't want the products on my face to feel as heavy or my skin is behaving for a change, and so this is perfect. I've actually been reaching for this more than my No7 foundation this month.
I think there was an offer on Bourjois that if you spent so much you got a blush free so I picked up the infamous Magic Nail Polish Remover after everybody and their cat hyped it last year and now I can see why. 1 second is definitely pushing it but you just put your finger in it (calm your minds...) and give it a twist (...) and all the polish is removed. I HATE cotton wool (taking my make up off is SO much fun) and I hate the smell of normal remover but this smells quite nice, weirdly, and I don't have to get cotton wool stuck all over my fingers.
So then I could get a little pot of blush for free and I got the shade "34 Rose d'Or" (Rose Gold) and I'm pretty sure I've worn this every single day since I got it. It is beautiful! I definitely want to try more of these blush pots now. The colour is just so pretty.

I love the Real Techniques Buffing Brush but I felt like it just wasn't working as well with the Bourjois foundation. I bought the Expert Face Brush as it's practically the same brush but the bristles are packed more densely and so it has a smaller surface area and it's much more suitable for buffing the foundation it. I've actually not used my Buffing Brush since buying this even for any other foundation. I still love you Buffing Brush, baby!
Another brush but from ELF. Sorry it isn't clean. I did clean it last week when I was planning on taking photos but I never got round to it and then I used it. I bought he Flat Eyeliner Brush from the Mineral range and it is PERFECT. Very tiny and thin which makes it so easy to get super close to the lash line and so much better than any other angled brushes that I've got.

I attended the North West Blogger Meet Up a few weeks ago and in the goodie bag was a sample of the Vitamin C Skin Reviver from The Body Shop. I absolutely fell in love with it and had to go and buy the full size. It makes your skin so smooth and glowy. It says it can be used after moisturiser and as a make up base and I've done both these things. I sometimes use it as a primer, mainly with the Bourjois foundation, or if I'm having a no make up day I'll put this on and it really just freshens up the skin. I've also been putting some on at night either before or instead of a night cream. It smells amazing and I also really think it's helped clear up my skin a bit too. 100% recommend this!

Finally another product that everyone everywhere has raved about, including me. I'm pretty sure I've featured these Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine polishes in previous favourites as I have a couple but I ended up buying this one this month after a girl at work was wearing it every day and I got nail envy. It's in the shade Blueberry and it's the most beautiful bright (not neon!) blue. The formula of these is incredible. You don't really need two coats if you didn't want to and they're super shiny. Love them!


So that's what I've been loving this month. Please do link me to your May Favourites or tell me what you've been loving using this month.
Also, a huge thank you to all my followers. I hit 200 today! Super happy about that! <3

APRIL FAVOURITES

I have literally no idea how it's already time for another favourites post but alas, it is! I've been enjoying quite a few products this month so let's get cracking!

Soap & Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash | Superdrug Intensive Hand Cream | La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo | MUA Cream Blush 'Bittersweet' | Rimmel x Kate Moss Salon Pro Nail Polish 'Britpop' | Bourjois Liner Clubbing Ultra Black | MUA Bronzer 'Shade 3' | Benefit Cha Cha Tint | Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain '005 Crush Béguin' | Revlon Lip Butter '096 Macaroon'

A few of these products featured in a recent beauty haul I did and my first favourite is from that. I bought the Soap & Glory Body Wash purely for the smell. It is incredible. It smells of lime and it smells really sweet and fresh and I have to really try to restrain myself not to go over the top and use to much each time.

The La Roche-Posay skincare range has been hugely raved about in the blogging world and I saw this in Boots at the start of the month and after reading a lot of reviews saying it has massively improved people's skin and breakouts, I decided to try it out. I was thinking of doing a review of it's own but there are so many out there so I'll just do a mini one here. It's not cheap, it cost me £13 but I'm delighted I bought it. My cheeks and chin always have spots. I don't think there's been a day since I was 13 when I didn't have spots. I've been putting this on before my moisturiser and makeup in the mornings and after I've cleansed/toned/exfoliated in the evenings and it's made a huge difference. I can tell mainly because I hardly use any concealer now whereas before I pretty much had a layer over my whole face! I can definitely see the hype with the brand.

As for the hand cream, not the most pleasant story but the weather here for the whole of 2013 so far has been awful. We still had snow here up until 3/4 weeks ago and unfortunately when it's that cold my fingers think it's cool to turn into sausages. So attractive, trust me..! The snow went and it got a touch warmer and it left the skin on my fingers looking gross; as if they'd deflated. (Sorry about all this TMI) Anyway, I bought this for about £1.50 from Superdrug and it fixed my gross hands so quickly! It has a lovely clean scent and my hand feel so soft!

