The Lo Down - January/February Favourites

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I've decided to do a favourites post every two months cause I may not have too many products to talk about within the space of a month. During January and February I've come across alot of products which are now my favourites that I just had to share with you all.

Too Faced Sweet Peach Palette

I don't think a day has really gone by that I haven't pulled out this palette. It's so beautiful and the range of shades is amazing. I actually did a review on this that you can find here.

Benefit Dew the Hoola & Dandelion Dew

Benefit Cosmetics is one of those brands I always go back to. I just love their products and these two products are no different. Both are liquid products and they are just so easy to use. Just look at that packaging it's gorgeous. You can find the review for both products here and here!

Charlotte Tilbury Instant Look in a Palette - Seductive Beauty
I love Charlotte Tilbury, it's one of my favourite luxury brands they have so many beautiful products that I always reach for. Their latest product I got to try is their Instant Look in a Palette, it's all you need to create a day or night time look. It's perfect it may be pricey but I love it. You can find the review for this lovely product here.

Max Factor Fusion Mascara
Even if I don't have a full face of makeup on I love putting on lashings of mascara. Max Factor Fusion mascara is my current fave. It leaves my eyelashes looking phenomenal, loads of volume which is just what I want. I haven't reviewed this mascara yet but a review will be coming soon.

Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipstick
As you all know I've always been a fan of Urban Decay so of course I was excited to hear about their latest launch, the Urban Decay Vice Liquid Lipsticks. This product comes in many shades and I love the shade 22 which is a gorgeous pinky mauve shade which looks perfect with any makeup look. As there are so many other shades to choose from I'm definitely going to pick up some more soon. You can find the review for this product here.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them
I loved all the Harry Potter books so I was really excited when I found out JK Rowling was writing a screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. I got this as a birthday present off my Aunty Val two weeks ago and I'm just about half way through it. I really like it so far, I haven't saw the movie yet but my favourite actor Eddie Redmayne plays the lead so it's sure going to be good. I'll definitely be doing a review on this book soon once I've read it.

I hope you enjoyed my favourites, I'll be doing another one in April so stay tuned for that.

Laura<3

February Favourites

Sorry I'm a bit delayed putting up my favourites post, I had such a busy weekend so I could only manage to get it up today. February was a good month for me as far as discovering new products go. Most of the stuff included in the post is completely new to me. I'm kinda surprised that I have so many seeing as February is the shortest month.

I'm going to start off with the makeup purchase I was most excited about this month which was the Urban Decay Theodora palette. This gorgeous palette coincides with the launch of the new Disney Movie, Oz The Great and Powerful. I wanted to buy this ever since it popped up online. All the shadows in this palette is right down my street. I love the neutral browns and the greens. The packaging is gorgeous too and not going to lie it was one of the first things that drew me to this palette. For the price I'm glad I bought it as you get 6 shadows (two of which are duos), you also get a eyeliner and lip pencil which I think is pretty good for €40. The shadows are removeable too so if you want to switch this palette up with your other Urban Decay ones you can. I also bought the Glinda palette but I've been using this one a lot more.

During the month of February I took part in the 28 Days of Kisses tag, to keep my lips in tip top shape I used one of Nivea's new lip butters. There are four to choose from but my favourite of the bunch is Vanilla & Macadamia, it smells amazing. I've had this in my handbag throughout the whole month of February. I may have to pick up another soon just for backup in case I lost this one. I really like these lip products as they are super affordable at €2.90 and they do the job.

My friend Sinead bought me this mascara back from her recent trip to Florida. Having hear so much about Covergirl's Clump Crusher, I couldn't wait to try it for myself and it didn't disappoint. The curved angled brush reaches even the smallest lashes, and gives them a extra boost. This is the best drugstore mascara I've tried in a long time, it doesn't clump at all on the lashes, not even when I apply another coat a couple of hours later. I wish we could get this brand in Ireland, I'll definitely be stocking up on this when I'm in New York at the end of the year. I know it's so far away but I'm going to start making lists soon.

