Wednesday 8 January 2014

November/December Favourites


December was a somewhat busy month and I somehow managed to forgot about posting my monthly favourites and empties for November. I'm rectifying this now by compiling my favourite products from the last two months into this one little post. You may expect the empties to follow very shortly! As it happens, I don't have too many products that differed for each month so here they are!

Topshop Smokey Eye Pallet in Golden Aura:

This little pallet has been pulled out everyday since it arrived. You can see I've already made a serious dent in it. I'm pretty much smitten with every colour in this quad. The top nude is perfect for a base yet has enough shimmer to allow it to play well on it's own should you want a minimalist look. The grey-beige that follows is gorgeously shimmery and is a really lovely crease colour. It's the perfect blend colour and provides a great transition into the third, chocolate-y red shade that follows. This third shade is beautiful in the crease and run under the eye - it can easily create a sleek, evening look or a messy grunge look. The final shade is a black with a gold shimmer through it. I haven't used this as frequently as the others, but it creates a really lovely soft eye line should you want to add some more definition to your lashes and, I imagine, would also work beautifully blended into the crease when you want to go for a more bold, evening look. Basically, all of these shades are great and they blend absolutely gorgeously. I haven't had too much trouble with them lasting throughout the day either. This is my first venture into Topshop's makeup line and I'm very much impressed.


If you haven't already heard me ramble about my love for this, I'll save you the hassle here. You can read about it in it's very own post. What I will say is that my love for this hasn't waned. I've actually incorporated a new REN cleanser into my routine recently as well which I will enlighten you all on in future weeks.


I've had a recent change in hair care over the last couple of months. Being blonde with highlight hair, I've always been loyal to my Matrix So Silver Shampoo. However, when a friend offered me this (it was actually too strong for them and irritated their skin) I snapped it up. For the record, I've been using this for almost two months now and it hasn't irritated my skin yet. I actually really like this product. It has quite a luxurious smell and leaves your hair lovely and soft afterwards while keeping brassy/yellow tones out of my locks.


I've had this for quite a while now and have only just got back into it. I got in a bit of a rut with my makeup (really I just go from one rut to another) and forgot that I how much I love a nude eyeliner on the waterline. This, in conjunction with my Topshop Smokey Eye Pallet is a dream and can give off quite the Kardashian vibe - which I love. I've now made a mental note to always keep this in my makeup bag whether I intend to use it or not. You never know when those eyes will need opening!


This is a relatively new addition, but I must say, I'm impressed. It's definitely not taken over from my favourite - Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme - but it's undoubtedly gotten a little workout of late. I haven't really tried this kind of wand before - it's curved with rubber bristles - but I do get what the fuss is about now. I'm a shocker when it comes to putting on mascara - 3 out of 5 goes I'll touch the wand to my nose/eyelid/cheek. This makes applying much easier because it grabs more of your lashes in one go. It's staying power isn't too bad either. I wouldn't say it's the best volume mascara I've had, but it does the trick.


I know I'm a little late to this train but, whoa lordy. I'm in love. I never thought this would happen to me, but I've fallen. I received this little tester in a beauty box recently and have not been able to apply foundation without it. I'll definitely be grabbing myself the full size when I'm next near the Benefit counter because I just can't believe what a difference this makes. My skin is instantly blurred and feels like the perfect canvas when I put this on, and that's saying a lot because lately my skin has not been behaving! My foundation last so much longer and it just adds that extra help when you want that flawless effect. Rant over.


So my love for Sheer Glow has come back with a vengeance. I recently repurchased and got my colour re-matched. This shade suits me so much better and has only increased my pleasure in using it. Yes, I know how weird I sound about a foundation, but I'm not lying. I genuinely get excited to do my makeup simply because I get to use this baby. It's coverage, it's glow, it's silkiness... It's simply beautiful. Nars, you just bring it.


Around mid-November I decided to venture into the world of facial oils. Like many newbies, I was hesitant. It didn't quite make sense to me and felt very odd to rub oil all over my face. However, I decided to go for it and now I understand what all the fuss is about. I chose to go with just pure rose-hip oil for it's healing and moisturising properties. I was, pretty much, amazed when it sunk in within minutes and left my skin feeling super soft and plump. I haven't been using this nightly or anything - I really don't think my skin needs it. But it definitely adds a bit of luxury, however, to my weekly bath/facial ritual. I'm so glad that I gave this a go, it's definitely opened up a whole new world of products for the future! As for the product itself, I'm really comfortable using this on my face. It's organic and cold-pressed which means the majority of its goodness hasn't been lost through packaging processes. Win!

So there we go. A reasonably extensive list, but these products have all received a fair whack over the last few months. 

What have you been using and loving lately? Let me know in the comments below and give me a +1 if you're feeling kind!

Rachel x

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