October Favourites

My poor, neglected blog, I have missed you! 

A new job and the lack of daylight have resulted in me seriously slacking on the blog front. I will do a proper catch up post but before its December I thought I better get my October favourites up!

My makeup favourites are a bit boring this month in the sense that there are no colour products, but these are my current staples which I have used religiously all month.

Giorgio Armani Lasting Silk UV Foundation

I will be real with you all here, this foundation is way too dark for me in these Winter months but I only have the tiniest bit left to use up, so I'm just rocking the David Dickinson look for now. 

In all seriousness though this foundation is good and I mean real good! I know everyone raves about Armani's Luminous Silk but if you have combination or oily skin, resulting in your face eating your makeup, then you know you need something with staying power. 

Lasting Silk is the perfect balance, as it does last all day but its not a heavy, cakey foundation at all. It has a good medium coverage with a satin finish, so I do set it with powder in more oily areas. 

Available from John Lewis and currently on offer £31.95

MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base

After using this primer on my Sister for her Wedding day and seeing how amazingly well her makeup lasted (if I do say so myself!) I had to get it.

This combined with the foundation has made my makeup last all day, with no touch ups whatsoever. 

It does smooth out the texture of your skin when you apply it but nothing like that awful Maybelline primer, where I felt I could have ran my finger down my cheek and watched all my makeup slide off! 

I also only noticed the other day that this is slightly glittery, but don't let that put you off as it doesn't translate on the face and I only noticed it on my finger after a good few weeks of daily use!

If you are looking for a primer to extend the wear time of your makeup, you cant go wrong with this.

Available from John Lewis and currently on offer £18.90

Charlotte Tilbury Air Brush Flawless Finish Skin Perfecting Micro-Powder

This is genuinely the nicest powder I have ever used, its also the most expensive! It feels like velvet on your skin, is so finely milled that it docent give you cake face and keeps shine at bay all day. The downside, it costs £33.00 for 8g of powder! Now as you can see I have nearly finished this and I am having a moral dilemma about whether I can justify replacing it. I do genuinely love it, it performs amazingly well and I haven't found a cheaper dupe so.......

Available from Charlotte Tilbury £33.00

Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque

My only love affair right now is with my bed. I cant wait to get home to it after a long day and in the morning it takes all my effort to prise myself away, basically I am really f****** tired.

Concealer just isn't enough for these dark circles so I'm having to use a corrector and a concealer. Quick explanation of a corrector, a corrector will counteract and neutralise colour (i.e dark circles) whereas a concealer will only brighten. So if you use a corrector first to neutralise and then a concealer to brighten, you look bright eyed and bushy tailed. Honestly this stuff is amazing!

Available from John Lewis and currently on offer £17.10

L'Oreal Brow Artist Plumper in Dark Brunette

I actually have a review post planned for this eyebrow gel, so wont go into to much detail but safe to say, I think its really good plus its cheap!

Available from Boots £5.99

Real Techniques Miracle Complexion Sponge

I have laid down my beloved Real Techniques Buffing Brush in favour of their Miracle Complexion Sponge and I am loving it. 

You need to wet the sponge before using it but make sure you squeeze out all the excess water. Then all you do is pat your foundation on, trick is not to rub or drag the sponge but  bounce and pat along your face as you go. I also use this to blend in my concealer, as it gives such a flawless finish. I find the sponge just blends all my makeup so well and with minimal effort. 

Also I should probably point out that I have the Beauty Blender sponge which is a lot more expensive but I actually prefer this one due to the flat side.

Available from Boots £5.99

Herbal Essences Clearly Naked Shine Shampoo and Volume Conditioner

Is it sad that I get excited when Herbal Essences release a new shampoo? Don't answer that!

My excitement didn't go to waste because I love their new Naked line. I love that cheaper brands are now creating new shampoos without all the nasty chemicals and this leaves my hair feeling so clean and shiny. Love this stuff.

Available from Boots £3.99 each

Colab Dry Shampoo London Classic Fragrance

As a rule me and dry shampoo don't get on. Having dark hair, they have always left my hair looking ashy and my hair always felt dirtier after using them. This is why its kind of a big deal that I have finally found a dry shampoo I like, love in fact! 

Colab dry shampoo claims to be invisible, now I will say its not totally invisible. If you spray too much or too close to your hair, there is a white residue but its very light and actually blends in. If you do just lightly spray your hair all over however, then yes it actually is invisible! 

Its also really light so it doesn't feel disgusting and powdery in your hair but it actually does absorb the oil and better than any other dry shampoo I have tried. Finally it smells amazing and I am referring to the London fragrance here, there are other scents but this is by far my favourite. I actually have to do that sneaky try not to get caught smelling your own hair thing when wearing this.

If my rave above wasn't proof enough, then maybe the fact that I went to Superdrug and stocked up on 4 cans of the stuff is!

