I realise that the blog has been very quite the past couple of weeks – I’ve been manically busy, and am only now winding down with extra activities on top of my Monday to Friday job.  

Due to this, my July favourites is only popping up halfway through August, but better late than never I guess?!

I’ve been loving my skincare these last few months, in an effort to stop winter from drawing out the moisture that I work so hard to put in.  I also have 3 makeup favourites, and a non-beauty favourite, so it’s a nice mixed bunch.

Dr. Dermal MicroRetinol 5 Rich Repair R895 and The Omega Skin Oil R675

I was lucky enough to win a Dr Dermal competition on their Instagram a while back, and these were a couple of the goodies that I received in my kit.  

I was initially a little nervous about trying the MicroRetinol Rich Repair cream, as the only retinol-type product I’ve used is the Neutrogena Ageless Intensives night cream, and it’s very gentle, however this night cream is fabulous!  I apply it, with no irritation whatsoever (and my skin is very sensitive) at the end of my evening skincare routine, and in the morning I have soft, plump, hydrated skin.  It’s been lovely, and I had a couple of spots pop up in the beginning, but I think it was more from switching to new products rather than from any issues with the products themselves.  

The Omega Skin Oil is just as divine – the oils are all vegetarian, so you won’t find any fish oils in here (and it’s Halaal too!).  It has a very deep yellow colour to it, and just a couple of drops is enough for your whole face.  I love facial oils as a whole, but this just sinks in instantly, leaving your skin glowing and healthy.  It doesn’t feel like an oil slick, yet it does the job so well.  My skin has been hydrated and radiant, and I think it’s mainly down to these two dynamite products.

Woolworths Treat Hydrating Serum R290

I’m a sucker for all things Hyaluronic Acid.  I battle with dehydrated skin, and I know that this ingredient is the best way to combat this.  

I have never tried any Woolworths skincare products, but when I saw this on my last browse through the store, I thought it was time to change that.  These kinds of serums are usually targeted more to mature skins, as Hyaluronic Acid is fabulous for wrinkles and fine lines, as well as age-related dehydration, but as it says on the bottle, it’s for all skin types.  

I have been really loving this serum, it does exactly what it says, no more and no less.  It’s just a basic hydrating serum, and I’ve been loving layering it on under my day and night creams.

Esse skincare facial R360

Now, this favourite is more about the range of products, as opposed to this little sample sachet.  

I recently indulged myself in a facial at Hidden Gem Organic Skincare, in Waterfall.  They were having a winter special on, so the facial was a crazily affordable R290!  I’ve long been wanting to try out the Esse skincare line, but haven’t gotten around to it, and after chatting to the owner Margaret, who couldn’t say enough good things about it, I decided to have an Esse facial, so that I could see what all of the products felt like on my skin.

She explained every single step of the facial to me, including a description of each product she used, it’s ingredients and it’s benefits to the skin.  I loved how, even with my sensitive skin, nothing tingled or irritated, and even afterwards, my skin was fresh and clean and glowing, and this isn’t always the case after a facial for me.  

Margaret also gave me some samples to take home to try out, as obviously with a cleanser or a face cream, you can’t get a read on it after just one use.  

I’d most definitely like to try and finish up my products and ease my way into the Esse skincare line, but being a blogger means trying out so many different things, so it’s going to take a while to get there.  I will, however, be buying the Esse Cocoa Exfoliator, as I am always on the lookout for a way to keep my skin smooth and soft, and this one smells incredible AND did an outstanding job!  This will hopefully pave the way to more products as my stash finishes up.

Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream R195.95

I have heard so many good things about this CC cream for so long, that I eventually grabbed a tube when I was in Clicks the one day.  

It’s pretty much a runny, higher coverage tinted moisturiser (so like a light coverage foundation).  It has pigments that help to correct and even out your skin tone, and it’s ideal to wear during the summer, as it’s much less heavy than a foundation.  Plus, it has an added benefit of SPF15 in it, to combat the sun.  

I’ve been wearing it on days when I don’t really want to throw on foundation (even my lighter coverage ones), as it leaves my skin looking fresh, radiant and smooth, and if I set it with a bit of powder, I find it can last almost an entire work day.  It also feels constantly hydrating during the day, so it doesn’t leave your skin feeling tight or dry and cakey.

This was a great purchase, and I can tell I’ll be getting a heck of a lot of use out of this one in the coming spring/summer months.

Fleur de Force lipgloss in Written in the Stars £3.45 (reduced from the £6.99 I paid for mine)

This beautiful nudey-pink lipgloss smells like vanilla cupcakes, and lasts on my lips in a moisturising way, rather than being thick and sticky.  The whole line is designed and sold by my favourite British Youtuber and blogger Fleur de Force.  It has such a beautiful colour and finish, that I’ve been reaching for it on a daily basis (something I shouldn’t be doing, considering that I can’t actually get it here in South Africa).  I just can’t help myself – it’s that good!  And this comes from a lipstick girl, as opposed to a lipgloss lover.

Too Faced Natural Eyes neutral eye shadow collection R750

We unfortunately don’t get Too Faced products here in South Africa (something that should be remedied, no?  Anybody?!).  I have, however, purchased overseas goodies from Muse.SA, and they are incredibly reliable and the products are all original – no fakes here!  Check out their Instagram page, and pop a Whatsapp to the number in the bio – the owner will help you out.  Yes, the products will be a bit pricier than if you directly converted from the overseas sites, but keep in mind the shipping fees, and probably customs fees she faces when importing it herself.

I’d been eyeing up this palette for myself for quite some time.  It’s nifty and small, in gorgeous packaging, and the colours are my idea of perfection – neutrals, shimmers, mattes and some truly gorgeous glitters.  You can see I’ve been using this daily, and I just adore it.  

Too Faced is fast becoming my favourite makeup brand, and I really want to get my hands on some more of their products.  I have a plan in mind to put money aside and buy one of their palettes every two months!  Check out the Chocolate Bon Bons palette, the Cat Eyes palette, and most recently, the collaboration with Nikkie Tutorials, The Power of Makeup collection, which includes 9 eyeshades, 2 blushes, a bronzer, a highlighter, Shadow Insurance primer, glitter, a liner and a purple Better than Sex mascara.  All such lust-worthy goodies for makeup addicts like myself.

Lundun L3026 Unisex aviators R370 

I don’t think these were the exact model of the sunglasses I bought, as mine have a pink finish to the lense (and I don’t think they’re unisex because of that), but it’s the same shape frame etc.  

These are the most gorgeous aviators I’ve ever tried on, and the first pair of aviators I’ve bought.  They’re incredibly comfortable on the face, and do a great job at blocking out the sun too.  

I’ve been wearing these more than any of my other sunglasses in the last month, so these had to get put into my monthly favourites!



WHAT HAVE YOUR MONTHLY FAVOURITES BEEN? xxx