Hi Ladies

It is time for my June First Impressions. I feel like I didn’t try as many products in June as I usually do, which is probably due to the fasting month as well as the cold of winter. But, I did still try quite a few, and some have truly won me over. Let’s start with skincare, haircare and bodycare and then move onto some makeup!

I have been using the *REN Instant Brightening Beauty Shot Eye Lift every morning for the past two weeks, and I am loving it. I have a full review coming soon, so I will just give you a few highlights. It is a light gel that is quickly absorbed into the skin, it has a cooling effect which helps to wake my eyes up. It is moisturising and illuminating and can be used both under and over makeup. It also has a pearl look, which helps to immediately brighten the eye area without being shimmery or shiny.

If you have sensitive skin, Avene is definitely a brand you should check out. And if you have dry, sensitive skin, the Avene Hydrance Range is definitely worth a look. I received these products from *Avene to help my skin survive winter, and thankfully my skin is pulling through, me, not so much.

The Hydrance Optimale Hydrating Serum has a very watery consistency and absorbs instantly leaving parched skin hydrated and nourished. The Hydrance Optimale Rich Hydrating Cream is quite thick, but not greasy at all. It also absorbs quickly even though it is thick, and it has an SPF 20. Lastly I have the YstheAL anti-wrinkle emulsion which is an extremely thin liquid suitable for normal to combination skin, it contains Retinaldehyde to kick-start your skin as well as the famous Thermal Spring Water to soothe. I will have a full review of this range after I have used it for a longer period of time.

Need to hydrate skin on a budget? This range of Manuka Honey products from Good Things will keep your skin nourished. I have been using the Creamy Cleanser daily, and although it doesn’t remove makeup, it works well as the second step to cleanse and hydrate skin. The Moisturiser is pretty impressive, it is hydrating without being greasy and is definitely a product I would recommed for dry skin types. The mask is okay, I didn’t really like the scent, but my skin did look more refined after using it.

I was sent the Creightons The Curl Company *Leave-In Conditioner and *Curl Cream a while back, and because I am a huge fan of Creightons I couldn’t wait to give them a try. This range is dedicated to curls and waves. The scent of the Curl Cream is amazing, sort of a light jasmine. The Leave-In Conditioner also smells really nice, but I can’t put my finger on the scent. I love leave-in products because of their convenience, and these don’t disappoint. Both products leave my hair frizz free, without being greasy. My waves are defined without being crunchy. Both products also offer extra hydration post washing. The best part, all products in the range are under R200.

Nivea Pampering Oil is amazing, affordable, nourishing with a lovely scent. This is a winter must-have! It is one of my June Favourites!

I keep this little CND Solar Oil on my bedside table, and I have been using it every night on my cuticles. It moisturises well, but I can’t say that it is fantastic.

I have a dry scalp which sometimes becomes a dry itchy scalp, so I bought the Philip Kingsley Flaky/Itchy Scalp Toner to see if it would help. As soon as I apply this my scalp feels better, less dry and itchy, but the effect doesn’t last very long unfortunately.

I received this Saloncare Collagen Cream sample when I ordered from Absolute Skin a while ago. It is light yet nourishing and is best for ageing or environmentally damaged skin. The application advice is a bit confusing, it says “apply to pre-cleansed skin”. In my mind that means before cleansing, or does pre-cleansed mean something else? Well, it is a moisturiser, so it should be applied to cleansed skin.

I received this *Morgan Taylor REACT kit, and I am happy to report that my mani lasted for 9 days without a chip in sight! The edges faded a bit after 6/7 days, and I got my first tiny chip after 9 days. I will have a full review up soon, but I am impressed!

The Revlon Colorburst Lip Butter in Pink Truffle is a stunning colour, I really love these lip products from Revlon. I loved this shade so much that it was one of my June Favourites.

The NYX Cream Blush in Tickled is a light apricot shade perfect for that no makeup look. I love cream blushes, and this one from NYX is pretty amazing, and affordable. This is the fourth NYX Cream Blush that I have bought and if you are a fan of cream products I highly recommend trying out one from NYX.

The Bourjois Happy Light Ultra Covering Concealer in Beige Dore is amazing at covering dark under eye circles. It is creamy and best applied with your finger. I am so impressed by this product. Since it is quite creamy it can be prone to creasing, but if you use a tiny amount it hardly creases.

I was waiting for The Body Shop Instaglow CC Cream to launch in South Africa, and the wait is over! As soon as I saw this in store I bought it! I bought the foundation brush too, as well as some other goodies  which you can check out in my June Beauty Haul.

The Peachy Glow Instaglow CC Cream is the perfect shade for me although I don’t think it can be called a CC Cream. it is more like a primer in my eyes. If you are looking for an illuminating primer, then this product is for you. If you are looking for a CC Cream, you will be left wanting more.

The Foundation Brush is amazing, I love Duo Fibre Brushes. This blends both liquid and cream foundations really well and I am really impressed by it. It gives a light air-brushed natural finish.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palettes in Hot Spice, Sugar and Spice and All About Cream. These palettes are such great value for money and the colours are so pigmented. The cream palette (top left) has a great shade range from bright to natural, and I am loving cream blush this winter! The two powder palettes are so soft and not chalky at all and they both include two shimmery highlighting shades. It is not necessary for me to have both powder palettes, so Sugar and Spice is on my Blog Sale.

When I saw these Urban Studio Makeup Brushes at Dischem I had to buy them! They reminded me so much of my beloved Real Techniques Duo Fibre Brush Set.

The Contour Brush fits really nicely into the hollows of the cheek. The Foundation Brush is okay, I was hoping it would work well with cream blush, but it doesn’t, and I am not a huge fan of paddle foundation brushes. The Blush Brush is quite nice, it is soft and fluffy and can be used for light or heavy blush application. The Pointed Foundation Brush is really nice and works well with under eye concealer, as well as with cream blush and highlighter.

Lastly, I tried out some Catrice eye products.

Catrice has some really stunning and affordable eye shadow palettes. The shades in the Chocolate Nudes Palette is really stunning, I love natural shades! The Absolute Rose Palette is a pretty palette filled with romantic shades. The powders are quite pigmented and long lasting.

The Catrice Lash Boost Overnight Serum is meant to nourish your lashes overnight and stimulate growth. Unfortunately the only thing this stimulates is pain. This burnt so much when I applied it to my eyelids. Has anyone else tried this product?

The Catrice Made to Stay Inside Eye Kohl Kajal is amazing! If you love a black pencil on your waterline, but find most of them smudge, then this product is for you. It is designed specifically for the waterline, so it doesn’t bug the eyes or smudge!

What products have you been trying out?

*Press Samples