It's the start of July and so I figured I'd bring back a post format that I tried out for the first time around the same time a couple of years ago and brought back in the July of last year too. You know how at the end of the year I like to do one big ramble about all my beauty favourites from the past twelve months? Well, think of that - but halfway through the year. Today, I'm talking you lovely lot through all my top, new products I've discovered and have been loving in the first half of 2017. Let's get started, eh?
L'OREAL INFALLIBLE 24HR FOUNDATION IN 'PORCELAIN' - Starting things off with Makeup, these past six months I have finally come across another foundation that has the potential to rival my deep profound love of the Bourjois Healthy Mix. I know, I know. It was something I was unsure of happening, at least anytime soon but somehow I happened upon this base from L'Oreal which has gone on to be a firm favourite of mine. The colour is spot-on for my paler complexion (if I do need a bit of extra colour, I simply mix on some of my beloved Healthy Mix - as I mentioned here) and it gives a nice, medium, buildable coverage that juts sits on the skin super-nicely without looking at all cakey or heavy. It's not overly matte, nor is it overly dewy - it hits the sweet spot in the middle - and once it's on, it really locks into place all day long. Lovely.
RIMMEL MATCH PERFECTION SILKY LOOSE POWDER IN 'TRANSLUCENT' - I never used to use loose powders, at all. I was a pressed powder gal through and through and never saw the need to - until I discovered the whole concept of 'baking' your makeup. Simply, you use your slightly-dampened beauty blender/makeup sponge to apply a considerable layer of loose, translucent powder onto areas that you want to really lock into place all day long or simply want to highlight and brighten (such as under the eyes), leave it to 'bake' for a few minutes before sweeping off the excess. Done. I was super intrigued by it and just knew I had to give it a go myself and not only did love the technique itself, I also along the way came across one loose powder in particular that won my heart out of all the others I tried. This offering from Rimmel is super finely-milled; sets the skin with a lovely, smooth finish; is completely translucent and never, ever 'flashes back'. And it's a complete bargain too...
NYX BLUSH IN 'TAUPE' - Now, why this is 'technically' a blush, I have actually been using (and loving) this as a contour shade. I know, I know - controversial - but it actually works so, so well. I'd heard good things about this product for sculpting out the facial features and so picked it up to try out myself in this post and I have been super impressed. As the name suggests, it's got that taupe-y, slightly ashy tone to it which is just ideal for contouring and adding in natural-looking shadows - but it's not too grey-toned, if ya get what I mean. It adds some depth but without making you look dead and I love how you can apply it with a something like a duo-fibre brush to add some subtle shape, or use more of a denser brush to pack on the pigment and go for something a little more super-chiselled. Both ways it looks awesome and it's always super-blendable aswell.
RIMMEL MATCH PERFECTION SILKY LOOSE POWDER IN 'TRANSLUCENT' - I never used to use loose powders, at all. I was a pressed powder gal through and through and never saw the need to - until I discovered the whole concept of 'baking' your makeup. Simply, you use your slightly-dampened beauty blender/makeup sponge to apply a considerable layer of loose, translucent powder onto areas that you want to really lock into place all day long or simply want to highlight and brighten (such as under the eyes), leave it to 'bake' for a few minutes before sweeping off the excess. Done. I was super intrigued by it and just knew I had to give it a go myself and not only did love the technique itself, I also along the way came across one loose powder in particular that won my heart out of all the others I tried. This offering from Rimmel is super finely-milled; sets the skin with a lovely, smooth finish; is completely translucent and never, ever 'flashes back'. And it's a complete bargain too...
