I've been playing around with the idea of switching up my Monthly Favourites for a while so last month I did a Twitter poll and it seemed you guys were into the concept too! So this month is a bit of a trial for my Monthly Beauty Report (do let me know if you enjoy this format in the comments). Of course I'll run you through my favourites but I'll also let you know about the products that didn't work out for me and my thoughts on the new ones I've been trialling this month. I don't foresee doing this every single month because if I don't have any disappointments or products I'm testing out then it will be a normal Favourites but let's see how this goes...
Favourites
Illamasqua Beyond Powder in Epic* | £32 | review| This is a stunning highlighter for Summer and it’s beautiful even just in the pan. It applies like this super-dewy liquid metal in this gorgeous golden-bronze shade. It doesn’t contain a hint of glitter either. I love how soft and finely-milled it is. You can apply it dry for a more natural everyday look or spray your brush with a bit of water or Fix + for a more intense highlight.
Becca x Jaclyn Hill Champagne Face Collection Palette | £48 | review | I can’t say the eyeshadow debacle didn’t put a dampener on this product for me, however luckily there wasn’t an issue with the star of the collection. The blushers are stunning and this just contains everything I really need for a Summer makeup look (I often go away and can just pack this for my cheeks). The Luminous blush Rose Spritz is honestly stunning and the formula is like a colour version of their legendary Pressed Shimmering Skin Perfectors. Amaretto is a nude-peach-brown Mineral Blush I love for the daytime. I use Pamplemousse (the bright pink Mineral shade) a little less but it’s still nice for an evening look. Of course there’s Champagne Pop in there but the gold-toned Prosecco has been a real revelation for me too. I know you can’t get this palette any more however the Split Pans with these shades are still available in Space NK stores.
Becca Mineral Blush in Songbird | £26 | post | After using the palette I really wanted to try some more Becca blushes and settled on Songbird. It’s the most gorgeous neutral-peach shade that’s still got incredible pigmentation but the colour is really natural on me. It has a gorgeous golden sheen to it. I find the formula so easy to apply and it wears really well on my cheeks. All-in-all I’m in love with this blusher; it just always seems to work no matter what makeup look I’m going for! The only downside is that the expiry on this one is 6 months despite it being a powder formula. I will definitely be disregarding that…
Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Eyeshadow Palette | £41 | review | This really is the eyeshadow palette of the moment! I’m a massive fan of Anastasia eyeshadows and it definitely measures up to the quality and formulation of the singles I have. I find the formula to be so pigmented, easy to blend but not so smooth that the wear-time is compromised (their longevity is amazing). The colours are a stunning selection of warm neutrals with a few little pops of colour. It is an overwhelmingly matte palette, which isn’t my usual thing, however I’m into it!
Benefit Gimme Brow Gel* | £18.50 | review| How had I never tried this before? Hoooowwww?! I completely see what all the hype is around this product; it’s perfect for people blessed with naturally even brows who just want to add a bit of volume and hold or for those minimal makeup days when you want to give your brows a little ‘something’ but only have a few seconds to spare. I really like the formula because it gives me hold without any crispiness and although it’s tinted, it never looks like I have loads of product on. I love the little wand because I can really control where the product goes and the new packaging is really cool.
Charlotte Tilbury Hot Lips Matte Revolution Lipstick in Super Cindy | £23 | I’m actually planning a post on the new lipsticks I’ve picked up lately, however in the meantime you can find a swatch of this and my next favourite below. I’m a big fan of the unique Matte Revolution formula but didn’t actually own any nudes in it. It’s very easy to apply and the product glides onto the lips smoothly with no skipping. It’s not the most pigmented, long-wearing or completely-matte products I’ve tried (even in comparison with the others from this range), however I love it for a wearable everyday pinky-peach nude lip.
Urban Decay Vice Comfort Matte Lipstick in Carnal | £15 | This is another new lipstick I’ve been obsessed with this month. It’s part of Urban Decay’s newly-relaunched lipstick collection and is in their Comfort Matte finish. It has incredible pigmentation, a very creamy texture but still has minimal sheen and lasts incredibly well. I love the warm mid-toned nude shade of Carnal.
Maybelline Creamy Matte Lipstick in Clay Crush | £7.95 | post | This actually isn’t dissimilar to the Charlotte Tilbury formula, though the colour range is too different to consider these to be dupes. I love how comfortable it feels on my lips and it’s a gorgeous warm nude shade with terracotta undertones. I really like the lighter and warmer colour of this as an alternative to my usual darker brown nudes.
