Monthly Favourites | September

Wahh, September over ..already?! Gosh, it happens like this every time. I can't handle it being only 86 days until Christmas when it feels like we barely even had a summer. Eep! Third and final year of university is into full swing, Halloween and Bonfire Night are around the corner, and I'm even brainstorming plans for my 21st in November!

This does look a pretty boring bundle of favourites, I'll admit that myself (or maybe it's just the lacklustre colours put together that I'm not digging), but there isn't that many new things that I've been using recently and these are the only things that I could include without completely repeating my August Favourites. My love for skincare has been in full force recently, and I even did a post dedicated just to my current skincare favourites earlier in the month. Anywayyy, here are some of my other September loves:

Origins Gin Zing Energy Boosting Moisturiser

I bet you're sitting there thinking 'blahh, Hannah shut up about this moisturiser already!', and I will I will, I promise this will be the last time I rave about it! I reviewed this in full just yesterday, so you can go back and read my full post and more detailed thoughts on that here, but I just want to say for the record - incase it hasn't been made clear enough already - that I really like this moisturiser. It's oil free and light weight with a zesty citrus orange fragrance to it that gives your skin (and your nostrils!) the perfect morning wake up call. It sinks in quickly without a greasy shine, helping to create a great base for make up and perking up the complexion with a caffeine boost! 

Origins Make a Difference+ Rejuvenating Treatment

Please can somebody give me £34 to be able to buy the full size of this treatment? Pleaaase? I love it so much! This treatment was also in my skincare favourites post, but I wanted to mention it again. It's a moisturising treatment that works beyond the top layer of the skin and really penetrates deep down to hydrate deeper layers of the skin and I've seen such dramatic improvements to my skin quality just from this sample tube (sadly, it's all gone now! :( ). It's really made a difference. I've noticed dry patches vanishing, excess oil more controlled, redness subsiding and blemishes fading quicker - it's like magic! I need more.

Caudalie Cleansing Water

Caudalie has knocked Bioderma off my top spot for 'go to make up remover'. In fact, Bioderma rarely even gets a look in anymore! The two micelle waters have the same super powers at effortless removing make up with just a sweep of a cotton pad, but the Caudalie variant feels much more gentle on the skin and doesn't leave my skin dried out or irritated like Bioderma can do with contined use. If you've not yet tried Caudalie Cleansing Water, I would highly recommend it! Perfect refresher for the skin in a morning, and absolutely heaven for taking off make up at the end of the day. 

The Body Shop Tea Tree Blemish Fade Night Lotion

Okay, so even though my skin care routine has been in full force recently, and my skin has drastically improved, I am still prone to a spot or two (or five). It's just the nature of my skin, my hormones and the stack of tablets that I take to try and make my body work properly (don't ask!). Spots are something I'm so used to now that I'm really not bothered by them. However, I've pulled this little gem out of my stash recently and discovered it's super powers. It's basically tea tree oil, but in lotion form to use as a night time treatment and I've been using it since the Make A Difference+ ran out. It's full of antibacterial properties that fight away spots but it also moisturises the skin and helps it to speed up the healing process of the skin, so that not only does the spot disappear quicker but so does the redness and the damaged area of the skin - so fingers crossed no scarring from long term spots! The results aren't immediate or jaw dropping, but with continued use I'm expecting some good changes to my skin from this. 

The Body Shop Coconut Shower Cream

To anybody who is interested in washing their body in a rich, foamy and creamy tropical heaven; this one is for you! The Body Shop's shower creams are thicker, richer and creamier (duh) that their shower gels and they feel amazing. How much more can I really say about a shower gel? They do tend to be pretty standard, but these from TBS combine gorgeous scents, with fantastic quality and a well balanced price (£4). This also contains a little bit of coconut oil and moisturises dry skin - perfect! 

'It's a 10!' Miracle Leave-In Treatment

Earlier in September I posted a full review on this treatment (post here), and I also held a giveaway after buying two bottles of it (recently won by Lauryn from Funfairs and Fairydust). The clue is in the name, but this leave-in spray conditioner treatment has 10 benefits for the hair that include detangling, controlling frizz, protecting hair colour, thermal protection, smoothness, shine and prevention of damage! It sounds pretty amazing, and it is pretty amazing! I've been spritzing this through wet hair after every wash before detangling and it really helps to add extra softness, managability and strength to the hair. I can't see me going back to Redken Radiant-10 now after using this!

