Monthly Favourites: July

Happy Monday! It's the last Monday of the month and you all know what that means. It's Monthly Favourites time. This month I've had more non beauty favourites than I have beauty favourites which I put down to the ever changing British Summer that resulted in the most horrid of heatwaves last week. But I digress.

The first and most exciting thing I got up to in July was seeing Carrie Underwood live. I've been the biggest fan of Carrie since I was a teen and when it was announced that she was coming to the UK to her first arena tour, I knew I just had to be there. And Jasmin being the best friend in the world came along with and dealt with my over caffeinated ramblings about merch and songs and how much I was going to cry. And cry I did. I managed to hold it in for the best part of the concert but as soon as I heard the opening notes of Low, I was a wreck. It's a special song to me and there are times when I hear it, it makes me cry but hearing it live was even more special. I cried again during Cry Pretty at the end as it had just sunk in that I had actually witnessed her on stage. I sang my heart out and I'd happily pay any amount to see her live again.

Another favourite that has played a big part of my month is the Rocketman soundtrack. In fact it's played a big part of my life since it was released in May. I have not been able to stop listening to it and I may just prefer a few of Taron Egerton's versions over the original. Sorry not sorry. Rocketman was one of my favourites of the year so far and the soundtrack is still one of my go to choices when I want some music to liven up a boring job. Bennie And The Jets, Take Me To The Pilot, Tiny Dancer, Goodbye Yellow Brick Road and of course Rocketman are my absolute favourites from the album but each one is beautifully done, I just wish a few were a little long. I adore Taron Egerton's singing voice and would love to hear his full renditions of Don't Go Breaking My Heart, Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me and Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word. If you haven't seen Rocketman or listened to the soundtrack, I recommend you do. You won't regret it.

Out of the two films I've seen this month I wouldn't be able to choose a favourite. The first I saw was Spider-Man Far From Home. I absolutely adore Tom Holland's portrayal of Peter Parker and this sequel was no different. It was an absolute rollarcoaster of emotions, one minute I was laughing the next I was nearly in tears. Following the events of Endgame, Far From Home follows Peter as he tried to continue with live without Tony. It sees him struggling to balance being a normal teen enjoying his school trip to Europe with the responsibility of being Spider-Man. Throw in Jake Gyllenhaal as Mysterio who's ass I'd happily kick, you've got yourself an amazing continuance of the MCU after Endgame. Plus if you haven't seen yet and you're planning on it, I highly recommend staying for both post credit scenes. Both will leave you gobsmacked and totally pumped for Phase Four from Marvel.

And the second film I've seen this month is The Lion King. I was apprehensive after seeing some mixed reviews but it was outstanding. As soon as it started I was taken back to my childhood which made me extremely nostalgic and emotional. That scene destroyed me and made me very glad I'd forgone make up that day. At one point I couldn't watch but could still feel the sorrow in it. The score was so close if not the same as the animated version and it gave me chills. Again it sent me back my childhood, reminding me of days I'd spend watching Disney movies and belting out every song I knew whilst in my back garden (I was tone deaf but I still gave it my all). Don't let the mixed reviews fool you, this is a film you need to experience for yourself before believing any of what you've previously. Definitely one I'll be picking up on DVD when it comes out.

This month I finally bit the bullet and brought myself a stainless steel bottle. And of course I could have gotten any stainless steel bottle of Amazon but I chose to get myself a Nightmare Before Christmas one. It's absolutely stunning and I've found myself drinking a lot more water, especially during the heatwave than usual. I know it sounds stupid, but it's amazing what having a cute drinking bottle can do for my motivation.

