favourites

The BEST affordable eyeshadow palette brands!

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Hello my little buttons!

I’m always saying you don’t need to spend a fortune for good quality eyeshadow palettes, so I thought I’d write a quick post about a few brands I would recommend that are highly affordable and that I reach for over some of my highend palettes.

1. MUA Cosmetics

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These eyeshadows are the bomb, in moat palettes you get 12 colours and they only cost £4. They have some fall out but they are highly pigmented and easy to blend. I actually depotted all of mine and put them in a z palette! I love it as I can create hundreds of of looks and in the z palette they look gorgeous. The pans are fairly small but for the price I’m not moaning. There are loads of other eyeshadow palettes in the line still only costing between £5 and £8 and with new releases happening all the time there’s always something new. Here are some swatches from the Luxe metalic cream palette in Elemental.

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2. Makeup Revolution .

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This is no suprise as makeup revolution are ruling the affordable eyeshadow palette market. The really do have every shade imaginable from neutrals to shimmers to neons they have covered all bases. The prices range from £4 for 12 shades and  £8 for 32 shades, with a few £10 palettes. They are highly addictive and collectible! Most of the colours are fantastic, creamy and pigmented,  you do get the odd ‘dud’ colour but this is to be expected as again the price is so affordable. They have tons of dupes for higher end palettes so of you can’t afford that urban decay palette at least you can create a similar look!

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3. Freedom Makeup London

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I have singles from this brand as well as palettes and they are always a win. They have mini palettes at £2.50 which you can create a full look with as well as pop in your handbag. They have 12 shades for £4 but my favourites are the Decadence range, 20 shades for £6 the quality is unbeatable. I can also recommend their pro 32 shades for £8, the pans are small but as there are so many in each palette it would still be hard to get through them all. Here’s some random swatches, so soft and buttery really easy to use.

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4. Sleek

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Sleek are know for their crazy pigmented blushes, the eyeshadow palettes have followed in suit!! Priced between £7.99 and £9.99 they look similar to the MUA Cosmetics palettes. I would say the quality is a tad higher in these shadows as they’re less powdery. Even the matte neon shades are pigmented amd very blendable which is incredibly rare in more affordable palettes. Same as the MUA palettes i depotted the eyeshadows to put in a z palette so I could access all the colours at the same time. Huge choice on shades there is something for everyone. As I know your eyeing those brights up here’s some swatches!

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I hope this was an interesting read and has given you a few ideas on where to buy some bargin eyeshadow palettes! Have I missed any brands out? I’d love to hear in the comments below!

Becca xxx

If you like this blog you might like my Korean peel off lip tint review! Click HERE to read more!

May 2016 favourites!

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Hello my little buttons!

It’s that time of the month again when I think back to my favourite products I’ve been using this month and what I would recommend, here’s my quick round up of what I’ve been loving!

Purse perfumes

I love these little guys, they fit in any size bag I choose to use that day to freshen up while I’m out an about. I’m currently using the scent “cherish” from Avon in a spray bottle priced at £3.50 and “modern muse” from Estee Lauder in a roller ball priced at £20.

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L’oreal cushion foundation

I wrote a big old blog about this little gem, it’s converted me to glowy foundation! It’s so quick amd easy to apply, it has good coverage while still looking natural. There really is something magic about the formula I highly recommend it. If you would like to read more about what I think of this foundation, click here!

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Honey serum and moisturiser

Honey is huge in the skincare world right now, I’ll soon be blogging about all the benefits honey has, as I think you’ll be suprised just how good it is for the skin! I’m loving Hey Honey good morning honey silk serum, even though its travel size I’ve been using it for weeks and still have product left. A little goes a long way and it feels gorgeous on the skin. Using the serum with beegood Plump And Firm Moisturiser has been my secret weapon. The moisturiser keeps my skin hydrated throughout day and feeling super soft. My skin has been looking great since using these products (apart from a recent break out caused by a new face wash, the review for that is here!) my pores look smaller, my skin texture is looking much more even and less red, and my breakout is disappearing noticeably quicker than normal. Go team honey.

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Younique eyeshadow palette

No one could be more suprised than me for liking this one!!! (detailed review here) The palette has a beautiful selection of mattes and shimmers, I love the shade range as I didn’t have to reach for any other palette to complete my look. They blend beautifully, super pigmented and were honestly a delight to use.

I’d love to hear in the comments below what your monthly favourites have been. Did you like any of the products I mentioned?

Becca xxx

Summer survival favourites

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Hello my little buttons!

As the weathers heating up here in the UK I thought I’d share with you a few key items that help me survive the summer. It’s quite a random selection of makeup and general things that make my life that bit easier in the heat!

