Last month got away from me & I totally missed the Five Under £5 post but I’m back and I have some great things to share with you. If you want to get involved and link up your monthly finds then head over to Julia’s blog at Rainbeaubelle.
Korean skincare comes in the best packaging! I included the TonyMoly Sheet Masks in my February post & saw these recommended to me after I had checked out. I am obsessed with getting rid of blackheads (TMI) This is a 3 step mask & although its all in Korean there is a step by step diagram on the back which is easy to follow. I bought 4 packs & only have one left. Its safe to say I really like them & they’re very affordable despite being sent from Hong Kong.
I am terrible at remembering things so I like to stick post it notes around my house & even have some in my car just to remind me to do certain things. These cute ones are from a Dutch shop called HEMA but don’t panic they have not only opened a few stores here (in London) but you can also order online from their shop. They carry a great affordable selection of stationery & so many other things. I often spend ages browsing the site and filling a very large basket. The arrows are also post it notes too, I couldn’t resist them.
Now this is becoming quite a habit, I purchase at least two new rolls a month and have a growing collection. This is my newest addition and my current favourite. I order mine from eBay as they have such a massive selection and its pretty good quality.
I really like lippies in crayon form, I find them easy to apply, travel with and they are so fuss free. This is one from Collection which is a Boots only brand and their makeup is very affordable but don’t be put off by the cheap looking packaging because the products are very good quality. This is in the shade Vintage Rose, its a very pretty peach and perfect for the Spring. It has a slight glossy finish, feels comfortable on the lips. Oh & you don’t need to sharpen these – they just twist up! Easy peasy.
This is a great product for giving my skin a little extra radiance (always needed in the Winter), I have the shade champaign which is a pretty apricot shade. This is a great colour for warming up my complexion and is great at combating redness and uneven skin tone. This has a light creamy texture and it sits well under my makeup, I think it makes a great primer.
I like to use this as a highlighter & I put it on my cheekbones & down my nose. I have the shade pink light and its a pretty iridescent pink. The formula of these is quite watery but its so easy to blend and the colour also reminds me of Benefit High Beam, I use this instead of a powder highlighter & its so pretty at reflecting the light and adding a little glow to my skin.
This is the newest addition to the selection and Its such a great budget friendly makeup primer and illuminator in one. If you have dull or sallow skin then this kind of product is a great way of adding brightness to your complexion without looking glittery. Pearl pigments and the right mix of colour pigments deliver the supple dewy base that keeps skin looking fresh all day. Its has pretty peachy tint and it looks lovely mixed with foundation or worn under for a radiant finish.
This is such a lightweight non greasy primer, it leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and doesn’t add any slip or shine to the skin but instead it adds a beautiful luminous glow to the skin without any shimmer or glitter. It is a really nice smooth base for my foundation to sit on top of & it helps my makeup last all day whilst adding a healthy glow to my skin. It also has Hyaluronic acid and vitamin E which are great at hydrating skin and helping reduce the signs of fatigue.
This is one of my favourites out of the line up – I tend to add a couple of drops to my foundation for a more radiant healthy finish. This does have a yellow tone with a gold iridescence, it doesn’t have glitter in but it does have a slight shimmer to it and it looks very subtle and pretty once under or added to your foundation. Its also good at helping cover redness and give the complexion a more even finish. This is an oil free serum and it just looks so pretty when the light hits your skin. I think this has been discontinued which always seems to be the case with products I fall in love with.
As many of you will know I use a facial SPF on a daily basis and have a couple that I really like (La Roche Posay Anthlios & Balance Me) but I have wanted to try this City Block from Clinique for such a long time. This gives your skin a high level of protection against UVA & UVB rays as well as being oil free, so it is ticking all the boxes for me. Its also a great primer for your makeup because its oil free and won’t slide off your face in the heat and my makeup sits so well on top. The cream does have a tint to it but once applied to the skin its adapts to your skin tone and makes your skin look and feel hydrated. Its not just an effective broad spectrum SPF but it also has many antioxidants which protect your skin from environmental damage and help boost sun protection.
