I'm finding beauty favourites harder and harder to write these days, as most of the time it's just been a quick slap of powder in the mornings for work. Because y'know I prefer spending that extra 20 minutes in bed... I'm never not going to love makeup, but this month, it's been more about appreciating from afar. I think I've redeemed myself by making some pretty awesome beauty investments towards the end of the month though, which will be hitting the blog in the next few weeks. However for now I'm concentrating on the products I bought at the start of the month, and some continuing favourites.
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| Swatches L>R: MAC Cranberry, MAC All That Glitters, Max Factor Seductive Pink |
One of the products I picked up just as Autumn was arriving was the much-talked about Max Factor Creme Puff Blush (£6.99). I picked this up in the shade Seductive Pink, which is an ultra pretty mix of berry and peach tones, perfect for this season. Being a baked blush (and a supposed Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush dupe), this just does something special to the skin. It isn't so pigmented that it's like "woah hello blush", but it finishes a makeup look off perfectly and gives that lit-from-within look we all crave.
I spoke about my custom MAC eyeshadow quad in a post earlier on in the year, and I mentioned that I was never all that wowed by the shadows. However the palette has been a staple in my everyday makeup bag and I'm really starting to love it. I've really been enjoying using All That Glitters (all from £10 for refill pan), a gorgeous peachy gold shade, all over the lid, with Cranberry blended into the crease. This gives a stunning autumnal look without being too crazy, and I love the burnt tone that Cranberry has once it is blended out.
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| Swatches L>R: theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer, Maybelline Creme de Nude |
I've been lusting over the MAC Paint Pot in Painterly but was waiting to finish up my Urban Decay Primer Potion before I picked one up. I was absolutely ecstatic to see that the neutral matte Maybelline Color Tattoo (£4.99) shades that I had been waiting for were released this month. I decided to go with the shade Creme de Nude in the end, which has a yellowy tone, as I thought it would stand a better chance of showing up on my pale skin, but there is also a pinky neutral available, which is more of a Painterly dupe. Creme de Nude is completely matte, and has taken over all base shadow duties for the time being.
A product I've had for about a year now is the Mary-Lou Manizer (£17.49) from theBalm. I've been loving this so much over the past few months, and it still shocks me just how buttery and pigmented this highlighter is. It applies and blends so flawlessly onto the skin, giving the most perfect glow. I used to reserve this for nights out, but I've been reaching for this more and more in the daytime to brighten everything up.
A seriously blogger-enabled purchase of Essie Maximillian Strasse-Her (£7.99) happened this month, and is one where I was like "where have you been all my life?". This is the most perfect minty grey hybrid, and is brilliant for this time of year when you want something a little more muted. It looks really polished and makes a great alternative to a nude shade.
Moving onto skincare, and I received a surprise box of goodies from my lovely friend Aria, all the way from India. Amongst them was the Charcoal Face Scrub from FabIndia. This is a bit of a strange concept, and is slightly difficult to describe. It reminds me of a clay mask, however it is lighter in texture and has a very fine (but effective) physical exfoliant running through. It is jet black, so can be a tad on the messy side, but I just grab a goop (excellent descriptive skills, I know) and mix it with a bit of water in my palm before massaging it into the face. This is the perfect strength of scrub, and really tackles uneven textures and blackheads, without stripping the skin too much. It also smells really nice, like limes. This isn't available in the UK sadly, but if you are ever on your travels in India I would definitely recommend checking it out.
Now I've not been an advocate of face wipes for quite some time, but there are moments when they can't be avoided. When you roll in at 4am to be exact... I first picked up the Primark Argan Facial Cleansing Wipes (2 packs for £1) back in the summer, and I honestly think they are awesome. The argan oil means that they don't dry your skin out quite so much, and it also feels like these wipes remove your makeup more easily than normal wipes. Their uplifting orangey scent is also amazing!
Another Primark buy is the Palmers Cocoa Butter Foot Magic (£3.99). This has a super thick vaseline-like texture, which may not be to everyone's taste, but it is perfect to use overnight and leaves your feet feeling silky soft by morning. As with all Palmers products, it smells amazing and I much prefer it to the Soap & Glory Heel Genius.
Last but not least is Dr Bronner's Magic Soap (£5.50), which I was excited to see in TK Maxx after I'd heard everyone rave about it. Now I can't vouch for it's 18-in-1 claim, but this is da bomb for cleansing makeup brushes. They honestly have never been so clean! I have this in the Citrus Orange scent, and it smells really lovely and very natural. The hype is real, people...
What have you been into recently?
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