March Favourites ft Estée Lauder, Makeup Revolution, Stella, L'Occitane, Emma Hardie, Morphe Brushes, Lush, Google Goggles, Urban Decay & Kiehl's

I mean, it's not like the year is rocketing past a rate of knots.. it's not like it was Christmas like last Tuesday and we're already in the second quarter of the year... Complain not though, there's a distinct sniff of spring between torrential downpours and there's literally a 'grand stretch' in the evening so we're all good, right? March was a good month for trips, for travel, for Poppa Cherry getting hella better and for beauty. Ready to see some faves? 

1. Smashbox Double Exposure Palette: €44 Here

I know I'm a die hard brand fan when it comes to Smashbox but, truth be told, I really wasn't wowed by Full Exposure last year. The shadows felt chalky to me and seemed to run together to create any and every shade of mud you might imagine on my lids. For this reason exactly I wasn't holding out huge hopes for Double Exposure but GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLY this palette is an actual babe. 

The 14 shades are a mixture of matte & metallic and tend toward the neutral, flattering on most every skin tone I've no doubt. The real beauty though, is when you use the (legitimately fab) brush (included) spritzed with water (I use the PhotoFinish Primer Water). Shades are transformed to metallic stunners, without the pan ever glazing over. Muddy blending problemz of Full Exposure are a thing of the past.

 I've genuinely stepped away from several make up counters in the past month, safe in the knowledge that I can get the same shadow effect with the Double Exposure palette. That's a rarity for a make up junkie like Moi. 

2. Stella EDT: €52.50+ Here

I have a full review of this light, bright sure fire summer hit for Stella McCartney HERE. If you're a fan of the original you genuinely have to get your sniffer into the vicinity of this Rose beauty sooner rather than later. Of all the fragrances that've graced our counters thusfar in 2015, I have to say this is the one that I'm reaching for time and again, regardless of situation or even time of day. It takes a pretty special fragrance to do that to me. 

3. L'Occitane Precious BB Cream: €35 Here

L'occitane's Immortelle Divine Cream is quite possibly my all time favourite face cream in a sea of face creams so when I first caught sight of their Precious BB creams containing essence of Immortelle I knew we were gonna be friends. 

There's 3 shades in the range and you may get excited now, fellow Celtic skin toned friends because the Fair is as close to porcelain as I've yet to see in a BB. Coverage is fantastic with dark shadows and pigmentation dealt with with ease. That's the Immortelle you see, it packs a powerful skincare punch that's it's nigh on impossible to beat, without ever feeling heavy or caked on the skin. 

I was lucky enough to be sent three to trial, Medium is perfect on my slightly sallower skin but Corrina is loving Light and Mama Cherry is adoring Fair. That's three age ranges and three skin types in  the love. That's good going, right?

If you're looking for a new summer love that will actually do your skin good as well as look incredibly good, L'occitane's Precious BB creams, with SPF 30 are seriously worth your time. Like seriously. 

4. Emma Hardie's Brilliance Facial Oil: €43.09 HERE

Back in August of last year I was given a lab sample of Emma Hardie's upcoming facial oil. No blurb, no info, just an innocuous little sample pump to test out. It was a revelation! You can see my first impression HERE . 

We've since learned that this little bottle of brilliance contains 9 essential oils: Palma Rose, Orange, Mint, Vanilla, Geranium, Camomile, Lemon, Rose and Lavender that help to condition, hydrate and smooth the skin's texture. It also includes 5 plant oils: Grape Seed Oil, Apricot, Almond, Olive Oil and Sunflower Oil that contain Omega 3, to help restructure the skin and promote elasticity and moisturise. Top all of that off with the unique Camelina 'Gold of Pleasure' oil for its powerful anti-oxidant properties to protect the skin from free radicals and you're some way to explaining the jiggery pokery WITCHCRAFT that is this oil. 

Hand to God, popping this on over my night time cream I am guaranteed to wake to fresher, more radiant, brighter skin in the morning. Just this week Lorraine asked what I'm using as, get this 'You have no pores on your nose!' SERIOUSLY. I couldn't possibly tell you the ridiculous anguish I put myself through over nose pores, since my teen years but I could tell you that you and your face NEED to sample Emma Hardie's Brilliance Facial Oil, like yesterday. 

4. Makeup Revolution Golden Sugar Blush & Contour Palette: £6 HERE

I was late to the budget beauty behemoth game that is Makeup Revolution, considering Jane British Beauty Blogger & Gemma Miss Makeup Magpie have been extolling their virtues for nigh on the entire year of their brand life. As soon as my first order plopped on the mat though, I was hooked. 

This Golden Sugar baked blush, baked highlighter and contour palette is stupidly good value at less than a tenner but there's nowt stupid about this solar system of loveliness. Shades are in no way as sparkly as you'd imagine once applied and I've been having great success in using Golden Sugar as I do my Hourglass Ambient Lighting palette - that is by swirling a brush through several shades and applying the lot. 