Barry M 'Lash Vegas' Mascara*

I just thought I'd bring to your attention a very underrated, but pretty impressive mascara that I've been having a play with recently. I was gifted this at an event when they were being given out by the handful, and currently they are a 'gift with purchase' when you spend a certain amount on Barry M products, so the way that these are being handed out willy nilly you'd expect them to be a bit naff. Well, at least I would anyway, especially as Barry M is hardly reknowned for having great mascaras. But I tried it out nonetheless and here it is as one of my favourite products of the month! It doesn't look like much, and it's cheap and cheerful - but it does a great job! More than anything this is a lengthening mascara, not much volume is added and it does add a considerable curl as well, but the length that this offers to the lashes is pretty wow. It wears quite well but at the end of the day it does start to flake and crumble a little bit, but other than that I am loving this for my every day mascara. Move over, Benefit They're Real!

Thanks for reading!
What have been your favourites this month?

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Current Skincare Favourites

I've recently embarked on a huge skincare overhaul after the bulk of my severe acne clearing up and being left with relatively managable skin that just needed a bit of brushing up and some general tender loving care to keep balanced and under control. After splashing out a fair amount of money, being generously gifted with a few bits and pieces, a whole lot of trial and error, I think I've finally found the perfect bundle of products that's working for me and my face. It's important to bare in mind that everybody's skin is different, so these may all work differently for you than they do for me, but my skin is quite volatile and one application with a product that disagrees with my skin and I'll be still suffering with an angry breakout two weeks later. (Yes,  that is very frustrating!).

Here's what I'm working with at the moment and seeing great results:

Caudalie Cleansing Water Make Up Remover (£9.00 / 100ml)

After hearing from Kayleigh numerous times that this Caudalie Cleansing Water is a superior version of Bioderma and far more gentle on the skin, I decided to give it a try after finding that continuous use of Bioderma was making my skin quite dried out. Well, she was right and this Caudalie version puts Bioderma to shame! It still takes make up off with the same ease (maybe not as good at waterproof eye make up) but it feels nourishing on the skin, as opposed to stripping. This has been my go-to for taking off make up at the end of the day.

N Spa Hot Cloth Cleanser* (£7.00 / 250ml)

I was gifted this mini size hot cloth cleanser by N Spa to help promote their Beauty and Bathing Rituals ranges and this one was an unexpected impressive little gem. I won't be the only person to claim that this is better than the hot cloth cleanser from Liz Earle, and in my eyes it really is. I've sung the praises of Liz Earle C&P before, but I now prefer using this option from N Spa at a fraction of the cost and I definitely reach for it more. I'd highly recommend trying to hunt this brand down in your local Asda store. I use this as my part 2 of a double cleanse in the evenings after removing my make up with the Caudalie Cleansing Water (part 1). It helps to give a deeper and more thorough cleanse of the skin, while adding nourishment from the cocoa butter and removing the cream with a warm muslin cloth also gives the skin a gentle exfoliation too. 

REN ClearCalm 3 Clarifying Clay Cleanser (£18.00 / 150ml)

I use this REN cleanser either as my morning cleanser, or on days when I haven't worn make up (so instead of doing a double cleanse with the above two products, I will use this one alone). This has fast become my favourite cleanser ever, and for anybody who gets oily skin and is quite blemish prone then I would highly recommend this. This creamy clay formula helps to absorb excess oils and impurities that can cause spots, leaving the skin refreshed, purified and balanced. I love how it's targetted for oily/blemished skin but has never caused any drying like a lot of others can do.

