July: Loves and Lusts

It's time for another 'Loves and Lusts' already! We're now solidly into the second half of 2016's editions - how, I do not know - and today I'm gonna be talking you through everything I've been loving and lusting after throughout July. If you're a regular round these parts I'm sure this series needs no introduction, but if you are new, I'll link up all my previous posts I've done of this kind here for you to have a look at and get the general gist of how things work. Let's jump right on in...

What I've Loved:

Tanya Burr Soft Luxe Eyeshadow Palettes in 'Birthday Suit' and 'Enchanted Dream' - First up for this month's 'Loves and Lusts' are some new, fabulous products from Tanya Burr Cosmetics. Tanya has brought out a brand new collection called 'Soft Luxe' - all centred around romantic, pastel tones - and I have to say I think this is my favourite launch from brand so far. If you want to know more of my in-depth thoughts, have a look at my full review post here, but in short - I love every single product I've tried. When it was first announced, the two new eyeshadow palettes definitely excited me the most, as I adored her 'Hollywood' one from last year's collection and having given them a go, I feel exactly the same. 'Birthday Suit' features more of your classic neutral hues with a bit of a pinky, peachy twist; whereas 'Enchanted Dream' offers an nice wearable way of experimenting with colour with some gorgeous purple-toned shades. The high standard set with the previous palettes remains - they're easy to apply and blend, last all day long with no issues at all and are super-pigmented - and if anything, I actually think they're creamier in formulation than last time around. Love, love, LOVE.

Tanya Burr Soft Luxe Matte Lip in 'Martha Moo' - Moving onto lips, Tanya has also dabbled in the ever-popular and saturated world of liquid lipsticks for this new collection. There's three in the range so far - all variations of pink - and the one which I plumped for (and absolutely love) is 'Martha Moo'. This is a deep, pinky-brown nude shade which is very much in-keeping with the types of hues which everyone is going cray cray for at the moment. It applies evenly and easily in one layer, dries down quickly to that classic 'liquid lipstick' super-matte finish and lasts all darn day long. Yes, it does feel a tad moisture-zapping on the pout - as it the case with most, if not all liquid lipsticks - and of them all, it definitely is one of the least drying I've come across. For that one minor downside, I can forgive it for all of the major plus points - like the seriously beaut colour. *Inserts all the heart-eyed emojis*.

Tanya Burr Soft Luxe Matte Nail Polish in 'Soft Pyjamas' - Last, but most certainly not least, from the 'Soft Luxe' Collection is a new matte nail polish. One again, Tanya has gone with the 'matte' thing and created three (also, again) shades of nail lacquers, all with the same pastel colour scheme and a shine-free effect. Personally, I've never tried any matte lacquers before as I'm such a fan of the standard glossy look, but I figured if there was a time to test one out - it was now. I picked up the shade 'Soft Pyjamas' - a lilac-y toned griege - and actually, I was rather pleasantly surprised at how much I liked the finished result. It applied easily in two coats, lasted pretty well and it was different, but in a good way. Not only finish-wise, but also in terms of the colour and I found the matte effect to really complement the pared-back, neutral tones.

Rimmel #InstaFlawless Tinted Primer in 'Light/Medium' - Onto other makeup (yes, more makeup - I know) and first off, something that wasn't a favourite of mine - until now. You may remember that when I first bought this a few months back, we did not get along. The formulation was lovely, but the colour - despite being the lightest available - was so dark and orangey and just not right for my paler complexion at all. I cast it aside, deeming it as yet another 'Disappointing Product', but earlier this month I had a bit of a brainwave as to how I may just be able to get it to work a tad better. I mixed some in with my current day cream to get a slightly more diluted down consistency, meaning the colour would be less Oompa Loompa-esque and it worked a darn treat, even if I do say so myself. So I guess what I'm saying is - I didn't like this before, but love it now I've had a play around and found a way to solve the problem I had with it. How things change, eh?

L'Oréal Nude Magique Cushion Foundation in '03 Vanilla' - When I haven't been slapping on the above aforementioned combination, in terms of actual foundation - I have a new love in the shape of this one from L'Oréal (which I picked up as part of my latest 'New In At The Drugstore' here). I'm sure most of you lovely lot will have already heard of this as ever since it was released a while back, everyone and their Nan has been all kinds of obsessed with it and having tried it out, I can safely say I am now very much in that camp. This is the first foundation in this format to hit the highstreet and having never given such a concept a go before, I was a little apprehensive - but I actually really rather love it. It's probably the quickest and easiest foundation to apply, with minimal mess and faffing about and the coverage is customisable depending on how much you apply. You can go in with a lighter hand for a super-sheer finish, or keep applying and really build it up, either in certain areas of the face or all-over - it's completely up to you. What I love the most about this is that whatever amount you apply, it still blends in like a dream and sits really beautifully on the skin, looking almost-undetectable. It's neither overly-glowy, nor matte - it just looks like skin - and it hangs on in there until you decide to remove it. I think we have a contender for a new favourite foundation on our hands...

