So July has come to an end and it appears to have taken the summer weather with it. We have put the duvet back on the bed and I wore a jumper the other day. A JUMPER. I hope the sun comes back soon, I’m not ready for autumn yet!
To cheer me up I’ve put together the bits and pieces that I’ve been reaching for again and again this month. So what have I been loving?
July ’15 Beauty and Lifestyle Favourites
If you follow my blog or any of my social media accounts then you may know that I’ve been off work for most of this month after surgery (you can read all about my surgery HERE – warning it’s a bit ranty!). So the first two items in my favourites are things that have saved my sanity at times: adult colouring books. I’ve been colouring in as a way to relax for years so I’m glad that colouring in is having a bit of a moment – it’s very calming, it helps you focus and it looks pretty. What more could you want? Millie Marotta’s books are incredible and so detailed, ‘Animal Kingdom’ is probably my favourite colouring book at the moment. You can buy Animal Kingdom HERE and The Classic Comic Colouring Book HERE.
As always, there are some Kindle books in here. I’ve not been missing getting the tube to work every day but I have been missing my regular reading time. When I’m not at work I lose about an hour of reading time per day so I haven’t got through as many books this month… but the two I have read are GREAT. The first was ‘The Miniaturist’ by Jessie Burton. It’s won quite a few awards including Waterstones ‘Book Of The Year’ for 2014. The genre of historical fiction and a slow start may put some off, but I recommend sticking with it as it gets very good.
I’m only halfway through the second book but am really enjoying it. ‘The Night Circus’ by Erin Morgenstern was recommended to me by so many people and it is apparently being made into a film which should be incredible. “A phantasmagorical fairy tale set near an ahistorical Victorian London in a wandering magical circus that is open only from sunset to sunrise. Le Cirque des Rêves, the Circus of Dreams, features such wonders and “ethereal enigmas” as a blooming garden made all of ice, acrobats soaring without a net, and a vertical cloud maze where patrons who get lost simply step off and float gently to the floor.” Now if that doesn’t make you want to read it, I don’t know what will!
Kat Von d products were very high on my recent New York shopping list and this eyeliner is one of my favourites from my hauls (which you can see HERE and HERE). It’s a light cornflower blue and, with careful application, is opaque in one swipe. It’s such an eye-catching colour and lasts very well, even on my oily eyelids.
My brows are important to me (they are blonde and if I don’t draw them in I look like an alien) so I’m constantly on the hunt for my holy grail eyebrow product. Anastasia Beverly Hills’ Brow Wiz has a cult following and I can see why: a thin pencil that gives a natural and buildable colour, with an inbuilt spooley on the other end. I got the shade ‘Taupe’ which is perfect for blondes as it has a grey tone that means you don’t end up with ginger eyebrows. You can get it here from Beauty Bay.
MAC lipsticks are another cult product that everyone and their mothers raves about. Their matte lipsticks are super long-lasting, the colour is intense and they smell like cakes. Yes they’re a little bit drying but I think they’re worth it. The limited edition Giambattista Valli collection sold out online within minutes so my lovely friend Tabs picked me up two shades before they sold out in store (Tabs, I am forever in your debt). As soon as I saw ‘Tats’ I knew it would be love: it’s a bright fuschia and is seriously matte – everything I love in a lipstick.
Another purchase from my US trip, this Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush is a really unusual product. It looks like a cream and dries as a powder, but does actually bounce when you touch it, like a mousse… but is firm. So strange. But it applies very nicely and gives a softer look to blusher which I think is more flattering and natural in the summer. These aren’t out in the UK yet but hopefully we’ll get them soon.
It’s rare that I wear a nail varnish for very long and even more rare that I’d wear a polish twice in a month, so when I do you know it’s love. Fiji by essie is such a stunning shade – the lightest of light pinks and looks so good on. It’s classic enough to go with everything, but perfect for those who think white nails are a bit stark. It’s £7.99 HERE.
Not pictured here is my current TV obsession – House. I’d never seen any of it but had heard lots of people raving about it. We’re already 3 seasons in and I am completely smitten with Hugh Laurie! Although watching it after surgery was probably foolish: in the space of 2 weeks I managed to convince myself I had MRSA, lupus and the plague!
What were your favourite products this month? What book are you reading at the moment? Let me know your thoughts on my July ’15 beauty and lifestyle favourites in the comments!
Lex
You’re ok, it’s never lupus…