Hello and welcome back to another monthly favourites post. This month's features a variety of products, from beauty and fashion to driving, so without further ado, here are my August favourites...
Beauty and Fashion:
· Oh La La by Agatha Ruiz De La Prada- This perfume has featured on my blog a couple of times before but as I went to Spain last week, I had to pick up a new bottle (the one I bought at Easter is running dangerously low!) and I still love the scent as much as when I first used it. Definitely a great summer scent; quite fresh, floral and slightly sweet.
· L’Oreal Superstar False Lash Mascara- Sorry if you’re fed up of seeing this product in my favourites but I have to keep putting it in as I still love it a lot and find it amazing for my lashes. It’s so voluminous, lengthening and thickening in all the best ways, and really helps to open up my eyes. The only time I don’t wear this mascara is if I’m having a very subtle make up day, in which case I go for a more natural eye look with a different mascara. I can’t recommend this mascara enough if you’re looking for a more defined lash look; it may be slightly more expensive than some drugstore mascaras but there’s very little difference and it is most definitely worth it.
· Maybelline Brow Satin Eyebrow Pencil- Another product I bang on about but I have never found a brow product so effective and easy to use, especially for light eyebrows. The Maybelline brow satin eye pencil really helps to shape and fill in your brows, and doesn’t take long to get the look you want. It’s also useful for building it up- i.e. if you want a more subtle brow or a more defined, darkened look.
· Real Techniques Expert Face Brush- As I mentioned in my last favourites (here), I've wanted this brush for a while but I never expected it to be as good as it is! It makes a massive difference to my make up application and makes it so much easier to control the application of foundation and concealer, and give a smoother, better finished look. I am hoping to get a few more real techniques brushes in the near future as if they're all as good as this, then they are definitely worth having.
Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation- I don’t think I’ve heard people mention a foundation any more than this one, yet it’s taken me this long to actually give it a go. I managed to pick this up from face2body for only £4.99 which is a quite a lot cheaper than the r.r.p and now I know how much I love it, I’m a lot more likely to pick it up off the shelf even at its regular price. The foundation was a great match for my skin tone, it has a medium to light coverage so it doesn’t feel cakey on your skin, it’s easy to distribute evenly across your face and it’s easy to blend.
· Patterned Joggers- I have wanted some of these trousers for ages and have actually bought three pairs similar to this before and had to take all of them back for different reasons (all to do with size though) so when I finally found some long enough and the right waist size, I knew I had to pick them up. They are unbelievably comfy and are perfect for travelling, for wearing when it’s a bit warm but not warm enough for shorts, going out somewhere whether it’s casual or smart casual, or for just wearing around the house- basically, they’re comfy and versatile and definitely worth owning.
Entertainment:
·
Little Mix- I have been a fan of Little Mix
since X Factor but they’ve never really been a favourite; yes I loved both them
and their music but they’re never the first ones to spring to mind when someone
asks my favourite artist. However, recently, I have really loved their sound
and their personalities. It always amazes me how incredible their voices are
live and unplugged, and even more so when they perform what appears to be
difficult dance routines, without missing a step and without it affecting their
singing voices. I have particularly enjoyed listening to this acoustic version
of black magic (above) as I think their voices sound amazing; very raw and
powerful. In fact it was their four year anniversary this month as well, so
congratulations to them and long may it continue. They are four truly talented
ladies, and I can’t wait for Get Weird!
·
Now 91- The other day, I had the longest drive
I’ve ever done on my own, so to make things easier and to help me keep lively
and focused, I purchased Now 91 for my car, it was particularly useful as each
CD has a lot of tracks on it, meaning it won’t keep repeating the songs and you
don’t have to swap the disc very often (pulled over of course). I had to put
this in my favourites as there are so many incredible tracks on there, from a
range of artists.
·
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven- I’m
not going to say too much about this book, as I actually have a review on this
coming very soon (so keep your eyes peeled), but this book is fantastic.
Jennifer Niven makes it so easy for you to fall in love with both the plot and
the characters whilst tackling some fairly taboo subjects in an appropriate and
sensitive way.
·
Looking for Alaska by John Green- I reckon this
book is my favourite John Green book so far, it has so many different elements
and makes it difficult for the reader to put the book down. Again, I have a
review on this book coming soon, so I won’t say any more but if you do get the
chance to read this book, I highly recommend it!
·
Pretty Little Liars- Of course, this had to be
in my monthly favourites; I am a huge fan of the show and was very excited to
watch the mid season finale and Big A reveal this month. I won’t give any
spoilers away on here, but if you have caught up with the show or don’t watch
it but are intrigued anyway, then you can check out my PLL tag here.
Other:
·
Blind Spot Mirrors- An odd one to put in my
favourites but as I mentioned above, I had to travel quite a distance the other
day and to make things easier and safer for me, I wanted to get some blind spot
mirrors. These have been very useful as they’ve made it easier for me to see
cars that are (funnily enough) in my blind spot which is one of the hardest
things I find about driving, so it really did make a difference. If any of you
are driving, learning to drive or thinking about learning, I’d recommend
getting some of these mirrors as they’re not too expensive and they don’t
hinder your driving, the only thing they can do is help and you may be
surprised by what difference it makes.
·
Spain- This time last week, I was sunbathing by
the pool, reading a book, eating watermelon and just enjoying the Spanish
weather and experience. I stayed in a villa near Murcia with my family for a
week and we had a lovely time; doing very little and just enjoying each others’
company. I think my favourite day was the day we ventured into Murcia, where we
went shopping; I managed to get some lovely, affordable things from a shop
called Ale Hop which I recommend you visit if you ever see one; and we ate
lunch in a Tapas bar in the square by the cathedral which was absolutely
beautiful. I chose a crepe with nougat ice cream, almonds and honey for my
lunch (not your typical lunch I know) but being a piscetarian, I was more
limited to what I could have and fancied the crepe instead anyway and whilst we
ate, there were musicians playing in the square which really added to the
atmosphere, and water spray to keep us cool in the thirty-something degree heat.
Overall it was a lovely day and a lovely holiday, and one I would love to do
again.
· 18th/ 50th Party- As mentioned in my last ‘Day in the Life’
post, this month I also celebrated my 18th early along with my mum
and auntie’s 50th, and the whole evening was wonderful; definitely a
highlight of my year. For more details on what that entailed, you can click
here to read my post.
·
Selfie Stick- I must admit, I never saw myself
as ever owning a selfie stick but when I came across a really cute, purple one
in Ale Hop (mentioned above), I thought it would be fun to get one… I was
right. It actually helps to take some really great photos, as you can angle it
in the light better, and you can get more people on. I think this might be a
product I have a lot of fun with over the coming months.
Thank you for reading this post, I hope you enjoyed reading about some of the things I've been loving this month. Let me know if there's anything you've tried this month and recommend.
Love, Steph x
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