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. 

Monthly Favourites: February

Can someone please explain how the hell it's going to be the first of March on Friday? Like where on earth did February go? It's like I've blinked and missed it but I can't complain as it means I'm just that little bit closer to two amazing trips to London I have planned with Jasmin in March and April. But before I bore you all with them, let's get into this month's favourites. Now there aren't as many as January but there's still a fair few.

The first of only two beauty favourites this month comes from Loreal. Their newly released Magic Essence Drops have changed the way my make up looks and feels on my skin. These ultra lightweight hydrating primer drops smooth, hydrate and prep skin perfectly for any base you apply over top. They don't cause foundation to pill on the skin and really help with longevity. What I like the most about these drops is that they're extremely cooling on the skin and help to reduce the appearence of any redness that I may have. Plus a little goes a long way so this bottle will last for ages.

The only other beauty favourite I had this month came from a brand I'm so glad I can get my hands on. Flower Beauty has finally been released in the UK and after watching an interview with Drew Barrymore, I knew I just had to pick up at least one product from the range. The one I chose was the iconic looking red liquid lipstick. In the shade Scarlett Letter, their Miracle Matte Liquid Lipstick has been the only liquid lipstick I've worn this month. Sure it's more of a powdery matte finish but it's still ridiculously comfortable and I've loved pairing it with flawless skin, big lashes and big but natural looking brows. If you've been trying to decide on a product to try from Flower Beauty then I highly recommend their liquid lipsticks, I've even brought another one for a wedding I've got coming up in June.

 The only style favourite I have for you this month is this pair of jeans from Marks and Spencers. One thing I wanted to do this year was buy more bottoms. I've grown bored of just wearing plain black jeans and wanted some blue ones. I thought it was going to take me forever to find a decent pair but M&S sure know how to impress a girl. These are their super skinny, high waisted jeans. I love them so much. I haven't worn black jeans apart from when I'm at work since I brought them. They go so well with so much of my wardrobe and fit like a dream. I do have to roll the bottoms up ever so slightly to stop them from cutting my ankle off at the wrong point but apart from that they are the best £19.50 I've ever spent.

A show I haven't quite finished but have been/am absolutely loving is Umbrella Academy. I was intially drawn to it as I love Tom Hopper but after watching the advert I didn't think I'd actually watch it. It didn't seem to be my cup of tea but on a whim last week I watched the first episode and I was hooked. I still have three episodes to watch but as you can tell I'm stringing them out for as long as possible. I adore Tom Hopper's portrayal of Luther, it's so different to his usual roles and I like that whilst he's still the brawn of the operation, he's also got a gentle side. Robert Sheehan kills me as Klaus and whilst Ellen Page looks a little out of place in it, I'm intrigued to see what happens to her character Vanya in the last few episodes. If I go MIA on social media in the next few days then you know I'm binge watching the end of this series.

I have only listened to one album this month and it comes from the goddess that is Ariana Grande. When I first heard Thank you, next in it's entirety I was so unimpressed. I didn't think the album would grow on me and I'd like a couple of songs if I'd heard them repeatedly. Oh how wrong I was. I gave the album a second and third listen and I was hooked. It's literally the only album I've listened to for the whole of February. It's particularly good when I'm baking even if it means I have twice as much mess to clear up afterwards. Ariana is spilling that tea and it's shocking to think of everything she's been through lately. I have so much respect for her since she released this album and can't wait to see what the live performances look and sound like. When I first added this to my favourites list for the month there were only a few songs I picked out as favourites but as times gone on the whole album has become one big favourite and whilst I still have my absolute favourites from it, I don't dislike any of the tracks. Fake Smile, Bloodline,  Needy, NASA and In My Head have to be my absolute favourites, the ones that I turn it up that little louder for. I can't promise that there will be another music favourite for a while as this album is such a bop, it's going to take a lot for me to stop listening to it.