I've been getting really into blushes lately. For my birthday, I received the Benefit Tropi-Coral set and the Cha Cha Tint was included with it. It can be worn on the cheeks and lips but I personally don't like it on the lips. It's lovely on the cheek bones though and the colour is very buildable.
The MUA one is the first cream blusher I've tried. I've only had it a week or so but I really like it. It's not overly pigmented and using a brush with it, I've found, isn't that effective but when I use my finger and blend it out it's the loveliest colour. They do another colour which is more of a coral/orange shade which I am tempted to buy now. Also, for a £1 it's worth trying!
I bought the MUA bronzer to use as a contour powder. I have the Sleek Contour Kit but sometimes, I feel it's a little too dark. This is a lot more subtle and I don't feel paranoid that I've put too much on. I think this was £1 too so definitely worth trying.

I was so late on the Revlon lip product bandwagon. I do already own a lip butter in Candy Apple but I recently picked up Macaroon. It is one of those "your lip but better" kind of colours and I've been reaching for this a lot this month. It's just so easy to apply and they're really moisturising so perfect for when I'm being lazy.
This is the first of the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains I've bought and again this is another "lazy girl lip product". When I can't be bothered in a morning I can quickly colour my lips in with this. It's not the longest lasting if worn without lip liner but such a lovely colour. Also, it has a minty smell (I think!) and I really like that.

Forever hunting for the perfect liquid liner, I picked up this Bourjois one. The applicator is very thin and that is what I'm after. I find it much easier to do winged liner this way. This is so easy to use and the colour is very pigmented. My only problem is, sometimes I find it doesn't last all day. When it gets to the end of the day I find it sometimes has worn away a bit.
Please do give me liquid eyeliner suggestions, though. Not any of the felt tip style ones those because we do not get on with each other!
Final product is the new nail polishes from the Rimmel Salon Pro range by Kate Moss. I'm a big fan of all of the ranges she has done for Rimmel lipsticks so when I heard this was happening, I got a bit excited. It's no secret how much I love Kate and Rimmel is such a great brand. I picked up two shade. One being a dark purple/grey colour called 'Punk Rock' and this bright turquoise colour called 'Britpop'. I think there's about 10 different shades all named after different music genres. I just had to get Britpop because I love that genre and the colour is beautiful. Highly pigmented and I only needed one coat to get an opaque finish! It lasted a good few days before chipping too so I was very impressed. I do like Punk Rock as well but this colour is a lot more fun and definitely my favourite of the two. I'm wearing it on my nails in this post, actually.


What have you been loving this month?

MARCH FAVOURITES

Another month, another batch of favourite products that I've been using a lot over this month!

Tresemmé Extra Hold Hairspray | MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural 'Light' | Urban Decay Naked Basics | Sleek Correct and Conceal Kit | Garnier BB Cream | Garnier Roll On | Barry M Gelly Hi-Shine 'Lychee' | Rimmel 60 Seconds '805 Grey Matter' | Topshop Lipstick 'Rumour Has It'

I picked up the Sleek Correct and Conceal kit about a month ago. I've never seen any reviews or anything of it so I took the plunge. I think it was around £7. I actually picked up the palette in shade 2 because they didn't seem to stock any shade 1 so I foolishly thought 2 must be the lightest shade. It only means that the concealer (the middle one) is a touch too dark for me. I've been using the corrector (the first one) under my eyes before foundation and also around some really red blemishes but I've also been using my concealer as normal after foundation. I've found it does seem to reduce the darkness under my eyes a little doing this. My favourite part of the palette is the powder (the third one). It's great for setting all the make up under the eye and I've not had any issues with major creasing.

Two nail varnishes this month. I know the Barry M Gelly nail paints have been over-raved in the blogging world but they are totally worth it. I picked up the shade "Prickly Pear" when they were first launched a few months back and I love it. Then I kept seeing reviews popping up this months, especially for the nude shade 'Lychee' and I ended up buying it. I love a good nude polish! The finish of this is lovely and is the perfect shade of nude.
I've never tried the 60 Seconds polishes from Rimmel but I'm very impressed. Realising I didn't own a grey polish I bought this. Super impressed! The brush is quite small but thick so application is easy and it really does dry very quick. 60 seconds may be pushing it but it's quick enough for my liking.

The MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural is probably my favourite thing I've bought all year! Oh my god! I've been eyeing it up for some time and I took the plunge and I find myself reaching for this more often than my Rimmel Stay Matte powder. My make up looks so much better with it and I feel it stays in place so much longer. My skin also feels really soft and lovely wearing this. Definitely worth the price tag (that I can't totally remember but I think it's £20ish.)

I reviewed the Garnier BB Cream here so I won't repeat all that again but I'm so impressed with it. A good matte finish, good coverage and cheap! What's not to like? I bought the Garnier Roll On a few months back but I've only really started to like it. I have the one with a bit of a tint to it but it's not for coverage at all, in my case anyway. If I don't use the Sleek Correct and Conceal kit, I put this under my eyes after foundation and then go over with a concealer too. It seems to have made a much better difference than when I go with just concealer alone.

I did it. I jumped on the Urban Decay Naked bandwagon. My friend bought the Naked 2 palette and then I wanted it and I saw the Basics palette had 10% off at Debenhams so I went for it. The shades are perfect for me. The black shade 'Crave' is lovely for lining the lash line when you don't want to wear liquid liner and all the shadows are super pigmented and so easy to blend. So very happy with it. I will say that I find it quite difficult to open the palette. I don't know if it's just me and I got a bit of a dud one or if everyone has that problem?

I do love a Topshop lipstick. I already have a couple and over the last couple of months I've been wanting to brave the world of nude lips. I had a Topshop gift card so it only ended up costing me £3 so I picked up the shade Rumour Has It. It's definitely more of a darker nude but I prefer that with being pale. I don't really want to get the "foundation lips" look. Topshop lipsticks are so moisturising too so with the horribly cold weather my lips have got dry so wearing this has actually helped!

Finally, a bit random but hairspray! I have always used Tresemmé hairspray whenever I've needed it (which was never very often.) I can't remember which one my last one was but it definitely wasn't this one and I had it easily for 3 years before I used it all. Since getting a fringe I've been having to use hairspray everyday to keep it tamed. This bad boy is brill! It keeps my hair in place, it's not sticky and it doesn't make my hair all hard. I can't remember the price now but it was on offer in Bodycare for the giant can that I got.

So quite a few favourites this month. Hope you've all had a good month and you all enjoy Easter weekend. Unfortunately, I have to work tomorrow (and I did today, boo!) but I'm at a Christening on Easter Sunday and I get Monday off. Which I most excited for because I will be able to watch Game of Thrones as soon as I wake up!!

FEBRUARY FAVOURITES

I realise I always say this but apologies for the photo quality! I wanted to have this post up before we actually hit March so I had to race with the amount of daylight left when I got home from work and this was the best I could do. I think I may have to buy myself a new camera, this one is pretty old now.

So another month over and quite a few favourites for it...

Boots Tea Tree Facial Scrub | Sleek Au Naturel Palette | ELF Maximum Coverage Concealer | Topshop Lipstick 'Beguiled' | ELF Blush 'Peachy Keen' | Avon Nailwear Pro 'Romance' | Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo '40 Permanent Taupe' | Rimmel Apocolips 'Big Bang' | L'Oréal Telescopic Mascara | Maybelline Color Show Nail Varnish 'Latte' | Ecotools Eye Shading Brush

I was dying to get the Au Naturel Palette for so long and finally managed to pick one up and I've been using in pretty much all month. Particularly loving the colours Nubuck, Bark and Regal and also been using Noir a lot instead of liquid liner for a softer look.

I did a review of the ELF concealer which you can read here. Cannot recommend it enough. Cheap and great quality!

The ELF blush is such a pretty colour. I couldn't get any swatches that show up on the camera because it's a very light colour but it has a lovely shimmer to it and I wear it more so as a highlighter or when I'm having a lazy make up day.

My mum gave me the Avon nail varnish and I've never used one of theirs before but I was so impressed with the amount of time this lasted before it started chipping. I used Sally Hansen's Insta-Dri top coat on top which is supposed to be anti-chip but because of work this isn't really the case for my nails. But this really lasted, very impressed!

I picked up the Maybelline Color Show polish after reading Fleur de Force's blog here. I love nude nails and I didn't realise how cheap these polishes were. I'm pretty sure it was £2.99! It does make you seem like you have mannequin fingers but I really like the look. I tried to do the blue tips that Fleur did but I was less successful with that..! I picked up the majorly hyped Colour Tattoo because Maybelline was on buy one get one half price when I got the nail varnish. I got the shade 'Permanent Taupe' because I thought it'd be most neutral. Not sure about the 24 hour part but with primer it lasts me a full 9 hour shift. It's great for blending with other eyeshadows or on its own. Been wearing it alone when I've been rushing to work and with it being more cream based, there's no fallout so I don't even have to tidy up my face; just run out the house so I'm not late!

