June Favourites ☼

This month it was harder to pick favourites as I didn't wear makeup as often as I normally do, hence the skincare items included. 

The first favourite is skincare related and is the new Skin Perfection Micellar solution from L'Oreal, I have been using this frequently this month to remove my makeup before cleansing, and have been enjoying it, it ensures I removed everything from my skin. 

Next is the Botanics Rosewater Toning spritz, I love this for when my skin is feeling dehydrated and hot, it cools the surface whilst still acting as a toner, I also see a difference in blemishes when I use this. 

If you read my battle of the bases you will also know that I love the L'Oreal True Match foundation, and since purchasing it I have been wearing it every time I wear makeup. It just gives me a fresh perfect base which looks nice in warmer weather.

I will not say much for the next favourite, but I have been wearing the E.L.F Lip balm in Mellow Melon nearly every day too! 

My new lash combo which I have been loving this month is layering the Rocket Volum' Express mascara from Maybelline with the Fibre Lashxtend from Model-Co, it creates extreme length and volume which lasts all day long.  

Lastly my E.L.F Jumbo eye crayon in Turkish Coffee has been perfect for creating messy, smudgey brown smokey eyes which I have been loving with lots of mascara and a very fresh complexion, it may be my summer favourite!

What are your June favourites?

Products of the week #2

My first favourite of the week is the Dream Fresh BB cream from Maybelline; this is a lovely sheer coverage BB cream which gives my skin a healthy glow, which has been perfect for this 'warmer' weather we are having. Next is the E.L.F Tone Correcting powder which I have mentioned a few times, It is just the best at mattifying my face and keeping everything in place for a much longer time. Another face product I have recently fallen back in love with is the MAC Studio Finish concealer which I have been using to cover red and angry blemishes, It is the best for that. And then for lips my go-to combo of the week has been the Chanel lipstick in Seduisante 91 and the E.L.F Conditioning lip balm in Mellow Melon, it's a beautiful pink lip which looks fresh for this time of year!

What have you been loving this week?

Quick Review: E.L.F face products

Face: 

You can see which ones I love the most.. 

Top left is the E.L.F warm bronzer which has featured in numerous face's of the day and favourites, it is perfect for just adding warmth to the face without looking orange. Next is the tone correcting powder; this obviously does not correct everything on your face, but it is a lovely powder which mattifies the skin whilst adding a tiny bit of coverage. The three blushes at the bottom are also nice; left- Tickled Pink, middle- Berry Merry and right- Peachy Keen, the only problem I have with these are that they are quite dusty but they make up for it by giving a lovely light colour to the skin which is pretty for everyday. 

These are some extra products- a mixture of face and eyes, which I also have.
The E.L.F HD blush is a newer product and I have the colour Diva; this product is amazing it is incredibly pigmented and a tiny bit goes a long way, It is a liquid but turns to a powder finish on the skin. Next to that is the concealer in Ivory- this is very pink toned so I use this as an under-eye corrector before concealer- it works nicely as it is creamy enough to blend out. 

On to eye products- Firstly is the Jumbo eye-shadow stick in Turkish Coffee, this is a dupe for the NYX jumbo eye-shadow pencils and is a lovely pigmented pencil that doesn't need sharpening because it twists up! Another product that has been seen in a lot of my posts is the single eye-shadow in pebble- I use it for my eyebrows/defining my crease and is a lovely pigmented cool tone brown. And lastly is the HD under-eye setting powder- this is a shimmery translucent powder to set concealer  it works pretty well but I do not like the glitter particles because it just makes you look sparkly. 

Any products I should try?

Quick Review: E.L.F lip products

Lips:

I am a big fan of the E.L.F lip products as they are all highly pigmented and do what they say on the tin (or in this case tube.) The Lipstick in Captivating is a lovely orange coral and is creamy and has great lasting power. The two conditioning lip balms in Peaceful Pink (right) and Mellow Melon (left) are my favourite elf products  they are pigmented, conditioning and last for a long time. Also the hyper shine gloss in Flirt is a gorgeous pink that provides an impressive glossy finish however is a tad sticky, and lastly the liquid lipstick in Strawberry (which is actually the colour of strawberries) which is a sheer glossy lipstick that functions as a lipstick and lip gloss!

Any other lip products I should try from E.L.F?

Empties #3

I'll keep it brief as there are so many!

1// Max-factor Eye Brightening mascara for 'Blue Eyes'- This is my all time favourite mascara however I did not repurchase it as I wanted to try other mascaras. 

2// Collection perfection concealer in Fair- Of course I repurchased this, I think this is in every empties post..

3// Sanctuary Spa Bath Float- These minis come in Christmas sets in Boots, and I am finally getting through them! This one was nice for creating big bubbles but are only good for a few baths. 

4// Botanics Mattifying Gel- This was great when I was oilier last year, however I am now much dryer so this was not cutting in. But I still finished it all up (it took forever) I would recommend this as it is pretty inexpensive and is a lovely matte texture for oily skin. 

5// Venus Pro-skin razor- I have to toss this as it has got so disgusting, but I did repurchase this because it gives you the closest shave.

