Monthly Favourites | March

It's time for monthly favourites again ladies! Most of the products are actually new discoveries which I cannot wait to share with you in more in-depth reviews. Let's start with eye products first.

First, I have Pupa Milano Made To Last Eyes in the shade 100 Black. I had featured this product multiple times in my favourites and it continues to make the cut time and time again. It lasts for hours on end without budging and it is hands down the best eyeliner pencil I have ever tried!

 

Moving on to two new products, starting with the Catrice Eyebrow Lifter. I was introduced to this ace product during the launch of the new products from the brand, in February. I use this everyday basically and it gives me a more polished look without looking I tried too hard. It is also a great alternative to shimmery shadows and highlighters for daytime looks.

 

Next is La Roche Posay Respectissime Volumising Mascara. I have already reviewed this mascara earlier and it has fast become my favourite everyday mascara. It separates the lashes nicely without clumping and the effect lasts all day. What's not to love?  

 

In the lip department, I have once again been favouring mostly neutral shades. My two favourite lipsticks in this regard have been Essence Long Lasting Lipstick in 07 Natural Beauty and Chanel Rouge Allure in 66 Confidentielle. As for when I want a darker lip, I reached for Catrice Ultimate Colour Lipstick in 340 Berry Bradshaw over and over again. On a side note, this is also a new addition to the Ultimate Colour range from Catrice.

 

 

Another two new discoveries from Catrice which I have been using extensively, pertain to their face makeup section. These are the All Matt Plus Foundation in the shade 010 Light Beige and the Prime And Fine Mattifying Powder Waterproof. Together, they have proven to be an excellent combination for all day flawless looking makeup without that cakey feeling.

 

 

Lastly, I have the Like A First Day In Spring perfume from Essence. I had quit using this perfume after just a few tries because it used to give me hayfever but while looking into my stash earlier during the month, I decided to give it another go. The smell is very nice and I haven't had any attacks whatsoever so I have been using this everyday and it has become my everyday perfume.

What were your favourite products this month ladies?

March Collective Haul

This month, I skipped buying new clothes but lately I have been going shoe crazy and I have added three gorgeous numbers to my collection thanks to River Island. I went onto the website to check out their new stock after receiving one of those oh so tempting emails and two pairs of sandals caught my eyes...but obviously that wasn't enough so I also checked out the sale section and found a very good deal on the slit front ankle boots. They were down to €35 from €95!

 

 

The sandals, being new, were still a little on the expensive side at €45 for the printed sole ones and €55 for the black ones. I needed them though (no, seriously I do) so it's all good. Now all there's left is for summer to make its way to Malta so I can wear them :D

 

Also from River Island, I bought this cute baby pink clutch bag, just in time for Spring where sugary pink hues will be all over. This cost €20 and is roomy enough for all my essentials.

 

Lastly, skin care and makeup purchases. I mainly bought backups of stuff I finished so nothing new here except for the Blue Green Algae toner and the Honey & Oat cleanser from Michael Todd True Organics. I got the Jojoba Charcoal facial scrub and the Cleanse and Tone cleanser as well and they even threw in a 4-sample pack. One thing that bothered me this time is that I had to pay an extra €11 duty on delivery of the parcel, something which never happened before. I guess it's because I have exceeded the weight limit for parcels outside the EU? Anyways, the original total for the order was €62.90.

 

More beauty backups...I had to restock on Rose Water (approximately €2.00) and the Nivea waterproof eye makeup remover (€3.52) as well as Lidl's Acetone free nail polish remover (€1.59) and I couldn't skip getting Pupa Milano's Vamp! Mascara in the shade 300 Deep Night (€12.95) which is my favourite blue mascara.

So yeah that's pretty much what I bought this month. Do you have any interesting purchases you'd like to share?

The Exit Interview Series | Volume #30

March is also on its way out and with it, the following products...

 

Skin care goes first with the only non-repurchase being the Fresh & Clean makeup remover wipes. I still have another pack of these to go through and I have resorted to using them to clean swatches from my hands rather than to remove makeup because they tend to make my eyes burn and my skin feels very taut after using them. The rest of the products, I have already bought backups for and I believe you all know how much I love using them by now.

 

Moving on, I have some random products, all of which have made the cut to be repurchased time and time again. First up, Nivea Invisible deodorant which apart from smelling good all day, doesn't stain clothes or leave any white marks on my skin. The travel size is great to keep in your bag or weekend getaways too. Staying on a fragrance theme, I have used up a sample of Mexx Magnetic which is one of my favourite perfumes from the brand. I find perfume samples handy to keep in my bag for touch-ups and they are a good way to try out perfumes before actually buying full sizes of them.

