Loving lately.

Things have been a little quiet around here lately and I'm sorry for that. I've been so busy with work and personal stuff in the past few weeks and I've missed a few regular appointments on the blog. Hopefully I'll be able to get back into blogging with something that vaguely resembles a schedule very soon. In the mean time, enter a few products that have been seeing regular love from me.

The product I've added to my haircare routine and I've fallen immediately in love with is the Schwarzkopf Gliss Hyaluron Hair Filler Serum*, which works heavenly for my fine locks. A few drops take away the dryness and stiffness that sometimes come with curling and heavy styling, and give back shine and bounce. I don't usually gravitate toward drugstore products when it comes to my hair, but the whole Hyaluron range is just dreamy and is currently living in my shower.

As far as makeup goes, I had a little rummage in my collection and I really got back into using the Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua Foundation (£33), which is an oldie but a goodie that usually comes out to play this time of the year. It gives a beautiful even finish that still looks like skin and feels light and breathable. A personal favourite among Chanel bases, it's perfect for everyday wear and overall a great foundation to transition into spring and summer.

As predicted in a previous wishlist post, the splurge happened and I got my mitts on the Hourglass Modernist Eyeshadow Palette in Color Field (£56). This is such a lovely palette, with the perfect combination of champagne, brown and greens, all designed to work well together. The powders are really soft and buttery, and definitely prone to crumbling if you press the brush too hard onto the pan. The shades are so pigmented I only need to tap my brush once to build full opacity, and blend seamlessly into each other. It's the kind of palette that needs a little bit of extra work and care in order to get the best out of it but it's definitely worth the effort.

I'm having a serious moment with MAC and a lot of their products are back in my routine right now, but two products in particular have reached the staple status for me lately. I have Harry Makes It Up to thank for my renewed love for the MAC 188 Brush (£28), a great all-arounder that blends foundation, concealer and any kind of liquid and cream really, to perfection. Love it!

Another lust-worthy product from the brand is the MAC Studio Sculpt Defining Powder (£22), a sheer, ultra thin powder that is ideal for those who have dry complexions or simply don't like the look of powdered skin but still need to set their makeup. The gorgeous satin finish lifts the skin and really perfects it without looking like makeup.

For lips, I'm a wee bit obsessed with mellow corals and peachy nudes at the minute and NARS Descanso Satin Lip Pencil (£19) is a firm favourite of mine. It works as a liner and a colour at the same time and it's peachy enough to brigthen the face but still nude enough to work with a wide variety of looks. Too bad it was limited edition but Biscayne park is pretty similar albeit a tad lighter.

Finally, I have to mention my love for the Foreo Issa (£149), an electric toothbrush made in silicone that cleans and whitens your teeth without aggravating sensitive gums or scratching the enamel. I've been using this little handy gadget for months now and I can't imagine my life without it anymore: it gives my gums a gorgeous massage, leaves the teeth squeaky clean and ultimately feels a bit like a two minute spa for my mouth. It costs an absolute bomb, but for me it's worth every single penny.

Have you tried any of these?

*Press Sample

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Spring beauty releases wishlist.

For some reason spring gets me in the mood for beauty shopping - not that I really need encouragement on that front - and it's almost impossible not to get excited for all the wonderful beauty launches that have been hitting the shelves lately. If you want to nose about what beauty bits and bobs I have my eyes on at the minute, carry on reading...

001 Apparently I still haven't reached the point where I feel ashamed for the number of foundations I own and I'm currently lusting over yet another base, which - no surprise here - is extra glowy and light on the skin but still manages to give it a perfected look. I'm talking about the new bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream (£26) that seem to be everywhere at the minute and for a good reason. I tried it on the other day and I might have gone a little squeaky in the middle of Sephora for how gorgeous and luminous it looked. Bonus brownie points for the mineral spf and tons of skin-friendly ingredients that make it the perfect candidate for my summer makeup lineup.

002 Another bareMinerals product I couldn't help but fall in love with is the Smoothing Face Brush (£24), a super soft yet dense dual fiber brush that gives an effortless airbrushed finish to the skin. I've tried in store along with the new tinted moisturizer and I was instantly sold as it felt uh-mazing on the skin. Hold me back before I buy every brush on the planet!

003 Contour palettes are popping out everywhere at the moment but the Marc Jacobs #Instamarc Light Filtering Contour Powders are the only ones that have left me hunting for swatches and reviews. I'll be honest with you, I'm so obsessed with the app that if anything claims to work as an instagram filter for the skin, my ears will prick up immediately, but I've also seen the medium shade at work on a fellow pale lady and it looked absolutely gorgeous. Excuse me while I open a new tab to slip Mirage Filter in my shopping cart...

004 My first reaction when I spotted the latest Clinique release was to call for an emergency meeting of the lipsticks hoarders anonymous. Seriously, 16 shades of gloriously pigmented balmy lipsticks that claim to last for hours and keep your lips moisturized at the same time? They had my name written all over them. I only have one main issue with the new Clinique Pop Lip Colour and Primer (£16): which one should I pick first? Melon, Cherry, Poppy, Wow... All of them? I'm open to suggestions.

