The Lo Down - March/April Favourites

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I can't believe another two months have flown by, it's insane. You know what that means it's time for my favourites and I'm so excited to show you guys what I've been loving this month. I have quite a few so lets get started.

Lee Stafford Coco Loco Shampoo and Conditioner

As I've told you in a couple of posts already, I love trying new haircare and I get the opportunity to try these two products over the last months. I love them both and I was so impressed. They smell of coconut which to me is so yum!! They also leave my hair looking amazing and squeaky clean, just what I want from any shampoo and conditioner. I highly recommend them both and I can't wait to try some more products from this line once I recover from my head surgery. I did a review recently which you can check out here.

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick and NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lip Glosses

I have two lip products to share with you guys this month. First up is MAC's Velvet Teddy lipstick. This lipstick has a huge following and is definitely one of the most popular MAC lipsticks that they have to offer. It's so easy to apply and looks beautiful on the lips. It has a matte finish and just goes perfectly with any makeup look which is why I love it so much. I'm almost all out of mine so I will definitely be repurchasing it really soon. A review of this product can be found here. The other lip product favourite of mine is from NYX Cosmetics which is one of my favourite drugstore brands at the moment. I haven't tried a product that I didn't like yet which is really good. My favourite product of theres at the moment is their Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks. They are just amazing, I adore them. They apply as a liquid and dry to a matte finish lipstick. There are so many shades to choose from and I have quite a few that I couldn't pick just one. It's definitely worth your while to go to your local counter to have a mooch if you ask me. If you want to check out my full review you can find it here.

Uriage HandCream

I love a good hand cream as my hands do get so dry as the weather is so changeable out there at the moment. I've been using a new handcream from Uriage lately and I think it's really good. It's nice and thick but it sinks into my skin right away. I carry this everywhere with me and I'm forever pulling it out of my bag when my hands are needing that extra bit of tlc. I recently was sent that intense version of this so I'll definitely let you know my thoughts soon. This handcream smells lovely too by the way. I posted a review of this a couple of weeks ago which you can see here.

Blank Canvas Makeup Brushes

I like having good tools to apply my makeup and I've looked no further than Blank Canvas Cosmetics brushes lately. This is an Irish brand and they are such good quality. I owned a couple of their brushes then when I seen that they had a sale over Christmas I purchased the Dimension Series Hamper and I'm so glad I did. It contains so many amazing brushes from face to eye so it gives great variety. I have been using these so much lately and I definitely want to pick up another set soon. If you want to see my post on these brushes you can check it out here.

Reading

Yes you read it right, I love to read! I've been reading just about anything I can get my hands on lately. I think it's so important to keep your mind active and I love being transported into another world that I made up after reading a good book. I've been reading since I was about 6 and everyone in my house calls me the reader, I'm definitely a bit of a book nerd. I've read quite a few books over the last while so if you look back over my blog you'll definitely find a good few book reviews and there'll be more to come in the next while aswell.

College

Since I did my last favourites post I started college, I actually did a post on it already a couple of weeks back. It had to make it into my favourites as I'm enjoying the course so much at the minute. At present I'm chilling out after getting minor head surgery on Thursday but I seriously can't wait to get back into college when I'm better next week. I'm learning so much and the course is full with interesting content so I'm loving it. If you didn't know I'm studying Social Media for Business in a college in Dublin and I think this course will really help my blog in the future. It's not fully focused on Social Media all the time though which I like, there's alot of marketing content. I studied Marketing in college before so I definitely have an advantage at the moment as I love the module alot. I'll definitely keep you posted with how I'm getting on with the course. Another post about my college life is actually going up on Monday or Tuesday so keep an eye out for that for sure.

That's it, my favourites for the month of April and May. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it, which is alot by they way.My next favourites post will be up in July so definitely come back for that.

Laura<3

March Favourites

March definitely has been my least favourite month so far this year. Less than three months into 2013 I got news that kinda bummed me out. Towards the end of the month things turned themselves around but it's weird how you can be having the time of your life and then something can happen that shakes you to the core. My Mum usually tells me to look onwards and upwards which is exactly what I'm going to do. I have so many positives happening in my life at the moment, I don't want to dwell on the drama that happened in March too much.

Now onto the part of the month I love, the beauty favourites. I have quite a few to show you guys so lets get started!