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1. Boots Soltan Once Face 8 hour moisturising suncare cream spf 30 with gradual tan

This is my favourite face spf, priced at £9 for 50ml a little goes a long way and it lasts for most of the summer. I love products that combine several essentials in one. As well as being a suncream, in the summer this replaces my day moisturiser too. I find that even with spf on my body I will still catch the sun and build up some colour, although on my face under my huge sunglasses it stays pretty pale. As this product contains a gradual tan it helps my face catch up with the rest of my body! It also soaks in relatively quickly, I tend to apply it half an hour or so before I leave the house by which point I no longer look a creamy mess. I will say it does have that suncream feel when you apply it, but it’s more light weight. It ticks all the boxes for me and is my number one summer product as skin protection is very important to me.

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2. Sunglasses.

If you know me in ‘real life’ this won’t be a suprise, I LIVE in my sunglasses, even in the winter but especially in the summer. My favourite pair at the moment are also from boots, the brand is Miss Kj and they cost £30. I normally buy a cheapy pair from Primark but they never last very long and don’t really protect my eyes. This pair is awesome, my eyes never ache with the sun shine anymore, they are sturdy and I adore the 50’s design.

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3. Maxi dresses. (or summer dresses)

I’m a real dress kind of girl, no matter what the weather I’ll be in some sort of dress and leggings. But, my favourite of them all is the maxi dresses! I patiently wait all year long until it’s hot enough to get them out of their box and I will live in them until it’s too cold to pull it off. I tend to wear mainly black but for the summer I’m crazy patterned and colourful. They are super comfy and floaty to wear, they hide a multitude of sins and I always feel summery in them. A few of my favourites I actually got from Swindon Outlet they’re really unique and a total steal with huge reductions, outlooks can be a great place to go for clothes full stop.

4. Waterproof mascara.

Sweat sweat and more sweat. In the heat walking to parks and friends houses, days out, sitting in the sun, you know your going to get sweaty. There really is nothing worse than going indoors, removing your sunglasses, and your mascara being all under your eyes like a little baby panda. Not a good look for anyone! I don’t tend to wear make up if we’re going to the pool swimming or the beach but if you simply can’t live without mascara I would highly recommend a water proof version to save the panda embarrassment. It is slightly harder to remove but I feel the benefits out weigh the extra removal time.

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5. BB creams.

Nothing feels worse in the summer than having heavy makeup on, everytime you touch your face it transfers off and in the heat it’s moves about creating a patchy and generally unflattering look. If I want makeup on a bbcream is my best friend. As well as acting as a moisturiser it gives me just enough coverage to even out my skin tone and cover light imperfections. If I want a bit more coverage I’ll also use a light dusting of a powder foundation which also sets the bb cream helping it last far longer. I have a few favourites, one being the L’oreal Skin perfection which has skincare ingredients helping keep my breakouts to a minium. The rimmel bb cream is a really good one as well, it has more coverage and with powder can really cover up those face demonds while still feeling light weight on your skin.

6. Water.

Last but not least is water, it is so important to hydrate through the day. I bring a bottle of water everywhere with me so there’s no excess not to drink. Your body is around 60% water and in the heat you need more liquids than normal. Dehydration can make your skin dry causing more wrinkles so keeping on top of your liquids every day can vastly help improve your skin.

So there were my top summer essentials, I’d love to hear your down in the comments below!

Becca xxx

March beauty favourites 2016

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Hello my little buttons!

I realised I hadn’t written a favourites blog in quite a while, so thought I better get back on track. The past month I’ve really been enjoying playing with makeup, I’ve got some fab products I just can’t put down that I’d love to share with you! I think I have reviewed most of these products but I can still give u a mini break down of why I think they’re awesome. I’ve tried quite a few eyeshadow palettes this month, I’ve really been feeding my addiction lol, so I’m going to do a separate post on my favourite palettes from the month.

Product number one had to be Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow in the shade blonde. This stuff is incredible, it’s the perfect shade for me and is so easy to apply. Personally, I line the outside of my brows with a thin slanted brush, over drawing them slightly giving myself more of an arch. I then use the remainder of the product on the brush to fill the rest in. It’s so quick and easy and I love the end results. I’ll add a photo below. It lasts the whole day with zero touch ups which is fantastic, even in the rain there’s no smudging what so ever. Don’t get me wrong I’m not claiming to have perfect brows or to be a ‘brow queen’ but this definatly helps! It’s priced at £15 and I bought mine from Beauty Bay. If you are after a cheaper alternative Freedom Makeup London also do a brow pomade which does exactually the same thing for only £5!

