September Favourites 2013

by ahylandmakeup

September was definitely ‘beauty central’. For some reason last month I accumulated rather a lot of new beauty products *locks up bank card and throws away the key* – I’m going to put it down to drafting in products that are necessities for the season change. Yes, necessary…

MAC Pressed Pigment ‘Deeply Dashing’ £17 – MAC’s traditional pigments are top sellers due to intense colour pay off and high metallic finishes. Despite this they are a little messy to use, so these pressed formulas are a real winner for practicality alone. This together with its rich chocolate colour laced with super reflective silver sparkle, I was like a moth to a flame with this shadow. Smooth in texture almost feeling like a cream, it’s easy to blend and incredibly versatile – you can use it dry with a blending brush for a soft finish, use it wet for a modern and striking glossy finish, or use it with your finger dabbed over the top of a smokey eye for some added texture. I’ve been enjoying using it on the outer corner of the eyes for some added drama and depth. The glitter in this is very fine making it the ‘grown up’ and sophisticated way to wear some sparkle that is really rather stunning. 

No7 Precision Lips Pencil ‘Nude’ £6.75, Boots – It feels like I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect ‘nude, your lips but better’ lip liner shade, and after flicking through the Lisa Eldridge youtube archives I think I may have found it. This liner was actually designed by Eldridge herself whilst she was still Creative Director at the Boots brand, and it’s graced the lips of many a model and celebrity face. It’s got the balance of of brown and pink undertones spot on making it ideal for everyday use, disappearing seamlessly into the lips. It’s smooth with a self sharpening nib making it easy to get great precision in altering the shape of your lips whilst still managing to look ‘believable’. It’s not too drying either so is comfortable to wear all over the lips as a base or stain. This has helped massively in making my thin top lip look a lot fuller. Rosie Huntington-Whitely eat your heart out.

Charlotte Tilbury Powder & Sculpt Brush £35, Selfridges – I have a bit of a thing when it comes to makeup brushes. I need all of them and about 5 of each. A little ridiculous I know. After following Tilbury’s career rather enthusiastically I was desperate to get my hands on the highly anticipated collection, and this brush in particular. I’ve done a separate post about her new collection, including this brush, so wont go into too much depth, but all you need to know is that this is one of the softest brushes I have ever felt and is perfect for precision powdering on the T-Zone. Never caking on too much product because of the hair quality and its small size, you get an even airbrushed finish. It’s also great for highlighting the top of the cheek bones and contouring with powder products due to its fine point, giving you model worthy cheekbones in a couple of sweeps.

Pixi Glow Tonic £16, Pixi Store – Anyone who knows me is aware that I have a strong and loving relationship with Biologique Recherche Lotion P50. However, with news that this is being wiped off shelves in the UK, I’ve had to reach for alternative exfoliating toners. Weeps. This offering from Pixi is a lot more gentle that P50, with no stinging or stripping feeling so making it perhaps more suitable for dry and sensitive skins. I’ve mainly be using this in the morning as it feels more refreshing than P50 and has a gorgeous fruity scent with a hit of rose, making it nice and hydrating too. It contains fruit and glycolic acids to gently exfoliate the skin keeping it smooth and clear of congestion, and at £16 you can’t really go wrong.

Weleda Skin Food £8.95, Liberty –  So I have to confess, I am pretty lazy when it comes to body care. I’m just too impatient. However I do have incredibly dry feet and legs and I’ve struggled to find a really great moisturising treatment. This one has really impressed me though. An all purpose moisturising treatment that can be used anywhere on the body and face for dry and rough skin made from organic ingredients. Although it is a thick cream, it sinks into the skin nicely without leaving a heavy greasy residue. With citrus, rosemary and almond oils it smells fresh and herbal, confirming the natural content. It’s massively improved the dry patches on my legs which can get quite itchy and it’s smoothed over the cracked skin on my heels. It’s fed my skin the food it needs…

Laura Mercier Fresh Fig Signature Candle £29, Space NK – Despite it still feeling like late summer in the air, I have been itching to reach for all things autumn. Scent is a powerful thing, and there is nothing I love more than rich and earthy scents to get me excited for the colder months. Fig is one of my favourite scents of all, and this is divine. One of the more sweeter fig scents I’ve found, it is incredibly rich and burns beautifully. It fills the entire room after just minutes of it burning and is so warm and inviting. Although it is strong, the freshness of Fig cuts through it so it’s not sickly or overwhelming. I believe this particular packaging was from their christmas collection last year but the candle in its original packaging is still available.

September Favourites. Some of the stand out products from a rather heavy beauty month. These ones did good.