NYX BLUSH IN 'TAUPE' - Now, why this is 'technically' a blush, I have actually been using (and loving) this as a contour shade. I know, I know - controversial - but it actually works so, so well. I'd heard good things about this product for sculpting out the facial features and so picked it up to try out myself in this post and I have been super impressed. As the name suggests, it's got that taupe-y, slightly ashy tone to it which is just ideal for contouring and adding in natural-looking shadows - but it's not too grey-toned, if ya get what I mean. It adds some depth but without making you look dead and I love how you can apply it with a something like a duo-fibre brush to add some subtle shape, or use more of a denser brush to pack on the pigment and go for something a little more super-chiselled. Both ways it looks awesome and it's always super-blendable aswell.
MUA 'BURNING EMBERS' EYESHADOW PALETTE - An eyeshadow palette that I have been obsessed with - after, again, trying it out in the post mentioned above - is this little bargain from MUA. At only £8 - yes, eight pounds! - you get a grand total of twenty five colours - again, 25! - and all of them are bloomin' awesome. There's a range of mattes and shimmers and also a selection of colours, ranging from the super-neutral to the more bright, bold and colourful. I really feel like there's something for everyone in here - both in texture and tone - and while it is not at all expensive, the shadows themselves are well-pigmented, easy to blend and last all day without fading or falling down. The mattes are creamy (not chalky) and the shimmers are so much so that they're almost verging on metallic - so, so rich in pigment. Love, love, LOVE.
MAKEUP REVOLUTION FLAWLESS 3 RESURRECTION EYESHADOW PALETTE - The second palette for the ol' eyes that I've been loving is from another bargainous brand - Makeup Revolution. This was a new addition to the range a few months back and as soon as I spotted it, I knew I had to give it a go and I can safely say I am super glad I did. This comes with even more shades that the above - thirty two, to be precise - and again, there's a big shade range. However, while the MUA 'Burning Embers' ranges from neutrals to bolds, this palette sticks exclusively to the neutral side of things. If you're a neutral lover, there's basically every colour you'd ever require - from warm tones, cool tones and the 'in-betweens' - and what I love the most is that there's a fair few shades in there which are pretty darn similar to the kind of colours seen in the 'Modern Renaissance' by Anastasia Beverley Hills. Yanno those new, 'modern'-type neutrals like your reds, oranges, pinks, purples that everyone (including me) is obsessing over? They're pretty much all in there - and every shade is again, super-pigmented, easy to work with and with little to no falldown.
TANYA BURR COSMETICS 'NEUTRAL AMBIENCE' COLLECTION - If you've been reading round these parts for some time now, you'll more than likely know about my love for Tanya Burr Cosmetics. Ever since Tanya relaunched the brand a couple of years ago, I have been obsessed with trying pretty much every single product she brings out (or at least, my corresponding shade) and of them all, I'd say I have loved pretty much every single one. Aside from the fact I love Tanya herself as an influencer, I'd say her brand is a pretty good shout. So, I just knew I had to give her first release of 2017 a go too and as always, I am a big fan. Consisting of two new eye palettes - 'My Paradise' (a rose gold-themed shade selection) and 'My Escape' (a selection of khaki green themed shades) and two, nude lipsticks 'Bear Hug' (a true peach) and 'Sunday Walk' (a rose pink) - I love and now regularly use every single item. I was already a fan of Tanya's eye palettes and lipsticks, already owning some, and these new shade additions certainly do no disappoint.
NYX EPIC INK LINER - I was unsure of me every finding a liquid liner that I loved as much as the Soap and Glory Supercat but guess what? These past few months, I've come across this one from NYX and I think I may even slightly prefer it. This was a new addition to the NYX line-up in the first half of 2017 and though usually liquid liners tend to pass me by (both new and old ones) as I am typically so convinced that nothing would top my beloved Supercat, for some reason this one caught my eye when I saw it in a few posts/videos as it actually looked rather good. Then, when I heard rumours it was similar to the Kat Von D 'Tattoo Liner' (which to be honest, was the only liner which I was tempted to try in the near future) I was sold - and I have now fallen in love with it. It's more of a brush nib as opposed to the felt tip applicator I'm used to, but it actually works quite well. The bristles do not 'sprawl' out (as I had worried they might) and it actually gives more flexibility and makes smooth, crisp liner a little easier to do. It's a 'wetter' liner - again, something that did concern me at first - but while at first I had to be super careful not to overload product where I didn't want it, after a couple of uses, things had dried out slightly and I can now use it comfortably with no issues at all. It's super jet-black, dries to a nice, slightly glossy finish and lasts all day long without smudging or flaking off. I think I may just be making a repurchase...
