March Favourites 2015

I haven't done a favourites post in ages, and that's mostly due to the fact that most of the things I've been loving recently are old favourites that I've raved on about on this blog for years, but in the last month or two, there have been some things I have been absolutely loving throughout the summery months, and before autumn comes and goes in a second, I wanted to post on some of my favourites from the last couple of months!

MAKE-UP AND BEAUTY FAVOURITES

REVLON COLOURBURST LIP BUTTER- TUTHI FRUTI

I am a loyal fan of these Revlon lip butters as they are smooth and creamy, but still highly pigmented, long-lasting, and have a very pretty array of colours. I ended up with this shade by chance actually... I had asked my mom to buy me one in the shade 'Juicy Papaya' for my birthday, as I'd had it before, run out, and absolutely loved it! But they were out of stock, so she got me this one instead, and I have to say, I am really enjoying it! It is a fairly bright, vibrant orange colour, however, what I like is that it is still muted enough to look good and not too bold on an every day basis. I just love these lip butters, and can't wait to build up my collection and try more of their shades. 

MAYBELLINE 24HR COLOUR TATOO EYE SHADOW- 'ON-AND-ON-BRONZE'

You may have seen me post about this in my new year's haul post, but I felt the need to tell you all about it again, because I am obsessed with it! In the last few months, I literally haven't used anything on my eye except this, or a another eye product I've been loving that I'll write about just now.... I think my favourite thing about this eye product is that it really does last the 24 hours it promises. It is SO long-lasting and stays put the whole night, which is always something I look for in a good eye product. I love this shade as well, a bronzy-pink colour that is so pretty, and a tiny bit goes a long way, so I see this little pot lasting a super long time as well. 

MAC PRO-WEAR SATIN EYESHADOW- 'CORK'

This is such a beautiful matte brown colour, and has quickly become one of my staples. I love just using a little bit along my lash line, or in my crease. It is great quality, long-lasting and while it is pretty pricey for a little pot, it is definitely good quality for money. 

REAL TECHNIQUES SETTING BRUSH- by Sam and Nic Chapman

I ordered this with the hope to use it as a concealer brush, and it is the perfect size, shape and quality for concealer blending. I absolutely love this brush, it is soft, the bristles stay put, is washes easily and is the perfect size as a concealer brush. This is my first realTechniques brush I've had, and I am so impressed, I can't wait to try out some more!

DERMALOGICA 'CLEAR START'- EMERGENCY SPOT FIX

After trying out a few samples of this stuff, I had to buy a proper tube, because it is really a miracle worker for spots and blemishes. This stuff is perfect for those times when your skin just seems to have a tantrum and break out everywhere possible. For so long, I have just piled my face with concealer to hide it, but since I've discovered this stuff, it literally clears my skin out completely within a week and makes it feel a lot healthier. You don't use it everyday, but rather when your skin seems like its about to break out or in smaller problem areas. It is so good and always works 100% for me as it is very strong and anti-bacterial. 

ESSIE NAIL POLISH- 'BORROWED AND BLUE'

I posted this is a favourites last year sometime, but recently whenever I reach for a colour to paint my nails, I just always find myself choosing this one! It is just the prettiest light baby blue colour that goes with almost everything. I also love it because of its amazing quality! It lasts at least a week without chipping, paints on smoothly without any streaks and isn't too thick or clumpy. 

GENERAL FAVOURITES

MOVIES

There have been so many great movies I have watched recently, but I will just tell you about  3 (very different) ones that I absolutely loved: 

1) STILL ALICE

This is super sad but such a genuine and captivating movie! Julianne Moore is so brilliant in this, and it is definitely a movie to put on the list, definitely worth a watch as it is so heart-warming, touching and is a true display of amazing acting an directing!

2) THE IMITATION GAME

This is definitely one of my new all-time favourites and I have watched it a few times already. Benedict Cumberbatch and Kiera Knightly are so amazing in it, and the whole story-line, history, cinematography and cast are just all-together brilliant!

3) STUCK IN LOVE

Looking for something a little lighter? This is a cheesy rom-com done well, and I really loved every second of it. The cast is amazing and so lovable, not to mention my complete girl-crush on Lily Collins. It is original and cute and perfect for a Friday night in with a huge bowl of popcorn. 

TV SERIES

In have become absolutely obsessed with Girls recently- I had been wanting to watch it for ages now, as I always hear it being called for nominations for Emmies and Golden Globes and the works, so I finally gave it a try and it is amazing! Lena Dunham is hilarious and really makes the show! It is so good, so definitely worth a watch! 

So that's it for my monthly favourites, let me know if you give any of these a try and love them as much as I do! 

Christmas/New Year Make-up & Beauty Haul

I wasn't quite sure exactly what to name this post, cause some of these items I bought and others were christmas gifts, but either way, I just thought I'd show you some of the things I've got recently that I have really been loving!

Starting with make-up first:

So these first few things were all Christmas gifts from my parents. I love Mac make-up so much, but it is so bloody expensive, so I was so excited when I saw my mom had spoilt me  with some items I've been wanting for ages! 

