April Beauty Favourites

The month of April has absolutely flown by. It was the first time in a long time that I really wasn't prepared for my monthly favourites and had to look through my make-up bag to see what had been used the most. I did pick up a few new bits and pieces this  month and have been loving them. This post is a tad MAC -centric but I have become abit MAC obsessed the past while and really have fallen back in love with the brand. If you would like a post about my top favourite MAC  products let me know!

 MAC Whirl & Velvet Teddy

Velvet Teddy finally came back in stock online in Brown Thomas- I thought I was seeing things when it popped up! I quickly snapped it up and it has been a firm favourite since. Whirl came back in stock a few days later and of course I couldn't have one without the other! Unless you have been living under a rock the past few months, you will all have heard about the Velvet Teddy hype- making it impossible to find both online and in stores. It is also hailed as Kylie Jenner's signature lip look. It is a brown nude lipstick which is very 90's. It looks amazing with a tan and a brown smokey eye which is the look I have been going for the last few weeks. The combination of this with Whirl underneath makes it extremely long-lasting.

 Soap & Glory Solar Powder

After reading all the rave reviews on this bronzer I decided to pick it up while the 3 for 2 was going on in Boots. It is a duo bronzer with a light and a dark shade included. When you first get it there is a shimmer over-spray, but thankfully it doesn't go the whole way through the powder. It is a completely matte bronzer which is so hard to get in the "drugstore"and makes it perfect for a light contour if you prefer a more warm look.  It is really nicely pigmented and can be built up really easily without looking cakey or muddy. I'm not sure if I like it quite as much as NARS Laguna, but it will definitely tide me over until I get another one of those. 

 MAC Extended Play Gigablack Lash Mascara*

Longest name for a mascara ever and the third MAC product in my favourites this month. I recently got sent six different MAC mascaras to trial and this was one that instantly caught my eye. It is absolutely perfect for my lower lashes. The brush is so small and thin that it coats the bottom lashes in product without clumping them together or smudging under my eyes. It gives lovely length and lasts all day. I prefer this to the infamous Clinique Bottom Lash mascara even though it's not as small and delicate - it is still really easy to use! 

L'oreal Infallible 24hr Foundation

I've already raved about the matte version of this foundation and I loved it so much that I decided to give the original version a go. This foundation naturally is alot more dewy than it's sister, while still having really nice coverage and lasting power. It really reminds me of my beloved NARS Sheer Glow but at a much more attractive price-tag. I have worn this at work and it has lasted really well throughout the day with very minimal touch up's. I am so impressed with this and have been wearing it the majority of the month! I do need to pick a lighter shade as this one only suits me when I have tan on. 

Lush Grease Lightening

This is without a doubt my favourite product this month. It really is a wonder product and I don't know what I did without it! It is a spot treatment that you apply directly to the breakout. It has anti-inflammatory, astringent and antibacterial ingredients in it, which you would imagine to be extremely harsh on the skin but it really minimizes the breakout overnight and takes away any redness. I had a massive breakout during the month on my chin- it was so big it practically took up my entire chin (ouchy!) I bought this in the hopes that it would help and popped it on that night. It completely dried out the spot and took the soreness out of it. After the second night the spot had completely gone down and I was only left with a small bit of redness.  I would 100% recommend this if you are prone to breakouts and need something to work fairly quick!

So those are the products that I have been loving this past month. I probably have forgotten some really good products, but I normally post my recent loves on my Instagram (@danielle_imperfectblog) so give me a follow if you haven't already to keep up with my never ending purchases and favourites!

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Soap & Glory Solar Powder

I had read alot of hype recently about the Soap & Glory make up products- in particular the Solar Powder bronzer. I was coming to the end of my beloved NARS Laguna and there was a 3 for 2 running in Boots so I decided to give it a go. At €15.49 it is one of the pricier bronzers in the drugstore that I've seen. 

It is duo bronzer with both lighter and darker colours. You can stick to a particular side, or like me just swirl the brush in the middle and mix the whole lot. It comes with a slight shimmer overlay when you first open it but this rubs off easy and it doesn't go deeper into the powder. The texture is very light so you have the option of having a light look or you can build it up for a more intense bronzed look. It doesn't leave your skin looking cake-y band it leaves a gorgeous sunkissed glow without looking muddy or patchy. Once the light shimmer has been removed it is a completely matte bronzer which makes it perfect for a warm-toned contour. I always prefer a matte bronzer anyway because you have the option to add your own shimmer or highlight if you want to.

The only downside to this is the packaging, it is made purely of cardboard which I can imagine will get grubby and worn very easily in my make-up bag. It has definitely filled the Laguna gap in my life for now! Let me know if you have tried this or any other Soap & Glory make up!

