Apologies that this month's favourites are a little late - you know how busy the end of the year can be!
What with all the festivities, parties and seeing lots of people that you might not see too often, December is a month that is all about wanting to look your best. With that in mind, the products that I was loving last month were all about getting me party ready and keeping me that way, right through the entire month.
Urban Decay teamed up with Skindinavia to bring out a line of setting sprays, all aimed at doing various things, such as keeping oil at bay or giving makeup a dewy finish. Recently, I've been ditching the powder and using the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray. When you've gone a bit over the top with powder products or that matte foundation leaves your skin zapped of any luminosity whatsoever, this setting spray is your saving grace. With just a few sprays, makeup becomes more dewy and fresh looking and will not budge until you take it off; I can definitely vouch for that! Temperature Control Technology, whether that is a load of rubbish or not, means that whether in high humidity or cold winds, your makeup will remain looking freshly applied and perfect. Best of all, it really works!
After shaking the bottle a lot, I hold it around 20cm away from my face and spritz about four times, making sure my whole face is covered by the fine mist. If you are worried about skin sensitivity and allergic reactions, then this spray is actually hypoallergenic and has a subtle, fresh fragrance, that isn't overpowering. How long a bottle of this will last varies greatly, depending on how often you use it, but I don't think that it would last as long as an average-sized, powder compact. You just need to decide whether the finish that this spray gives to your makeup, is worth buying the setting spray that little more often.
Annoyingly, the big bottle isn't great to keep in your handbag and you can't just decant it into any smaller spray bottle, as the original is specially designed to only spray a light mist of product. Although, you only need to use this when you first apply your makeup and you are set for the day, literally, so wouldn't need to carry it with you. Urban Decay claim that this will set your makeup in place for sixteen hours, but I doubt that it would stay looking exactly the same for that lengthy amount of time. However, I have used this and not needed to touch up for about ten hours, which I still find impressive! £19 for 118ml is reasonable and you can get XL bottles also, which give you 50% more product for only an extra £4, which is such a bargain. Definitely one to check out!
Bronzer can cause a few problems in winter, as it can sometimes lean too orange, but I can't forgo contouring even during the winter days. Benefit's Hoola Bronzer is one of the best bronzers I've ever tried. Not only is the colour perfect, being brown through and through rather than too red or orange, but the texture is just so soft and velvety. No streaks or patchiness, just natural looking, well contoured cheekbones, temples and jawbone. The original shade suits my skin tone perfectly, but Benefit offers lighter and darker iterations to suit all. You can also really build up the colour you get with this, using a light hand first and layering up until you achieve your desired effect.
I'm not too fond of Benefit's cutesy packaging, as I prefer something more classic and chic. I also find the box can be quite awkward, with the powder itself being obscured by the lid. It's chunky and takes up a lot of room in my makeup bag. On the plus side, there is a mirror included and you do get a brush with it, too, but I prefer to use my own anyway. Usually, I think that Benefit products are overpriced, but this time I'm satisfied that the product quality matches, if not exceeds, what I'd want for £23.50.
The first thing you need to know about the Origins Out Of Trouble 10-Minute Mask is that it smells strongly medicinal (thanks to the inclusion of Camphor), which I hate. This smell is only exaggerated when rinsed off, too, but that aside, it's a great mask. Whenever I slather on the thick, creamy paste, I immediately know it's getting to work on my skin, tingling slightly. Perfect for those with combination/oily skin types, like myself, I use this mask once a week or slightly more often if my skin is in need of some extra care. It's a quick treatment, taking just ten minutes to get to work.
If blemishes are cropping up, this mask blasts them, and if they aren't causing trouble quite yet, this mask stops them in their tracks. A combination of zinc oxide, sulphur and camphor all work together to keep the skin calm, whilst actively and effectively ridding your complexion of imperfections, oiliness and clogged pores. This mask has helped to calm any blemishes I've had, but I do find my skin feels quite dry after using it. I have to make sure I apply a good dollop of moisturiser after using this mask, or rather than use it over my whole face, I just concentrate it on specific areas that are crying out for help.
