5/28/2014

May Favourites



It's May Favourites time again and this month there's probably few surprises, as many of these products will have appeared in posts or on my Instagram at some point over the last few months. They're all tried and tested, and many of them have become stash staples. There's even a trio of blushers this month which may be a first for this blog..

Beauty

Elf HD Undereye Setting Powder-Elf is not a brand I've dabbled with a lot but Shannon often raves about the setting powder in her tutorials so I was looking forward to using it. It does not disappoint. This pearlescent powder brightens and sets your concealer in place. I thought this powder may have been a bit gimmicky and would not do an awful lot but it really does make a difference. It's super affordable too. What's not to love?

Antipodes Vanilla Pod Day Cream, limited edition size sold as part of a set-This is another product  where I really notice a difference if I forget to use it. It's thick, but not overly so. You can still wear it underneath your makeup. It is also incredibly hydrating and luxuriously scented. It'll be a sad day when this mini tube runs out.

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blushers, pictured are the shades Exposed and Tipsy-"Well I gotta buy a vowel because oh my god". Pardon the Friends reference. but these blushers are amazing. They're super pigmented and have no detectable shimmer so they won't add any unwanted sheen or emphasise your pores. There must be something magical in that Amazonian clay because these blushers also last for a long time on the cheeks. It's love. 


Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella-Nars lip pencils have caused quite a stir in the beauty world. Taylor Swift is even a fan. Cruella is a deep, scarlet red. It's a bold, vampy shade that just makes you feel..classy. These lip pencils are so easy to apply and feel a lot less drying on the lips than some other matte lip products do. They're so easy to touch up with as well. You really only need to fill in patches where the colour has worn away, rather than applying a whole layer again.

Mac Blush in Peaches*-This post's blush quota has now been reached. I've just really been loving blush recently. Peaches is another matte blush and it's very subtle. I think it was Lily who described it as giving you that 'just been in the sun' look. It really warms up the face and is such a flattering colour. 

Bumble and Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish-I hauled this back in January and it's only just making its way into a favourites post-how slack of me. This hairspray is so lightweight, it's more of a fine mist as the name would suggest. You aren't left with hair that feels crunchy and dry at all. Spritzing this will give your hair body and oomph in the best way. Sephora have recently released a mini size of this and I hope Mecca follows suit because it's a handbag staple. 

The Extras

The Glass Castle-When I'm not online, you can usually find me in a quiet corner with a hot drink and a book. My commute to university is rather lengthy so I try to always have a book or magazine on hand for those trips as well. I'd heard great things about The Glass Castle, a memoir, and it didn't disappoint. This has to be one of the most heart wrenchingly sad books I have read in a long time though. Wall's upbringing is so unreal, you almost wish it was a work of fiction because it's just so awful. You'll be captivated by this book though and perhaps feeling a bit contemplative. It really got me thinking about some people and moments from my life. There's supposed to be a movie of this in the works with Jennifer Lawrence too which'll be interesting to see. 

Lorde interview in Teen Vogue, May '14-I can't seem to find this full interview online but I'm sure a Lorde fan will have uploaded scans of this on Tumblr. Sometimes it seems like our local media want to paint celebrities like Lorde in the most undesirable lights possible, so it's always refreshing to read international interviews with her. Andrew Bevan of Teen Vogue often does some of the best interviews and I loved his interview with Lorde. It wasn't repetitive and it was just a darn good read. If you can still get hold of the issue track it down and have a read of this yourself.

-What beauty/random products have you found yourself loving in May?

*I hope your week's are going awesome! Mine has been, although it is busy that's for sure. The end of semester is fast approaching-there's basically four weeks left now until exam time so last minute deadlines and getting a headstart on revision are my priorities right now. I went to a screening of Maleficent on Monday with Hannah and Britney-more on that tomorrow. Today's just a full day of class and a couple of meetings so it'll be nice to get home later and just chill. Have a rad Wednesday everyone xo.


*PR Sample

8 comments:

  1. ooo i bought the elf undereye setting powder recently too! although ive been using the collection concealer and it still goes crazy creased under my eyes :(
    hehehe embargoed!!! ;)

    x

    ♥ Ellen #NZblogger
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    1. Oh no! :( Concealer doesn't tend to crease under my eyes but the Collection one does have quite a thick formula. Maybe try using less or patting it in with your fingers so that it absorbs better if that makes sense.

      Omg yes embargoes, down with 'em! ;)

      Sx

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  2. ooh, I've been wanting to try the Nars lip products forever now. And the Glass Castle is SO GOOD! The author lives in my hometown and her mother sells paintings at the farmers market there sometimes!

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    1. The lip pencils are so awesome! I'm eyeing up a shade called Damned but it seems to be permanently sold out here :(. Oh wow!! That's so cool. I bet she's interesting in person x.

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  3. Ah Antipodes! I absolutely love that day cream! My skin has never felt more moisturised. I'm glad to hear you love the ELF powder - I need to use mine! I also love MAC peaches! The Tarte blush sounds amazing - blush always fades on me so maybe I need to get one of these!! Bring on the end of semester! xx

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    1. It's absolutely amazing right!? I hope they eventually release it in a bigger tube. You do need to use the ELF powder. Take it on holiday with you-do it!

      Counting down the days 'til end of semester, not gonna lie xx

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  4. The Glass Castle is one of my favorite books ever. I read it about two years ago and enjoyed it. Those blushes are gorge! I don't own a blush from Tarte but from what I've seen they're gorge! You can't go wrong with Cruella....it's amazing! Rhondine.

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    1. It's such an amazing book! I have to read her novel too actually. Cruella's such a gorgeous colour-I am so glad I picked it up xx

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