Not only do these baked beauts work beautifully as blushes and highlights but I've found myself dipping into the palette for shimmery shadows too. While Golden Sugar is an absolute gem, I'd be remiss not to send you legging it toward Makeup Revolution with your sheckles in hand. Their products (especially Lorac dupes) really do have to be seen to be believed. Vive la kick ass budget beauty brands!

5. Lush's Sandstone Soap: HERE & Kiehl's Grapefruit Creme de Corps: €42 HERE

This exfoliating/cocooning skincare combo has legitimately blown me away this past month.

Lush's Sandstone soap mixes Coriander Oil, Lemon scented Listea Cubeba & a scrubby layer of sand. It scrubs. Hard! The best exfoliating soap I've ever used for the most immediate results, especially for skin trouble spots such as tops of arms and legs. KP sufferers (like Moi) will LOVE it!

Kiehl's limited edition Crème de Corps Grapefruit Whipped Body Butter has to be sniffed to be believed. Luxurious yet lightweight, the Shea & Jojoba butters sink into newly scrubbed skin to nourish & cocoon like no other. Don't even start me on the bright, uplifting grapefruit scent.

6. Urban Decay's Perversion Mascara: €21 HERE

I know this mascara was originally marketed with a white priming mascara to be worn underneath but seriously, SERIOUSLY, you don't need it. My full blown love affair with bigger, badder, blacker lashes was reignited on a recent trip to Poland as it was the only mascara chucked in my mála - I have no notion why I ever stopped fawning over this bad boy. Yes, I'm loving budget lash batters too, yes I have a bajillion to choose from but should you be in the market for a false lash effect, zero clump, zero fall out, night on the tiles mascara? YES you should check Perversion out. 

7. Morphe Brushes Flawless Blenders from $5.99 HERE

For the longest time I've followed the Morphe Brushes Insta, besotted with their brushes and the looks fans can achieve using them. As soon as I saw the Flawless collection launch though I knew I had to have 'em. 

I ordered the above 5 blenders (because blending brushes are my crack) and while, yep, they took their sweet time getting to me (almost 5 weeks) once they were in my lámh it was love. 

The synthetic hair is slightly scratchy on hte M511 & the M514 but all the better to pick up shadow with. My blending game has been brought on significantly and already I'm planning on buying the rest of the collection. Because ya'know.. I need more brushes. *whistles*

8. Estee Lauder's Pure Color Envy Sculpting Shine in Charmed: €31 HERE

I've recommended Estee Lauder's Pure Color Envy Sculpting lippies to any and all that will listen to my beauty rambles. There's legitimately nothing like those saturated high shine cream sheen lippies on the market today. NOTHING. That's a rarity in a beauty world that churns out dupes in a matter of weeks as a matter of course. 

The newest Lauder edit, Pure Color Envy Sculpting Shine are the most multi faceted, hydrating and illuminating lippies since. Charmed here applies like a hydrating glossy balm and wears beautifully. For me it's the perfect my lips but better colour and doesn't need the top up of gloss that I'm wont to apply TO EVERYTHING. 

When I popped up this pic a work pal commented 'Oh cos you really needed a lipstick?' the truth is, once I saw Charmed I really, really did - though I'm legit afraid to visit the rest of the range on counter for fear of the splurge. 

9. Google Goggles - Free Google App!

I do love a clever app, especially when it makes me feel like we're actually living in Tomorrow's World (if you get that reference highest of fives!). I downloaded Google Goggles when in Auschwitz last week, it scans photos of text and translates so I used it for the harrowing German docs on show. It was brilliant. When we got back to Krakow square though, I took a pic of the cathedral, instantly the app pinged and not only told me where I was but offered Wiki pages on each of the cathedrals and buildings around us - genius I thought. 

While bleating on about its qualities to Mama Cherry, I took a pic of a recipe in her Asda magazine to try at home. Again the app pinged and gave me the option of the original recipe on site or the shopping site directly with the ingredients already added to my basket - MIND. BLOWN!

Not only is the app a cracker for translations but it's honestly changed the way I look at several things. All for free. Download it peeps. Come join me in the future wha?!

 

And that's what's been tickling my pickle for the month of March. Are you loving any of the above? Have you put together a post of your faves, feel free to pop your links below & let me know what you're loving!

March Favourites 2014 ft Aveda, Garnier, Clinique, Guerlain, Physician's Formula, Bourjois, Bare Minerals, Blank Canvas Cosmetics & REN

It's April, APRIL but you'd be FAR from an April Fool were you to pick up one and/or all of these favourites. March has been a great month, beauty wise and I honestly think some of these will be reaching Holy Grail status for me in the months to come. While I've found some incredible bargains, I've an inkling you'll want 'em all... read on if your Visa dares....

