I've really been limiting myself when it comes to beauty purchases of late, and it's quite surprising to think how long it's been since I last had a real splurge. I have, however, been picking up the odd 'essential' here and there, and these four treats have most definitely been floating my boat this week.
First up, the Ren Resurfacing AHA Concentrate is back for another slice of the limelight. For those of you who missed it, I'll link my recent review of this skincare must-have at the end of the post - it has made such a huge difference to the feel and texture of my skin, and I can always count on it to revive my complexion, leaving it soft, smooth and radiant.
It took me a while to get into primers - initially I think I saw them as something of a gimmick. The trouble with these 'extra' beauty steps is that once you have a taste and realise they do have a purpose, you keep wanting to go back for more, inevitably upping the cost of your daily face. Until recently, I'd only dabbled, with a couple of swipes of Benefit The Porefessional or Revlon Photo-ready here and there - neither of which had exactly blown me away. But after a recent charity event at my local Boots, I walked away with a goodie bag which just so happened to contain a sample pot of the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer. After working it into my routine for a few days and finding myself marveling at how long my makeup was staying put throughout, I was more than ready to part with the pennies and get myself a full-size tube. Of course, what I didn't bargain for was the sheer number of options I was presented with, and in the end I walked away with the Smashbox Photo Finish Luminizing Primer. A peachy, shimmery offering, this sits nicely underneath my Rimmel Wake Me Up foundation, giving off a subtle, radiant glow. This would be a fantastic choice for a night out, as it adds a glamorous edge to any look. However, I wouldn't say it increases the longevity of makeup to quite the extent that the standard Photo Finish does, so I'll be picking one of those up soon to keep in my everyday makeup kit.
I love a good, dark lip in winter, but having seen Topshop Lips in Beguiled on more than one occasion, I wondered if it would perhaps be a step too far for my pale complexion. However, a quick swatch revealed this to be nonsense - applied with a light hand, it translates onto the lips as a gorgeously wearable berry shade, and can be layered up to achieve a darker, more dramatic effect. It's love.
Fragrance-wise, you'll probably have heard me banging on about the Jo Malone Pomegranate Noir Cologne when I reviewed it earlier this week (link below). If you're interested in finding out more about this delightful winter scent then do pop over and have a read - if you like the smell of mulled wine, then you'll love this.
What have been your favourite beauty treats this week?
Hope you're all having a lovely weekend!
XX