L'OREAL MISS BABY ROLL MASCARA IN 'BLACK' - There's nothing I love more than finding a new mascara that I love and that's exactly what's happened here. As soon as this launched a couple of months back, everyone went cray cray for it and after a while, I gave in to the hype and I'm so glad I listened up on this one. Last year, I finally saw the light with L'Oreal mascaras (they really are as awesome as everyone makes them out to be) and so I had suspicions that this would be just as good and thankfully, it is. The brush is mahoosive and the formula is very 'wet' so you do have to be careful when applying it to your lashes not to get it everywhere, but when you get it right it is fab. It's super black and rich in pigment and the wet formula means it's easy to get a tonne of product on there and really load up your lashes with product to make them long, curly, thick, but still very fluttery and separated. This basically makes my lashes look awesome - what more could you want, eh?
SLEEK MATTE ME LIP CREAMS - Next up liquid lippie-wise are these beauties from Sleek. They are by no means a brand new addition to the drugstore scene (they've actually been around since the start of the whole 'matte liquid lipstick' trend which was a good couple of years ago) but for some reason, I've only now gotten round to trying them out for myself but while I am pretty late to the makeup party, I've glad I finally jumped on the bandwagon nevertheless as they are so, so good. much like the Barry M ones, they go on opaque and evenly in one coating, dry down in a matter of seconds and once set down, last super well and only needing to be replenished slightly in the very middle of the lips after eating or drinking. They're - once again - of the powdery matte-type texture that I love the most and all of the colours I own, both nudes and bolds, are consistently awesome. I feel like I need to add more of the shades they have on offer to my stash...
GHD COPPER LUXE STRAIGHTENERS - Moving onto Haircare-type items, I finally caved and bought myself a pair of GHD's during the first half of this year and they are by far one of the best 'investment' purchases I've made. They really do live up to all of the hype and high expectations and more and are just generally the best pair of straighteners I've ever used on my hair. The perfectly sized, slightly-rounded barrel makes both straightening, curling and waving the hair relatively easy-peasy and - the best part for me - whatever style I do, actually lasts. Halleujah! My hair always look so smooth, shiny and healthy when I use them (even though it's been bleached and dyed to an inch of its life) and they're in a super pretty, rose gold/copper hue. What more could you want, eh?
REAL TECHNIQUES BRUSH CLEANSING PALETTE - I never thought I'd be a massive fan of something like this but actually, it is such a awesome invention. I love makeup brushes. I love buying makeup brushes and I love using makeup brushes but what I do not love so much is cleaning my makeup brushes but this product from my brush bae - Real Techniques - has completely revolutionised that thought and made my whole brushing cleansing experience at lot more 'enjoyable'. Simply slip this onto your palm and swirl your brushes around inside of it and before you know it, all of the dirt, grime and makeup product is gone and your brush is good as new again. This handy little tool makes brush cleaning quicker, easier and you don't get a prune-like hand in the process. It's a winner!
WET BRUSH - Next up Tools-wise - and another Haircare product - that I've been obsessed with is the 'Wet Brush'. Again, it's something that's no new addition to the Beauty world, but I've been pretty slow on the uptake and have only recently pick it up and given it a go for myself. Why I took so long I don't know though as this is so, so great. It sounds slightly strange to be getting so worked up over a hair brush, but this has to be the best one I've ever used on my tresses. The super bendy bristles glide effortlessly through my hair without pulling or snagging and I really find when I'm using this that my hair is always so much more smooth and sleek too! I never thought I'd get so enthusiastic over something as simple as a hairbrush but here we are, eh?
