The Weekly Selection

If you saw my review of the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner last week (mine was picked up abroad, hence the different name), then you'll already be aware of how much I've been enjoying this little gem recently. Light enough to use on a daily basis and yet as nourishing as a weekly mask, there's very little not to love about it, and the fact that it does the job in just one minute makes rushing out of the door in the mornings and having to skip breakfast that little bit less likely.

On a similar note, the Garnier Fructis Super 8 Oil (sadly not available in the UK) has been keeping the ends of my hair nourished, shiny and frizz-free. I usually pop some on when my hair is damp, as I find that it just drinks it up, without leaving any hint of an oily residue when dry. It also protects against heat of up to 230C, which helps to ease the guilt of constant straightening and/or curling!

Skincare-wise, this week I've rediscovered the Origins Make a Difference Skin Rejuvenating Treatment Lotion, which smells of oranges and leaves my skin feeling incredibly plump, soft and hydrated. I got this as part of a gift set at Christmas, and after I had finished up all of the other products I moved on to trying other things. Now that I've given it another try though, I've remembered what a godsend this is. If you sleep or work in a room with air conditioning, this really helps to replenish any lost moisture, and works equally well in both overly hot and cold weather conditions.

Makeup-wise, I've been trying out a new mascara, namely the Maybelline One by One. I like how it separates the lashes and puts paid to any nasty clumps, but I do think it's lacking slightly in the lengthening department. In all fairness, it doesn't claim to be anything special in that area, but I think I still prefer the L'oreal Volume Million Lashes mascara, which will be forever repurchased.

As I've been cracking out the red lipsticks again lately after shunning them for some time, I've been in need of something complementary for my cheeks, and the Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Light Year has been just the job. It comes out a gorgeous but subtle shade of peachy-golden bronze, so it doesn't overpower or clash in the same way that a pink or coral would. It's such a shame that this was a limited edition product, as I think it's something every girl should have in her makeup collection.

That's it for this week. Have you tried any of these?

 What has been knocking your socks off beauty-wise of late?

xx

New in Beauty Buys

It's been quite a while since I last treated myself to any beauty buys, which is saying a lot for me as I'm usually constantly picking things up here and there. I've been really good at saving my pennies lately, but inevitably there came a time that I was starting to run out of things and needed to restock, and that time was this weekend. We move out of our house today, but won't actually be returning to the UK for another two weeks, so that meant that this was my last chance to get my hands on the bits I needed before we head off to the middle of nowhere to stay with some of my husband's family until we leave.

Now before I start, let me just say that some of the products in the picture are going to have slightly different names to what I'm going to call them, and that is because I bought them in Brazil. Sometimes we get products here that are only available in the US, and sometimes the ones which are on sale in the UK have the American names. I'm going to be referring to them by their UK names so as to avoid confusion.

First off, I decided to treat myself to a new conditioner, in the form of the Dove Nourishing Oil Care Express Treatment Conditioner. I've just re-ombred my hair myself , so it goes without saying that the ends are in need of a bit of TLC. This one seems to be nice and luxurious, with 3x the conditioning power of a standard conditioner, but it can be used daily, getting to work in just minute, which I must say is rather handy.

Next up is the Vichy Normaderm Micellar Water for imperfection-prone skin, which I was prompted to buy after realising just how much cleanser I've been getting through of late. I usually rely on my Elemental Herbology Bio-Cellular Super Cleanse to both remove makeup and give my skin a deep-down clean, which inevitably requires a double cleanse, so I'm going to give this micellar a go and see if it helps me to economise.

I was in need of a new mascara, and having been disappointed by my recent purchase of Maybelline's The Falsies, I decided to give their One by One Mascara a go. I like the fact that this is meant to separate the lashes, leaving them clump free, as for me there is nothing worse that a lumpy, spidery look. However, I usually do prefer more lengthening formulations, so we shall have to see.

Unfortunately, the last four products don't seem to be available in the UK, so sorry for being a tease in that respect. I got two Garnier Fructis hair oils, one of which is designed to nourish the hair while the other is a heat protectant and is supposed to be a great styling tool for straightening hair, leaving it silky smooth ( Sleek and Shine Moroccan Sleek Oil Treatment, if you're in the U.S.). I also got two Maybelline Hydra Extreme Matte lipsticks in Red Revolution and Forever Red - a girl can never have too many red lipsticks, after all, and I have already purchased and loved several other shades from this range. They are really long-lasting, and not as drying as you might expect from a matte formulation.

And that is all that managed to creep into my shopping bag on this occasion. I'm looking forward to trying them all out this week, and will let you know my thoughts imminently!

Have you made any new beauty purchases recently?

xx