6// Soap and Glory Scrub 'em and leave em'- this scrub has lasted me since Christmas and is lovely to scrub away any dead skin before self-tanning. 

7// Herbal Essence Herbally ever after Conditioner- I disliked this. It made my hair incredibly greasy, and I have very dry hair, I would not buy this product again.

8// Botanics Cleansing Foam Wash- This is a lovely face wash, although as it is only a foam it is not very strong and therefore did not prevent the occasional breakout. But for my sensitive patches it did wonders to calm them down. 

9// Nail polish remover from Superdrug- This is my go-to nail polish remover, because it's cheap and works a charm, I did repurchase this. 

Finished any products you would recommend recently?

Recent book purchases

The first book I picked up was book fourteen from one of my favourite book series', The Morganville Vampires. It sounds childish, but surprisingly it is an amazing take on vampires living among humans and the realistic implications (not at all twilight-y!)  I have all of the books so far and am excited to read the next installment- something else I appreciate with this series is that 1. all the books cost the same amount (I hate it when authors periodically increases the price) and 2. that all the covers and design are consistent, so they look lovely on your bookshelf!

The second book I picked up was on a whim really, I liked the colours of the cover and the blurb sounded interesting. It's called The Hit by Melvin Burgess, it is supposedly about a new drug that gives you best week of your life at the cost of death at the end of it. I liked the sound of it and it was only £7.99 so I gave it a try. 

The last book I purchased was one that was recommended to me by a few people both in real life and online. It is Matched by Ally Condle, again set in a distopian world where your partners are chosen for you and your entire life is controlled by the government. I love books like this, which is why I thoroughly enjoyed the Hunger Games, the Maze Runner and Divergent series'.

Products of the week #1

My first stand out product of the week is the Sleek Brow Kit; I forgot I had this for a long while until the beginning of the week. I used if and feel back in love with it, it offers a powder and a cream alternative- making brows just that bit easier. Next is surprisingly the e.l.f HD Under-eye powder, it is a translucent powder with shimmer in it that sets and brightens the under-eye. 

If you read my Battle of the bases post, then you already know my next favourite is the L'Oreal true match foundation. It is so simple and dewy on the skin while still offering a nice coverage. The last makeup product which is stand- out this week is the Rocket Volum' express mascara from Maybelline, it is a very wet formula but it builds up nicely on lashes. 

The last product is OPI's Nail Envy, I did a whole blog-post on this a while ago, and lately have put it to the test yet again. I had acrylics for the last few months and once they were removed my nails have been incredibly brittle and weak, lets hope Nail Envy can fix them fast!

What are your weekly stand-out products?

Review: Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara

Rimmel Scandaleyes mascara- £6.99 

I do not enjoy doing bad reviews because they are filled with negative energy, but this product was no good. The first problem was the brush is HUGE and very hard to control, so mascara ended up all over my eyelid- first mistake. Then you need a million layers to make sure your lashes are not grey, and finally after making them look somewhat okay, it smudges all over your under-eye area!

Story time-
I was at college- must have been wearing my makeup for 2 hours max- and one of my best-friends mentioned that I looked really tired. I thought nothing of it and went to the bathroom where I saw the complete panda eyes staring back at me! It had smudged so bad I looked as if I had been punched in both eyes..

Anyway, I love Rimmel makeup products usually  but this was a let down. I think the Lycra flex formula is too wet and does not dry on the lashes therefore causing major smudging. (I don't even have oily eyes!) Therefore I would suggest steering clear of this mascara unless you have already tried it and loved it!

Battle of the bases #1

These 'battle of the bases' posts will consider the pros and cons of each product and deduct which is better and for which reason, the first battle is between Revlon Colorstay (my old faithful) and L'Oreal True Match (a new love.) 

REVLON COLORSTAY: (BUFF)

PROMISES?

1. Full coverage foundation for oily/combination skin 

2.SPF 6

3. 24 Hr long wear

4. Lightweight feel

PROS:

1. Long wearing

2. Full coverage 

3. Perfect colour 

CONS:

1. Heavy on the skin 

2. No pump 

3. Hefty price tag of £12.49 (for a drugstore product?!)

L'OREAL TRUE MATCH: (GOLDEN IVORY)

PROMISES:

1. Super-blendable

2. Perfect colour

3. SPF 17

4. Without caking

 PROS:

1. Lightweight feel 

2. good, build-able coverage

3. Has a pump 

4. Good colour 

CONS:

1. Can feel greasy over time- needs powder

And the winner is..

L'Oreal True Match!

Even though my Revlon is my old favorite and I will always have a bottle in my stash, it is just too much coverage and heaviness for everyday (especially with summer on the way.) 

I much prefer the lightweight feel of the true match, and I personally do not mind powdering!

So there you go, the first battle of the bases, have you tried either of these?

A tropical rose!

I have been away from the blog lately, due to my exams and work. But I am back and I return with a different name and look!

A tropical rose will have the same posts as before, but I feel like the name suits my style more and the colours and feel are more summery!

Hope you enjoy reading my upcoming posts :)

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