Whoa! How is it the end of June already? I’m actually cheating a little bit here, because I’m writing this before heading off to Thailand and so technically, these are May’s and half of June’s – but hey, take no notice of that! This month, there’s quite a mammoth round up of products because admittedly, the week or so before you go away is usually filled with a number of trips to Boots. Hopefully I’m not the only one.
Usually, I fill my basket with various different types of suncream, one of which I usually forget to pack and end up having to re-buy at the airport. Yep, really. Almost on every trip I’ve had to do this. One day, I will be more organised – I promise!
Anyway, without further ado… here are this month’s favourite beauty products!
The Body Shop Pinita Colada | link
Pina Colada is quite possibly my favourite cocktail ever, so for The Body Shop to actually create an entire body range with the famous drink as a theme, well it was a match made in heaven. I couldn’t wait to try it out. Luckily, they definitely did it justice smell wise – with a perfect combination of citrus scents (pineapples mainly) and coconut notes. Good enough to eat! So much so, I got so carried away with sniffing it that I got too close and had my mouth in the body scrub. Oops.
Anyway, so the products – my favourite is probably the body butter, which is pretty similar to The Body Shop’s usual body butters, however it’s a bit creamy and easier to slather on, rather than having to warm it up first. On first impressions, it does seem quite heavy and sticky on the skin but it soon melts in and the hydration and silkiness lasts ages. So it’s definitely worth it. The Body Scrub is also fabulous – especially as a travel product, because it gets rid of any dry skin gently, leaving the perfect base for all that tanning you’ll be doing! The Shower Gel is amazing for making your bathroom smell incredible – and leaves a really subtle aroma on your skin! If the Pina Colada is something you always opt for on holiday, then this collection is definitely for you!
The Glamour Summer Edit Box | link
I haven’t really ever been one to try subscription boxes but I know so many people rave about them, so I was pretty excited to try Glamour’s Summer Edit box, which has been curated by the Beauty Director at the No.1 mag – Alessandra Steinherr. A lady who knows her stuff, she provides little reviews of each of the products and why they’re great – as well as sample size products of each, so that you can try them yourself. It’s £20 and worth £104.48, so pretty good value however in honesty, there’s only a few that I’d actually use – so I’m probably breaking even with the box price. I think this is the case with all beauty boxes but I do love that it makes you try out things you’d probably never consider before!
My favourite items are the Grounded Chocolate Orange Body Scrub – which exfoliates from head to toe and really does leave skin silky smooth (as well as smelling like the Terry’s Chocolate Orange you always get at Christmas – okay with me!) and the Oribe Texturizing Spray which adds texture and volume on the go. It’s a bit like a dry shampoo (that textured feel to your roots) but doesn’t have the unwanted side effect of little talcum powder particles. Always a bonus!
Also included is the Wow Mask Luxury Facial, the Nuxe Prodigieux Shower Oil, the Aurelia Miracle Cleanser and Muslin Cloth, the Ladival Sun Protection Spray (SPF30), the St Tropez Self Tan Mist and the Revlon HD Matte Lipcolour – so a real mix of fab products to try!
I’ve been trying out quite a few samples from the Models Own range this month – and surprised myself by loving the vast majority. I am a girl who usually doesn’t deter from my usual every-day make-up look, even on nights out – and so I vowed to get a little more experimental over the past couple of weeks, especially with colour. Luckily, I think when it comes to this aspect Models Own is definitely the brand to opt for, from their bright rainbow packaging to their beautifully pigmented shades. It certainly makes you feel very summery!
One of the products I got on with so well that it deserves a place high on my favourites list this month was the Lip Gunk set, which includes a colourful shade, a mixing tray and a lip brush. I’m awful at applying colour to my lips (even though I’m sure it’s pretty simple) and often end up looking like a complete clown, however this set is fool-proof and even I’ve managed to pull off something worthy of leaving the house with. I love how you can mix different shades to create the best possible colour to suit you – and the angled brush means you can define your cupid’s bow very, very easily!
Another firm favourite was the Sweet Dreams palette, which has 10 different bright shades. It’s not something I’d normally opt for – but for the festival and holiday season, it’s actually really lovely to experiment with something more colourful! My favourites are the Ice Cream and Big Cherry shades, which are a more adventurous take on my normal nudes.
Victoria’s Secret Bombshell Fragrance Mist | link
I picked this up on my way through the airport last month and it hasn’t left my side, so thought it deserved a place here too. I think Bombshell is the stores signature scent (the one that is pumped through the Bond Street shop) and it’s certainly very girly, yet musky at the same time – which I think is the perfect combination. The fragrance mist isn’t as heavy (or expensive) as the main version, however it still lingers on throughout the day and gives a really lovely aroma to your skin. Personally, I think it’s the perfect holiday scent as it’s light and floral, but quite sexy and empowering too. I know it’s a bit odd to describe a fragrance like that, but similar to make-up and clothes, fragrances can change your mindset too!
Fellow beauty blogger Ruth Crilly designed this range of dry shampoos about a year or so ago – and ever since, they’ve had rave reviews, so I’m surprised that I haven’t actually tried them before now. Presented in colourful packaging, they are certainly one of the more sophisticated looking of the dry shampoo family – but I think their unique selling point is the assortment of purposes that each can assist with. The Active bottle is formulated for on-the-go lifestyles and designed to refresh, protect and condition. It has UV protection and it doesn’t dry out your hair – but actually softens and hydrates it, all while getting rid of that greasiness! What a hard-working product!