MAC 'REDD' LIPLINER PENCIL
I've been wanting a red lipliner for ages, because it makes it SO much easier to apply red lipstick perfectly and I think, just give the lip a fuller look. I don't usually use lip liners, but after hearing so many people recommending using a lipliner for a red lip, I thought I'd give it a try, and it's definitely worth it! I love this lipliner, it comes out nicely, very pigmented and a beautiful bright red colour. 

PEACH BLOSSOM CREMESHEEN MAC LIPSTICK
I have wanted a very pretty pink lipstick for quite some time, and have never really had one. I initially wanted to give 'Angel' a try, cause it is so popular, but it was sold out, so I got this one, and it is just such a pretty, everyday pink colour, and so easy and smooth to apply. 

'CORK' - MAC SATIN EYESHADOW 

It looks quite a bit lighter in the picture than it actually is, it is a light, almost matte pretty brown colour, which I like to use in my crease and sometimes just below the eye too. It lasts for the whole day and is such a pretty, subtle colour. 

Next were two items I ordered off Feel Unique, because sadly they aren't sold in SA, so they needed to be ordered online.... they took their sweet time, but yay, I've finally got them and I am loving them both SO much!

MAYBELLINE 24 HR COLOUR TATOO IN 'ON-AND-ON BRONZE'
Unfortunately, even the swatch doesn't show how stunning this colour is! It is a shimmery bronze colour, that just comes out so beautifully! I LOVE this product and can't wait to get to ordering other colours in the range. They are so easy to apply and on most days, I will literally just swipe this across my lids with my Mac 217 and not add anything else except mascara and you're set for the day. It makes it look like you've put a lot more effort in than you actually have, the pigment is great, and my favourite thing about this product, is that it lasts SO LONG. If I put it on in the morning, when I get home late at night, it will still be on just as well as how it was applied! I highly recommend this product, and it is also very affordable. 

REAL TECHNIQUES SETTING BRUSH (PINK)

Finally, I have found the perfect shape, firmness and brand of brush for concealer. I have been struggling to find one the right size for what I want to blend in concealer, particularly under the eyes and T-zone, but this brush is perfect, and I am really loving it. 

Then lastly, there were just a couple of others I bought over the Christmas and new year period.

WOOLWORTHS EYELASH CURLER
Just a basic eyelash curler, but so far so good!

MAYBELLINE DREAM BOUNCY CREAM BLUSH IN #20 'PEACH SATIN'
This is my first time trying a cream blush and I am enjoying it quite a bit, what I really like, is that it does tend to last a lot longer than a powder. I think this peachy pink, is such a pretty colour for summer, and it is so quick and easy to apply. 

And now onto a few beauty items I've bought/recieved recently.

Okay, so I've gone through a bit of a Body Shop-obsessed phase recently and picked up a couple of good old shower gels and body butters, fuse you can never have too many of those, right?

HONEYMANIA SHOWER GEL

My brother gave me this for christmas and I am so excited to have it because this is my all-time favourite scent that The Body Shop do! Seriously, if you haven't tried it, give it a sniff next time you're there, it's amazing!

SWEET LEMON SHOWER GEL
I bought this mainly because I used to love the Sweet Lemon scent and I thought they'd discontinued it, as I haven't seen it there for years, and now suddenly, it's popped back up, but only in shower gel form. So in fear that it might not come back again, I bought it, and it smells SO delicious and fresh. 

FROSTED CRANBERRY BODY BUTTER (Christmas range)

I always love to see what the christmas scents are and this year this cranberry one was one of them, and it smells so good, so I picked it up, because I've just about finished my last body butter. 

and lastly one last shower gel (another gift) VANILLA CREME BRULE SHOWER GEL (Christmas range). I was so happy to get this for christmas from one of my aunts, because it is also one of the christmas scents and you can't go wrong with vanilla! I've actually not used it yet (clearly I have a huge over-supply of shower gels) but I plan to give it a try soon!

I have been loving the Lush christmas range and my other brother bought me the SNOW FAIRY SHOWER GEL which is SO amazing, and I have never tried it before but have had my eye on it for ages, so I was so pleased to finally get to try it. It literally smells like sweets and candy floss, and while it is a bit sweet for everyday, I use it every now and then, and it is pink and shimmery and just so lovely! Not to mention that all lush products are always packed with good oils and things for your skin.

And the last beauty thing I bought recently is the JOHNSONS REFRESHING GEL FACE WASH. This has a really fresh and subtle smell, and I am enjoying it. For me, it still doesn't quite beat the Nivea Daily Essentials Face Wash, but comes in a close second. 

So that's it for all the make-up and beauty sort of things I've got over the past few months. 
Hope this helps if you've been wanting to try any of these products or, if nothing else, maybe just gets you inspired to do some shopping soon :D 

PS: I just want to add that I am sadly already back at varsity and have been for a week, and I hate that I have posted so little in December and January. I have lots of ideas for posts, so even though work is very hectic just for this first month of varsity, I'm still hoping that I can keep some posts going!