March favorites

What's the definition of a favorite product? An item that you love more than others, or an item that you've used more often than others? This month all my favorites are a little bit of both actually, although who knows what it'll be next month since my little club of favorites tend to change quite frequently... Let's start with something easy on the locks - hair oils are so versatile and easy to use, and one of the best ones I've tried lately is the lovely Easilocks Rose Gold Oil Heat Protector Pro* (£24.99) that I reviewed earlier this month (see article here). I had never tried this brand before but I was so impressed by how soft, shiny and protected it made my hair look and feel that I've used it a couple of times a week both before styling and as an intense treatment. The texture is light, silky and indulgent with a delightful floral and slightly spicy scent that I just can't get enough of.

My current eye shadow primer, the MUA Pro-Base Prime & Conceal (£1.50) was a bit of an impulse buy and I didn't have very high expectations of it, however this plain looking product turned out to be anything but plain (reviewed here). It's a multi purpose product which can be used both as a primer and a color correcting concealer. The consistency is velvety smooth and light weight and it's great at reducing redness and dark circles under the eyes, and also helps to make your makeup last longer. I've also used it on its own instead of eyeshadow to even out the skintone on my eyelids for a more bright eyed and rested appearance and have found that it's a great dupe for Benefit's Lemon Aid (£16.50). 

We've had some amazingly warm and sunny days in the UK with temperatures close to 20 degrees Celsius, so I've temporarily swapped my leather leggings for summery skirts but to avoid blinding the rest of the world with my whiter than white legs I've accepted some help from the fantastic Caudalie Divine Perfect Legs (£13), which is self-tanning product so easy to use that even I can get an even golden color. The consistency is ever so slightly thicker than most self tanning lotions and since it's colored you can see exactly where you've applied which makes is so much easier to get an even, non zebra like color. It also has a lovely fresh scent, unlike a lot of other self tanning products. If I can't manage to go on a divine holiday, at least I can have divine looking legs with a little help from this heaven sent goodie!

An oldie that I've rediscovered this month, which is almost as fun as trying something completely new, is Avon's Ultra Color Rich Lipstick in Instant Mocha. It's a lovely soft, creamy and moisturising formula with great pigmentation that delivers a beautiful opaque and slightly shiny finish, and since it's opaque you'll get hours of flawless wear without any drying sensation on the lips. The color is a delicious pink with a plum undertone and a lovely shine, and it's such a versatile glamorous shade. I feel a little bit bad for including it in this month's favorites since it's no longer in stock with Avon (why, why, WHY do you keep doing this to me Avon?!) and the few products I've found on eBay and Amazon are relatively expensive compared to the original price point. The closest I've come to finding a twin lipstick is MAC's Craving, which is equally rich, creamy and opaque - simply stunning...

When chubby sticks for eyes were first released I was a bit skeptical to the format, but many months and makeup looks down the line, I am a complete convert and can't praise the format enough. An excellent budget version is MUA's Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tint (£3) in the shade Bring it Back, a brilliant neutral bronzed and slightly shimmery brown. It has a lovely and creamy texture and it's so easy to apply without any tugging on the eyelid for a clean and understated sheer coverage, great for a quick and easy groomed every day look with a simple eyeliner and mascara. It wears really well throughout the day without creasing and at that price, you can't really go wrong.

A palette I have truly loved this month is the beautifully delicate and pretty Dior 5 Couleurs Trianon Edition Eyeshadow Palette (£41) in Pastel Fontanges 234 (you can read a full review here). The colors are all lovely shimmery pastels with great pigmentation and wear, perfect for fresh faced, minimal and romantic looks for spring and summer. My favorite combination so far is to use the ballerina pink with the gunmetal grey, which really brings out blue eyes. I can say hand on my heart that j'Adore Dior!

Swatches from top to bottom:

Avon Ultra Color Rich Lipstick - Instant Mocha

MUA Colour Blast Eyeshadow Tint - Bring It Back

Tanya Burr Lipgloss - Picnic in the Park

I've never really been a big wearer of lipgloss, mostly because I haven't found any with great pigmentation and wear - at least that is, until this year when there have been some real crackers on the high street. The latest one to impress me is the Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Picnic in the Park (£6.99) and its's nothing like the lipglosses I've tried before. The texture is light and very importantly non sticky with wonderful pigmentation, and when you first apply it has a gorgeous glossy look that after a few hrs wear looks like a stain. Out of the 12 colors in the range, Picnic in the park is my absolute favorite - it's a stunning brink pink shade with a slight blue undertone that is simply adorable on the lips, no wonder it's sold out in so many places!

Let me know in the comment section what it takes for a product to make your list of favorites, and what's new for March?

Easilocks Rose Gold Oil Heat Protector Pro

If you read a post that I did last year in which I was comparing different hair oils as part of Operation Rapunzel (see the post here), you'll know that I am a big fan of hair oils, and I'm not the only one. It's one of the most popular hair care products in the world and for good reason. Hair oils are packed with nourishing, repairing and protecting ingredients and you can use them in so many different ways; as a pre-wash treatment, mixed in with your conditioner for an extra intense moisture boost or for styling. Variety is the spice of life and I love to style my hair differently using either straighteners, a wand or my beloved Gladys the BaByliss Pro Perfect Curl, and whever my mood takes me, I'm careful to always use a heat protectant, and the product I have used the most recently is the Easilocks Rose Gold Oil Heat Protector Pro* (£24.99). Easilocks is an Ireland based company specialising in hair extentions made from 100% human hair that are applied with no damage to your natural hair, and there are also Easilocks certified salons located in the UK, Australia and the UAE. They also have a hair care range that works both for extensions and for natural hair, that includes products like shampoo and conditioner with Argan oil, a protein spray and the Rose Gold Oil Heat Protector Pro.

The Rose Gold Oil comes in a 150 ml plastic bottle with a pump, which is really practical since you don't have to worry about breaking it on the bathroom tiles, and it doesn't weigh much, an important consideration when you're traveling a fair bit, and if you prefer not to pour it into a smaller bottle. The essential oils in this product come from rose, carrot, chamomile, coconut, linseed, soybean and everybody's hair favorite - argan oil. This mix is a super charged blend of oils that together moisturise, prevent dehydration and retain moisturise, that soothe the hair and the scalp, that strengthen and that can even encourage hair growth. After you've washed your hair, just apply a few golden drop on the ends of your hair before you blowdry or style as usual.

The texture is lovely, light and silky rather than oily which is a great plus for me since that won't make the hair feel heavy like some oils do and another plus is that the oil absorbs very quickly into the hair making it feel nourished smooth and sleek. Last but definitely not least is the amazing scent - it's soft and very slightly floral with a mellow spiciness to it. It's simply fabulous, and if it were available in a hair perfume, I'd buy it in a nano second. When I've used this oil my hair feels soft, healthy and well behaved, and it has a lovely natural shine and lustre to it. Whether you've got extensions or not I would definitely recommend that you treat yourself to this beautiful, indulgent hair oil.