It is safe to say that I've been slacking on the blogging front - for this blog, at least, as I do actually have a shiny new blog which has taken up quite a bit of my time over the last few months. However, today I'm here to catch you up on all of my 2017 beauty favourites, and I'll walk through all of the products that I've been using regularly over the last five months. Prepare yourself for a hefty dose of beauty recommendations, most of which I would happily repurchase again and again (sadly, L'Oreal let the team down on this one)
Let's start with one seriously hyped product, the L'Oreal Paris Nude Magique Cushion Foundation. I saw this foundation featured on so many YouTube channels, and all that marketing clearly worked its magic because I gave in and bought one for myself. I chose shade 3, which was a wonderful colour match for my fair skin, and I used this foundation everyday for about a month. I absolutely loved the consistency (it was quite thin, light and wet) and it gave a really natural-looking finish with a noticeably dewy glow. If you like lightweight dewy make-up then this is a product that I would recommend - but, be warned, I only got about a month's use out of it before I had used it all up. Seriously, just one month. Considering this is a £15.00 foundation, which is expensive by drugstore standards, I wasn't too impressed with the amount of product I received. I would love to say that I would repurchase it again, but it doesn't represent good value for money. Instead, I repurchased an old favourite instead.
I decided to repurchase the Balance Me BB Natural Perfection SPF 25 BB Cream, a product that I religiously during 2016. When I finished my last tube I actually set out to immediately repurchase it, only to discover that it had been discontinued. So you can imagine how happy I was when I saw it had been brought back this year. I've been using it for a couple of weeks now and I'm pleased to report that I still absolutely adore this product. I find that the coverage feels light but still does a good job of evening out my skin tone, and the colour seems very similar to my old tube (it's a little warm toned for me at the moment, but will be perfect during the summer). I do, however, think that the formulation has been changed ever so slightly, as the finish on the skin feels less dewy than I remember. All in all, I would highly recommend this to anyone with a fair complexion who is looking for a (97%) natural base product. I love it!
Other than foundation and mascara (and I haven't been that loyal to any particular mascara), I've only been reaching for really simply makeup. Instead of eyeshadow, I've finally been getting some use out of my Mac Painterly Paint Pot which I've been applying all over my lid on a daily basis. As I am quite fair-skinned, it does actually add some definition to my eyes - although I would quite like to get a darker colour like Groundwork. On my cheeks, I've been using the Illamasqua Gel Colour in Fluster which offers a punchy dose of pink. I don't ususally wear pink blushers, but this one is almost neon with a sheer formulation that's really easy to blend into the skin. As most of my other makeup is kept very minimal, I find that this blush colour is effective at brightening my complexion without looking too noticeable. I love the formulation and am now keen to try the other two colours.
On my lips, I've generally been reaching for neutral colours and the newly released Green People Rose Damask Lipstick* is a particularly beautiful shade (pictured above). It is a light-pink with just a touch of peach, and I find that it looks quite neutral on me. It applies evenly and opaquely, and you don't really need a lip liner to get a neat finish. Green People provide swatches on their website which highlight the similarities between Rose Damask and Mac's very popular "Kinda Sexy" shade. I think that if you are looking for a natural and cruelty-free alternative for this colour, then Green People's Rose Damask Lipstick is a great choice. Personally, I like it because it sits comfortably on my lips and wears aways evenly, making it a great low-maintenance lipstick choice that suits regular everyday wear.
In terms of skincare, I've most recently been using the Caudalie Vineactiv* range, which the brand very kindly gifted me. I've been incredibly impressed with the four products I've been using, and I'll be posting about them very soon. However, when it comes to skin treatments, I've remained faithful to my old favourites and have almost exclusively been using the Peter Thomas Roth Pumpkin Enzyme Mask and Peter Thomas Roth Rose Stem Cell Mask. Unfortunately, because Peter Thomas Roth is an American brand, the cost of these brands have sky-rocketed thanks to the falling value of the British Pound. I'm in the position where I will soon need to repurchase both of these and I'm not sure if I can justify their cost! So if you know of any great face masks then please do leave me your recommendations in the comment section.
This year I've generally become much more attentive to looking after the rest of my skin, and have resumed daily Dry Brushing. This is a very effective, and cost efficient, way to exfoliate the skin and to help improve the ciruclation of your lymphatic system. Before I bathe/shower, I use a large body brush and brush in the direction of my heart, using small firm strokes. After my bath or shower, I then continue to moisturise my skin using an oil or lotion. I've been really enjoying Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Moisturising Body Oil which always leaves my skin feeling beautifully soft for a day or two after use. Alternatively, if I fancy a different scent, I've also been using Palmer's Coconut Oil Body Lotion which actually has quite a thick and nourishing formula that's great for long-lasting moisturisation. Both of these products are quite affordable but are still rivalling the results I have experienced when using luxury body oils and lotions. This year I've already repurchased both of these products and I can see myself returning to them again and again over the coming months.
Compared to my body, the skin on my hands is a little bit drier and more temperamental and I've been repurchasing the same two products over-and-over to keep them in check. First of all, I like to use the Rituals Miracle Hand Scrub as it is incredibly effective and leaves your hands feeling super soft and nourished. I then like to follow up with a deeply hydrating hand cream, and the Antipodes Joyful Hand and Body Cream* is my particular favourite as the formula absorbs into the skin very quickly. Together, these two products make my hands look and feel so much healthier, and the routine really helps to boost my confidence.
Finally, let's take a mintue to talk about haircare. This year I've been spending less money on my shampoo and conditioner, and my hair is still looking and feeling good. I swapped in Aussie haircare at the beginning of this year and have been really enjoying the results. I find that it doesn't weigh my hair down like some other highstreet haircare products, but it still gives me enough moisture to keep it from looking dry. I do, however, also use some more expensive treats on my hair. I use the Moroccan Oil Light Treatment on my the ends of my hair every day, and I use the Marula Deep Moisture Hair Mask* once a week. For me, these products all work really nicely together and give me reliable results every time.
There are a few new things that I'm looking forward to buying in the coming months. I'm desperately in need of a new cleanser, but this is one of those skincare products that needs to be perfect or I just can't bring myself to use it, let alone review it for all of you. I also really need invest in some new SPF and I'm looking in La Roche Posay's direction, because in my experience their skincare always outperforms its price tag. I'm not sure exactly what you'll see next, my main aim is to post at least once a week on Saturday mornings.
What have been your beauty favourites so far this year?
Have you discovered any new products that you'd recommend?
The products marked with an asterisk (*) are PR samples.
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