August Favourites
We all know what happens when September comes, us Christmas fanatics start the big countdown and get a little over excited, a little too early, but hey ho, Christmas is on it's way. With summer now out the window and what we had of a British summer very quickly vanishing, Summer trends and shop themes are on their way out and the A/W colours are pushing to the front seat. With that being said, there is still time for a summer recap and a reflection on my most loved products throughout August. In my beauty world, August for me was really all about skincare. I became obsessed and with the sun drying out my skin, I did all I could to add those extra steps of hydration in. Makeup wise, I've pretty much worn the same base throughout the month and used many of the same products that were featured in my July Favourites - a bronze eye and champagne cheeks sums up my every day face very nicely. I'm feeling a tad crazy this month and am going to add in some lifestyle favourites at the end of the post to keep you all tuned in on my life!
PAI BIO REGENERATE ROSEHIP OIL - My secret product to promote healthy, glowing skin has now been revealed as I share with you my love and obsession for this star product from Pai. Being the queen face oil in my eyes, since I first started using this miracle worker, I instantly fell in love with the light weight texture that smells divine and smooths on over the skin, quenching skins thirst as it replenishes moisture and calms my complexion. I've been using this every night throughout August and have noticed a huge difference in how my skin looks and feels. Not only does this help restore hydration levels and balance skin back to its normal state, it aids in reducing redness, blemishes and pigmentation/scarring. When any pesky pimples peak through my skin and create a big mess on my face, I pat about 3 drops of oil all over my face, including the spot and never has there been a build up of excess oil, nor has the oil worsened the state of my spot. This is a complexion booster that is suitable for all skin types, making it a must have in every girls stash.
KORRES JASMINE LIP BUTTER - Along with dehydrated skin, comes dehydrated lips and although mine haven't been awful recently, they haven't been there best and often feel dry, cracked or like they need a dose of moisture. I've been a avid Korres user for some time now and swear by their lip butters to soften, soothe and tint my lips in one easy step. The balms are irresistibly buttery and creamy in texture, they smooth over the lips beautifully, providing an instant relief as lips can ease back to normality. For both a handbag, desk and bed side table essential, this has been the one and only lip balm for me in August and I already have my eyes on some new pots for A/W. I'm thinking lets be daring and get Guava.
ANTIPODES MANUKA HONEY MASK* - Antipodes always seem to ace all skincare products whether it's a cleanser or a serum and they have seriously smashed it in the mask world. I've been applying thick layers of this beautifully scented orange and honey mask on my face on a weekly basis throughout August and without sounding too over the top, I could apply this every day. The way the thick cream sinks into the skin just shows how it's really doing your skin some good and works on cleansing and hydrating. Once all is removed after a 20 minutes that goes far too quickly, my skin is clear, brightened, radiant and most importantly, it looks healthy.
NARS CREAMY RADIANT CONCEALER - To create the ultimate fresh base and awake looking face this month, I've relied on this concealer to fake those extra hours of sleep and to cover those dark circles that have been lurking under my eyes. Buffed in with my Sephora Airbrush Concealer Brush, we have the perfect pair. A match made in concealer heaven. The consistency of the NARS concealer is just spot on for both under the eye and covering blemishes, nothing too thick that would cake and crease yet something that still covers blemishes and discolouration.
ESSIE IGNITE THE NIGHT - Keeping my nails in tact and in good condition, I've been loving my Essie polishes lately to add some colour and bring my nails to life. I've recently discovered their glitter range and although I never look forward to attacking my nails with a bottle of nail varnish remover and spending an hour battling with the glitter, I've been going back to this again, and again. Without being a glitter that is too much or one that just doesn't look right on the nails, Essie have nailed the glitter range and this silvery grey colour is perfect paired with any outfit whether your style is plain and monochrome or you're into your bright reds.
GHOST PARTIES SHOP ON NOUVELLE DAILY - Since Kate released the news of her stationery shop, I couldn't wait to get my hands on some pieces and start updating my stationery stash for University with some American pieces. Available on Nouvelle Daily, Kate's shop is absolutely beautiful and is full of exciting art prints and cute washi tapes to gorgeous note pads and wash bags, all of which I have been loving this month. I've been regularly checking the shop and creating baskets for my next order and am secretly SO excited for the 2016 diaries to launch! I managed to get my hands on two amazing notebooks which landed on my door step earlier this week and have made my desk a prettier place. Kate has done such an amazing job with this wonderful little shop and I can't wait to see what new bits will be arriving and placing more and more orders! Here's what I picked up, first time round... Some Kind Of Wonderful Floral Notebook and the Gold Dot Notebook.
STRIPES - Breton tops seem to take over the majority of my wardrobe every year, whether it's t shirts in Summer or jumpers in Winter, I'm often seen in a stripy top with navy trousers or some black skinny jeans, paired with trainers. I've been living in stripes recently and have picked up some classic pieces this Summer that will be sticking around in my wardrobe through the A/W. Jigsaw always ace the breton tops and I couldn't resist picking up their Cotton Breton Top which is a light jumper, perfect for this time of the year when it's not quite polo necks and cashmere or huge knitted jumper weather. As a t shirt alternative, again, from Jigssaw, I grabbed the Red Slub Stripe T-Shirt which is an ideal boxy shape that I've been pairing with jeans or a denim skirt.
INTERIORS - With moving back to University approaching, I've had to start thinking about how I'm going to decorate my room and what kind of theme I want to add in. To gain inspiration, I've been spending hours on Pinterest, scrolling and pinning my favourite desk spaces, monochrome bed rooms or copper and gold desk lamps. Some may think I'm being a little extreme and don't need to treat my uni room like I'm decorating my first house, but, being a girl, I want my room to look pretty and have nice things in it, so I've made a few orders. H&M is amazing for homeware, the marble dishes and mugs work really well as pen pots and desk tidies, whether it's got a rubber on it or a hand cream and lip balm, it will come in handy! Bathroom wise, I've got some little baskets from John Lewis to store extra body lotions, cleansers and scrubs in and some mint and grey towels again, from H&M which will go well with my white bathroom theme. Oliver Bonas also have a lovely homeware collection and I fell in love with the Copper Alphabet Letters so I ordered a J to have on my desk.
What have you been loving this month?