July/ August Favourites

I didn't manage to write last months favourites so I decided to write a combined favourite post.

July Favourites

1) Mac lipstick- Girl About Town

This featured on my 'First Mac Purchases' post and is the one I've been wearing the most. I never thought this colour would suit me, but I'm in love with it. It was perfect for the summer, but now the nights are drawing in, I often grab this for nights out, paired with a nude eye. I have definitely started a full blown love affair with Mac, purchasing another lipstick last month and with another three on my wishlist.

2) The Body Shop - Vitamin E Sorbet

I bought this a couple of days after my holiday after seeing someone review it. I really wanted to give my skin a break from makeup and sun cream after wearing it every night for two weeks. This has a jelly like texture and is quite different to all the other skin care products I own. I'm trying to find a way to incorporate it daily into my routine, as at the minute, I just put it on whenever I'm having a makeup free day.

3) Soap & Glory - Hand Food

This is something I've had since Christmas, but after rediscovering it during a clear out of my drawers, I've been using it daily. I tend to wear this at night as it's a bit thick for my liking, for day time use. However, it's got rid of the dry skin on my hands, and smells exactly like Righteous Butter which is always a good thing.

4) Purple Lemon Bath & Body Co - Tee Tree Toner

Purple Lemon Bath & Body Co are a local company who sometimes attend local craft fairs. All their ingredients are natural (similar to Lush) so I ended up purchasing one of their toners to try out. I think it was about £3.50 which is a bargain.

5) Essence - Coral Calling Lipstick

I purchased a couple of lipsticks in Bulgaria, as Essence wasn't yet available locally. I loved this colour so much, I bought another one for my Hull Blogger Box Swap. Considering the price of these (about a couple of quid) the quality is amazing and I already have my eye on a few other shades.

August Favourites

1) Essence - All About Matte

Essence came into our Wilko's recently, and after trying a couple of their lipsticks that I purchased in Bulgaria,I really wanted to try some of their other products. I love my Rimmel Stay Matte powder but it's coming to the end of it's life, so when I saw this for £3.50, I decided to give it a go. The powder instantly takes away shine, and actually keeps my skin matte for quite some time.

2) Tarte - Rainforest After Dark Palette

I asked my parents to bring this back from America for me along with some other bits (haul soon, I promise.) The packaging for this is amazing and is definitely the most luxurious product I own. I want to write a more in depth review, so I'll leave you with a photo of what it looks like inside.

3) Bioderma Micellar Water

I bought this from a pharmacy in Bulgaria and it was £10 for 250 mls. I was curious more than anything because I've seen so many rave reviews from other bloggers. I wanted to try it to see if it was worth the hefty price tag, especially as it was a bit cheaper in Bulgaria. I'll probably post a more in depth review in the future, but whilst I'm not 100% sure I'll purchase this again because of the price, it definitely is a treat to use. It doesn't sting my eyes one bit and smells amazing.

4) Got2Be Oil-Licious Weightless Dry Oil Mist

I really like Got2Be products, and after my holiday, I wanted to invest in some more hair care. I hate getting my fingers greasy with hair oils, so this is perfect for me. I got it from Savers for £2.50, a lot cheaper than other places. This leaves my hair feeling really soft and smelling nice and is something I use daily.

5) Real Techniques Blush Brush

I bought this towards the end of the month, after discovering an amazing offer at Boots. All brushes were buy one, get the second half price. I also had a £2 off voucher through the Boots app if I spent over £10 on brushes. I bought the Blush brush and the Expert Face brush, but I've definitely been reaching blush brush almost everyday.

Latest In Beauty Glamour Beauty Edit Review

Latest in Beauty have once again teamed up with Glamour to bring us nine different beauty products that are perfect for summer! I've been keeping my eye on the Glamour Beauty Edits for a while now, not really being that interested in the last couple, but this seasons has been amazing.

For just £16.95 including postage, the fact you get nine products is incredible value. Here's exactly what I got and my thoughts on them.

