September Favourites - Hair, Skin & Nails

I stopped doing monthly favourites posts because I always found it difficult to pick out the products I really loved but this month it was so easy. I posted yesterday about my favourite make up items from this month but today I wanted to talk about other beauty products I've been enjoying too.

Aussie Luscious Long Leave In Conditioner

Before I started trying hair oils this product was a staple of mine and I've gone through several bottles of it in the past. When I last got my hair cut my hairdresser used a leave in conditioner spray and it reminded me about this one which had been languishing unloved in a drawer for almost a year. My hair can look really limp and flat if I use a traditional conditioner so I prefer to use something like this or a hair oil on the ends of my hair after washing it. Aussie Luscious Long leaves my hair feeling incredibly soft, much more so than any hair oils I've tried. Because it's such a fine mist it doesn't weigh my hair down or cause it to become greasy either. If you hair hair like mine, I'd definitely recommend trying this.

LUSH BB Seaweed Fresh Face Mask

This mask from LUSH doesn't look particularly nice (think huge chunks of black seaweed...) but it makes my skin feel so refreshed and lovely that I can't not mention it in this post. I got about five uses out of this pot so used it around once a week. LUSH recommend this mask for every skin type; apparently men really like it. There's nothing too irritating in there or it's not too drying/too moisturising. I've tried several of these masks from LUSH and this one is by far my favourite. 

L'Occitane Shea Butter Foot Cream

I'm sure you can see that this product has been well loved because it's almost empty! I really don't like feet but I like them even less if they're not well looked after. I usually prefer to use a thick foot cream overnight and this product doesn't work too well in that context. However, I've been using this all month after my morning shower and because it sinks into the skin so quickly it's much more convenient. When I first tried this foot cream I was seriously underwhelmed but I've recently grown to love it. You do have to be willing to use it daily or at least every two days, though.

Weleda Almond Soothing Facial Lotion

I picked this up from FeelUnique a couple of months ago and it's since been my go-to night time moisturiser. I'm not completely taken with the almond scent but it's not too overpowering and I can live with it because the lotion does an excellent job of hydrating my skin. I'm planning to review this properly soon so watch this space!

L'Oreal Color Riche Polish in Beige Countess

It wouldn't be a favourites post without a L'Oreal Color Riche polish, would it? You all know I love these polishes but this shade is the one I've used the most; as you can probably see. It's just a typical medium nude shade that goes with pretty much everything. It's not my favourite polish in the world but I have been wearing it an awful lot this month. I used to think it was very similar to Essie's Lady Like but it's a lot more beige and therefore more flattering on me. The formula is easy to work with and I love the wide brushes on these polishes.

Let me know if you like favourites posts; I might try to do them more regularly from now on.

Stace xx

September Favourites - Make Up

I've not posted a monthly favourites for a really long time but this month I didn't rotate the products I was using as much as I usually do so I have some definite favourites. 

YSL Le Teint Touche Eclat 

I held off on purchasing this for a while because I didn't need a new foundation but when my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua ran out I decided to pick this up and I'm so glad I did. The coverage is a lot better than I had expected after reading the initial reviews and I love the way it makes my skin look. This is definitely not something for a fan of heavy coverage but it is a gorgeous foundation for anyone looking for a light, buildable base. I have it in the shade B50 which is just a tiny bit too light for me right now.

YSL Glossy Stain #6

I've had this product since May; I went to the counter and demanded a lipstick to cheer me up and this is what I came home with. And it does cheer me up. It's up there in my all-time favourite lip products because I just love wearing it. If you've not tried a Glossy Stain yet (why not?!) they're mango-scented glosses which leave a stain behind on the lips once the gloss has worn off. I like to apply a couple of layers of this gorgeous orange shade because I like the deeper colour pay off I get and find it stays glossy for longer too. I've been reaching for it even more than usual this month.