Last month my inner fangirl came out as Strike Back returned and whilst I desperately wanted to include it as a favourite again this month, I restrained myself. However this season, there is an amazing and I mean amazing podcast that is released every Saturday after the latest episode has aired. Hosted by Kelsey and Debs, Sit Rep is a fan made podcast for fans of Strike Back. Alongside a deeper look into the episode it features behind the scenes facts from showrunner Jack Lothian as well as amazing interviews with the cast and crew. Dan Macpherson, Bill Eagles, Jamie Bamber, Victoria Smurfit and Varada Sethu are just some of the amazing interviews so far with even more insightful brilliant interviews to come. I'm keeping everything crossed that Strike Back gets renewed for another season so that there will hopefully be another series of this brilliant podcast hosted by two lovely ladies who didn't have to go out of their way to do this but did because their love for the show, the cast and the crew is just as big as the rest of us fans.

GRWM: Valentine's Day

 

There's only three days until Valentine's and I know a lot of you are thinking about what you have planned, what you're going to wear, how you're going to wear your hair and what make up you're going to go with. Today, I'm sharing with you a look that I think will be perfect for any Valentine's plans you have and won't take you ages to do.

Prime
Primer is one of the key elements for this look. It'll help prep skin for any base product you apply over top as well help with the longevity of your make up. I like to use a trio of products which yes is overkill but for me works wonders. I use a combination of the Maybelline SuperStay Primer, Maybelline Master Prime Anti-Redness Primer and the Loreal Infallible Magic Essence Primer Drops. The combination of the three help to hydrate, smooth and reduce any appearence of redness as well as improve the longevity of my make up. I really like the fact that they're all lightweight so they don't feel like they're weighing my skin down or are going to cause my base products to pill on the skin when applied.

Base 
When it comes to my base, I want it to be flawless but not mask like, light weight and long wearing. Enter the Revolution Conceal and Define Foundation. It's full coverage, lightweight, long wear formula answers every one of my base needs and lives up to it's claims. I currently have to mix the shades F1 and F2 to get the right shade but once it's blended out, it's gorgeous. A damp beauty blender is my weapon of choice, the finish so much nicer and natural looking than if applied with a brush. I always advise taking it down your neck though so you don't end up with that dreaded line.

Concealer
For concealer, I always use the same combination. The Maybelline The Eraser Eye and the Revolution Conceal And Define Concealer. The duo work wonders on covering any darkness surronding my under eye area as well as brightening and making that area look more awake. Again I take a damp beauty blender to blend it outwards, paying special attention to the inner corners where it tends to crease ever so slightly.

Brows
For brows I went in with my trusty E.L.F Brow Pencil. It's not an ultra soft crayon but it's still soft enough to create enough realistic looking definition without scratching the skin. Whenever I fill in my brows, I constantly brush them through with a spoolie to remove any excess product sitting in them or any foundation that may cause the product to ball and pill as the day goes on.

Lashes
I like my lashes to be as big and voluminous as possible but without being clumped or weighed down with product. So once I've curled them, I apply a generous layer of the Benefit They're Real Tinted Lash Primer. It helps to prolong a curl as well as seperate and give depth to my occasionally sparse looking lashes. Then to give them even more volume and length, I applied a generous coat of the Loreal Volume Million Lashes Couture. It's micro bristle brush catches every lashes and gives it a fanned out defined look that lasts all day long.

 Lips 
As Valentine's is coming up, I thought about trying a pink lip instead of the classic red. However I couldn't resist the pull of a red and I've found my new holy grail red thanks to the UK release of Flower Beauty. Their Miracle Matte Liquid Lipstick in Scarlett Letter is the perfect blue toned classic red that will suit a multitude of skin tones. It's lightweight formula makes it feel like your wearing nothing and it doesn't feel uncomfortable or drying after a few hours either. I could resist wearing this and I may even wear this again on Valentine's Day itself. However if red isn't your kind of colour, a nice pink shade will give the look that romantic yet girly vibe.

 Setting 
And to set everything into place so it didn't move or disappear, I spritzed my face generously with the Revolution Hyaluronic Acid Setting Spray. This doesn't only keep make up locked in place throughout the day but it also helps to keep skin hydrated so it doesn't start to look dry or cakey after a few hours wear. I swear by this stuff and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a new setting spray.