May Monthly Favourites

I am frantically putting this together so that I have it up in time for the weekend. I’ve only just arrived back in London this Friday morning from a two week break away in Bali and as you can imagine I’m suffering a serious case of holiday blues. I clearly lost track of time, having way to much fun lounging around poolsides and lapping up the glorious sunshine, that I almost forget about putting together my monthly favourites. I said almost. Luckily (or sadly), I have kept a tab of the products that I have been enjoying this past month of May and as it goes, all of the products are those which I’ve enjoyed whilst on holiday. Ok I’m waffling on a bit now so without wasting anymore time, here are my May favourites.

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser in Ochre

This was a “planned ahead of time” purchase. I detect some confusion so let me explain. When you’re away on holiday in a hot climate (and you are partial to a bit or a lot of sunbathing), you can expect to find that your skin a few shades darker than when you start off. Also, when temperatures soar to ridiculous heights, I don’t want to be wearing something that will literally slide or melt off my face. For that reason, I opted for a tinted moisturiser and one that was a shade darker than my non-tanned skinned in preparation for when the tan kicks in. For me, this is such an easy base. The coverage is light but will even out any inconsistency in tone.I like to apply it with my fingers as I would my regular moisturiser so no faffing around with brushes. The oil free formula also suits me well as I’m already extra oily when the weather gets warmer (not to mention constantly sweating in the intense heat).

The Bodyshop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil

This was also another product that I bought with my travels in mind. I’m almost coming to the end of my Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift and Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm so was on the look out for a new oil type cleanser (plus it’s not the most practical of packaging to carry around in your luggage) and one that could possibly be dispensed into a smaller packaging if need be. With The Body Shop constantly bombarding my inbox with offers of up to 40% off, I though I’d give the Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil a go which I managed to pick up for a mere £6 (bargain!). This is the bees knees. I love the pump packaging which means no need for a scooping-product-out-of-a-tub kind of action. I apply a couple of pumps onto my clean hands and go straight onto my face full of makeup. The formula, as stated in the name, is an oil so feels luxurious on the skin and extremely gentle enough that you can massage it onto your closed eyes without feeling any sting or irritation. It does break down even waterproof mascara which is great for me as I wear tonnes of the stuff everyday (and means I don’t have to rub on them as much when I go in with my cotton pad and eye makeup remover just to clean up any leftover residue). I even tried to get my boyfriend to use it as he’s skincare routine basically consists of a splash of water and an exfoliating scrub a couple times a week. He found the oil formula a little weird and was worried his face would feel greasy afterwards but once rinsed off and patted dry, he said his skin felt incredibly soft and not oily whatsoever (win!). I was so impressed that I picked up a second bottle a week after as I saw the 40% off promo had been extended to stores. If you’re on the look out for an inexpensive cleanser, then I’f highly recommend this.

Nyx Butter Gloss in Peach Cobbler

A while ago I purchased three lip glosses from Nyx (which I reviewed here) and of which one of them was the Butter Lip Gloss in the shade Peach Cobbler. To be honest with you, this was the one that got a bit neglected. Not because I didn’t like it but because of it’s orangey undertone, I felt it to be a bit more of a summery colour (and also because I really enjoyed using the other two together of which I mentioned here in my April favourites). Conscious of swapping around my makeup every now and again to avoid products feeling a little left out, I grabbed this one for my travel makeup bag and I’m glad I did. I love the formula of this gloss as it feels really smooth and creamy on the lips and therefor quite moisturising, but also the colour payoff is really rather good so you can wear it quite sheer or build it up for more of a peachy-orangey pout. This shade also looks totally awesome with a tan so I found myself grabbing for this everyday.

Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl Iconic Liquid Eye Pencil in Verushka Mink

Recently I’ve been dabbling with a few non black eyeliners just to mix it up a little. Being a lover of liner, I wear it pretty much most days but I find coloured liners (we’re not talking any crazy neon shades here) allows you to wear colour on your eyes and modernise your look without being so “in-yer-face”. When Charlotte Tilbury launched her new makeup range last year, I was overwhelmed by the sheer volume of gorgeous looking palettes and shade names that oozed sass and sex appeal.  Earlier this year she released a few new shades of her Rock n Kohl Iconic Liquid Eye Pencils to sit alongside the staple black (Bedroom black-ohh err) and brown shades (Barbarella brown).  I walked into the Selfridges store in London and headed straight to the Charlotte Tilbury counter with the intention of picking up the shade Verushka Mink– a deep, dark, cool toned grey but once I got chatting to the lady at the counter I wanted to pick up three (damn they know how to sell)! Now at £19 a pop, they’re not cheap! The lady convinced me to try both the dark navy shade called Marlene Midnight, and the purple shade called Elizabeth Violet. Both were gorgeous and very, very subtle. Torn between the three, I compromised and walked out with two; the grey and the purple (although I think I’ll be picking up the navy on my next trip to Selfridges). Despite being called “liquid” eye pencils, they are not liquid at all but the fact that they are so creamy and fluid upon application, they feel almost like a liquid.