MUA released their BB cream a while back and I only started using it over the past month or so. I'm not too keen on BB creams so I even surprised myself when I started using this one a lot over March. Compared to other BB creams I've tried MUA's All in One Beauty Balm* offers a bit more coverage whilst still being lighter than your average foundation. I use the shade light and it's the perfect match for my skin tone. The packaging is great too as it takes up little or no room in my makeup bag. For £3.00/€4ish you can't go wrong with this product, it's super affordable which is a plus for students like me.

Next up I have a product from Catrice, a brand that is super affordable and definitely worth having a look at if you come across it. I've been using their Camouflage Cream for over a month now and I've been really impressed with it. In a nut shell this is their drugstore version of a full coverage concealer. I bought the shade Ivory which is the lightest shade available, they don't have a big selection of shades which I think will be the only thing that people will find trouble with. I've been using this mostly on blemishes, it's definitely too heavy for my undereye area. This stays in place all day and I've had it over a month now and I haven't even made a dip in the product. Great considering this concealer retails for less than €4.

I have two favourites from US brands, Bath & Body Works and Tarte. We can't get either brand in Ireland so I was delighted when Chie sent me these as a part of my birthday gift. I've been using Tarte's Amazonian Clay 12-hour blush in Blissful practically everyday throughout March. It's a gorgeous wearable peachy shade that is perfect for everyday. I can't vouch that this blush last for 12 hours on the skin but it definitely does the job for me. I love the packaging too, it's so pretty! I'll definitely be picking up some more of these when I go to New York. My other stateside favourite is Bath & Body Works Warm Vanilla Sugar Fragrance Mist. As you all know already I absolutely adore vanilla scented products so I knew without a doubt I'd love this. It's just a lovely all round sweet scent that I'm sure most people would love. The size of the fragrance mist is also perfect for my bag which is handy. The full sized bottle has already been added to my New York Shopping List.

A nail polish favourite for me this month is YSL's Rouge Expressioniste nail lacquer*. I do believe that this was a limited edition shade for Winter 2012 so I'm not too sure if you can still get your hands on this one. It's a beautiful dark vampy red shade which I personally love. I'd happily wear this all year round, it just looks so classy. Only one coat of this polish is needed so there's no messing around with this one. I adore this polish so I don't know what I'll do when I run out.

I'm forever trying new eye makeup removers, some for me aren't worth the hype at all. Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover* for me is worth every penny. I'm usually not too fussed with bi-phase makeup removers, unlike some this doesn't leave a oily mess around my eyes. This stuff even removes waterproof mascara and I don't find myself using to much product in the process either. Nothing bugs me more than when I buy a new eye makeup remover and it's gone in a week. In the long run I wouldn't mind spending more on a makeup remover if it means it lasts me that bit longer. I'll definitely be repurchasing this when I run out, while I'm at the counter I want to check out their new Summer collection too.

Last up is a haircare product from TreSemme. I use to always use this brand in my schools day but recently I haven't been giving it too much loving. With so many haircare products being released regularly sometimes it's easy to forget old favourites. I've been loving their new Platinum Strength Stay Soft Leave In over the last few weeks. The product claims to repair up to two years of damaged hair, I wouldn't go that far but this does leave my hair looking healthy and soft. Purple is my favourite colour so of course I love the packaging. The product smells really nice and fresh too. I may pick up some more products from this range the next time I'm at Boots.

What made it into your March Favourites?

Laura<3

March Empties

It's time for another Empties post, I didn't finish up too many products this months but I like them all alot so I though I'd share them with you guys anyway. I can't believe we're four months into 2013 already, I don't know where the time goes. Saying that March went pretty slow for me. I had some major issues with college that I'm not going to get into but it left me pretty stressed out all the same. Thank god I only have another two weeks left of class. I'm not going to say that the year was enough for me as I do want to go back and do another course in September but I know I'll enjoy the long break over the Summer. March was also a  five week month meaning I only got paid last Friday since the end of February. I've never felt so broke in my entire life, shockingly I've been quite reserved in my spending since payday, I bought new clothes and a few bits from Boots (love their 3 for 2) but that's about it really. I'm trying to save for London and New York so I kinda need to start. Without further ado lets get cracking on with the empties.

