The Lo Down - March/April Favourites

Hey Guys and Dolls,

I can't believe another two months have flown by, it's insane. You know what that means it's time for my favourites and I'm so excited to show you guys what I've been loving this month. I have quite a few so lets get started.

Lee Stafford Coco Loco Shampoo and Conditioner

As I've told you in a couple of posts already, I love trying new haircare and I get the opportunity to try these two products over the last months. I love them both and I was so impressed. They smell of coconut which to me is so yum!! They also leave my hair looking amazing and squeaky clean, just what I want from any shampoo and conditioner. I highly recommend them both and I can't wait to try some more products from this line once I recover from my head surgery. I did a review recently which you can check out here.

MAC Velvet Teddy Lipstick and NYX Lip Lingerie Liquid Lip Glosses

I have two lip products to share with you guys this month. First up is MAC's Velvet Teddy lipstick. This lipstick has a huge following and is definitely one of the most popular MAC lipsticks that they have to offer. It's so easy to apply and looks beautiful on the lips. It has a matte finish and just goes perfectly with any makeup look which is why I love it so much. I'm almost all out of mine so I will definitely be repurchasing it really soon. A review of this product can be found here. The other lip product favourite of mine is from NYX Cosmetics which is one of my favourite drugstore brands at the moment. I haven't tried a product that I didn't like yet which is really good. My favourite product of theres at the moment is their Lip Lingerie Liquid Lipsticks. They are just amazing, I adore them. They apply as a liquid and dry to a matte finish lipstick. There are so many shades to choose from and I have quite a few that I couldn't pick just one. It's definitely worth your while to go to your local counter to have a mooch if you ask me. If you want to check out my full review you can find it here.

Uriage HandCream

I love a good hand cream as my hands do get so dry as the weather is so changeable out there at the moment. I've been using a new handcream from Uriage lately and I think it's really good. It's nice and thick but it sinks into my skin right away. I carry this everywhere with me and I'm forever pulling it out of my bag when my hands are needing that extra bit of tlc. I recently was sent that intense version of this so I'll definitely let you know my thoughts soon. This handcream smells lovely too by the way. I posted a review of this a couple of weeks ago which you can see here.

Blank Canvas Makeup Brushes

I like having good tools to apply my makeup and I've looked no further than Blank Canvas Cosmetics brushes lately. This is an Irish brand and they are such good quality. I owned a couple of their brushes then when I seen that they had a sale over Christmas I purchased the Dimension Series Hamper and I'm so glad I did. It contains so many amazing brushes from face to eye so it gives great variety. I have been using these so much lately and I definitely want to pick up another set soon. If you want to see my post on these brushes you can check it out here.

Reading

Yes you read it right, I love to read! I've been reading just about anything I can get my hands on lately. I think it's so important to keep your mind active and I love being transported into another world that I made up after reading a good book. I've been reading since I was about 6 and everyone in my house calls me the reader, I'm definitely a bit of a book nerd. I've read quite a few books over the last while so if you look back over my blog you'll definitely find a good few book reviews and there'll be more to come in the next while aswell.

College

Since I did my last favourites post I started college, I actually did a post on it already a couple of weeks back. It had to make it into my favourites as I'm enjoying the course so much at the minute. At present I'm chilling out after getting minor head surgery on Thursday but I seriously can't wait to get back into college when I'm better next week. I'm learning so much and the course is full with interesting content so I'm loving it. If you didn't know I'm studying Social Media for Business in a college in Dublin and I think this course will really help my blog in the future. It's not fully focused on Social Media all the time though which I like, there's alot of marketing content. I studied Marketing in college before so I definitely have an advantage at the moment as I love the module alot. I'll definitely keep you posted with how I'm getting on with the course. Another post about my college life is actually going up on Monday or Tuesday so keep an eye out for that for sure.

That's it, my favourites for the month of April and May. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it, which is alot by they way.My next favourites post will be up in July so definitely come back for that.

Laura<3

My Belated April Favourites

I know I'm a bit late on the April Favourites band wagon this month, I've been such a busy bee getting ready for my exams. I started them on Monday and I finish them today!! WOO!! I really can't wait to get them out of the way as I'll have the whole Summer to look forward to. I'm hoping the weather is nice here in Ireland as it has been so changeable in the last few weeks. At this stage as long as we get a couple of days of glorious sun I'll be happy. I'm taking part in the Mini Marathon in two weeks time too so I'm hoping it brightens up a bit for that. My training has taken the back seat since I started my exams this week so I'm hoping to get back into the swing of things next week. The reason I decided to do this post even though it is a tad bit late is that I have a few favourites to show you guys from last month which I think definitely deserve a mention so lets get started!

