So it's September 1st! Most notably the day that Starbucks bring out their Pumpkin Spice Lattes, it's also the day that everyone mourns the upcoming loss of summer (although let's be real, at this rate we'll have a heatwave until October!). Before I get all emosh and start talking about how Christmas will be here in a blink of an eye, I'm going to get in and chat about all the products I've been loving during August. As always, if you'd rather watch this in video form, you can click here or scroll to the end.
On the beauty front, I can't ignore all the wonderful bits I took home from the World Duty Free event (read the post here). I spent a long time oggling the beautiful products at the YSL counter, and finally decided on one of the Rouge Volupté Shine lipsticks* (£26) in the shade 44 Nude Lavalliere. I don't know why I didn't pick up one of these sooner (actually I do, it was the price), because these are the perfect everyday lipsticks. They give a subtle wash of colour, housed in a moisturising lightweight formula. It's basically a tarted-up version of a tinted lipbalm and they're just the perfect things to throw in your handbag for a mirror-free top up on the go. Nude Lavalliere is a gorgeous light pink that goes with so many different makeup looks, and I can't resist the stunning packaging.
I've also been using the Baby Doll Mascara* in the shade Noir Fetishe (is such a name really necessary?). This has a plastic brush, so had my heart from the word go as I only really go for plastic brushes. It has quite a skinny brush which is somewhere in between two of my all time favourite mascaras: the L'Oreal False Lash Telecopic and Benefit They're Real! This makes it really easy to get in under the lashes to give them a lot of length. It's not overly clumpy (unless you go mad with it), nor does it flake like a lot of drugstore mascaras do. It fitted seamlessly into my everyday makeup routine, and I think that's a sign of a truly great product. I've been so impressed with what I've tried from YSL Beauty, and I think they are worth paying the extra for. Really keen to explore more of the products!
My next fave is a perfume and it wouldn't be a Behind The Scent favourites post without something to do with fragrance. I picked up Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt* (£43) after wanting it for years and I haven't regretted it for a second! It is a beautiful combination of a fresh grapefruit opening, ambrette seed and seaweed which provides a saltiness, and driftwood to emulate that British coastline feel. It's a scent that isn't confined to a specific season, but I think it will work particularly well as the air gets cooler.
This month I attended not one, but two events at local hair salons, Rush Hair and Supercuts. This has sparked a surprising interest in all things hair, which is so unlike me as I've always been a bit lazy when it comes to styling. After being shown how to create gorgeous loose waves at Supercuts, I've been curling my hair a whole lot more. I'm also enjoying the Hairburst* gummies (£19.99) which are packed full of hair, skin and nail-boosting vitamins such as Biotin, Selenium and Zinc and taste like strawberry and blackcurrant. I'm halfway through my bottle and I'm convinced my nails are in better condition already. I'll be mentioning these in a future post with a bit more info and its effects on my hair once I've finished my first month.
There's one new product launch that I can't get enough of and it is the L'Oréal Professional Techni.Art French Girl Hair range. If there's anything that the book How To Be Parisian taught me, it's that I hand on heart would give my right arm to be a chic French girl. My stripy tee obsession and penchant for messy hair makes me an honorary Parisienne, right? The Messy Cliché Texture Definition Spray* is a 2-in-1 wonder that can be used pre and post-blow dry to give a bit of volume to fine hair, and the French Froisseé Texture Definition Cream* gives a whole lot of oomph. This one is formulated for thicker hair, but I still use it on my thin hair and I haven't noticed it weighing the hair down. These two are definitely my favourite blow dry products that I've used to date.
This month I tried the NYX Lip Lingerie liquid lipsticks (£6.50) for the first time and from the very first time I used them, I was obsessed! I picked up the shade Bedtime Flirt, which is the most perfect nude pink as it isn't too light on the lips, and it almost has a peachy tone to it. The formula of these is beautiful, being moussy and easy to apply. They dry down on the lips to a super-matte finish that doesn't budge through your morning coffee. I also picked up another shade, so I'm really looking forward to trying that one, and I hope I love it just as much as Bedtime Flirt!
Another new beauty item for me this month was a nail polish, something that I rarely feature in a favourites. I'm not overly bothered about painting my nails, so it really says something. Despite this, I have just about every nail polish shade under sun, except rose gold, the most beautiful shade of them all. My latest discovery fills the rose gold polish hole in my collection and it is the Maybelline SuperStay 7 Day Nail Colour Metallic Silk (£4.49) in Rose Veil*. These Maybelline SuperStay polishes are some of my favourites from the drugstore as they have a high-shine gel finish, apply beautifully and are really long lasting.
I have a couple of skincare favourites, and the first is one that could quite easily also fit into the beauty category. La Roche Posay have brought out the Effeclar Duo (+) Unifiant* (£16.50) a tinted version of their highly popular treatment for blemished skin. It's a beautiful lightweight tinted moisturiser that just melts into the skin and is perfect for evening everything out for no-makeup days.
My final two favourites are some rather exciting pre-release lab samples from one of my fave brands, Merumaya. I've been given a sneak peak of their brand new Retinol Resurfacing Treatment* which will be launching in October and it's all kinds of amazing. I've also been trying out their Youth Preservation Moisturiser with SPF 20* (link is to the SPF 15), which I think is already available but the brand is revamping the packaging of their whole range, starting with these two products and gradually phasing it into the rest of the line. This moisturiser is everything that I could want in a moisuriser right now, it is lightweight, but is still hydrating enough for my skin, isn't greasy, smells amazing and works well under makeup. Also prepare yourselves for a post declaring my love of all things Merumaya in the coming weeks, you definitely need to try their products if you haven't already!
August has been a brilliant, yet exhausting month, and I'm going to wrap it up here, but I also spoke about some of my favourite events that I've been to, as well as TV and foodie bits that I've been loving in my favourites video, which you can watch below. Don't forget to subscribe to my YouTube channel as there are new videos and vlogs weekly!
What have you been loving this month?
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