The product most bloggers seem to be excited about is the Illamasqua lipsticks. A world exclusive; each box contains a full sized lipstick from the new Glamore nude collection. I know a few people said the lipsticks didn't suit them, as the shades vary, but I was lucky enough to receive the shade 'Minx.' It's a gorgeous, browny red which actually suits me. The price of this lipstick alone is more than the whole value of the box. 

I was also excited for the Magnifibres Brush on false lashes. I don't own anything like this, so was happy this was in the box. You apply a layer of mascara, then the fibres, then another layer and get an amazing false lash effect.

The Rimmel London Sunshimmer Instant Tan BB Perfecter was something I wasn't particularly interested in. I have never wore fake tan and it all seems like too much hassle, but still, it's something for me to experiment with. I got the shade 'Medium Matte,' which actually suits me a lot. I've only been brave enough to put it on my legs for now, but it doesn't have that fake tan smell people go on about. It also didn't stain my white bedding. Bonus!

I'm glad LIB also included a tanning mitt as I don't have one. The Velvotan Original Tanning Mitt ensured my hands didn't end up stained, although I did use the wrong side to start with (I should probably start reading instructions.) 

There was some Hawaiian Tropic Satin Protection Ultra Radiance Sun Lotion in SPF 30 in the box. Unfortunately, I've already been on my holiday where it would have been most useful, but we may get some hot weather in the UK. This is a perfect size for travelling with and sticking in a handbag. It also smells amazing. Suncream usually lasts a year, so I may get some use next year with it. 

DHC Deep Cleansing Oil is one of my favourites in the box. This is a Japanese brand, so I've never heard of them before, but it does exactly what it says. You apply it to your skin using dry hands to dissolve makeup and get rid of dirt. After playing with my Magnifibres, I used this to remove all the layers of mascara and it did so with ease. I can definitely see this becoming a firm favourite. 

Toni&Guy Volume Plumping Whip is something I wouldn't usually buy. I'm not a fan of sticky substances I have to run through my hair, but I'm happy to give anything a go. One thing I love is volumising products so it will be interesting if this works. 

A few days ago my nanna wanted her nails painting for a wedding, but I didn't have any 'normal' coloured polishes. I received this Crabtree and Evelyn Nail Lacquer in the shade 'apple' which is a gorgeous bright red shade. I think this is my favourite product, and after applying it, I went straight to the website to see what other shades are available. This dries so fast which is a good thing for me, as I always smudge my nails. You need a good top coat to prevent chipping, but what nail polish doesn't?

Lastly, there was a Bourjois Cream Blush. I think the packaging for these are amazing, and although I own a Bourjois Powder Blush, I don't own a cream one. It will be fun experimenting with this. 

So here's what is in the box. Everybody gets the same things, except the shades may vary on some products. I think for the price, you really can't go wrong. Have you picked up this beauty box?     

Benefit Agent Zero Shine Review

A while ago I posted a wish list with some high end products I was lusting after. One of these was Benefit's Agent Zero Shine. When my student loan came in a couple of months ago, I decided to treat myself to it.

To be honest, I'm a little disappointed with this product. It cost £23.50 and I just don't think it's worth the money. I'll start with the stuff I do like.

When I read other reviews, a lot of people say they don't like the packaging, but I personally think it's perfect for just popping into my handbag. I'm a bit heavy handed with my bag and a lot of things get broken, most of these including makeup. Either the packaging cracks or the pressed powder smashes and gets every where. With Agent Zero Shine, I have no worries about that happening and the worse that could happen is I leave the lid off.

I thing I dislike the most about this product is the brush. I like to apply my powder with a big fluffy brush, so when I try and switch to this Benefit one, the stiffness of the bristles just doesn't do it for me. It takes me so long to apply powder all over my face, that I just use another powder and save my Agent Zero Shine for touch ups.

As for the actual powder, I don't notice any dramatic difference from my trusted Rimmel Stay Matte. But like I said, I mostly use it for touch ups and not to set my makeup. The powder is translucent so you don't have to worry about finding the right shade.

Overall, I think this product is perfect for nights out and popping in your handbag, but I wouldn't use it in my daily makeup routine. I'm usually a fan of Benefit's products, but sadly this one just didn't hit the spot.

Have you tried Agent Zero Shine before?