And keeping on the Nightmare Before Christmas theme, I have what some are going to think of as the most boring favourite but are something I absolutely adore. As I've recently gotten back into reading I wanted some new bookmarks to replace the random ticket stubs and receipts I'd been using previously. And one day whilst I was browsing on Etsy I saw not one but four Nightmare Before Christmas bookmarks. And at only £1.50 a piece I just had to buy them. They were absolutely stunning when I got them in the post so I went back and custom ordered two more from the creator. Again these are stunning and the whole process of ordering and shipping was ridiculously quick and easy. They're definitely an Etsy seller I'll be buying from again. Now I have such choice when it comes to picking out a bookmark for my current read.

Now onto my first of only three beauty favourites this month. The first is one I've been using for a while but it's only been recently that it's become a favourite. The Garnier Organic Fresh Lemongrass Detox Gel Wash has become a staple in my skincare routines. It's lightweight and doesn't leave skin feeling weighed down or clogged yet is still effective as a cleanser. I love using this in the evenings when I'm not wearing make up. It leaves skin feeling absolutely heavenly after each use. I put my skin clearing up and looking a hell of a lot better down than it has down to this, it's that good even my mum and best friend have brought a bottle.

I'm not someone who gets super hyped over a foundation and I have my firm favourites that I repurchase religiously. Yet when I saw that my local Boots were now stocking IT Cosmetics, my interest was rightly piqued. I started off with a travel size bottle not only just to trial it but also because I needed a smaller size to take to Naomi's wedding. And hello new holy grail foundation. I honestly don't understand why I hadn't tried it before. It's AMAZING. I wore it for twelve hours at Naomi's wedding it did not budge and we're talking a warm day in the middle of June. But even since the wedding, this foundation has completely changed my outlook on base product. It can be as humid as hell out there and it doesn't even budge. Hell I wore it for over twelve hours when I saw Carrie Underwood and even cried like a baby and it didn't budge. My face looked as good when I got home as it did when I left to meet Jasmin. I'm so thoroughly impressed by this, I'm happily dropping the £30 for a full size bottle.

 And my last beauty favourite for the month of July comes from Maybelline. Ever since they were released I've been a big fan of the SuperStay Matte Inks. And a few months ago I added two more to my collection. Both are beautiful shades but this shade Lover is absolutely amazing. It has a stunning lilac undertone that suits even my fair skintone. It's looked stunning with both my Ariana Grande and Elton John t-shirts. They last for ages, you can easily eat or drink with them on and they do not move. And they're not uncomfortable to wear for hours on end. I can happily put this on in the morning and still be wearing comfortable a good seven or eight hours later. The only let down for these particular lipsticks is that they can be quite hard to remove but with the right oil based make up remover, they come right off.

12 Books I Want To Read By The End Of The Year

If you've been here for the last year and a half then you'll know I rediscovered my love of reading. And whilst there are times when I don't want to read anything, the amount of time I spend reading outweighs them. And over the last few months I've been compiling a list of books I want to read. And with the way I've been reading lately, I'm pretty sure that list isn't going to take long to complete. But today I thought I'd share with you a six standalone book and six series that I'd like to read or at least start series wise before we say hello to 2020.

The Folk Of The Air- Holly Black
Let's kick things off with series I want to start and the one series I'm dying to get my teeth into. The Cruel Prince was one of the first books I brought this year and next month sees the release of The Wicked King in paperback. It doesn't take a genius to work out what I'm going to be reading in August. Centred around Jude and her two sisters who were taken to live in the High Court Of Faerie when they were small. Yet ten years later Jude and her sisters still don't fit in and it's the one thing in live Jude craves the most. It follows her as she goes against Prince Cardan to win herself a plac in the Court. I've heard nothing but good things about this series so far and with the release of the final book in the trilogy approaching, I think it's time I finally sunk my teeth into it.

The Shadow Game- Amanda Foody
The next series I want to start is the The Shadow Game Series. Consisting of two books so far this spin on the City Of Sin sees Enne Salta as she travels to New Reynes (The Ciry Of Sin) locate her missing mother. Yet she knows nothing about her mother's whereabouts apart from a name; Levi Glaisyer. I've heard mixed reviews about this series but I find that the ones that people aren't too sure on, I tend to like more. I've got Ace of Shades on it's way from Amazon at the moment and I honestly can't wait to read it.

