orchid-kisses

First up are these Face Masks I picked up in Superdrug (they're only 99p and are usually in a 3 for 2 offer). Now I'm not usually a face mask person, especially considering I've got sensitive skin and that the Simple products I featured in my last post have been working wonders but this month I wanted something I could put on as a little pick me up at the end of a long day at University. 

The ones I have here are the "Dead Sea Purifying Clay Mask" (which deeply cleanses & clarifies skin - especially ideal for blemish prone skin), the "Superfruits Exfoliating Mask" (which deeply purifies pores and smoothes skin) and the "Apricot Self-Heating Mask" (which polishes and purifies skin).   

What I really like about the Superdrug face masks is that they come in different scents and types such as peel off - but also that they cater for different skin types - and for the price they're a bargain! All the packages feature recommendations such as "ideal for oily skin" which makes it so simple to pick up one suitable for you. My favourite of the three shown is the "Superfruits Exfoliating Mask" as it's berry scented and I find that if I leave the mask on for 10-15 minutes and remove it, I can really tell the difference in my skin and it feels so much smoother and my pores are less visible.

Following on from the face masks another set of products I've been using on my face as a whole are the The Body Shop "All-in-One" Instablur and BB Cream. I picked these up after seeing them in Gabby (Velvetgh0st)'s YouTube channel a while back and thought I would try them out. 

Initially I wasn't fond of the consistency of the Instablur - it's like a paste - but I find that it makes all the difference under my makeup and helps keep it on longer. 

I'm not really all that big on base makeup - I often forego foundation especially since I was having some skin problems - but I find that the BB Cream (which I have in shade 02) gives a nice minimal coverage. It hides some of my imperfections without looking cakey on my skin and it's easy to blend in, particularly with the use of the Instablur underneath.  I also like that these two products can be purchased separately (both in store and on line) but also that, exclusive to stores, you can buy them in a duo pack for around £20- meaning you save £6, and as a student I'm always up for saving my pennies.

 

Another beauty favourite I have this month is Benefit's Roller Lash. As many of you may have seen if you follow Benefit on Twitter (or an avid visitor to their website like me) that the Roller Lash is celebrating its one year after release, and that Benefit is doing a special offer where if you purchase a full size tube you get one of the travel size ones free (cue me going to my local Benefit counter to stock up on replacements). 

I didn't initially try the mascara upon its release, as at the time I favoured Benefit's They're Real mascara and with a similar price tag I couldn't justify splurging on another mascara so soon. However, for Christmas, I found this tube popped in my stocking and was thrilled. After loving both Benefit's They're Real and Maybelline's Lash Sensational mascara for so long, I was excited to try out a new product. I find that Roller Lash really curls all of my lashes and makes them appear longer and fluttery. Unlike normal mascaras (and something which takes a bit of getting used to) is that it doesn't dry fully on your lashes and can be considered "tacky". I like this feature as I think it stops me from picking at my mascara at the end of the day and as a result losing a few eyelashes (gross habit, I know!). I also get lots of compliments when wearing this mascara and considering they have a special offer for the One Year anniversary; I will be repurchasing ASAP.

My last beauty favourite of the month is this Nails Inc. Nail polish in "Porchester Square" . This month I've been favouring more neutral shades than transitional Spring colours on my fingers and this one is by far my favourite. I find that the nude beige colour is a welcome difference from a typical "French manicure" style nude but is just as subtle and suitable for this time of year. Nails Inc. polishes often last longer on my nails than typical drug store polishes, as you would expect from the price and this one lasts even longer if I add the KIKO Perfect Star Gel Top Coat over it. This not only makes the polish last that much longer but also makes it look like you've had a professional gel manicure done (unless you're a bit shaky at doing your nails which I sometimes am, oops) . 

My next favourite, a non beauty one, is this pair of silver coin earrings which I picked up from River Island for around £2, a perfect treat considering my student budget. When I bought them, I didn't initially expect to get as much wear out of them as I have but I just find that they go with so many of my other silver jewellery pieces. With small details such as engraved writing and a man's head - they're a little different to atypical silver earrings but I like that they're a little quirky and different. 

My final favourite this month is this art print from Natasha's store Everything is Fine. I had followed Natasha for a little while on Twitter before seeing that she had some lovely pieces for sale in her online shop and I bought a print set which included this cacti one featuring the slogan "Don't be a Prick" and another floral design saying "you are lovely". 

I love collecting mini art prints, especially to put on my pin board at university or like this one - to feature in a frame on the shelf in my room. The frame I picked up from Tiger, a small IKEA like store, for around £1 and was delighted to see that the print fit inside and was encased by the border. I really like the way this looks within the frame, and the pun used as a slogan, and I find that the frame sits nicely on my shelf of books and IKEA plants. I find that pictures and prints can often break up the space and make shelves appear less cluttered and more "homey" - something which I definitely wanted in my uni room. At just £3.75 for two prints, (or £1.99 for one) I was over the moon with my purchase and even more so by the speedy delivery and quality of the prints.

That's all for my Favourites this month, let me know in the comments below what you've been loving this month or if you have any suggestions for me. If you've tried any of these products then let me know what you think!

As always you can follow me on bloglovin here  to keep up to date with all my posts - I post every Thursday at 6pm, and there's also a google follow button in my blog side bar!

Hope you're all having a wonderful week!

- Chlo