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…And just like that *clicks finger* …… we are into March. Normally I am a bit sad when a month flies by so quickly, but I am feeling SO happy to be in the month of March: Bring me sunnier, brighter and longer days….bring me Easter eggs and the less time until we can see our friends again!
I’m honestly feeling so positive and bright today! I have my rainbow cardi on, the sun is shining, we have a had an incredible weekend of family time in the sun and outdoors and I just feel re-energised and alive again! It’s been a fair while! So bring on March and i’m looking forward to all that is to come but let’s have a quick chat about February and what was keeping me going through this month.
First-up, a quick chat about Byredo fragrances. I have a huge collection of Byredo from the perfumes, the candles, the hand creams and the incredible hair perfumes! I’ve recently been wearing them a lot more and will be doing a full, in-depth guide really soon about them! I love so many of the unique scents they do and this month I’ve been picking up the Byredo Mojave Ghost a lot which is a beautiful unisex scent dedicated to the ghost flower from Mojave! Even though we are still living the lockdown life I am still using a fancy fragrance every day to give me a bit of a boost.
M A K E U P
Mascara of the month has to be the Maybelline Sky High Mascara. I purchased this after hearing rave reviews and I wasn’t disappointed! It’s quite different to most mascaras I am using at the moment and gives a really quick, long lash. The wand is flexible and it’s easy to really work the product in to coat the lashes ; it’s super effective! Full review dropping next week. The other eye product I’m reaching for a lot is the Nudestix Magnetic Eyeshadow in ‘Immortal’. I used these many years ago and it was a go-to. I ran out maybe 2 years ago when I first moved to Dorset and just never got round to re-purchasing ; I got sent some bits to try from Nudestix recently and this was included! SCORE. It’s the most easy and fuss-free way of wearing eyeshadow and they are just so foolproof to use. The shade ‘Immortal’ is a pretty deep warm brown ; one that suits pretty much everyone and everyone.
I’m so, SO upset about the announcement that BECCA Cosmetics are closing. Honestly and mainly disappointed that it’s even come to it, ESPECIALLY as it’s owned by Estee Lauder Companies who could 100% keep this brand going, it’s just not clearly profitable enough for them and WOW we see this a lot when ELC buy these smaller companies. I could really go off here but I won’t. I love BECCA, every makeup artist I know loves BECCA, I have SO much of it both in my personal stash and my professional kit and some products simply cannot be beaten. A real loss for the makeup industry. I think I’ll do a *proper* and separate post all about BECCA and what to stock up on before it goes. I will be going in hard I can tell you!! Anyway, I digress. The news made me dig up my favourites and I’ve been slathering on the BECCA First Light Priming Filter a fair bit. The lavender hue adds radiance and brightness , it just makes you feel and look really nice and awake in an instant.
It’s been a strong base/ foundation month! I’m loving SO many and seem to be using quite a few. Maybe it’s the coming-into-Spring-vibe? For a really quick no-makeup look then it’s always the Bareminerals Complexion Rescue. This gives a beautiful burst of hydration onto the skin and gives the most beautiful barely there base ; glowing, fresh and quick….ooo and SPF30. For a little bit ‘more’ then it’s the Chantecaille Just Skin Tinted Moisturiser ; this has a thicker texture than most of your typical tinted moisturisers but it feels just really nourishing and incredible sumptuous on the skin. It’s absolutely packed with incredible skincare and it’s perfect for when you want to really treat your skin. Leaves skin looking perfect and radiant. For days when I need that little bit more ‘help’ then I’ve been reaching for the Gucci Fluide De Beaute Foundation : it’s an indulgent lockdown purchase and I’m sure lots would dave it for ‘those’ special occasion but hell, I don’t know when they will be so I am wearing this bad boy to Tesco and Aldi. Read my full review HERE.
Giving me glossy, juicy lips is the Stila Plumping Lip Glaze. These have made a comeback in my makeup bag and I’m kinda loving them!! These used to be so popular from Stila and were THE lip glosses to have (aside from Juicy Tubes ok ok). The newer formulas are more plumping and the shades they do are all SO beautiful and wearable. Want an easy skin finish? Look no further than the PIXI Nuance Quartette. I love this when I just want to pick up one product and wham-bam have my blusher, bronzer eyeshadow and highlighter on in a flash. This is my quick AF makeup must-have and I love the versatility of it. I recently purchased the Glossier ‘Eve’ Cloud Paint and it ignited my love for these gorgeous cheek creams. I have quite a few of them in my stash and the Glossier ‘Beam’ Cloud Paint is a perfect shade for me at the moment : it’s a soft peachy-pink.
KJH Spectrum Brushes. WOW! What. A. Launch. This brush set sold out within a couple of hours, and was such a great success! I’m so thrilled as KJH is an old pal of mine and I love to see my friends WINNING. The brushes are incredible and sat on my makeup desk as we speak, it’s all I’m using atm and they are truly incredible. Read my full and in-depth review HERE.
H A I R C A R E
The product that EVERYONE is talking about right now : L’Oreal Wonder Water. This is literally what it says on the tin : it’s a wonder water and it DOES work in 8 seconds! Read my full review HERE for the lowdown and further details but basically this is a super quick treatment conditioner. You can use it a few times a week (I use it once) and you can literally use it as your conditioner or pre-conditioner and after shampoo if you need a little more.
