July 2013 Monthly Favourites- Beauty and Makeup Edit

Hi Lovelies,

I know you may be patiently waiting for the pictures from the African Fashion Week London which i attended exactly a week ago. I have been really working hard on the pictures because i have quite a good number of them so bear with your favourite blogger (What?? I'm Not!! All Lies, I can see through your heart, I know I am...lol). Anyways, I thought I may as well share some of my beauty and makeup favourites for the past month- July (Summer/Sunshine Filled Month). It's my first monthly Favourites Post and I hope I can keep it up depending on how you guys like it. I'd just dive into it to prevent further rambling. Sadly, the weather was a bit of a mess today so I had to take pictures from my desk so, once again, bear with me....

BellaPierre Mineral Loose Powder (Brown Sugar)

I have already reviewed the compact version of this powder here. I have slowly but fallen hard in love with the BellaPierre brand because they are mineral based and, as expected, very pigmented. They are pretty pricey which is why I had a nose around eBay for any deals. I got this loose powder as part of a set which I may review soon. I discovered the Cafe Shade was getting a little dark for me so I tried the Brown Sugar which is my perfect shade because it has golden/warm undertones. This is the only powder I use now as it serves as both my foundation, concealer and powder. I love it.

Benefit Porefessional Primer

As always, I have a post here on the Benefit One Prime Day set (review here) where this mini sample of the Porefessional Primer was included. Initially, I wrote in my post I was not convinced to buy the full size yet, now I can proudly say I would buy a tub of this primer if there was one. I have grown to love this primer and now I understand why it has been raved about so much,  making it one of the best selling primers. It helps my makeup last longer and I have noticed the appearance of my pores have decreased with continuous use. In this hot summer weather which predisposes me to a shiny face, this primer has helped in preventing that, making it one of my favourite products for last month and this month I daresay.

Lancome L'Absolu Rouge Lipstick (Shade 06 "Rose Nu")

This was a free sample received with one of my purchases in Lancome. I have a post here on the rest of the samples I received with my purchase. This was my July weekend lipstick and sometimes,  I wore it to work. It is a rich rose pink colour which I think flatters any skin tone and i think it is one of the Lancome L'Absolu Rouge best sellers according to their website. The formula is moisturising and has a slight lustre to it plus it has good lasting/staying power. I am so lucky to have three of these samples because this lipstick is the business. A full size version retails for £21 so you can see why I am guarding my three samples very closely.

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Face Cream

Again, I got this as a free sample from Bobbi Brown and I absolutely love it. I love the packaging of this freebie to begin with and the contents don't disappoint at all. It feels very hydrating (you feel it instantly) and leaves my skin really soft and ready for makeup. If you suffer from dry skin, you need to check it out as it contains Algae Extracts which moisturises and hydrates the skin while the Caffeine Extract soothes the skin. Even if you have normal skin, the weather can rob it of much needed moisture and this is one way to replenish and hydrate your skin among other ways including drinking a lot of water. I have been trying my best to get the most out of this sample as the hefty price tag of £37.50 for the full size is no where near my alley. AT ALL...:-((

Illamasqua Powder Blush "Create"

This has made a little appearance in the blog post on the Illamasqua's Alter Ego Mystery Box Review. It was one of the mystery products inside and I think it slowly becoming one of my favourites. It is a peachy coral blush which is flattering for many skin tones especially if you are dark skinned like me then this would be a flattering shade for you especially in the summer and if you have lighter or paler skin, you can use this lightly or use it as a contour which is why i love how universal this blush is.

Black Opal Mini Kabuki Brush

I only recently discovered this mini kabuki brush. My sister gave this to me a little while ago or maybe I pinched it (advantages of having an older sister- you get to pinch all their makeup and clothes). I love this brush because it is small and fits into my makeup bag. Apart from that, it is perfect for applying loose powders especially my Bella Pierre Mineral Foundation Loose Powder previously raved about above. It evenly distributes it all over my face without a fuss and I wonder if there is a bigger version of this because I would buy it in a heart beat. The bristles are really soft and fluffy. I am not sure where my sister bought this but I think it must have come in a set with a Black Opal blush or something similar. I think it is actually meant to be a blush brush but who cares? you can make it multi-task.

Body Shop White Musk Fragrance Mist
I don't know about you but I am a big lover of fragrance mists because they leave my body feeling fresh and pleasantly scented. I love to apply this straight from the shower because that's when the body absorbs fragrances more and retains it longer. Body Shop has a wide array of these fragrance mists and I love all of them. This is my 3rd bottle so far, having tried other scents. This scent is White Musk which has always remained my all time favourite. I use this everyday and sometimes at night after a shower. 

Ed Hardy Love Kills Slowly Miniature Perfume (7.5 ml)

Can we just take a minute to admire how cute this miniature bottle looks? I have to say this has to be one of the cutest miniature bottles I have come across. I got it as part of an Ed Hardy Love Kills Slowly set a little while ago. I may do a review of you want (just leave a comment). I love this scent so much and it has become my new handbag perfume. It has a fruity scent which is a mixture of citrus and mango. I love how it lingers for a really long time and it just smells very summery. I wish this bottle was refillable though because I would totally re-use it..

Marks &Spencer Citrus Hand Wipes
Last, but certainly, not the least, I have been loving these M&S Citrus Hand Wipes. I carry them with me everywhere to wipe my hands and it does its job perfectly. I am not really a fan of carrying hand sanitisers around and I need to be doing that especially this summer. I prefer moist hand wipes because they give you the feeling of having freshly washed hands. This M&S version is extremely refreshing leaving my hands with a nice citrus fragrance. It has been most useful this summer when there is so much dust and grime in many places especially on the tube/train.


That's it folks. I hope you have enjoyed this little post and I hope to finish up the pictures of the AFWL as soon as possible. I hate to see pending draft posts on my blogger dashboard and it always makes me want to edit the pictures faster so i can publish it. Can we take a moment to have a little TGIF dance even if you are at work right now? I just did..Cheers to the weekend and see you in my next post... tooodles...xxx