May 2011 Favourites

Hi everyone, I hope you have had a good weekend, mine has been pretty wet here in London :( Sorry this post is quite late! These are the products I have been using a lot during May.

Top L-R: Chanel Imitable Intense Mascara in Noir, Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation,
MAC Fix+, MAC Stereo Rose MSF
Middle: MAC Sun Blonde Eyeshadow, L'Occitane Shea Butter Handcream
Bottom three products: MAC 222 brush, MAC 239 brush, MAC Spiked Eyebrow Pencil.

Yep, there is quite a lot this month!

Firstly, Chanel Imitable Intese Mascara. This mascara has become my favourite one I've ever tried. My eyelashes always look lengthened, volumised, they hold their curl, it is dark black, it doesn't flake/smudge, it doesn't clump, all of them are separated well. Yes, I just love it and it is perfect every time.

Chanel Vitalumiere Foundation: This gives a lovely dewy finish to my skin, it makes me look healthier and awake. It doesn't give much coverage but I am lucky enough to have skin that doesn't really get spots often and my skintone is quite even so I only need minimal coverage. I apply it around my nose and across my cheeks then up towards my forehead where I need a little coverage and then anything that is left gets blended over the rest of my face. I find it nice and moisturising and it doesn't cake or oxidise at all and looks good all day. I only need half a pump for my whole face so I can see this lasting a good while for me. The colour match is perfect too.

MAC Fix+: This can be used in a few ways, some people use it under their makeup, some use it over, some use it to refresh their face in the day, others use it on their makeup brushes before applying eyeshadow to make the pigments more vibrant. I like to use this over my makeup as I find that it makes everything look finished well and takes any powderiness away from the areas I have applied powder to. It also helps to make my foundation last better and seems to prevent it from transferring too much (like if I was to blow my nose). Some people hate this product so I think it depends on what you want to use it for.

MAC Stereo Rose: Yes this makes another appearence. I don't need to say much about it really as I've featured it before. I have really been loving this over the last few months, it is such a pretty colour and I really understand why it is such a 'cult' product.

MAC Sun Blonde Eyeshadow: This is from the Surf Baby collection and I've really enjoyed wearing this. I've put it with blues, greens, gold, coral and white and I think it is a very flattering shade of yellow. It looks fun and Summery.

L'Occitane Shea Butter Handcream: This is a savior product for me. My hands have been quite dry and sore with ezcema and this is my favourite handcream. It is so thick yet absorbs so well. It is literally like a drink for my hands. I really like the smell too, it reminds me of baby powder but I'm not sure what it is actually scented with, probably soft white florals. If you are looking for a really good quality, rich handcream, definitely have a go at this one.

MAC 222 brush: I'd been using my 217 brush and wanted a new blending brush so I had a second one for when I'd used it with dark colours and didn't want to get muddy eyeshadow with light colours the next day. I thought I'd try this one out and I really like it. I find it blend much more softly and it also allows me to get deeper into the crease area for more precise application due to it's tapered shape. I still feel that the 217 is useful and I sometimes use both of them together.

MAC 239 brush: I needed a better brush to apply eyeshadow over my whole lid. I saw that Temptalia used this one a lot so bought it. It is just right, it picks up so much colour and makes it easy to pat/sweep it on and get the full colour. You can put less on the brush and use it to sheer out colours too. It is a good size and does it's job really well. I have since bought a second one so I have one for light colours and one for dark colours (I am too lazy to wash my brushes after each use).

Finally, MAC Spiked Eyebrow Pencil: Obviously if you were buying one of these, you would pick the colour that was right for you. I've been getting better at using this and now can make my eyebrows look pretty neat and crisp. You can use it lighter if you just want to fill in the sparse areas or use it a little heavier to get a really good shape. I like it because I can draw in each hair and it looks real as it's nib is very fine. The only thing I don't like about it is that you can't wind it up to see how much is left and then wind it back down because once it has been wound up, it can't be put back inside! Don't forget that if you get one, you will end up with the 'lead' sticking out and not being able to put the cap on! - I haven't done that by the way lol!

I hope you enjoyed my favourites this month :)

- Jennifer