It seems like a million years since I did my monthly favourites - well it actually has been, seeing as my last post was in October last year! But for some reason I decided to stop doing them... I think it was a mixture of being too slow to gather up all my favourites to review and also I kept wanting to include the same products each month.
However since then I have tried a lot of new products I feel like I'm ready to get back in to reporting my monthly favs. Also I am going to be strict with myself and not ramble about each product too much!
June for me was a simple kind of month- I didn't seem to go out anywhere that special so my day-to-day makeup I kept fairly simple... mainly nude lips and a soft, slightly shimmery smokey eye with winged out brown pencil liner. Though I have been big on fluttery eyelashes recently!
My love for this is on a par with the Barry M Toffee lip gloss that has has a place in my heart for many years now. But this is my newer love! Really it is the matte (more opaque) version on the Barry M lip gloss if I think about it. In June I used this a lot as it looks like a matte nude lipstick on the lips but is really moisturising and can be applied without a mirror. The texture is one I can't really explain but it feels so lovely to apply, it literally just glides over the lips and this shade is so wearable. I really do hope they extend the shades in this range especially with a vibrant red shade.
MAC Satin Lipstick in Peach Stock
Gift - CCO (only a place of dreams for me as I don't have one near by!)This was a lovely birthday present from the beautiful and lipstick obsessed Maxi (@littlemissmaxi) because she knows how much I like my nude lipsticks. This is probably my only peach shaded nude and I just love it. It is such a warm nude that looks amazing with a clear gloss over the top (as satin isn't my most favourite finish from MAC). I have been wearing this in the day but it looks amazing with a really smokey eye for at night! Love it lots!
Avon Super Shock MAX Mascara
£10.00 - Avon (here) or FREE with July 2012 issue of Marie Claire magazine
So this is a bit of a cheat as I have only had it for two weeks but I wanted to mention it now as it's actually a freebie with Marie Claire magazine this month! There are actually three mascaras to chose from however I do love volume mascaras the most. This mascara as you can see has a large plastic bendy wand which really grips the lashes and builds up volume. I've been loving this mascara because after the first coat I apply a second application to my outer lashes and it gives such a nice effect - quite feline/cat-like especially when wearing flicked out liner.
This has been my go-to eyeshadow base for the past two months. I mainly use this all over the lid with a matte brown in the crease and along the lash line for an everyday simple smokey eye. It is just a lovely shimmery champagne shade that never wears or creases and really is worth every penny!
Revlon Scented Nail Enamel in Pretty in Papaya
£6.49 - Boots (here)
NYC In a New York Color Minute Top Coat
£1.79 - Superdrug
In the past year I have really fallen in love with Revlon nail polishes... discounted Revlon nail polishes I should add. This scented summery beauty was one of my savvy buys which I found in Poundland - bargain!! I have been wearing it on my toes for the past month as it looks so bright and glossy. Also I have been so, so, soooo impressed with my new top coat. After using my 17 Top Coat for nail art too much it got a bit murky so I decided to purchase a new top coat just for applying over nail polish. I could have got the 17 one again as I do really like it but decided I wanted to try something new. So I went for the NYC one as I love the formula of the NYC Quick Dry nail polishes and I could see from tipping the bottle it was the consistency I like. The brush is great as it covers the whole nail in one sweep and this really does dry the nails fast. A really nice top coat... it may even be out shining the 17 top coat at the moment!
Lavera Basis Sensitiv Organic Q10 Hand Cream £4.25 75ml (full size) - Big Green Smile (here)
Sadly an empty favourite here as I have used this hand cream all up! But I will be getting the full size tube when I find a website that sells it with free delivery. This came in the February Jolie Box (review of the box - here) and it really was love at first use. The scent is just so nice and fresh and the cream just absorbs so fast and isn't sticky. If you see the mini size in a shop buy it for in your handbag... I really don't think you will be let down by it!
I won't ramble much about these brushes as I did write a post on them (here) but these two from the set I bought have been my favourite brushes. The baby kabuki brush I use with my Nars Laguna bronzer as it's a duo compact with Orgasm blush, so the brush size is perfect and it just fits into the hollows of my cheeks for quick contouring. The powder brush I have been using to powder with and it is just the softest of brushes. If you fancy some new brushes for under £4 I would so recommend the Eco Tools sets from Ebay. Just amazing value!
Cor The Silver Soap
£35/30g - Blissworld (here)
This soap has been my favourite for the past 6 months but for some reason I haven't got around to reviewing it properly. I guess it is because when I first started using it I thought "how do I convince anyone that spending £35 on a small soap is a good thing". But now I have been using it for 8/9 months and as you can see I still have a lot left and I do use it every other day! I'm actually tempted to weigh it as the soap brand new weighed 30g so it would tell me how much has been used up. Geekiness aside this really is more than just a soap and is a vital part of my skincare routine for my oily skin. I am so pleased it has lasted so long and really £35 on a soap that will last me a year isn't too bad at all!
I have so many moisturisers that I like to interchange them in my bathroom cabinet so I use a different one each month after my shower. This month I have been using this massive bottle of Radiance Body Lotion which is definitely one to use if you have a tan as it has a shimmer to it (nothing over the top) and looks really nice on tanned skin. The scent is light and it absorbs into the skin really quickly. Nothing wow but it is a little bit different and works well. Definitely one I will be pouring into a travel bottle to take on holiday I think.
My favourite hair mask ever! At first the difference after using this product was amazing - this product seriously tames the frizz. But after using this for some months I have really noticed a change in my hair for the better. Since slightly trimming the ends of my hair this has kept the condition exactly the same instead of the ends normally splitting and going a bit frizzy. I do try to only use this once a week now as my hair is in much better condition and it still transforms my hair for the week. This really is everything I need in a hair mask and splashing out on a big pot was more than worth it.
Would love to hear what some of your favourite products have been recently or if you have done a monthly favourites post then make sure to link it below so that I can have a read!
Fee xo.