Current Beauty Favourites + Chat.

It’s been a hot minute since I have done a beauty favourites round-up. These are a bunch of great products that I have been using a lot and loving lately ; why I’m liking them and what they do for me.

My wants and needs for all things beauty change seasonally and not my makeup and skincare has been switched up over the last few months to accommodate the weather and my lifestyle. I have a little more pamper and makeup time now I have Margot into a routine and I am once again enjoying trying out new things, spending more time on my makeup and putting more care into my beauty regime.

You may have noticed I have been blogging a HELLUVA a lot more over these last few months, and I can safely say, I’ve found the motivation, time and love for all things beauty and makeup again. 

Some of these bits are new (out), some not so much, and there’s a few oldies but goodies or simply recently discovered by me.

Makeup

Due to the warmer weather, I have been reaching for primers more than normal and two I am loving is the Erborian Glow Creme and Matte Creme. I tend to use the matte formula for the day, just in my t-zone to reduce my open pores and shine and it helps any foundation I apply over the top to stay on longer. The Glow Creme is better for evening time when it’s not so hot but you want to look glowy AF and radiant. I mix a touch of foundation within it and it gives that perfect natural skin, no-makeup look. 

I have a full review of the Bareminerals Complexion Rescue hydrating foundation stick right here. I am using these pretty much daily at the mo and they are so good for when you want a little bit more than tinted moisturiser / CC cream but not a full coverage or heavy foundation. They feel cool to apply on the skin and stays on well.

Perfect for summer skin is the cult hit Charlotte Tilbury Hollywood Flawless filter. I have enjoyed this since I first started using it 6 months ago and it’s still a firm favourite in my makeup bag. This, just worn alone, gives that perfect dewy, summer skin, minimum coverage feel and look. Less than a tinted moisturiser, more than nothing! Check out my full review here with before and after’s if you are interested to know more and see how it looks on the skin.

ELF cosmetics is a totally new brand for me, I’ve heard SO much about it over the years but haven’t got round to trying it until recently. I am going to be doing a full post on my favourite bits but the 16hr Camo Concealer is so SO good, I’ve been using it daily since it arrived! Full review to come soon.

The Urban Decay Naked Reloaded palette is kinda old news now but I only started using mine a few weeks ago and WOW I love it. It looks pretty plain and….ahem a little boring almost with it’s nudes and browns but honestly, this is just a palette that is SO easy to wear, the colours are beautiful, apply so well and I’m using it EVERY DAY.

It’s a palette that a lot of people won’t need as it contains a lot of the shades we all have but if you are on the market for a new nude/smokey palette…this is the one.

I love my liquid liners and tend to wear a feline flick most days (when I leave the house!) as it just lifts my eyes and opens them up. I go through SO many and have a lot of hits and misses over the years but one I am super impressed with and one of the best I have used for a very long time is the Benefit Rollerlash liner. I am surprised I haven’t seen more people raving about this – it’s easy to use, precise and gives a really black and full pigment finish.

Now, not something that I would use regularly myself because I’m pretty adept at applying falsies but for people who struggle the Eylure Pre Glued Lashes are actually really good. I tried pre-glued lashes many years ago and they were an absolute disaster so I haven’t bothered since, however these are better and really stay on. I have the style ‘Accent 003’ which are natural demi lashes. I thought I would try them out on Tom’s birthday as I literally had 1 minute to do my eye makeup and they stayed on through blustery coastal winds and didn’t cause me any problems / easy to take off and apply etc. 

Soap and Glory are a brand I’ve not used for maybe 5/6 years now but also haven’t tried their makeup range up until lately (I’ve heard they have an amazing concealer amirite?!). They sent me this Sexy Mother Pucker Pillow Plump Lip Gloss called ‘Nude in Town’ and it’s the perfect nude brown for when you want a subtle lip. I like a squeezy tube no-mess application for my lipgloss plus this also has that tingling sensation that gives you a plumper looking, juicy, full lip. 

I’m really looking forward to trying out more from Soap & Glory ; do let me know if there are any must-haves I should get in my stash, particularly makeup.

Everything else 

I have HOBBIT feet and they are quite literally the worst. Tom has prettier feet than me and not only are they ugly but I get really hard, tough skin on the bottom of my feet (callouses = lovely). In the summer time it gets worse because I walk around a lot at home with bare feet and tiled floors means make this skin even tougher. I honestly would show you a picture of how my skin looks on my feet as it’s quite remarkable but SO GRIM I fear my feet would end up on the google internet search for some rancid foot disease.

