June/July First XI (Monthly Favourites)

Let’s start off with the cliche shall we? I cannot believe July is over already!! Okay that’s out the way, keep reading if you want to know more about what I have enjoyed over the last couple of months.

Here’s a little reminder why my Favourites posts are called “First XI”:

With this blog being an amalgamation of all my favourite things, one of those being cricket I have decided to try and merge these to different worlds.  “First XI” refers to a cricket team being made up of eleven players and only the best players are chosen for the first team.  So instead of doing a traditional “Top 10”, I thought I would incorporate some cricket into the beauty side of the blog as well.  I won’t be limiting these posts to just makeup or beauty but of all the things that brought a smile to my face over a certain period.

Makeup Products:

1. Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Nude Mauve – This is a well loved product in my collection, particularly during the colder months. When applied it is a soft, nude pink that gives a ‘glow from within’ look that I am very into at the moment.  I would describe the finish as satin and there isn’t any sparkle like the colours in this collection.

2. Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Shadow Stick in Trespassing Taupe – I still live in hope that one day Maybelline will surprise us and start stocking the cult colours of the Colour Tattoo range but until then I will continue to hunt an alternative.  This pencil from Rimmel is such an easy product to use, I pretty much wear it everyday. I place it in the crease then blend it out with a fluffy brush to create some definition.  When used on its own, it lasts for about 6 hours but when used with a primer or set with a powder it can last for over 12.

3. Essence Make Me Brow – I’ll be honest, I bought this product based on great reviews from a lot of bloggers but I wasn’t immediately convinced.  I still prefer using powder to fill in my brows if I’m doing a full makeup look but this is great if you are doing a more natural look or only have a few minutes to get ready.  The more I used this the more I started to enjoy it, so much so that it is now a part of my everyday routine and have recently purchased my second tube.

4. Wet n Wild Walking on Eggshells Palette – Wet n Wild have a reputation for making very pigmented and creamy shadows and this palette in particular has developed its own following of makeup addicts.  It is fairly versatile in that you can create light or more smokey looks and in addition, the lightest colour works great as a cheekbone highlight.  The intensity of the shadows can be upped even further by using them wet.

Hair and Body Products:

5. L’Oreal Paris Hair Expertise Body & Strength Shampoo – I never spent over R100 on a bottle of shampoo before I started using this product. I was quite happy with the cheaper alternatives until they started really drying out my scalp.  The main thing I want from a shampoo is to give me volume at the roots and all (yes all, trust me I gave every affordable option a go) the others I tried made my scalp itchy and flaky – not cute!  This shampoo is designed for a delicate scalp which apparently mine is now, but it gives volume and hydrates without creating oiliness.  Also, it smells amazing!

6. Skin Creamery Everyday Cream for Face and Body – this product featured in my Winter Must Haves and it has definitely helped my skin survive this winter.  It works wonders when you use it underneath makeup.  I mostly use it at night these days, sometimes layering it with the Skin Creamery Facial Oil that I have mentioned before and I wake up with smooth skin that you just want to stroke – I’m not the only one that feels like that right?

7. Good Things Manuka Honey Daily Moisturiser – I have been looking for a more affordable daily moisturiser that I can easily pick up from Clicks or Dischem but its difficult to find something that is hydrating without causing oiliness and breakouts but you don’t want something that mattifies your skin so much that it causes dry patches.  Anyway, I bought this on a bit of a whim and have been pleasantly surprised.  It really does hydrate my skin and doesn’t break me out which is awesome and works well under makeup.  The box did say that it provides a sun protectant but it doesn’t specify how high so I still wear a sunscreen underneath anyway.

8. Woolworths Spiral Hairbands – These a cheaper alternative to the InvisiBobble being only R30 for four as opposed to R100 for two.  I have never owned the original so I can’t compare but I am very happy with these.  They do stretch with use – as you can see in the picture below – but as long as you don’t use the same one everyday then they do go back to their original shape.

 

Randoms:

9. Facts Channel -Such a great find on Youtube and officially one of my favourite channels.  You could say it is the Irish version of Buzzfeed but it is a lot funnier than Buzzfeed.  The videos are along the lines of ‘Irish people try…’ and ‘Irish people watch…’ and they are incredibly entertaining.

10. De Villiers Sea Salt and Caramel Chocolate – Oh.My.Word – YUM!!!  Best discovery of the century!  I bought a couple of the De Villiers chocolate bars for a friend’s birthday present because the packing was so pretty and I have a thing for salted caramel at the moment so I picked one up for myself.  Serious game changer and is now my go to treat.

 

11. Game of Thrones – I have been looking forward to Season 6 since the end of Season 5 last year.  I woke up at 3am every Monday morning for 9 weeks (I was in Johannesburg when the finale aired so I had to wait to go to a friends house that morning to watch it) to watch the episodes as they aired.  Yes, I’m afraid that is how bad my addiction was but if you are a serious fan of GoT you understand. I won’t give away spoilers but flip that show is so good!

That’s it for this post, I hope you all enjoyed reading it. Until the next one!

 

 

.