I know this may be a rather late August Favourites, but I thought one would be better than none at all! I haven't written a monthly favourites post for nearly a year and I find them the best way to ease myself back into blogging after a break.
I'm bizarrely following a pattern with my monthly favourites, as this one mentions a lipstick, hair product, tanning product and a perfume… just like my 2013 September Favourites. However this time, I've thrown in a nail varnish for good measure.
Last month I treated myself to a new hair do' after having a naff past few weeks, and while I was undergoing the change from dark blonde back to brunette I had to ask my hairdresser what shampoo she was using on my hair. It smelled amazing! I was so shocked for her to tell me it was Palmers, so I immediately picked some up for myself. I bought a hefty 400ml bottle from Feel Unique for just £3.99, and upon using it I was even more pleased to find that a little goes a long way. Like their well-known moisturiser, the formula relies on coconut oil and has a thick consistency. As it's a 'conditioning' shampoo containing keratin, it's heavily moisturising for your hair so it's not your everyday shampoo. I like to use this twice a week with a little bit of regular conditioner afterwards. Once dried, my hair will be unbelievably soft, but thick as well. For £3.99, this is a perfect treat for your hair if you're on a budget, especially if you love the coconut scent.
As you may know from my 5 Mini Product Reviews post, I already have an adoration for Bourjois' Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks. I love Ole Flamingo, and still quite fancy picking up the other pinks on offer; however I'm currently loving my recent addition, Peach Club. From the name, you may automatically assume this is a peachy colour; well you're wrong. On first application, it's more of a browny coral, but on further applications it completely changes to an almost orangey red! This may sound dodgy, but it's what makes me love it. The fact you can get more than one colour from it gives more choice, and has become my go-to shade for work this month. I can leave it at just one application, or build it up to get a brighter colour. The picture below shows a shade somewhere in-between.
I've only owned the product for a couple of weeks, but I think I've hit the jackpot with this one. Over the years I've found it hard trying to find a fake tan that's specially for the face and won't break the bank. I finally came across one that doesn't have that digestive biscuit smell, and most importantly, works with my sensitive skin. It's a risky test trying out face tanners, and most cheap versions are the devil. Garnier Ambre Solaire Original Intense Dry Face Mist is fake tan heaven. It's a no-fuss spray that when applied at night, gives you an incredibly tanned face the following day. All it takes is holding the can far away enough for it not to choke you (only joking) and thoroughly spraying all over the face. That's it! All that's left is to let it develop. It dries pretty quickly, and the scent isn't offensive either. It doesn't break me out (thank god!) and leaves an even tan. Perfect for under 7 quid.
I haven't been getting as excited as I usually do about nail varnish as I've been wearing gel polish on my fingernails all summer. However I couldn't possibly forget about my toes, so I've been getting experimental with my colour choices. I've been so impressed with Barry M's Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paints since they were first released, I was happy to see they had released a summer collection of shades. I picked up … a gorgeous pale, minty blue which makes my skin look uber tanned. I love the quality of this nail varnish range as the colour lasts a good four or five days before it starts to chip, and is every bit 'hi-shine'.
Finally, my new favourite perfume; Ghost Eclipse. It's a lovely orangey, zesty scent that's strong but not too powerful to wear during the day. I fell in love with this when I received The Fragrance Shop's Discovery Club box. It works great as a summer scent, but I love it enough to want to wear it all year round. I love the bottle; it feels as though there's far more than 30ml as a little goes a long way, but if you take the lid off (which is half of the bottle shape) you can easily pop it into your bag. Before now, I've even managed to chuck this in my clutch bag to top up with on a night out.
So those were my August Beauty Favourites! Have you tried any of these products?