Make-up wise, March didn't go to plan at all. I bought quite a few new products, but got to try so few of them out because I haven't been feeling my best. Instead I turned to some of my old favourites, things that I tend to overlook, and to be honest I'm kind of glad I did. It's very easy to forget some of your past favourite products when you're trying out new things all the time, so I really enjoyed using them again.
Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 2
It was only last month that I told you how much I love the rosy-toned Iconic 3 palette from Makeup Revolution, and this month I've been using the cool-toned Naked 2 dupe almost exclusively. With a mixture of mattes, shimmers and pearls, this is a spot-on dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette, but only costs £4 and is, of course, vegan. Makeup Revolution really do eye shadows better than any other budget brand I've ever tried, I've been so impressed with everything I've tried from them so far, so as soon as they have their vegan list up and ready (which I've been assured is on its way) you'll be seeing a lot more from them on this blog. The shadows in this palette, like the Iconic 3, are pigmented, soft, easily blendable and last all day on my lids with primer. If I had to recommend you pick up just one thing from this post, this would be the product.
Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 2
It was only last month that I told you how much I love the rosy-toned Iconic 3 palette from Makeup Revolution, and this month I've been using the cool-toned Naked 2 dupe almost exclusively. With a mixture of mattes, shimmers and pearls, this is a spot-on dupe for Urban Decay's Naked 2 palette, but only costs £4 and is, of course, vegan. Makeup Revolution really do eye shadows better than any other budget brand I've ever tried, I've been so impressed with everything I've tried from them so far, so as soon as they have their vegan list up and ready (which I've been assured is on its way) you'll be seeing a lot more from them on this blog. The shadows in this palette, like the Iconic 3, are pigmented, soft, easily blendable and last all day on my lids with primer. If I had to recommend you pick up just one thing from this post, this would be the product.
ELF Mineral Lipstick in Runway Pink
Last month was all about simple make-up for me, and as little as possible, so this lipstick from ELF was just perfect. It's very moisturising on the lips and leaves you with a 'my lips but better' colour that goes with any other make-up you feel like wearing. When I'm not well I don't really want heavy matte products on my lips, so the Mineral Lipsticks are ideal. I reviewed and swatched it here if you want to see more.
Barry M Pencil Sharpener
I know this seems like an odd thing to have included in a Monthly Favourites post, but it's honestly been one of my favourite things this month. I won the Barry M Gelly Lips collection back last summer, but have barely used any of them because I couldn't find a pencil sharpener large enough to fit them. As I was perusing the Superdrug website a few weeks ago I noticed that Barry M actually have their own sharpener, I don't know why I didn't think of checking before! Thankfully the large side is the perfect size for the Gelly Lips so now I can wear them (and any other crayons that need sharpening) as much as I like.
Barry M Nail Paint in Vintage Violet
I bought this polish in the autumn when it was first released, but put it away with some others and totally forgot about it until a few weeks ago. One of my friends on Instagram described the shade as "slightly edgy and yet still feminine", and that really does sum it up perfectly. It has hints of brown and grey whilst still being a lovely violet shade, I just love it. You can see a swatch of it here.
Barry M Pencil Sharpener
I know this seems like an odd thing to have included in a Monthly Favourites post, but it's honestly been one of my favourite things this month. I won the Barry M Gelly Lips collection back last summer, but have barely used any of them because I couldn't find a pencil sharpener large enough to fit them. As I was perusing the Superdrug website a few weeks ago I noticed that Barry M actually have their own sharpener, I don't know why I didn't think of checking before! Thankfully the large side is the perfect size for the Gelly Lips so now I can wear them (and any other crayons that need sharpening) as much as I like.
Barry M Nail Paint in Vintage Violet
I bought this polish in the autumn when it was first released, but put it away with some others and totally forgot about it until a few weeks ago. One of my friends on Instagram described the shade as "slightly edgy and yet still feminine", and that really does sum it up perfectly. It has hints of brown and grey whilst still being a lovely violet shade, I just love it. You can see a swatch of it here.
