Hey beauties! Apologies that last months favourites are a ridiculous 10 days late! I blame the joy that is night shifts and having literally no time to blog! Despite it’s lateness I still wanted to share my top products from April as there were quite a few things that I’m really loving but haven’t properly blogged about yet.
Skincare
Garnier Simply Essentials Soothing 2 in 1 Make Up Remover
I picked this up a little while ago and have managed to work my way through a whole bottle of it and had to immediately repurchase it. It’s a two layered make up remover containing a a make up removing oil (the blue liquid) and a cleansing water (the clear liquid). You shake them up and apply it to your face with a cotton pad. The first time I used it I didn’t really like it because the idea of using something oil based on my already oily skin didn’t make sense to me. However, when I started using a new mascara my regular eye make up remover just wasn’t taking it off. I tried this product and it works wonders! I just hold the cotton pad over each eye for a few seconds and then wipe away. It completely dissolves and removes all of my eye make up without needing to rub or scrub, however much make up I’m wearing! I’ve definitely changed my mind about oil based products now, they leave my skin moisturised, soft and smooth and they definitely don’t make my skin anymore oily. There are lot of these layered products about but the biggest plus point of this one is the price – £2.99! It’s also really readily available which is great!
Bioderma Crealine H2O Solution Micellaire
I’ve been using this product for over a year now and whenever I or anyone I know is in France I ask them to stock up for me! This stuff is amazing for my skin type (sensitive, oily and prone to breakouts) and is super gentle on my skin and around my eyes. After using the Garnier Make Up Remover I use this to remove the rest of my make up and it works really well. I’d love to find a more accessible cleansing water that I can pick up in the UK but nothing I’ve tried matches up to the famous Bioderma!
Urban Decay De Slick Setting Spray
As I have oily skin a setting spray can make a real difference to how long my make up lasts. I was using one directly from Skindinavia but it’s not the easiest thing to get hold of without paying quite a lot for shipping. I knew that Skindinavia also made the setting sprays for Urban Decay so I headed off to House of Fraser and picked up De Slick which is the oily skin version of their bestselling All Nighter. This is as good, if not better then the Skindinavia one I had. I mist this all over my face before and after I apply my make up and it really helps my foundation last all day long without needing to touch up or powder all the time! At the moment Urban Decay are doing an XL version of their setting sprays and so you get pretty much double the amount of product for just £23. If you have problems making your make up last a setting spray is definitely worth investing in!
Brushes
Real Techniques Brushes
(Top to Bottom – Face Brush, Buffing Brush, Contour Brush)
I know the beauty community has gone completely Real Techniques crazy and so I won’t dwell on these too much. I definitely prefer the gold handled face brushes and of the brushes I own these three are by far my favourites, I use them every day. They apply my make up flawlessly, they wash well and hold their shape, they’re soft, they don’t shed. They’re just all round amazing brushes and are such great quality for the price. They are now available from Boots stores which is great, I want them all!
Make Up
MAC Prep+Prime Transparent Finishing Powder
I’ve been looking for a good loose powder for ages and have tried so many from the high street. None of them were really working for me so I picked up this one from MAC. It blew everything else I tried out of the water! It’s smooth and silky and sets my make up flawlessly, without looking cakey. I also think this powder helps minimise the appearance of my pores. In combination with the Urban Decay De Slick my make up lasts for hours.
Soleil Tan De Chanel
I hunted high and low for this product and when I finally got it I wasn’t really sure how to use it to get the best results for my incredibly fair skin tone. After a lot of experimenting I’ve found this looks best when I apply it underneath my foundation because the shade is a little too dark for me to use on top. Depending on my mood I use it to contour or as an all over bronzer if I want a more glowy look to my skin. It’s such a lovely gel formula and is nice and light. It leaves me looking naturally sun kissed and healthy.
17 Peep Show Mascara
I was sent this as a PR sample as part of the More! Beauty Hot 100 and hadn’t even heard much about it before that. I never really rated mascaras from 17 but this one is AMAZING! It’s a fibre enriched mascara which adds volume and length without looking clumpy. I apply two coats of this in the morning and it lasts all day without any running or smudging. It’s a bit of a nightmare to get off but the Garnier 2 in 1 I mentioned above really works at breaking this down and removing it. This is on special offer in Boots at the moment for £4 and I can really recommend picking it up if you like long, defined lashes.
Maybelline Colour Tattoo 24HR in Permanent Taupe
The Colour Tattoo cream gel eye shadows were another product that caused a bit of a stir when they finally arrived in the UK. I really struggled to get hold of them and there are another couple of shades that I’d like to try but Permanent Taupe is a great everyday shade. I either use this on it’s own or as an eyelid primer/ base. It’s a great, cheaper alternative to MAC’s Paint Pots and the Colour Tattoo is just as good as everyone said!
L’Oreal Rouge Caresse in 301 – Dating Coral
I’ve been ever so slightly obsessed with coral shades lately and I really like the Rouge Caresse lipstick/ lip balm hybrid. I actually prefer them to the Revlon Lip Butters and this shade is so lovely. It’s sheer and so suitable for everyday but adds a beautiful pop of colour. I think this will be a staple during the summer!
MAC Matte Lipstick in Lady Danger
Another coral based shade although this one is a lot brighter! It’s such a nice mix of orange, red and coral and is another gorgeous summer shade! Whenever I wear this it’s always a bit of a head turner and I often get asked what it is. Typically I’m not a big fan of matte lipsticks from MAC as they can be quite drying but I don’t seem to have that problem with Lady Danger. It’s really long lasting and the colour transfer is minimal which is a big plus.
Nails
Barry M Nail Paint in 284 – Emerald Green
Firstly, apologies for the awful state of my nails in this picture! I picked this up quite recently but had to include it in my favourites because I love the colour! I’m not generally a fan of green on my nails but this colour really stood out to me in Superdrug! It’s just such a lovely metallic green shade and I really like it. As always with Barry M Nail Paints the longevity is really good and the application is easy, it’s opaque in two coats. Barry M have the best nail polish range on the high street and they’re so reasonable. I’d buy every shade if I could!
So there we have my very belated April favourites! I hope everyone had a good month and is having a great May so far! Has anyone tried any of my favourites?
