Quarterly Favourites #2

I can't believe we're already half way through the year.. When did that happen?!

Anyway, as I explained in my first Quarterly Favourites post, I don't do monthly favourites as they'd all be the same every month give or take a few products. 

I'll start off with the biggest items and work down to the smallest. 

Hask Keratin Protien Conditioner - I mentioned this in my Hair Care Routine post so I wont go on about it too much but this is my favourite ever conditioner. I can't explain how soft and shiny it leaves your hair, it smooths out damage and frizz and is sulfate and paraben free so YEY! 

Enliven Raspberry and Red Apple Shower Gel - A couple of months ago, I ran out of my usual Sanex Pro Hydrate shower cream. Of course they didn't have it in stock so I just grabbed the cheapest, nicest smelling shower gel to hold me over for a couple of weeks. I ended up loving it so much, I bought another bottle! This stuff smells amazing. I love using this with the weather being so hot, it just makes me feel so summery. It's not as hydrating as I'm used to but that's not a big deal.

Malibu Soothing After Sun - I've gone through so many bottles of this over the past few years, I just love it. I get very bad reactions to a lot of after suns but my skin gets on so well with this. It has aloe vera and vitamin E so it's really soothing  and hydrating. I'm quite tanned all year round but I get very dark when the sun comes out, this really helps to prolong that colour.

La Roche Posay Effaclar Foaming Gel - I had to basically give up on any sort of skincare routine when my eczema flared up. Once I got things under control, I had to start using products for oily skin. I actually have quite dehydrated, dry skin but anything with oil or targeted for dry skin brings the eczema back. This face wash has been a lifesaver. Even though it's for oily skin, it's also compatible with sensitive skin which means it hasn't irritated my face and has kept any flare ups at bay.
*when I say eczema, I'm referring to seborrhoeic dermatitis which is extremely dry, cracked, itchy, burning skin with liquid filled, weeping blisters. ie: not dry skin. 

Garnier Micellar Water - Keeping on the sensitive skin track, this is perfect for gently cleansing off your makeup without stinging, irritating or being too harsh. For me, it's great to remove the majority of my makeup before cleansing. For less than €4, this stuff is brilliant. 

L'oreal Glam Matte Gloss - You read my full review of this here.

Maybeline Lasting Drama Gel Eyeliner Pen - This is basically a much cheaper Benefit Push Up Liner, I'll have a full review coming during the week so stay tuned! 

Barry M Blueberry - I love this polish so much, it got it's own post.

Optrex Soothing Eye Drops for Itchy Eyes - I know this is a bit of a weird one but I struggle with dry, itchy, irritated eyes. These drops are so soothing and great if your struggling with hayfever. I used to be terrified of using eyedrops but these are really gentle and as long as I apply them whilst looking in the mirror, I have no issues putting them in. 

Malibu Lip Balm - Last summer I burned my lips. I vowed never to make that mistake again. This mango flavoured lip balm smells incredible and has SPF30! It doesn't make my lips peel and feels extremely hydrating. It also stays on for hours which is very handy.

Soap & Glory One Heck of a Blot - (top right) This translucent powder is great for keeping your makeup in place and shine at bay. I'm not a fan of the dewy skin look so this is perfect for me because it doesn't cake and looks very natural.

Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer - (both bottom images) This is a three step system with 2 shades of concealer and a setting powder. I have the shade medium and find the colour on the left is perfect for under my eyes. The powder in this kit is One Heck of a Blot and sets the concealer so well (the reason I purchased the full powder) without getting all crepe-ish. 

EcoTools Brushes - Again, you can read a review of the full set of brushes here. There are three brushes in the set that I've found myself using every time I do my makeup. The Complexion Blending brush is great  for any foundation or liquid concealer, it buffs everything in so well and is perfect for light to medium coverage products. I've been loving the Full Powder brush to apply One Heck of a Blot as it gives a light, even coverage. For setting my concealer, I've been using the Buffing Concealer brush to dab on my setting powder. 

