I’ve had somewhat of a fresh wave of motivation this past month, and am right back into my efforts of ‘Project Use It Up’. While I never really stopped – skincare has been a big area where I’ve been making headway – I’m more inspired than ever to use what I have over the latest releases. There’s been a few new products I’ve been sent to try through PR this month (hello Flower Beauty!), but otherwise everything else is something new (to me) or old (and rediscovered) from my beauty stash.
THE MAKEUP EDIT
Chanel Les Beiges Water-Fresh Tint in ‘Medium Light’ | First of all, I want to quickly acknowledge that Chanel’s Water-Fresh Tint will set you back a pretty penny. If memory serves, here in Australia it retails for $105. Given it’s what I’d call a ‘makeup investment’, I wanted to give this a fair go before sharing my final opinion. Truth be told, it’s been a bit of a love-hate-love rollercoaster. At first came the intrigue and novelty of the product. It’s not a foundation or tinted moisturiser. It’s a watery liquid with droplets of pigment which burst when spread across your face. Perhaps the best description for this would be a ‘skin tint’; something I imagine to be not too dissimilar to this one from Glossier. The coverage is minimal. This is for the girl who wants barely there coverage; perhaps to even out her complexion a little and soften any imperfections. It’s dewy and luminous, and will give your face a serious glow.
My biggest gripe with this product is really the brush it comes with. I found that this seemed to be in a constant state of “damp”; even after cleaning it, which never struck me as being overly hygienic. And after a week of using the brush, it no longer settled on my face in a natural way. I decided to take a break for a few weeks, and returned to using it with a damp or dry beauty blender, which has fast become my preferred method of application. The finish is natural, and it’s a great base for any other makeup you choose to apply over top.
For me, this is usually a bit of concealer to reduce any lingering darkness under my eyes, redness around my nose and chin, and visible blemishes. Because the product preps your skin and leaves it in a state of extreme moisture, concealers blend out like a dream and look flawless on the skin.
While there’s very little to no coverage, this is a great base product if you want to slightly enhance the appearance of your natural complexion. That being said, you could probably get a similar effect by mixing a small amount of your favourite foundation in with your morning moisturiser.
NARS Skin Deep Eye Palette | I’ve mentioned in the past how much love I have for NARS eyeshadows. They’ve got great pigmentation, blend out easily, and the shimmers really make your eye look pop. I was drawn to the Skin Deep palette when it launched in a big way; the colours looked very neutral and versatile – basically what I look for in most eye palettes. But after a month of using it daily, I retired it to my makeup drawer and was recently curious to recall why. While the shadows are gorgeous, the colours don’t quite seem so suited to my skin tone. They’re much deeper than those offered in the ‘Wanted’ Palette, which makes me think that I’m a bit too fair to use this for a day look at the moment. I’ll still be hanging onto it for a smokey evening eye look, but it’s a reminder that I don’t need to buy every NARS palette that launches – no matter how good it looks.
Flower Beauty Gimme Gold Eyeshadow Palette | Flower Beauty is a brand that I’ve been so curious to try; especially after watching a wave of Beauty Gurus on YouTube share their first impressions. Spoiler alert; they were all glowing. So I was incredibly grateful when I received a small selection of the range as PR, and of course one of the first products I made a beeline for was the eyeshadow palette. This spoke to me on so many levels. Warm-toned, pretty gold hues, and some fun shimmers. The palette has two matte shades – a lighter one and a darker one – one shadow I’d call a ‘semi’-shimmer, and the rest are shimmery. I’ve really enjoyed playing around with this. The shadows have good pigment but blend out well, and I like that there’s a range of metallics. I do wish that there was a third matte shade included just to give a bit more depth to the eye, but this was perfect for creating a quick and easy every day eye look.
