July Favourites 2016

Having had a month off, I've been able to use and discover several new things this month or rediscover items, so I have quite a few favourites to share with you!

Beauty

L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Base Primer- I've never particularly noticed a difference between the quality and length of time my foundation lasts with and without a primer until this one. I've still tended to use them as they seem to make the application easier but the L'Oreal Infallible primer is the only one I've noticed a big difference in. It makes my makeup go on smoothly, gives it a mattified look which I definitely prefer and it makes my makeup last so much longer. After a few hours I always notice foundation rubbing off my face and leaving patches but this primer helps to combat this; I won't say it stops it all together but I definitely notice a difference on the days I forget to apply it.
L'Oreal False Lash Superstar Mascara Red Carpet- You may remember me mentioning the L'Oreal False Lash Superstar mascara on multiple occasions last year and although I didn't stop loving it, I stopped mentioning it so that I could put emphasis on new things I've been loving. Not technically breaking my own rule of new things only as this one is the Red Carpet mascara which is extra black I believe and although I haven't noticed a huge difference in the colour or strength of black, it does make my lashes look so much longer, more volumised and overall so much better than anyother mascara. This is 100% my go to mascara and I've never found one I like as much as the as it gives me the perfect eye look.
Calvin Klein CK2 Perfume- Last month my parents went on a cruise and kindly bought my brother and I some presents back. Amongst the presents was a travel set of Calvin Klein perfume which meant I could give a few different ones a go and possibly purchase the full size bottle in the future. I love all of the scents but the one I reach for most often and absolutely adore the scent of is CK2.
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer- Towards the end of this month, I've been trying to wear less makeup, particularly face/base makeup as I want to try and allow my skin to breathe more to hopefully improve the quality of it for now and for the future. It seems to be heading in the right direction so hopefully by sticking to this for a few weeks/months I can feel more confident without makeup or with less makeup and can improve my skin. The collection concealer has been a favourite of mine for a while now but it had been particularly useful recently as it's easy to blend without the use of a primer or foundation. It covers blemishes and under eye darkness nicely whilst still looking quite natural and bare faced.
E45 Moisturising Lotion- I have been using this as a face moisturiser the past month or so and it has really made a difference to the softness of my skin. It rubs in nicely and immediately afterwards I can feel my skin benefiting from the hydration and generally feeling really soft. Not only does it have a short term benefit but it also seems to improve the quality of my skin in the long run. As soon as my cleansers have been used up, I will also be trying the E45 cream as a cleanser as that's supposed to be effective for blemished skin so hopefully that will have as positive an effect.
Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish- As I briefly mentioned above, I'm trying to use up my cleansers and moisturisers as I have a couple on the go and want to get them finished before I buy any new ones and stick to one product. (I have several on the go because I was trying to find the best one for my skin but most seem to give a similar effect anyway). In trying to use them up, I found that I had more in my Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish than I realised and remembered just how much I love it. It gets rid of so much dirt and makeup, feels great when applying it and leaves my skin feeling really soft.
Benefit Hoola Bronzer- This has been my go to cheek product for a long time but as it's got to Summer, I've found it to be especially useful in creating a bronzer, more Summery look, through contouring and general bronzing. It blends really nicely as you've probably heard multiple times and it's really well pigmented.
Benefit Gimme Brow- I have a little sample of this that I got in the Glamour magazine and although they only had two shade options, the lightest one was a perfect match for my brows. The tone is quite ashy which I much prefer in brow products and it's so easy to use whilst creating quite a natural, filled in brow look. I am definitely considering purchasing a full size version once I've used this up.
Skirts- I am not the biggest fan of jeans at all, I much prefer leggings, skirts and dresses but recently I've been loving skirts even more than normal. I think they're really cute for Summer and I've frequently found myself reaching for a skirt and leggings over trousers.

Entertainment

Money Marlow- My friend Poppy started a blog this month entirely dedicated to money. It's so easy to read and follow and is full of really useful tips. As it's written from a students point of view, it's easy for students to follow and relate to their lives, so if you want a bit of advice regarding spending and saving money, I highly recommend checking it out and giving it a follow. It's also written in a friendly, humorous way which makes it entertaining as well as informative.
Eve Bennett Vlogs- I've really been loving vlogs recently, some I've watched and enjoyed more than main channel videos and one person I've loved watching in particular is Eve Bennett. I always enjoy her videos but love her vlogs that little bit more. As she's been daily vlogging, I've found myself looking forward to her videos and when I miss a day, I always go back and catch up before watching the new video. I don't know what it is about her but I enjoy her content whatever she does.
Megan Jane- Megan's videos often crack me up especially her rants or storytimes as she tells them in a really entertaining way. I've particularly enjoyed her uni related videos which have been quite insightful and interesting as someone heading off to uni soon. If you've never come across her videos before, I recommend checking them out! (Side note: I have a video on my pet peeves going up tomorrow, which I planned to do before I had launched my channel but had got my first few videos planned and filmed ready. I didn't intend on copying Megan's video from a few weeks ago but obviously it could look that way. However watching her video did make me want to do it sooner rather than later.)
YouTube- If you didn't already know, I started a YouTube channel at the end of June so I've enjoyed working on that throughout July. I upload weekly on a Wednesday as well as my two blog posts a week so if you want to check it out, you can do so here.
Five Grand- I couldn't not put this in my monthly favourites as it makes me proud and although it's incredible weird to see, it's something I'm sure we'll have to get used to... My brother recently starred in this short film and it's pretty darn funny. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you check it out, it does contain a lot of strong language but it's very entertaining to watch.

Other

Floral DIY Photo Frame- I won't go into too much detail about this one as I did a whole post on it but I have loved having this in my room and have received quite a few compliments on this from blog posts and my videos, so thank you to everyone who commented on that. If you haven't seen it and want to know more about it and how I made it, you can see my post here.
Kinder Scout- This is a favourite this month as I enjoyed the experience and am proud of what we managed to achieve as it's a lot more than I normally do and what I thought I was capable of. If you want to read my rambly post on that, you can check it out here.
Le Bistrot Pierre- I had a lovely meal out in July with my french class and was amazed by the quality of the restaurant and the food. Post about that here.
Watermelon- I couldn't not mention watermelon now that it's got to Summer! It is one of my favourite foods, if not my favourite, and I have definitely eaten my fair share (and more) this month.
Mango Salsa- I have been obsessed with this Salsa as it tastes so fresh, sweet, tangy and delicious. It makes a great accompaniment to so many Summery dishes so if you want to see how I made that, you can view my Summer Salads Recipe post here.

Thank you so much for reading this long, rambly post, I hope you enjoyed it! If you want to see more posts from me, you can follow my social media links in the top right corner of the blog to see when I next upload. To follow me on my YouTube journey, you can access that and subscribe here. Thank you for the support so far. What have you been loving this month?

Love, Steph x

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