St Ives Invigorating Apricot Scrub (£4.29 / 150ml)

Arguably the only budget product in this post, and I'm sorry if it seems like I have expensive taste, it's not intentional (because of course who wouldn't prefer to use cheaper products) but I think that it's better quality ingredients in the higher end brands that are working well for me. St. Ives is an exception, and I actually bought this tube for less than £2 when it was on offer and it is amazing. It has quite large, and fairly abrasive grains within the soft creamy wash and it really scrubs like no other. Around once a week I use this and focus around my nose and chin where the blocked pores are help to shift away any dead skin cell build up.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner* (£25.00 / 125ml)

I've been using this exfoliating toner more and more recently as it really finishes off a thorough cleanse. It's quite a thick and gel-like lotion that moisturises the skin as it sweeps away any remaining cleanser on the skin, but it also contains AHAs to chemically exfoliate the top layer of skin. It's a good multi-purpose product that I've been enjoying using a couple times a week. I should be more regimented with using a toner, but for me they're a bit of a 'meh' step and I like to use this to exfoliate as well as tone.

Murad Osmolyte Tonic (£9.95 / 15ml)

A relatively new addition after being one of the contents of my September Love Me Beauty Box but I instantly had a feeling that I'd like this, and I do! One thing I don't like is the spray dispenser isn't very fine and no matter what distance you spritz from it still leaves your skin a bit 'wet' and sometimes dripping! But the tonic itself is very impressive - Imagine simply putting water on your face and it working to hydrate your face to the same extent as your most intense of moisturisers. It soothes, nourishes, plumps and hydrates and works instantly with long lasting effects. A handy quick moisturising spray to use after cleansing/toning and before any treatments.  

Origins Make A Difference+ Rejuvenating Treatment (£34.00 / 50ml)

(15ml sample when purchasing Gin Zing from Origins) Out of all the products in this post (aside from the REN clay cleanser), this is my number one! I'm reaching the last little bits in this sample tube and I'm definitely going to repurchase the full size, despite it being a pretty expensive skincare item. I've never used something and noticed such dramatic results, so quickly. I've really seen a change just from using this small bottle and I'm very, very impressed. This treatment intensely moisturises but also treats the skin deep down through the layers. I've noticed redness reducing, dry patches disappearing, oily patches balancing, spots fading, skin generally looking plumper, clearer and more refreshed.

Origins Gin Zing Energising Moisturiser (£23.00 / 50ml)

Everybody's favourite product of the moment! I described this on my Instagram as 'coffee for your face', and it really is like a wake me up boost to your face. It's oil free and very light on the skin so it sinks right into the skin but adds and instant boost and a glow to your skin, to take you from zombie to 'ready to face the day' in about 30 seconds. Since I got this, there hasn't been a morning when I haven't used this.

Origins Plantscription Eye Cream (£36.50 / 15ml)

(5ml sample when purchasing Gin Zing from Origins) I don't see a great fuss with what's a good eye cream, and what's not a good eye cream, and I doubt I'd even notice a difference if I didn't use one at all. Well, until I'm 40 and it's too late then. This was a sample with an order and I've been using it twice daily and I have to say it gets a thumbs up. I probably wouldn't buy the full size, but I'm liking this at the moment as it's nice and rich but sinks in quickly without any residue so it makes a good base for concealers etc. around the eye.

I hope you enjoyed reading what's working for my skin at the moment.

What's working well for you at the moment?

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Summer 2013 Beauty Highlights

When I drafted up this post yesterday afternoon I was huddled up in a blanket, cradling a hot water bottle and looking out a gloomy grey skies and included the phrase 'Adios 'til next year, sun!' in the opening paragraph for this blog post. So I've just had to come back and alter my introduction because of the absolutely glorious turn around today - I've even done a spot of sunbathing and got some outdoor garden snaps! Maybe it's not adios 'til next year the for the sun then, and we've got a bit of bipolar weather coming our way. I'm all in favour of extra sun, but I'm not keen on the idea waking up and it looks like December, but by lunchtime you're stripping layers off and hunting for sunglasses! Is summer over yet, or not? I want to decide whether it's time to properly pull out my knitted jumpers and fluffy socks yet.

Anyway, I don't know if it's just me and I've only been paying half attention to new releases over the summer, but is Bourjois the only brand that has been bringing anything new to those highstreet shelves? Whereas last year it was Revlon that truly ruled the drugstore roost, this year all the hype has been directed towards Bourjois and their hit after hit in the cosmetic field. But what about everyone else? Where is everyone else's new releases worth noting for Summer 2013?!

