I don't really partake in monthly favourites here on BTB but I thought it apt and timely to do a huge roundup of my very favourite products that I've discovered, used and loved lately. I didn't really know what to call this post - a July/August/Summer/Mid Year favourites?? - so please regard this as some of the best of the best makeup, skincare and lifestyle faves that I have to share with you.
Makeup
Etude House Real Powder Cushion Foundation in Natural Beige £15 | I mentioned in my full review + try on that I liked this quite a bit but it's really grown on me since, to the point where it's now my top cushion for the hot weather we've been blessed with (see what other meltproof makeup I'm loving in this post).
Chanel Les Vernis £18 (here for the US) | Even though they're not necessarily the best formulas I've ever tried, I love Chanel nail polishes. The bottles are gorgeous, almost as gorgeous as the shades, and I can't keep my mitts of the nude-y pinks lately.
L'Oreal Nude BB Powder £7 (here for US) | This is another product that really feels high end. With uber fine particles, it smoothes over my skin, blurring fine lines and imperfections without feeling at all cakey, even if I go in a little heavy handed. Even though it doesn't sit on the skin and look powdery, I sometimes like to spray over a luminous facial spray, such as the one mentioned further down, for a glowy finish without the shine.
Givenchy Poudre Universelle £55 | I came across this stunner on a bit of a whim and am I glad I did as there's absolutely nothing about it criticise. A unique, subtle, pale pink powder, this provides lightness and brightness in the most sophisticated way, leaving my skin with a satin-matte finish. Rather than use it all over, I sweep over my cheekbones and down my nose for a subtle ethereal quality that's difficult to describe let alone photograph. A beautifying powder, it's qualities show far better IRL - full review here for you.
Stila Convertible Colour in Camellia £16 (here for the US) | One of the first, good cream blushes I ever tried, the Convertible Colours still remain a favourite and Camellia has now become one I reach for almost daily. A beautiful mix of warm apricot, nude and bronze tones (not dissimilar to MAC Gingerly), it's so flattering on warm/olive skin tones and is ideal for the 'draping' technique in which you apply blush almost as you would contour.
M&S Autograph Metallic Liquid Eye Gloss in Bronze £8.50 | Whilst it was hard to choose what eyeshadows made this post, I had to include this one as I've been wearing it so often and I think it's wildly underrated! A beautiful, slick formula that comes in just the one shade, Bronze is the most gorgeous, iridescent pinky, copperish, brown that would be flattering on the majority of skin tones.
Innisfree Face Designing Duo £12 (full review here) | I first mentioned this last year in this post, and I admit it got put to one side whilst I was distracted with trying new things (so many Spring & Summer collections to play with), but there are 'those' products that you always go back to and this is one for me. Both shades are subtle, creamy, seamlessly blendable, look completely divine in person, and are available in separate, larger pans - highlighter here, and the bronzing shades here.
Touch In Sol Light & Bright in License To Kill £8 (here for the US) | I think these twist up liquid highlighters are amazing, particularly this shade. A definite dupe for the new Becca Slimlight Highlighters, these give a shiny, not too bold finish, with the perfect amount of glisten. License To Kill is an ideal warm champagne shade with a teeny hint of rose, this has shot up to become one of my favourite highlighters, alongside the vastly underrated Elizabeth Arden Prismatic Highlighter I talk about and swatch in this post.
Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in 06 £2.30 (here for the US) | I came across this on a complete whim when running errands but it instantly made my New At The Drugstore Favourites, and it's so good that now it's wound up here. With absolutely no exaggeration, this feels like a high end lipstick, especially in it's formula. A traditional, creamy texture, it sits beautifully on the lips, lasts well and gives good colour payoff.
Gosh Giant Blush in 02 Shy £6.99 (here for the US) | This year has definitely been the year of the cream stick product - my collection of stick highlighters and blushes has grown at a somewhat alarming rate! Whilst the majority of my collection remains high end, this little number from Gosh is a superb drugstore find, with a creamy, pigmented but easily blended formula. Have a look at this recent post for my other current drugstore finds and faves.
Collection Brow & Define £4.19 | Another one from my new drugstore faves post, I think this idea is really innovative, although it reminds me somewhat of cheap makeup from my childhood?! With packaging like a liquid liner, the tube actually holds a brow powder, and the pointed applicator allows you to draw on a precise, sharp brow - although you could use this as a powder liner too.
Skincare
The Saem Luminous Real Radiance Mist £8 | I've really got into facial mists this year, obviously especially during these hot summer months, and I think this one is my favourite of them all. So refreshing, alcohol free, smells divine, gives a nice level of moisturisation without feeling oily, greasy or heavy and smells of peaches - read more in this haul.
