Monthly Favourites | March 2016

Throughout the month of March I have discovered a few products and items, as well as rekindling my love for a few that I already owned, which I think are worth mentioning here on my blog.  I always see beauty bloggers and vloggers doing a monthly favourites video or blog post, and I have never done one before, so I thought I would start now.  Better late than never!

   Sensodyne Daily Care Toothpaste

For as long as I can remember, my teeth have always been very sensitive when I drink cold or hot drinks.  I know that it is a common problem, affecting people on a daily basis.  For some reason I have found that in the last year my teeth have become particularly sensitive, with it getting to the point that I couldn't bite into a piece of cucumber without my teeth starting to hurt!  From this I spoke to my Mum (the thing to do when you need advice) and she suggested using this toothpaste.  I usually don't like to spend more than £2 on a toothpaste, however I felt I needed to up my spending game if I wanted to help my teeth.  After just over a month of using this, I can say that it has helped quite a lot.  My teeth aren't fully sensitive-free but they do seem to be a lot better.  It also has a nice taste (I am quite fussy with toothpaste flavours) so that is a bonus too.  My only problem with it, is I wish it came with more product in the tube as I am running out already!  However, I will definitely be buying this again.
  

 Liz Earle Lash Definition Smudgeproof Mascara

 This is one of the products that I have recently rediscovered.  I am a bit of a mascara fiend, I have so many different ones on the go at once that I am constantly swapping between them.  I changed to this one a few weeks ago and I had forgotten how much I loved it.  If you are like me and prefer your lashes to have separation and a bit of length and volume, without looking spidery then this mascara is perfect.  I like that it has a plastic wand rather than bristles as I find it disperses product better (for me, anyway).  It also lives up to it's name, 'smudgeproof', as, despite it not being waterproof I never find product falls underneath my eyes or goes onto my eyelids.  Even after a whole day's wear, it always looks exactly the same as it did when I first applied it; curled, voluminous and beautiful.  The consistency is awesome, not too wet but wet enough that you have time to manipulate or separate the lashes if necessary.  When this runs out or goes a bit dry (which I fear is imminent), I am definitely repurchasing.     

Bioderma Make-up Removing Micelle Solution

I first tried Bioderma when I went on holiday to France in 2014 with my friend, as I saw a little bottle of it in a supermarket there.  I had heard people on YouTube talk about it, but at the time you could only buy it in France (I think).  When I tried it I instantly loved it.  I had tried similar micellar waters, like the Garnier one which I love, but this one seemed to remove my make-up just that little bit more thoroughly, whilst still being incredibly gentle.  As I only purchased a small travel sized bottle, I got through it pretty fast (nooo!).  Even today you still can't buy it in shops in the U.K., however just before Christmas I was doing some online shopping and found some ON SALE(!) on Escentual.  I bought a bigger bottle and when it arrived I was so so happy (I even converted my Mum onto it).  It truly is the best micellar solution that I have ever tried, it takes off traces make-up even after I have used a facial wash in the shower.  It leaves no residue and has no scent, which I like.  I use it everyday and luckily I also bought a backup bottle whilst it was still on sale.  It is a little more expensive and evidently hard to get hold of, so I would recommend the Garnier one if the Bioderma one isn't for you, as that one definitely is an excellent drugstore alternative.

Mac Blush in Pink Cult

This was the first Mac product I had ever purchased and I have to say it didn't disappoint.  The colour is gorgeous and is wearable all year round, although, it was limited edition (so sorry about that).  However it's consistency and wear time is still relevant to all Mac blushes I'm sure.  It is not too powdery which is excellent as it doesn't waste product.  It has a lovely soft texture to it which blends really well onto the cheeks.  I have had this blusher for over three years now (it is probably a bit old now but I don't care as I love it!) and as you can see there's not even a dent in the product.  A little goes a long way, as you only need the tiniest bit on the brush to get enough product onto the skin.  I went through a phase of using a cream blusher for a while and it has only been this month that I have rediscovered this Mac one after a good few months.   On a slightly different note, the packaging seems to be very durable as a while back I accidentally dropped it on stoned flooring and I was almost certain the product was smashed.  However I picked it up and just the plastic bit in the lid had popped out and the blush itself was fine, so I just put it back in and now it is back to normal (phew).  Whilst I have tried other Mac products since this one now, I really want to try some other Mac blushes as they last for ages so are definitely worth the money, in my opinion.

Real Techniques Sculpting Brush

 

I am a huge fan of Real Techniques brushes, as they are very affordable compared to other brushes on the market, but the quality of them is amazing.  Their synthetic bristles clean incredibly well and also dry pretty quickly (if I wash mine the night before I can usually use them the next morning).  I also love the variety of brushes that are available from this line.  I am always on the look out for new brushes from Real Techniques and a while back I saw this one and it intrigued me immensely!  I normally use the Expert Face Brush for foundation or their new Triangle Foundation Brush from their Bold Metals Collection, however I wanted to try something new.  As the name suggests I don't think it's actually for foundation and was designed maybe for contouring instead.  However I think it is amazing for foundation as it it very soft, the bristles have a good density and disperse and blend the product very well.  The bristles as a whole are quite flexible but not too flimsy, meaning it is good for awkward areas for example around the nose and neck.  I really like the shape of the brush too, as the slanted cut of the bristles makes for an easy and quick application.  This brush can be relied upon to give a quick, effortless and flawless application.  I would highly recommend (as I actually have two of these!)

Necklace from 'Freedom', Topshop

I actually bought this necklace last summer in the sale in Topshop as I thought it was a bit different to other small pendant necklaces that I had seen.  When I bought it I wore it a couple of times but then it just ended up with all the rest of my jewellery and I kind of forgot about it.  I rediscovered it about a month ago and decided to keep it on my bedside table to encourage me to wear it more.  Low and behold, I now wear it most days.  I think it is such a beautiful and versatile piece which goes with most of my outfits, from jumpers and jeans to a dress and boots.  I love the cubed stone pendant as it is such a unique style.  It's very comfortable to wear and is subtle but still adds that little something to outfits.  As I bought it last summer Topshop may not have it in store any more, however I'm sure they do similar pieces ('Freedom' always seem to have very pretty and interesting pieces!)

New Look Handbag

At Uni I normally use a rucksack as it holds a lot and it comfortable to wear, however I felt I needed to buy a new handbag for other day to day use as my old one was nearly breaking!  I actually wasn't on the hunt for a new bag, I was just waiting to see if one caught my eye.  I was in New Look a while ago and I saw this bag and I just fell in love with it.  My old handbag was quite bit and it was a little inconvenient at times, however this one is the perfect size.  I like to carry quite a lot in my handbag and this bag fits EVERYTHING in!  Bulk items I normally carry around are my iPad mini, purse and a bottle of water and this bag is honestly perfect and I love it.  Since it is now spring I have been using it a lot more because of the peachy/orange colour, however I think it looks nice all year round.  It's very spacious inside and has a zip pocket which is useful for little things like hairbands and lipbalms.  I also like that there are different ways to use the straps, I usually use the longer one over one shoulder but I occasionally do take it off and just use the two short ones - I like that it gives you the choice.  The fact that the bag completely closes with a zip pleases me greatly as I don't really like bags with just a popper as I don't feel that my belongings are as secure as they could be.  Basically, I would highly recommend this bag.  I went in New Look the other day and I saw this bag (or a very similar design) in other colours so definitely worth checking out if you're interested.

So, that's a wrap!  These are some of the things that I loved throughout the month of March.  I will try and do one of these at the end of every month as I found it really fun to do!

See you in the next post,
Molly x