The first two months of the year always seem to whiz by in a flash. Generally I find January to be a come down from holiday festivities as we start to dive back into work for the year, and the 28 days (or 29…) of February are always over too soon. February was a pretty big month for me in the way of beauty; I added quite a few new products into rotation across my makeup and skincare routines, including from a couple of brands I’d been incredibly curious about. So let’s kick off this February beauty edit with what I was using makeup-wise.
The Makeup Edit
Tarte Rainforest of the Sea Water Foundation | This foundation was basically the only one I reached for all month, which says a lot. I’ve actually got a full face of Tarte makeup coming later this month, but of everything I tried, this was one of the few that really stuck with me and that I’ve wanted to use consistently. The packaging is gorgeous; a beautiful glass bottle with a gradiated gold and purple lid, and the product is dispersed using a pipette or dropper. I like my foundations to look natural on the skin, not too dewy and not too matte, and this delivers. The coverage is more of a light to medium (buildable), and I like that it doesn’t hide my freckles or beauty marks, instead evening out any redness. I apply this using a damp beauty blender, which I think helps to stop too much product from building up. The wear time is also great – it’s virtually undetectable on the skin so I’ve not noticed any major wear across the course of the day.
it Cosmetics Bye Bye Under Eye Full Coverage Anti-Aging Waterproof Concealer (also here) | I’ve been dying to try the it Cosmetics CC Cream for more than a year now, so I had really high hopes for this concealer. And I hate to say it, but I just couldn’t make this one work for me. This is super full coverage, with a very thick texture which can be a little difficult to blend out. I’ve used both a small fluffy concealer brush (this is the one if curious) and a beauty blender, and I’d say of the two it applies better with a brush. While it does give a lot of coverage and is great for concealing darkness, this settled into the fine lines and creases underneath my eyes, and just generally looked quite cakey on the skin. I found that this layers better under foundation, and my biggest tip would be to start with a super moisturised base if you do decide to give this one a try. While it’s not pictured above, I have this in the shade ’25.0 Medium Natural’, which is quite a peachy beige and admittedly, it’s a bit dark for under the eyes on me. I’d love to know if this is a product that you’ve used and loved, and if so, how you apply it.
NARS Blush in ‘Gina’ (also here)| I’ve started to get into the habit of rotating my makeup monthly, and back on the makeup menu for February has been this peachy/coral-toned blush from NARS. This is intensely pigmented so a little will go a long way. I love the colour, and I think this is a great one for the spring and summer months as it complements a sun kissed glow really nicely.
Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in ‘Exposed’ | A cult classic and another product from Tarte which I’ve found myself reaching for a lot this past month. Unlike the NARS blush, this is a much softer blush. The colour payoff is quite sheer, so in order to intensify the pigment on the skin you do need to build it up on the cheeks. I can be a little heavy-handed with the blush so this doesn’t bother me, and I love the muted neutral hue. This is one I see myself wearing a lot more in the cooler months.
Nudestix Nudies Matte in ‘Sunkissed’ | I’ve been binging Allana Davisons videos on YouTube for the last couple months, and the one product she features in just about every video is the Nudestix Nudies Matte in ‘Bondi Bae’. I love a good cream face product so was really curious to try this out. The one I’ve been using this month is their latest shade, ‘Sunkissed’, which has quite a strong red undertone to it in the tube as well as when swatched on the skin. In terms of the formula, it’s easily blendable and I like that you can start with a little bit of product and work your way up to a slightly more intense colour. In terms of the shade? I don’t love ‘Sunkissed’; I think this is more a product suited to those with deeper skin tones, though I can make it work for me. What I do like is that this is a multi-use product which can be worn on the cheeks, eyes and lips, so a great one to travel with considering it’s quite compact. I also really like the formula so I think I may pass this one on, and pick up ‘Bondi Bae’ next time I’m at Sephora.