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No.7 Pop & Glow | Sunrise Glow

When I first heard about the new No.7 Pop & Glow Duo* to be honest I wasn't overly excited about them. I am a massive fan of the highlighter as you all know already, I have raved about it many times. In my eyes I couldn't see any changes that needed to be done and this Pop & Glow was too much change for my liking! But after giving it a go over the past while, I can say that it has made its way into my everyday make-up routine! It is the same idea as the highlighter that I love, only difference is that it is split down the middle and has a blush shade and a highlighter. On first appearance it reminded me alot of the Benefit Fine One One stick that was released a couple of years ago, the only difference is that Fine One One had a contour shade. I wasn't overly impressed by that release from Benefit and I thought my feelings about this would be the same. 

I haven't been using this in the way that I imagined it was meant to be used. I thought that the idea behind this was that you could just swipe it onto your cheeks, blend and go - which you could do - but I have been using a mixture of my Real Techniques Stippling brush and my fingers to apply it. The blush side is so amazingly pigmented, so if you were to swipe it directly onto your cheeks it might look a little OTT and be difficult to blend. Where as if I use my brush and dab any excess onto the back of my hand it is alot easier to apply and blend the product exactly how I want it, and it is very easy to build up the colour if I wanted to. I don't have much to say about the highlighter since it is pretty much the same as the original, and you all know how I feel about that! Its a lovely creamy consistency and really does add instant radiance to the skin.  

It is available in two variants, "Sunrise Glow" and "Sunset Glow". The one I have is "Sunrise Glow" which is perfect for those with fairer skintones. The No.7 vouchers are doing the rounds at the moment, so it works out at €8.95! They are available online here if you want to have a look!

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Liz Earle Soothing Eye Lotion & Daily Eye Repair

 

Recently Liz Earle has become available on Boots.ie and my life was made. You all know how much of a fan I am of Liz Earle and have been using their Cleanse & Polish for years! So when Boots ran a points promotion where if you buy two premium products you got extra points, I decided to have a look at some of the Liz Earle products I haven't really tried before. At the time I was running out of my Una Brennan Vitamin C eye-cream, and I wasn't loving it enough to repurchase it so I decided to go for something from Liz Earle to try and give my eye area some TLC!

The first thing I bought was actually something I had used before, loved but never bothered repurchasing because I probably got distracted with other things! It is the Soothing Eye Lotion. This is something that I have been using every morning without fail. It feels so lovely and cooling on the eyes first thing in the morning so it really helps wake you up. I have found that since using the combination of this and the next product that my eyes have not been as puffy in the mornings. Since I wear contacts daily, my eyes can get a little dry and irritated throughout the day but again since using this I can go longer without using drops. I have used this as a mini eye mask by pouring a little bit on to two cotton pads and just placing them on my eyes for a few minutes. If my eyes are looking particularly puffy and tired I feel it just gives them a bit of an instant refresh.

The next item I decided to purchase was the Daily Eye Repair cream. The Una Brennan eye cream I was using up until this just wasn't doing the job I needed it to do so I decided to change it up. My eyes were looking a bit dark and puffy over the last couple of weeks and since starting to use this I have found great improvement. It is a lot heavier than the Una Brennan one, so it does take a little bit longer to blend in but once you apply it your skin under your eyes will instantly feel more moisturized and hydrated. My skin sucks this stuff up! It has helped alot with the discoloration too so I think it is a good all-rounder in an eye-cream. If you are starting off with the whole eye-care area of skincare I would definitely say this is a good one to start off with. My only gripe with it is that you only get 10ml of product, which is not a lot considering the price! 

With the combination of these two products I really feel like my under-eye area has improved so much. My skin looks brighter and feels more hydrated so I will be sticking with this combination for awhile longer. I am tempted to go back to the Origins GinZing eye-cream but I just can't justify the price at the moment-sadface! 

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MAC Sweet & Sour

I have been after this lipstick for the longest time. As far as I know it was limited edition a few years ago so it was fairly impossible to get my hands on. But recently it has reappeared at MAC counters and online so I quickly snapped it up! I'm not sure if it is back for good or if it is only out for a certain length of time but if you want it, go now!!

In my opinion this is the perfect lipstick for the brighter days and I can already tell I will be wearing this alot over the next couple of months! It is a very light peachy coral colour which instantly brightens up my complexion when I have it on. I wouldn't recommend it for darker skin-tones because it might look a little like concealer lips- so if you have a darker skin-tone definitely give it a try in store first! It is a Cream Sheen formula which is one of my favourite lipstick formulas from MAC as it is so moisturising on the lips and gives an amazing colour payoff and pigmentation.

If you don't want such a bold block of colour I have been popping a bit of one of the Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors on top and they just help to sheer the lipstick out a little, without taking away from the amazing colour of the lipstick!

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Boots Botanics All Bright Radiance Balm

You will have already seen this product mentioned in my March Beauty Favourites, and I felt it was only right to dedicate a whole blog post to it as I have loved it so much since I got it and have used it so much. It is the All Bright Radiance Balm from the Boots Botanics range. I am such a massive fan of the Botanics range anyway. I love the Cleansing Balm, the toner and the wipes (oops!) The brand is so amazing for the price and it's really easy to get hold of in Boots. I had seen a lot of reviews and Instagram posts about the latest release from the brand which was the Radiance balm. Since I am always on the hunt for anything that will give my skin a healthy glow, I thought I would pick it up to give it a go. At the time I bought it, it was on offer at half price so it only worked out at something like €4- so really I couldn't not try it!