I like that its not heavy or greasy but it does give the skin a dewy finish. If this isn’t your thing you can lightly powder after you have finished your makeup & it will help it look less dewy (which is what I have been doing most days). I have been using it daily and haven’t had a reaction to it or a breakout which is good. I think one of the things that most impressed me about this product was the price, at £18.00 I think it is a bargain, you get 40ml of product which is going to last you a good few months. I have been recommending this to friends and family and really think its one of my favourite discoveries of 2015.
I have the smaller 2oz bottle & its just so cute! It is a glass bottle and the design is so sleek and pretty. This Beauty Mist has a really pretty floral scent which is refreshing and uplifting, its so nice to have sat on your desk to use when you feel a little tired or in need of a boost of hydration. This isn’t just a run of the mill face spray Olivine Atelier have included lots of ingredients that will help hydrate, soothe and combat the signs of aging. Its quite incredible & includes,
Rosa Damascena Flower Water & Rosa Damascena Flower Oil: known to refine and renew skin at the cellular level, with powerful anti-inflammatory action
Cassia Augustifolia Seed Polysaccharide: mimics hyaluronic acid to retain water on the surface of the skin and hair
Rhodiola Rosea Root Extract: a powerhouse adaptogenic herb that protects skin and hair from environmental damage, minimises fine lines and wrinkles, and assists with stress and fatigue management
Moringa Seed Extract: a potent antioxidant and anti-inflammatory that promotes collagen production, supports skin firmness, and boosts the immune system
Andean Orchid Flower essence promotes youthful vitality and cellular regeneration
Rose Quartz essence + other precious gems: for soul-affirming aromatherapy, the revitalising and uplifting powers of self-love, confidence, grace, beauty and self-esteem
I’ve had my bottle for almost 4 months now and Its almost empty, although I’ve been using it most days so I think It has lasted a good amount of time but in future I will be buying the larger 8oz size because its now a staple in my beauty routine & I think I need a bigger bottle!
This is part of a new collection from The Body Shop and I love it, the scent is so fresh and for a body mist it has very good staying power, I can smell it for hours after I’ve sprayed it. For me Fig is just such a unique scent and it smells sophisticated and complex. Its quite a strong scent and I like that, its not for everyone but for me its just such a refreshing and pretty scent.
I have tried quite a few of The Body Shop Mists & they’re amazing quality for the price. I would love to try the EDT from the same range. What are your favourite products from The Body Shop?
The scent of this body lotion is so good & much like The Body Shop Italian Fig range but a little sweeter. This is my 3rd bottle and I will continue to repurchase over and over.Its a great size and the pump makes it so easy to get the product out. It smells luxurious and the cream makes my skin feel smooth and hydrated. I often use it as a hand cream too because its so hydrating and not at all greasy. I really like the simple packaging style, its one of the reasons I like & Other Stories products so much.
I have been really strict with my 2014 makeup favourites & only included the cream of the crop in this post. So without further ado these are my favourite makeup products from 2014.
Clinique Chubby Stick Intense in Roundest Raspberry* – this is an intense raspberry shade which for a lip crayon has great staying power. Its quite glossy but not slippery on the lips and looks beautiful and bright. Its a shade I wear all year round and love how easy it is to apply this on the go. I need to try a few more Chubby Sticks this year.
Rimmel Apocalips in Galaxy – which again is a deep berry shade. I have 3 of these but this colour is by far my favourite, it glides on the lips and is vibrant and feels nice and hydrating. The other colours I have are a little patchy but this gives a nice even colour. You do need to wipe off the excess product before you apply this as a little goes a long way and can get quite messy.
Clarins Instant Light Complexion Base – I like to wear this either under my foundation to perk my skin up or I mix it in with my foundation for an extra reflective boost. This gives me a healthy glow without being shimmery, it evens out my skin tone and hides imperfections. I have the shade Champagne 02 & its also good at dulling the redness in my skin. I find it to be lightweight & doesn’t feel greasy on the skin at all, it just gives you a lovely fresh healthy finish. It makes a really nice base to apply your foundation & just keeps your complexion looking fresh & bright.
