Monthly Favourites | February

Crikey - it feels like forever since I've put together a monthly favourites post and I'm even slightly late on the bandwagon with this one...but better late than never, as they say! Although I've been away from blogging for a little while, I've still been your typical blogger testing and trying everything within reach - you can take the girl away from the blog, but you certainly can't take the blogger out of the girl! I've been in my new job about 2 months now and I've definitely seen a bit of a change in the ol' routine.  My focus has mainly been on getting out of the door as quick as possible of a morning so I've been reaching for products which are quick and easy to use.  February saw me fall in love with a couple of past favourites and, as usual, I seem to have gone a little bit blush mad! Here's what I've been loving the past month...

Mac Blush in 'Harmony' // Full Post // £18.00 // Link

I forgot how much I adore this blush! A cult beauty blogger fave, this colour enhances the cheekbones and helps to sculpt the face in just a quick sweep.  Although I'm a big contouring fan, I just haven't got the time of a morning to concentrate on it but this blush makes it so quick and easy to achieve a naturally sculpted look in an instant.  I dust the colour onto my cheekbones and up towards my temples and it instantly makes my face look more defined.  The matte finish is perfect as it gives a smooth, natural look, and the muted rose tones it has to it means that it provides a slight touch of warmth to the face too.  It's somewhat like a hybrid of a blush, bronzer and contour all in one and it's a must-have in my makeup collection. I swear by it! It also featured in my Autumn blush post here.

Nyx Cream Blush in 'Natural' // £5.50 // Link

Ever since I used Benefit's 'Majorette' blush, I've become quite addicted to cream formulas. I love this Nyx offering because it's very creamy and gives the skin a gorgeous, dewy glow.  The pink colour is really flattering at this time of year and awakens dull skin - something I've really been struggling with just recently as I've been burning the candle at both ends! It does have a slightly sticky consistency but it works so well and is super easy to blend - I've taken to using it with a stippling brush, applying it over my foundation before setting with powder.  It really does last through the day and what's more - I've even taken to dabbing a little bit onto my lips to finish off the look.  

Benefit Blush in 'Rockateur' // Full Post // £23.50* // Link

I've already spoken about this blush in quite some depth on my blog - I have a full review and it also featured in my Autumn Blush feature here.  I've been layering this on top of the Nyx cream blush in order to get a longer-lasting colour and the two work so well together.  It brightens up the face thanks to the subtle shimmer and instantly makes you appear much more fresh faced and healthy. I'd class it as a seashell pink sort of shade - it's a beauty!

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in 'Toast' // £17.50 // Link

A new favourite of mine, this eyeshadow is perfect for using in the crease or for blending out darker shadows.  It provides the perfect base for a smokey eye and is also the perfect daytime colour when worn on it's own. I'll often wear this for work blended through the crease with a touch of highlight in the inner corner and I'm sorted for the day. It brings a touch of warmth to the eye area and also looks beautiful when blended into a mid-brown shade - it's so versatile.  I have a full review coming soon so I won't say too much, but i really do love this shadow - Bobbi Brown has really impressed me with this one! 

Ted Baker Makeup Bag // Similar Here

This baby pink and a rose gold Ted Baker Makeup Bag has been a firm favourite of mine the past couple of months.  I adore Ted Baker goodies and I was lucky enough to be gifted this for Christmas after spying it in House of Fraser.  As I've been away from home quite a bit recently, it's come in so handy for keeping my essentials all together.  It's big enough to contain everything I'll need but small enough that it doesn't take over my handbag or suitcase. It's so easy to wipe clean if I get any mucky finger prints over it and it still looks as good as new despite the fact I've used it so much.  The rose gold bow is so adorable and I love the milky pink shade - its so girly and it's always a nice one to pull out of your handbag when you're in need of a touch-up.

Benefit // Lolli Tint // Full Review // £24.50* // Link

I'm constantly on the lookout for products which will last me throughout my day at work without the need for touch-ups.  Lolli-tint has become quite the 'go to' the past couple of months.  It's a gorgeous lilac-pink shade which looks a bit scary when swatched but sheers out to a gorgeous petal-pink flush. I've been using it with a stippling brush and applying it onto my cheeks, but I've mostly been enjoying it as a lip stain.  It really does last all day and any touch-ups I need are always very minimal. I'm really wanting to get 'Lolli Balm' to go alongside it as I do find my lips can get a bit dry when I've applied this, but it's such a good layering product if you want to apply a gloss or lipstick on top.  

Barry M Nail Paint in 'Red-Black' // £2.99 // Link

Yes, we might be well on our way to spring but I'm still addicted to vampy shades when it comes to nails at the moment. I've had so many compliments on this shade just recently - it's a gorgeous deep burgundy. You can't go far wrong with Barry M nail paints in my opinion! 

