Spring Beauty Favourites 2021
Wednesday 31 March 2021
With brighter, lighter days on their way, I thought I would group together some of my favourite Spring Beauty products, featuring haircare, skincare, body care, fragrance and makeup.
Starting with haircare, I wanted to include the Christophe Robin Cleansing Volumizing Paste (£39.00 for 250ml). This hair product doesn't have the most appealing look to it, but it protects and enhances the colour of your hair. The formula is enriched with pure Rassoul, which is a natural mineral clay and Rose Extracts to deeply cleanse the scalp while providing volume and density to the roots. The clay-like texture transforms into a light foam that won't weigh the hair down, so if you have fine hair like me, do not fear as it suitable for all hair types. I love that this is a low maintenance treatment as you only have to use it once or twice a week onto wet hair to get amazing, volumizing results.
For skincare, I have been loving the Lavera Hydro Sensation range, to rid my skin of any dryness left over from the Winter months. There are four products within the collection, the Lavera Hydro Sensation Micellar Cleansing Water* (£10.95 for 400ml), which effectively cleanses the skin with natural and organic ingredients to leave it feeling fresh, hydrated and clean. The Micellar Cleansing Water contains a mixture or water and gentle surfactants to remove makeup, sebum, grease and dirt from the skin, leaving it smooth and hydrated. The Lavera Hydro Sensation Face Mist* (£9.95 for 100ml) is a lovely, refreshing mist that hydrates and locks in moisture due to it containing natural hyaluronic acid along with organic algae to help the skin retain moisture. I also think this is going to be a lovely refreshing product for the Summer months too to cool down the skin. The Lavera Hydro Sensation Serum* (£17.95 for 30ml) is a highly effective moisturising serum that is lightweight and contains those all-important hydrating ingredients hyaluronic acid and organic algae. I find this Serum smooths out the skin beautifully, and the extra moisture helps to plump up the skin. The Lavera Hydro Sensation Gel Cream* (£19.95 for 50ml) has the most beautiful, cooling, gel-like formula to it and this hydrating organic moisturiser's super lightweight texture sinks into the skin instantly to keep it feeling fresh and nourished throughout the day.
Staying with the complexion, the Florence by Mills Hit Reset Moisturizing Mask Pearls (£34.00 for 20g) are a fun new release. They are slightly expensive for what you get, but these moisturising mask pearls come in a neat, petite lilac tube and each pearl is packed full of niacinamide, shea butter, apricot kernel oil and hyaluronic acid to leave the skin feeling soft, smooth and hydrated. You simply take a pearl or two and crush them and then apply to the skin and leave on overnight for a healthy, glowy complexion. You can use these 3-4 times a week, but as they are fairly expensive, I like to use them once a week and then use other mask treatments on other days.
I have used the Omorovicza Queen of Hungary Mist (£35.00 for 50ml) for a few years now and even though you can use it all year round, I especially love to use it in the warmer months. I adore this pretty limited edition packaging! The Omorovicza Queen of Hungay Mist is a refreshing and cooling spray that contains orange blossom and purifies and tones the skin. It is lightly scented with neroli and rose and it an all-round pleasant product to use. I often keep it on my desk in the warmer months to cool me down and love the effect it gives my skin, keeping it hydrated throughout the day.
I still have fairly dry lips and so the Barry M Rose Lip Scrub (£4.99 for 14g)is excellent for exfoliating the lips and ridding it of any dryness. As a rule, I don't always like rose-scented products, but this one isn't overly powerful with the scent, and I do think the Barry M Lip Scrubs are such a fabulous product, especially for the price. There are six other flavours to choose from and the formula includes antioxidant Vitamin E to help prevent skin damage along with Olive Oil, Avocado and Jojoba Oils to soften and hydrate, keeping lips super kissable.
Moving on to body care, and it is back, the Original Source Laid-Back Lavender & Tea Tree Shower Gel* (£1.62 for 250ml). This was discontinued a while back, but I am so glad it has been re-released as I adore anything lavender scented. Original Source is cruelty free and contains 100% natural fragrance, with 157 lavender flowers in every single bottle. You cannot beat Original Source for their shower gels, as they have such a wide range and they are super nourishing on the body, but lavender will always have my heart.