This is one of those amazing multi-use products that does a bit of everything! I have been putting it on underneath my foundation everyday for a very subtle glow. It sinks in so quickly and does not affect the application of my foundation on top of it. For my more matte finish foundations I have been adding a drop of this to them and just mixing it all together, it sheers out the foundation while adding some radiance to the face. The final way I have been using this is as a regular highlighter and applying it to the tops of my cheekbones and down the bridge of my nose. 

The main thing I like about this product is that it does not have any glitter or shimmer in it at all. When applied it has an iridescent shine to it, so it gives you that much coveted glow without looking like a disco-ball! So if you are on the hunt for a new highlighter that is not too in your face, I would thoroughly recommend you give this a go! For the price you really can't go wrong! Available online here.

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March Beauty Favourites

March has been a month of lots of new discoveries and bold make up purchases! It was my birthday last month so I did treat myself to one or two new bits and bobs, which is totally allowed right? I have looked back and realised I have only blogged twice since my last favourites so a major slap on the wrist for me and (yet another) promise that I will do better this month...I swear! 

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream

This is not a new product to my collection and has been mentioned in a favourites before but I felt I had to include it again because I have been using it so much this past month! It has been so quick and easy to just slap on (not literally obvs..) in the mornings and go. For a CC Cream it gives amazing coverage and lasts reasonably well throughout the day! I find it gives my skin a really radiant glow and just makes it look a little bit healthier while avoiding looking cakey! It also has SPF15 in it, which is great because as the days are getting brighter and sunnier I am becoming more conscience of applying a SPF to my face. The only problem I have with it is that the shade range is limited. I think there are only three shades which is a major downfall because I do think if they had a bit more variety it would do really well! But if you fit into one of the shade ranges, I would definitely recommend you give this a try for the perfect "everyday base".

Boots Botanics Radiance Balm

I have seen alot of hype about this product over the past few weeks and when I spotted it had gone down to half price in Boots, well I just had to pick it up! I have a full review of this coming in the next couple of days, but I have been using this so much since I've gotten it and in so many different ways too! Under foundation, mixed in with foundation and as a cheekbone highlighter! I've even used it on my collarbone to highlight them for a night out! It is incredibly lightweight and blends in so easily. There is not a hint of shimmer or glitter in it, instead it leaves a gorgeous sheen to the skin. It has been compared to MAC's Strobe Cream too, so ladies if you're thinking of buying that check this one out first for a quarter of the price!!

Smashbox Contour Palette

Well you all knew this was going to be featuring this month. I have not stopped using this since the day I got it, and I just can't rave about it enough! It is the perfect palette for contouring, bronzing and setting my under-eye makeup while brightening too. The powders are really amazingly pigmented and so easy to work with. They blend out lovely and trust me when I say a little goes a long way! The contour shade is absolutely perfect to create that more natural shadow under the cheekbones with a little bit of a grey undertone to it. The bronzer is matte so it can also be used if you are looking for a warmer contour some days and works really well all over the face too. The highlight shade, as I said I am using to set my under-eye concealer and it is so lightweight and brightening it is absolutely perfect for the job. I actually can not recommend this palette enough and it has fast become a staple in my everyday routine! 

Jo Malone Wood Sage & Sea Salt

This is a fragrance I have been lusting over for months. I smelt it back when it first came out in Brown Thomas and instantly fell in love. My boyfriends very generous mum bought me a bottle for my Birthday and I was so excited about it! Everything about Jo Malone screams luxury, right down to the packaging for the bottle of perfume itself. The scent is really unlike anything I would normally wear (Alien, Illamasqua Freak- more deeper scents) This is quite a fresh, crisp scent and it reminds me so much of the seaside! I know I should be using it sparingly but I just can't help myself- it is too beautiful and it is my signature scent of Spring this year! 

MAC "Stroke of Midnight" Palette

Again, I'm sure it's no surprise this is featuring in my monthly favourites. I have many posts on Instagram featuring this little beauty and it has pushed all other neutral palettes out of my make-up bag this month. MAC really got it right with this palette in my opinion. It is the perfect selection of nudes with a slightly darker shade which is perfect if you want to go for a slightly more smokey eye. As always the quality of the shadows from MAC are amazing and really pigmented! As far as I know the collection is completely sold out but if you can get your hands on this palette then you really do need to get it in your life!

A final favourite I wanted to mention are my gel nails. I got them done for my birthday and have fallen in love. I was worried because they'd be slightly longer than my natural nails that I wouldn't be able to do anything with them but they are amazing! The colour goes with every outfit (even though it might be slightly boring) and I adore the stiletto shape. I got them done by Amy, seriously ladies check out her facebook page, she is one talented lady! 

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