Umberto Giannini Scalp Scrub is an incredible once-a-week scalp treatment that you use pre-shampoo. It sloughs away dead skin / dandruff with exfoliating walnut shell and fruit enzymes. It smells of pineapple and it’s a really nice addition to your haircare routine. I love Umberto Giannini and it’s my favourite high street haircare range : so many incredible products! They also do a ‘grow’ scrub which is a shampoo and scrub in one if you CBA with a pre-shampoo treatment, but I promise it makes a difference and leaves your scalp feeling really fresh and clean.
STYLING:
The Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence is a great leave-in conditioner and protective spray. It is an anti-snap and heat protecting spray as well as giving your hair that extra burst (and much-needed) hydration and detangle. I’ve really been enjoying getting back into the Philip Kingsley haircare and will be doing some more in-depth focus reviews really soon. Another great treatment for after-washing / styling is the Umberto Giannini Creme de Curl which I have been using anytime I am air-drying my hair to give some defintion and de-frizz to my naturally curly hair. It’s absolutely brilliant and if anyone does a great curl product……it’s Umberto Giannini! Last up in my haircare monthly loves is the AMAZING Oribe Dry Texturising spray. I have used this for so many years and treat myself to it once in a while (it’s
Tropic Tamanu Balm. I’ve been having massive struggles with really sore and dry hands and cuticles at the moment. Like, bleeding bad. I get beyond wanting to use a typical hand cream as they often contain fragrance and can sting so I was actually recommended this by a few people when I asked for suggestions…and lo and behold I had one in my skincare stash which I had never used! I slathered it on a few nights ago before bed and honestly it kinda did an overnight miracle! I’m loving everything about it : the packaging, the colour, the smell the product : it’s ticking all my boxes! Honestly would 100% recommend this for any dry skin and you can use it anywhere including the lips.
Walks in the sunshine. It’s been a dark few months of lockdown with the weather being so miserable. Some days we found a struggle to even get outside due to the storms, snow etc…..which I wouldn’t have a problem with it it was just me and Tom, but with Margot….she’s desperate to be outside all of the time and as much as possible so it’s been kinda tough! The brighter days and warmer weather have allowed us to do some lovely family walks again which we all really love. The sun is making such a difference to the whole vibe!
Herman & Hilda. Honestly these two fluffy specimens bring me SO much happiness and joy on a daily basis. They are a pair of absolute fools and in between snoozing in all the sunspots, chasing each other up and down the stairs day and night and just being within arm’s reach makes me happy and gives me a smile. Herman takes himself so VERY seriously, he’s aloof, he’s too good for any of us and looks down his nose at us all… Hilda is more easy-going, fun-loving and loves human interaction. They love-hate each other and honestly I just couldn’t imagine my home and life without these two furry companions!!
Sleep has been a bit hit and miss for me this last month or so for various reasons and both the This Works Deep Sleep Body Cocoon lotion and the Tropic So Sleepy pillow mist have been firm companions by my bedside. Ya know those evenings when you just are finding it hard to unwind, relax and switch-off? I rub a little bit of the This Works Deep Sleep Body Cocoon into my hands and up my arms whilst I’m watching the TV before bed and then I spritz a few sprays of the Tropic So Sleepy pillow mist onto my pillow just before I get into bed and this tends to give me a nice, restful night’s sleep!
S K I N C A R E
The incredible Dr Dennis Gross Alpha Beta Universal Daily Peel pads have made a comeback in my skincare routine. I used this SO many years ago when they first launched and have dipped in and out ever since. My skin is definitely lacklustre at the moment so I really felt the need to add some serious brightening and exfoliating back into my routine and these are simply some of the best that money can buy. I have been using the Antipodes Manuka Honey Skin-Brightening Eye Cream at the moment. It was kind of an accident…..as Margot hid my Aurelia one I was using so I grabbed this out of my stash as a stop-gap but I’m actually really loving it! It’s a little bit creamier and richer than my usually eye serum but my skin seems to be craving this at the moment and my eye look really fresh and nourished! Serum-wise I tried the Elemis Pro-Collagen Superfood Serum Elixir for the first time EVER after hearing so much about it over the years. Feels super nourishing and sinks into my skin really quickly and just leaves my skin feeling super plump and smooth.
Face cream wise I’m finding myself dipping in and out of lots at the moment. Thought I would crack into my Drunk Elephant Protini Polypeptide Cream that I have this small sample of as I keep hearing it’s excellent. I really love the texture, it feels really light and comfortable on my skin but at the same time, kind of sumptuous and nourishing. LOVE! I saw the REN Evercalm Overnight Recovery Balm in the Caroline Hirons sold-out-in-a-flash Spring Kits and it reminded me I had this little tube to try (again, I think from some kind of beauty box / advent maybe?!).
And breathe……phew that was *quite* the round-up in the end. So many amazing products and I’m loving having great routine at the moment. I think with so much time on our hands we are all paying a little bit more attention to the small things, like our skincare, beauty and makeup routines. I’ve definitely noticed that I am digging up my samples / trial-sizes that I have been meaning to try out for ages!
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