I had no banana for scale so I used this (if you get that, I love you)

Last but not least, my two miniature African Violets. I know these aren't makeup but hey. I love gardening and flowers in general and these little guys are like my little flower children. I also love that they're called "bambino"s as that was a nickname of mine as a baby.

If you're still with me after all that then give yourself a pat on the back and 20 bonus points.

I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks for reading :)

♥

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Current Lush Favourites

I've had a little (big) obsession with Lush since the beginning of the year. I just really love bath time and like to spice things up a bit with multicoloured fizzing water and solid bubble bath. 

On my last trip to Lush, I realised I have a few favourite products that I continue to repurchase so I thought I'd share them with you! 

I have three bath bombs, a bubble bar and a massage bar on my list.

First up, bath bombs...

Big Blue

This bath bomb contains lavender and lemon oils, sea salt and little pieces of seaweed. I find it very good for relaxing your mind and body. I love the shade of blue it turns the water as it makes me feel like a mermaid.. I know some people dislike the seaweed pieces in the bath as it reminds them of worms but they don't bother me. 

Sakura 

As you may have guessed from the name, the inspiration for this bath bomb is the Japanese cherry blossom. It has a jasmine, mimosa and citrus scent. As you probably know, I have to steer clear of anything citrus but this is a very faint lemony/orange scent so it's a-okay. I love how it looks with the coloured pieces of sea salt on top, it reminds me of agate. 

Blackberry Bath Bomb

I don't know where to begin with this bath bomb. I could sniff it forever and never get bored. It just makes me feel so calm. It contains bergamont and frankincense oils which I seem to always get drawn to without realising. All I can say is you need to find one of these, sniff it, then obsess over it with me. 

In a less unlucky life, Sex Bomb would be on this list, alas, I'm horribly allergic to it.

Amandopondo Bubble Bar

This is probably my favourite Lush item of all. It smells very subtly of roses and lemon. It makes the most insane amount of bubbles with only a small amount of product. The main reason I love this so much is that it makes me feel so relaxed. I honestly don't like bubble baths as they make me feel very smothered but this is just so calming that it doesn't bother me at all. If you're looking for something to help you unwind and get into that sleepy zone, you need to try this. 

King of Skin

This massage bar is so gentle on your skin yet deeply hydrating. It has cocoa and Shea butter, oatmilk, avocado, banana, coconut oil and lots of other scented oils. It doesn't have much of a smell which is good if you have sensitive skin or if you aren't feeling too well and want to avoid sweet smelling lotions. I know they say to apply this then rinse it off but I find that really strange so I just apply it when I get out of the bath/shower while I'm still slightly damp. It soaks right in within a couple of minutes and leaves you feeling nice and soft.

I hope you enjoyed this post and maybe even got some inspiration for your future purchases.

I'd love to know what your favourite Lush items are so do let me know! :)

Thanks for reading!♥ 

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Quarterly Favourites #1

I know most bloggers do monthly favourites but I find it a little difficult. I usually find something I love, ahem Maybeline The Falsies, and use it 24/7, repurchase it and forget that anything else in that category even exists.
I decided I'd divide the year in four quarters (how business like) and every three months, discuss my favourite products.
This post will cover from the start of January to the end of March. You can expect the second edition of this series in late June.

I'm not going to go into detail on every single item as I've already got full reviews on a couple of them and you'd end up cross-eyed by the time you finish reading this post.

First up, makeup:

The Pro Hygiene Collection Brush Cleaner - I know this isn't technically makeup but I'm including it in this section. I love this brush cleaner, it's so easy to use. You just spray it on your brush, wait a few seconds and wipe your brush clean. You can read my full review of this here.

Sudocrem -  I can hear the collective "huh??"s as you read this but there is method to my madness. You know when you're having a great skin week and then BAM, a breakout? Sudocrem is amazing in these situations. What I do is apply a large blob where needed before bed and then go to sleep. The next day, my skin is either clear or 80% there depending on the severity of the breakout. I just repeat this for the next couple of nights until my face is back to normal.