Arc Of A Scythe- Neal Shusterman 
A series that I've seen a lot about lately and after reading the synopsis for myself I really want to read it. A trilogy that concludes this year Scythe follows the work of two scythes who work to keep population down now that humanity has managed to conquer everything including death. However both these scythes are teens and need to desperately learn the art of taking a live in order to keep theirs. Thunderhead follows with the dynamic duo split, one rogue whilst the other strives to change things from the inside.When I initially heard about this series I wasn't too bothered but since reading some reviews on GoodReads and watching a lot of BookTubers talk about this, I'm dying to pick these up.

Renegades- Marissa Meyer
Another series that has had a lot of hype on BookTube is the Renegades series by Marissa Meyer. I already knew of her from her series The Lunar Chronicles but I hadn't heard a lot about this duology soon to be trilogy until recently. Renegades follows Adrian a boy with extraordinary abilities that works to keep peace and order in a somewhat crumbled society. That's until he meets Nova who wants nothing than revenge against the Renegades. Yet as the pair grow closer Nova's allegiance to a villian puts thems both in danger. And Arch Enemies continues with Nova and Adrian working to stop the Anarchists from destroying everything but still being from opposing sides means that they're believes aren't the same and could end them and the world as they know it. I'm so excited to get my hands on this series. It sounds amazing and from the amount of five star reviews it has on GoodReads, I know I'm in for a wild ride.

Stalking Jack The Ripper- Kerri Maniscalco
I honestly don't know where to start with this series. A lot of people say that it goes downhill after the first book but these seem to be exactly the kind of semi mediocre books I end up adoring. The quartet follows Audrey Rose Wadsworth as she works to solve crimes including murders inspired by Jack The Ripper, Vlad The Impaler, Houdini and concluding with a showdown with the White City Devil. Each one sounds gruesome, shocking and full of twists and turns. I have Stalking Jack The Ripper in my Amazon basket and it's a sure buy when I make my next book order from them.

The Bone Witch- Rin Chupeco
The last series I want to at least start this year is The Bone Witch series. Tea never meant to raise her brother from the grave, her whole life changes as she's branded a bone witch and shunned by her community. The trilogy follows Tea as she learns how to harness her powers and become a asha-one whilst also preparing for the dark forces that are quickly approaching. This series is a little out of my comfort zone but I'm looking forward to getting my hands on them and giving them a go. Plus the covers are absolutely stunning and will look amazing on my shelves when I actually sort them out.

The Night Circus- Erin Morgenstern
The Night Circus is a book that has been on my radar for years and at the beginning of the year I finally picked myself up a copy. Centred around a circus that arrives without warning, this follows two young magicians Celia and Marco within the circus who are battling to win a duel but unbeknownst to them only one can win. Yet strong competition turns into something more but the game is still on and only one can win. I'm putting this to one side until Autumn/Winter time as it seems to be the perfect book to read once those cold nights come in.

Romanov- Nadine Brandes
The next standalone book I plan on reading before the year is out is one that caught my attention by it's title. Part of me hoped that this would be a novelisation of Natasha Romanov but I soon worked out it was about another Romanov who's history I'm intrigued by. The Romanov family has fascinated people for years and whilst this tells their tale, it adds a fantasty twist to it. I'm dying to read this and add it to my collection but at the moment it's only available in hardback and I'm not the biggest fan of hardbacks at all.

Ninth House- Leigh Bardugo
This next book hasn't even come out yet, I don't know much about it but I know I want to read it. ;Leigh Bardugo is a queen in the BookTuber world and the hype for Ninth House is palpable. This is Leigh Bardugo's first foray into adult fiction and if the hype is as true as it says, this is going to be a smash.