Here are my general beauty highlights for Summer 2013 - not necessarily all new releases - just the products that I have found myself reaching for on a regular basis over the past couple of months:

Skincare

Liz Earle Eye Bright Soothing Eye Lotion

Avene Eau Thermale Thermal Spring Water Spray

Clarins Liquid Bronze Self Tanning*

Any fellow hayfever suffers out there will appreciate the distress caused by the higher than average pollen count in the recent months, and sympathise with the woes caused by puffy, itchy and frequently streaming eyes that accompany this wonderful season, where even just your neighbour innocently mowing their lawn can cause your sinuses to explode. Liz Earle's Eye Bright lotion came to my rescue as a soothing and calming lotion to refresh tired and puffy eyes. I get easily irritated eyes and sometimes they really just need a little calming down and some TLC, so a cotton pad soaked in this witch hazel and aloe vera lotion can really do the trick. Avene's Eau Thermale was a holiday essential for me; especially with such a hot and humid climate in Tunisia. Even though this is essentially just purified water in a pressurised container, it is still a lifesaver for refreshing skin and bringing body temperature down when it all just gets a little bit too hot. Remember those humid evenings a while back when everyone wished they had aircon?.. This little buddy was never left my bedside table and was regularly spritzed over my arms and chest area when trying to cool down and sleep! I can't say that I've used loads and loads of the Clarins Liquid Bronze, as I did get it quite recently and have also toned down how regularly I've been using it, but I could still sing it's praises all day long! You'd be best off reading my recent full post on this if you're interested as it is a really effortless and foolproof natural looking moisturising facial tanner.

Body

Garnier Ambre Solaire Aftersun Hydrating Tan Maintainer

Garnier SummerBody Gradual Tanning Lotion

The Body Shop Mango Body Mist

There's no point working hard on building up a tan and then not carrying on the effort to maintain it, and that's why Garnier's Hydrating Tan Maintainer Aftersun has been a big highlight of the summer. A lightweight gel formula aftersun that sinks in, cools and moisturises, with an extra added bonus of a very subtle self tanning ingredient to add a little boost to your natural tan. Before I actually developed any real kind of tan that needed to be maintained, though, I had to fake it out and use Garnier's SummerBody Gradual Tanner which is (in my eyes) the best gradual tanning lotion out there - on a budget, at least. I adore the fact it smells like fruit, instead of mouldy biscuits and gives an effortless and even hint of colour to the skin, that starts of very subtle from the first use and can be controlled and built up daily. The Body Shop's Mango Body Mist has been my fragrance of the summer; a beautifully uplifting and energising boost of smooth and fresh fruitiness that really captures the scent of summer.

Make Up 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Radiant Reveal Foundation

Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon - Red Sunrise

Wellll, the make up section for this post is looking a little sparse, but I honestly couldn't pluck my brain for any more highlights. I've literally been using the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation every single day since I got it, regardless of the occasion, because it's just so good. It's flexible too and a light layer can be applied for an easy going every day look, or it can be built up a little more for a fuller coverage base when the occasion arises. I've only tried two of these amazing Color Boost Lip Crayons, but I definitely LOVE Red Sunrise. It's  the quickest and easiest way to switch any make up look up to 10x more glam, in about 5 seconds! In one quick and easy swipe you'll have vibrant pinky red lips with a high gloss shine and smoothing moisturisation that lasts for hours. 

Nails 

Models Own Hedonist

Models Own Luis Lemon

Barry M Gelly 'Hi-Shine' - Grapefruit

Bourjois 1 Second Gel - Turquoise Block

Oh I do love a good summer manicure. Bright colours are my faveee! I've picked a range of pretty brights that I've been drawn to over the past few months: Models Own Hedonist made it's way onto my nails the most amount of times, and was even lucky enough to be chosen as my holiday nails colour. Absolutely gorgeous vibrant coral colour. Models Own Luis Lemon is a new favourite that I wish I could wear all of the time. Seriously, fluorescent neon yellow that's so neon it practically glows in the dark! It wouldn't be a highlights post without bringing in some of Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine nail varnishes, now would it? Like everybody else, I went totally ga-ga for these polishes. Opaque in one coat, quick drying with a super glossy gel-like finish - what's not to love. Then, along came the Bourjois 1 Sec Gel nail varnishes with a very similar concept, only with a super wide brush that made things even quicker! 

