April Favourites

How can it be May already?!  April whizzed by in a fun flash of days off lounging in the sun in London parks or moseying around markets.  Yesterday I went to Elephant & Castle and had my first taste of Ecuadorian food which was fabulous and I got to try lots of specialties which are normally only available in Ecuador.  I'm a bit sad to be going in to May already as it means I'm going back to the grindstone, but on a happier note, this here blawg turns 1 on 14th May and that means giveaway time!

I have a neat little batch of products I enjoyed throughout April and a few of them are rediscoveries from my stash.  First up though, April was the month I really fell in love with Liz Earle's Cleanse & Polish, late to the party as always! I have a full review of it coming up tomorrow so check back for that.  

Being out and about in the sunshine is lovely but sometimes you just feel a need to freshen up, so I've been loving my Victoria's Secret Sexy Little Things Noir Body Mist.  I have the EDP of it and frankly the body mist lasts just as long on me.  It's the most divine scent - further described here - and one I won't ever grow tired of.  I got this little bottle in the US for about $10, which is pricey for a body spray, but I know that the VS concessions at Heathrow, Stansted and Gatwick airports definitely stock some of the Sexy Little Things Noir range.

Blogland has been buzzing about this Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Ultimate Wear Concealer for the past month.  While it's definitely a favourite - even a holy grail of mine, I'm a bit disappointed that Superdrug have put it up from £1.99 last year to £4.19!  Still an extreme bargain, but talk about a price hike!  I wear the lightest shade, 1 Fair and it is utterly perfect for my skintone.  The coverage is phenomenal and the best thing about this concealer is that it is very creamy and moisturising for the under eye area so it doesn't settle into fine lines.  It's supposed to last 16 hours, which is a bit of a stretch, but it certainly lasts during a working day or a night out.  It's also very easy to top up as you can swipe a bit over an earlier application and it won't look cakey.  I'll be doing a fuller review of this beauty soon complete with before and after pics!

I'm pretty sure this Prestige Skin Loving Minerals in Pure Shimmer highlighter has featured in previous monthly favourites, but with the recent good weather I've really wanted a fresh, glowy look and this is the best high street powder highlighter out there.  I know there's a lot of hype about the Sleek one which comes with the contour kit, but I don't rate that one next to my Pure Shimmer.  I'd say this is a good dupe for Soft & Gentle MAC MSF, if ever so slightly paler.  You can find Prestige in most large Boots so it's definitely worth a look. I've had this product for over a year and it's still going strong.  It's best applied with a MAC 109 brush which is nice and dense and ensures precise application along the cheekbones.  I tend to bring it up to my browbone too.

Good high street matte bronzers are hard to come by, and even rarer are pale ones, but Rimmel Sun Shimmer Bronzing Powder Compact in Light Matte has been my saviour this last month.  It's the best bronzer for pale skin I've tried - you can keep your Benefit Hoola's - I'm done!  I contour my cheekbones with this and dust some along my jawline and *cough* double chin with my trusty MAC 168 brush.  I definitely recommend this bronzer to you fellow Cullens out there!

This TopShop cream blush in Flush will probably feature in my monthly favourites until the end of time! I have used this blush Every Single Day in April and I've barely made a dent in it.  It's divine and lasts all day.  For swatches and a fuller review of it click here.  At only £6 I urge you to get this!

Another TopShop beauty is the Kohl pencil in Dragonfly which is a very dark bottle green with a slight shimmer.  I've been using it on my waterline as it's not as harsh as black and the green really brings out my blue eyes and the green flecks in them - I've had lots of compliments on my eyes since I started using this.  It's only £4 and is beautifully soft - no need to drag the delicate skin around your eyes.

Last but not least is Urban Decay's First Book of Shadows.  I got my mitts on this exactly two years ago and practically had to get on a plane to Florence for it! (long story).  It's a great all round palette with lots of neutral and bright colours, but they're all pretty shimmery.  One drawback to Urban Decay shadows is that I've recently noticed that my eyes water when I wear them on a sunny day.  I'm terrified that I might be allergic to them but persevering all the same.  They're not tested on animals - which was a huge plus for me - but sadly this may also be the reason why I sometimes have a bad reaction to them.

But this is meant to be a favourites post right? This month my eyes have mostly been sporting Gridlock all over the lid with Roach in the crease and Perversion in the outer corner.  Today I swiped a bit of Mayhem over Gridlock and it had a fabulous effect and brought out the green tones in my eyes - sorry I didn't take a pic!  Shakedown is another fave from this palette - it's a very pale silvery green which is extremely wearable.

What products have you been loving in April? If you've done a favourites post link it below so I can have a nose!

Happy Sunday! X

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