Recent Beauty Purchases

I received a sample of coconut oil with one of my recent online orders, and as I mentioned on Twitter, it removed my makeup twice, moisturised my face, and conditioned my hair. I started to see why people are obsessed with it, so had to buy some myself. I bought the Biona Organic Raw Virgin Coconut Oil (£4.39/200g) because it was buy one get one half price at Boots, and I paid with my points, so it was technically free. 

I'm a big fan of Superdrug's own brand products, and have tried many over the years. The Hydrate & Shine Coconut Water and Coconut Oil Conditioning Hair Masque (£2.65 down from £3.99) and Clearly Youthful Retexturising Glycolic Peel Off Mask (£2.39 down from £4.89) both had good reviews, and were so cheap, that I had to try them. I've only ever tried glycolic products from Nip & Fab, and I love them, so am really looking forward to trying the face mask. You don't see many affordable brands with a product like this. The packaging of this Clearly Youthful range is not bad either.

I was running out of my Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot Primer (£10), so needed another, and because it was buy one get one half price, thought I'd browse the rest of the range. I've seen the Hocus Focus Illuminator (£11) talked about a few times, and liked the idea of adding some to my foundation, so opted for a bottle. I've already mixed it with my base makeup a few times, and used it as a highlighter, and really like it. It's glowy, not shimmery. I used to use the Superdrug Vitamin E Radiance Face Cream (£2.99) years back, but I don't know exactly how similar they are because it was so long ago. 

I hadn't ordered from The Body Shop in a while, but was running low on my Shade Adjusting Lightening Drops (£10) and All In One Face Base in 02 (£14), so thought I'd browse the rest of the website while ordering these. I'd heard good things about the Fresh Nude Foundation (£15), so added the shade 010 Chelsea Porcelain to my basket. I've been using it for over a week now, and quite like it. It has a light-medium coverage, with a natural satin finish, which surprised me because I somehow assumed it would be overly dewy. It's not cakey, doesn't cling to any dry areas, and feels fairly moisturising. 

Seeing as it's fast becoming my new favourite thing, I'm curious to know if you use coconut oil?

Another Collection of Essence Purchases

I posted an Essence haul just last month (here), and although I said I may pop back to the stand for a couple more things, I didn't expect to buy enough to warrant another post. But here we are.

I really, really didn't need another mascara, but wanted to try the I Love Extreme Crazy Volume Mascara (£2.80) because of the high ratings. At £2.80, I thought I may as well.

I already own two lipsticks from the nude range, but found the Long Lasting Lipstick in 06 Barely There (£2.30), and had to add it to my collection. The other two I have from Essence are pink and mauve based, whereas this is more brown, so it's completely warranted.

I picked up another Lip Liner (£1), this time in 05 Soft Berry, because I quite liked the Satin Mauve one I bought last time.

I was also a fan of the Liquid Lipsticks (£2.50), even though I wouldn't go as far to say they're liquid lipsticks. Like the Maybelline Colour Elixir Lip Lacquers, they're pigmented, balmy glosses. The shade above is 04 Show Off, which is a bright, summer red.

Finally, I opted for the Long Lasting Eye Pencil in 25 Say Hi Light (£1.50). I absolutely love this pencil, and have already bought another. If you'd like to see my review of it, click here.

This affordable brand has really impressed me, and I like that they regularly bring out new releases to keep up with the trends. They have a range of gel-like nail polishes, and have recently brought out eyebrow pomades as well. It's certainly a brand I'm going to keep an eye on.

Two New Zoeva Brushes

Zoeva is my favourite brand for makeup brushes, and I've recently added some more to my collection. 

I prefer cream blushes over powder ones, and these require a stippling brush. I've used the Real Techniques Stippling Brush for years, but wanted a smaller option so I'd have more control over where the colour is placed. The Zoeva 122 Petite Stippling Brush is perfect for this, and means I have the space to blend, blend, blend.

I wanted a narrow, rectangular brush so I could define certain areas of my face with more precision. Like my jawline, for example. The Zoeva 109 Face Paint Brush had the size and shape I wanted, but it's made with natural hair. I have a couple of the natural brushes, and don't like them as much as their synthetic counterparts because they shed more and don't hold their shape as well. I then found the vegan version, so opted for this one instead. The 109v is one you have to be careful with because of its density. You need a very light hand and time to blend the hell out of your product of choice. Other than contour, though, it's great for highlight. It's the perfect size and shape for the tops of your cheeks. It's best paired with a more subtle product, though, because of the density I mentioned. If I'm ever ordering from somewhere which stocks Zoeva, I'll probably add another of these to my basket so I have one for each task.

Above, you have the Zoeva 109v Face Paint Vegan, the Zoeva 122 Petite Stippling, and the Real Techniques Stippling Brush for comparison.

You can buy Zoeva from a few online stores, but I've personally bought all of mine from Beauty Bay and Love Makeup. I know that Selfridges now stock them as well. Delivery is £5, but if you're already buying something from there, it's worth having a look.