1. Aveda Stress Fix Body Creme: 

€44.29 Here (for 5-10% off - Insert Code: SECRET)

I'm all about catching the zeds of late what with a busy work schedule, this site and working my tush off for Groupon too, it can be hard to relax. Having added This Works Sleep Spray to my slumber arsenal last month, a meeting with the beautiful Aveda PRs this month has blown me away with the introduction of Stress Fix Body Creme. 

Containing organic sunflower oil, organic shea butter, lavender and sage, you can't help but feel sleepy with the first inhalation of this unctuous beaut but your silken soft skin the following morning will mean you reach for this bedtime treat more than any other. I guarantee it. 

2. Garnier Body Beauty Oil Nourishing Lotion: €6.49 Here

Garnier Beauty Oil-Infused Nourishing Lotion is infused with 4 oils - Argan, Macademia, Almond & Rose. If the scent alone isn't enough to entice you (it WILL be!), the nourishing, healing properties of this lotion will be a revelation. 

Having brought this to try out this weekend, the lotion saved my Sis' skin, literally. She has a tendency to shave with a machete, not literally, but let's just say the razor burn is never pretty. Just one rub of Garnier on Friday and the stinging instantly eased, within 30 minutes the red, angry colour had abated and the following morning her legs were brand new. 

Of course I have been alleviated of my sample of this Nourishing Lotion but I've already ordered a new one. It's that nice. 

3. Clinique Cheek Pop - Ginger Pop: €20 Here

I can't mention Clinique's Cheek Pops and not mention the incredible price. Twenty squidoos for the nicest blush I've tried since Hourglass' Mood Exposure. Probably the prettiest design there's been for quite a long time, there's not a pair of súiles that wouldn't light up at one of these babies. You can see +Lorraine Haigney's full guest post here but, hand on heart Ginger Pop is my favourite, so far. 

You'll see Ginger Pop in all its Insta Glory here but for €20? I'll be picking up the other 3, guaranteed. 

4. Guerlain Cils D`Enfer Maxi Lash Violet Mascara: £23 Here

I can't count the amount of times regular reader Felicity (Hi Felicity) has recommended this lash wonder in The Chattery Chats. Having a sheckle or two in PayPal, I knew it was time to invest. 

They say a picture speaks a thousand words so look at Cils D'Enfer LOOK AT IT. You can't even decipher the violet tones but this is, hands down, the most flattering mascara I've ever owned AND the one that's been complimented the most. A true beauty and worth every cent. Thanks, Felicity!

5. Physician's Formula Eye Enhancing Kohl Kajal Eyeliner Trio: €8.34 Here (Code RLL469 for discount)

These Espresso, Purple and Black Shimmer Strips are waterproof, paraben free, hypoallergenic and feckin' amazing. Marketed toward brown eyes, do not believe that tosh and get these kajals in your life, regardless of eye colour, pronto. 

Application is a dream as the wide pencils sweep across the lid, waterline AND tight line with ease. Once set, in a mo or so, they're going nowhere until removed. There's a slight shimmer that wears more as luminosity than glitter and you will love them. I love them. 

6. Bourjois Nail Polish Remover Hands & Feet: €6.79 Available April

One of the most exciting reveals for Bourjois' Spring Summer line up HAS TO BE the addition of the Magic Nail Polish Remover for Hands AND Feet. An ancestor of the much loved Magic Nail Polish Remover Pot, I've often whinged about not being able to stick my tootsies in. 

There's a very real chance Bourjois have my house bugged as they've answered my bandy backed prayers with this new addition. As well as the standard sponge in a tub, the lid has a scrubbier sponge attached and it makes toe nail polish removal a cinch. Summer tootsies are going to need this. I'll be buying 'em as gifts. 

7. Bare Minerals - The Happy Place: €18.51 Here

It's been a very long time since I've been so enamored so quickly with a shadow palette. This video from Emily Noel (Beauty Broadcast) meant I knew I NEEDED the muted apricot/rose gold/smoky taupe/eggplant quad in my stash but I wan't prepared to love it as quite as much as I do. 

My first foray into Bare Minerals territory, I can safely say it won't be my last. Blending is a dream come true with these soft, malleable shadows. No parabens, binders or harsh chemicals make Bare Minerals a sensitive eyed lass' dream come true. The fact that they last an entire day without creasing or dulling even slightly make them mine. The Happy Place is still £36 on the Bare Minerals site but make like me and eBay this beauty, you won't regret it. 

8. Blank canvas F20 Flat Buffer Brush: €13.99 Here

 When the very lovely Anita, Owner & Editor over at DolledUp.ie heard that I hadn't tried Blank Canvas brushes yet, the dote that she is, she brought this hot pink pretty to our next catch up. 

