Hi Ladies

Let’s dive into my First Impressions of the products I’ve tried in April, starting with makeup, since that is the most exciting!

The Narsissist Cheek Kit is really nice, although it is quite small, so my usual blush brush is too large for this palette. It does come with a super soft and super tiny brush though. It has the usual suspects, Orgasm and Laguna and a pretty highlighter shade called Devotee.

bareMinerals Powder works well as a setting powder under they eyes, but I don’t find anything fantastic about it.

Benefit Fake Up is an under-eye hydrating concealer. This was a gift from my boyfriend, and I really like it. It isn’t heavy coverage, but works well to disguise dark circles while hydrating the area.

Freedom Makeup Pro Studio Fixing Spray is an anti-shine setting spray, and it does a pretty good job. It doesn’t have that dreaded tacky feeling, dries quickly, and keeps makeup in place.

the Balm Mary-Lou Manizer is a stunning highlighter for that all out glow, I completely understand why this product has such a huge fan base.

The Instain Blush from the Balm is another hit for me. It is soft and buttery and so pigmented. It is so easy to overdo it with this blush, so go light!

You can read my thoughts on the new *Lancome Juicy Shakers that have just arrived on our shores over here.

I finally tried these two highlighters from the MAC Lightness of Being Collection, I was holding off because I just loved the design. Alas, what good is a highlighter if you can’t get your glow on. These are Lightscapade and Perfect Topping, and they are perfection. You can find these as part of the permanent collection, but it will be in the normal packaging, with the baked finish.

Soap & Glory Solar Powder didn’t do much for me, so it is up on my Blog Sale.

I am still on the fence about Glow All Out, I mean it’s a nice highlighter, but it’s not the best highlighter I have tried.

These lip plumping glosses really do pump up the volume in your lips, with that awesome tingly feeling. I wish the glosses were more pigmented though.

I bought a couple of products from Beauty Cottage, and they exceeded my expectations! Pigmented, soft, blendable, everything I could ask for it does. The Highlight and Bronzer was even featured in my April Favourites.

I really wish Catrice had a version of this *Even Skin Tone Foundation for my skin tone! It is amazing!

The *Lip Glow is one of those changing with your PH products, so if you want an individual lip gloss colour, this is your answer.

I bought quite a few products from The Face Shop in Malaysia, and most of them were hits. I am a bit on the fence about the highlighter and primer though. The two I Make You Pretty Blushes are too light for me, so they are on my Blog Sale.

PSA: The Face Shop has a store in Joburg, which is super exciting, filled with Korean Goodness, masks, essences and makeup!

I tried out quite a few new lip products. My favourite is the MAC Patent Polish Lip Pencil in Teen Dream.

The Sinful Colors Lip Shine products are really impressive. I found these randomly in Ackerman’s a while ago, and I wish I had bought more. If you find these, you should definitely give them a try.

The Cotton On Rubi Lipsticks were hits and misses. Some shades were great, others not so much. The shades that were too light for me are on my Blog Sale.

The Victoria Secret Smooth Kiss Glossy Lip Butter is amazing! Slightly pigmented and super moisturising!

Lastly, the L’Oreal Caresse Shine Stain is great, pigmented, moisturising and it comes with a long lasting stain.

Revlon sent over their newest innovation, the *Colorstay 2-in-1 Compact, as well as their new *Colorstay Pressed Powder. You can read my full review here.

Revlon also sent over the *Colorstay Gel Envy, *Ultra Volume Mascara, and the *Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor in Addiction.

I had already bought three of the Ultra HD Matte Lipcolor (Luckily not Addiction), you can read my thoughts here.

Oh how I love my Stila Lip Glazes! I love the pigmented shades, but there a few shades that are too light/neutral for me, so they are on my Blog Sale.

I received some goodies from Physician’s Formula and I was impressed. Physician’s Formula is one of my favourite drugstore brands! I got to try out the *Dark Circle Corrector and Concealer in Light + Yellow and I really like how it performed, so much so that it was part of my April Favourites. I was also sent the *Nude Wear Touch of Glow Stick which works well for me as a light weight concealer/highlighting product.

I bought some beauty tools from Swiitch Beauty and the Under-Eye Pod is really great for applying and blending under-eye corrector and concealer, it gets into all the right places easily, and puffs up really well when wet. I don’t really like the Contour Comet, I don’t know why, but it just didn’t work for me.

*GOSH Copenhagen has some new impressive and affordable makeup brushes. I use the Powder and Blush Brushes daily, they are soft and fluffy and blend everything together without shifting it around.

My dear boyfriend bought me this brush set a while back. These are the first Sephora brushes I have tried, and the foundation and blush brushes are really nice. Although I don’t wear eye makeup very often, these brushes are nice and dense and pick up product really well. This is a great travel set, just add a stippling brush and I am good to go!