Peter Thomas Roth Lashes To Die For The Mascara | I am constantly on the hunt for a good mascara that doesn’t budge, and after finally calling it quits with my Bobbi Brown Smokey Eye (which is incredibly smudgy for anyone wondering), I decided to give this one from PTR a go. And for the most part, I actually really like it. The mascara is very black, and when applied it gives my lashes a fluttery look – long and separated with no clumping. And the upside is that I haven’t really found that this smudges on me both above and below my eyes, unless it’s an incredibly muggy day. So this has become a bit of a go-to for me. This does have a plastic bristle wand which I did think was worth mentioning. I love how it disperses the product, however I have a habit of somehow poking my eyes with this almost every time I apply it!
Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in ‘Park Avenue Princess’ (also here) | The final Tarte product I wanted to highlight this month is their Amazonian Clay Bronzer. I was actually so ready to not like this the first time I tried it. I’m not a fan of glittery bronzers, and in the pan, this looks like it has little flecks of shimmer throughout. Thankfully, this doesn’t translate on the skin, instead giving more of a diffused glow. The colour is perfect; a medium brown that doesn’t pull too warm or too cool, and doesn’t look muddy on the cheeks either.
Laneige Lip Sleeping Mask in ‘Grapefruit’ | I’ve mentioned a few times in the past that I’m prone to dermatitis and eczema. Aside from occasionally getting this on my legs and side, I sometimes will also suffer from a bit of eczema on my lips. So, lip products infused with hydration are a huge priority for me; something I tend to keep on me at all times. This month, I’ve had one of these mini tubs of the Laneige Lip Sleeping Masks on me at all times. Rather than using this exclusively as an overnight mask for my lips, I’ve been applying it all day, whether it’s to soothe dryness or prime my lips before applying lipstick. I’m not convinced that this is as potent as the Bite Beauty Agave Lip Mask, however it is a really lovely alternative. It’s not as sticky, it feels comfortable and balmy on the lips, and the scents are just gorgeous.
Chanel Rouge Allure Ink in ‘Amoreaux’ (also here) | Finally I wanted to round up the makeup edit with two old lipstick favourites. I’ve found myself wanting to wear lipstick more frequently, and this has been a firm favourite since I bought it last year. I like the slightly balmy matte finish, and the colour is a pretty peachy pink which complements my complexion perfectly.
Tom Ford Lip Colour in ‘Wild Ginger’ (also here) | Perhaps the most expensive lipstick I own, this is definitely worth the hype. It’s a bold bright red which pulls slightly orange. The pigmentation on this is divine; it’s a one-swipe wonder, and I love the rich and creamy formula. This has a satin finish, and feels super comfortable on the lips.
The Haircare & Skincare Edit
Caudalie Vinopure Serum (also here) | I’m not sure what it is about French skincare, but I’ve yet to have a bad experience, and I’ve found this serum from Caudalie to be no exception. I have oily to combination skin which is dehydrated (hence my obsession with hydrating creams), so this was right up my alley. The texture was really unexpected for me; it’s very watery, gliding onto the skin with ease. The scent of this is gorgeous; it has herbal and minty notes which feel quite calming. I have been using this one every evening applied across my cheeks, nose and chin. My skin has been looking pretty clear – no noticeable blemishes, so this is something I’ll be keeping in rotation for March as well.
Kiehls Powerful-Strength Line-Reducing Concentrate | In the last six months, I’ve become acutely aware of the fine lines I have across my forehead. Overall, I feel like my skin still looks pretty youthful, however this has been one of the first real signs of ageing; a reminder that I need to continue investing in my skincare routine. This serum is loaded with Vitamin C and Hyaluronic Acid, which work to reduce the appearance of fine lines. I use this solely on my forehead, and have noticed that the lines have softened slightly. This seems to be a bit of a cult product so definitely one worth checking out if you have similar skincare concerns to me.
