My Top Beauty Picks.

Oh Hi! Wow I have been seriously lacking in the blogging department. Lets blame that on having a full time job, moving house and general laziness shall we? I am back writing again and this time I want to keep at it. Think of it as a (very) late new years resolution. So anyways, the topic of todays blogpost is a round up of my favourite beauty products of the last while, shall we say. Clearly I have not kept up with monthly favourites *slaps wrist. 

1. Soap and Glory - Smoothie Star "The Breakfast Scrub"

This stuff is no joke when it comes to ridding your body of any rough skin. It contains a mixture of bananas, oats, shea, almond and honey extract and "cupuacu bio scrubs" which I have googled and still do not know what it means. I do know, however, that its brilliant for helping to get rid of those awful bumps on the back of your arms, and any where else you might be suffering from dry skin. I use this once or twice a week in the shower and I have really seen the difference in my skin. Its not too harsh either which is always a winner. It also smells like maple syrup in a tub. Mmmm...

2. Indeed Laboratories Facial Powdered Exfoliator

Sticking with the exfoliator theme, this next one has been doing the rounds of beauty blogs for the past few months. When a product gets so much hype built up around it, I am always a little sceptical as to whether or not it actually works. I should not have worried though as when I eventually did find it I was not let down. This is a new type of exfoliator, for me anyways. Its basically a powder that you apply to the palm of your hand (two shakes is recommended) and you then mix it with a little water. It turns into this white foam that you then apply to your face in circular motions, rinse and your done. It contains ingredients like rice bran powder, pineapple enzymes, hyaluronic acid and many more wonderful things to slough off dead skin cells. YAY.

3. Boots Botanics Hydrating Eye Cream

I will admit that before purchasing this product, I had stopped using eye creams. I had previously been using the Vitamin E one from The Body Shop, but I found that it used to make my eyes sting and I stopped using it. I hadn't really spotted any I wanted to try until this one. I love the Boots Botanics range anyways and I have mention a few items from them before, so when i spotted this eye cream I said "Feck it", I'll give it a go. This product is 80% organic (which is great). It also contains Rosehip which the seeds contain Omega oils which we all know are great for your skin. This cream is great day or night, its not too heavy for under makeup and sinks in great, leaving my eye area softer and fine line free *thumbs up.

4. Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip balm

Here we have a product that, again, has made its way through beauty blogs and Youtube videos alike. It would seem that this is where I find new products to try out, more than anywhere else. Who could blame me? Now lip balms would probably be my favourite kind of "skincare" product to try. I forever have dry lips whether its Winter or Summer. I have always been a Carmex girl until I spotted this in my local pharmacy and decided to give it a go. Wow. its filled with honey and oils and my god is it a great product. I use it day and night and everything in between. Its just fab. 

5. Lee Stafford Treatment to Repair, Build and fix hair

This is a relatively new product in my beauty drawer as I have had it just over a week, but even in that short amount of time, I can tell its amazing. Its basically a deep conditioner that you apply to damp hair all over (yes even roots). Once you rinse it out you can really feel the difference to your hair. My hair is a hot mess after washing. Its dry, its tangly and generally just not great. This stuff has changed that for me. I can actually brush my hair after washing (Hooray!) and my hair just feels so much healthier. It doesn't leave your hair greasy at all and its just one of those products I can see myself using for a very long time. 

6. Shiseido Urban Environment UV Protection Cream Plus SPF 50

Its a mouthful, I know. I picked this little gem up on FeelUnique.com as it was coming into summer and I needed a good SPF for my face. If you don't know already I am white as a ghost and need to wear SPF or I will burn. This product is quite light but yet moisturising which is nice to see. It looks nice under foundation and although I can't physically see if its protecting my skin, I still recommend you wear SPF, especially if you have fair Irish skin like myself. Skin Cancer is not a joke. 

7. XO Beauty Brushes

Ever since I bought these brushes (about two months ago) I have used them everyday. I will link my previous blogpost on these brushes below. I have even used them in my kit and I always get comments on how soft they are. Thank you Shannon for taking the time to make amazing affordable brushes. I now need them all in my life. My favourite of the ones I purchased has to be the little Kabuki brush. Its too cute! It applies my powder so lightly and buffs everything in nicely. Winner. 