Nars Audacious Lipstick in Jane | £24 | post| Yes, it’s another lipstick! This is a bit more of a Summery shade for me and (slightly) different to my usual nude lips. It’s a gorgeous warm terracotta shade that’s not quite a full-on colour but is a little more fun than a neutral lip. I love the Audacious formula because it’s just so creamy and has insane colour payoff. It has a little bit of a sheen on the lip but I’d still say the longevity is good.
MAC Prep & Prime Fix + | £17.50 | I finally got onto the MAC Fix + hype! At the moment I’ve been loving finishing my base with a spritz of this because it just helps everything look healthy, seamless and glowing, plus stops my makeup ever looking cakey. It’s also amazing for intensifying the look of eyeshadows.
Hand Chemistry Hyaluronic Body Mist* | £17 | I actually didn’t get my hands on this until towards the end of the month but I’ve used it every single day since. It’s a spray that feels barely any heavier than water on the skin. However it’s packed full of super-hydrating Hyaluronic Acid that leaves my skin feeling soft and smooth. I get dry skin even in Summer but I don’t always want to spend ages slathering on a heavy body butter or trying to stop a spray lotion from going everywhere, then having to work the product in. This is so quick and easy yet still leaves my skin really hydrated. I also love the packaging because you can see how much is in there so you know when you’re running low.
Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse Or Shimmering Dry Oil | £19 | This is a totally different kind of body product but still one I’ve been loving lately (especially in Spain at the end of last month). It’s Nuxe’s super-nourishing (and amazing-smelling) dry oil with a subtle golden shimmer running through it. It’s gorgeous for on the beach or adding a little glow if you’re going bare-legged.
Sinful Colors Kylie Matte Nail Polish in Taupe is Chic | £3 | nail swatch | This was such a random purchase; I caught sight of a stand with Kylie Jenner on it wearing this gorgeous matte nail colour. I kind of assumed it would be expensive a la her Lip Kits, however I stopped to peruse and was surprised to see they were just £3 each. I deduced that the shade she had on was probably Taupe is Chic and managed to snap up the last bottle on the stand! I’d never tried a matte nail polish before however I absolutely love the finish of this. Despite being a light cool-toned pinky-beige colour, it went on very opaquely. I gave it two coats to be safe and it lasted me a good 4 days before starting to chip slightly (without a top coat because I didn’t have a matte one). Overall I was really impressed with it and you can’t go wrong for £3!
Disappointments
Soap & Glory Supercat Skinny Eyeliner* | £6 | I honestly thought this would be a match made in heaven because I'm the biggest fan of the original Supercat but I do prefer something a little more precise for an everyday look. However this was a bit of a let-down; I find the nib too scratchy on my eyelids and it's not as inky black and pigmented as the original. It also seems to apply as though it's running out, even though it's brand new. Overall I'd recommend just picking up the original and using the very tip if you want a precise look.
Look Good Feel Better Foam Application Wand* | £10.99 | This is one of those things that's totally down to personal preference. I have grown to appreciate a softer sponge applicator with a little more movement, whereas this is quite firm. If you do prefer a more solid sponge then definitely give it a go, however it's not really for me. I do love the idea of the sponge on a handle though and it actually works pretty well in that respect (the sponge is very securely-attached, in case you were wondering). Although things didn't work out with the Wand, I really love the LGFB brushes overall so I definitely recommend checking their range out also because a portion of every sale goes towards supporting women with cancer.
Products on Trial
Soap & Glory Eyeshadow Palettes in Kick into Neutral & The Ultimatte* | £11 each | The packaging of these new palettes is quite sleek and compact but feels secure and of course I love the design. These are at a similar price-point to offerings by L'Oreal and Maybelline but they're such amazing quality. Under £15, I really don't think you're going to do much better than this!
Kick Into Neutral is definitely an little bit Urban Decay 2-esque however it definitely has a few slightly warmer tones in there and only contains one matte shade (it's a mid brown-taupe so does go with pretty much any look you could do with the palette however this is still a bit of a drawback for me). I was really impressed with how pigmented the shadows were and the impact they had on the eyelids. They're very easy to blend out and work with too and by the end of the day my eyeshadow is still more or less intact! My favourite shades so far are Cuddly Bare (a taupe-brown matte), Rich Tea (a true gold shimmer), Cocoa Cabana (a brown-bronze shimmer) and Mice-tro (a dark charcoal brown shimmer).