Bourjois comes out on top for this one.

Thanks for reading!

Now, excuse me while I go and curl up in my duvet with a hot chocolate make the most of the spontaneous sunshine!

Related blog posts:

Eau Thermale: Avene or La Roche Posay | Sunshine in a Bottle: Clarins Liquid Bronze | Review: Garnier SummerBody Gradual Tanning Lotion | The Body Shop Mango Range | Nails: Bright Yellow (Ciate or Models Own).

Twitter | Bloglovin | Instagram | Facebook *PR Sample --- Check out my September Gold advertiser, Lydia, and her amazing blog: Lydiarosexo.blogspot.co.uk ♥

Monthly Favourites | August

So.. the end of August has rolled around, meaning that another month has been and passed us by. The end of August also more or less symbolizes the end of Summer too! :( Boo! The silver lining on that cloud, however, is that I can now write up a Summer Highlights blog post. Yay! For now though, here's the beauty bits I've been loving through the month of August:

Liz Earle 'Cleanse and Polish' Hot Cloth Cleanser - Original and Grapefruit and Patchouli

Yep, I was the last person in the whole world to try out Liz Earle's award winning and much loved Cleanse and Polish cleanser. I've included both variants in this favourites post, as I do use and love them both equally. I enjoy the Limited Edition version for a morning cleanse because of the more uplifting and invigoration sensation from the fresh citrus fragrance, and I prefer the original for an evening cleanse because of the calming and relaxing rosemary and chamomile extracts. These both leave the skin feeling so cleansed and refreshed but also soft and supple at the same time and I would recommend either of them to anybody.

Full Review of the Original C&P: here.

Full Review of the Limited Ed. C&P: here.

Vitage Vitamin C Skin Radiance Serum*

Not usually a product I'd expect to feature in a favourites post, as serums are a skincare step I feel a little bit iffy about - probably because I've never experienced one that has done any good for me or made a noticeable difference. This one was sent as a little surprise extra along with another product that I was expecting from Vitage and my first thoughts were very much 'hmm a serum, whatevs'. But, I put it to trial in good beauty blogger fashion and WOW. This radiance serum has claims to firm, brighten and even the skin tone and these are claims that I wish every radiance product would live up to. I really feel like this step before moisturising helps to add a natural luminance to my skintone and gives it a boost of health - so I pretty much like I eat vegetables for every meal of the day and drink gallons and gallons of water all the time! Although, when it costs £53.00 for 28ml, I have to say I'd expect nothing less than amazement. 

Real Techniques Expert Face Brush*

This has changed the way I apply my foundation since using this brush! Since the first time I used the Expert Face Brush I've not touched my Buffing Brush once, and it just doesn't even compare. Seriously, if you have the RT Buffing Brush and think it's good ..try this one instead! I find that for some reason the same amount of product goes further when using this brush (e.g. with the Buffing Brush I'd use 1.5 pumps of foundation, but with this I need less than 1, for the same coverage with the same foundation). The small brush head makes application more precise in fiddly areas like the nose and under the eyes, and the result is an amazingly flawless but still natural looking coverage. LOVE.

Full Review: here.

ELF Blush and Bronze Cream Contour Duo - St. Lucia

I have wanted to do a full review post on this compact duo, but I just haven't had the chance to get around to it yet. This duo has got a very lovely NARS-esque feel to it, and I'd pay so much more than £3.75 for it! What a bargain. (This picture is from the haul post when I first got it; it looks a little bit of a sorry mess now that I've stippled the hell out of it!). Two beautifully flattering contour shades in a perfect, matte brown shade that is so far from orange it is a ideal to chisel in some cheekbones, and a lovely rosey pink shade that makes a very pretty blush on fair skin. The consistency is super soft and creamy, they're not as soft as butter - they're softer than butter! And they stay as a cream formula too, none of this cream-to-powder nonsense. They blend really easily and have the staying power to rival absolutely anything in my make up collection. My one criticism is that they so, so pigmented that it can be easy to go a bit OTT and even a slight tap into the product with a make up brush can be a little too much - so go easy! (Swatches at the beginning and end of this post show one light swipe of each colour)