Lush Prince Charming Shower Gel
I'm a big fan of Lush shower gels in general, I think they're some of the best out there. My previous favourite was Snow Fairy, but I think this may have taken over from it. Prince Charming is a gorgeous dusky pink colour with shimmer that, thankfully, doesn't linger on your skin once you've rinsed it off. It's a fair bit thicker than some other shower gels from Lush, and for that reason is more moisturising than most and lasts ages because you need to use so little. However, where this product really shines is with the scent. If you've had experience with a lot of Lush shower gels imagine if Snow Fairy had a baby with Happy Hippy, that's pretty much the smell you get with Prince Charming. It's wonderfully sweet, citrussy and not too heavy. I can't believe I'm going to say it, but I think I might prefer this over Snow Fairy!
Lush Brazilliant Shampoo Bar
I've had trouble with my hair my entire life; it's dry, frizzy, naturally curly and a pain in the backside to try and control. I've tried so many products to try and help tame it, and Brazilliant is the latest in my collection. It does a fantastic job of reducing the frizz and because it doesn't really foam, it creates more of a lotion-type solution, it really helps to not dry it out. I'm honestly in shock about how much of an impact this has on my hair, and at just £5.75 it's a total bargain because it should last ages.
Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C Serum*
In my review of this serum I told you how much I like it, so you probably expected to see it in this post. I still really love the Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and this won't be replacing that one, but it's been a really good addition to use alongside it. It's really helped to minimise the hyperpigmentation I had and it's evened out the texture of my skin amazingly. I think if you have combination/dry skin, this may be really great for you.
Soap & Glory The Fab Pore
My skin has been in really good condition these past few weeks, which is unusual for when I'm not feeling my best, so in order to try and keep it that way I've been using lots of masks and treatments. The Fab Pore is a mint scented clay mask which is meant to reduce the appearance of pores and help fight spots. I honestly can't say that I see a visible reduction in my pores, but it does leave me with super smooth skin and I always feel as if it pulls out any dirt or impurities that may be hiding under the surface. I tend to apply the mask about twenty minutes before I get in the shower and rinse it off while I'm under the water, and because of the rice microbeads it also helps to gently exfoliate the skin.
Links to products mentioned:
Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 2 - £4
ELF Mineral Lipstick in Runway Pink - no longer available in the UK (US website $5)
Barry M Pencil Sharpener - £1.99
Barry M Nail Paint in Vintage Violet - £2.99
Lush Prince Charming Shower Gel - no longer available
Lush Brazilliant Shampoo Bar - £5.75
Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C Serum* - £15.95
Soap & Glory The Fab Pore - £10
I'm sorry there haven't been many new make-up products in my favourites the last couple of months, but I'm sure you understand that when you're not feeling 100% you just want to use what you know already works for you. Hopefully things will be different in April and I can properly test out some of the new things I've bought.
What were you loving in March? I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
* PR sample, you can read my full disclosure policy here
In my review of this serum I told you how much I like it, so you probably expected to see it in this post. I still really love the Hyaluronic Acid Serum, and this won't be replacing that one, but it's been a really good addition to use alongside it. It's really helped to minimise the hyperpigmentation I had and it's evened out the texture of my skin amazingly. I think if you have combination/dry skin, this may be really great for you.
Soap & Glory The Fab Pore
My skin has been in really good condition these past few weeks, which is unusual for when I'm not feeling my best, so in order to try and keep it that way I've been using lots of masks and treatments. The Fab Pore is a mint scented clay mask which is meant to reduce the appearance of pores and help fight spots. I honestly can't say that I see a visible reduction in my pores, but it does leave me with super smooth skin and I always feel as if it pulls out any dirt or impurities that may be hiding under the surface. I tend to apply the mask about twenty minutes before I get in the shower and rinse it off while I'm under the water, and because of the rice microbeads it also helps to gently exfoliate the skin.
Links to products mentioned:
Makeup Revolution Redemption Palette Iconic 2 - £4
ELF Mineral Lipstick in Runway Pink - no longer available in the UK (US website $5)
Barry M Pencil Sharpener - £1.99
Barry M Nail Paint in Vintage Violet - £2.99
Lush Prince Charming Shower Gel - no longer available
Lush Brazilliant Shampoo Bar - £5.75
Oz Naturals 20% Vitamin C Serum* - £15.95
Soap & Glory The Fab Pore - £10
I'm sorry there haven't been many new make-up products in my favourites the last couple of months, but I'm sure you understand that when you're not feeling 100% you just want to use what you know already works for you. Hopefully things will be different in April and I can properly test out some of the new things I've bought.
What were you loving in March? I'd love to hear your thoughts and suggestions.
