Basket of Favourites #2

It feels like forever since I've posted, I've just been so busy and currently have multiple posts in draft form, none of which are ready to post! I thought I'd do another Basket of Favourites while I faff about finishing the never-ending REN cleanser review!

Skin bits

Bioderma Créaline H₂O Solution

   I’m aware that I’m several years late to the party on this one, my excuse is that I’d never heard of “micellar waters” until about six months ago, and in those six months, I’d been faffing around with other offerings from more readily available brands. Now Bioderma is available in the UK, I’m finally in on the action. There’s not a lot that I can say about this that hasn’t already been said. It takes every scrap of my makeup off, including mascara, is totally unfragranced and doesn’t irritate my skin. I use this at night before cleansing with my REN cleanser (which I haven't included purely because there is an in-depth review coming up very soon), I don’t bother using it in the morning as I use it just as a makeup remover/precleanse rather than a cleanser. In a way, I feel like a cliché for caving and buying this - possibly the most blogger-hyped skincare product ever - but I have to say, I'm not ashamed as it's so wonderful!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant

   A perennial favourite, this is something I always, always, always have in my handbag and my bedside to take care of any dry, chapped skin or lips. I also like using this to lock my eyebrows into submission. Absolute winter essential and great if you get lizard hands like I do, or you're prone to burning yourself in the kitchen. If I leave the house without it, it makes me panic and want to turn back home "just in case I need it" and I have to pull myself together and remind myself that I did survive without it once. Nevertheless, this is one of those products that everyone needs as it's for first aid as well beauty!

Hair bits

Primark hair spin pins (I think they're called that anyway)

  Perhaps an odd favourite, but these are ever so handy for pinning your hair up into a quick bun before a shower or just to get it out the way quickly. As I have very fragile hair, I’ve found these are ideal as you don’t get the damage that you would when using a normal hair band which ends up bending the hair or pulling it tight and I hate how my hair seems to go wild after being swirled into a bun - possibly more than the ponytail kink.

 They’re so easy to use and keep your bun very secure for as long as you need it when two pins are screwed in from opposite ends and so are an excellent to a bun pinned into place with tens of Kirby grips.

Joico Restorative Styling Oil

   Joico’s hair oil is fantastic and such good value, considering that the Joico brand are more on the high end spectrum of haircare. It is quite a heavy oil in comparison to oils such as the Shu Uemera oil, so I only use this on the ends of my hair when wet and maybe a teeny bit on dry hair, but I have to be careful not to use too much.

Makeup bits

Clinique Bottom Lash mascara

   I’d never really sat up and taken notice of this, despite being a big fan of Clinique mascaras, until a chance encounter with it in Boots. I’d been aware for a while that I was incapable of applying mascara to my bottom lashes in a hurry, nearly always getting it on my skin in the process. I spotted this mascara with it’s tiny wand and something clicked into place and after trying it in store, I was sold. Since then I’ve used it pretty much daily and I haven’t got any mascara blotches under my lashes just yet (touch wood)! Although it’s a tiny tube, this will last for months if using it just for the bottom lashes and fiddly corner ones. The formula is also very nice and forms tubes around the hair, meaning it is smudgeproof and splashproof and it doesn’t slide south after a long day leaving you with grey undereye smudges and panda eyes.

Real Techniques Domed Shadow Brush

   I got this brush as part of the Travel Essentials set and it has become a staple in less than a week. I use this to put my base shadow on quickly before using a smaller brush for any finer details or crease work.

Guerlain Météorites Perles in Teint Rose

   I bought these a couple of weeks ago and it was love as soon as I opened the tin. Gorgeous packaging and the pearls give the skin a gorgeous, luminous, lit-from-within look. It’s not ideal for travel due to the size of the tin but it looks beautiful on your dressing table and looks like something my glamorous grandmother or great grandmother would have used. I use it all over my face at night time and just as a highlighter for day time.

NARS Kalahari eyeshadow duo

   The colours in this duo are so stunning and so neutral. When swatched they look different to in the pan. In the pan, the more taupey colour looks very similar to MAC’s Satin Taupe, however the Kalahari colour is much warmer when on the eye and gives an entirely different look.

NARS Kalahari duo swatched

  

   I love this sheered out for daytime or layered up for night, or just using one of the colours with a matte shade for subtlety. I wouldn’t be without this duo now, it’s worth every penny.

Sentimental bits

Love Saves the Day, Laila Bear, Twins