(WARNING: This post will be a long one!)
I've been away from the blogging game for quite a few weeks now as I've had problems with my camera and its' ability to upload onto my shoddy laptop! But now I've got it all sorted out, I'm back and feeling more inspirational than ever. I'm going to put much more time and effort into my blog so expect many more posts from me and more updates to the layout and design of my blog as the weeks go by.
In my attempt to pop my head back into the blogging game, I thought the best way to do this is to introduce to you my favourite current beauty obsessions of the past few months.
As summer is approaching, I find more products being used, typically those with incredible scents, and you'll see through this post that scent has been very important to me whilst picking these items to review!
A few weeks ago, after months of anxiously waiting for my Boots Advantage points to rack up and my then current makeup bag to eventually fall to pieces, I finally took the plunge and purchased this pretty little makeup bag. It wasn't particularly expensive (£10), but I own so many makeup bags that I felt I wanted to wait until I could more or less get it for free, so it was more of a gift than a purchase (logic). I love the colour nude and paired with black and gold you just can't go wrong. It has plenty of space but isn't too big that I can't fit it into my handbag, it is literally the perfect size. It's sturdy and made from a lovely faux leather material and looks much more expensive than it is. Although it's fashioning a few makeup smudges in this picture (sorry), I've had it for a couple of months now and it's still looking pretty fresh! I definitely recommend it if you, like me, are incredibly close to your makeup and just need to carry it around with you everywhere.
This is a slightly odd review, as makeup wipes are usually just a staple in a beauty routine and are never particularly raved about. However, as someone who suffers from sensitive skin and can never be bothered to go to the effort of cleansing and toning every night, a quick wipe with these Boots own make 'Botanics' makeup wipes leaves my skin feeling so soft and fresh that it's hard to remember to moisturize! Unlike normal makeup wipes, they're less like a baby wipe and more like a tough, stretchy but ultra-thin towel, so you can really feel the material scraping all the dirt and grime from the top layer of your skin.
When it comes to fake tan, I would immodestly call myself a fake tan genius, as I have built up about four years of knowledge on it since I became a little bit addicted to it at 16. I began with gradual tanners and then took the plunge into full on fake tan as I loved the confidence I had when carrying a little colour. I'm not extreme with it, and only tend to fake tan my entire body once or twice a week, but I do like to apply a little bit to my upper body (arms and chest) every day, as well as on my face so I match my foundation. I've tried nearly every fake tan out there, from expensive to super cheap, and I can fundamentally say this is my favourite. Xen-Tan are a little over your usual price range for fake tan and are considered a luxury tan brand, but they have many amazing reasons why they're so well-loved, especially by me. The tan itself is a creamy consistency, softening the skin and feeling as though it is actually nourishing the skin while colouring it. The guide colour is very dark but sinks in enough so that when you wash it off, it still leaves a rich, golden colour, depending on how much you initially applied. Many fake tans I've tried before have an amazing guide colour but when washed off appear quite pale and barely noticeable. I tend to chop and change between this particular Xen-Tan product, and their slightly cheaper 'Moroccan Tan', which gives a slightly deeper, more olive glow. Both are equally as good as each other, but this one has an amazing almond scent, leaving me smelling like a bakewell tart after application. I know the smell isn't too important when it comes to fake tan but it definitely means a lot to me not to have that biscuity smell!
Sticking with the 'smell' theme, this is a very odd item to have in a current favourites post, and I'm sure not many people would think to review a hand sanitizer, but I am crazy about this little Body Shop number! I received it as a free gift with a recent purchase I made with The Body Shop (If you didn't know already, as a registered customer of The Body Shop, you will regularly receive emails letting you know that they're hosting 20%/25% or even sometimes 40% off all their range of products along with offers such as free shipping or even the odd free gift). I love to use hand sanitizers anyway as I am a hygiene freak, but this one really trumps every other one I've tried. With most run-of-the-mill sanitizers, they come with the usual cucumber or aloe vera scent (a scent I'm not a huge fan of), so when I saw that this one was coconut scented, I got a little excited. Since using it, not only does it leave my hands soft and smelling great, but I actually receive compliments on it all the time! I've had so many people saying "Ooh, you smell nice, are you wearing a coconut perfume?", I've even had mentions about it while being served in shops. It's a little odd to rave about a hand sanitizer, I know, but go out and grab a bottle if, like me, you love to have nice smelling hands!
This is a product I have been using for quite a while, and one that never seems to run out. It's a Lee Stafford heat defence spray from his line of luxury hair products. I use it just after I've washed my hair, before I blow-dry it, and before I ever straighten or curl my hair. But as well as this, I also like to use it even when I'm not using any heat on my hair, when I'm having a no-hair-wash day and my hair looks, feels and smells a little lack-lustre. It has an amazing scent (again, following the smell theme), which will stay in your hair and on your clothes all day long *sprays on clothes while typing just to enjoy the smell*. Overall, it not only protects your hair, it nourishes and cares, and brings dull, frizzy hair back to life when you're not due for a wash. Definitely a must-have product!
This heart-stoppingly beautiful pink number from Sleek Cosmetics is an absolute must-have for every fan of the pinched pink cheek. It's a reasonable price, (currently retailing on their site for £4.49) and well worth every penny! The shade is 'Pixie Pink', and believe me, this picture does not do justice to just how bright and beautiful it is in real life. As it is so bright, it is also VERY pigmented, so a little goes a long way. It's perfect for summer and adds a lovely glow to any skin-tone/colour. I'm currently eyeing up a few more of their shades, and may have to make a cheeky purchase soon, because with 10 more shades on their website, I don't want to miss out.
I definitely saved the best 'til last with this lipstick. If you've read any of my other posts, you'll know I recently became a big fan of Kiko Cosmetics following a visit to Cambridge not too long ago. I visited a friend just a few weeks ago and we went on a little shopping spree to Cambridge (I say little, I probably spent more than I even earn). We popped into Kiko with the intention to follow up with the Mac store as I was in the market for a bright orange/red Mac lipstick called 'Good to go' which is part of their 'Pro-longwear' range. My friend is a Mac virgin and was very excited to pop her Mac cherry. However, after visiting Kiko, there was no need to. They were holding a little sale on all their lipsticks, and she ended up buying three for the price of one Mac lipstick and was more than happy with her purchases. I found just what I was looking for with this one, labelled shade 604, it is an extremely bright orange/red and compliments my skin-tone and bright blue eyes perfectly. As I've said before, Kiko's products are extremely pigmented and build-able, which is especially great for this lipstick. It's creamy and nourishing and has everything I wanted when I bought it. Although I'm madly in love with it, that's not to say I won't purchase the Mac version....
So there you have it, all my current favourites. If you've read this far, well done, I'm quite a rambler! I hope I've encouraged some of you to give these fab products a try and I'll be back very soon with a brand new post, it might even be a fashion one this time!
xoxo
