February Favourites

Hi guys! Sorry for the late post! This week I wanted to show you and talk you through some of my holy grail products that I have been loving all throughout February.

Firstly I have found myself reaching for the Alpha H Micro Cleanse Super Scrub quite a lot and this has been my go-to skincare item since I bought it. The product has such a fresh scent and the only way I can describe it is the smell of a spa. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve ever visited a spa yourself but it’s literally just the most delicate soothing smell ever. It has been infused with cucumber and peppermint which work really well together to help ‘deep cleanse’ the skin. The product was created to refine skin’s texture both chemically and physically. It works to unclog pores, dirt and debris to create a super smooth, luminous complexion. As you massage the product into your skin you can feel the jojoba oil being released as the small beads burst and it works to re-establish moisture levels as well as reducing inflammation and redness. I have only been using the product for about a month or so now but the results I have seen are truly just exceptional. My skin honestly feels so much cleaner, healthier and brighter. This natural product ticks all the right boxes for me and it will continue to feature in my skincare routine until I discover another exfoliator that may be able to top it. I have used many exfoliates before but this one is my all-time number one because it causes me no irritation, blemishes, dryness or flaking and for someone with quite sensitive skin, this product is my saviour!

The next item I have been loving is my Sigma Round Kabuki Brush in F82. I honestly love kabuki brushes and I think they should be a staple in every girl’s make up bag purely because they work so well at buffing foundation into the skin to produce a flawless finish and the Sigma F82 just happens to be my Kabuki of choice. It features a round, flattened brush head with sigmax fibres which are super soft! The brush works to blur any edges and diffuse formulations effortlessly to produce a soft focus effect. It is also very light-weight which applies really nicely to create an ‘airbrushed’ finish. The brush is of excellent quality and helps to achieve balanced coverage without shedding bristles all over your face which some cheaper dupes do! It just works so well and gets a massive thumbs up from me!

I have also recently purchased the Rimmel Lasting Finish Foundation in the shade 100 Ivory. This foundation is probably my favourite drugstore foundation that I’ve tested out so far. It comes packaged in a 30ml glass bottle with a slanted red lid and pump which I always look for in a foundation. It dispenses the right amount onto what you require to blend it, whether that be a brush, beauty blender or palette. It is definitely a full coverage foundation that is long lasting with a demi matte finish. It has such a long staying capacity which I really like because it means I can wear this foundation on longer days and I can be certain that it will remain intact. It tones under the eyes and instantly covers redness. It has been created with an original formula that brightens and clarifies your skin tone to create a radiant complexion. A little of this product goes a long way and it isn’t at all cakey- it transmits a weightless texture on the skin and looks incredible. There are 7 shades to choose from and the only shortfall is that I don’t think that everyone can find a shade to suit their skin tone, but it does try to cover a majority of skin tones and if you are lucky enough to find one suitable for your skin tone then I can guarantee it will look amazing. One reason why I really liked this foundation was the fact it was really hydrating and as I said in my previous blog post, I have fairly dry skin at the moment so for me, this foundation worked really well to hydrate my skin and leave it with a smooth finish. The product claims to last 25 hours but I can’t say I’ve ever worn this foundation for 25 hours, or any foundation for that matter, but I can say that it does last a long time and it smells great! Of course I still love my high-end Charlotte Tilbury foundation but I have found myself reaching for this one a lot more throughout February.

Another make up item I have been loving in February is concealer and for some odd reason I always feel the need to wear two concealers at once- one for under eyes and one for blemishes. So if you’ve read last week’s blog post you’ll know that there are five concealers which I have been really loving but this month I have particularly been going for the Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer for under my eyes and the Urban Decay NAKED Concealer for my blemishes. I don’t want to go into these in too much detail as I did tell you guys why I love them so much in my last post, but basically I really like the Wake Me Up Concealer because it’s full coverage, illuminates the eyes and brightens skin tones and I like the Urban Decay NAKED Concealer because it’s buildable and has such a smooth, liquidy formula that blends really nicely. So yes I do really like those but read my last post to find out more.

Something I picked up when on a drugstore splurge was the Maybelline Dream Blender which is a small edge-free shaped hard sponge with a pointed tip that is used to seamlessly blend foundation. However, I found it far too small for this use and I was already using my Kabuki brush so I used it for blending concealer under my eyes as the tip is so good for reaching the tiniest inner corner of the eye and in the indents of the nose. I really liked the fact that it has a handle as it is mess-free unlike other beauty blenders on the market. I feel that it delivers an even coverage and works well however I would prefer it to be softer- that being said, I have used it a lot in February hense why it’s in my favourites post!

One of my main aims was to start doing more at-home manicure maintenance because it seems silly to invest so much time and money in something when you can do it yourself at home for a quarter of the price! So this being said, two polishes I picked up on my drugstore shop were two of the new BarryM polishes- the Super Mani 7 in 1 treatment and the Mani Mask in the shade Birthday Suit. The Super Mani has been infused with Keratin, Argan oil, Bamboo and Vitamin E which work well for my hair so I thought why not it must work for my nails haha! It works really well to hydrate and protect for healthy nourished nails and it has also helped to grow my nails quite quickly. Soon after using the product for a week or so, my nails felt instantly stronger, less brittle and a whole lot smoother. The brush is wide and flat which is my favourite type of nail varnish brush as in just three strokes you can cover the entire nail bed base with a glossy finish. The Mani Mask is a multi-purpose cream style polish for nails which conditions and slightly colours nails leaving a translucent, demi matte finish. I really liked the concept of both of these polishes and they have certainly not disappointed. I will continue to use these to strengthen my nails and I really recommend them because at just £3.99 each, what have you got to lose!

The last product that made it into my February favourites is quite a random one. Yes it’s a food product and yes it’s Pots & Co. Honest to god, these are THE NICEST little desserts I have EVER tried in my entire life and honestly even top some restaurant desserts I’ve had! I have been wanting to try Pots & Co for SO long but have kept telling myself no as I’m supposed to be on a summer health kick- but when that time of the month came calling I just knew I had to treat myself. This divine range of individual desserts are handmade in colourful little ceramic pots which are so useful to keep for baking yourself or even serving things in. There are nine INCREDIBLE flavours to choose from and I’m just going to list them to you now! There is lemon and lime posset, salted caramel and chocolate pot, sticky toffee pudding, chocolate and orange pot, caramelised apple crumble, passion fruit and orange pot, chocolate fudge pudding, roasted hazelnut and chocolate pot and strawberries and cream. If that didn’t make your mouth water I don’t know what will! But seriously go and buy one and try it and let me know your favourite because I am making it my mission to try them all! They are available at Ocado, Waitrose, Budgens, Harrods, Selfridges and Tesco so go, go now!

So you have it, nine of my top products that I have been loving or using all throughout  February. I hope you enjoyed reading about them and be sure to try them out for yourselves. Let me know in the comments, over on my social media or in person what you’ve been loving this month! See you next week, thanks for clicking.

-LaurenRose