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Next on the list is eyeliner pens. I tend to prefere a wet liner with a small brush but recently while looking at my eyeliner stash I realised I have quite a few eyeliner pens I’ve not even tried. So this month really has been the month of the pen, I’ve actually found it a lot easier to use than I used to. A few favourites have been Elfs new liner pen (it’s lost in my house at the moment it’s driving me insane not being able to find it) the formula is super dark and the nibs long and flexible with a super fine tip which is great for winging it out on the upper Lash line.

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Another range I totally forgot existed is Avon super shock liners, I have 3 colours and all three are easy to use and last really well throughout the day. I wouldn’t recommend the dark green although it looks gorgeous on it stains really badly!! I’ve found the pens that are the best to use are the ones with a long nib and fine tip, you have more control and they glide over the lids a lot easier.

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I do own a Rimmed Scandal eyes pen which has a short flat applicator, I found this a lot more challenging to glide across my aging eyelids lol they’re not as smooth as they used to be!!

Highlighters, highlighters and more highlighters. I just can’t get enough, highlighting and strobing is huge right now and I have officially jumped on the band wagon. I couldn’t pick one favourite as I’m rotating my collection but I can definatly recommend a few. I have a several highlighters in stick form that are super quick to apply, the one I’m reaching for most is Collection ‘Speedy highlighter’ in the shade ’01 Pearl Sheen’ it’s a beautiful peach pearly colour which is really flattering on my skin tone.

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For the creams I’m loving Makeup Revolution Ultra Strobe balm, I have the shade Euphoria which is a pinky toned highlight. An old favourite which I’ve mentioned many times is Essence Soo Glow which is a gold highlight, the cream to powder formula feels like a dream. Both apply evenly and blend in beautifully over makeup.

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For the powders I’m reaching for my Elf baked blush, which is a pinky toned blush but I also double as a highlight as it has the prettiest rose gold shine.

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I would also highly recommend the Makeup Revolution highlighting trio palette, it contains 3 huge pans of product including a gold pink and purple highlight. They last all day and look stunning. They also have individual baked highlighters if you wanted to stick with a certain colour.

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I’ve been reaching for my Freedom Makeup London Setting Spray a lot too, it helps my makeup last as well as De cakes my face if I’ve over powdered. I like that it’s not a huge bottle it’s great to throw in my hand bag to freshen up through the day.

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L’oreal Infallible matte Foundation is giving me life right now!!! I love the coverage, a little goes a long way and it makes my skin look amazing. It’s a great Base for any contouring or highlighting I feel like doing that day. It’s stays matte through out the day and doesn’t dry my skin out, it will forever be in my top 3 favourite foundations so I just had to mention it.

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So there we go, there was quite a few bits in this month’s favourites but I really couldn’t leave any out. All amazing products and none that break the bank. Total win win. What’s your monthly favourites I’d love to hear in the comments below.

Becca xxxx

Products I can’t live without – Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

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Hello my little buttons!

There are several items I find myself rephurchasing over and over again, no matter what other products I try, I always have as a backup and always go back to. I really enjoy hearing/reading about other people’s “must haves” so thought I would start a mini series on my own must have skin care and beauty products.

I’m really enjoying my skincare at the moment and noticing a big difference in my skins completion and texture. One of my favourite cleansers is Garnier micellar cleansing water. Nothing fancy or expensive but I just love this stuff!! It totally gets the job done, it removes every inch of my makeup, even water proof mascara and gel eyeliner. It’s gentle on my skin and doesn’t irritate my eyes which is a big plus for me as they are very sensitive so I have to be careful what I use. It’s also fragrance free! Afterwards my skin feels clean, fresh and ready for the rest of my routine. It costs between £3.99-£4.99 for 400ml so you get lot of product for your money. It claims on the packaging there’s 200 used based on 2ml per cotton pad, I’ve not counted how many pads I’ve used per bottle as no one has time for that lol but it does last me at least a month using it twice a day. Sometimes just to cleanse, other times to remove make up as well. Because it’s so affordable I don’t mind going to town while trying to remove heavy makeup as it’s not breaking the bank. There’s nothing worse than finding a product you love but it being so pricey that it breaks your heart everytime you use it!

If your looking for a cleanser to remove makeup and gently cleanse your face without rinsing this might be the product for you!

Becca xxx

My July favourites!! 

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Hello my little buttons!!

Here’s a count down of my favourite products from the month of July 2015. This month for me has all been about trying new things, as well as lightening up my makeup for the summer. I’ve been super busy with work and the kids so I’ve needed practical products that get the job done fast. 

