December Addiction - Mirenesse Crystal Colour Drops Hydrating Mineral Powders

Hi Everyone! Hope you all had a lovely Christmas and have great plans to bring in the New Year. Sorry I have been absent a bit lately but hubby has had the week off so we've had some much needed family time which meant blogging had to take a back seat unfortunately. He also rebuilt my laptop during the week (the benefit of living with a Network Engineer) to try and make it run better for me so hopefully I'll have no more issues for a while.

Anyway, today I just had to talk about a product that I have been using non-stop over the past month which is my Mirenesse Crystal Colour Drops Hydrating Mineral Powders.

This is a great multi-use palette which contains a contouring shade, a highlight shade and two blush shades.

It's a huge competitor to my beloved Napoleon Perdis Ultimate Contour Palette which I was obsessed with for a little while, but this one just manages to stay in front by having the extra blush shade.

These powders are lovely and soft and blend perfectly. They are extremely pigmented which means a light hand is needed, especially for the rosy shade and the contouring shade. I am in love with the peachy shade as it is the perfect shade of blush for my pale skintone when I'm after a natural look.

These also make great eyeshadows if you're in a hurry as they don't crease or disappear but last the entire day on the face.

I love multi use palettes like this because they just make life so much easier and are great for travelling.

This palette usually retails for $59.95 but Mirenesse is having a 35% off sale at the moment so you could score it for around $39 if you're quick.

Has anyone else tried this great product yet?

Michelle xx

November Addictions - Skin Doctors T-Zone Range

This month my skin went absolutely crazy for some reason. I'm really not sure why as I was using the same products for ages but my skin just decided to do a complete backflip from the nice and clear state it was in to being constantly covered in pimples and greasy as all hell.

So, I was so very grateful when at the beginning of the month I was asked to trial the new Skin Doctors T-Zone range by Beautyheaven as this trial definitely came at exactly the right time for me and I have been absolutely loving these products ever since receiving them.

The Skin Doctors T-Zone range consists of the Oil Control Cleanser, the No More Oil cream and the No More Pores night cream.

1) Oil Control Cleanser - This cleanser is the first step in the routine and is a paraben-free cleansing and balancing gel that deeply purifies pores and clears oily and combination skin to give you a perfect matte complexion. I really like this cleanser as it makes my skin feel super clean without any dryness or tight feeling which is something you'd expect from a product like this. It doesn't irritate my sometimes sensitive skin at all and is a very light gel which is easy to lather onto the face. This is probably my favourite product to use in the range.

(Oil Control Cleanser)

2) No More Oil cream - This is a dual action cream designed to help control oil production to reduce shine and to absorb excess oil to leave your skin flawless, matte and beautiful. I've been applying this cream every morning and night and it glides on nicely and absorbs into the skin really fast. I have actually noticed that my skin does seem to be a little less oilier than before and in this hot weather we have been having lately that is a miracle in itself. My makeup has even been lasting longer when using this too and I've found that it means I can skip the use of a primer most of the time if I don't feel like using one.

3) No More Pores Night Treatment - This cream is to help refine, unclog, shrink and tighten pores so your skin looks smooth, matte, even and flawless. The dual action formula firstly removes excess oil that causes enlarged pores and secondly helps to reduce pore size. This cream is to be applied at night after cleansing and prior to using the No More Oil cream and at first I was using it every night but then scaled it back to using it only every second night as I found that it was stinging my skin a little if used every night. Even without using the cream every night I have still noticed a definite reduction in the size of the pores on my cheeks and nose which were always quite large and I don't get anymore irritation with only using it every second night as well. On the in between nights I just use my regular night cream instead and still apply the No More Oil cream over the top of that.

(No More Pores Night Treatment)

 

Overall this is a great range to use if you have an oily t-zone and enlarged pores as there are definately noticeable effects after using it on a constant basis for a few weeks. I've always had a problem with my t-zone but then have dry areas on other parts of my face so it has been nice to feel like my skin has been a bit more even and normal for a change.

 

I would consider this a much nicer and less harsh alternative to the Proactiv range which I tried once a few years ago and honestly felt like I was immersing my face in acid every time I used it.

 

So that's what I have been loving this month.

 

What products have you been addicted to this month?

 

Michelle xx

October Addictions

I surprisingly had quite a few products that I reached for often during the month of October. Due to being so stressed and strapped for time I had a tendency to use pratically the same products every day which is unusual for me as I have a tendency to get bored when I do that.

Here is what I loved using during the month of October:

I was mainly sporting a more neutral 'no-fuss' face during October and the above items were all awesome products that didn't require much effort to use.

1) Eyeshadows - B Collection by Bloom in Sahara Desert and Almay Intense i-colour in Trio for Greens. The Bloom eyeshadow is a no brainer soft coppery brown that is excellent as an all over the lid colour on it's own but also looks great with a little green or purple added into the crease from the Almay palette on days when I could be bothered making a little more effort.

2) Mascara - Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes. I love the way this mascara make my lashes look a mile long but I don't love the black smudges that end up underneath my eyes at the end of the day after using it.

3) Eyeliner - Models Prefer Kohl Pencil in Matte Black. Such a simple eyeliner pencil but it works wonders. It goes on so smooth and easily with no pulling at all and doesn't budge all day or night. Another quality product from this great brand.

4) Primer - Dr Lewinn's Skin Perfect Anti-ageing Primer. I will be posting my review of this soon but needless to say I love it and use it every day. Thank you Beauty Heaven for allowing me to trial such an awesome product!

5) Foundation - Maybelline Fit Me Foundation. The main reason I love this foundation is because it suits my skin tone perfectly which means I can be a bit quicker with my application of it and don't have to be pedantic about blending it in within an inch of its life. It gives me good coverage as well without being too thick and stays in place all day.

6) Face - Napoleon Ultimate Contour Palette. I've reviewed this palette here and it hasn't left my bathroom vanity for over a month now. Totally in love with this product and how quick and easy it makes contouring and highlighting my face.

7) Concealer - Mirenesse Icon Sealer. I have grown to love using this as my undereye concealer as it covers my dark circles excellently and doesn't end up sinking into my fine lines as the day progresses. It's the perfect shade for my skin tone as well so takes minimal effort to blend in. Anything that saves me time in the mornings is a big plus for me!

8) Lips - MOR Lip Nectar in Lychee Flower and ELF Lip Shine in Candlelight. I have been a definite gloss girl during October as it's easier to maintain with minimal effort. The MOR lip nectar is one of the best lip glosses I have ever used and I am in love with the subtle pink flush it gives my lips and the way it seems to stay on for hours. The ELF gloss was a very happy surprise that I got in one of the monthly beauty packs and is such a great nude that goes with anything. It also stays on for a surprisingly long time too.

So that's my list of favourites for the past month. Nothing too exciting but they were products that definitely made the month a lot easier for me.

If you've done a favourites post I'd love to know about it!

Michelle xx