First up I have a Barry M nail polish, I haven't tried too much from this brand  myself but I always hear bloggers rave about their polishes. This is the shade Blueberry from the fairly new Gelly Hi-Shine range. This is a gorgeous wearable blue shade perfect for the Summer. Every time I rock this on my nails, I've gotten so many comments so it's definitely a winner for me. I can see myself wearing it lots over the coming months, only two coats leaves a gorgeous glossy finish. I certainly have my eye on a couple of more shades from this range so who knows you may be seeing a Boots haul very soon. My next favourite is a body lotion from Dove. Surprisingly I didn't have too much time for the brand in the past as I wasn't too keen on their recognisable scent. When I was invited to a Dove event not too long ago, I wasn't too sure how I'd get on with their products after years of not being the biggest fan. Low and behold I found their Almond Cream and Hibiscus body lotion and I've fallen in love. It smells just like holidays which for me is the perfect scent for over the Summer. This light lotion leaves my skin lovely and soft whilst also smelling absolutely amazing. I'll definitely be stocking up on some more of these soon as I seen them on Boots last week on special offer. I can't give the exact price off the top of my head but from what I can remember event at its regular price its very affordable, it definitely won't break the bank. During the January Sales this year I was lucky enough to get the Marc Jacobs Daisy Gift set for a bargain. It has definitely become my go to scent over the last month or so. I have to admit I didn't use it too much when I originally bought it but the scent has definitely grown on me. It's a really beautiful everyday floral scent that I've been wearing non stop. One big thing for me is the beautiful packaging, isn't it gorgeous? Dior's Lip Glow Balm is a lip product that I've been reaching for over others lately. It's a colour revival balm which basically means it enhances the natural colour of your lips. I wouldn't go wild and say this is a must have lip product as it is very expensive but I do love the hint of colour it gives to my lips and I find it quite moisturising too. One of the key reasons why I like this so much though is because it's easy to work with, I don't even need a mirror. It's lasted me a while too as I bought it when I was in Manchester last year. I remember when I bought this with my Mum she thought I was crazy for spending so much on a lip balm. The balm itself also has a gorgeous scent too which is a plus. Lastly I have this little gem from MAC. I've had this eyeshadow for a while and I love it. I use it lots so I'm really surprised I haven't talked about it more on here. This limited edition eyeshadow was from the brands Electric Cool collection. I picked up two shades from the selection on offer and the one picture above is definitely my favourite. Pure Flash is a beautiful pale champagne colour that I tend to use all over the lid with a darker shadow in the crease. The formula is very lightweight but don't let that fool you, this shadow is so pigmented so a little goes a long way. I've already hit pan on it and I won't be a happy bunny when I use it all up as I really love this shadow. I'm hoping MAC repromotes it sometime in the future.

There you have it my short and sweet April favourties. Sorry it's a bit late but you know what they say better late than never. I just want to wish everyone doing exams at the moment the best of luck! I finish mine tomorrow and I've been really pleased with them so far. Thanks for all the lovely supportive tweets on Twitter they mean a lot. I'll have lots of free time on my hands now that I'm finished with college so I'm going to get back into blogging regularly again. I've really missed writing up posts on my blog over the last couple of weeks so I have lots of ideas in mind.

What are your current beauty favourites? I'd love to hear them.

Laura<3

April Favourites

For me the month of April flew by as I was working non-stop. I planned on doing more posts but being busy meant I didn't manage to do as many as I would of liked. This month I'll try to be a good blogger and post regularly. With it being the first day of Summer yesterday I was surprised to see the terrible rain we had, where are you Mr Sun?

 I seen mixed reviews on this foundation before I bought it, so I wasn't expecting alot. I've been using it throughout April and I really like it. Getting up in the mornings I tend to look exhausted and this makes me look fresh as a daisy. It does stay on my face throughout the day but by no means do I think it would last 16 hours. I'm currently using the shade 52 Vanilla, which is a perfect match for my skin. I apply this using my Real Techiques and it gives a lovely finish.

I've already done a mini review on this product which you can have a look at here. I've used about a third of this bottle since I've bought it, it's definitely my favourite drugstore primer. Don't get me wrong, it may be pricey, but I only use two pumps for my entire face so I can see this lasting a while.

This was a sneaky purchase during the month of April, I'm glad I caved in on this one. The Extra Dimension SkinFinish is a gorgeous highlighter that blends beautifully into the skin. I've also been using mine as a eyeshadow for a nice sweep of colour over the lid. I got the shade Superb and I can see this being in my favourites for a while to come.

I purchased two Revlon Colorburst lipglosses recently and Bellini is my favourite. It's a gorgeous everyday peach shade which I've been using constantly. I also got Crystal Water which is lovely but Bellini has been used more this month. I may pick up some more Revlon lipglosses the next time I'm in Boots, if there is any shades you'd recommend let me know.