Freedom Makeup Moisture Cream is a nice moisturiser, although it isn’t extremely moisturising.

The Freedom Makeup Brush Bath is amazing, you can read a more detailed review in my April Favourites!

Lastly, The Freedom Makeup Priming Water can be used before or after makeup to hydrate the skin and provide a luminous look. It doesn’t really prime in the traditional blurring sense, it is more of a hydrating and radiant face mist in my opinion. I think this is a dupe of the Smashbox Priming Water, although this one contains alcohol and a more synthetic fragrance.

I love sheet masks, and this one from Leaders Clinic is really nice. When I can’t go overseas to get my sheet masks I get my fix from Shades of Mink.

Origins Clear Improvement Mask helps me out when my skin is going crazy. It is purifying without being drying, which is hard to come by in a clay mask. Although Origins isn’t available in South Africa, the new Dermalogica Charcoal Rescue Masque does the job just as well.

Schwarzkopf Bonacure Moisture Kick Spray Conditioner and Beauty Balm are both great products to save dry hair. They are quick and easy to use, and don’t need to be rinsed out, which is literally the bane of my existence. They keep frizz away, and keep my hair soft and bouncy.

Lastly, L’Oreal Triple Resist Reinforcing Treatment is aimed at fragile hair with a tendency to fall, which is basically my hair. To be honest I used this twice and then forgot about it until now, so I can’t really comment on the results. I like that it is a leave-in product which just makes my life easier.

I received a couple of products from Afriderm recently, and the *Peeling Gel blew me away, it works exactly like some of the other Korean Peeling Gels I have tried, and it is so affordable.

I was also sent the *Day Cream which is quite rich, and somehow makes my skin look more refined and makes my pores look smaller.

The *Hand & Body Lotion is really nice and moisturising, it is almost finished actually. But I am not a fan of the scent.

Since we are moving into winter I went on a bit of a Hand Cream Marathon, and after trying all of the above products, first place goes to The Body Shop Hemp Hand Protector, and then the Sorbet Hand & Nail Cream, The Body Shop Wild Rose Hand Butter, *Dermalogica Multivitamin Hand and Nail Treatment and Africology Body Butter all come in second.

The Body Shop Bath Lily and Glove are probably the best lily and glove I have ever tried! They aren’t scratchy, and the product foams really well on it. The Strawberry Shower Gel smells nice, and reminds me of my childhood, Tinkerbell and all.

I am a huge fan of oils, and the Lipidol Overnight Face Oil is amazing! It is light and non-greasy and leaves skin soft and supple by morning. And then of course there is that heavenly scent, which is not too intense but just enough to help you drift off to sleep dreaming of exotic islands.

Nuxe Huile Prodigieuse is a dry oil which can be used everywhere. I prefer the normal version as opposed to the shimmer version. It is non-greasy and moisturising, and has an extremely subtle pleasant scent, to me it smells like a refined sophisticated baby oil.

I tried out a couple of new skincare products in April, and the Bioderma Purifying Cleansing Foaming Gel is really really nice. My skin feels clean without being tight, I have been using this every day without any sort of dry patch forming. If you have dehydrated but troublesome skin, then give this a try!

I don’t have much to say about the Yves Rocher Cleansing Milk, except that it is a nice cleanser for sensitive skin, it is creamy and soothing.

Balm Balm Rose Water Hydrosol is an awesome pick me up face mist. I like to use it after cleansing and before applying face cream.

The Retail Box Secret Box 23 was amazing! It contained Kardashian Beauty Products that were on my wishlist, yay! The Black Seed Dry Oil is hydrating without being greasy. It reminds me a lot of the Moroccan Oil for fine hair.

I love the scent, and I quite like the Dry Shampoo, but I wouldn’t spend this much on one. Batiste will do.

Who knew I needed a Dry Conditioner in my life? This refreshes and softens my hair without looking greasy, and without leaving residue like most dry shampoos. The scent is also to die for! I would repurchase this!

Lastly, these two amazing Skoon goodies.

The Overnight Hydrating Mask leaves my skin plump and soft and hydrated. The small laugh lines around my mouth are also less pronounced after using this.

*The Moisture Now Serum is a lightweight serum with a thickish consistency, it absorbs immediately into the skin and can be used before or after skincare and makeup. I like using it as a serum under my face cream for a boost of moisture. I like using it as a primer under my makeup for a plump hydrated base. But my favourite way to use it is over makeup patted onto the dry areas for an instance plumping lift me up. It can also be used to turn any of your primers into a hydrating primer, pretty awesome, right?

If you made it to the bottom, well done!

*Press Samples