My skincare favourite this month comes from MAC and it's their Volcanic Ash Exfoliator. I bought this in Selfridges at the Trafford Centre in Manchester. I remember wanting to try this for a while and when I seen it at the counter I snatched it up. It's been sitting neglected in my collection for a long time unloved but I've rediscovered it during the month of February. This stuff is just gorgeous it leaves my skin super soft and fresh. I was expecting this to smell pretty funny but I actually don't mind the scent at all. It says on the tube that you can use this product up to three times a week but I seriously think that's a bit excessive. This is quite a coarse scrub so you wouldn't need to use it that much. I thought when I bought this last year that it was limited edition but I've seen it on a few counters over here in Dublin so it's worth keeping your eyes out for. It was pretty pricey when I bought it but this one tube will last you ages.

My favourite fragrance this month is Ralph Lauren's Big Pony for Women. There are 4 scents to choose from, I went for #4. This is a floriental (floral and oriental) scent which smells amazing. It contains notes of wild cherry which you can definitely pick up on when you first spray this fragrance. I got this as a part of a gift set in the January Sales, it also came with a body lotion in the same scent, a complete bargain at €30. I didn't start using it right away when I first bought it, but this has been for go-to fragrance for the month of February. I haven't put it down! The packaging isn't anything too spectacular but I love the colour purple so this suits me fine. It's also so perfect size for my handbag, it's quite a sturdy bottle too so I wouldn't be too worried about spillage.

I'm not big on tan but when I've wanted a natural glow throughout February I've been using Sienna X's Gradual Glowing Self Tan. If you're fans of instant tan this probably isn't for you, this does that a good few hours to develop. I usually put mine on over night. When you first apply it to the skin it doesn't have that biscuity scent that people associate with tan but as it develops it you can smell it a little. This factor has never really bothered me at all so it wasn't something I'd be too put off by. I've used this mostly on my arms and legs, it results in a gorgeous natural tan which is what I go for. If your someone who likes a dark tan this may not be for you. I bought this when I was on holidays in Manchester last year so I'm not a 100% percent sure if it's available in Ireland.

Another favourite for me this month is the new Unilever deodorant packaging, they've got rid of all their big bottles and have brought out these small travel friendly bottles. Apparently these tiny can are suppose to contain the same amount of product to the big cans. I haven't put it to the test but I'll take their word for it. This new packaging is not only environmentally friendly but for me it takes up little or no space in my handbag unlike the original which is a major plus. I've been using the scent Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena from Dove, which smells lovely and fresh. I don't usually go for Dove scents but I surprisingly really like this one.

What are your star products for February?

Laura <3

February Empties

February flew by right before my very eyes, where did the entire month go? I had a lot of stuff to keep me busy over the last couple of weeks so I guess that's why! I have a quite a few empties to show you guys which is surprising considering it's a shortest month of the year and I've gone through so much.

First up are my makeup products that I've used up. I find it takes me literally ages to finish them, does anyone feel the same? I did do a Back to MAC during the month so I did take a picture of the products I used up to show you before I rushed to my local counter to get a new lippie. I used one of my favourite blushes Pink Tea, it was from one of their limited edition collections a while back. It was a gorgeous light pink shade which gave a lovely hint of colour to the cheeks. It was ideal for everyday so you can imagine I used this quite a bit. I don't think you can get this blush now but I'll definitely be looking out for something similar. I bought MAC's Studio Careblend Pressed Powder in Duty Free when I was going to Barcelona which wasn't today or yesterday. I remember opting for this when they were sold out of their Mineralize Skinfinish Natural in Medium. I got the shade medium and it is a lovely powder. I would repurchase it again if I hadn't found Rimmel's Stay Matte powder, this is such a gorgeous product and so affordable too. I've gone through so many of these since I discovered it, no wonder it took me so long to use up this MAC powder. I've had MAC's Strobe Cream for ages, maybe even more than a year. I usually just mixed this in with my foundation to give a nice glow. I do like it but it is pretty price I think it's around €30 maybe a little less. I think that there would definitely be cheaper alternatives to this product in Boots. If I was to buy this product again from MAC I'd probably go for it in the lotion hat comes with a pump. I found it rather difficult to get the cream out of the squidgey bottle which was a bit of a nuisance.