I’m not sure what it is when it comes to lip balms but all of mine seem to grow legs and disappear after just a weeks worth of use – so I usually find myself investing in several more by the time summer finally emerges. I couldn’t survive on holiday without a lip balm and I think it’s something we often forget about protecting too – so it’s important to make sure there’s an added SPF. Carmex is a brand I really get along with, because the balms are super hydrating without being too sticky or overpowering. They smell great (always something I look for, superficially I know) and also don’t leave your lips crying out for more once it’s worn off – since it lasts pretty much all day! I’ve been using the Moisture Plus with SPF 15 and Aloe, in the Berry Sheer Tint while away – because I love the subtle colour it gives (even if you’re not wearing make-up, it brightens up your skin) and it leaves your lips feeling super soft!
Rose gold is certainly making waves in the fashion world – and so it’s about time it conquered the beauty market too! Monsoon’s new fragrance is a beautiful subtle, simple perfume that is ideal for summer and holiday wear. It’s pretty floral but a little musky too, making for a really feminine scent. I always love getting a new perfume for holidays, because associating scents to particular occasions is something I think is overlooked – yet I think it’s such a lovely thing to do! I have a coconut perfume that I wore all through my trip to Florida and every time I spritz it, it takes me back to such happy memories! I’m taking this particular fragrance with me to Thailand – and so I can’t wait for it to be my signature scent for this holiday!
This rather interesting little product is actually a set of peel pads, with Ferulic Acid and Vitamin E. It all sounds rather sinister but actually, they deliver a powerful punch of skin goodness and enhance your cellular turnover, which can sometimes reveal smoother, brighter skin – removing blemishes, uneven surfaces and redness. I’ve been trying this out for a couple of weeks (1 per week so as not to overdo things) and have found my skin to be much smoother – a little like after I’ve exfoliated. I haven’t seen a drastic difference or anything I’d deem miracle like, but the redness is much calmer – something I thought might actually be irritated by this but it’s made it better! I know this would be a great product if you’re prone to oily skin with breakouts, because it really helps rejuvenate and hydrate, while also drying up spots. You do have to be aware that this kind of product increases your sensitivity to sunlight, so it’s worth always wearing SPF 30 on your face after using as a minimum!
Christophe Robin Haircare | link
I hadn’t heard of this brand before, but I’m so glad I’ve discovered it because it’s really softened my hair and made it so much easier to style. Their Regenerating Mask with ‘Rare Prickly Pear Seed Oil’ (which sounds fab, you have to admit) has really breathed some life back into my locks and made it appear so much healthier and less frizzy after blow drying. It doesn’t have the best scent, if I’m being picky, as it’s a little old lady-ish, but hey – I’m happy to try anything that takes 5 minutes off my styling time and keeps my hair in check!
The plant ceramide ingredients act as a kind of cement to make your hair stronger and shinier, with the Inula flower extract claiming to protect and revive the pigment in coloured hair. You simply apply it like a masque to your hair – roots to tips, after shampooing and leave on for several minutes. You’ll see the difference after the first use!
Their Cleansing Mask with lemon is perfect for highlighted hair with sensitive scalps (I fall into both of these categories) and acts in a very similar manner to repair, restore and soften your locks. Again, don’t expect big things from the scent – because it reminds me of washing up liquid, however it’s bloody brilliant at what it claims to do and any pesky dry scalp flakes are gone after the first wash. I don’t know how it works, but I do know it works!
Avon Makeup Setting Spray | link
I’ve been on the lookout for a setting spray for quite some time now – because especially during the summer months, my make-up quite simply seems to melt off. Even if I’ve perfected my contouring in the morning, with a fully formed winged liner, by 2pm, I look as though I’ve just stepped out of my bed again. There are tonnes of these setting sprays out there but they’re all really expensive and although they might indeed be fab, I just couldn’t justify £20+ on something that was… well invisible. I know that’s a bit superficial of me, because I do spend that and more on a lipstick. But a clear spray? Nope.
Luckily, I discovered Avon’s setting spray which is a lightweight mist used 8-10 inches from your face, to set and finish off your make-up. I’ve been using this for 3 weeks now and have seen SUCH a difference. Whereas my foundation had creased or disappeared completely by 2pm, it’s now still in tact when I catch the train home some days at 9pm. It dries matte (it does feel a bit wet for a few seconds) and seems to eliminate that oily t-zone that tends to appear, especially after rush hour on the tube. It’s an amazing product – and a must-have, inexpensive staple on every dressing table!
I’ve been using these for quite some time now, but I’ve recently treated myself to a few more – so thought I’d include them here. If you haven’t heard of these beauty’s before, they’re basically hair ties that eliminate the kinks and knots that you normally get when you put your hair up. They use a cord technology to be absolutely traceless (so you can pop it up during hotter weather and bring it back down for the evening – and you wouldn’t even know) and they’re not ridiculously tight either, so you won’t get those horrible ponytail headaches. I absolutely swear by them and always take a couple abroad with me – they’re must-haves.
Do you have any favourites you’d like to recommend this month? I’d love to hear your thoughts!
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