  
The Pro Decadance Magic eyeshadow palette from Freedom Makeup London has been a staple in collection, I have done an in depth review on this on my blog recently so if you scroll down it should be there! To keep it short and sweet, fantastic quality all shades are pigmented blendable and just stunning I really can’t praise it enough. For £6 I was bowled over.

  
Blush highlight and contour palette from Makeup Revolution £3.50 I have owned for a while but rediscovered this month. Beautiful shades that are easy to work with, I would say use a light hand with the contour shade (I would use this more as a bronzer or for suble contour) as it’s highly pigmented. The highlight is pretty and also works very well as an eyeshadow, the shimmer is to die for! The blush is a dupe for the sleek blush rose gold, side by side there is very little difference. 

  
I might have found my Holy Grail liquid eyeliner, again a Freedom Makeup London product, the brush is perfection. It’s a rubber tip that is mainly firm to get your line straight but the end is flexible to get your wing on!! It’s really helped with my eyeliner application  and as you can do very fine lines with ease I can do for a lighter look without it going wrong and ending up super thick, you all know what I’m talking about!!!! 

  
I will have a review up soon on this product as I have bought a few other colours, this is the Bourjois Color Band eyeshadow and liner 2 in 1 pencil. I LOVE this pencil, the rose gold colour is so metallic and smooth to apply no matter how I wear it im always happy with the result. It’s sets really well and lasts most of the day even on my oily lids. Can’t wait to try more looks with the other colours they are quick and convenient, great for if your in a rush. 

  

Another Boujois product that I can’t believe I’ve not mentioned sooner in a favourites as it lives in my handbag and this is my second one!! Color Boost Lip crayon in Proudly Naked. Balmy, creamy this glides on the lips with just the right amount of colour. It’s sheer but packs a punch it’s my perfect pinky nude and the best thing is you don’t need a mirror to apply, it also goes with nearly every makeup look so it’s very diverse. 

  
 
I have an in depth review on this product too which I wrote recently. The swatch speaks for itself, if I could paint my whole body in this I would. Super affordable, the cream to powder formula feels good on the skin and works well over liquid and powder foundations. 

  
Last but defiantly not least is House of Glam Dolls lashes, here I’ve used the half strip. I’ve always struggled with applying lashes, mainly getting the glue tackiness correct. The glue that goes with these lashes is the bomb, it applies blue and is ready to be instantly applied. It also holds them in place all day with zero slippage. The lashes are made with natural hairs and are light and comfy to wear there is also a huge range of styles to suit everyone and anyone. At £5 a set these were my deal of the month! 

My favourite red lip stain EVER!

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Hello my little buttons!

Here’s a quick review on what I love about The Body Shop lip & cheek stain. I ADORE red lips, it’s a bold statement that looks gorgeous on anyone. There’s so many different reds with so many different undertones there really is a shade to suit everyone. Simple makeup with red lips you just can’t go wrong, so classy and 50s. Although I do have issues with red lipstick, when I wear it im constantly panicing is it on my teeth? Smudging across my face? Is it  fading and looking patchy? If it’s a matte liquid lipstick, is it looking dry and crispy?! Not a good look for anyone. So for me having red lips was few and far between as I didn’t fancy checking the mirror every two minutes. Until I found this lip stain! I got it as a free gift for spending over a certain amount at The Body Shop. In the tube it’s looked a beautiful red, but there was glitter in it. I was so disappointed as I have no desire to do the weekly food shop or school runs with red disco balls lips. I decided to give it a try anyway, to my surprise the glitter doesn’t transfer on the lips, not enough for me to see anyway! The formula is pigmented but not opaque which I think works in its favour. It’s a thin consistency so you have full control of how red you want to go, one thin layer is a more natural looking red. What I like to do is really layer it up, waiting for it to dry before adding more then as its setting rub my lips together to even the colour out and really rub it in. The doe foot applicator is fairly stiff so u can get a nice neat line around the edges so no need for a lip liner. It lasts for hours and fades fairly evenly too. It’s changed my life I can finally have red lips whenever the mood takes me!! It’s comes in 3 shades, the other two have no glitter at all, just incase that’s totally put you off. It’s available for £10 and is also beautiful on the cheeks, rosy and really long lasting. You can buy it from http://www.thebodyshop.co.uk or in stores. 

My heatwave makeup! 

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Hello my little buttons!

Here in the uk, where I live we are experiencing a heatwave. As this is not my usual climate, (as anyone who’s been to the uk knows!) I am sweating, burning and just struggling in general!!! So the thought of putting on makeup was not pleasant to say the least, but I didn’t want to look like a tiered mess as I had plans today. So I decided to really strip it back and just use the bare minimum, here were the Heros from today’s face. 