As I said in my April Empties post, I've been a bit blush obsessed recently. My current favourite is MAC's Pink Tea which is from their Tres Cheek collection. It gives a natural flush of colour to my cheeks, perfect for everyday. Besides Pink Tea I only have one other MAC blush, I certainly see myself  purchased some more. I think it's a shame this didn't come in pan form.

My boyfriend bought me this showergel  and WOW does it smell good. I adore anything that has a cinnamon scent, as you can see by the name this was a match made in heaven. This is a 3in1 product (shampoo, bubble bath and showergel) having a sensitive scalp and no bath, I've been using this as a showergel. There's not much more I can say on this product, but if like me your cinnamon mad you'll love it. For those of you who use Philsophy products, is it actually a real recipe on the front of the bottle?

I bought a couple of Real Techniques brushes when they first arrived on the scene and this is by far my favourite. The buffing brush applies my foundation beautifully, I wish they sold it individually as I would buy another. I've heard mixed reviews on the eye brush set, I would love to know your thoughts on it if you've tried them.

Here is the mystery hair oil I've been loving lately. A new release from Loreal Elvive, I seen this in my local McCabes pharmacy were it was on offer for €6, which for a bottle this size is amazing. I went for the coloured hair option. After I use this my hair is left feeling soft, a big different from the mess it's been lately. As I only need two pumps I can see this bottle lasting forever (well a long time anyway!). I like how this is also a all round product that I can use in my hair before I wash it and as a finishing product. I think it's great that affordable brands are bringing out more amazing hair oils when there are so many expensives ones on the market.

What products have you enjoyed using during April??

Laura<3

April Empties

I enjoy doing empties posts, in a couple of months time I can always look back on these posts and see what worked for me and what didn't. Most of the products I finished throughout April were ones I had for a long time and at a quick glance the majority are shower products too. So if that's not your thing, you might not enjoy this empties post too much. Some of the products I couldn't wait to finish and others will definitely be repurchased again.

My hair has been left quite damaged from constant straigthening. Obviously it was only a matter of time before all these heat styling tools took it's toll. At around the €27 mark, I wouldn't call this combination a bargain but I could see myself buying these again. After using this shampoo and conditioner I've seen such a different with my hair, it looks revived and shiny. I used both products along with Redken's Anti Snap treatment from the same range which is another product I like. The Extreme range also has a nice sweet scent. I'm currently using their All Soft Shampoo and Conditioner which sadly I haven't gotten on too well with. This particular range has been getting rave reviews lately but maybe it's just not for me. I'm going to keep using it for a while maybe I'll change my mind.

Back in February, I got this travel sized body wash in a gift set for my birthday. Alongside the shower gel came the Dreams Unlimited Eau de Parfum which I love. I forgot the former for some time, so I only got around to using it this month. This small bottle lasts me almost three showers but that's been enough to tell me I have to get the full size of this. It has such a beautiful floral scent, which will be nice over the Summer. That's if we get one here with this terrible weather we've been having.

I'm going to keep this short and sweet. I love Soap & Glory and with both these products it was no different. They both have the recognizable scent which everyone (including me!) loves! The shower gel is quite thick and lathers really well, while the scrub is one of my favourites from the brand. There's no need for me to repurchase these anytime soon as I have them both in full size too. I think the miniatures are great for holidays or if you haven't tried the brand yet, at €3 a pop you can't go wrong.

To be honest I've gone a bit blush mad lately. This was my first from NYX and I used it to death as you can see. The shade is Peach, which is a lovely everyday shade. The quality is great and it blends beautifully. Luckily when I finished this one Chie sent me a backup in our latest swap. I want to pick up some more NYX blushes soon so if there's any you recommend let me know.

Here is a product that I have mixed views on. I couldn't find it for a while and I thought I lost it for good until it resurfaced this month. I only had a half a bottle left which I went through fairly quick. Excuse my ramblings but this is what I think of Moroccan Oil. Firstly, it doesn't smell too good at all, I doubt many people like the scent and I'd be surprised if they did. Secondly, it's so expensive as this bottle alone costs €15 which quite frankly I think is a rip off. Putting everything into consideration I think the cons outweigh the pros here, so I can't see myself getting this again. There are so many cheaper alternatives out there at the moment so I won't be too worried about this. I've been loving a new hair oil lately and I'm going to pop up a review on my blog very soon.

Last but not least we have another scrub from The Body Shop's Chocomania range. I love this stuff it smells amazing, plus it leaves my skin feeling lovely and smooth. The miniature tube was expensive at €8 so it works out better value to fork out on the full sized tube. If you want to see what I thought of the full range of Chocomania products, here's my Take It or Leave It post on the range.


Have you tried any of the products I mentioned?


Laura<3