Jurlique Rosewater Balancing Mist | I’ve mentioned before that I like to keep slightly different morning and evening skincare routines. For one, I like to target quite a number of skincare concerns but I don’t love layering up too much at one time, and secondly, I enjoy being able to mix in a few new products. And this toner from Jurlique has been a new addition to the line up this month which I’ve been reaching for every morning. The bottle is really weighty and feels quite luxurious, and I like that this is a spray. I tend to spritz a couple pumps into my palm, and then pat this all over my face. It does have a strong powdery rose scent, though I find this doesn’t linger once it’s been applied to the skin. I use this as a hydrating toner, which I alternate with a glycolic toner in the evening.
Votary Super Seed Nutrient Cream | Votary is another one of those brands that I’ve been really curious to try, particularly their Parsley Seed Cleansing Oil, which I’ve heard only incredible things about, so I was pretty thrilled to put their moisturiser to the test this month. The texture is really thick – almost like a whipped butter – with a non-greasy feel that sinks into the skin incredibly quickly with a matte finish. This might be an odd way to describe a moisturiser, but I found it didn’t spread easily; it’s not as emollient as other night creams I’ve tried, however despite it being so thick, it hasn’t given me any breakouts at all, and I’ve found it’s just given me a nice boost of moisture. The one thing I did want to flag is the scent. Now this does say it’s unscented on the back, but the combination of ingredients does have quite a strong smell to it, which isn’t really my favourite. It sticks around for about 10 minutes after application so if you’re sensitive to the scent of your skincare products, this may not be the one for you.
Aveda Tulasara Wedding Masque – Eye | One of my favourite beauty products from 2018 was the Wedding Masque from Aveda (which I’ll talk about below), so I was really excited to try out the complementing eye cream. Truth be told, I’ve never had much luck with eye creams in the past. Generally I find them a bit too rich for my skin type, which results quite quickly in a build up of milia around the orbital bone. This eye cream from Aveda has kinda of changed the game for me. It doesn’t feel too heavy when applied, nor does it feel too rich. I’ve been loving the added moisture boost from this, and I tend to pat this in along the contour of my eye socket in the morning.
Aveda Tulasara Wedding Masque | I took a bit of a break from using this in January, but it’s so good that I’ve found myself slipping this back into rotation. I like to use this both day and night, though in February I found myself using this more in the morning, as a super-hydrating moisturiser. This is so nourishing, and I’ve found it to be one of the best remedies when my skin is feeling really thirsty.
Avene Cleansing Foam | I’ve been making my way through my cleanser stash, and came across this in our vanity – I’d completely forgotten that we had this! This to me is a basic, reliable cleanser. It’s inoffensive, isn’t too harsh, and keeps my skin feeling balanced. I love the pump applicator and the fact that this one is foamy, as it gives a nice lather and makes me feel like I’m giving my skin a good deep cleanse.
Philosophy Purity Cleanser | Another cleanser from the stash, this is one I reach for on and off throughout the month. I find that it’s really effective at removing makeup; it has an emollient texture that breaks down makeup – in particular eye makeup – with ease.
Ouai Scalp & Body Scrub | I’ve going to admit, a scalp scrub wasn’t something I ever realised I needed. This is a pretty interesting product, which can be used both to slough dead skin cells from your scalp but also on the body too. While I’m still not sure that I need this on regular rotation, I did find that my roots seemed a lot ‘cleaner’ after using this. I have also noticed my hair has been smoother too, something I’m putting down to the combination of products I’ve been using. The texture of the scrub is quite grainy (as you’d expect!), with large granules. This is pretty tricky to use on your scalp unless you have shorter hair, but I found the best way was to get your hair really wet, and then work in a generous amount of product at the roots. Give it a little massage and then rinse out.
Aveda Damage Remedy Intensive Restructuring Treatment | Finally, I wanted to give this intensive treatment another shout out because I have been loving it that much. I’ve been using this each time I wash my hair in place of a traditional conditioner, and it’s honestly worked wonders. My hair feels softer to the touch, and it’s also a lot smoother, plus I have noticed that it doesn’t get quite as frizzy following a blow dry. A+++ and totally worth the splurge if you’re looking for a nourishing treatment for your hair.