005 No wishlist is complete without a Jo Malone fragrance. Honestly I can't get enough of their perfumes. Inspired by the Georgian era, Lily of the Valley & Ivy Cologne (£42) is a dreamy blend that brings to mind croquet games and tea parties, romantic novels and British landscapes, thanks to notes of green leaves and water flowers. And how beautiful is that special edition bottle? I need it.

What new releases have caught your eye lately?

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February favourites.

February came and went in a blink of an eye and with spring just around the corner, it's hard not to get excited for the warmer days ahead, even if you're a winter girl through and through like myself. Last month wasn't particularly good beauty wise, as I spent almost two weeks feeling utterly poorly and makeup wasn't high on my priorities list; nevertheless, I still managed to fall in love with some exciting bits, discover a new fragrance and dig out an old love from my nail polish box.

My first favourite is a new fragrance buy I'm absolutely in love with. Jo Malone English Pear & Freesia Cologne (£40) is described as the ultimate autumnal scent but with a mix of sweet ripe pear and green notes of white freesias, warmed up by amber and patchouli, it's also the perfect fragrance to transition into spring. It ticks all my personal fragrance boxes as it's fresh yet sophisticated, not overly sweet, persistent enough that I can still catch a whiff of it on my scarf and coat the next day and it's simply great for layering. In fact, it goes so well with another favourite of mine, the Jo Malone Nectarine Blossom & Honey Body Créme (£50), a fluffy and super luxurious moisturizer that smells like mellow peaches and summer days. A tiny blob massaged onto my hands and forearms is enough to release the gorgeous fragrance that lingers for hours, and add just a touch of warmth and sweetness to the cologne. I'm afraid a full size purchase will have to happen very soon.

As I mentioned before I haven't been wearing much makeup this past month but whenever I had to leave the comfort of my warm bed and put the tissues aside to go out, I've been constantly reaching for the Lorac Pro To-Go Palette for a quick and fuss free smokey eye. As usual, Lorac hits the eyeshadow nail right on its head with this palette: all the shades are buttery soft, blend easily and translate on the lid just as well as they swatch. The compact also hides a blush duo and a bronzer, that make it the ideal travel buddy for short trips and to apply your makeup on the go.

For lips, I've been completely obsessed with the Charlotte Tilbury K.I.S.S.I.N.G. Lipstick in Bitch Perfect (£23), the most perfect peachy-pink nude with a nourishing yet long-lasting formula, housed in a gorgeous '20s inspired rose gold case that makes my heart sing every time I look at it. Every girl need one of these lipsticks - or maybe four - in her life!
I've also been loving the Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil (£18) in Raspberry. When it comes to mixing skincare and makeup to create unique products, Clarins definitely know what they're doing. This non-greasy, non-sticky offering really does miracles for chapped lips and prevents dryness and those painful cracks, while providing just a hint of sheer pink colour. Also, did I mention that it tastes like candy?

Lastly, I have to mention my go-to nail polish combination of the minute. I've recently rediscovered OPI Tickle My Francey (£11.95) and I've been religiously painting my nails with it for the whole month. It's a brown-based nude pink that reaches full opacity in just two coats and I love how clean and chic it looks on the nails. For an extra oomph and a bit of fun I've been pairing it with a glitter top coat - seen here is OPI Which is Witch? from the Oz the Great collection - painted only on the tips to create a French manicure with a twist. I'm obsessed.

What have you guys been loving this past month?

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L'Oreal Infallible 24h MAT foundation & concealer.

Sponsored Post.

Besides makeup brushes, if there's one product I can hoard till the point where my drawers resemble a well-stocked Sephora store, it's foundation. I'm all about the base and I never tire of trying out new products, hoping to discover little gems to fuel my obsession with.
If you have read this blog before, you'll know that I usually gravitate toward luminous and radiant formulas; however, every once in a while I really like matte skin, but in the past finding an opaque foundation that worked well in combination with my dry complexion has been a real struggle. Luckily I seem to have found a true game-changer and the best thing is that it's a drugstore offering.

After reading all the serious claims about the 24 hour wear and shine control in conjunction with the high coverage, I was a little hesitant when the new L'Oreal Infallible 24H Mat foundation (£7.99)* landed on my doorstep, as I anticipated it to be on the thicker side of thing. How wrong I was!
This is such a beautiful foundation, unlike any other matte base I've tried before. The light-as-air formulation blends seamlessly into the skin and provides a medium to full coverage that is easy to sheer out or build up, since it layers so well and doesn't look cakey. The finish is demi-matte, as there's definitely a bit of glow there, although is not at all shiny or dewy.
Even without powder or a primer underneath it doesn't slid around and lasts till supper and beyond, still looking as if I've just applied it. I wore it backstage under crazy hot lights and during one of my famous shopping marathons running around town under pouring rain, but Infallible didn't show any sign of wear whatsoever. On top of everything it doesn't cling to dry patches or settles into pores and feels uber comfortable on the skin.