Thursday 7 November 2013

September/October favourites


Another monthly favourites blog coming up and this time there is a lot! I haven't written one for nearing three months so I've culminated some real treats in that time. Here are the ones I've loved the most!

1. Smashbox - Photo Finish Foundation Primer £25 (full size): I first tried this when I'd read reviews from a couple of bloggers claiming Smashbox to be a really great brand. I decided that rather than going all out and trying the full sized products that I would buy the little set you can get which has three different primers in it - including this and my number 2 favourite (see below!). I tried this when I went on holiday to America, fell in love with the first use and promptly headed to Sephora to grab the full size bottle. I expected this mini size to run out fairly quickly but I've been using it daily for nearly two months and it's still going strong! Bravo, Smashbo, bravo!

You can get the kit from Boots here for £14: http://www.boots.com/en/Smashbox-Its-Your-Prime_1308778/




2. Smashbox - Photo Finish Hydrating Under Eye Primer - £21 (full size): As stated above, this came in the little set I got from Boots. At first I was unsure what difference this would really make but boy was I wrong! It totally eliminates those pesky cakey lines you can sometimes get with certain concealers and keeps the concealer in place all day! I have barely even scratched the surface of this tube but can see myself picking up the full size bottle when I eventually run out!

You can grab this from Boots (be warned, it's not cheap!) http://www.boots.com/en/Smashbox-Photo-Finish-Hydrating-Under-Eye-Primer_1281414/



3. The Body Shop - Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream - £11: TBS are one of my favourite brands for moisturisers and this does not disappoint. I've been using it overnight as towards the colder weather my skin tends to struggle but this keeps a nice moisture in my skin when I pair it with number 4 of my favourites.

Get this from TBS here - http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-e/vitamin-e-night-cream.aspx 



4. The Body Shop - Vitamin E Moisture Lotion SPF 15 - £11: This is basically the day version of the item above so it's a little less thick but also has the added bonus of SPF 15 which, even during the winter months is a big bonus to stop from any kind of sun damage! It's lasted for ages as I picked this up months ago and have barely used any despite daily use!

You can grab this here: http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk/shop-by-range/vitamin-e/vitamin-e-spf15-moisture-lotion.aspx





5. Ulta - Vanilla Sugar Anti-Bacterial Hand Gel Sanitiser: I picked this (and the next few!) up from shops in America which unfortunately don't ship to the UK so I have no way of sharing these to my fellow Brits but this baby is amazing! I can't remember exactly how much it was but it wasn't a lot and smells absolutely divine! It's essentially the same as any old gel hand sanitiser but that smell... Yum!




6. NYX - Matte Finish Setting Spray: I absolutely ADORE this setting spray - when paired with the next item it holds my makeup on perfectly and keeps a fantastic matte finish which is especially great when you have oily skin! Oh how I need this to be sold in the UK!






7. Urban Decay De-Slick Mattifying Powder: Oh this is glorious! Urban Decay is a brand I've been wanting to try for so long based on recommendations but have never really been able to justify the steep price tag for. In America literally EVERY beauty product is so much cheaper so I decided what the heck? I'd go for it! I'm so chuffed I did, too, as this is a wonder product. The powder initially looks a white/lilac colour and when I opened it I was like woah, this is not what I was expecting. However, it literally is incredible - it just takes away that shine instantly and lasts for ages. It really is true that what you get is what you pay for! The packaging is really cute too which shouldn't really matter but... It does!




8. OPI - Alcatraz...Rocks!: This was another purchase from the USA but can also be bought over here (for a much steeper price, mind you!). I did a review of this some weeks back but this liquid sand shade has jumped to my favourites with it's purple /gold sandy goodness! 




9. Tarte - MultiplEYE Lash Enhancing Liquid Eyeliner: Another America purchase and boy, did I buy right! This is hands down the best eyeliner I've ever worked with. It goes on like a dream with great pigmentation and stays put all day with no real smudging. Plus, it claims to have "lash enhancing" qualities which I really do feel is true as my eyelashes look longer, fuller and feel softer. 




10. L'Oreal Studio Secrets Pro Lip Tint - Runway Rose - £8.49: I've tried quite a lot of lip tints now and this is definitely my favourite. It's got great colouration which is long lasting and it also smells amazing! 

I picked this up at Superdrug here: http://www.superdrug.com/loreal/loreal-pro-tint-lipstain-runway-rose/invt/496450



11. Police - To Be Queen - £30: Yes, I know, another perfume! But I have truly found my favourite now - this is just a beautiful smell! For 125ml the price is also incredible and it was well worth the buy!

Get this from Superdrug here: http://www.superdrug.com/fragrance-for-her/police-to-be-queen-edp-125ml/invt/757857





12. Thor 2: The Dark World: The above was the last of the beauty items and now we move on to the randoms. This film was literally incredible - easily my favourite Marvel movie ever (and if you know me, you know how much I love that Marvel!) I couldn't personally find a single fault and everything was just done right. I shall definitely be heading back to the cinema to see this again!




13. Yankee Candle - Christmas Cookie: Oh goodness this candle is like heaven in aroma form. Well, well worth the money for the hours of amazing scent-filled bliss! I loved this so much that I purchased the giant size after burning out the smaller within a few days!




14. Pokemon - X: We're rapidly approaching the end of the favourites and the last three are games. I have adored Pokemon since I can remember and this is no different! I actually picked up a Nintendo 3DS specifically to play this game (sad, I know)! It's a typical Pokemon game but has somehow been greatly entertaining still!




15. Grand Theft Auto V - Xbox 360: Whilst impatiently awaiting the arrival of the Xbox One, I decided to purchase this game after my brother had been raving on about how good it was and it hasn't let me down! The online game play is so much fun that I genuinely haven't completely any more the of the story than was necessary to actually access the online part of it!



16. Assassin's Creed IV - Black Flag - Xbox 360: We've reached the end of the favourites for the last few months and have arrived on my favourite game of all three. The Assassin's Creed franchise is easily my favourite on Xbox and this has exceeded the previous titles by a long way (though perhaps not Brotherhood). Well worth the money as the story has kept me playing for a long time and I'm still only 40% complete!