June Favourites

This is pinched from the lovely Rosalyn, if you haven’t already go and check her out!

Haircare
Shampoo: Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde
Conditioner: Paul Mitchell Super Skinny Daily Treatment / Paul Mitchell Instant Moisture Daily Treatment
Styling products: Paul Mitchell Hot Off The Press thermal protection spray, Mark Hill Holiday Hair serum, James Brown Scandalous Flaunt It hairspray

Skincare
Shower Gel: Soap and Glory Clean On Me
Body moisturiser: Nivea Rich Nourishing Body Moisturiser
Deodorant: Nivea Calm and Care Roll On
Fake Tan: St Moriz
Cleanser: No7 Soft Soothed Cleanser
Exfoliator: Witch Exfoliating Face Wash
Moisturiser: Dove Summer Glow face moisturiser
Spot Treatment: None

Make up
Primer: None
Foundation: None if I can get away with it, if not Bare Minerals SPF 15 foundation in Medium Beige
Concealer: Benefit Boi-ing in 02
Powder: MAC MSF Natural in Medium Plus
Blusher: Bourjois Lune D’Or / MAC Springsheen
Bronzer: Bobbi Brown Bronzing Powder in Medium
Highlighter: Benefit Moonbeam
Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Eyeshadows: Urban Decay Half Baked / Baked
Eyeliner: Urban Decay 24/7 liner in Zero / Stash
Curler: None
Mascara: Max Factor Lash Extension Effect / Maybelline The Colossal
Lipstick: MAC Viva Glam Gaga
Lipgloss: Urban Decay Pocket Rocket in James
Lip balm: MAC TLC (whichever is in my bag)
Nail Colour: Collection 2000 Hot Looks Fruit Salad on my toes, Tutti Frutti on my fingers

xxx

Desert Island Essentials

While I’m waiting for the Mr to finish laying the laminate floor in my dressing room, I thought I’d do a quick post on my top 5 products. I’m quite flaky when it comes to products, and my favourite items change on an almost daily basis so these are my absolute failsafes, the products that I would take with me to a desert island – if ever I was lucky enough to find myself stranded on one!!

• Urban Decay 24/7 eyeliner in Zero.

I’ve already sung the praises of these liners in a previous post, but they are so easy to use! They have a creamy formula that doesn’t drag, and won’t budge all day. This particular colour is a fab intense black, and gives an almost fluidline-esque line (and no panda eyes!). Its love.

• MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Medium

I bought my first MSF natural in February and its still going strong, before then I tended to use whatever powder was cheap/on offer to set my foundation. I’m now a complete convert! The MSF natural is great over foundation, or even on its own -  in summer I barely wore foundation, I just used the MSF, buffed in with a kabuki.

• Lancome L’Extreme waterproof mascara in Noir

I love, love, LOVE this mascara. I suffer from stumpy-lash syndrome, and this mascara gives me both the length and volume I crave. After dabbling with pretty much every brand in Boots as part of operation clear debt, I’ve sidled back to the Lancome counter, wondering why I ever strayed. I love the fact that it lengthens, volumises AND curls my lashes without getting clumpy and nasty. The perfect mascara.

• Benefit Posietint

This might be cheating a bit, but I was rapidly running out of items, so I thought I’d got for a multi-tasker this time. I tried Benetint, and thought it was ok, but I wasn’t sure about the colour as I’m quite fair. Posietint gives me a pretty candy pink flush for everyday use, or is buildable if I want something a bit more dramatic for night time (not that I’d be doing too much clubbing on a desert island, but you never know when Captain Jack Sparrow may come ashore in search of rum!). Plus, it can be used as a lip colour – bonus!!

• Urban Decay Brow Box in Honey Pot

Again, I’ve blogged about this before, but I just can’t sing its praises enough! It may be cheating a little bit as it has the cutest mini tweezers you ever will see (and a mirror) included, but it would definitely be desert island must have for me. I know everyone bangs on about how your eyebrows frame your face, but it really is true, and this little box of tricks does a sterling job of keeping mine in check!