Maybelline 24hr Color Tattoo - On and On Bronze

Another product that I'm 10 hours late to the party with discovering how great it is. I really should just learn to listen to the hype that surrounds a product and buy into it straight away, instead of just dismissing them. Actually, I shouldn't encourage that at all - I already buy wayy to much! But why have I gone all of this time without the little marvel?! I have a sizeable stash of these Color Tattoos now, but On and On Bronze is definitely my most used and favourite shade. It's so wearable for so many different occasions and I'm pretty sure the subtle bronze colouring would be flattering on any complexion. I love wearing this as a one colour shadow for a simple day time look, or making it more intense as as base for other colours for a more dramatic look. It's also easy to smudge and use just as a liner, on either the upper or lower lashlines. Such a versatile product in a gorgeous shade.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Lipstick - #10 Rouge Buzz

I've recently entered into a full blown love affair with orange toned red lipsticks. Gone are my days of being restricted to solely fuchsia pink, and I've branched out into a different realm of bold. #10 Rouge Buzz is my absolute favourite shade from my Bourjois Rouge Edition lipsticks, and at first I compared it to Mac's Morange, but I've since been corrected and told it's actually more similar to Lady Danger (although I own neither of these from Mac so have struggled to compare accurately). The consistency is soft and creamy with a high glossy shine finish and average staying power, but it really is the colour that I'm in love with. It could just be me but I feel like it really brings out my eyes ..if you've got blue peepers then maybe take a look at this shade!

You can see an Instagram picture of me wearing this here and also here.

Full Review: here.

Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayon - Red Sunrise

It's no secret that Bourjois has been on fire recently with their new cosmetic releases and I've really been enjoying a couple of their Color Boost lip crayons. We all know the drill now with these lip balm crayons and how they offer long lasting moisturisation to the lips with a strong hit of a colour, in a novelty format of a crayon style applicator. I'm personally a big fan of the lip crayon style products and haven't got bored of the endless releases of them yet! I am particularly loving Red Sunrise, from the new Bourjois range - one of their brightest and boldest shades, in a beautiful pinky red shade. For the moisturisation that these offer on the lips, it's really fantastic how pigmented and also long lasting the colour pay off is too. I love the glossy finishes of these ones too so that you essentially have a balm, colour and gloss all in one!

One last random favourite to throw into the mix, and that's my new blog design! I mentioned it briefly in my Cleanse & Polish post how happy I was with it, but now it is completely, 100% finished and I can't express enough how much I love it. Serena was absolutely amazing to work with: so quick and efficient, skilled and creative. She brought to life any ideas that I had and was done in less than a day, all for a very reasonable total of £20. It's exactly what I was hoping for and I do feel that it has a couple of very unique touches too it. If you're looking for a layout refresh, Pretty Wild Things is the place for you to go!

Thanks for reading!

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--- Check out my September Gold advertiser, Lydia, and her amazing blog: Lydiarosexo.blogspot.co.uk ♥

Monthly Favourites | July

It was quite a difficult task to pick out a bunch of favourites for the month of July, and I even considered not doing a favourites post this month because it was so hard to rack my brains and think of particular things that I've been enjoying using. In general I've been feeling very unmotivated, uninspired and everything in my life seems to be a little lackluster at the moment - yuck! Hopefully the dull grey cloud will lift from over my head asap and I can get back to normal again. (I suspect that it's the 'all work and no play' routine I've got into that has triggered this feeling).

