Happy Bank Holiday Monday my Lovelies. May has come and gone so quickly, I can't believe June is already upon us. I have tested and loved a lot of new bits this last month and today I'd like to share with you my absolute faves, so make yourself a cup of tea, as we will be here for a while :)
SKINCARE:
The first two absolute hits of May and a little beyond are my new Ecolab Foaming Facial Cleanser (RPR £4.00) & Ecolab Face Toner (RPR £3.50) from the Rejuvenating series. Both were purchased from The Natural Skincare shop, which is my favourite place to shop online for natural & organic products. Both are SLS, Parabens free and are mostly made of organic produce. Ecolab is a Russian cosmetic brand which specialise in natural skincare, body care and haircare. I have a full review of both coming up this Wednesday, so watch this space. They are now staples in my daily cleansing routine and are perfect for suer sensitive skin, whilst having anti-aging ingredients - win win.
Eucerin Sun Fluid Matifying SPF 50 (RPR currently on offer in Boots for £12.00)is a guest in my favourites for the second time now, as I just cant praise it enough. I wear it over my skincare and under the primer and it keeps my super pale & sensitive skin protected from the rays. I spent several days working from the garden in a full sun and I never burnt, which is news to me. It's not the cheapest, but works well under the makeup so definitely a re-purchase if needs be.
The last two products are hybrids as you can either class them as skincare or makeup. First being Nivea Men Post Shave Balm (RPR currently on offer for £2.63 in Superdrug). I love this stuff as a primer. It works great with pretty much every BB/CC Cream/Foundation I work with and it's also amazing on top of SPF. It prolongs the wear of the foundation and stops it from shining its own light few hours after application. It also helps with filling in lines as it stops setting the foundation in them. Truly remarkable product. The second of the bunch is my MAC Prep & Prime Fix+ (RPR £17.00). I use it under and over makeup as it provides an extra level of moisture my dry skin longs for. It takes away and powdery finish to the skin, giving it natural glow. It is not a setting spray and it shouldn't be treated as such but it's a great tool. I'm on my 3rd bottle and can't see that changing anytime soon.
MAKEUP:
There are a fair few products I'd like to talk to you about this month and it's a good mixture of drugstore and luxury, so everyone should be able to find some inspiration from them :)
When it comes to my base I'm obsessed with these trio. Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue in Opal (RPR £26.00) is one product that I shall re-purchase over and over again. It's a tinted hydrating gel cream that just works beautifully on dry skin. You get a decent amount of pigmentation and if applied by fluffy flat top (Bare Minerals Heavenly Face Brush - review here) that's achieved most easily. It's not a medium coverage of course, but it works great at covering redness and giving the face the most glowing finish. I'm sadly already finishing up mine and I plan to re-purchase as soon as possible. an't live without this stuff. When it comes to concealers I look for high coverage and light formula as my under eye area is super delicate and prone to product getting in to dehydration lines, despite the skincare. Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer in Fair Neutral (RPR £17.50) works brilliantly. It's shade, formula and the finish is just perfect. It does set so you need to work with it pretty quickly and I recommend a powder to set it with to avoid creasing. Nevertheless it's a great tool at hiding the most visible dark circles and redness, so it's a winner in my eyes. Last but not least another favourite of mine is L'Oreal Infalliable Sculpt Contouring Palette in 01 Light/Medium (RPR £9.99 - on offer in Boots 3 for 2 and Superdrug buy 1, get 1 1/2 price)is the best cream contour product in drugstore at present. It's cool toned making it a perfect choice for those with pink/neutral undertones, it's super light and creasy, making it a pleasure to work with and it stays put (when set) all day long. Can't praise it enough, but believe me when I say it, it's my number one contouring choice for good few months now.
Eyeshadow palette of the month must be a newly launched Makeup Revolution Flawless Matte 2 (RPR £8.00). I already reviewed it for the blog recently and did a little look with so check out those posts, if you'd like to know more. I adore this palette. It's been on my eyes pretty much every day since I got it and it just works. I love the reddish shades, as well as traditions and taupe purples. Superb for everyday.
I have been known for my love of strong highlight and the choice of the month was my Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed in Pearl (RPR £32.00). It is the most beautiful white highlight, superb choice for pale skin!! It stays put all day (and night) long and it's so intense, you can't help but wonder if the shine is visible from outer space. I have a review on my Becca highlight family coming soon, but had to mention it in faves. If you follow my Snapchat (username: i.dorottka), you know I wear it nearly daily now. I'm in love with this stuff !!!
Two lipsticks that has completely stolen my heart in May are both of mauve undertone but both pretty it their own light. MAC Tribe Lipstick in Hot Chocolate (RPR £17.00 - sold out) is just the most gorgeous medium tone nude with purple tones. It hits both modern and 90s trend so well. It's a satin finish but lasts well, whilst keeping your pout moisturised. I love it. Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in La Raffinée is another daytime nude, lighter than MAC and more pink but also with mauve tones mixed in. I adore the formula, as it's matte but also feels hydrating. It's not the most lasting but when on, it just works. Be that daytime or to top off the evening look (review here).
ACCESSORIES:
I have 3 brushes this month I have been loving so much, I need to share this love with you my beauties. Starting off with already mentioned above Bare Minerals Heavenly Face Brush (review here). It's a perfect foundation brush as it takes the light formula and gives you coverage you didn't dream off to achieve with it. I absolutely adore it with my BB/CC Creams. The only minus - it sheds quite a bit, especially if newly washed, but I forgive it as it's such a pleasure to work with. The second weapon of the choice is my new super Bellapiere Kabuki Brush (RPR £23.99). It is the best loose powder brush I have used in years and due to it being fully synthetic, you can also se it to apply foundation. It's soft and fluffy, dense but without being to dense. It's super flexible and washes easily. Definitely the one for powder in my opinion. Last but certainly not least is the MBrush in 02 (RPR £24.50 available exclusively on Minti-Shop). The MBrush line is created by Polish blogger Maxineczka (check out her Instagram for amazing looks) and it's sublime. Best quality bristles and handle covered in 24k gold makes this brush not only a pleasure to work with but also a beauty on your vanity. These are superb quality brushes with brushes so soft and comparable to famous Hakuhodo. 02 is a medium sized ball shaped face brush. It works beautifully with powder products. I love it for contour as it just fits perfectly underneath your cheekbone and blends the products easily. You can also use it for blush, powder and highlight, but for me, it is the one for contouring.
What have you been loving in May? Is there any products here mentioned you also loved, or maybe they just didn't work for you? Make sure you share your observations below & I'll see you on Wednesday with another post :)