The Ultimatte is an all-matte palette that contains pretty much everything you need in terms of neutrals; from peaches to greys to browns. I really wasn't sure how I'd feel about this, as I almost never rock a completely matte eye. I'm not completely converted, however this is perfect to use with a shimmery cream eyeshadow as a base or pressed on top because it contains everything else you need (though I'm not convinced so many light shades are necessary when they'll all look pretty similar on the lid). Soap & Glory usually has some sort of a deal going, so if you can then I'd definitely pick up both because they work so well together! The mattes in this palette are amazing in terms of formula; they have really good colour payoff and a very creamy texture. When I first used one of the shades, I kind of assumed it would be a bit powdery and wishy-washy and loaded up my crease brush with colour then had a bit of a shock when I applied it! Again, I was really impressed with the longevity of these shadows. So far I'm loving Okey Cocoa (a cool-toned brown), Conker All (a warm-toned brown), Pebble Power (a taupe) and Mauve Over (a peachy-mauve).
Soap & Glory Made You Blush Cheek Colours in Rosy Chic, Twinkle Rose & Pink* | £9 each | I'm really impressed with Soap & Glory's new blushers too. The matte shades have that 'good crumbly' texture that makes them so easy to apply and blend out. I really like how evenly they go on and how well they wear throughout the day. The muted pinky-peach nude colour of Rosy Chic is a perfect everyday cheek shade. Pink is a cool Barbie-pink colour. Twinkle Rose is similar but a little warmer and has a golden sheen running through it. It's very easy to blend and the shimmer is very fine and natural-looking on the skin. Again, I do find this lasts me the day without any patchy fade. I like the packaging because it's quite small and compact, which is great for travelling. It does come with a little brush but personally I never use those. I really hope they come out with more of these!
Delilah Colour Intense Cream Lipstick in Hush* | £24 | This is a really creamy, semi-sheer formula with a bit of a sheen to it. It's nice for just throwing on for an everyday look. Though it isn't the longest-lasting lip product ever, it doesn't fade unevenly and is really easy to touch-up even if you're in a rush. Hush is a very 'me' shade; a sort of rosy-mauve colour. So far I'm really liking this and can see it being an everyday go-to when Autumn comes around.
Saturated Colour Lipstick in 1st Base* | £7 | This is the more moisturising formula by lipstick brand Saturated Colour, however the colour payoff is still really good. It's a pretty warm-toned pinky-brown nude shade that's right up my street. Again, I would say that the moisturising formula means it isn't quite so long-wearing but the nude colour stops any 'lip liner' effect when it starts to wear away.
Saturated Colour Lipstick Colour Switch* | £9 | I was seriously dubious about this! It's a white lipstick that's supposed to change the colour of whatever lipstick you wear underneath. It is a little bit gimmicky but it's actually quite fun! I've tried it with a few different lip shades and it changed a deep rust-toned nude into a mid-toned pinky-mauve and a coral-nude into a lighter, cooler 'my lips but better' shade. It is a little bit messy (I wipe off the white bullet on the back of my hand after using it to get rid of the lip colour) and I'm not sure I'd be bothered to take this out and touch up my lipstick and then this on top of it, but it's a cute product and the sort of thing that, come Christmas, would be a great little stocking-filler for a beauty-lover.
Yes To Tomatoes Detoxifying Charcoal Mud Mask* | £11.99 | This is a really amazing dupe for the Origins Clear Improvement mask. It dries down to the same unusual plastic-y finish as opposed to a hard clay mask. I have been using this once or twice a week this month because at the start of July I was getting really bad breakouts. It feels quite intense and invigorating but doesn't suck your face and soul dry of all moisture. My skin feels clean and looks far more fresh and glowing after I use this. The morning after, any active breakouts have shrunk considerably and I do notice that the appearance of my large pores is improved a little.
Sebamed Liquid Face and Body Wash* | £6.49 | I know this doesn't look like much from the outside but don't be fooled by the packaging because this is a seriously great product! I often suffer from sensitivity flare-ups on my face and though they're usually restricted to Winter, I do occasionally get minor sensitivity during the rest of the year. This is a liquid gel formula and foams slightly but leaves my skin feeling hydrated as opposed to stripped. It isn't heavy like some of the other anti-sensitivity products out there; it just leaves my skin feeling clean, calm and clear. I don't really get the redness or sensitivity on my body after 'growing out of' eczema years ago, however from the way it works on my face, I can imagine it being amazing if you do. I can see it being a favourite during the Winter months - I'll keep you posted.
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What do you think of this month’s favourites? What have been some of yours?
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*DISCLOSURE - PRODUCTS MARKED WITH AN ASTERISK ARE PR SAMPLES/GIFTS OR PURCHASED WITH GIFTED VOUCHERS.
ALL OPINIONS ARE MY OWN.
PLEASE VISIT MY DISCLOSURE PAGE FOR MORE INFORMATION.