It's Skin Prestige Eye Gold Patch £28 | I've finally found some eye masks that work! These hydrogel slivers feel so refreshing under the eye, especially if you pop the tub in the fridge beforehand, and I really love using them before an evening out or event to hydrate and plump up the undereye area. Head over to my full review for a before and after.
Grown Alchemist Watermelon & Vanilla Lipbalm £14 | With contents as good as the chic, minimalist packaging and a summery watermelon scent, this lip balm was bound to be a favourite. It really hydrates and moisturises my lips. Merely the tiniest amount is enough to provide a plump look - this tube is going to last forever! Check out my Grown Alchemist brand focus with ingredients for more info.
Neogen Wine Gauze Pads £20 | These exfoliating pads have a special place in my heart for the delicious Korean grape candy scent of my childhood, but regardless of reminiscent aromas, their function and efficacy warrant them a place in my Mid Year favourites. A specially created gauze pad holds a gentle concoction of acids and extracts to chemically exfoliant your skin without any irritation, leaving it feeling and looking smooth, soft and rejuvenated. I love this kind of exfoliator to combat acne - read more in my Korean Acne Tips post.
Blithe Citrus Honey Splash Mask $45 | How could I talk about skincare favourites without including this innovative Kbeauty facial treatment from Blithe? I was definitely skeptical before trying, but I can attest to it's promise of brighter, resurfaced skin in 15 (yes literally) seconds. Immediately after using the mask, my skin feels ridiculously smooth and soft, check out my full review here.
Cosrx AHA BHA Treatment Toner £22 | I'm almost out of my second bottle of this elixir and I grow to like it more and more with time. A two-fold enabler of healthy skin, it lowers the pH of your skin post-cleanse to keep that acid mantle intact, and aids the efficacy of actives I use after, meaning I get so much more out of my expensive (or otherwise) serums and treatments that are in someway affected by pH. If you're using a lactic acid or vitamin C serum for example, this really helps them perform better on hyperpigmentation, it's like my secret weapon against acne. Have a look at my Before & After's here.
Cosrx Galactomyces Essence £25 | Sticking with Cosrx, I had to talk about their Galactomyces Essence. If you've wanted to try the SKII Facial Treatment Essence, save your money and try this instead. With the very same fermented active ingredient, as well as niacinamide, sodium hyaluronate and panthenol, I achieve the same fortifying, hydrating and preventative anti aging results, but for a fraction of the cost.
Neulii Green Tea BHA Pore Tightening Serum £25 | In my experience, once pores are enlarged, I think they're really hard to remedy. Of all the clay masks, serums, exfoliators and salicylic treatments I've tried, I think this is the best one (let me know if you'd like a full review!). Wild mint extracts physically cool your skin's temperature, causing enlarged pores to contract, for an instant, albeit temporary effect, whilst natural BHA's and green tea purify skin and gently clear out pores for longer term results.
Freeset Donkey Milk Whitening Sheet Mask £15 | Who else is a sheet mask addict? Whilst I've got a handful of favourites within my 'Sheet Mask Library' (they're literally stored in a bookcase like the best type of skin benefitting books ever), I wanted to talk about these beauties today. A hybrid of traditional fabric and more advanced hydrogel, these masks hold onto the essence so well and distribute all of that goodness into your skin. Even after just the one session, I notice an intense hydrating effect as well as some subtle brightening.
O&M Know Knott £20 (full review here) | I'm going through a bit of a prolonged Hair Journey this year and as part of that I've really stripped back what I use on my hair. Although I've generally said goodbye to heat and styling products, I wanted to find a really good leave in conditioner/detangler and this one from aussie brand O&M is excellent. It's lightweight, detangles effectively and smells somewhere in between peaches and pear drops - I've been using mine after every single wash.
Lifestyle
Nunuco Day Planner £12 | This little planner is both adorable and functional in equal measure. With a whimsical rose design on the outside, the inside is set out to help run your daily tasks, including a 'Most Important Tasks Of The Day' section and water count. I really like the smaller-than-A5 size, good for carrying around with you but not too small, I only wish it was either hardback or had a sleeve to keep it crisp and clean.
Burberry Body Tender £61 (here for US) | I'm not usually one to like perfumes from 'mainstream' brands but fell in love with this last year and stocked up whilst I was in Gibraltar, and I'm no less enamoured with it over a year later. It's a really fresh scent, with a lot of rose in the middle, and warmer sandalwood and musk hints.
Persian Love Cake | This cake is so delish, I'm completely in love. I was playing around with the recipe a little and love the final result - it's beautifully scented with rose and cardamom and the topping has that sweet, floral note of honey - it's a perfect one for summer.