The Cheerleaders- Kara Thomas
The Cheerleaders is another of those that has recieved mixed reviews but sounds like the kind of murder mystery I love. Five years ago five cheerleaders died in the space of a few weeks. Two in a car accident, two killed by the man next door and one comitted suicide. Now five years later there is no cheer squad, no haunting reminder of the horror that occured half a decade ago until the teachers decide to remember their lost cheerleaders. And that's when  Monica's world starts to unravel. She always suspected her sisters suicide was something strange but now as things come to light, she uncertain of what to believe and what not to. This sounds similar to A Good Girl's Guide To Murder which I read recently. Definitely one I'll be picking up as Halloween arrives.

To Kill A Kingdom- Alexandra Christo 
This is another book that is actually one it's way to me. Thank you Amazon. To Kill A Kingdom is again a little out of my comfort zone but the synopsis makes me eager to read it. Princess Lira is a siren and the most lethal of them all. With the hearts of seventeen princes in her possession, she is feared across the sea. Until a horrid twist of fate sees her being forces to kill one of her own. This gives me a twisted Little Mermaid vibe and I'm looking forward to sinking my teeth into when it arrives next week.

Sorcery Of Thorns- Margaret Rogerson
And the final book I want to read before the end of the year is Sorcery Of Thorns by Margaret Rogerson. This is a YA Fantasy novel that follws Elisabeth as she works to become a warden to the library that holds her kingdom's evils. Yet a sick twist of fate sees her work sabotaged and ends up with her being implicated in the crime. A lot of BookTubers have been raving about this recently and it sounds like it good have a good foundation for a new fantasy book in a world where warlocks, magic and dragons are sometimes over done. 

Recipe: Rhubarb And Custard Cupcakes

Last year my mum came home from work one day with a story about how her colleague had made amazing Rhubarb and Custard cupcakes and that she'd cleverly matched the icing to the old fashioned sweet. And ever since then I've wanted to try my hand at my own version whether it had clever icing or just a basic coloured buttercream. And back in June my mum's work had a cake sale for charity and I offered my baking services to them. That's when I first tried my hand at this particular flavour combo and I'm in love with how they turned out. I'm particuarly proud of how the icing looks as I usually end up ruining most of my cakes with the icing, I get very shaky when I ice so it usually ends up everywhere.

Ingredients
For The Cupcakes
100g Caster Sugar
100g Margarine/Stork
100g Self Raising Flour
2 Tsp Vanilla Custard Extract
2 Eggs

For The Icing 
200g Butter
320g Icing Sugar
1 Tube Of Dr Oetker Pink Gel Food Colouring
2 Tsp Of Rhubarb Extract
A Splash Of Milk (optional)

Method 
1- Pre heat oven to 180C. Line a twelve hole muffin tin with paper cases.
2- Place your sugar and stork into a bowl. With a stand mixer or by hand, cream together until pale and fluffy.
3- Add one egg and a tablespoon of flour. Mix until combined.
4- Repeat with the second egg and another tablespoon of flour. Now is usually when I take time to really scrape around the edges of the bowl to make sure there isn't any excess sugar or butter sat on the edges that won't get incoporated into the mix.
5- Fold in the rest of your flour. Take your time with this step. It helps keep the air in the mixture and it'll give you a lighter cake once it's cooked.
6- Fold in your vanilla custard extract. Sure it's just a flavouring and it's tempting to just beat it in quickly, but folding it in will help keep all the air you've already built up in the mixture.
7- Spoon into the paper cases and cook for 15-20 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean.
8- Leave to cool in the tin for five minutes then transfer to a wire cooling rack to cool completely.
9- Now for the icing. Place your softened butter into a bowl and beat until soft, smooth and creamy.
10- Add half of your icing sugar and beat until completely combined. I don't sieve my icing sugar before hand and I never end up with any lumps in my buttercream, however it's all personal preference and if you want to sieve it, then sieve away.
11- Add the remainder of your icing sugar and beat until completely combined. This is where you'll know if you'll need the milk. If the mixture is stiff, add a splash of milk to gently loosen it so that it's a nice piping consitency.
12- Add your flavouring and beat again. I usually sneak a taste after this step just to see if I need to add more flavouring. Rhubarb is quite a tart flavour so less is usually more with it.
13- Now it's time for the colouring. Again how bright or pastel you have the icing is totally up to you. I wanted to stick to the traditional sweet colours so I went for a pale pink shade. It just meant that I put less colouring in and beat more so that there was no colouring sat at the bottom of the bowl.
14- When you're happy with your icing, spoon into a piping bag and pipe onto your now cooled cupcakes. I used a 2D Flower nozzle to create this easy but delicate looking swirl. Some of them aren't as perfect as others but my hand got cramp halfway through which made icing just a bit painful.
15- Once all your cupcakes are iced; leave to set, then enjoy. These are great if you're part of a coffee morning or doing a charity bake sale as they'll appeal to all ages.