What are your top 5 products that you always fall back on??

xxx

Autumn/Winter Essentials

Following on from my winter coats post, I thought that I’d let you all in on a few of my autumn/winter essentials. I’m one of those people who loves winter, but hates all the extra effort I have to make just to struggle through looking halfway decent.

 

First on my list of essentials is Helping Hands hand cream from Lush.

 

 

My hands are generally quite dry, but in winter they often get sore and chapped too. My nan bought me this hand cream after hearing me moaning one too many times about the state of my mitts! She's a bit of an avid gardener, and though she has the good sense to wear gardening gloves, she too struggles with sandpaper-esque hands. She swears by Helping Hands, and now I do too! Its packed with skin-softening oils like linseed oil and almond oil and is enriched with shea butter and cocoa butter. It also containes chamomile extract which is fab for soothing sore, chapped hands. It smells divine, and the best thing is that a little tub easily lasts me all winter as you only need a tiny little bit.

 

Next up is Boots Expert Soothing Lip Protector.

This is an absolute bargain at under 2 quid, and another product I couldn’t be without. It’s a really intensive lip treatment, it doesn’t taste good (it tastes more that a little bit like moisturiser) but its super-duper effective. To be honest, this isn't just a Winter essential - I use it all year round, but its something that definitely comes into its own when it gets a bit chillier. Again I have a bit of a problem with chapped lips, which is exacerbated by wearing drying lipsticks (I can't help it, if I like the colour I tough out the drying effect). This is especially a problem with the nude lipsticks I love so much (yes Darling, I MEAN YOU!! ) as the flaky look is most definitely NOT hot! Since I discovered this baby, I apply a slick of lip protector, let it soak in for a minute then apply lippy over the top - hey presto - baby soft lips!!

 

Nails Inc Victoria

 

Winter equals dark nails. Fact. Out go tropical hues, and in comes dark reds, blacks and inky blues. My current favourite (and the one I'm currently sporting) is Victoria by Nails Inc which is a dark cherry-ish colour.

 

The Sactuary Rich Rejuvenating Moisturiser

During the summer months, I use a pretty light moisturiser (current favourite being Soap and Glory Catch a Wrinkle in Time), but by winter I need something a bit heavier and more substantial. As you'll know by now, my skin is prone to dryness in winter, and this is the only moisturiser I've found so far that gets rid of the dryness and doesn't leave a greasy film on the rest of my face. It leaves my skin feeling moisturised and fresh, and smells good too! Oh and it has the added bonus of being spf 15!!

 

What are your winter essentials??

 

xxx

I'm currently loving.....

Shampoo: Paul Mitchell Platinum Blonde
Conditioner: Lee Stafford Bleach Blondes conditioner
Styling products: Paul Mitchell Heat Seal and Super Skinny serum
Shower Gel: Lush Rub Rub Rub
Body moisturiser: Currently using up Vera Wang Princess body butter
Deodorant: Sure Biorhythm
Fake Tan: Don't do this
Cleanser: Boots No7 Soft and Soothed Cleanser
Eye makeup remover: Clinique Take The Day Off
Exfoliator: No7 General Renewing No Grains Exfoliator
Primer: Gosh Velvet Touch Primer
Foundation: Bourjois 10hr Sleep effect
Foundation brush: MAC 187
Concealer: Benefit Boing
Powder: Cheap Natural Collection loose powder
Blusher: MAC Stark Naked
Bronzer: Too Faced Pink Leopard
Highlighter: Benefit High Beam
Eyeshadow base: Too Faced Shadow Insurance
Eyeshadows: MAC pigment in Gold Stroke
Eyeliner: Sleek Ink Pot in Dominatrix
Eyelash curler: I think it’s a Ruby and Millie one, I can’t really remember!
Eyelash base: Don’t use
Mascara: Maybelline Colossal
Lipstick: GOSH Darling (134)
Lipgloss: MAC Underage
Nail Colour: Nails Inc Victoria

xxx