Shura | I don't think I've ever mentioned songs that I like here on BTB. There's been a lot of balmy night driving with the windows down this year which I absolutely love - it's such a time of peace and relaxation for me, and Shura's 2Shy and Touch, and Niel Binias' remix of Yuna - Lullabies have been the theme tune of those moments - they're pretty chilled out tunes with a little rhythm and really very easy to listen to and sing along.
Phew! I hope you enjoyed reading and let me know some of your favourites so far this year down in the comments.
P.S Have you seen What's In My Travel Makeup Bag?
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Oh dear lord your photography is positively divine!! I feel so inspired to take some blog photos....
ReplyDeleteAs for your favourites! There are some super products here, I've been loving the corsx toner and blithe mask too. The Grown Alchemist lip balm sounds wonderful and that planner is super pretty!!
Love love love
Lisa
Beauxdiaries.com xx
Thanks so much gorgeous, I'm glad you're enjoying your Korean bits :) xx
DeleteMy gosh, your photography!
ReplyDeleteParie x
classandglitter.com
Thanks lovely! xx
DeleteI love how high end L'oreal feels; it's so luxury when it's actually quite cheap. Thanks for sharing - your pictures are gorgeous!x
ReplyDeleteFloralsAndCoralsx // Our Blog xx
Definitely, that powder outperforms a lot of my high end pressed powders. Thank you lovely! xx
DeleteYour photography is sooo amazing!! I loved reading this and looking at all the amazing photos!
ReplyDeleteAmelia | Amelia Grace
Thanks Amelia! Glad you enjoyed reading xx
DeleteThat Givenchy powder looks absolutely amazing! I've also been looking for an affordable planner and this looks beautiful, I've never heard of the brand so I'm going to check them out. Thanks for the share!
ReplyDeleteJen / Velvet Spring x
It's incredibly beautiful! I'd definitely have a look, I'm really liking the planner xx
DeleteIs the Givenchy powder is similar to Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder Dim Light? And I need to pick up that blush from GOSH, this is the third or fourth review that I've read raving about it.
ReplyDeleteShireen | Reflection of Sanity
Not at all, it's not in the slightest shimmery and the colour is much more of a pale pale pink - there are swatches in my review if that helps! Definitely, it's a really good cream blush xx
DeleteYour photos are gorgeous. Some really great products here that I haven't heard of- will definitely have to check them out.
ReplyDeleteGeorgia | The Weekend Attic
Thanks Georgia, hope you find some new loves! xx
DeleteBeautiful photos! The amount of work and love for detail is amazing! The Touch in Sol 'License to Kill' product looks stunning, must give it a try :)
ReplyDeletexx, rebecca
awayinparadise.blogspot.de
Thank you for the lovely comment! Definitely, the colour is just beautiful xx
DeleteI'm huge fan of the collection brow and define too. I think I have the L'Oreal bb powder, you've reminded me to dig it out and show it some love. I've added the Gosh blush and essence lipstick to my list - they look like shades I'd love xx
ReplyDeleteLPage Beauty
They're all such great products, especially for the price xx
DeleteLovely picks! Your photos are amazing, wow!
ReplyDeleteNicole | In The Life of NM
Thank you Nicole! xx
Deleteyour photos are beautiful, seriously I need your help lol. I love your picks though, I haven't used any of them, will need to check them out :)
ReplyDeleteErin || MakeErinOver
Aw thanks so much Erin, I'd definitely recommend looking at some of them! xx
DeleteYour photography is amazing!!
ReplyDeletewww.beautylifebecca.blogspot.co.uk
Thank you Becca! xx
DeleteSeriously in love with your photos!
ReplyDeleteAnd I've added both Cosrx products to my wish list! x
Mummy’s Beauty Corner
Thanks so much Dagmara, I'd love to know your thoughts on them! xx
Deleteyour photography and this blog post is goals!!!!
ReplyDeletehttp://www.farihahsyed.co.uk
Aw thanks lovely xx
DeleteThat Persian cake looks amazing! I love that you included a foodie favourite in this and I've never actually heard of that cake before. All of these photos are absolutely brilliant as well, great photography.
ReplyDeletewww.thesundaymode.com
Thank you lovely, it's a really gorgeous cake, I've made a few this summer already! xx
DeleteThis is so inspiring! I love the post:)
ReplyDeleteirenethayer.com
Thanks Irene, I'm glad you enjoyed xx
DeleteWow, you went IN! Love it, and love the photography!