Revlon Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain in Crush

Lip products with 'stain' in their name seem to be doing it for me just now because the other lip product I've been wearing a lot this month is this one. The colour isn't something I'd typically go for; it's a deep pink shade which can be applied lightly or more heavily depending on how dark I want it to look. It makes a nice change from the reds, oranges and nudes I usually prefer. The staying power of these balm stains is incredible and they don't feel uncomfortable or drying at all. 

NARS Blush in Madly

This has been my blush of choice for months now. I know it doesn't look like much in the pan but on the cheeks it gives just enough colour to give you a healthy glow. It has a matte/satin finish so it doesn't provide the same sheen that you'd get from something like Luster (another hot favourite of mine) but I think that works better on my slightly oily skin. Since it's not a really in-your-face blush shade it's so easy to apply in a hurry. 

Lancome Le Crayon Sourcils in 030 Brun

Okay, so I lost my favourite brow brush back in August and had been using a different one with my usual brow powder of choice but it just wasn't the same so I decided to try a pencil. I'd heard some good things about the Lancome one and picked it up at the beginning of September. It's a good colour for me and I've been enjoying using it. It's easy to subtly fill in my brows with, which I like. I found my brow brush last weekend (in a suitcase!) but I've not felt inclined to go back to using my brow powder so I think I've been converted!

What were your favourite products this month? If you have a post, link it in the comments!

Stace xx

LUSH Brazened Honey Fresh Face Mask

Hello!

I just wanted to quickly say that I'm sorry I've been posting quite a lot of reviews recently. I have lots of ideas for more interesting posts but my boyfriend and I broke up last week and I'm currently trying to find a new place to live. It's all getting a bit crazy but thank you for bearing with me; normal service will resume sometime very soon, hopefully.

On a lighter note, Brazened Honey is the second Fresh Face Mask from LUSH that I'd been trying this month. I was given Brazened Honey instead of Love Lettuce by mistake and I was a bit miffed because I'd tried Brazened Honey a long time ago and not liked it too much. I decided to give it another try anyway to see what if my opinion would change. 

The mask itself is very, very exfoliating which puts me off because I like using my own microdermabrasion scrub before using a face mask and I find the ground almonds to be a bit too harsh on my skin. In saying that, it did leave my face feeling incredibly smooth. Despite taking this mask from the fridge before applying it to my skin my face felt hot when it was on due to the spices in the product. It reminded me a bit of a few thermal masks I've tried before; it wasn't irritating at all on my skin but I wouldn't rush to recommend it to someone with sensitive skin. When I'd tried this mask previously I found that it left my skin feeling quite dry and since my skin has been becoming less and less oily I was concerned that I'd find it even more drying this time around. Thankfully I didn't really notice any dryness. In saying that, I don't find Brazened Honey to be particularly moisturizing either. 

Overall the mask is just okay. I probably won't be repurchasing it but I would recommend it to anyone with normal-oily skin who likes a lot of exfoliation. It smells quite nice and is pleasant to use. All LUSH Fresh Face Masks are priced at £5.95 and are available in store. 

What's your favourite face mask?

Stace xx

PS - Please don't forget to keep these in the fridge; they last around three to four weeks and I can get about five uses out of each pot. 

NARS Pure Matte Lipstick in Mascate

A couple of weeks ago I was in the mood for a new red lipstick and hadn't been to a NARS counter in ages so the stars somehow aligned and I came home with the beautiful Pure Matte Lipstick in Mascate. I wanted the darkest matte red they had and although Mascate isn't that dark, it satisfied my need at the time! 

I've tried the Pure Matte formula from NARS before and loved it. I typically prefer creamy or lightweight lipsticks but when I'm wearing a bold colour I'll always choose a matte formula if I can. The Pure Mattes are a nice middle ground because they offer the pigmentation, finish and staying power of a matte but are also relatively lightweight and non-drying. This is the sort of lipstick that works really well in conjunction with the NUXE Reve de Miel balm I reviewed recently. I've used them together a few times now and my lips haven't suffered at all.

