July Favourites

How is it August already? I know this post is a bit late but my brother took the DSLR to Hungary with him and so I've been camera-less for a couple of weeks. But here are the things I was loving during July, better late than never! 

I have so many body lotions and butters. But I guess you can never have too many because you moisturise every day right? Well that's my excuse anyway. I've been loving the Nip & Fab Pistachio Sundae Body Butter recently because it's just such a great product all round. I love pistachio scented products (Including the Laura Mercier Crème de Pistache Soufflé...but I can't justify the price) and originally wanted to get the smaller sized tub, but when I saw that the 200ml one for half price on the Nip & Fab website, I knew it was a sign. I'm so glad I decided to try it because everything about this body butter feels really luxurious. It smells so good and has a lovely thick texture which absorbs into the skin beautifully, meaning that it isn't greasy at all. In fact, if you compare it to body butters from The Body Shop it feels more like a thick cream than a butter. It's just lovely. 
I've since discovered that the reason this product was half price is because it was been discontinued. But if there are still any left in the world then I would encourage you to get your hands on them, or try out some of the other lovely sounding scents. 

My friend got me the Organix Weightless Moroccan Argan Oil for my birthday in June and used it every time I've washed my hair since. It's even started to replace my V05 Miracle concentrate, which I thought was irreplaceable! I love the fact that the oil is in a spray bottle as it helps you to use the perfect amount of product. On the bottle it claims to "tame fly-away frizzies". If you have frizzy hair then this product might be good for you as it really does have a lovely effect on my hair and calms it down a bit. As well as applying it to wet hair I also apply it to my hair when it's dry, throughout the day to tame the frizz. This oil also smells gorgeous which is always a plus when it comes to hair products. 

The last two beauty products that I have been loving are from Maybelline. I've been so impressed with their products recently, especially the Dream Lumi Touch and Colour Tattoos. Before trying the Lumi Touch I'd never really tried a highlighting concealer before. I have no idea why because now I can't imagine not using it. I love the fact that it comes in a click pen because this means that you use up every last drop of the concealer. I even find that I don't have to click the product out every time. The one thing I was worried about was the fact that the shade looked very light. I went for 02 Nude and it has actually ended up being the perfect shade, so don't let this put you off if you are choosing one in the shop (there also seems to be more shades available in store than online). The concealer is gel-based and goes onto the skin very well, without creasing throughout the day. 

If you haven't tried the Maybelline Colour Tattoos yet then I highly recommend that you do. They are great for using as a base under powder and other cream eye shadows or using alone all over the lid. They are incredibly long lasting and do not crease what so ever. They are very creamy and smooth and haven't dried up in the pot, which is something I always worry about with cream shadows *touches wood*. The shade in the photo above is Pink Gold.It's incredibly pretty and my favourite shade from the range that they offer in the UK. 

Moving on from beauty products, I wanted to mention two necklaces that I picked up in the Topshop sale. I've really been enjoying wearing necklaces with large, statement pendants. The best thing about them is that they were only £3.50 each. You really can find some amazing bargains in the reduced jewellery section, you never need to pay £10 for one again!

Last but not least is my 15" Cambridge Satchel. I used it almost every day in July and can see myself getting so much use out of it throughout the year. It's so sturdy and timeless. My grandma even commented on how she had a satchel just like it when she was my age. I found reading reviews very useful when I was thinking of getting one, especially as they come in a variety of sizes and colours so i'll write my own review soon. 

Have you tried any of the products I've mentioned? What are your thoughts?





Disclosure: The views expressed are based on my own experience.

Tried & Tested | Summer Samples

I've seen a few people write posts like this and thought that it would be a great way of using up samples from magazines and subscription boxes etc that I have sitting at home. I even had a couple of sachets for each product so I was able to test out everything (apart from the Viper Venom) more than once.  

Murad Time Release Acne Cleanser

This product came in a Glossybox a while ago and I am so impressed with it. A 200ml bottle is £29 which is pretty pricey but this stuff works miracles so I would spend that much on it any day. I don't have acne but I use this whenever I break out and it clears any spots up so quickly. 

Benefit Total Moisture Facial Cream 
This moisturiser came in a six piece skincare set. I thought this would be a great way to try out each product from the range and this is the one which stood out the most. I love the smell, it's really clean and fresh. The consistency of this moisturiser is quite thick which is great because it absorbs quickly without being greasy at all. It's incredibly hydrating...in fact I don't have a bad word to say about this moisturiser and I would definitely purchase the full sized product. The glass packaging is also beautiful and this can be said for the whole range.

Mary Kay Nourishine Lip Gloss  
I don't think Mary Kay products are available in the UK, so when my cousin came to visit from America she brought a sample of their latest lip gloss for me to try. I absolutely love it and the bright shade is so pretty for summer. I don't usually wear lip glosses but like this one because it's more of a tint and is very pigmented. The staying power is pretty good but not amazing as it doesn't cope too well with drinks and food but that's not too much of a problem because it does seem to last longer than a standard lip gloss. It is sticky to begin with but the stickiness seems to disappear after a couple of minutes and it becomes smooth and moisturising. I wish that Mary Kay was available in the UK because i'd love to try this product in more shades. After using this product I read that Mary Kay claim that it adds shine to your lips and softens them, making them look younger. I can see what they mean because this is the most moisturising lip gloss i've come across!

Nivea Express Hydration Primer

This product smells lovely, but that's the only thing I liked about it. I appiled it underneath foundation but instead of acting like a primer and creating a nice base it seemed to almost repel the foundation. I really didn't like using this primer so will not ever be purchasing it, which is such a shame because I really like Nivea's facial moisturisers and liked the idea of a 2 in 1 product.

Nip & Fab Viper Venom Wrinkle Fix

I don't use products for wrinkles but decided to give this a try anyway to see if it 'blurs imperfections' and what the product is like to apply. The things I didn't like about it were the smell and the fact that it has an odd texture which is very sticky when you take it out of the packet. However, it did apply onto my skin nicely and absorbed straight away, which meant it lost the horrible sticky texture. It also made my skin feel smooth when I had applied it so i'm sure that after using in morning and night (which is what it says to do on the product) you will be left with lovely soft skin.  I'm not entirely sure that it would 'fix wrinkles' though, but it probably does help to even out your skin in some way. 

Max Factor Face Finity Foundation

This product claims to be a primer concealer and foundation in one. This may be the reason that I found it horrible and awkward to apply. I really disliked this foundation as it is way too thick and just seemed to sit on my skin. I guess if you like using a foundation with a lot of coverage then you might enjoy this product.

Rimmel 9 in 1 BB Cream 
I've seen mixed reviews about this BB cream and apart from Bourjois bronzing one it was the first BB cream that I have tried. I'm really skeptical about these types of products. But after trying this one I am really tempted to get a full sized bottle. I don't really understand how a BB cream can be 'skin perfecting' when it doesn't give any coverage! But, after I applied this, my face did look different and I couldn't really explain why. I think it would be a great product to use over the summer though instead of foundation and I really like the fact that the consistency of it is like a moisturiser and I love the natural glow that it gives to your skin. I'm still undecided, but it's definitely made me want to give BB creams a chance.

Quite a mix of products there with a mix of opinions. But, that's the beauty of samples and being able to try something before you splash out on it, especially if it's higher end product.
Let me know if you have tried any good beauty products recently, or if there are any you think I should steer clear of. 

Disclosure: The views expressed are based on my own experience.