I think the Tea Tree scrub from Boots own range is my absolute favourite of the month. Can't remember the price but it was very cheap. I was having a bit of a spot nightmare so I panic bought tea tree stuff. Very impressed! It's left my face feeling fresh and smooth and I am just so pleased. I also bought the toner from the same range but I'm trying to force myself to finish my current one before starting that.

The Topshop lipstick is something I've had for going on a year, I think, but I've found myself reaching for it a lot this month. Topshop lipsticks are brilliant. They're pigmented and they last. The colour of this one is very similar to the Kate Moss from Rimmel one in 107 however Beguiled isn't a totally matte shade. I'm wearing it in this post.

The Apocolips featured on most people's favourites last month but with them only coming out the very end of January I didn't think that was long enough to make up my mind. When I bought it I thought it'd be sticky like a lipgloss but it really isn't. You do need to make sure you do some good blotting or you end up with it all over your teeth! The applicator has a dip in it that collects the product which means you get more than enough and don't have to keep sticking it back in the tube to fully do your lips.

The Telescopic mascara... I am in love. I've always been ever faithful to Maybelline Falsies but that hasn't had a look in since buying this. I actually used the Falsies the other day and I don't think I like it anymore! Although the Telescopic doesn't make my lashes seem as thick it feels and look lighter and doesn't go clumpy if I accidentally put on too much. I have bought the False Lash effect version of Telescopic but I will try hold off til I've used this one up. Also, love the packaging. So clever!

Finally, a new brush. I've been wanting a good fluffy blending brush that doesn't cost the earth for ages and I saw the Ecotools in Boots. I love this! Blends everything together so nicely and is really soft. Also washes really well and I've not had any fallout from it either. Tempted to look into more Ecotools now..!

What have you been loving this month?

JANUARY FAVOURITES

The first month of 2013 has been and gone and so with it comes another favourites post!

Rimmel 3 in 1 Powder Blush (004 Winter Glow) | Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse (004 Light Porcelain) | Sleek Dip-It Eyeliner (Black) | House of Holland Signature Spritz | Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo | Rimmel Scandaleyes Eyeliner (005 Nude) | Benefit Bad Gal Mascara

Maybelline Dream Matte Mousse... no, I'm not a 15 year old girl and yes, this is in my favourite products of the month. I was tidying out some stuff and came across this. I'll be honest... I was using this foundation until about 6 months ago. It was the only thing drugstore-wise that I could find light enough for me (or at least what I thought I needed). It's really not a good foundation but I found it and I was looking at it and the colour I have it so light and the foundation itself is pretty thick and I've been using it as an under eye concealer before I put on foundation. I don't have a lot of the stuff left but at least now I don't have to throw it away!

The Rimmel blush cost me £2 from the Boots clearance shelf. I don't know how much it should be and I can't find them on the Rimmel website so I think it may have been discontinued but it is so pretty. I use a stippling brush for blush and the 3 colours in the palette mixed together give a lovely rosy glow. The colours are a light pink, then a tan sort of colour and a coral type. Check out your local Boots because they keep putting different things on the clearance shelf everyday. I'm obsessed with checking it.

Spoke about the Sleek eyeliner on this post so I won't babble on too much but it's so easy to use. It does seem to take a little longer to dry than the Barry M I used to use but I much prefer the applicator.

Again, I spoke about the House of Holland spritz in this post. I am just obsessed with how good it smells. I'm running out of perfume at the moment so I'm trying to get away with using this on most days so I don't have to buy new perfume for a while!

The Scandaleyes eyeliner is something I bought because I saw too many people raving about it. It's much better using nude than white like I had been doing for opening up the eyes and this one is very pigmented so you don't need a lot. My only complaint is that you can't sharpen it and it doesn't wind up or anything. They are pretty cheap though but it'd be nicer as an actual pencil.

The Benefit Bad Gal mascara is a sample I got a bit ago. I'm not a huge fan of it on my top lashes because I don't feel it gives enough length or volume for my liking. I do wear it on really lazy days though. I mainly use Maybelline Falsies but this is no good on my bottom lashes. I end up with smudgey-panda eyes by the end of the day. Since I started putting Bad Gal on my bottom lashes, I've not had this problem at all! 

