April 16 Monthly Favourites

I’ve really missed doing monthly favourites, but I’m glad I waited until I had a post where the products really got me excited. This one has a good mix of make up and lifestyle, I really hope you enjoy my April 16 monthly favourites!

So here are the bits I’ve been loving. Keep reading for the details on each product:

April 16 Monthly Favourites

The first product is a rediscovery: TheBalm Cindy-Lou Manizer highlighter. This is quite an intense peach-bronze highlighter so I tend to pack it away in the colder months. Now that Spring has definitely sprung and the days are a lot warmer I decided to dig this out. It gives such a beautiful glow but you really do need a light hand otherwise you end up looking a bit OTT! In the swatch below you can see the gorgeous pink shift in the light. GAH so pretty!

Kiko make up is quickly becoming some of my favourite for bright and beautiful looks. I picked up some liquid eyeliners recently and this stunning cobalt blue is incredible. Kiko Super Colour Eyeliner ‘Blue Majorelle’ It’s a plastic cone nib with a tapered tip and the colour is so pigmented that you don’t have to do lots of layers to build full opacity, which is good as it has a kind of shiny vinyl finish which would be difficult to layer. This lasts really well, with no flaking or transferring and all Kiko products are so affordable, you really need to check them out! You can see me wearing this eyeliner HERE.

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to my eyebrows: I tend to gravitate towards pencils or pens. I have never really given powders a good try and I don’t know why but I am so glad that I tried this MUA Brow Kit in ‘Fair/Mid*. There are 3 powders and one clear wax and the set comes with a teeny tiny pair of tweezers and a double ended brush. I haven’t used the brush as I prefer a thinner brush to give an even more natural finish. I’ve been using the shade in the top right to give an all-over base colour, and then go in with the darkest shade in the top left to add definition and darken them up. I have not touched my pens or pencils since I was sent this which really surprised me. It gives such a natural and soft look without being wishy-washy. The wax isn’t strong enough to keep my wayward brows in check (does anyone else have issues with eyebrow hairs that want to flop down? Just me?) but gives a nice shine to the brows so they don’t look too matte and powdery.

I’ve spoken about this GOSH eyeshadow palette ‘Cool In Copenhagen’* on the blog before but it is just the perfect neutral palette. Plus it’s super slim and portable so it was a no-brainer when I was choosing the make up to take away with me on holiday. The top right and bottom left are my favourites (as you can probably see from the dips in the powder!) and I love the middle right as a great crease/transition shade.

The Aquis Lisse Luxe Long Hair Towel* is one of those items that you think is frivolous and totally unnecessary…until you try it. My hair is shoulder length and fairly thin but there is A LOT of it. I spend a lot of time drying it and I worry that I’m doing so much damage, so when I heard about this super absorbent towel that can dramatically reduce drying time I was allllll over it. This is a really thin and soft fabric, designed to be gentle even on ageing, curly or damaged hair. I’ll admit, I was suspicious about the claims but I am eating my words. I wrap my hair in this, straight out of the shower and tuck it up while I do my skincare, foundation, concealer and powder. I then let my hair down, turn my head upside down and blast it with the hair dryer for a few minutes. That isn’t hyperbole. It only takes a few minutes. Not only that but my hair is so much less frizzy and is more manageable since I’ve been using this towel. I know that it may seem excessive to spend £35 on a towel but I honestly wouldn’t go back to a normal towel: the time I’ve saved when getting ready is worth that money alone!

When I was in Amsterdam I picked up a few bits from the new H&M make up range and this H&M cream eyeshadow in ‘Dauphine Truffle’ is perfection. It’s a lovely light mousse formula that goes on fairly sheer but is buildable. The formula is really easy to work with, giving you some time to blend before it sets and once it sets, it’s not going anywhere. This colour is a very pretty peach-nude with a lovely shimmer.

I have a full on matte liquid lipstick obsession and this one, Jeffree Star ‘Androgyny’, is such an unusual and beautiful colour. I got it for my birthday from my wonderful friends Jen and Tom and I adore it! As you can see from the swatches below it’s the perfect mix of purple, brown and rose.

Another present from my lovely friends was Lisa Eldridge’s incredible book Face Paint: The Story Of Make Up. This isn’t just make up, it’s art and so interesting to read. I have it on my coffee table and have really been enjoying picking it up and dipping into it.

So what would make it into your April 16 monthly favourites? Let me know in the comments below!

Lex

*Items with a ‘*’ were provided as PR samples. Some of these links are affiliate, please read my disclaimer page for more information.