Top 5 Books Of The Year So Far

One of my biggest goals for 2019 was to read a little everyday which would hopefully lead to me reading more in general. I created a giant TBR list and started off the year well but fell into a reading slump around April/May time. However I've been bitten by the reading bug once more and whilst my TBR has gotten even bigger, I know there's more chance of me actually reading a lot of it. But today now I've finished my ramble, I'm here to talk you through the five books that have stood out the most to me out of all of them that I've read so far this year.

The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle- Stuart Turton
The first book that left it's mark this year was actually the first book I read in 2019. The Seven Deaths Of Evelyn Hardcastle is a murder mystery/psychological thriller that had me hooked. Centred around the death of Evelyn Hardcastle, this book has one main POV that goes through a rotation of eight different hosts as they attempt to put together all the clues that lead to her murder whilst also trying to stop her murder from happening at all. Yet they only live in one particular host for twenty four hours, each of whom has their own secrets that they'd rather keep hidden. I was hooked on this book. It's a little slow to start but once you really get into it, you'll find it hard to put down. I at one point thought I had figured out who the killer was but was quickly proven wrong when it took a twist that I did not see coming. If this isn't already on your TBR for 2019 then I suggest you add it, you won't regret it.

The Thousandth Floor- Katharine McGee 
Next up I read The Thousandth Floor, a futuristic Gossip Girl style YA novel. It followed five teenagers from different walks of live as their lives became intertwined with each other, all building up to a death foretold at the beginning of the book. What kept me hooked with this book was the intrigue about how the death unfolded and each individual character was involved or caught up in an aspect of it. I keep meaning to pick up the next book in this trilogy but always end up being distracted by another book of my TBR pile.

Gallery Of The Dead- Chris Carter
Last year I read The Caller by Chris Carter and I loved it. And it also got me hooked on Chris Carter's writing style and when I saw that he had another novel recently released I just had to pick it up. The ninth in an ongoing series centred around LAPD Detective Robert Hunter, Gallery Of The Dead follows as he attempts to catch a sadistic serial killer that leaves each of his victims laid out like an artifact in a museum. Chris Carter has nailed the thriller/crime genre perfectly and I've recently devoured his tenth book in the series. It's gruesome, it's twisty, it'll shock you and disgust you but it's also enthralling and whilst long, you'll have no trouble reading this book in a short time.

A Place Called Perfect- Helena Duggan
This next book I actually read in a day. It's unheard of me to be that engrossed in a book but A Place Called Perfect managed it. More of a middle grade book than a YA novel, it follows the story of Violet and her parents who move into a quaint little town called Perfect where everything is seemingly perfect but in fact holds a dark secret. I adored this book, it was cute yet dark and had twists and turns throughout. I found myself rooting for Violet as it progressed and I'm looking forward to carrying on with this series when I actually get round to buying the next book.