Base

SPF is super important to me, and the product I used combined light coverage as well as protecting my skin from the sun. Loreal Skin Perfection bb cream. Comfy to wear, once it’s soaked in feels like there’s nothing on and with an SPF of 25 that me sorted! 

Powder

To set the BBcream and to mattify I used The Body Shop 3 in 1 powder foundation which alone provides medium coverage. I used a big fluffy powder brush and lightly dusted it all over, then using a smaller brush went over any problem areas like under my eyes and a few little spots. I wasn’t trying to fully cover anything I just wanted to tone it all down and even it out. 

Eyes

I decided to go with my Bourjois Color Band eyeshadow & liner pencil. I wanted something quick and easy that I could take with me and top up if needed. I own the shade 04 Rose Fauviste which is a gorgeous metallic pinky rose gold colour. It sets really well and I get a good 5/6 hours out of this before it needs topping up, even in this hot weather. There’s still a pretty sheen to the lids and minimal creasing. 

Lashes

WATERPROOF ALL THE WAY!!! Is normally my mantra, I love it’s staying power as I tend to wipe my eyes thought the day and can get panda eyes if I’m not careful with other mascaras. I have been using Gosh Length ‘n’ build which doesn’t say it’s waterproof on the packaging but I’ve found it lasts the same as my waterproof mascaras. I’ve had it on all day and it still in its place looking pretty. 

Lips

I wanted something fairly neutral, that I could apply through the day without a mirror and felt balmy and comfy to wear. I went for my Bourjois Colour Boost lip crayon in 07 Proudly Naked, its one of my favourite lip products for being so pretty, silky smooth to apply and easy to wear it also contains SPF 15. What more could I want?! 

  
Here is the finished look. Don’t you just love ‘no makeup makeup?’ So pretty and flattering on anyone, letting your natural skin do all the talking with just a touch colour to the lips and lids. I didn’t go for blush as I’m really rosy anyway. The only products I didn’t mention was my Rimmel eyebrow pencil in hazel and The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in shade 01 which I very lightly dusted all over. 

I hope you enjoyed today’s blog! What have you been wearing in the heat wave? Comment below and subscribe! 

June monthly favourites Time!

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Hello my little buttons!

Here are my June monthly favourites, I love reading about other peoples so thought I’d share mine. Summer is here once again so my makeup has been rotated towards lighter comfy looks that work on those hot sweaty days. These are the products this month I could not have been without, here’s a little run down of what I love about them. 

  
Starting with my face, this is Loreal Skin Perfection BB blemish balm cream. I’ve been reaching for this more and more, it’s light coverage, blends in nice and quick, it’s my perfect colour and lasts most of the day. It’s moisturising and most importantly has an SPF of 25. I notice my skin texture really improves the more I use this product and it really helps with break outs. 

 
Freedoms Makeup London Concealer palette. This is a new favourite I have reached for literally every day. I love that you can mix your own colours, it helps cancel out the blue under my eyes and hides spots like a dream. To apply this I have been using….


My Real Technieques Pointed Foundation Brush. As you can see it’s rather dirty!!!! This small brush is perfect for getting right up under my eyes and really blending the concealer in. It doesn’t hold much product so it’s great for fuller coverage as well as a lighter application. 

  

Freedom Makeup London Fixing Spray. This has been a life saver, I’ve tried a few affordable fixing sprays and so far nothing’s worked. Until now! If I have decided to go more ‘full faced’ with my makeup I have noticed a significant difference in how well it’s lasted as well as it feeling cooling and refreshing to use. 

  
Here’s how the 3 look all together! 

  
These 3 lip products have lived in my bag all month. The first on the left is Essence Lipstick in Natural Beauty, I’m also wearing it on the photo above. Perfect pinky nude easy to wear with nearly any look. The same goes for the next colour which is Freedom Makeup London lipstick in Whispers, a slightly darker pink but still in the same rosy family. Both last a good few hours, can be applied without a mirror and feel creamy and moisturising to wear. The last is Mua Cosmetics Sweet Sheen Lipbalm in French Violet. This is a really pigmented lipbalm, as well as feeling nourishing it delivers a lovely pop of colour. I like using this if I’m out and about without makeup wearing my sunnies just to bring some colour to my face. 

  
Last but not least, Rimmel Scandal Eyes in Nude. I use this a lot, and even more in the summer. It brightens the eyes and really opens them up helping them appear larger and more awake.  

I hope you’ve enjoyed this months favourites I’d love to hear yours in the comments below!