August 2017 Favourites

It's been a big month of consumerism for me! Here are some of my favourite items that I've picked up and enjoyed using in August.

 

Very make-up orientated choices this month.

My absolute favourite buys and discovery were the Colourpop cosmetics. I've been using these daily since I got them and still haven't managed to try them all out yet and there's certainly more permutations for me to conjure up using the colours I have. I wrote about this haul a little while ago - HERE.

 

Urban Decay - Naked Heat palette rrp £39.00

Two palettes stuck out in my mind as being splashed all over social media and they were the Urban Decay Naked palette and the Anastasia Beverley Hills Subculture palette. The Subculture palette caused such a hoo-ha everywhere due to the extreme fall out and bad blending. This palette looked like it had some great colours but the drama created has probably forever dented it's reputation - it just shows the power of modern reviewing on You Tube and social media.

 

As for the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette - I'm always victim to FOMO (fear of missing out) but usually I can consign an item to the wish-list in my mind till the feeling abates. Not with this palette though! My need and desire kept growing and growing, added to that, the panic of being sold out everywhere. So when I saw that they had one in stock in Debenhams, I didn't hesitate and bought it right away (buyer's guilt swiftly followed though!).

 

 

 

This is such a great summery palette. Very heavy on the reddish and coppery tones which, to be honest, can be quite difficult to wear if you like your eye make up (like I do) to be more neutral. The looks from this palette are so late 1980s to me! I remember as a teenager buying the Avon bronzing pearls and compact and going in really heavily with those copper tones on my eyes and wearing a similarly coppery lipstick.

I also found that when creating looks with this palette that I wanted to reach for other palettes for darker tones in the crease and for shading at the edges of my eyes. So for me, it kind of defeated the purpose of having one palette - many looks.

I'm happy to own this, it feels like a real event to get your hands on something so coveted. But if truth be told, I probably could have re-created or found dupes for all of these shades in cheaper budget palettes - particularly, the I Heart Make Up range of chocolate bar palettes - they seem to be a dupe for lots of 'most wanted' shades.

I also prefer Colourpop for shades, for price, for application and for longevity.

 

 

 I think I may just have found my new favourite mascara this month! I initially bought the L'Oreal Paradise Extatic Mascara (rrp £9.99) mainly because of the rose gold packaging (and because my mum said it was great!!). But it really is quite fabulous!
It's basically yet another mascara whose aim is to give you that falsies look by adding extra length and fibrousness (is that a word?) - which it does. But the main thing that blew me away is the pigmentation of this mascara. It's definitely the most dramatic and striking black I've ever come across in a mascara. I couldn't give it a 100% thumbs up because it does smudge a bit throughout the day, but other than that - it's beautiful and I have been wearing it non-stop since I bought it.

 

 There are so many things that I just love about this Holika Holika Lazy & Joy Gudetama Cushion Foundation compact (rrp approx. £16.00). It's Gudetama for the main reason. It's from Korea (and I love Korean foundations and BB creams). It's my first ever cushion foundation. And it came from an amazing woman who has set up a new bespoke beauty box/personal shopper business from Korea - Beauty in Hanguk. I will be writing more about the bespoke beauty box I ordered soon. I did tell Shereen that I thought I was a shade 21, but it is a little light and I think that a shade 23 would be better in the future. I can see myself really getting into cushion foundations - possibly mostly because of the amazing cases that they come in. From the cute (like this) to the stunning (think Sulwhasoo).

 

The only skincare item this month is, of course, from Korea. A new to me brand, Pyunkang Yul, is a brand new for it's pure ingredients. 91.9% of this toner is coptis japonica root extract which is a powerful antioxidant known for it's anti-inflammatory, energising and nourishing properties.

It has taken me a while to get around the Korean concept of toners compared to western toners (which can often be astringent). I'm starting to realise how powerful the toning part of the routine is, particularly for hydration layers. So I have been using this as well as an astringent toner every morning and mostly I slot it in before my Sulwhasoo First Care Activitaing Sserum as it hydrates my skin beautifully and makes it easier to apply the fcas and ready to accept other products more fully. I bought this off ebay from a reputable seller and it worked out around £9.00 with free shipping.

 

 

You can imagine how over the moon I was to be asked to test and review this Foreo Luna Mini 2 (rrp £119.00)!! I've looked at and considered a sonic facial cleanser for a while now, but the high price has put me off. I was asked to review this within 7 days, which was enough time to get a solid first impression about it, but I would like to give it longer before I give it a full review on here.

However, it's a great first impression. What might put me off other facial cleansers - bacteria collecting in the brush, brush heads needing replacement - is immediately banished with the Foreo Luna Mini 2. It's extremely hygienic as the nodules are silicone and very easy to keep clean, plus won't ever need replacing, which means that although it's an initial expense, there is only that first cost to consider. I won't go too much into it here, but the ultra deep cleansing you get from this, is phenomenal! Although Foreo say that you can use this both morning and night, I started off using it in the evening and then switched down to every other evening. I just feel that every night could be overdoing it. Even though it's a very gentle deep cleanse, I still have that thought at the back of my head (which is not scientifically proven - just a feeling of mine) that you could disturb the skin's mantel by over cleaning, in the same way that I don't like to over exfoliate either.

I will be back with a fuller review soon.