February Beauty Favourites
I found it very difficult to pick my favourites this month, I've been using and loving so many new things, which made it a very tough decision! However, I eventually narrowed my selection down to five products that have been regulars on my dressing table/at my bathroom sink this month.
Essie Shearling Darling - £12.99
Danny bought me the Essie Winter Collection for my birthday and I instantly fell in love with this gorgeous deep wine colour. I like that the colour isn't too red, it's quite dark so goes with pretty much everything. It also looks great with any kind of metallic detail or accent, and as with all Essie shades, applies and lasts beautifully.
Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Mont Blanc - £31
As you probably know, I've been eyeing up this foundation forever, and finally decided to take the plunge. I picked it up in the shade Mont Blanc, which is the second lightest shade, and ideal for fair but pink toned skin (as opposed to yellow tones). I could rave about this stuff all day (and will do at a later date), but for now will just say that this is undoubtedly my HG foundation. I can't see myself ever using anything else ever again. It has amazing coverage, a little goes a long way, and at the same time it feels completely weightless on my skin. I love the 'glow' effect as well, I'm not really a fan of matte foundations but this creates a realistically flawless looking complexion. It's really good at counteracting redness and dark marks, so I barely need to use any concealer when I use this. It is love.
Bumble & Bumble Surf Spray - 21.50
I've tried just about every 'surf spray' that the shelves of Boots had to offer, but as I have very thick, naturally straight hair, its really hard to create and hold a wave, and none of them hacked it. Until this one. I remember when Bumble & Bumble wasn't even available in the UK and I spent hours trawling the Internet for a site that would ship this to the UK without charging a small fortune. Since finding one, I've never been without a bottle. I apply this onto newly washed, unbrushed hair after applying a liberal spritz of Bumble & Bumble Prep Spray, scrunch through my hair, and then blow dry (without brushing!). Although I get an instant subtle wave, I always find that its much more exaggerated and authentic looking on second day hair. And it smells beautiful!
Dead Sea Spa Magik Gentle Cleansing Facial Wash - £8.80
I've had a few sample sizes of this cleanser from Birchbox and loved it, so decided to purchase the full-size when I ran out of minis. I tend to use this as a morning cleanser as it does a good job of removing the buildup and residue from my overnight products without being too strong. It has a strangely light, almost mousse-like texture, which becomes creamier when applied, and has the usual Dead Sea Spa Magik scent, which I can only describe as mineraly? I was a little disappointed to see that when my full-size arrived it was a new formula, with tea tree... I tend to avoid cleansers targeted towards spot-prone skin (especially anything overly tea tree/witch hazel), as they tend to be way too strong for sensitive skin, especially on a regular basis. However, there isn't a huge amount of tea tree in this, and I haven't noticed my skin showing any signs of being irritated, so thumbs up to DSSM!
La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+]* - £15.50
I reviewed this newly formulated version of La Roche Posay's cult favourite recently (see here), but couldn't not include it in my monthly favourites. I've been using this twice a day for the few weeks and am loving the effects. All the goodness of the original version with the added benefit of preventing spots from scarring. Whilst it hasn't worked wonders on my existing spot scars, its done a great job of preventing recent spots from scarring. If you suffer from spots there is no reason why you shouldn't have a stash of this stuff in your cupboard.
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