A Good Girl's Guide To Murder- Holly Jackson
And the last book I want to talk about is one my more recent reads but I couldn't not include it. A Good Girl's Guide To Murder is Holly Jackson's debut novel, debut novel, and it's astonishing. Centred around a murder case from five years ago, the police believe they found the killer but teenager Pip thinks they pinned the murder on the wrong person. And what follows is an amazingly written plot that is full of twists and shocking ending that even I didn't see coming. It had it's lighter more humorous moments and it surprisingly had a few emotional moments that hit me in a way a book hasn't hit me before. If you haven't thought to add this to your TBR then I say do it. You honestly won't regret it. I'm really looking forward to seeing what Holly Jackson comes up with next. 

Mid Year Non Beauty Favourites

Welcome back to my Mid Year Favourites Round Up. On Monday I shared with you my Mid Year Beauty Favourites and today I'm back with my five favourite Non Beauty Favourites of the year so far.

I feel like I need to write about this first non beauty favourite all in capitals. My favourite thing of the year so far has to be the night me and Jasmin spent stood in the O2 singing our hearts out to Shawn Mendes. Jasmin so kindly surprised me with tickets back in January and in April we sang like our lives depended on it. I hadn't been to a concert in a good five years and whilst I was initially nervous to be surronded by so many people but as soon as Alessia Cara and Shawn Mendes came on, I lost all my inhibitions and let my inner teenage self out. I want to say nothing will top that night but I'm finally, finally seeing Carrie Underwood on the 4th July and to say I'm ridiculously excited is an understatment. Having waited ten years to see her live, I think it's safe to say it's going to be just as good if not better than that night at the O2.

Oh how long I'd been waiting to see this film. I was already a huge fan of Taron Egerton from the Kingsman's franchise but after watching Rocketman I'm a even bigger fan. Taron Egerton absolutely smashed it as Elton John, capturing every little eccentric flair of Elton's perfectly as well as portraying his rise to stardom, coming to terms with his sexuality and then his slight downfall due to addiction smashingly. And don't even get me started on the soundtrack. I knew Taron Egerton could sing but damn that man can sing. To this day I still like to belt out the soundtrack to help me get through life's most mundane tasks. Bennie And The Jets, Pinball Wizzard, Take Me To The Border, Rocketman and Tiny Dancer are sung so beautifully by Taron. If you haven't already seen the movie or listened to the soundtrack, I highly recommend checking them out. You won't be disappointed.

When it comes to Ariana Grande's music I find it to be very hit and miss and that's all due to my personal taste but when I heard Thank U, Next in it's entirety for the first time I was hooked. I can't say I have a favourite song but I do have several that I can listen to a million times a day without getting bored. I was going to list them but I can't because as I try, I remember another that I love and essentially I'd end up giving you the whole track list. I'm dying to see her live in October but I have a feeling that it's not going to happen and I'm really sad about that.

I couldn't do a Mid Year Favourites and not mention the record breaking film that was Avengers Endgame. Well I easily could as I spent three hours alternating between sobbing my heart out, cursing the Russo Brothers, gasping in shock or laughing my ass off. There was a reason that Endgame was the Number One movie in the world. It ended this particular phase of the MCU beautifully. Set up the many of new phases well and gave us all a chance to have a movie with many a memorable moment with all of our favourite characters. I'd love to go and watch the rerelease that's coming up but I don't think I can go through all that heartbreak for a deleted scene and a post credit scene. Thank god for the internet.

I feel like this last one's a cheat but they go hand in hand and I couldn't talk about one without the other. Cinemax's Strike Back reboot came back for a second season and it was the best season of Strike Back I've ever seen. It was obvious that the whole cast and crew put so much effort and work into making it the best season yet. And alongside Strike Back, two amazing women called Kelsey and Debs started the Sit Rep Podcast. Packed with an amazing breakdown of the episodes, hilarious behind the scenes facts and cracking interviews with the cast and crew, Sit Rep became the need to listen companion to Strike Back Silent War. And another amazing thing that happened in conjunction with Strike Back and Sit Rep was that I was asked to be a guest on the season wrap up episode of Sit Rep. I was nervous as hell but it went so well and I'm so proud of myself for taking a step out of my comfort zone. All the episodes of Sit Rep are available on Apple Podcasts so if you're a new fan of Strike Back and want to learn more about the show, I'd highly recommend giving them a listen. 