As I have fair skin, I don't like to go out in the sun TOO often and so to help my skin get a tan, I like to use the Palmer's Cocoa Butter Formula Natural Bronze Body Lotion* (£5.69 for 200ml). You can use it daily or less frequently if you like and it is a creamy, moisturising lotion that contains a special combination of pure Cocoa Butter and Vitamin E to keep the skin healthy and nourished as well as gradually building a subtle tan in just a few days. The Palmer's Natural Bronze is suitable for all skin types and skin tones, as you can control the level of tan you are wanting. With it being a gradual tanner, I find that I never have streaks and if I personally miss an area, I can just apply some more lotion to that area to keep my tan going.
There have been so many fragrance releases recently, but the Estee Lauder Beautiful Magnolia Eau De Parfum (£52.00 for 30ml) really caught my interest. This is a floral fragrance, which isn't typically my cup of tea, but the freshness and creaminess of this fragrance make it perfect for Spring and Summer. Beautiful Magnolia contains top notes of Magnolia Petals, Mate and Water Lotus, heart notes of Magnolia Oil, Solar Gardenia and Turkish Rose and base notes of Cedarwood, Sandalwood and Illumina Musk, ensuring this fragrance isn't overly floral and it has some depth to it. The fragrance comes in a pretty, feminine bottle and I think this is such a lovely scent for everyday wear.
Moving on to makeup, and I had to include the NYX Marshmellow Soothing Primer (£15.00 for 30ml). I had wanted to try this out as soon as I saw it released. It has an actual light pink marshmallow texture to it, which is soft and fluffy as well as smelling super sweet, which I am obsessed with! This is a 10-in-1 smoothing primer which is infused with smoothing marshmallow root extract and smooths, softens, extends makeup wear for up to 16 hours, hydrates, soothes, evens tone, minimises texture, blurs lines, adds a soft focus finish and keeps makeup fresh. This really is a super product for the complexion and I love how much it smooths out my pores and gives my skin a beautiful dewy finish.
I have really been loving lighter foundations recently and so I wanted to include the Benecos Natural BB Cream 8 in 1* (£9.95 for 30ml). I have mine in the shade Fair, which is perfect for my fair to light skin tone and it comes in a pretty lilac squeezy tube. The formula contains light-reflective pigments and nourishing oils to take care of the skin and keep it hydrated and super smooth. This 8 in 1 BB Cream smooths, nourishes, moisturises, protects, calms, corrects, improves the skin's elasticity and evens out the complexion in one go, making it such a solid everyday product that is super quick and easy to use. The formula is slightly mousse-like and I love how much it evens out my skin-tone, providing me with a natural-looking yet medium coverage.
I recently discovered the Pixi + Makeup by Denise Mind Your Own Glow Palette (£16.00 for 30.6g) and I find it such a versatile palette. This face palette contains nine huge pans of product, which are created with a natural mineral pigment formula, to provide the complexion with radiance and luminosity. The shades can be used singularly or mixed together, and whilst they have been created for highlight and blush, you could also use these on the eyes. Even though this is a larger panned face palette, it is still flat and easy to store, which I always appreciate. The formula is silky soft and they apply beautifully and seamlessly on to the skin to provide the prettiest glow.
Another multi-use product I am loving at the moment is the Benecos Naural Fresh Bronzing Duo* (£6.95 for 8g). This beautiful duo comprises of a blush on one side and a bronzer on the other side of the pan. They can be used individually, blended together or even as eyeshadows, so it is a very versatile compact. Both products have a slight glow to them, without using glitter, and therefore it gives a very pretty lit from within glow to the skin. The formula is lightweight and finely milled so that it sits seamlessly onto the skin. Also, when we are allowed to travel, this will be such an excellent addition to your travel makeup bag.