SHADOW SWITCH - Another tool - this time, for makeup - is the 'Shadow Switch'. I'd never heard of this, or anything like this, before but as soon as I did, I immediately went to Amazon to pick one up to try and I bloomin' well love it. Normally, if I want to quickly remove any traces of eyeshadow from my eye brushes before going in with a new, different colour, I'd use a spot brush cleaner or something like that but now, this is what I reach for. It's quicker and much more convenient (while the brush cleanser does dry almost instantly, it does still need a little while to dry before you use it) and one 'tub' will basically last you forever (you only need to wash and dry the sponge inside every so often).
SOAP AND GLORY MAKE YOURSELF YOUTHFUL SUNSHIELD SUPERFLUID - Skincare-wise, I have finally found a facial SPF that I love and with the weather warming up (although as I'm currently writing this it's pouring with rain - #TypicalBritishSummer) I was keen to find some form of sun protection for my face that shielded it just the same as I want on my body and thank goodness, I have found it with this one from Soap and Glory. This stuff is super lightweight, glides onto the skin easily and never, ever disrupts the makeup I apply over the top of it. Unlike a lot of facial sunscreens, it's completely invisible on the skin and doesn't give a horrible white-cast and bonus - it actually smells rather nice too! All in all, I really love this stuff and I am so glad to have come across something to use as a 'proper', designated facial sunscreen, especially during the Summer months...
DOVE DERMASPA SUMMER REVIVED LIGHT-MEDIUM GRADUAL TAN - For Body 'stuff', I have a new tanning favourite. I'm not a huge fake tanner in the sense that I don't use the 'proper' tans and I don't tend to do it regularly, but as soon as the Spring/Summer hits I am all about the gradual tan. When the weather begins to warm up and I want to bare a few limbs (sounds abit strange) I want to just amp up my skintone from super-duper pale to still-pale-but-not-as-much - I whack out a gradual tanner (a body moisturiser with a touch of tan that builds up gradually the more you apply it) and it always saves the day. However, this year I fancied a change from my old faithfuls and so I picked up this one from Dove to try out. I have heard so many good things about this product over the years - it's been around for ages - and I have to say, I wholeheartedly agree with every single one. The formula of the body lotion itself is super hydrating on the skin and leaves it feeling super-soft and the consistency itself is quite gel-like and so glides on easily and sinks in quickly without leaving you feeling sticky. The tan has a nice olive tone to it, so doesn't look orange or overly 'unnatural' and it builds up just as the name suggests - gradually - and so you are in complete control over the colour you end yup with and how fast you build it up. A fo' sho' Summer favourite of mine.
ZOELLA BEAUTY 'PRETTY POLISHED' BODY SCRUB (unfortunately not pictured as I've recently run out!) - Next up in the Bodycare arena, I have been loving this new-ish addition to the Zoella Beauty range. If you've read round Dainty Ditsy for a while. you may remember how I used to be obsessed with the 'Scrubbing Me Softly' Body Scrub that Zoe released as art of her 'Tutti Fruity' Collection from a couple of Summer's ago but unfortunately, that was discontinued a while ago and it's safe to say I was pretty upset to say the least that there was nothing to take its place - until now. Around the end of last year, Zoe updated her Classic Collection and finally added a body scrub into the permanent line-up - this very one right here - and having eagerly picked it up to try out, I'm pleased to report that it gets the thumbs up from me. t's basically the exact same product as the 'Scrubbing Me Softly', but in the original, classic scent that's synonymous with Zoella Beauty. Despite being a scrub, it feels very nourishing and creamy on the skin; yet the finely-milled particles still get the job done of getting all that dead skin off (yum) and leaving you feeling and looking all smooth again. Yay!
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