Origins offers smaller tubes of their face masks, which are great for taking with you when you travel or for when you want to try one out, before taking the plunge and buying the full size version. Considering you get so many applications out of one tube (I'd guess around fifteen based on my personal usage), the Origins face masks are great value at £20 each. They are some of the best I've tried for problem skin, in my opinion!
Bourjois have brought out numerous mascaras that I have loved, and the Bourjois Glamour Max Definition Mascara is no exception! As the name says, it gives lots of volume, but each lash remains perfectly defined. Some of you may be put off by the plastic wand, but I find they pull through the lashes more easily than regular bristles, coating them more evenly. The wand is pretty big and long, and until I got used to using it, splodges of mascara would appear all over my eyelid during application. Beware of spiking yourself in the eye! Shorter bristles at the tip really allow you to pick up the tiny lashes at the corners of the eyes and exaggerate the lower lashes, too. Excess mascara is caught within the tube, meaning there isn't too much on the brush and two coats give me the volume and length I'm after, without clumps. One downside to this mascara is that it is a pain in the bum to remove, especially if you've put on numerous coats! The mascara makes my lashes look luscious and really black and for under a tenner, I can't complain. I've had this mascara open for a month, now, and it hasn't dried out too quickly, either.
Bourjois have brought out numerous mascaras that I have loved, and the Bourjois Glamour Max Definition Mascara is no exception! As the name says, it gives lots of volume, but each lash remains perfectly defined. Some of you may be put off by the plastic wand, but I find they pull through the lashes more easily than regular bristles, coating them more evenly. The wand is pretty big and long, and until I got used to using it, splodges of mascara would appear all over my eyelid during application. Beware of spiking yourself in the eye! Shorter bristles at the tip really allow you to pick up the tiny lashes at the corners of the eyes and exaggerate the lower lashes, too. Excess mascara is caught within the tube, meaning there isn't too much on the brush and two coats give me the volume and length I'm after, without clumps. One downside to this mascara is that it is a pain in the bum to remove, especially if you've put on numerous coats! The mascara makes my lashes look luscious and really black and for under a tenner, I can't complain. I've had this mascara open for a month, now, and it hasn't dried out too quickly, either.
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| Clarins Enchanted Colour Quartet Eyeshadow & Liner Palette Swatches |
After having the Clarins Enchanted Colour Quartet Eyeshadow Palette for months and months, I finally plucked up the courage to ruin the exceptionally beautiful shadows and liner within this palette, just in time for the festive season. Clarins always bring out palettes that are aesthetically beautiful but also deliver in terms of quality and the Enchanted palette certainly does that. Neutral shades are always what I reach for, however, this palette has me on the edge of trying brighter colours on my eyes, which I will do...soon (seeing as I haven't touched the purple shade yet, that may be obvious). All of the components for either a soft or sultry look are found within this palette, and the gold and brown tones are suitable for all year round. The beautiful, striking purple would be ideal for Summer. Each shade has some shimmer in it, even the liner, with the lightest colour being more of a glitter topper. The texture of the shadows is good, except for the lightest, which is more chunky and does give some drop-down. Pigmentation is also high, but for real intensity, you may want to use a primer underneath first and layer the shadows. The liner is more of a cream/gel formula, making it extremely long lasting on the eye and great for getting a really deep smokey effect. It's my favourite shade of them all!
As with most Clarins packaging, the eyeshadows are encased in a sophisticated, gold compact, that includes a mirror and a couple of those nasty applicators. I was expecting the palette to weigh more than it does and that would have made it feel a lot more luxurious, but the lighter it is, the better for travelling. £30 for such a stunning palette including four amazing shades and a long lasting eyeliner - wow! I love it so much and even though it was a collector palette from the Summer, it's still available now. Run don't walk!
Which products were you loving during December?
AGB X
Which products were you loving during December?
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