 

The Rimmel Cuticle Scrub is indispensable in my manicure routine. It keeps cuticles neat, clean and supple and it also has a nourishing element. The other exfoliant is the E.L.F. Studio Lip Exfoliator which is always out of stock whenever I want to order (I always order more than one in fact). It is my favourite lip scrub primarily because of the lipstick format. The sweet vanilla sugar smell and taste are an added bonus and it does a very good job at keeping my lips smooth and polished! 

 

Lastly, I have some makeup items. First up is the Pupa Milano Vamp! mascara in the shade 300 Deep Night. I really love this mascara and consequently I bought a backup immediately after I finished it. I love the blue hue and how lush my lashes look with it.

 

Next, I have two clear lipglosses which I have struggled to use up because I hated how they sticky they feel. In fact, I gave up on using the Rimmel one entirely. No repurchase for any for these, sorry!

 

Lastly, the E.L.F. Studio Complexion Perfection (rebranded as Tone Correcting Powder) is another product which I didn't finish completely and will not be repurchasing. When I first got this, I used to really like it but after trying different powders, I stopped using it. I reverted back to it a few weeks ago but I noticed my skin looked way too pale whenever I had this on so I just threw it in the empties rack, knowing real well I will not be reaching for it again.

Which products have you used up this month?

Review | MAC Fluidline Eyeliner Gel in Blacktrack

Hello lovelies :) Today I will be sharing with you a product that is very much hyped about and with good reason! As you can tell by title, I will be reviewing MAC Fluidline Eyeliner Gel in Blacktrack, probably the most talked about black gel liner.

 

A good friend of mine, Marija from Pocalocca was kind enough to ask me if I needed anything from MAC since she was going to the UK and I asked her to get me Blacktrack because the E.L.F. Cream Eyeliner I was using dried out.

 

 

I had been wanting to try this particular gel eyeliner for a long time and the only thing I regret is not getting it earlier! MAC Fluidline comes in a small black box, like all other genuine MAC products and the gel liner itself comes in a nice glass jar rather than a plastic one (for some reason, gel liners tend to last longer in glass jars). Very simple packaging but it still looks (and is) expensive.

 

The gel eyeliner has a very creamy consistency that is easy to work with but you still have to be quick because once it dries, which is quite quick, it will stay put. Pigmentation is awesome and I feel safe to say that this is the blackest gel eyeliner I ever laid my hands on. Staying power is also a plus as I have yet to see this eyeliner budge throughout the time of wear...it only goes away with makeup remover!

Being MAC, the product is on the pricey side at approximately €20 for 3g of product but I do not regret getting it and I will definitely repurchase it once I run out.
 

Review | Catrice All Matt Plus Shine Control Makeup 010 Light Beige

Recently I found myself experimenting more with foundation even on a daily basis especially on days when my skin needs some perking up. My latest obsession in this regard has been the new foundation from Catrice, the All Matt Plus Makeup in the shade 010 Light Beige.

 

I came to know about this foundation during last month's new products' launch event and it had me at the words 'shine control'. Having oily skin can be a nightmare when it comes to finding the right foundation so I am always open to new and different options. Read on to see what my opinion about this new foundation is.

 

The packaging speaks volumes. It gives the illusion of a more expensive product and the satin finish on the glass part suggests the same finish on your skin. The foundation comes with a handy pump dispenser which enables control on the amount of product that comes out. For me, one pump is enough to cover my whole face and bring the foundation down to my neck. The formula blends seamlessly with my skin and does not oxidise on me.

The texture, albeit on the thick side, is easy to work with and doesn't take long to dry. It has medium to high coverage and my skin doesn't feel dry while wearing this foundation. Being oil-free, it helps prevent makeup meltdown due to sebum being produced by the skin itself and the long-wearing formula is great to take you from day to night.
 

Catrice All Matt Plus Foundation 010 Light Beige
{left - unblended; right - blended}

 One thing to note is that the foundation doesn't look cakey and feels very light on the skin all throughout the time of wear and I never found the need to re-touch it with powder or anything. I didn't get any breakouts from using this product either so it's all good!

 

Would I recommend this foundation? Definitely yes! Especially to people with oily skin who need a good foundation that stays matt all day. The only con I can think of with this foundation is that the choice of shades is only limited to 4 tonalities.

 

Catrice All Matt Plus Foundation can be found in authorised stockists across Malta & Gozo. For more information, like the Catrice Malta Facebook page.

PR Sample