  I've had the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch primer for a while now. I got it in November in one of their Christmas sets. I'm a really big fan of this brand and I love seeing what new products they're coming out with next. I had heard relatively good things about this primer before I bought it and I do like it but I wouldn't say it's anything out of this world. It keeps my makeup in place all day and that's all I could ask of a primer. Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch is on the expensive side at €26.50, saying that it did do a much better job than some of the other primers I've tried in the past while. I may add this to my shopping list very soon. 

Here are some skincare/body products I used up during the month. I got the L'occitane Amande Delicious Paste Scrub in one of their Christmas gift sets. It smells exactly like their shower oil which is one of my favourites. This was only trial size so I got a bit more than two uses out of it. The only reason why I probably wouldn't purchase this again is the price. It cost almost €40 for a 200ml glass jar of this product which is miles over my budget. I guess I'll be sticking with my favourite from Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub. I love using both these La Roche Posay products for removing my makeup. On the left is their Purifying Micellar Water for Oily Sensitive Skin. I use this to take off all the makeup on my face and it works a treat. I have used it on my eyes before and it does not aggravate but I prefer to use the brand's Physiological Eye Makeup Remover. This gets rid of even the most stubborn mascara, They're Real I'm looking at you. I could use their micellar water for eyes and face but I feel like I'd use way more product to remove eye makeup. I feel like the Physiological Eye Makeup remover gets rid of all signs of mascara quicker. In general, I do fly through both of these products though, I wish they came in bigger bottles.

 Continuing on to haircare, I have two products which I've used up over the last while. I didn't think too much of the Joico K-PAK Deep Penetrating Reconstructor, just wasn't for me. Having heard so many amazing things about this product I was rather disappointed. I wasn't a big fan of the smell (eww bananas) and I didn't think it made any major difference to my hair. I did fidn that this small tube was never ending though so maybe that's one positive. On the other hand I love Redken's Extreme Anti Snap Leave In Treatment. This smells amazing and it works wonders on my hair. As you probably all know I straighten my hair a hell of a lot. I've tried to rock the natural look as of late which consists of my curly/frizzy mane. I just find this product has really improved the condition of my hair since I started using it. I'm definitely going to repurchase this is the future, it is sort of expensive so I'm going to wait a bit before I do. I have a couple of new haircare bits that I bought in the last few weeks or so so I'll definitely bring you a post on some of them really soon.

Here are three random products that really didn't fit in anywhere else. I used up two deoderants which I'm not going to go in depth about, they do the job and that's that really. I didn't really like the Pamolive Soft & Gentle Jasmine & Coco Milk, I much prefer the Nivea scent. I do buy different scents now and again, at the moment I'm using Dove's Pomegranate & Lemon Verbena scent which I really like. It came in one of the new compressed cans which are so much handier to pop in my bag as their so much smaller than the original cans. I think this is such a good idea as it's good for the environment  apparently they're planning on phasing all the large cans out in the coming months. I also finished up Butter London's Powder Room Acetone Free Nail Polish Remover. What can I say this is nail polish remover? It does exactly what it says on the tin so the pretty much the same as any other polish remover out there. I probably won't be repurchasing this as I really like the Bourjois Magic Nail polish remover which reminds me I have to get this again the next time I'm in Boots. I miss it!

Have you tried any of these products?

Laura<3

February Favourites

Not many products really wowed me this month, I've resorted back to using some products I haven't been giving much love to lately. One of them is included in this months favourites. In total, I have five products to show you all so I'm going to keep this post short and sweet like February.

I have three Inglot palettes, this is my favourite one.The eyeshadows are so pigmented and for the price (€20 for the entire palette) they were a bargain. I've had this for a couple of months now, my favourite shadow is the dark brown shade which you can see I already hit pan on. I've been using this in the crease with No7's Wheatsheaf eyeshadow all over the lid, regularly for work and it looks really nice. Don't let the glitter put you off, once blended it's more like a light shimmer. I've been more inclined to use these over my MAC eyeshadows lately. If you would like to see a post with swatches and shade numbers let me know in the comments.