Last favourite product of the month is the Lee Stafford Dry Shampoo. This is only a little can but I also got this from the Boots clearance for... 30p!! I usually only buy the Batiste dry shampoo for dark brown hair because then I know I'll definitely avoid the grey roots scenario. This one doesn't say it's for dark hair but for the price I really wasn't bothered. It also says it's for oily hair which I also don't have but I couldn't get over 30p :')
It doesn't give me any grey hair and it smells incredible! So impressed that I may even buy the full size when this runs out.

Let me know your favourite products of the month!

DECEMBER FAVOURITES

Not sure how 2012 has been and gone already. Does not seem like 12 months since spending New Years Eve in Chinatown, Manchester. Hope everyone had a lovely Christmas with their families. It was our first with my little niece so we were all a little over excited!

But with the end of another month comes another favourites post...

No7 Cleansing Water | Tangle Teezer | Real Techniques Buffing Brush | No7 Beautifully Matte Foundation | Sleek 'Rose Gold' Blush | Revlon 'Candy Apple' Lip Butter | Sally Hansen Insta-Dri Top Coat | Nivea Express Hydration Primer | Rimmel Exaggerate 'Red Diva' Lip Liner

Bit photo heavy, sorry!

I bought the Real Techniques Core Collection at the start of the month and the Buffing Brush is definitely the best brush of the collection, and the greatest brush I own, and it definitely lives up to the huge hype surrounding it. I feel that my foundation looks a lot more natural when I use it and it doesn't leave any streaks or lines on my face. I've been using it to blend concealer under my eyes sometimes and also for powder, too.

I ran out of the Stay Perfect version of the No7 foundation and knew that I would prefer the matte version over it. The coverage is a lot more fuller and I prefer the matte look when it comes to make up. The Stay Perfect is nice if you like the dewy look but the matte suits me more. Also because of the coverage and finish, it means I don't need half as much powder to set it.

I got the No7 Cleansing Water because I started to really dislike using face wipes to take off my make up, which is what I've been doing for years before doing the usual skin care routine. I saw this is Boots and although I don't have Normal/Oily skin, the product didn't seem to be available in the other skin types. It's not affected my skin in any negative way though and I've been using it a couple of weeks now and you only need a couple of squirts to be able to take a full face of make up off. It was only £9 (I think) so really worth it!

I know I'm late on this bandwagon but I've been curious about Tangle Teezers for so long but the £10.99 price tag seemed a bit ridiculous for what is essentially a comb. I noticed a friend had one and I asked her about it and she recommended it. I suffer from really bad head sore and I only brush my hair every other day after it's been washed. This is wonderful at combing out knots and it doesn't cause me any pain and I also feel like it's made my hair feel softer.

Another "late on the bandwagon" products. I've been needing a new top coat for a while and it was on offer in Superdrug. I really like the bottle and brush of this. Obviously by the name you expect it's going to dry very quickly and it definitely does. It also states that it's an "Anti-Chip Top Coat" which at first I didn't agree with so much because my nail varnish was only lasting as long as it usually does... about 12 hours! But I've been off work a couple days now and it's not budged! So it's clearly work that makes my nail varnish not last. I do use my hands a lot so I should have probably realised this.

I mentioned in the previous post how much I am loving Sleek's make up and this blush in Rose Gold is my absolute favourite. The colour is just so beautiful and I can't recommend it enough.

I'm really good at this bandwagon thing... Revlon Lip Butters have been massive this year. Finally got my hands on one, in the shade Candy Apple, and I LOVE it! At first I wasn't overly keen and was a bit disappointed that the hype was so big but then I started wearing it over the Rimmel lip liner (in the colour Red Diva) and they are beautiful together. The lip butter doesn't last well with eating and drinking which is a bit annoying but the colour is so lovely.
As for the lip liner... I bought it a couple of months ago but I'm really liking it at the moment. It's not like your usual pencil lip liner but more like a crayon formula. I've even wore it on it's own before now with how easy it goes on  and the colour is gives off - really pigmented!

Finally, the Nivea Express Hydration Primer. I was so keen to try this when it came out. A moisturiser and primer in one! Nivea's products are usually very good so I had high hopes and was not let down. It's very light and soothing and it does do the job of moisturiser and primer. I've not used my GOSH primer all month. The Nivea one is also about half the price of the GOSH primer so I think this is going to be one of the new holy grail products in my life.

Have you tried anything I've mentioned on here?


Hope everyone has a brill New Year and celebrates well! Hope 2013 is wonderful for you all. Thanks for the support this year! :)
xxxx