As I am quite fair skinned, with blue eyes and blonde hair (when lockdown permits), I prefer to use a brown eyeliner pencil over a black one as I think it doesn't look as stark, and looks more natural, so softer for Spring, especially. The Smashbox Always On Gel Liner* (£18.00 for 10g) in the shade Brewed is an absolute winner! The creamy, pigmented pencil goes on like silk, so there is no tugging or pulling the delicate eye area, and even though I have quite watery eyes at time, this makes a great waterline liner. I love how precise this can make your eyelines or if done straight away, you can also blend it out super easily, and once it has been applied, it stays in place all day long.
A mascara I am currently obsessed with is the Shiseido ControlledChaos MascaraInk (£26.00 for 11.5ml). This gives such lovely, fluffy and longer lashes. It features a unique brush design that has two concave sides to boost volume and two flat sides to give extra lift to the lashes, which I would absolutely agree with. The formula is super long lasting and provides weightless, clump-free, flake-free and smudge-proof lashes. I have naturally fine, straight and short lashes and this mascara makes them so much more lifted and I really do love the fluffy effect it gives them as it makes it look like I have more lashes than I do.
When it comes to eyeshadow, I sometimes prefer to have a nice quick and easy product that will stay in place all day with minimal effort. The Smashbox Always On Cream Shadow* (£18.00 for 10ml) is available in fifteen beautiful shades and I have mine in the colour option Guava, a smokey rusty orange-red. The product comes in a squeezy tube with a narrow tip so it is easy to apply and it has a super creamy, blendable formula which is infused with primer, so you don't even need to apply that beforehand. The colour pigmentation is 100%, and even when blended out you don't lost any of that, they sit well on the lids and I found them budge and smudge-proof, lasting throughout the day.
For brows, I have been loving the new Huda Beauty #BombBrows Microshade Brow Pencil* (£15.00 for 0.023g). There are eight shades available of which I opted for Medium Brown, which is for neutral brown hair with a mix of cool and warm undertones and I find it the perfect shade for me. This revolutionary brown pencil features a spoolie at one end and then an ultra-fine 0.9mm tip, which is retractable and allows you to create the tiniest hair-like strokes. The formula is infused with a blend of Vitamin E, Castor Oil and Coconut Oil to care for the brows and I find it such an easy product to use, even on my naturally barely-there brows. Due to it having such a uniquely tin nib, you can create any kind of look with this pencil so that your brows look natural yet on point.
To lock my brows in place and add a tint of colour, I would recommend the Doll 10 Over Archiever Precision Microblading Brow Gel ($24.00 for 2.4ml). The main thing I love about this brow gel is the applicator - it has a long straight wand and then the brush itself is on an angle so there is no having to sit in an awkward position to apply it onto the brows. The formula is creamy and the spoolie is small, making for beautifully tinted, full brows. This is not only a waterproof formula, so it doesn't smudge whatsoever, but it also stays in place throughout the day.
The first of two lip products I wanted to share with you is the Benecos Natural Matte Liquid Lipstick* (£6.95 for 5ml) in the shade Desert Rose. This has such a creamy formula for a matte lipstick, and it contains nourishing ingredients such as Castor Oil and Jojoba Oil, meaning it is nourishing on the lips rather than drying them out like some matte liquid lipstick formulas can. The shade Desert Rose is one of those 'your lips but better' colours which is perfect for everyday wear, and you can either wear it on its own or pop a gloss on top for added dimension. I adore the velvety soft texture and this has fast become my favourite matte liquid lipstick formula.
The second lip product I wanted to share is the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre in the shade Ibiza Nights (£19.00 for 3.5ml). There are many other shades to choose from in this formula, but Ibiza Nights caught my eye as I love the sheer nude colour with a hint of gold glitter and shimmer. It looks stunning over the top of the Benecos Matte Liquid Lipstick, but it also goes great over other lip products or even worn on its own. The formula is not at all gloopy or sticky and contains antioxidant Lotus Flower Extract to hydrate, soothe and protect the lips for a perfect glossy finish.
All the Loves,
Kathryn xxx
*These items have been gifted to me, but all opinions are my own