8. The Body Shop Mango Body Sorbet

The reason I love this is simple, its light, its moisturising and it smells like mangoes. Lets just keep it real here. 

Ooh La Lou x

Previous XO Beauty Post:

http://oohlaloux.blogspot.ie/2014/05/xobeauty-makeup-brushes.html

xoBeauty Makeup Brushes

Any beauty guru/makeup artist worth their salt, knows the value of having great brushes at their disposal. Makeup applies better and looks better when you have the proper tools to hand. These  xoBeauty brushes are no exception. These brushes are made by my all time favourite YouTube beauty guru, Shannon Harris (shaaanxo on YouTube) and in my opinion surpass even Sigma brushes for me (sorry Sigma..) 

I purchased five brushes all together, the 4 piece synthetic face brush set and the cutest little kabuki brush! I purchased the set of face brushes as I was looking to add some new ones to my kit and these have definitely made the cut. It includes a flat/round/tapered/angled top brush. I used them on three clients going to a wedding, and the foundation just applied like a dream! My favourite is the angled one, it leaves foundation looking flawless and beautifully applied.

The little kabuki is no exception either. This little guy applies powder in a nice thin layer and would be great for those who love powder foundations. None of these brushes have shed at all which is fab as that is a huge pet peeve of mine! Another plus is the price! The face brush set is $80 NZ which is roughly about €50, and the little kabuki is only about €14. Shipping is a flat $10 internationally (€6). Considering this is a relatively small company, the prices are amazing! A complete 10/10 Shannon! I cannot wait to buy more of these fab brushes! I also need to check out the lashes too. ;)

My Top Picks for Spring - Lipcolours

Spring is here! And so is my love for all things pink. This time its showing up in my lip products. 

L-R NYX Peaches and cream, Lime Crime Geradium and Centrifuchsia, YSL Lingerie Pink, L'oreal Caress in 01, Lime Crime Velvetines in Red Velvet

Having a paler skin tone means that most pink colours will work for me, with the exception of the very pale pinks which make me look sick. My favourite pink is a hot pink as I feel it gives my skin the most life. A hot pink lip to me, is like a red lip to others. Although I am partial to a red lip on occasion. My most recent hot pink lip purchase is from Lime Crime and it is called Centrifuschia. This colour is not for the faint hearted. It is a glossy and gorgeous bright pink and goes on like a dream. 

I also picked up a second Lime Crime lipstick, and it too has made the cut this spring. This time it is a coral pink, perfect for spring and summer. Again the formula is the same as Centrifuschia, a gorgeous glossy finish. Both colours work on pale skins but would also look amazing on someone with a tan. Next up is a more affordable product, from NYX. In the past few months I have become a huge fan of NYX products, picking up a few new bits whenever I am shopping online. One of those purchases was one of their butter glosses. These glosses are fab! Pigmented and they have a great colour selection. My favourite of the three I picked up is Peaches and Cream, and yes it is as yummy as it sounds.

The next lipstick speaks for itself. How gorgeous is the packaging?! This is one of those colours that is verging on the very pale pink for me, but it works. The formula is creamy and the colour range is also to die for! Yay for us, not so much for our bank balances..  Next is the sheerest one in the bunch but a favourite none the less. This lipstick/balm is one of those products you can just chuck in your bag and throw on without any fuss. Its a lovely light sheer pink that leaves your lips feeling moisturised and lovely. Whats not to love? 

Lastly is probably my favourite, especially for those days when you want to look a little more glam and put together. Its Lime Crimes Velvetine gloss in Red Velvet. Its a gorgeous true red colour and would work great on many skin tones. These glosses go on shiny but dry to a matte/velvety finish, as the name would suggest. They are super long wearing and do tend to stain but that's a minor issue when you see how amazing they are!

So there you have it, my top picks for Spring 2014. :) I hope you enjoyed this post. Thanks guys :)

What are your top lip products this spring?