Saturday 31 May 2014

Monthly Favourites | May 2014

It's the end of May already! Doesn't it seem like just last week it was Christmas? You know you're getting old when you start saying things like "is it just me, or just time seem to go faster than it used to?", yep I've been guilty of that numerous times over the past few months.

At the beginning of the month I had a bit of a shopping spree in Superdrug and Boots, and have been loving almost everything I got from both shops, a few of them I have been using exclusively all month, and therefore, they have made it into my May favourites.



Ok so this has been a favourite over the last few months, but since this is my first ever favourites post I feel like I really need to include it. Getting this little palette has changed the way I feel about my face, I know that's quite a statement to make but it's totally true. Before using this I had tried contouring/highlighting a few times but never managed to get it to work for me. Possibly because I'm so fair, possibly because I'm not nearly skilled enough, but with this kit it's a piece of cake! The colour of the contour shade is perfection, it doesn't make me look muddy or orange and blending it is an absolute dream. It can be built up easily without looking over-done and the highlight is gorgeous. I really cannot rave about this enough. If I had to choose 1 item from my make-up collection that I had to take on a desert island it would probably be this. On really lazy days I use it as contour, blush, highlight, eye shadow and even brow powder. How's that for multi-purpose?


I've never been a fan of cream eye shadows, having some really bad experiences with them a few years ago. I had a pretty nasty allergic reaction and my eye was swollen shut for days. So, I was a bit on the fence about trying this product when Superdrug had their entire B. range on a half price offer at the beginning of the month. I am so glad I decided to give it a go though. Lizzy is the perfect neutral taupe colour, that makes a great base for your eye shadow. It has a very small amount of shimmer, something that I thought might put me off it, but it barely notices once applied. Powder shadow sticks to it brilliantly and it's so easy to blend out, either with your finger or a synthetic brush. If you're looking for a quick eye look, a little bit of this blended out and an under-brow highlight are all that are needed.


As I mentioned in my Wish List Wednesday post, I currently have 5 mascaras on the go, but this is the one I reach for more often than not. I love the way it holds the curl in my lashes and when they say waterproof, they mean it. I have been getting pretty bad watery eyes with hay fever, but this product doesn't budge. The shape of the tube is great too, I prefer a tapered end to hold onto and the wand itself is excellent. It grabs every single lash leaving them jet black and long. Even though I am always on the look out for the best cruelty free mascara on the market, I think a new one would have to do a lot to impress me more than Lash Vegas has.


I only bought this powder a couple of weeks ago, along with the next item, but already I can't imagine my make-up routine without it now. It never looks cakey or chalky, something that I have struggled with especially on my chin where my skin tends to be a bit dry. My skin stays matte for at least 4 hours after applying, and topping up throughout the day doesn't leave me feeling as if my skin is being weighed down.


I bought this and the Sleek powder at the same time, and they make quite the duo! I have experimented with different brushes and powder puffs, but I don't like any of them as much as this. It deposits the perfect amount of product onto the skin and feels incredible. I am a huge fan of Real Techniques brushes in general, but this one seems to be even softer than the others I own, does anyone else think so? I use this every morning to apply my powder, then it gets put into my bag where I use it throughout the day.


Until a few years ago I never used a primer for my face or my eyes, then I got introduced to them and I could see what all the fuss was about. Having used a few different ones since then I now reach for the one by ELF more than anything else, which is great considering its price. Using this has changed the way I now do my eye make-up, I don't have to be so scared that my watery eyes will ruin anything I put on them, I can once again enjoy eye-shadow in the spring/summer. I already have 2 on back up for when this runs out, and am sure I'll continue to buy them for a while to come.


I've been loving this cream for a lot of areas lately, but mainly for getting rid of my winter-dry elbows. Every night before bed I take a small blob of cream and rub it into my elbows, it doesn't take long to sink in and has left them feeling better than they have in a long time. I wrote a whole post about this cream a few weeks back so won't repeat myself too much, but I will say that I'm in love with this product. I have back-up's of my back-up's and don't intend being without this ever again!


I love a neutral lip as much as the next girl, but I've always gravitated more towards a statement lip, and this B. Vibrant Lip Colour is just beautiful! It's a gorgeous deep fuchsia pink that's not overly bright. I haven't worn this on my cheek yet, to be honest I'm not sure I would use one product for both, but the wear time on the lips is pretty great considering it's not matte. When first applied it looks really glossy, but soon dies down to a shiny satin finish and lasts through some drinking, though you might want to re-apply if you eat. It wears evenly and leaves a lovely stain behind so you don't end up with that horrible inner lip thing. I really recommend this product and will definitely be picking up some more shades from the range.


As I've mentioned before, I rarely used to get spots, but for some reason they seem to be trying to pop up all the time now! With the position of them I think it might be from the mask I have to wear to go to sleep, it seems that they appear right where the seal sits on my chin. There's nothing I can do about them coming, but using Grease Lightning certainly helps them go. I apply this before my moisturiser morning and night and the smallest sign of a spot is diminished by the following day. Before using this it would take a good week or more to get rid of spots completely, but now they can be gone overnight, which I find astonishing! I only need one pump to cover my chin, so this bottle has lasted over 2 months already, and I'm not even close to finishing it yet, so it's great value for money.


I had to leave this til last because it's the thing I am most impressed by. For countless years I have had a small red scar on my right cheek, from the size and shape of it I think it was a spot that healed but I don't recall having it. I have tried everything over the years to get rid of this scar, concealer won't cover it and all the creams, lotions and oils in the world haven't touched the little bugger. I bought this Skintone Corrector on a bit of a whim really, I hadn't heard of it before and didn't do any research online, which is unlike me, so I was dubious of its effectiveness. I needn't have been. Just 2 weeks in, using it twice a day, and my scar is so faint that I can barely see it without make-up, and with it disappears completely! This tiny tube of orange cream is a revelation, and I would encourage anyone struggling with acne scars to give this a try. My only regret is that I didn't take a 'before' photo so I could show you the improvement. I have a few other small areas that I am going to start using this on once the scar has completely gone, but will be sure to take pictures this time.

Music - Bon Iver and Lykke Li 



I have been totally obsessed with both of these this month, having Lykke Li's newest album, I Never Learn, on repeat so much that I've been told off! I bought Bon Iver's latest album (also called Bon Iver) when it was first released but have only recently purchased For Emma, their first, and between these two acts I have been set for the entire month. If you're looking for soothing, beautiful music, you can't go far wrong with either of these.

The Weather

A bit of an odd favourite, I know, but having spoken about why I hate summer I have been so happy that the weather hasn't quite turned yet. For me, it can't stay cool long enough and I dread the day that I wake up to find it's hot, humid and unmanagable. The longer we can stay in spring-time conditions, the happier I'll be.

That's it for the month of May, can you believe it? Do you agree with any of my monthly favourites? Or maybe I love something that you don't get on with, feel free to let me know in the comments.

See you in June!

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