ReplyDeletehttps://www.instagram.com/marthawatsonallpress/
Yep it's a bumper edit! and thank you! xx
DeleteGirl, I just came here to look at your beautiful pictures! I saw a preview on your Instagram but I had to see the full post! I love it <3
ReplyDeletehttp://thebeauparlour.com/
Aw thanks lovely, so glad you like it - your pics are stunning yourself xx
DeleteAhh your reviews and beauty post are always so informative and well written, however I want to buy all just from seeing your amazing photos! Amazing products as always! Have a great week babe!
ReplyDeletexx
Stella
www.stellaasteria.com
Thanks gorgeous, I'm so glad you enjoyed, you too lovely! xx
DeleteWoweeeee, your photos are absolutely stunning!! Heart eyes emoji! I think I spent more time staring at the photos than actually reading the reviews. I haven't heard/seen these products before and your photography makes me want to buy them all!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for visiting and commenting on my blog. Really appreciate it.
xoxo Amirah
www.herbooksandbeauty16.blogspot.co.uk
Aw thank you Amirah, what a lovely comment! xx
DeleteLoving the photography, it's stunning! I totally need more from Chanel.
ReplyDeleteAnika | anikamay.co.uk
Who doesn't right? Thanks so much! xx
DeleteI knew I was going to love this post. So many amazing products that have no doubt been added to my wishlist. I must admit, I scrolled to the skincare section first before reading the rest of the post. I've got to dry that Luminous face mist and I'm definitely bookmarking that planner for next year. It's a lot simpler and easier to carry around than my happiness planner. :)
ReplyDeleteThanks gorgeous, we definitely need to have a chinwag about skincare! Hope you're having a lovely Friday xx
Deleteumm, your pictures are stunning!��😍��
ReplyDeleteI love essence lipsticks! And yes that cake is amazing@!
Angie | Chocolate & Lipstick | Beauty, Fashion & Lifestyle Blog
Thank you Angie! xx
DeleteI love a hair mask and the O&M Know Knott sounds sooo good! I can't get over how pretty that Givenchy powder is as well.
ReplyDeleteLouise | www.talkingbeautyblog.blogspot.com
Know Knott is amazing, it's really sorted out my hair xx
DeleteSo many gorgeous products and photos and I don't think I've tried any of them! I have the Grown Alchemist lip balm though so I need to get that opened and try it!
ReplyDeleteDanielle's Beauty Blog
Thank you Danielle, and I think you'll love it! xx
DeleteWow what an amazing post! I love the look of the Givenchy powder, Gemma x
ReplyDeletewww.jacquardflower.uk
It's such a stunner, a unique product xx
DeleteYour photos are sooo beautiful and I love the look of Stila Camellia and Gosh Shy - just my sorts of colours!
ReplyDeleteJasmine xx
Jasmine Talks Beauty
Thanks so much lovely, definitely, I know you'll like them! xx
DeleteI love everything you've chosen and some things I haven't heard of, it's nice to be able to find new things, I really enjoyed this post, that Givenchy palette is stunning!!
ReplyDeleteZoe ♥ MammafulZo
Thanks Zoe, I'm so glad you enjoyed reading xx
DeleteWhat a beautiful photography! so in love with. I haven't tried any of these products...
ReplyDeletehave a lovely day!
❥ Vicky | The Golden Bun - Instagram TGB-
I'd definitely recommend checking some out! You too lovely xx
DeleteI heard a lot about Givenchy powder and it is on my wishlist, look how beautiful it looks! That essence lippie colour is absolutely beautiful, it would be a perfect transition colour, I should check it out! How yummy that persian love rose cake look, I am craving for it :) Also your photography is amazing! x
ReplyDeleteEla BellaWorld
Thanks so much Ela, and the Essence lippie is fantastic, especially for the price xx
DeleteYour photography is so beautiful! I love the look of the planner you mentioned XX
ReplyDeletehttp://www.jessbethan.blogspot.com
Thank you Jess! xx
DeleteThis photography is something else, I can barely breathe the beauty is so astounding. Seriously amazing job on this post, everything looks beyond stunning. My bank card is trying to run away from me, gorgeous post xxx
ReplyDeleteALittleKiran | Bloglovin
Aw thank you so much for your lovely comment! Feeling overwhelmed with kindness! xx
DeleteI need to try out that etude house real powder cushion! I love the mineral one! Your photos are stunning :)
ReplyDeletewww.thebeautydojo.com
Thank you Andrea! It's really nice for the hot weather xx
DeleteOh my gosh I absolutely love all of the flowers in your photos - it makes everything look so pretty! I actually have not tried many of these products so I will add them to my list to check out!
ReplyDeleteKate | katelovesmakeup.com
Thank you Kate! I'm so glad you enjoyed the post xx
Delete