Oriflame // E-Collagen Eye Cream // £10.95 // Link

I received this product in a beauty box quite some time ago and I've really enjoyed using it.  It's targeted towards wrinkles and smoothing out the eye area - not something I would have opted for had I chosen it myself but I heard that starting out in your 20's is the way forward?! I just find it really moisturising and refreshing to apply thanks to the cooling roller-ball application and it's so nice to apply of a morning.  It gives my under-eyes a dose of moisture at the same time as helping me to feel more awake and bright-eyed.  Dark circles have always been the main issue for me and although i haven't noticed a great deal of difference just yet, it certainly does help to awaken the eye area of a morning as well as prepping my skin nicely for a touch of makeup.  It's so gentle and soothing and it's one of the nicest eye creams I've tried so far.

Swatches L-R // Benefit 'Rockateur' // Nyx 'Natural' // Mac 'Harmony' // Bobbi Brown 'Toast' // Benefit 'Lolli Tint'

Have you tried and loved any of these products featured too? 

Bobbi Brown | Brightening Finishing Powder

When I first heard of Bobbi Brown's Brightening Finishing Powder, I was intrigued to say the least. It sounded like my perfect product - I much prefer a subtle, healthy glow as opposed to an obvious highlight, so a product that promises an natural, all-over brightening effect quite tickled my fancy.  Said to instantly illuminate the skin with a healthy looking glow, this powder is infused with a skin brightening blend of Mulberry and Grape extracts to keep skin fresh and smooth looking.  It won the award for 'Best Finishing Powder' in the Elle UK Beauty awards in 2012 and has been highly rated and reviewed online.  It's safe to say I couldn't wait to get my mitts on this beauty...  

Firstly, I have to say that there's no doubt that Bobbi Brown gets packaging spot on the mark - I fell instantly in love.  In a sleek, mirrored compact encased in a luxurious, black pouch and white box, the finishing powder is really quite something.  The product itself feels luxurious and weighty, and the mirrored finish is so pretty. The powder itself is simply stunning in the pan - containing a mix of 6 different shades which, when blended all together, work towards brightening and correcting the tone of the skin.  I have the shade 'Brightening Nudes', which consists of a mix of lilac, brown and neutral shades perfect for pale to medium skin tones. 

The powder is finely milled and super soft to the touch, making it amazingly blendable and smooth to apply - there's no denying it's an amazing powder when it comes to texture -    your skin is left feeling baby soft after a couple of sweeps. One thing I noticed when it came to application was the shimmery finish the product has.  As much as I do like a slight sheen, I was slightly worried about whether or not this product would be far to glittery for me. As a powder that can be used all over the face, you'd expect something with a light sheen as opposed to a full-on glittery appearance.  I reserved my judgement at first, thinking that once I'd swept the top layer off, the underneath wouldn't be quite so full-on in the glitter stakes...

The colour itself is very subtle and pretty - it gives a soft-focus sort of finish to the face and provides a natural 'lit from within' effect. But (and I'm afraid there is a but) I find the glitter ruins it for me. I really wish it didn't contain as much as I think the pigments in the powder give a nice finish on their own - I personally don't think the extra shimmer is needed. I simply couldn't get away with this product in natural daylight as I find it a little too obvious for my liking - in bright lighting, you can see the individual flecks of shimmer on the skin.   There's no denying that the lilac/mauve hues work really well on my skin tone and they do give a nice finish to the skin, but if I wanted an obvious highlight or a bit of shimmer, I'd have been better off opting for one of the infamous Shimmer Bricks.

I just didn't expect it to contain as many flecks of shimmer for a product that's supposed to be used all over the face and I know i'd have loved it more had it not contained so much. Believe me, I really, really wanted to fall head over heels in love with this but I'm still trying to fathom it out.  It sort of works as a highlighter along the tops of the cheekbones but as an all-over brightening powder, it just doesn't quite hit the mark for me. It's such a shame as I think the concept is fantastic and it's something I really would have gotten so much use out of as I have nothing like this in my collection.  I've since read a few reviews and it does seem that a lot of people love this product - so maybe I just need to apply it in a different way? Is there some sort of knack to this?! I reckon I'll persevere with it as there's no doubt it's a beautiful product, but for now - I'm not sure it's for me.

The swatches above show each individual shade along with the combined effect on the far right. It's nice that you're able to use each shade individually which makes the product slightly more versatile - the pale pearl-white shade would make a nice little highlighter and I'm drawn to the lovely pink colour in the pan too. Overall, although there's no denying this is an absolutely stunning product, I'm not sure that it's going to become a firm favourite of mine.  Like I said, I'm going to keep trying with it - I think it might be a nice one to dust over the decolletage area when I have a bit of a tan going on!  I have to say I think I would have gotten along much better with the 'Porcelain Pearl' version (seen here) - which contains a mix of colour correcting tones to combat dullness and, from a little bit of googling, seems to contain less shimmer.   For £40.00*, it's well worth doing your research before you invest - I can see it being very hit and miss.  You can buy Bobbi Brown makeup from Harrods.com here, where you'll find the range of Brightening Powders in a number of different shades. 