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub - I'm so obsessed with this lip scrub. It works wonders for dry flaky lips by gently exfoliating them. You just rub it on your lips for a minute then either wipe or lick off the remaining sugar granuals. It's meant to be mint-choc flavored but to me it's just a nice sweet mint taste. Either way it works brilliantly and tastes pretty good.

Sally Hanson Complete Salon Manicure in the shade Vitamin Sea - I love this nail polish. It's a beautiful shade of blue, comparable to Barry M Blueberry. It lasts for up to 7 days with minimal chipping. I love the formula and brush shape. It makes application so easy. Two coats gives complete opacity. I can't explain my love for this polish, all I can say is try it!

Wet n Wild Balm Stain lip crayon in the shade Red-dy or Not E125 - This lip product is amazing. It's extremely pigmented, doesn't dry out your lips and stays on for hours. Even after the gloss effect wears off, you're left with a really pretty stain that you can just pop some lip balm over for a "your lips but better" look.

MeMeMe Beat the Blues highlighter in the shade Pearl Pink - This highlighter is amazing. As I mentioned in a previous post, this is a brilliant dupe for Benefit's High Beam but only costs around €10. I use this every time I do my makeup, I just don't feel complete without it!

Next up is hair products:

L'oreal #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray - This texturising spray is great. I use it by spraying it onto the roots from underneath and then just fluffing up my hair. It creates volume and leaves quite a matte look on your hair. It's doesn't leave my hair feeling sticky or looking... crispy. This also has quite good hold but you do need to reapply it after a few hours.

Boots Build Up Removal Shampoo - Nobody likes having hair that feels dirty and unfortunately that can happen with too much product build up. If you use a lot of styling products or have a build up of shampoo that is leaving your scalp feeling a little uncomfortable then this will work wonders. I use it once every two weeks just to give my hair a good clean. A word of warning though, focus this on your roots only because it is very drying if it manages to find its way to the tips of your hair.  If you're looking for a cost efficient clarifying shampoo then I definitely recommend this.

Hask Keratin Protein Smoothing Shine Oil - If you remember last year I did a full review of the Hask Keratin shampoo and conditioner, this oil is part of that range. It can by applied to the tips of your hair, wet or dry. I personally use it on dry hair as I feel it doesn't do much for wet hair. This gives your hair a wonderful shine and is great at disguising any damage. I like to apply it as a finishing touch if I've straightened my hair or even if I'm leaving my hair down without heat styling (most days) and it's looking a bit frizzy. It lasts for ages because you only need to use such a small amount. For €2 you really can't go wrong.

Lastly, a few body products:

Right Gaurd for Women Total Defence Sensitive Deodorant - I've been using this deodorant since late last year and I have repurchased it 3 times, each time on a 2 for 1 deal. This smells so nice, I can't really describe it. It's not sweet, it is fresh but not that cotton scent kind of fresh. Now you're more confused than you were in the beginning, aren't you? Anyway, it works great, smells lovely and I just can't sing it's praises highly enough.

Soap & Glory Scrub of Your Life Body Scrub - I'm not usually one for body scrubs as my skin is pretty sensitive and a lot of them can be too rough. This scrub is very moisturising and quite gentle. It has the original S&G scent and like most of their products, a little goes a long way.

Soap & Glory Heel Genius Foot Cream - I think we have a tendency to think "ew feet" and completely overlook them with the exception of painting our toenails. I used to love this foot cream but for some reason completely forgot about it. I recently rediscovered it now remember why I used to love it so much. It's just a heavy duty moisturiser that smells a little funky but works wonders for keeping your feet smooth and looking not gross. If your feet need a little TCL then I suggest you try this out.

I really hope you enjoyed this post.
Let me know what products you've been loving recently and if you plan on trying any of the things I mentioned here.
Thanks for reading. ♥

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