I didn't want to break the tradition and miss out one of my favourite types of posts 

..so here is my July Favourites:

Original Source Shower Gel - Pink Grapefruit

Obviously not a life changing product - a shower gel. But I really wanted to mention this new seasonal edition from Original Source, mainly because of the heavenly scent! These can be found nationwide in the likes of Asda and Wilkinsons for just £1 each! (They're the two stores I've seen them for that price, there may be more places). They're a pretty standard formula as far as shower gels go and lather up to a nice mountain of bubbles to leave you feeling fresh, but I just adore the zingy and sugary fruity scent of this one. Why have I never known how good pink grapefruit smells before? It's really invigorating and for just £1 it's well worth sprucing up your shower with some yummy fruitiness.

Tresemme Keratin Smooth Deep Conditioning Mask

I have to say I'm not a fan of the matching shampoo and conditioner from this Keratin Smooth range, but the Deep Conditioning Mask is a little something special. It's a fantastic budget intensive treatment for the hair and while the results may not be permanent or long lasting, it offers an instant boost of smoothness to unruly hair. I use this around once a week in addition to a regular conditioner, wrap my hair up and leave this on for about 10 minutes and then rinse it out and find that my hair is instantly much more manageable, softer and smoother. This offers really reliable results if you're after a quick fix for your hair!

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner*

This skincare gem has ranked highly over the past fortnight and following the nightmare of my Liquid Gold and Radiance Renewal running out at the same time (!!) my skin has been flagging and crying out for some AHAs and chemical exfoliation back in it's life. The effects of this toner are by no means as immediate or as intense as those with Alpha H Liquid Gold, but it is a more gentle formula and is suitable to use twice daily, which I have been doing and have loved how much perkier and bright my complexion has been looking following a regular mild exfoliation with this lotion. 

N Spa Melting Gel Cleanser*

I briefly touched upon how much I like this cleanser in my post on the N Spa Beauty & Bathing Rituals, but it definitely deserves more of a mention. This is a super cheap cleanser (£6.00 for the full size, this is a mini) and it feels like you're giving yourself a luxurious spa treatment when using it. It sets off as a thick and oily gel that you rub onto dry skin and it dissolves away all traces of make-up, dirt etc from the skin and then body temperature melts the product down into a thick oil consistency that really helps the skin feel supple and hydrated. When rinsed with water the oil emulsifies to form a milk and washes away to reveal fresh and clean skin. 

Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat

Gotta love a rediscovery of an old favourite! This coveted little gold pen stays in it's box most of the time and in a prized position in my make up collection, saved for 'special occasions' - so much so that it hardly ever gets used. I've been pulling it out more frequently over the past few weeks and loving the under eye highlight and general illumination of the face that can be achieved by using this. It really does deserve it's 'holy grail' status. 

Ciate Nail Varnish - Speed Dial and Big Yellow Taxi

What would my monthly favourites be without a mention of nail varnish?! Cosmetic Crave has gone into nail loving overload during July with two Fragrance Direct nail varnish hauls (OPI and Essie, and just Essie), an OPI nails post, a 'nail of the day' with Speed Dial, and a comparison of Big Yellow Taxi with Luis Lemon - Phew! So many nail posts! The two Ciate polishes that I've really been gravitating towards recently are two that I've done posts on recently: Speed Dial and Big Yellow Taxi. They're lovely and bright colours suitable for summer nails and the quality is absolutely faultless.

Seche Vite Top Coat

With nail varnish obsession must come a suitable quick drying high gloss top coat and Seche Vite fits the bill for that. The cream of the crop in top coats, this clear gloss adds an almost gel like finish to any quality of nail varnish with a high shine gloss, it dries completely in a matter of minutes and can last up to a week with no major chips and only tip wear. It's fantastic!

Sorry for the lack of enthusiasm at the very start of this post - I promise I'll cheer up soon!
Thanks for reading anyway.

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Monthly Favourites | June

I hate to be the one to break out the cliche and talk about how quickly the year is going, but the fact that June is now over equals the hard hitting fact that we are halfway through 2013. Already?! Time needs to slow down; it's gonna be Christmas again before we know it! 