L'Oréal Glam Bronze Cushion De Soleil - Also from L'Oréal and again in the same cushion-format, is their new cream bronzer. Apart from a change of colour scheme, this has exactly the same packaging set-up as the foundation, but inside this time of course, is a bronzer. The same application stands - a product-filled cushion which you tap your brush, sponge or fingers into - and I'd say this also has an almost-identical consistency and formula to the above. You can really layer this up to an overly bronzed look, or lightly apply to make it more suitable to paler skintones (like mine) or simply for more of a subtle wash of colour. It's super pigmented and slightly intimidating when you first apply it to the skin, but when worked in with a tool of your choice, it quickly sheers out. The creamy texture means it also adds a nice, radiant glow and it works especially well for the warmer months when liquid-y products seem far more appealing than powders. I found this to last and wear really well on my skin throughout the day (something which I cannot say for all cream cheek products) so all in all, I'm rather impressed.

MUA Skin Define Hydro Powder - This month I finally pushed the boat out a tad (emphasis on 'a tad') and experimented with a new face powder - see my full post here. I've thought on and off about trying a new one for a little while and with the latest pan of my trusty Rimmel Stay Matte coming to the end of its life, I figured the best time was now. After a good hunt around the drugstore, at last I came across a transparent formula (my personal favourite) from MUA. It's very finely milled, lightweight and mattifies without making things look heavy or dry. It doesn't add any extra colour or coverage and the shine-free finish lasts all day long. The only slight downside? When you place the brush into the pan there is some that comes away, but once again - I can forgive it as the actual product itself is awesome.

Barry M Illuminating Strobe Cream in 'Frosty Pink' - A new highlighter love I've discovered recently and surprisingly, a cream formula. Like I've said many times before, I am very particular when it comes to cream cheek products (especially those in stick format). Sometimes, when a product is housed that way, I find it to be far too dry and unblendable - but luckily, that does not seem to be the case when it comes to this one from Barry M. It reminds me a lot of the Collection Speedy Highlighter (which I also love) in that it's super easy to apply - either straight from the bullet, or with your fingers - and most importantly, equally easy-peasy to blend out. The icy pink shade makes for a really flattering, natural sheen on the skin and like the L'Oréal Bronzer, the cream texture makes it an ideal option for the Summer.

Maybelline Lash Sensational Luscious Mascara - So a couple of weeks ago, two things happened. I was in desperate need of a new mascara and coincidently the newest mascara from Maybelline had just popped up in stores. We all knew it was gonna happen. Despite being very disappointed with the last mascara from the brand I tried (Maybelline The Falsies Push up Drama - I'm looking at you), I still remain a big fan of what Maybelline have to offer for the lashes and I love the original Lash Sensational so I just had to try this out. It's got a wetter formula which will most likely dry out over time (as opposed to the original, which starts out dry and warms up as you use it) and right now, I'm finding it to be more of a 'one coat wonder' - in that it deposits much more product and so doesn't need so much building up. Because of this, you do have to be more careful with your application as it will go clumpy if you go too wild - but as long as you are aware of that, you'll be fine. I wouldn't say it's necessarily better than the original Lash Sensational, but it's definitely not worse (*ahem* The Falsies Push Up Drama) - it's a good mascara in its own right and I love it for different reasons. I really like how intense and black it makes my lashes and how much length and volume it gives and while it's not waterproof, it lasts all day without smudging or flaking off - so that can only be a good thing, yeah?

Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate 15 Year Collection Lipstick in '54 Rock N Roll Nude' - For the 'ole lips, I tried a new shade from the Rimmel x Kate Moss 15th Anniversary Lipstick Collection and I really, really like it. There's three red and three nudes; and being all about the neutral tones on the lips right now (much like everyone else) of course I opted for a hue from the latter category. After a bit of a swatch-a-thon in Superdrug, I plumped for the pretty, peachy-pink of the trio - called 'Boho Nude'. It's got the same sweet, vanilla scent as is the norm for Rimmel lippies and the same creamy, sheeny finish. It's quite different from the dry, liquid lipstick finish which many of us have been gravitating towards recently and I for one really like the feeling of having something a little more hydrating on the lips for a change. I highly recommend you give this new range a looksee as it's likely they'll have a nude (or red) for you!

Barry M Molten Metal Nail Paint in 'Copper Mine' - Last (but certainly not least) for the 'Loves' section of July is this nail polish from Barry M. As I explained in my 'New In At The Drugstore' post, they have come out with a new range of lacquers called 'Molten Metals' - featuring all metallic shades, with a super-shiny, shimmery finish. I just had to pick up the warm, rose gold-esque - 'Copper Mine' - as I am all kinds of obsessed with anything of this tone right now. And let me say - I am not disappointed. This gives the most gorgeous, intense rose gold effect to my nails in just two coats and instantly makes your talons look super snazzy, without making too much effort. As with all Barry M polishes, the quality is spot-on considering the bargainous price and I love how more and more makeup brands are catching onto the hype surrounding the whole Copper/Rose Gold thang - especially with nails. LOVE.