NARS describe Mascate as a bold red, and it is, but I've worn it lightly pressed into my lips for a slightly less in-your-face red lip (see the photo below). I think the shade will suit a variety of skintones because it's not too pink or too orange. I can easily get five or six hours of wear out of this lipstick which is impressive for me; I can usually only manage about two to three hours before needing to re-apply. 

The Pure Matte lipsticks aren't exactly cheap at £18.50 but they're worth the investment if you find a shade you really like, particularly if it's a bold color. Mascate is available from NARS counters and online.

What's your favourite red lipstick?

Stace xx

September Empties

Another month, another empties post. This month I got through quite a few products without really trying; I was surprised to see that my 'empties' bag was bursting!

I ran out of three face products this month; my primer, foundation and powder. The MUA primer was nice but the packaging was frustrating because I always ended up squeezing out too much product so I'm not sure if it's something I'd repurchase. It's good if you're on a budget, though. My beloved Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua  foundation finally ran out this month but I've moved on to the YSL Touche Eclat foundation; espect to see a review of that one soon. I will probably repurchase Vitalumiere Aqua at some point in the future. The powder I finished up was the Clarins Ever Matte. I liked it but I do think it's a bit overpriced. My Chanel Rouge Noir nail polish finally became too gloopy to use. I've been looking for a similar shade but can't find one that seems just right so if you have any recommendations please leave them in the comments. 

I used up a second pot of the Lierac Smoothing Energizing moisturiser, a small bottle of Osmo's Beber Oil treatment and a Fresh Brown Sugar fragrance sample. I enjoyed using all three of these products but I don't expect to repurchase any of them just now.

This Johnson's 24 Hour Moisture Hand Cream is a great budget buy; I used to use this all the time and it's something I always seem to go back to. The Botanics All Bright Cleansing Face Wipes were just okay and not something I'm particularly keen to use again. I got through two pots of Lush Fresh Face Masks and enjoyed using both but much preferred BB Seaweed over Brazened Honey. 

This Boots Nail Polish Remover is another go-to budget buy for me. I've tried more expensive removers but none work as well as this one for me. I reviewed the Yes To Cucumbers Soothing Body Lotion yesterday and if you read that post you'd know that I have mixed feelings about the product. I don't think I'll be repurchasing. I would, however, consider picking up another tube of the Jergens Cocoa Butter Body Lotion; partly because it smelled delicious and partly because it felt really nice on my skin.

I wasn't overly impressed with the scent of Soap & Glory's Foam Call Shower Gel when I first smelled it but it seems to smell a lot nicer in the shower. I like that it comes with a pump because I tend to be too generous with shower gel. I'm not sure if I'd buy it again immediately but it is a nice product. I used up two shampoos this month; the L'Oreal Ever Strong Reinforcing Shampoo and the John Frieda Full Repair Full Body Shampoo. I realise that it seems as though I've used a lot of shampoo this month but the L'Oreal only had a little left in it at the beginning of September and I gave some of the John Frieda to a friend to try. I have reviews of both these shampoos coming up soon. 

I've had this can of Boots Firm Hold Hairspray sitting around for quite a while but I've been wearing my hair up a lot more recently and was reaching for it to tame flyaways. I don't think it's a particularly good hairspray but it did the job for me. The Tresemme Volumising Dry Shampoo is one of my all-time favourite hair products and one I posted about recently. I've already purchased another can! LUSH Rub Rub Rub is another product I reviewed positively recently. I still can't believe how much I loved the scent and it was a really effective exfoliator. I was given Prada Candy last Christmas and whilst I liked it initially I did get a bit bored of it so I'm quite pleased to have finished it up. There's just something about it that isn't right. I wish I could explain it!

So, those are my September empties. Did you use up many products this month?

Stace xx