There's quite a few holiday related products within this post, but I went away in June so that is to be expected within this month's favourites. Hopefully if you have an upcoming holiday then this could help you with some key products that you should be looking to get your paws on to take away with you, because every single one of these has been a staple for me over the past few weeks:

Garnier Ambre Solaire Tan Maintaining After Sun

You might think that aftersun is an odd product to include as a monthly favourite, and that's what I thought when I saw it in Beth/Bird's Words's favourites from May too, but it struck an interest with me and seeing it half price in Boots for only about £3 led me to throw it in my basket. Aftersun is an absolute essential on holidays, and even in the UK on those occasional rare sunny days, to give your skin back all of the moisture that's been lost from the sun/heat, and the last thing anybody wants is for their skin to peel - ew, peeling shoulders! So this after sun lotion does it's job of rehydrating and soothing your baked skin, but it also has a subtle (it's not that subtle actually) fake tan ingredient within it too, to help boost and deepen your natural tan. Call it cheating if you will, but my skin takes a while to upgrade from anything other than milky white so I needed a little innocent help to feel good in my bikini and other skimpy clothing. Waking up in the morning ready for a day by the pool already looking gently sunkissed and bronzed all over my skin without the biscuity smell and without the risk of further sun damage left me feeling pretty smug. 

Avene Eau Thermale Spray

Another holiday must-have was this cooling spray from Avene. I also got one from La Roche Posay and I'm planning a comparison post of the two, but this should give you a prior indication that Avene was my preferred choice. It's not anything to get overly excited about, as it is more or less just a can of really purifed water that sprays out in a very fine, cool mist to refresh the skin. It was really lovely to use in hot and humid weather to refresh the skin, as well as cooling any areas that may be burnt or irritated - I found it particularly useful to use on my legs to remedy a collection of super itchy bites from some critter that feasted on me whilst I was riding a camel!

Aussie Miracle Hair Insurance Spray

Ahh, good old Aussie and their aaaamazing smelling hair products! Having naturally thick and course hair that is prone to frizz, and in humid conditions - extreme frizz, I always need something on hand to help keep my hair as smooth as possible, because sometimes even the most intense of conditioners can't quite handle it! A leave-in conditioner is one the best products for dry and frizzy hair, and this one is particularly great. It helps to detangle the hair and make it more manageable, as well as adding a long-lasting boost of moisture and nourishment into the hair in a quick and easy spritz.

Models Own Nail Varnishes: Bora Bora and Hedonist

For the past 5-6 weeks Hedonist barely ever left my fingernails, and it's even on right now. It's quite unusual, infact more like unheard of, for me to remove my nail varnish and then repaint it the same colour straight away again, especially not three times in a row! But maaan, I do love this colour. It's a really bright orange shade that crosses over into the realm of super neon. I did a full post on Bora Bora complete with more pictures of it on my nails that you can see here, and this is a beautiful really fine gold glitter polish that coats the nails opaquely in just two coats, without the need for a base colour.

Bare Minerals 'Prime Time' Neutralising Foundation Primer*

Following my full review on this primer, I received a couple of comments from people stating that they had never actually heard of the neutralising version of this award-winning primer before, confirming that I'm not the only person who's radar this amazing product had slipped under. This is an interesting yellow toned neutralising/colour correcting primer that helps to balance out redness in the skin and subdue the appearance of any blemishes and imperfections, all while creating a flawless and smoother base in preparation for make-up.

Bourjois Radiant Reveal Healthy Mix Foundation

After hearing every woman and their mother talk about their love for this foundation, I was too tempted to try it out for myself and see what all the fuss was about. Let me tell you this: This foundation deserves all of the hype it is receiving and more. I've said it before, but this is without a doubt the best foundation to hit high street shelves since Rimmel Wake Me Up. This offers a long lasting medium coverage that feels light on the skin and gives a fantastic looking base, helping the skin to look bright, awake and healthy - all for less than £10!

MUA Power Pout in Runway

You can see my full review on a pair of these Power Pouts (Runway and Broken Hearted) by clicking here, where I gush in depth about how much I love them. For only £3, yes that's right - £3.00, these crayon style balm and stain hybrids are one of the best on the market, offering moisturisation to the lips with a bold splash of bright and pigmented long lasting colour. The shade Runway was my staple evening colour every single night on holiday as it is a really bright orange toned red.

So, that's what I've been loving through the month of June - what have you been loving?

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