Available from Superdrug currently on offer £2.32 FYI not sold in Boots :'(

Cosmopolitan Magazine

I am clearly bias but I do love this magazine. Its been just over a month since I started working there and I am so happy. I feel so proud to work for Cosmopolitan especially as its a magazine that I have read myself for years! Also I love December's Christmassy Taylor cover. 

Side note, anyone have her new album? Guilty pleasure but my favourite song on there at the moment is 'Style'.

The Beauty Graveyard

I have a whole new bag of used up beauty products to review for you!

*'s indicate how many times a product has been in one of my Beauty Graveyard posts, the more *'s you see, the more I love it!

Tesco Pro Formula Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser

I was really surprised at how much I liked this cleanser. I used it with a muslin cloth and it removed all my makeup, even waterproof mascara. For less than a fiver you cant complain! Would definitely buy again.

Bioderma Crealine H20 ****

The original micellar water, love this stuff. Easiest and quickest way to remove your makeup, pour on a cotton pad and wipe all over your face. Removes both face and eye makeup and is a lot more gentle on your skin than a face wipe, no stinging eyes here! I do love Bioderma but L'oreal's Micellar water is just as good.

Champneys Spa Skin Super Rich Cleansing Balm

As the name suggests this is a super rich cleansing balm! Its actually a bit gritty so doubles as an exfoliator. I really grew to like this but you have to use a cloth or flannel to remove it. A few times I used this in the shower and tried to rinse with my hands, but because it is so rich you need some form of cloth to wipe it away. My mum loved this and I have already repurchased another pot for her, so I'm sure I will be dipping into that too!

Yes to Grapefruit Correct and Repair Daily Facial Scrub

Another one of my American purchases all used up :'( 

I love, love, love the Yes to range because every one of their products is made with at least 95% natural ingredients. Sadly I think the Grapefruit range is only available in America, but if you have access to this definitely try it. Lovely exfoliator, not too harsh or abrasive. I used this in the shower when I wanted more of a deep clean.

Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream *

I do love a multi purpose balm and I have to confess to using this on my feet in recent months, yes they are that dry! If its good enough for horses hooves, its good enough for my size 6's! I would definitely buy this again and would probably try the unscented version next time. I'm currently trying out & Other Stories Plush Balm, which is another great multi purpose balm.

Kiehls Midnight Recovery Concentrate

Since discovering facial oils I haven't looked back and use one every night. Midnight Recovery Concentrate was the first oil I tried and remains one of my favourites. I like that its light, doesn't feel heavy on the skin and after a few weeks I felt my skin looked much healthier. 

Aussie Mega Shampoo ****** 

My favourite shampoo, if you suffer from greasy hair like me you need to try this!

Herbal Essences Moroccan My Shine Nourishing Shampoo and Conditioner

I cant believe how quickly I have got through the beauty products I purchased in America, guess it proves I made good choices ;) If you have dry hair or frizzy hair you will love this shampoo and conditioner. Its so hydrating and left my hair so sleek and shiny. Not the greatest choice for me though, as it was a bit too heavy for my grease ball hair.

Lee Stafford Poker Straight Dry Shampoo

I will never be a massive dry shampoo fan, I hate how dirty they make your hair feel, but the Lee Stafford version is one of the better ones I have tried and I liked having this little can in my bag in case of emergency!

Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray

I never used to like Bumble and Bumble's Surf Spray but I think that's because I was spraying too much in my hair. Go easy on this, leave your hair to air dry and you get perfect beachy, messy waves. I still prefer my Oribe Wave spray to this but the Bumble and Bumble works well to add texture when I have curled my hair.

Bvlgari Jasmin Noir Perfume

If like me you are a fan of more masculine scents like Tom Ford Black Orchid, you will love this perfume. A very sexy, winter scent. I will definitely buy this again.

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara

A good mascara for adding volume and drama to your lashes. I probably wouldn't repurchase though as I'm pretty fickle when it comes to mascaras.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation Sample in Sante Fe

I loved this sample so much I bought the full size. Full review here but I can honestly say this is now one of my all time favourite foundations.

Garnier Body Repair Anti Dryness Restoring Lotion ***

When it comes to body moisturisers I don't like to spend a lot of money as I get through them pretty quickly. This has been relieving my dry skin in these harsh Winter months and I love that it sinks in quickly.

Yes To Carrots Hydrating Shower Gel **

99.8% Natural ingredients, that makes me very happy! I will forever repurchase this.

Argan 5 Argan Oil Super Creamy Bodywash

I got this for Christmas and as much as I love my Yes To shower gel it was so nice to use something a bit more creamy and luxurious. I think I will  have to check out the rest of the Argan 5 range now.

L'Occitane Hand Cream *

The one beauty product I hate is hand cream, they are always sticky and I cant bear how they feel. The L'Occitane version is the most bearable I have found and I always get one when they are a magazine freebie!