Barbara Daly Long Wear EyeshadowsinShell – This is a light pink cream shadow with a gorgeous champagne tone which is pretty worn all over the lid or as an inner corner highlight. This colour really adds brightness to the eye & opens it up. This long wear shadow stick is incredible quality and the packaging is sleek and looks a lot more expensive than £3. They do start to crease a little on me after about 5 hours of wear but I do have quite crinkly eyelids & I just blend it out with my finger & that does the trick.
L’Oreal True Match Foundationin the shade Vanilla – this is the first ever L’Oreal Foundation I’ve tried, this is a light to medium coverage, you can still see all my (hundreds) of freckles which I like. It looks natural and wears really well. It doesn’t oxidise on me and my oily skin seems to only start looking shiny after about 6 hours wear & then I lightly dust some powder on and its good for a few more hours.
Benefit Stay Don’t Stray – This is a dual action eye primer so not only will it keep your eyeshadow in place but you can use it under the eye to keep your concealer put all day long and it works a treat! It gives my eyelids an even colour & is the perfect base on which to apply eyeshadow. Its love & I am going to use some vouchers I got for Christmas to get the full size.
Soap & Glory Solar Powder – This has been my daily bronzer since I bought it back in May. In the pan it doesn’t look like much but once on the skin its just beautiful. The lighter shade has a little sheen to it whilst the slightly darker brown is matte. I tend to mix the two shades together to give a subtle sun kissed effect. I sweep it over the top of my forehead & down on to my cheeks. This isn’t going to give you a deep colour its more for paler skin tones. It just adds such a natural warm glow to the skin and makes me look healthy. The only downside to this is the cardboard packaging it looks tatty after a while and it’s not very travel friendly.
Miss Sporty Cat’s Eyes Palette – Mineral Earth. This has been a handy quad for my many trips up to Scotland. You get four good quality shadows and they’re ideal for achieving neutral smoky eye, or most of the four colours can worn alone all over the lid which Is how I wear them mostly. All 4 colours have a slight frosting to them, nothing sparkly or overly shimmery but they do have a pretty light reflecting quality to them. Its a bargain of a quad & I use it all the time. Like I said its handy and small for travel, its not the most robust packaging but its still going strong after a lot of use.
Sharon Osbourne Duchess Eyeshadow Quad – All four shades are pigmented and very blendable, I think they work well together & unlike a lot of palettes / quads there really isn’t one dud shade, they’re all beautiful. Three of the four have a pretty shimmer frosted finish, I wouldn’t say they’re overly frosted or shimmery but just enough to add some iridescence, glow and brightness to your look. This is the only Mac purchase I’ve made for the longest time as I tend not to shop there but I couldn’t be happier with this quad & I have used it so much.
L’Oreal Super Liner Carbon Gloss – This eyeliner lasts so well on me and the colour is such a deep black. I like to use this eyeliner for making a really thin line and the nib is precise and easy to use. It doesn’t transfer at all and once it dries it won’t smudge. It also doesn’t dry out in the tube, I find a lot of liquid liners do & its so annoying. These last me at least 3 months and thats using it daily.
Seventeen Stay Time 18 Hour Concealer – This is great for both under eye area & blemishes. I do powder over the top to ensure it stays put all day. Its a great affordable concealer and I’m thrilled with it. Although not too sure about the 18 hour claims, nothing a quick touch up won’t solve. I like to apply this with my finger and find that gives me the best even coverage.
Origins GinZing Brightening Mascara* This mascara is great at separating your lashes & it keeps a curl like no other! I like my lashes to look fluttery and this works well at achieving that. You can build it up on your lashes so they look thick without being crispy. I also like the chunky packaging & I’ve grown to love the big oversized wand. Its a very good all round mascara & I think its quite an unsung hero.
Let me know if you love any of the products I’ve included or if you have any other recomendations.
Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.