I have quite literally tried so many different treatments and creams and the best I have tried by far is the O’Keeffe’s Exfoliating Moisturising Foot Cream. I didn’t think much of from looking at it, and I put it on my stories when I got sent it and I had loads of messages saying how good it was which spurred me on to try it. Honestly it worked like a miracle overnight. It softened my hard, awful skin on the soles of my feet and made my feet feel really soft and lovely, like I had been to a spa, after just one go! Affordable at just £9.49 and honestly the best foot cream I have used : non greasy, no fuss and it just works. 

I have been using some of the Shea Moisture haircare for a while now and have really been loving the Coconut Leave-In conditioner. I’m not far off finishing and I will 100% be buying another. Smells glorious, de-tangles me hair easily, adds a boost of extra condition and reduces frizz when air-drying. 

I took the Collosol Eau De Lait water milk cleanser away with my on my lil’ staycation a few weeks to try out as it comes in a super travel-friendly 100ml size. It’s a milky micellar water which I have never tried before and haven’t got anything quite like this in my cleansing water stash. Does the job of removing ALL types of makeup from skin and eyes with ease and leaves the skin feeling nourished, not stripped.

Another handy travel companion and super handy handbag product is the PIXI On-The-Glow stick. Now on first inspection I was a little dubious about this, as I thought it was a face cream in a stick and possibly a little gimmicky. It’s actually really rather good AND is a multi-use balm/stick, so more of an oily texture but you can use it literally ANYWHERE.

The stick can be used on the lips, face (good as a highlighter on cheekbones/brow bones), hair, brows, body….anywhere that needs a hydration boost and it’s a great formula for on-the-go and the handy twist-up stick makes it easy and quick to apply. 

Summer skin = oily skin for me. I have to switch up my skincare regime quite a bit so I don’t get too shiny and greasy looking in the day. I always prefer a lighter texture or gel moisturiser and the Perricone MD Photo Brightening Moisturiser ticks all of the summer needs’ boxes. It’s lightweight in consistency, oil-free, sits under makeup like a primer, has your SPF30 (which is the perfect SPF for daytime here in the UK) and it’s packed with vitamin C to protect and brighten the skin. I will be doing a full review on this and some other Perricone favourites really soon as it’s a range I’m finding myself using more and more.

A new serum I have just been using is the Kate McIver ‘The Secret Weapon’ which is quite a thick ‘double serum’ that brightens, replenishes and nourishes the skin. It’s an oil texture so a little goes a long way and it is suitable for all skin types. It has a really interesting backstory and my full review is here.

The Upcircle Face Scrub has been something I have been incorporating into my weekly pamper routine and it’s actually my first time delving into anything ‘coffee related’ in my beauty regime. It’s been quite a thing over the last few years, particularly ins scrubs so I was interested to try it. The sleek, unisex and simple packaging is totally up my street and it’s made from recycled coffee grounds, flower and plant oils and it’s just such a treat for the skin.

It’s a thick, dark paste, it smells of coffee (obviously) and really sloughs off any grime and build-up on my skin. You don’t need to rub this in too hard as the coffee grounds do all the work for you, so gentle circular movements is your friend when it comes to this.

I have tried a sample of the Malin + Goetz Peppermint Shampoo before and really liked it and have just started using my full-size bittle which was kindl sent to me last week. SO GOOD. Perfect for people like mysefl, who have to wash their hair every other day AND need lots of styling products to keep it in shape. My hair can feel really grimy just after two days and I need that extra help and deeper cleanse to rid of product and get rid of the greasy roots. The peppermint shampoo is a really good, deep, clarifying shampoo that can be used in place of your shampoo once a week OR used it pre-shampoo.

A product I have talked about for many years on my blog and 100% in my top 10 beauty must-haves of all time is the Aromatherapy Associates Deep Relax Bath Oil. It’s just good and dare I say it…..worth the £63747343483 price tag. I’ve finally managed to get my beloved baths back into my routine (not every night though yet!) so this is back on my radar. It works, it helps me sleep and no other bath oil has come close!

Whewwwww that was quite a hefty beauty line-up and that was a really selective pick – I’ve been loving these and so much more lately. Can you spot any of your favourites here or perhaps something that didn’t work for you so well?

Let me know and join the beauty chat!

* Contains press samples