Mid Year Beauty Favourites

 

How is it July already? How are we already halfway through 2019? I literally can't believe that we are now entering the second half of the year. But with half of the year having already passed, I thought it was time to share with you five beauty products that I've been obsessed with over the last six months.

Loreal can be very hit and miss as a brand but earlier in the year they released a hit that I've not been able to stop using since I brought it. Their Infallible Magic Essence Drops are singlehandedly the best budget friendly primer drops available at the moment. A little questioning in their colour but actually amazing for both the skin and any make up applied over top. Not only do they help with the longevity of your make up, they also help to moisturise, soothe and even out the appearence of skin beforehand. They are literally my go to primer when I'm prepping my skin and the size of the jar whilst decent is also travel friendly and will last an age as only a miniscule amount is required for great results.

For the longest time I've been a massive fan of the Pixi Glow Tonic. It was my go to AM acid based toner but back at the beginning of the year I finally branched out and tried another that I'd been eyeing up and I haven't looked back since. The REN Ready Steady Glow Toner has completely changed how my skin looks and feels. Gone are the days of dull, lifeless looking skin. My skin has never looked better, it's softer, brighter and apart from the generic hormonal breakouts once a month, my skin has been a lot clearer since I started using this toner. After my AM cleanse, I douse a cotton pad with this toner and swipe it around my face, the lactic acid based formula working to exfoliate and clarify my skin. I still occasionally use the Pixi Glow Tonic but this toner has taken it's top spot.

Another product I finally picked up towards the beginning of the year comes from Revolution. Their 30% AHA+2% BHA Peeling Solution isn't one for the faint hearted, it's extreme exfoliation and purifying properties really giving the skin a workout. Red in colour and left on for ten minutes maximum, this mask is a great once a week treat for the skin. I love using this before any big event that I have coming up just to give my skin a little more of a pick me up that can sometimes be lost when your skin has gotten used to a product. Unless your skin is used to products that have a high percentage of acid in them, I'd say this isn't for those with more reactive/sensitive skins as it's quite potent and can take a bit of getting used to.

I've tried many a liquid lipstick formula and I have a few I love but earlier this year Flower Beauty was finally released over here in the UK. And their liquid lipsticks quickly reached the top of my favourite lipsticks list. These liquid lipsticks are very mousse like in texture which makes them feel very lightweight on the lips. They dry down to more of a traditional powder matte finish but they're still comfortable and long wearing without leaving you with prune lips. Opaque in one swipe, these lipsticks don't require a lot of work to create a stunning lip look but where they are so lightweight, they're easy to layer without creating a cracking, balling or drying the lips out. I have two shades so far out of the collection and I've worn them more than I've worn some of my other 'favourite' liquid lipsticks this year.

And my last mid year favourite is one that's still quite new out but I've loved enough to already be halfway through my second bottle. I adored the Barry M Setting Sprays when they first released them so when I heard they were doing a more skincare based Serum Spray I was intrigued. I didn't know if they were going to be any good and out of the two they initally released, the coconut one is the better one of the two. And oh my god, this spray is amazing. Ultra fine, light feeling on the skin that leaves it feeling hydrated and ready for the next step in your skincare routine. I can't get enough of this and have a tendency to spritz this over top of my make up in place of setting spray to keep my skin hydrated. It's also quite cooling and would be even more cooling if placed in the fridge before use which makes it the perfect product to keep on hand throughout Summer. I can guarantee that I'm going to go through many more of these before the year is out.