Mac Lipstick in Plumful (Lustre finish)

This was a purchase I made in Duty Free at the airport prior to my trip to Bali. I applaud anyone who is able not to succumb to a bit of tax free shopping. I made a beeline for the MAC counter as I wanted to pick up an everyday neutral-ish shade. After a swatching frenzy, I soon narrowed it down to two; Craving and Plumful. After much umm-ing and err-ing, I eventually opted for MAC plumful, a pinky- plum shade and being a lustre finish, it’s very comfortable to wear and gives a sheer wash of colour that can be built up for slightly more intensity if desired. Having quite pigmented lips, I struggle to wear nude lipsticks without looking like I’ve come back from the dead so I find shades that are a bit more rosier or plummier in tone to suit me much better.

Ren Bio Reitinoid Anti-Ageing Cream, Ren Keep Young and Beautiful Anti-Ageing Eye Cream and Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate.

The next three products Ive decided to lump together because that’s how I used then and I think they actually do work well in conjunction with one another. I’m a big fan of Ren skincare and have enjoyed pretty much every product I’ve tried from their range (look out for a Ren product review coming soon). Ren give away miniature samples with every purchase on their website and I love this because it allows you to test drive products before you decide to part with your cash. I think it’s a great idea and that all brands should do this. Also, if you ask nicely in an email to the customer services team, they are happy to send you samples if there is something you really want to try and you don’t have to buy a thing. Anway, these miniatures are great for travelling so naturally they came away with me in my skincare travel bag (watch out for a post on this also). The Ren Bio Reitinoid Anti-Ageing Cream is a medium weight moisturiser that feels really nourishing on the skin (and smells divine too). Although it says you can use twice a day, I only used it in the evenings (opting for something much lighter in the day) after applying the Bio Retinoid Anti-Ageing Concentrate. This is a super luxuriously rich oil so designed for for night time application. Not to neglect the eyes which I am extremely conscious of when I sunbathe, I smother a thin layer of the Ren Keep Young and Beautiful Anti-Agring Eye Cream . This is a very creamy formulation and feels like it’s really nourishing the skin and feeding it with much needed moisture. Unlike some, I prefer something heavier under the eyes as opposed to any lightweight gel type formulations because I often find that the skin under my eyes looks extremely dry (even though it doesn’t necessarily feel dry) which enhances the texture of it and not in a good way. All three used together feels like a mini pamper routine prior to bedtime and when I wake up in the morning, my skin looks and feels plump and happy. As for longer term anti-ageing effects, I can’t comment on this as I’ve only got the small samples and not used it long enough to notice any difference. However, they are something that I will happily purchase in full size.

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark Brunette.

So I caved. Once I finished up my Sleek Eyebrow Stylist in the shade Dark, I decided to pick up it’s more pricier competitor, the Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Dark Brunette. I did actually use the £5 I had accrued on my N.Dulge loyalty card at Space NK towards the purchase, so it did somewhat soften the blow to my credit card (Its an eye watering £26 at full price). I’m not sure the slight difference in the product warrants the price tag compared to the Sleek’s brow offering which is a bargain at £8. I’d say the Hourglass one is ever so slightly more creamy in texture, which could be a good or bad thing depending on your preference. A creamier texture, in theory, should make a product easier to work with in my opinion but when it comes to brows, having a less creamy product on your brows means less chance of smudging particularly in hot weather. However, I do prefer the shade of the Hourglass brow pencil “Dark Brunette” compared to Sleek’s darkest shade “Dark” because its more cooler in tone and when swatching them side by side, the Sleek pencil runs ever so slightly red. The spoolie on the opposite end of the pencil proves handy to not only groom the brows but to also soften the application for a really natural looking result.

Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick in 003 Bad Girl Bronze

I love the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick. I had bought this a while ago and sadly it’s one of those products that somehow managed to get lost at the bottom of my makeup bag so hasn’t managed to get much use. A quick rummage through my makeup bag soon rectified that situation and this went straight into my travel makeup bag. Being a crayon, it’s so easy to use. I just literally scribble it onto my lids, no need to be neat and then with a blending brush I buff out the edges to make it seamless. It’s also waterproof so will not budge making it great if you don’t want a full face of makeup but still want a bit of definition to the eyes when you’re heading out to the beach. Splash all you like in the sea/pool, this product will not move. I got the shade 003 Bad Girl Bronze which is, yes you guessed it, a metallic bronze.

Wow so that was a wordy one but I guess I had a lot to say, hopefully not too much that I’ve bored you half way through. Let me know what products have been rocking your boat in the month of May. Until next time, roll on June and (hopefully) hot, sunny weather.

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