July Beauty Buys

Well, I haven’t done a beauty post in a while, have I? Recommending and writing about beauty products is a big responsibility, I like to really try something out before I tell you all about it. In this post I’ll be sharing my thoughts on a few of the products and beauty buys currently gracing my face.

Skincare

The Ordinary Hyaluronic Acid Serum – I have been using products that include hyaluronic acid since Sali Hughes first wrote of its hydrating qualities – my skin is always dehydrated – and since there has been such a buzz about no frills beauty brand The Ordinary I had to give it a go. I have been using the hyaluronic acid serum for a couple of months now.

My usual hydrating serum is Vichy’s Aqualia Thermalia which arguably feels a little bit nicer on application but the overall hydrating and plumping effect is practically the same. The packaging is minimal and smart and you can’t argue with the price at £6 a pop. The Ordinary is a solid skincare brand worth noting.

Ambre Solaire Sensitive Advanced Face Mist – Ideal day to day sun protection when you are on the move. This was recommended to me by skincare expert Fiona Brakenbury when I discussed my skin pigmentation issues with her. You can wear this over your makeup (which I love) and you won’t even know you are wearing it. I wouldn’t encourage you to actively sunbathe in it although this is just a personal choice. I prefer something heavy duty if I’m actively catching some rays but it’s a great product for day to day use.

Makeup

Bobbi Brown Intensive Skin Serum Foundation SPF40 – this is a great multi-tasker that protects and nourishes your skin with a high SPF. It was recommended to me again as part of a conversation about skin pigmentation so I asked Bobbi Brown for a sample and they kindly sent me a bottle to try. I have been using this foundation daily as it gives a light coverage which is ideal for summer. I won’t lie, it’s not cheap at £42 but it is serum AND makeup in one so if you usually use both as separate products then you might find that it’s potentially more economical.

Pixi Pat Away Concealing Base – Now usually it’s Touché Eclat from YSL for me although I did try this one by Collection which was a perfectly ok budget option if you just want to brighten your eyes a little bit.

The thing I like about the the Pat Away concealer is that it really adds luminosity to the under eye area, especially if you use the triangle of light technique – if you aren’t doing it yet I suggest you get on board and watch this makeup tutorial by Trish McEvoy, it really makes a difference!

I generally like this but it has an oddly large applicator that is supposed to mimic a fingertip but I’m not convinced. It has good staying power but I on a few occasions it clumped together in the creases of my eye, you could probably fix this with an eye primer if you could be bothered. All in all, good luminosity good, application and durability no so much.

Charlotte Tilbury Cheek to Chic Blusher – The shade I have is called Ecstasy which is a lovely coral shade with Light Flex Technology for added luminosity – that’s a hint of sparkle to you and me. You’ll notice from the photo that you get two shades of the colour in each compact. The idea is that you ‘swish’ the brush around the light shade and then add a ‘pop’ of the darker shade to the apple of your cheek. You probably know by now that I’m not too prescriptive about these things so I just blend the two but feel free to ‘swish and pop’ to your heart’s content.

Personally I think it’s good value, as you get 8g of product as opposed to the usual 4g and it comes in a mirror compact which I find really useful.

Have you tried any new beauty products recently?

Antonia x

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