July favourites: body, hair, makeup and nails


My July favourites are a bit late, but... I am very excited to share some of my new finds with you. I am including body care, hair care, makeup and nails and I will prepare a separate skincare favourites post for August. I just noticed that I featured a lot of lip products, but I have been using them non stop, because my lips get really dry in Summer.


BODY: 
I received the Aromatherapy Associates Revive Body Wash* (£24.00) and Revive Morning Bath & Shower Oil* (£39.00) in the post before my birthday and I am in love with the scent. Revive is a refreshing blend of bergamot, grapefruit, peppermint and neroli and it is perfect for summer. I am obsessed with the scent and I keep using the bath and shower oil during the day, when I feel tired. It instantly puts me in a better mood and gives me a boost of energy. I massage it onto the backs of my wrists and breathe in the aroma and it works wonders. It is also amazing as an ultra nourishing bath or shower treat for your body, but I keep using it as an aromatherapy treatment :) The Revive Body Wash smells just as good and lathers up really well (without SLS) in the shower. I use one pump of the gel, after an oil based sugar scrub, to remove any residue left on my body and it leaves my skin feeling clean and fresh.

HAIR:
I would normally include  the Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR Shimmering Oil (£21.00) in the 'body' section, but... I have been using it on my hair and it is really lovely. When I first bought it, I was slightly disappointed, because it looked and felt just like The Body Shop Honey Bronze Oil and I paid a lot more for it, but... after a couple of uses, I noticed a difference and think that the Nuxe version is much more luxurious and it smells better. It can be used on hair, without leaving a greasy residue, unlike the Honey Bronze one. Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse OR is a dry oil with gold shimmer and I have been using it to add more life and shine to my dull hair. I simply run a small amount of the Nuxe Shimmering Oil through my hair, trying to avoid the roots and focusing on dry ends - the effect is amazing. It leaves my hair looking more healthy and the gorgeous scent lingers on my hair all day.

I stopped using dry shampoos for a while, because a cheap one (from tesco) made my scalp really flaky and irritated, but... with the hot weather and my new exercise regimen, I really needed a new bottle. So far, I haven't noticed any problems with my scalp, so I will definitely stick to Batiste. My favourite scent is the tropical one, with coconut! I love this exotic blend! Most importantly, the dry shampoo helps to keep my hair looking fresh for an extra day (or two) and adds more volume to my flat roots. Perfect!


FACE (makeup):
To smooth my complexion and reduce the appearance of pores, I have been using the Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch*(£26.00). It is defnitely worth the hype and it makes my skin feel silky soft, even on a really bad skin day. It also smoothes away any fine lines and wrinkles. If you want your skin to look flawless, you should definitely try it out. 

The Vichy Dermablend Foundation (£15.50) is my saviour, when I struggle with breakouts, giving full, long lasting coverage. It can look too matte though, so I have been mixing it with the Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Radiance Shimmer Touch (£4.99) in shade Shimmering Sand. It is a cream highlighter with a peach shimmer and you can use it on top of your base, but I really like the allover radiance I can achieve by adding a small amount of this shimmer cream to my foundation. Also... It is an absolute bargain!

On my cheeks I have been wearing the beautiful New CID I-Glow Shimmer Powder in Coral Crush* (£22.50 - from hairtrade.com). Oh my... It is absolutely gorgeous! I haven't used NARS Orgasm once, since I got this beaut in the post and I am officially addicted. It adds the most beautiful peachy glow to my cheeks and a nice touch of shimmer. The consistency feels very silky and almost creamy and it is a dream to apply. 

You don't really need a highlighter, if you use this product, but... I am still obsessed with my Paul & Joe Highligther Duo and I love the way it looks on my skin. You can see swatches of all the products below.

L-R: Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch, Rimmel Wake Me Up Shimmer Touch in shade Shimmering Sand, Vichy Dermablend in shade 25 Nude, NEW CID I-Glow in shade Coral Crush, Paul & Joe Cheek Duo in shade 01 Secret d'or.


LIPS:

I am still addicted to the beautiful Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors* (£17.00) and I can't imagine my makeup bag without them. My favourite shades are Candy Shimmer and Rosewood Shimmer. They make my lips look super plump and smell and taste good enough to eat. If I could describe them in one sentence, it would be - Delicious lip balm/gloss perfection! I would recommend them to everyone - they are AMAZING! 

The Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons* are the easiest way to add colour and gloss to my lips in one simple step. They feel very hydrating and don't have the funny/annoying scent, like Revlon Balm Stains. 

I am also loving the Illamasqua Lip Gloss in Electrify (£5.00). It is my first lip product from the brand and I am very impressed. It doesn't feel sticky and it looks really nice used on it's own, or on top of pink lipsticks. Very pretty iridescent baby pink shade.

The last lip product I have been reaching for is a Lime Crime Lipstick in shade Babette* (£11.50). It is a new shade and it sold out pretty quickly, but if you love peachy lips, make sure to get your mitts on it, if you get a chance. I am not sure how to describe the finish of this formula, but it is a mixture between satin and semi-matte. I prefer using it with a generous amount of lip balm underneath, for  a more glossy, juicy finish. 

L-R: Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors in Candy Shimmer and Rosewood Shimmer, Bourjois Color Boost Lip Crayons in Coral Punch and Fuchsia Libre, Illamasqua Lip Gloss in Electrify, Lime Crime Lipstick in Babette.


NAILS:
I have been painting my nails with new colours every single day in July, because my nail polish collection needed some love and... a clear-out :) My favourite combo is the Kiko Jade Green (£2.50) and Headline Colors Poolside Party (£9.00). I really like both shades and I think that they look lovely together. I repainted my nails with them far too many times :)

Headline Colors Poolside Party and Kiko Jade Green.


EYES:
My affair with coloured mascaras was totally unexpected. I didn't realize that they look so beautiful on the lashes. I have been using the Bourjois Volume Glamour Max Holidays Mascaras* (£5.99) quite often, without any other eye makeup and the effect looks surprisingly good! I have two shades: indigo and electric blue and both of them are beautiful. I will be reviewing them in a separate post and you will be able to see them on my lashes in a wearable makeup look. You can see a little sneak peek on my instagram here.


OTHER BITS AND BOBS:
My favourite magazine at the moment is Allure and I can't wait to get my mitts on the new issue. I get it from newsstand.co.uk, but you can also download a copy for your iPad. It is a great read and I love all the beauty features in it.


As a person obsessed with home fragrance, I was really excited to try the NEOM Refresh Organic Room Mist* (£16.00). It smells incredible and it even got the 'husband approval' I talked about before. We both love the blend of Sicilian Lemon and Basil and I will definitely repurchase it in the future. I have been looking for a a scent I can use in every room, including the kitchen and this is perfect! It is fresh, zesty and very unique. I am in love!


I hope you enjoyed this post. Let me know, if you tried any of the products I mentioned.


*items marked with an asterisk are PR samples, the rest was bought by me.

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