Whats On The Dressing Table | May
I can't quite believe that we're a whole week into May already, and with the prospect of sunnier summer weather (we can all live in hope anyway!) I thought that it was high time to give my dressing table a bit of a re-jig - a spring clean if you will! I've stashed away my heavier foundations in favour of lighter, fresher ones, popped my darker autumn/winter nail polish shades back in their box and have introduced a whole load of fresh, pastel loveliness to the table. There have definitely been a few stand out products for me beauty wise over the past couple of months and as I like to give them a good old testing before telling you all about them, I think it's about time I got sharing, so here are a few of my dressing table favourites from recent times...
Loreal Skin Perfection Micellaire Water
In all honesty, this was a bit of a filler purchase for me originally. You know those weeks where you've run out of your all time favourite product and as much as it pains you to admit, your budget just won't stretch to replace it instantly, so you pop into Boots and grudgingly purchase the still good, but much cheaper version to use until you can A. bring yourself and your bank account around to the prospect of replacing your splurgy version or B. convince your boyfriend/partner/ parents that even though it's still 4 months until your birthday a cheeky early pressie wouldn't hurt. We've all been there. But anyway, after running out of my usual £13 La Roche Posay cleansing water, I spotted this Loreal version for an absolute fraction of the price at only £4.99. I cannot tell you how impressed I am with it. This is a big statement to make and i'm sure for saying it, I could well be kicked out of the Blogosphere once and for all, but I think I might actually prefer this to Bioderma... Forgive me bloggers for I have sinned. Unlike the other Micellaire waters i've used, this one really does do what it says on the bottle. My make up (even my stubborn mascara/liquid eyeliner combo) completely dissolves away and in a couple of sweeps and my skin is left feeling super clean, fresh and ready for moisturising. My skin has improved a huge amount which is probably down to a variety of things, but this has definitely contributed. The one qualm I have is the bottle itself as it's quite difficult to control exactly how much you want to come out, which means you can end up wasting a bit, but then again, at below the £5, it's something i'm willing to overlook and plus, it's much easier to get your hands on than Bioderma.
La Roche Posay Thermal Spring Water
Now I know what you're all thinking, it's just spring water in a can...you're not wrong there, I will admit. But besides it's gimmicky appearance, I don't think I could be without this. It's brilliant for spritzing over make-up to set it, for chucking in your handbag for a little refresh during the day or, as i've been using it recently, to spritz over my face after cleansing, wiped off with a cotton wool pad. Slightly odd I admit, but this is after watching this video by Ruth over at A Model Recommends where she mentions about cleansing properly. Up until seeing this I just used to take my make up off with a cleanser and that was that, but i've found that by using this on a cotton pad after cleansing, my skin is left doubly clean and has improved a huge amount. I'm suffering from less breakouts and the ones I do get are nowhere near as bad as before. I seem to have found a cleansing routine that works so i'm most definitely going to stick to it!
Essie - Go Ginza & Bikini So Teeny
I'm such an Essie convert it's not even funny. With the infamous Boots 3 for 2, I couldn't help making a little nail polish purchase or two... I've been after a really pretty lilac colour for ages and just could not find the exact shade I was after, until I stumbled across this little bottle of springtime gorgeousness. The Essie site actually describes the colour as a 'soft cherry blossom pink' but it definitely has a lilac tone to it which is exactly what I was after... a lot of lilac polishes tend to have a very strong purple tone and I wanted more pink so this is ideal. Anyway, as usual, the formulation is gorgeous, perfect opaque colour after two coats, something that with pastel polishes in particular can be quite tricky. Perhaps something that really cements Essie as a favourite brand of mine is the amazing brush. It makes what is usually quite a laborious, messy task super easy and you end up with perfectly painted nails every time. I also picked up Bikini So Teeny (can we all just take a moment and appreciate how adorable the names are please?!) a stunning cornflower blue colour. It's one that i've heard mentioned by handfuls of bloggers and YouTubers but my local Boots just never seemed to have it in stock so as soon as I saw it, I had to pick it up. Again, the formulation is fab, and it only took two coats to get flawless opaque coverage. It's just such a pretty colour, even Dan has complimented it a couple of times. They're just the perfect shades for the spring/summer and have very swiftly become firm favourites of mine.
Essie - Apricot Cuticle Oil
Cuticle care has never been something that i've taken much of an interest in, mostly due to my rubbish nails. However, now that I actually have nails, i'm trying to look after them and after seeing this handy video over on Kates channel Ghostparties, I am jumping aboard the home manicure wagon. I picked up this Apricot Cuticle Oil as part of the 3 for 2 and it's very quickly become a borderline obsession. It leaves my cuticles looking and feeling really moisturised, something that I was clearly in dire need of as i've never realised quite how dry my cuticles were which might explain why my nails can be as brittle as they are at times. Good cuticles promote good nails so it's just good sense really and something that I can't believe i've gone quite so long without!
MAC Strobe Cream
For Spring/Summer I tend to go for a much more glowy, dewy skin in terms of base. I've wanted a product that I could combine with my existing foundations (currently I go between MAC Face and Body and Studio Sculpt depending on what kind of coverage i'm after) and when I popped into MAC the assistant recommend this little miracle worker. Its actually a moisturiser that has light reflecting, highlighting properties which means that when applied to tired, dull looking skin it makes you look awake, dewy and super glowy. It's also got a whole host of snazzy ingredients that like green tea and other minerals that are super beneficial to the skin that make your skin look as radiant as it possibly can. I've been either putting it on as a moisturiser before applying foundation or mixing a little bit into my foundation and blending it together. Either way, it's an absolute saviour for mornings where my late finishes at work have started to take their toll and i'm looking a lot less than perky...
So theres my favourite products that have taken up their rightful place on my dressing table for this month, what have you been loving?
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteThe two colours of the Essie nail polishes are stunning!
ReplyDeleteAnd I like the sound of the MAC strobe cream,
I can definitely use something to make me look more awake during exams..
Anyway, loved reading this post (:
Xx Anne
www.sickchicksblog.blogspot.nl
I have the La Roshe Posay spray!. Its so refreshing isn't it?
ReplyDeleteRenee x