What I'd Love To Have:

Collection Precision Contour Sticks - £4.99 each - Collection have launched a brand new contouring product and as soon as I got wind of its release a week or so ago, I instantly knew I wanted to get my hands on one. Following on from their powder contour kit, the brand has now launched three cream contour sticks and they look all kinds of awesome. The shade 'Light' especially seems right up my street, as it looks to be quite ashy and cool-toned - perfect for adding some natural dimension to the face. They're housed in that familiar 'Chubby Stick'-style format, meaning you quite literally just draw on your face, blend it out and you're done and these seem fairly skinny, so yet again ideal for contouring.

Collection Illuminating Touch Under Eye Brightener - £4.99 - Another product that seems to be new from Collection is their Illuminating Touch Concealer - but in a new shade. They've had this product as part of their range for yonks now, but only in your standard concealer-type hues. The consistency makes it ideal for popping on under the eyes (either alone or over the top of your usual cover-up) and so I guess it makes sense for them to be now finally releasing a shade that's especially formulated for that area. The same packaging and formula remains, but this time the shade is more of a pinky, salmon-toned corrector and so should in theory work better at cancelling out those under eye circles. There's only one way to find out...

Fleur De Force x Eylure 'Petit Fleur' Lashes - Unsure of the price at the moment! - FleurDeForce's lashes from Eylure are some of my favourites I've tried. I love every single set I've given a go and so when I saw a new design pop up in one of Fleur's recent videos, it's safe to say my ears most definitely pricked up. From what I can see, they're another pair of three-quarter lashes (like her popular 'Fleur Loves' set), yet this time, with a more minimalistic design. These seem to be more targeted at adding depth and volume at the base of your natural lashes, as opposed to adding gigantic amounts of length (as is the case with most falsies) so are perfect for a natural look. As soon as they're out (on the 8th August, I believe!) I'm making a beeline for them...

L'Oréal Pure Clay Masks - £7.99 (currently on offer at Boots for £5.00!) - Moving onto skincare, this launch from L'Oréal has received a lot of publicity this past month - getting people talking, ears wagging and personally, I'm rather intrigued too. They have come out with three new clay-based face masks. There's one for purifying, one for detoxing and one for adding some glow - and I think you can all guess which one I've got my eyes on. Of course, it's the latter, as I am very much on the 'glowing skin' bandwagon right now and anything that promises to give me that radiant, healthy look is something which I'm bound to want to try. Especially with the discounted price that's currently running on Boots at the moment. #Enabled.

Kiehls Avocado Eye Treatment - £20.00 - Another slightly more pricey skincare item which I'm getting all heart-eyed emoji over is this eye cream. I've heard a few things about this in the past, with many people saying how brilliant it is at hydrating the under eye area and helping to de-puff and brighten things up at the same time. Amy Farquhar was the latest to sings its praises in a video of hers a couple of weeks back and I always value her opinion, so if at some point in the future I do decide to invest in an eye cream (probably thinking more at some point down the line, as I age *shudders*) I think this may just be the one I go for.

NYX Warm Neutrals Eyeshadow Palette - £18.00 - Back onto all things makeup and this new palette from NYX. I've done some researching online and cannot find this (or any of their new eyeshadow collections) in any UK websites, so perhaps this is more something which will be making its way to our shores soon, but for now - this shade selection in particular looks to be just my cup of tea. As the name suggests, its a compilation of wholly neutral tones (all very warm in colouring - would you believe it?) and the packaging looks to be nice and compact too. I've never sampled any eyeshadows from NYX before, but I have used some of their products in the past (as you probably know) and for the most part, am always impressed.

NikkieTutorials x Too Faced 'The Power Of Makeup' - £48.00 - Another YouTuber collaboration launch this month - gotta support #TeamInternet, yanno! I have only just gotten into watching NikkieTutorials properly in the past few months (I know many people have been 'fans' of hers for a long time) but I really enjoy her videos and so this partnership once again, intrigued me. I love the look of Too Faced as a brand and I have a list a long as my arm as to products of theirs which I want to try at some point - particularly, their eyeshadows. So, with this being primarily filled with them (in a mix of neutrals and brights), this seems like a good opportunity to give them a go. Inside you also get two blushers, a bronzer and highlight; plus a few added extras (such as a purple Better Than Sex Mascara!)

Cover FX Custom Enhancer Drops - £34.00 each - Finally, we have the standard inclusion of a highlighting product. It just seems the norm these days that with every single 'Loves and Lusts; post, there's some form of luminiser featured. I'm obsessed with highlights, what can I say? This one comes in at a very hefty price-tag, but having spotted these cropping up in posts and videos recently, I. am. in. love. These are liquid highlights and from what I've seen, quite literally look like liquid metal once applied onto the skin. There's glow - and then there's these beauties - and if I ever had the budget, I would be #InThereLikeSwimwear, that's fo' sho'.

So there we have everything for my July Loves and Lusts! Looking back over it - especially the 'Loves' section - it's been a very makeup-heavy month, but I guess that's just what I've been enjoying these past few weeks, eh? I'm sure that will all change come next month's edition. I hope you've had  a good July and I will see you lovely lot same time, same place next month for another 'Loves and Lusts'!