Have you tried the Bobbi Brown Brightening Powder? What did you think?

'The Perfect Selfie' Look | with 'World Duty Free'

Product Selection from World Duty Free*

Even at 23, I must hold my hands up and openly admit that I'm not opposed to a selfie or two - who says it's just for the young'uns?! I would bet my lipstick drawer that a large percentage of you reading this WILL snap a cheeky selfie over the next couple of weeks whilst adorning some form of Christmas attire (festive onesie, anyone?) If not, a massive pat on the back to you for refusing to hop on the over-sharing bandwagon!  When the lovely bunch at World Duty Free offered me the chance to take part in their 'Perfect Selfie' challenge, I thought I'd give it a whirl! They sent me a lovely little package full of goodies to create my perfect 'selfie' look and I swiftly got to work.  Since the festive season is well and truly in full swing, I thought I'd create a little party look. I went for smokey eyes and a bold red lip - something I don't often put together - but at Christmas, it's perfectly acceptable to break the 'eyes or lips' rule, right? Plus, red lips and a little bit of definiton around the eyes always photograph nicely!

 

To create my 'selfie' look, I first applied Benefit's Porefessional Primer - concentrating mainly on my t-zone to help mask any obvious pores.  I then applied the Estee Lauder Daywear all over the face using my buffing brush.  Usually, I'd wear foundation for a night out look but I was really pleasantly surprised with this.  I had a little bit of Clarins Liquid Bronze on at the time, and it allowed that lovely glow to show through without completely masking my face. I'm a massive fan of Estee Lauder and their products always seem to 'mesh' well with my skin - I was really impressed with how smooth it made my skin look for a lighter coverage product.   I applied the Elizabeth Arden '8 Hour Lip Balm' to prep my lips ready for lipstick (really loved this!), and applied a small amount of the Guerlain 'Terracotta' bronzer into the hollows of my cheekbones and around my jaw line to contour - as well as a light dusting on my forehead for an extra bit of bronze! To finish the subtle contouring effect I used YSL's infamous Touche Eclat around the under eye area and tops of the cheekbones, down the centre of the nose and a little in my cupid's bow to enhance my lip shape. I've never used Touche Eclat before - so I was really excited to be able to try this cult beauty fave! I then used Benefit's Brow Zings to enhance my eyebrows.  I have very light brows and often struggle to get brow products to look completely natural as I do like a bit of definition - especially around the arch.  Brow Zings made it a complete doddle and the wax really helped to keep them in place.

After completing my base, I moved on to the exciting bit - my eyes.  I used the Yves Saint Laurent 'Black Edition' Palette to create a soft, smokey look.  This really is such a beautiful palette - it's something I'd definitely take with me when travelling away from home - the large mirror and selection of brushes included make it a lovely compact - especially for the festive season as the colours are so wintery! They all compliment each other perfectly and I instantly fell in love! I used the brown shade all over the lid. It contains small flecks of gold without looking overly glittery so it's perfect for sweeping across the eyelids.  I then used the white colour in the very inner corners to open my peepers a little and give them that 'wide awake' look, and then blended a bit of the black shade into the crease and outer corner. Really simple and quick to create!  I then curled my lashes and applied a few coats of Benefit's 'They're Real'.  I actually have a full review of the mascara here if you wish to have a read up on it - it is without a doubt one of my favourite mascaras I've used. It really opens up the eyes and makes your lashes appear fuller without clumping - perfect! Of course, no look is complete without a dash of lippie! Bobbi Brown's 'Hollywood' is the most amazing pillarbox red shade. I adore it. It really does live up to it's name, that's for sure! It's such a striking red - and doesn't lean too blue or too orange.  If you're after a true red shade - I'd really recommend this one.  I'll definitely be treating myself to another shade from the range - it was a dream to apply, the pigmentation is amazing and it wasn't at all drying.  Et Voila - look complete.

Overall - an amazing little package from World Duty Free.  As a blogger of all things beauty, there's nothing more I love doing when I'm going abroad than having a mooch around the beauty bits - I always treat myself to a new product or two before I jet away! World Duty Free have some fabulous bargains - it's worth having a check on their site before you jet away - you can even select your airport/terminal for a more tailored selection!  There's also some exclusive palettes and beauty goodies on there (it's hard to find the YSL palette online at the moment) - there's nothing like owning something that's hard to get hold of - it just feels that little bit more spesh. Of course, I have lots more to say on these lovely goodies so if you're particularly interested in a specific review - let me know! 

Any of these products take your fancy? What would be in your perfect selfie kit?!