The Body Shop's Chocomania Body Lotion

On my birthday I got lots of lovely Chocomania goodies as a present. Out of the products I've tried so far (not many), this is my favourite. As you can see the bottle, I've used it up quite a bit already. This body lotion leaves my skin feeling nice and soft. The whole Chocomania range smells great, I wasn't expecting it to be when I first heard of it's launch. I also like how the lotion seeps into my skin quickly without leaving it greasy.

Loreal Falsh Lash Telescopic Mascara

I always switch between a million different mascaras, but I've stuck with Loreal's latest offering for the last few weeks. I'm a big fan of the original Telescopic mascara so False Lash Telescopic had alot to live up to. Before applying this, my lashes were long to begin with but False Lash gives them that extra something. I'm always left with gorgeous fluttery lashes.

Benefit Sugarbomb Blush

As you can tell from the picture, I've had this blush for a long time. I've only tried two of Benefit's box blushes, Dandelion and this. I've been using Sugarbomb everyday since I rediscovered it in my room. Ir gives a really nice pop of colour to the cheeks, it's something different. I'm tempted to try Hervana next.

Loreal Paris Superliner Carbon Gloss

In my January favourites, I mentioned Loreal's Super Liner, it has squeezed in again this month. I can't believe it took me so long to try it. Before I started using this, I used gel liners all the time. Loreal Super Liner has now taken there place. If you haven't tried this already, I'd recommend it.

What has made it into your February favourites??

Laura<3

February Empties

When I write my Empties post, I tend to loose count as I can't remember what I finished at the start of that month. I was surprised to see that I finished ten products throughout February. As soon as I finish something I put it into a tiny shopping bag I own from Forever 21, not to be seen again until the end of the month (makes sense that I wouldn't remember). All in all February has been a good month, I've had some of these products for a while so I guess it was about them I finished them.

Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub

I love this lip scrub. I've lost count of how long I've had this for, so believe me when I say they last  for ages. After using this, my lips were left feeling so smooth. Also the smell was pleasant, just like Snow Fairy. I got the Pow Wow lip scrub at Christmas time but I don't think I like it as much. I may have to buy this the next time I'm in Lush.

No7 Quick Thinking 4 in 1 wipes

I'm going to keep this short and sweet as I do seem to ramble on about these wipes quite a bit. There my favourite wipes on the market right now. Since I'm all out of them at the moment, I've been using different wipes (post soon) which don't compare at all. If you go into Boots looking for these, the packaging has changed completely, but they are the exact same wipes.

Soap & Glory The Breakfast Scrub
The Breakfast Scrub is another product I have a lot of admiration for. Not only is it an amazing scrub it also smells great. I did a review way back when I started blogging you can check it out here.

Liz Earle Skin Repair Light Moisturiser
I've been using this moisturiser for ages now. I can't say how much I like it enough. I have combination skin, so this moisturiser is light but still really moisturising. Skin Repair Light is expensive at €20.50 but I think it's worth every penny.

Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion
When I seen that I was almost out of Urban Decay's Primer Potion, I ordered another off Beautybay.com. I've tried other eyeshadow primers in the past but they don't compare at all. This also comes in other shades, I want to try Eden (matte) and Greed (shimmery gold) next.

Urban Decay All Nighter Spray
My Mom got this for me when she went to New York last year. I'd heard so much nice things about the All Nighter Spray. I think it's a really nice product but at €27.50 there's much cheaper alternatives out there. For that reason, I probably won't be repurchasing it.

Batiste Big & Bouncy XXL Volume Dry Shampoo
I didn't like this at all! Don't get me wrong it gives you volume like it says it will, but when it came to brushing my hair, it was a complete nightmare. I felt like I was yanking my hair out completely.

Garnier Gentle Eye Makeup Remover

This is by far my favourite eye makeup remover. A while ago I messed up and bought Garnier's 2 in 1 eye makeup remover and I didn't like it at all. I do use this product up very quickly, but it's not too expensive (€4.99) and it's usually on special offer.

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion
This is the third bottle of Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion I've gone through. I really like it so I'll be picking one up the next time I'm at Wilde & Green. It may not be a neccessity, but my eyes always feel super refreshed after using this. You can see my review on this product here.

Have you tried any of the above products??

Laura<3