July Favorites

One reason for not posting my montly favorites every month, apart from my awful absent-mindedness, is the fact that I rarely amass enough goodies to show you. This time, however, I've got some pretty fabulous beauty and not beauty-related things to share, so here goes!

1. ZARA Black Peony EDT. Slightly less sugar sweet and definitely less expensive dupe to Viktor&Rolf Flowerbomb. I do so love this flowery punch with a hint of black tea, I just wished it lasted longer on the skin! Still, Black Peony makes me feel very feminine with a vintage edge, you know, the kind of perfume that goes well with swishy skirts, statement lipstick and high heels. Rock on!

2. Bourjois Délice de Poudre Bronzing Powder no.52. I've already boasted its virtues in my Warsaw haul, and it's still a strong favorite even after a mishap with a greasy sunscreen ruining the top layer. This does have some golden specks running through it, but looks completely matte on the skin. Perfect when paired with Xen-Tan Dark Weekly Self-Tan.

3. Real Techniques by Samantha Chapman Buffing Brush & Contour Brush from the Core Collection set. The buffing brush is possibly the most multi-purpose brush I have in my collection: I've used it to set my make-up with powder, to apply powder foundation, to apply cream foundation, to apply bronzer and to apply blush - anything face make-up related, it does the job! The contour brush is great for precise blush placement, and both brushes are high quality and a pleasure to use.


4. Wet'n'Wild Coloricon Eyeliner in Bronzed. Really, $0.99?! It's fantastic! I love it for one-product eye looks, and this particular shade subtly defines my eyes without becoming too noticeable. It kinda matches my hair color, too...

5. INGLOT Freedom System Eyeshadows in no.142 (AMC Shine) and no.349 (Matte). I was lacking a good warm medium grey for the crease, and no.349 is exactly what I was looking for. The sparkly light neutral, no.142, could be classified as a duochrome; it looks more cream in the pan, but flashes gorgeous pink sparkles when light hits it at a right angle.

6. Sleek Pout Polish SPF15 Tinted Lip Conditioner in Pink Cadillac. There's not much else to say other than it's a handbag favorite that makes me look fresh and flirty even when I'm dead tired. There are not that many shades which can do that, huh?

7. Laura Geller Blush-n-Brighten in Apricot Berry. I received this in my June Birchbox and couldn't be happier; it's one of those bronzer-slash-blusher hybrids that look amazing on a slightly tanned skin. What's more, I can't ignore how beautiful this looks in the pan, and the packaging is rather neat too.

8. Allafia Shea Butter Body Milk in Vanilla Almond scent. I've ignored this body lotion for a good while, absorbed in other moisturizers, but came right back as soon as my eczema flared up again. It soothes, it conditions, it leaves my skin smelling of orange marzipan. Read more about the brand here.

9. AHAVA Deadsea Water Mineral Hand Cream. Again, a Birchbox deluxe sample, great for carrying around in your purse. I love how quickly it sinks in and how comfortable it makes my skin feel. I got my mum a set of AHAVA Dermud creams for her name day, and she loved them too.

10. BIODERMA Hydrabio H2O Cleansing Micelle Solution for Sensitive Dehydrated skin. I'm sorry to be such a tease, I got this on my trip to Poland. I grabbed it over the hyped-up Sensibio purely because this one was almost 50% off at the time, and it works just as great as the pink version. It also really does leave your skin feeling hydrated, if a bit sticky!

11. Isabel Allende 'Island Beneath the Sea', a novel. I've proclaimed my love for Isabel Allende's books before, so obviously I grabbed this when I saw it at my local library. I'm missing a bit of the magic from Eva Luna books, but 'Island Beneath the Sea' is still a wonderful read, however not really for the beach.

12. My Pandora bracelet. I was gifted three new charms on my visit in Poland by my family, and I wear it more often than any other bracelet I have in my possession. It is becoming a little heavy, but I like that each of the beads is linked to a different memory in my mind, it does remind me a lot of my family in Poland.

13. Target T-shirts. Is it just me, or does Target really have fantastic and inexpensive tees? Every time I'm at Target I pick one up, and I couldn't resist this peachy flowery number while on vacation in California. It's just so soft and comfortable...

Ufff, that was a long list, but I hope you enjoyed! Let me know in the comments below what you've been loving this month.