I haven't ventured into BCC offerings before but this short, densely packed synthetic brush is not only a Sigma F80 dupe but it's also a bloody marvel for foundation. My Beauty Blender and Real Techniques have been cast aside in favour of this buffing beauty and I haven't looked back. I find I'm using less product and buffing it in with little or no effort. Thanks BCC and THANKS Anita! Check 'em out, quick smart. 

9. Ren Rosa Centifolia Hot Cloth Cleanser: €19.69 Here

(10% off First Order Using LFNEW)

Another PR sample brought on our weekend jollies, Ren's Hot Cloth Cleanser did for my visage what Garnier (above) did for my Sis' gams. This velvety soft, rose scented lotion is applied to dry skin in a circular motion and the hot cotton cloth laid on your face to cleanse, tone and rejuvenate skin. We spent a weekend of pampering in both the Radisson Blu and the g Hotel, Galway and I can honestly say, a soak in the bath with this hot cloth cleanser was as relaxed as I was all weekend. 

All make up was removed with ease, though I didn't use it in my eye area, my skin was bright and nourished and sparkly clean without the squeak. The biggest surprise though was how soft and fresh my skin felt the following morning and right through the next day. I genuinely can't believe this cleanser is less than €20. Again, I'll be buying this as gifts for loved ones. If you tell them it cost me next to nowt, I will hurt you. 

Phewee, that's them. Tell me, have you tried any of the above as yet? Planning on it? 

If you've compiled a March Favourites post or video, do please leave a link in the comments - I love to have a nose. It's an illness you know? 

March Favourites ft Clarins, Bourjois, Smashbox, Rimmel & Urban Decay

I'm not normally one for a monthly favourite round up but there's been plenty of products ticking ALL the boxes for me this month so I felt I had to share. Do let me know if you're using and loving these too and of course, what's floating your beauty loving boat this month. 

Clarins Double Serum €69.90

I was lucky enough to attend the Clarins launch for their 7th generation serum back in November but because I had a bajillion other products on the go at the same time I didn't begin to use my sample until after Christmas. What in the name of Jebus was I waiting for?! 

Made with 20 plant extracts and only after 27 years research Clarins Double Serum is unlike any skin treatment I've tried before. Its two-phase system oil and water (mixed in pump) targets all aspects of skin ageing in one complete concentrate and just one pump (pictured) is enough per use. I press and roll Double Serum into my skin in the morning after cleansing and before moisturiser and the results are plump, hydrated and beautifully scented. I'm already saving my sheckles to replace this when my sample runs out. 

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation €14.99

I've heard a lot of beauty blog drum banging about Bourjois' latest Healthy Mix foundation, 'HG' this and 'Miracle Worker' that - as with everything in life when something's overhyped I tend to gloss over it. At a loss for a 3 to make up a recent 3 for 2 in Boots this month though I relented and popped the Healthy Mix Serum Gel Foundation in my basket. 

Though my swatch looks slightly orange there, I've never used a foundation that adapted so perfectly to my skin tone before. Silky soft like a serum but with the coverage of foundations three times its price, this Bourjois offering has rocketed to the top of my fave list. I'm stricken with open pores on my nose but this glosses over them beautifully with no need for primer before or powder after. Dare I say it... it's a HG for me. 

Smashbox Love Me Idolize Me Blush €29

The Spring 2013 collection from Smashbox, Love Me, gave us some seriously lust worthy products but the peachy pink wonder that is Idolize Me blush has to be one of the most surprising. 

Matte in texture and beautifully presented imprinted with the Love Me logo, Idolize Me looks innocent enough in the pan. Once applied though, you're going to need to blend, blend, blend as there's serious bang for your buck with colour payoff. Buffed out to a natural peachy glow, this Smashbox blush stays put all day. It's a beaut. 

Rimmel Apocalips Galaxy €7.65 (Boots)

The fanciest of Faces, Lorraine, reviewed Rimmel Apocalips for us last week in a guest post. I nodded along to every word as the brand had given me a couple of them to play with and I was forming my own opinion. 

It's safe to say, having bought three more, that Galaxy is one of my favourite colours of the lot, if not of the past 12 months. A plum, pink berry, Galaxy suits my kisser and my lippie needs perfectly. Popped on in the morning, I'm getting around 3 hours wear before the need to top up. I LUB IT. 

Naked Basics Palette €26

Finally, I didn't leap at Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette when it was first released, believing I didn't need another. Then I happened past my local Urban Decay store with a Debenham's card filled to the gills with points to check out the Great & Powerful palettes. 

While they didn't grab me initially, seeing this dinky dude in real life meant I wasn't leaving empty handed. The six buttery soft shades are a cinch to use, ideal for buffing out or wearing alone for a subtle daytime look. My Naked palette family is now complete and that makes me very, very happy.  

So what have you been loving for the past month, I'd lahhhave to know...