Favourites: August 2013

It's time for favourites! Here's a list and mini review of all the things i've been loving for the month of August 2013...

Chanel - Soleil Tan De Chanel - $65
This was the first ever Chanel makeup product and the only cream bronzer that i've ever bought and i don't regret it a bit (even though it was $65)! It's really versatile. I use this on weekends when i'm wearing nothing else but mascara to give my skin a summer glow as well as with my full face of makeup done for work as a contour and to warm up my face. I work under down lights and that tends to wash me out but this product helps. I've had a few people comment that i'm looking more healthy and this was the only thing different! Also, it is going to last a very very long time! It doesn't take much and there is 30 grams of product in there.

Elf - Studio Cream Blush in Tease - $6 (Note: this colour is not available on the Australian website)

Now i'll admit i've had this cream blush awhile and when i first got it i didn't like it at all. It is not very pigmented and i couldn't really work out the best way to apply it. However, being winter and therefore not as tan together with using a Nude By Nature blush brush i've been enjoying this on a daily basis. I find it's good for work where i don't want an overpowering blush colour, just something natural and flushed. Plus, i'm usually in a hurry in the mornings so something i can slap on without having to worry about getting too much is a bonus. Don't get me wrong, it's still not particularly pigmented but for $6 i'm not really complaining too much.

Laura Mercier - Secret Camouflage Concealer in Shade #2 - $49

I bought this concealer duo in Tennessee, USA in mid 2012, used it for about a month or two and put it aside for something else. It didn't seem particularly special but it did want i wanted - covered my blemishes and stayed put on my oily skin. It was a suggestion by someone in the Sephora i was in at the time. This month though, i pulled it back out and have been using it religiously. Under my eyes especially! The idea behind this is that one shade (the larger one) matches your skin tone perfectly while the other matches your skins undertone. I find that using the one that matches my skins undertone (which in the case of shade #2 is more salmon coloured) under my eyes covers the darkness i have really well.

Hard Candy - Kal-eye-descope Baked Eyeshadow Duo in Peace - $12.95
I LOVE this duo and i've been wearing it constantly for more than a month! I got this in February 2013 and i've been wearing it at least 2-3 times a week since. It's the perfect neutral duo for me to wear on a daily basis. The colours are reasonably pigmented and with a primer under them they hold up really well on my oily eyelids. It comes in three shades - Rush Hour (a peach and a midtone brown), High Maintenance (a pearl white and a dark brown) and the one i purchased, Peace (champagne and dark brown). Again, this is something i bought in America but for Australian's it can be purchased at Crush Cosmetics.

Fresh - Sugar Lip Treatment in Berry - $38-42
This is officially my favourite product that blends colour with comfort on the lips. This lip treatment blends a very hydrating balm with a decent amount of coverage (though they still appear sheer - like a pigmented gloss). The Berry shade is a "sheer raspberry mauve". They have no taste but a pleasant smell. They also come in a decent variety of shades as well as clear balms. They do a clear balm without SPF as well as a clear with SPF 15. All of the tinted products also contain SPF 15. They are available, in Australia, from StrawberryNet and CosmeticsNow and i think are worth the price.

Moschino - perfume in Glamour - $60-80
I've had this perfume awhile (about 2 years) and i initially used it constantly but as my collection expanded it fell by the way side. This month, noticing it was almost finished, i decided to just use it up. That made me remember just how good this perfume smells. It is described as "tangerine blossom, artemisia, and sea salt, leading to a heart of hibiscus, orchid and water lily. Base notes combine amber and cedar, wrapped with white musk." Just go and smell it - seriously. It is available in department stores as well as online. I've also seen it in Big W.

Soap & Glory - Hand Food hand cream - $5.95-11.95
Ok, smell this hand cream, just do it. It smells edible which makes sense considering it's name. It's a soft hand cream with shea butter, macadamia oil and marshmallow. Marshmellow!! It does take a little while (few minutes) to soak into my hands but when it does they are left feeling nice and soft. Did i mention it smells good? It's available at Mecca Cosmetica and Myer.

China Glaze - Nail Polish in For Audrey - $10.95
This was my first China Glaze polishes. It is a perfect match for the Tiffany blue and looks really great on more tanned skin like mine. I've been wearing it practically all month on my toes as a pop of colour to cheer me up and make me think of summer on all the cold days and nights. I'm really looking forward to showing this polish off now that the weather is warming up.

Sephora by OPI - Let's Do Lunch
Now unfortunately for Australian's this is a polish you will have difficulty getting a hold of unless you try Ebay. That said, if you can find it, it's a great neutral polish. It's a deep coral beige that looks great on most skin tones. It applies really well. I wear this colour A LOT! For me this is one of those perfect nude colours that i can wear in any situation that makes my hands look so polished and put together.

St Ives - Naturally Indulgent Coconut Milk & Orchid Extract body lotion - $9.00
Evidently i have a thing this month for things that smell really really great. This lotion is definitely in that category! I think this is my second or third bottle of this lotion and i can't get enough of it. I use it every day at least once a day (after my shower) and it leaves my skin feeling super soft but not oily or greasy.

What were your favourites for the month of August? Leave me a comment or a link to your favourites!