I've gone through another bottle of Liz Earle's Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion. I use this stuff in two ways, as a refresher for my tired eyes in the morning and as a makeup remover to get rid of any mascara that stays lurking on my lashes. I get quite a while out of one bottle and for €13 it really doesn't break the bank. I'll certainly be heading to Wilde & Green to pick up a replacement very soon. Next up I have three shower gels to show you. I'm  a big fan of L'occitane's Almond Shower Oil, I got this particular one in a Christmas gift set. I think it's usually €30 to buy this particular size. Not really having the funds myself I doubt I'd fork out this amount of money on it. Don't get me wrong it's a lovely product and leaves my skin smelling amazing but it's a little bit on the pricey side of things for me at the moment. On the other hand a shower gel I'll definitely be repurchasing soon is Soap & Glory's Sugar Crush Body Wash. I'm pretty sure I featured this in a favourites post not too long ago. This stuff smells amazing like juicy sweet limes, I love it! It comes in at about €11 so it's definitely more affordable than the L'Occitane offering. If you like the scrub in this particular scent you'll love the shower gel too. It also comes in a body butter which I haven't actually used much yet, I'll have to search my room for it. My last shower gel is Winter Candy Apple from Bath & Body Works. This is a brand we can't get in Ireland but if we did I know all beauty lovers would be raiding the stores. I've loved every product that I've tried so far from their range and Winter Candy Apple is no exception. It smelled exactly like I though it would. I'm surprised it lasted so long to be honest, Chie sent this over to me in December as a Christmas gift and I really tried to make it last. This particular scent is only available at Christmas time so I'll definitely be stocking up when I go to New York in December. The last product I have to show you guys is a lip product from another American brand called Fresh. This is one of their tinted lip treatments in the shade Sugar Rose. I wouldn't say this beats Nuxes in the race to the best lip balm but I love the hint of colour that it left on my lips. I'll definitely be checking out their range of products when I hit up Sephora too.

Have you tried any of the products above?  What Fresh products should I check out when I'm in the States?

Laura<3

March Favourites

A big thing that stood out for me during the month of March was the fantastic weather. Even though it was only here for a couple of days it definitely made me happier. Yesterday, (less than a week later) it was snowing, which was extremely odd. This may be my last post for a while as my computer broke yesterday, so I had to send it away to get fixed. It really bugs me as I only have my Sony VAIO for less than six months. Surely they shouldn't break that quickly. Product wise, I've fallen in love with lots this month. Most of them are new to me and I've only come across them throughout March.

I usually apply my makeup in a rush in the mornings so I do tend to make mistakes (lack of sleep) here and there, so these have been brilliant. They are cottonbuds, (does anyone call them swabs?) filled with makeup remover. Nothing annoys me more than when I make a tiny mistake with mascara which ends up with me removing lots of perfectly applied makeup with a wipe. With one of these they don't make a mess of your makeup at all. A pack of  these cost €7.99 for 24 so they didn't come cheap, but I'm sure I'll be buying them  again as they save time for me in the mornings.

When I want to remove all my makeup at night, I've been using this lovely Vichy product. For ages, when people mentioned micellar solutions I had literally no clue what they were talking about, which for me was pretty embarassing. Now that I know what it is I don't know where I'd be without it. This particular one is from Vichy's Normaderm range which is great for imperfection prone skin. I soak four cotton pads with this and it removes all my makeup. I do use up alot of product fast this way, but it doesn't really bother me too much. I know you can buy a bigger bottle with a pump for €14 so I think I may purchase that next time.  Just a small word of warning, do not get this in your eyes as it can sting a bit.

I love this stuff!! I saw this featured in one of Meg's post lately. If you haven't checked out her blog you should it's brilliant. This powder isn't too expensive at €7 so it wouldn't be too hard to replace if you lost it on a night out. Rimmel Stay Matte gives such a lovely finish to my makeup without being too powdery. I've been using it over the past two weeks and I'll be certainly repurchasing it when I run out.

I've tried alot of Catrice mascaras and have never liked any of them, that is until I used this one. I have nothing but good things to say about this. It doesn't leave my lashes looking like a clumpy mess like alot of their mascara have done in the past. One of the best things about this mascara is the price, it's only €4.49 which is a bargain. You can find a my mini review for this mascara here and the effect it gives on my lashes.

