Monthly Marvels: May 2014

I've been a little behind in posting on my blog and I've especially neglected the my monthly favorites. Monthly favorites is a great way for sharing my thoughts on a few specific products that I've been loving recently. The products are usually still available for purchase and suit the current weather (Australia) which I think is important for any beauty loving girlfriend. Here are a few of the things I've been loving and simply can't put down in the past month.

Starting off with Skincare, I have been continuously using The Body Shop's Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter (reviewed Here). This removes every last speck of makeup on my skin fuss free and it leaves the skin supple and hydrated without the oil that some other cleansing balms leave behind. Mario Badescu's Seaweed Cleansing Lotion is a subtle toner for sensitive skin especially good for climate changes in between seasons. It adds hydration without irritating your skin further. I'm a little late on the Hydraluron bandwagon from Indeed Laboratories but it's such a lightweight serum that's instantly absorbed into the skin adding moisture and shine to my dull winter skin.

For makeup this month I have used Loreal's Magic Blur pretty much every single day. It creates such a smooth base for your foundation. It is the ultimate pore filler. It does add a slight blur to your imperfections but I love this product simply as a foundation primer.

Go to foundation for this month has been Ellis Faas Skin Veil. Just like Wayne Goss describes it, it's your skin but better. It has quite full coverage, so not for a short sunday stroll through the park with your pup but more suited for dinner dates and those coffee catch ups with friends that you haven't seen since before you had your baby. My coverage for everyday errands has been Rimmel's new BB Cream in the Matte formula. It provides a light coverage without having to add on another layer of powder to counteract any luminosity. I do get oily in the t-zone during day to which I would add some of Loreal's Nude BB Powder and these Get. It. Done! After a few months of using MAC Soft Ochre Paintpot, I have decided to go back to Groundwork for a change and rediscovered this gem as an eye base/primer. It's perfect for me because it is such a light taupe brown and almost the exact colour of the eyeshadow that I like best for my crease which I will rant on about below.

The one eyeshadow I don't think I could ever live without from now on is Bobbi Brown Sable (top right). It is a matte medium brown shade. Rare as it is, it is neither cool toned nor warm toned. it is MY eye socket/crease shade. It provides definition to my eye socket and compliments any lid colour that I apply. What more can I ask for?

Another rediscovery is the Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer. Can you tell that I've pretty much neglected it after I bought it? I almost forgot I had this in my collection It is so creamy and so pigmented. Perfect for under eye dark circles. But By Terry's Baume De Rose has been getting ALOT of love since I purchased it. Look at the crater I've made in that thing! I wish it had a larger opening and was not so deep because i keep getting some in my nail! #firstworldproblems

A new found brush obsession is the Tom Ford Eyeshadow Blend Brush. It's like a MAC 217 but softer and fluffier and fuller without the pinch at the ferrule. It blends all eyeshadows perfectly across my lids. I'm even contemplating purchasing a second one despite it's out of this world hefty price tag. The Hourglass #2 Foundation/Blush brush is a recent purchase and I love to use it on my drugstore foundations and BB creams (especially ones that I would like to use up) because it uses a lot of product as the brush isn't very dense. It does however, buff the foundation in beautifully. A really flawless even finish.

Perfume of this month has been the new Viktor & Rolf Bonbon. It is a deliciously sweet scent without smelling like something a teenager would wear. And the packaging? Urgh...to die for. It looks great on anyone's table top and you could always use it as decoration or paperweight once you finish the perfume.

So these are my must haves. Some rediscoveries and some recent purchases. Have you tried any of these products before?