Monthly Faves & Dislikes July 2014

Faves, Likes & Dislikes, Loves & Hates, Hot or Not, Hits & Misses.. they have many names in the blogosphere but it all comes down to the same thing; talking about the stuff you liked and sometimes even the stuff  you didn’t. These are some of my favourite posts to read/watch when it comes to beauty blogging, and its been awhile since I’ve done a post like this myself (blame my lack of commitment) so I thought why not give it another go?

July wasn’t a busy month at all when it comes to new product releases, but I wanted to show you some products I’ve loved using since they came out earlier this year or in some cases products I picked up in NYC or started to use again recently. I’ll go over them real quick, but if you’d like a hands-on review with swatches and everything, just let me know in the comments below.

For the past couple of months I’ve been really intrigued by the many possibilities of cleansing, which is why I’ve been stocking up on as many cleansing products as possible. After all, it’s a product I use almost every day. While the Micellar cleansing waters are nothing new, this one from Garnier got me interested due to it’s rather big size and fun packaging. I was happy to find out this is a pretty good budget-friendly dupe for the micellar water of Bioderma. The Garnier Skin Naturals Micellar Cleansing Water is both gentle (fragrance and paraben-free) and very effective in removing your makeup, which makes it a good product for people with sensitive skin. Retailing at only € 6,50 for 400ml, this is a true bargain. I’ve already got my backup ready!

Another new fave of mine is the Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter from The Body Shop. Such a lovely product! This was my first cleansing balm and it’ll certainly not be my last. You only need to scoop out the tiniest amount of butter, which will then transform into an oil that will separate the make-up from your face, which you then rinse off with a hot cloth. Again, this is super gentle and won’t leave your face feeling dry (or oily for that matter, so fear not oily skin types!)

Last in the skin care section I really needed to mention the Evian Brumisateur*, which practically saved my life during the heatwave, as well as during my trip to Barcelona. This is just a mini version, but it comes in a big can too. I just think this is easier to carry around. It’s super refreshing and a must for in your beach bag.

I’ve talked about the Maybelline Color Show Bleached Neons yesterday, so I won’t go in much further detail other than saying Tropink was my absolute favourite during the month of July. I almost wore this constantly, both on my fingers and toes. Such a pretty colour, it’s a shame it’s a limited edition.

Another wonderful discovery for me was the new Terre Indienne (aka Dream Sun) bronzing powder in Golden Tropics*. Finding a good, natural looking bronzer is SUCH A PAIN when you have pale skin, but this one fit me just right. It has a little bit of shimmer but that doesn’t show on the face at all. It’s really sheer so you can build it up to the intensity that you like. Also the coral pink blush that comes with it is absolutely stunning. The only thing I think could be better is the design, because it’s a little hard to work with when using makeup brushes.

Last item from Maybelline is one of the famous Color 24H Tattoos in On and On Bronze, a pretty neutral bronze shade for when you don’t have a lot of time to put on makeup, but still want to do something ‘extra’. It’s extremely easy to work with (I just put it on with my fingers) and stays on the lid. You can use it as a base for your eyeshadows too.

Last makeup item is one I picked up in New York; the NYX Butter Gloss in Apple Strudel. I’m planning to do a post on these asap because only swatches can show you exactly how pretty they are. For now I can already say these have an amazing non-sticky and hydrating formula even lipstick girls will love.

Moving on to zhe body! The first one is an old favourite of mine, but one I need even more during summer. The Louis Widmer Deo Crème is a dream product to keep those sweaty armpits in check. I apply some of this unscented white cream in the morning, which then dries to a matte powdery finish and it helps me stay dry for hours. In extreme conditions it’s possible I’ll break a sweat, but thanks to this products it’s nothing compared to what I’d be like if I wore a regular deodorant. You can get this at your pharmacy for about € 11.

Next up is a dry body oil from Yves Rocher called the Nutrition Beautifying Oil*. It comes in a spray bottle whose spray is absolutely amazing. It’s almost like a mist, enabling the product to be diffused over the body like a thin veil so that the product can be absorbed quickly into the skin while making it look glowy and hydrated. A little heavier, but still light for a body cream, is the L’Occitane Firming and Smoothing Milk Concentrate* with almonds. If you happen to pass by a L’Occitane store, go give it a whiff. It smells divine! The milk concentrate is a lightweight cream that kind of has the qualities of a serum in terms of texture. If you have really dry skin I’d go for something a little richer though, but for me this is perfect.

Well you know what they say: you either love it or you hate it. And well, sometimes you just can’t love it all. These are the products that let me down. The makeup sponges from Beauty Essentials I picked up at Kruidvat were so cheap it was too good to be true (less than € 2 for 15 sponges). They soak up so much product (and then refuse to put it on my face) I’d cry if I were to use this with my high-end foundations. I’d say go for the Real Techniques make-up sponge instead.

Another letdown for me was the new Cosmetic Brush Cleaner from Hema. It smells great (better than the one from MAC I used before), but this doesn’t get my brushes clean at all. I’ve used it 3 times and I used up soooo much product, yet my brushes were still dirty. Nope, not buying that again. Givenchy’s Clean To Sublime Beauty Expert Serum Makeup Remover is one of the cleansers I thought wasn’t for me. It’s basically a pink lotion you use to remove make-up and then wipe the excess off with a tissue and no rinsing is needed. Sorry, but that just makes you move your make-up around and it doesn’t get it off. Only when I use a hot cloth afterwards, I get the proper result. Leaving it on only results into bad skin the day after.

While the formula of Inglot’s Nail Enamel* is perfectly fine, this colour 937 just didn’t do it for me. It looks pretty in the packaging, but when I put it on I felt like a toddler who just got some Disney princess makeup at the toy store. And  even those nail polishes have better names than 937, amIrite?

Lastly there’s the Yves Rocher 360° lengthening waterproof mascara*. Let me tell you, this guy was anything but waterproof. It wouldn’t even stay on without getting any water involved. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather look at some panda’s than look like one. Also, the packaging keeps fooling me into thinking it’s blue while it’s actually just a normal black mascara.

So there, I’m done whining now and I can’t wait to try some new products in August and tell you all about them at the end of the month. Until next time!

What were your favourite products during the month of July?
Or anything new you’ve tried and didn’t like?

Disclaimer: Some of the products in this post were gifted for review purposes.*