I was given three Revlon lip butters as a Christmas Gift from Chie before they were launched in Ireland. I really enjoyed using them as they are great if your not in the mood for lipsticks. When they were released here during the month, I bought a couple straight away. Strawberry Shortcake is my favourite, it's a gorgeous pale pink shade that is really wearable. If you would like to see my Revlon lip butter review you can check it out here.

If you've already read my March Empties post, you will know that I had such bad problems with my hair this month. Half way through March, I started getting a itchy scalp which led to full on dandruff. I think it may of been caused by a hair product I was using, I'm going through a process of elimination trying to find the culprit. In the meantime, I had to get the problem sorted, I work in retail so I didn't like the idea of hundreds of customers walking in the door seeing my dandruff (yes it was that bad!) I went to The Body Shop and their lovely sales assistant recommended their Ginger Anti Dandruff Shampoo. She was so nice and gave me a sample to see how I got on with it. This stuff is brilliant, the problem is still there but it has definitely lessened since I started using this.  As you know I was so impressed with this product, I decided to buy the full sized bottle because I got on so well with it. This shampoo is available in two sizes, I bought the larger of the two which cost €14.50.

I've been reaching for this hand cream alot lately. It's from a brand called True Blue which you can find at Bath and Body Works in the States. This is another gift that Chie sent to me, so if you can get your hands on it I'd definitely recommend it. The scent reminds me of Bliss's Triple Oxygen Energizing Mask, it's so nice and fresh. My hands have been very dry as of late, so this hand cream has been great and it leaves my hands feeling so soft.

What has made it into your favourites in March??

Laura<3

March Empties

This is the sixth Empties post I've done since I started doing them last September. I'm surprised that I've used up so much products during the past six months. I enjoy reading other bloggers empties posts as this is a great way to find good products. In my opinion favourites can change all the time, if you finish a product it means you either really loved it or you couldn't wait to get rid of it. I've finished seven products throughout March, I've gone through a mixture this month.

I adore Lush's Snow Fairy and It's Raining Men shower gel and use them all the time. A bit more than a month ago, I went into my local store and wanted to try something different. After my boyfriend and I sniffed all the shower gels, he suggested Happy Hippy as it was in his opinion the nicest one in the shop. I bought the smallest bottle as I am very picky when it comes to shower gels. I loved this so much, it has a gorgeous citrus scent. In the mornings it really wakes me up as it's so fresh. This bottle doesn't last long but would be ideal for travelling.

I repurchase this product all the time, I'm sure you've seen it in alot of my past empties post. It removes my eye makeup brilliantly, I think it's around the €4 mark so not too pricey. I wish this came in a bigger bottle as I fly through it so quickly. I think it's a thousand times better than their 2 in 1 Eye Makeup Remover which I hated and didn't get on with at all. Looking back on my empties post this eye makeup remover has nearly been in them all so I may leave it out of next months one.

I had some trouble with my hair this month. I used a haircare product that made my scalp flare up and it ended up really flaky. I was given this sample of The Body Shop's Ginger Anti Dandruff shampoo and it soothed my scalp and left my hair with no dandruff in sight. I was so impressed by this sample I actually went back and purchased a full sized bottle. I'm going to include this in my March Favourites for sure so if you want to read more about it check back soon.

I have oily skin so needless to say it was a mistake to buy a night cream for Normal/Dry skin. It didn't cause my skin any trouble but it won't be something I will be repurchasing again. This is a part of No7's skincare range that got a revamp so I'm not too sure if this is still available to buy.

I got these makeup wipes in a Christmas set and I've only got around to using them now. Like all Soap & Glory products I love the smell of these. They didn't particularly blow me away to be honest, for the price they wouldn't be something I'd buy anytime soon. These wipes have a shelf life of three months which is a really short amount of time, don't you think? I'll be sticking with my No7 Beautiful Skin wipes.

I'm forever removing my nail polish, sometimes for work or just for a change of colour. I got these Quickies Nail Polish Remover pads in Boots that contains twenty round pads, I'm pretty sure you can get square pads aswell. I went through these pretty quickly as I usually use up to four pads to remove all my nail polish. I'll probably go for the square pads the next time I purchase these as I may not use them up as fast.

I always carry one of these around with me in my bag. They are regularly on promotion in Boots so I purchase a couple at a time. Into Glamour has a nice light scent but both Tease and Goddess are still my favourite Impulse body sprays.

What products have you finished in March? Would you like to see a review on any of the products mentioned?

Laura<3