Flower Beauty Zoom-In Ultimate Mascara | In last month’s beauty edit I talked about the Hourglass ‘Caution’ Mascara; one of those products that just didn’t do it for me. It was flakey, and that was the ultimate deal breaker. So this Flower Beauty Mascara couldn’t have come at a better time. It has a twist up wand which curls the (plastic) bristles from straight to spiral, giving the effect of longer, more voluminous, and curled lashes. I take the time to go through each step for maximum impact, and am really impressed with how this makes my lashes look. I do get the odd bit of smudging on my brow bone across the day (something I have to be particularly conscious of if it’s hot that day), so I have to keep an eye on that when wearing this, but overall I think it’s a really great option, and I’d love to see if it comes in waterproof (as that’d probably be a 10 out of 10 for me!).
Flower Beauty Petal Pout Lip Color in ‘100 Poppy Pout’ | The final product I tried from Flower Beauty was one of their Petal Pout Lip Colors in a vibrant red hue. This is a matte lipstick, but it’s super cream and feels very comfortable on the lips. I love that it has more of an orange-neutral undertone. Definitely one I’m excited to wear more of as we head towards summer.
THE SKINCARE EDIT
IRYNA Coconut and Matcha Cleansing Mousse | A little over halfway into the month, I finished my beloved Ella Bache Cleansing Milk, so dipped into my stash for the last remaining cleanser from recently launched brand IRYNA. Anything with coconut or matcha on the ingredient list immediately gets me excited, so I had some pretty high hopes for this. Having it used it for a solid couple of weeks now, I’ve come to the conclusion that this just isn’t the one for me. For a start, it’s a foam cleanser, where I tend to prefer cream or gels. Secondly, the scent is quite chemical, something I just can’t get past when cleansing. Finally, it led to some pretty severe breakouts for the first week of use; to me, this is a pretty general sign that a product just isn’t right for my oily/combination (and sensitive) skin type. That being said, it does do a great job of cleansing my skin and getting rid of any excess makeup, and I don’t feel like I need to rush to apply serum and moisturiser the second after I’ve dried my face. Ultimately, one to check the ingredients list of if you’re considering giving this one a go.
Olay Total Effect Whip with SPF30 | I am a pretty big fan of the original Olay Whip formula, so was thrilled to see that they recently launched a reformulation with SPF30. Great if you want to streamline the number of products you’re applying every morning. Olay is one of the few brands – along with Clinique – that I’ve always been able to just rely on, so this has been a welcome addition to my daily skincare prep. While the texture is still light, it does differ somewhat to the original ‘Whip’. It has less of a light, airy feel, and is slightly thicker and heavier. I don’t find that this translates that way when worked into the skin; it doesn’t feel greasy or oily, but rather just more substantial. After applying, my skin looks luminous and has a satin finish – definitely going to be making my way through the entire tub!
THE BEAUTY EDIT
Versace Dylan Blue EDP | I’m always up for trying a new fragrance, and got a lovely surprise when this arrived as PR, to coincide with the Versace show during Milan Fashion Week. I don’t often change up the fragrances on my bedside table (which happen to be the ones I reach for daily), but this has quickly found its spot. It’s ripe for the spring – fresh and floral, with fruity notes of blackcurrant and apple, and heart notes of petalia and jasmine.
Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk | The last few years have really seen a shift in my haircare routine; for me, it really is all about routine. I’ve got a small roundhouse of products I use on repeat, and I seldom seem to stray from them. For dry shampoo, it’s Klorane for spray, or Aveda for a powder option. This past month I’ve been making my way through a fresh bottle of the Klorane Dry Shampoo with Oat Milk (which now comes in an XL version – great for me as I’m always very liberal with my application). I’m always drawn to this as it never feels heavy in my hair, and has a subtle but natural effect. I also love the volume and texture that I get in my hair after using it for a few days, and usually I can extend my hair out to 5-6 days between washes.
Avene XeraCalm Lipid-replenishing Balm | Finally, I wanted to end on a body moisturiser. I’ve talked previously about how dry my skin seems to have gotten over the winter, so my final body care routine in the morning is to apply something nourishing all over to help combat this. Avene is a brand I always seem to come back to (I love French pharmacy in general…), and this ticks all the boxes for me. It’s very lightly scented, doesn’t feel thick or heavy on my skin, absorbs quickly, and doesn’t leave a greasy residue. The best part is that the bottle is enormous, so I have a feeling this is going to last me the better part of a year!
What beauty products have you been trying this month? x
