July favourites

Since I had to cut down on my blogging in June and earlier this month I haven't actually done a monthly favourites for a little while although except for the EdT I have a feeling that they would have been pretty much the same in June too. My routines have changed quite a lot over the past few months, partly because of the weather and partly because I'm on the road a lot more than I used to. Because of the sunny weather and since I love to be outdoors as much as possible to catch some rays, my main concern has been to make sure that I've been wearing some great sun lotion, and the product I've used the most is the lovely Hawaiian Tropic Sensitive Face Sun Lotion SPF30 (£12.60). It has just the right consistency for the face; light, silky and sheer without clogging up the pores and since it's for sensitive skin it's also free of oils and fragrance that could potentially cause irritation in the sun. The lotion absorbs quickly into the skin making it feel not only protected from those pesky UVA and UVB, but also moisturised and smooth. The only thing is that I don't think it's water resistant, at least it doesn't feel that way so I would definitely recommend that you re-apply several times a day, especially if you've gone for a cooling dip in the pool.

After a post sun shower to freshen up I've loved to use the Avon Shea Butter and Chocolate Truffle Body Soufflé, First of all it smells absolutely divine of chocolate mousse and even if like me you're not a chocolate lover you might find that you have to really stop yourself from testing it to check if it's as yummy as it smells.... hrmm - did I reveal too much there...? Anyway, this body product has a wonderful whipped, light and creamy texture that feels amazing on the skin, and it absorbs quickly without leaving any sensation of tackiness. What I like most about the soufflé, except for the chocolate scent is that it makes the skin ever so slightly radiant with a rose gold shine, which makes it perfect for summer use to emphasise tanned skin. As far as I know it's not available in the current Avon campaigns, but you can easily find it on eBay (£6.75), and I'll definitely stock up on it when I've finished up this one.

So the skin's looking radiant and bronzed, and since I've been on the go so much these past few months I haven't bothered with foundation or tinted moisturiser - all I've done is sweep my very used MUA Bronzer (£1) in shade 1 over my face for a natural, healthy looking glow. I know I've raved about this ridiculously affordable bronzer before - I need to start testing another brands... but for me it's just brilliant. The product is light and finely milled so it's easy to work with and to build up a stronger bronzed tone if you wish, the shade is sunny and natural without too much orange and it lasts fairly well throughout the day. I would say that you probably do need to buff up the colour after about 5 hrs, but then again considering the price, it's not the end of the world. If you haven't tried any MUA products before, this is the one to get and don't be surprised if you find yourself repurchasing it over and over again - I have, about 4 times...

Sticking with the quick and easy makeup theme, let's have a look at the the products that I have worn every single day without fail in July. I've been on a bad mascara streak, having tested several budget friendly products and not  been impressed with a single one of them, but finally there was a glimmer in the mascara dark with the  Bourjois Volume 1 Seconde Mascara (£9.99). It has just the right texture that I like and that usually doesn't come until the mascara is near it's end, i.e. it's liquid enough but a tiny bit sticky, which makes it easy to build up volume and length if you apply several coats. As with every other mascara these days it comes with a special "unique brush with spherical (and straight) bristles to wrap every lash in a 360° motion", I guess that means that the brush is supposed to make sure that you get colour on all sides of your lashes. Even though I'm not too sure about that statement, I do know that the brush is quite wide, firm and great to work with to shape the lashes for a wonderful volumised effect with luscious separated lashes. This was a complete impulse purchase, but I'm so glad that I decided to take a chance on it since it's the best mascara I've tried since I fell in love with L'Oréal's False Lash Flutter Mascara (the butterfly one). Thank you Bourjois for restoring my faith in affordable mascaras!

 

My preferred daily lippy has been Revlon's ColorBurst Matte Balm (£7.99) in Unapologetic which I recently did a review on that you can read here, so I won't go into more details about it except to say that the colour is the most perfect vibrant coral pink, perfect for a one-product look lounging by the pool. As you probably know I tend to wear different perfumes every single day to suit my mood, outfit etc so although I haven't exactly worn this gem every day, it's still a definite favourite this month. Ever since I first stumbled across Thierry Mugler's Alien EdT, I have looked forward to every new edition, and I have never been disappointed, they have all been outstanding! This season's newcomer - Alien Eau Extraordinaire EdT (£68) is no exception. As usual the bottle is very interesting with its beautifully cut angles and pale gold details for a glamorous outer space look and feel. It's a fresh, sparkling, sunny and harmonious fragrance mixing sweet Tunisian neroli, citrusy bergamot, elegant white tiare flower and warm amber. It's a very confident, poised and delightful scent and I always feel happy and pampered wearing it, and for warm sunny days - what could be more fitting than a warm sunny scent? That's the end to almost two month's of favourites... as much as I love them now I have a feeling that they won't be the same in August, but as I always say - it's a girl's prerogative to change her mind!

Alien Invasion

A life of abundance - that's the motto of Him indoors, and it's one that I intend to follow particularly when it comes to nail polishes and perfumes. After all, it would be rude not to and I'm not a rude person.

That's why when earlier this year I found Alien Aqua Chic EdT, I decided that I would check out some other versions of Alien as well, for comparison. Thierry Mugler knows how to make statement fragrances in eye catching bottles that are not for the faint hearted. I'm well aware that the classic Angel has a big following, although it's always been far too sickly sweet and heavy for me, but I am a mega fan of Womanity and now - Alien.

Alien Aqua Chic is the latest limited edition by Mugler and for me it is a wonderful discovery. I haven't been this excited by a (for me) unfamiliar fragrance for a long time. When you spray it on you can't help but notice the amazingly fresh and crisp tone of orange that makes me think of Mediterranean gardens by the sea, but there's also a warmer and muskier undertone from the amber that adds depth, together with some "grassiness" that keeps the scent light, citrusy and sparkly. It is pure sunshine in a bottle and wearing it makes me feel feminine, great and energized - I just want to spray myself with it all day long (as you can probably tell from how much I've used of it).

Let's move on to the 2nd limited edition which comes in a lovely coral bottle - Alien Sunessence Light EdT (Edition Saphire) which was launched in 2011, and is still available to buy online. If Aqua Chic is the sparkly and bouncy baby sister of the family, Sunessence is the older sister with significantly more maturity and substance. The first notes have the same fresh zestiness but after that Sunessence develops into a rich, sweet and exotic floral with a fairly heavy musky base and a sprinkle of pepper. It's a nice enough EdT, but I'm not nearly as taken with it as I had expected - and even though I tend to love fragrances with white flowers, I'm not entirely convinced by this one and probably wouldn't purchase it again since it's a little bit too intense for me with its florals and amber.

Last but not least (even if it's the smallest bottle) is the mother of them all - Alien EdT. The very distinct theme is of course similar - warm but fresh orange tones that quickly give way to deeper florals and a soft, balmy musk like warm summer evenings filled with spice. Out of the 3, this is the one where I can clearly detect jasmine which adds a new dimension to the scent making it an unashamedly womanly and confident fragrance - but without the heavy sweet tones that I found in Sunessence. I can definitely see this being a new staple item in my perfume wardrobe.

They are all wonderful scents in their own rights, but for me the purity, luminosity and amazing sparkle of Aqua Chic has made it a clear seasonal favourite. I am always weary of getting attached to a limited edition fragrance, but I'm willing to stock up on Alien Aqua Chic, after all it is a life of ABUNDANCE! They all may be Aliens, but none of these fragrances are strangers to me anymore.