It was time to post my May First Impressions a while back, but here we go anyway.

I love scented candles, especially cosy, warm scents in this weather. These two affordable options are Chill from Cotton On and Lavender Bergamot from MRP Home. Together, these give off the most amazing, relaxing scent and most importantly burn well with no pooling. They are affordable too, which is a bonus!

I am a huge fan of The Body Shop, especially the new products that they are constantly coming out with, so when a few of their new launches landed at my door, I couldn’t wait to dive in.

I was sent the new *Skin Defense Multi-Protection Face Mist SPF30, which is a great way to reapply sun protection throughout the day without ruining your makeup. If you have oily skin, this may not work for you, but on my dry winter skin, I love the dewy look it gives. I do lightly powder my forehead and nose though. The Sun Protection Essence from the same range is one of my favourite products!

I was also sent the *Happy Go Lash Mascara which is meant to protect and care for your lashes while giving a thicker, more defined look. This mascara definitely opens up the eyes, is easy to remove with micellar water, and although the formula is a bit wetter than I like, I love the look it gives. The spoolie is pretty dense, so it coats lashes really well without clumping.

I am also trying out the Matte Lip Liquid in Taipei Orchid and Nairobi Camelia, I adore both shades, although I prefer Nairobi as it is a bit of a warmer nude shade, while Taipei is a bit more pink. Both are so comfortable on the lips, don’t crack or flake and the pigment is intense.

The Fresh Nude Cushion Foundation in Malawi Beach is a light coverage foundation that gives a soft matte finish. I love how it perfects the skin while still letting it breathe and look like skin. It feels quite hydrating on the skin, and I think this will be a perfect summer foundation.

I was sent a couple of products from *SIX Skincare a while back, this brand continues to impress me. The Rice Enzyme Exfoliating Powder and Glycolic 8% Foaming Wash are great, and rival products from more expensive brands. The Daily Moisturising Cream is my favourite product I think, it is a lovely moisturiser that adds surface moisture without interfering with anything you put underneath. The Micellar Water has a stunning jasmine scent which I love, but may bug others who are sensitive to fragrance. It removes makeup, including mascara really well, without irritating my eyes. One thing I would change is the packaging of this as the opening is too wide and can lead to wastage. Lastly the Brightening & Even Tone Booster Elixir Serum has a lovely light texture, but I will have to use it a bit longer before reporting on results. I also love that the brand is proudly South African!

I received a couple of products from *Skinny Tan ages ago, and I just didn’t get around to trying the product until recently. The Pre-tan Primer which is essentially a body exfoliator, is amazing! I love the scent and how creamy it is. It isn’t that gritty, but does the job. The Tan & Tone Oil gives the skin a lovely glow, doesn’t leave a greasy feeling and over time develops into a natural looking tan, it also has a lovely tropical scent. Lastly, the Mousse applies well with the glove and doesn’t streak. Both the Oil and Mousse contain skin smoothing and cellulite fighting ingredients.

I am sure you all know by now how much I love minis! I have been trying out a few from Cover FX, and so far I am loving the Illuminating Primer, Perfect Setting Powder, Illuminating Setting Spray and Custom Enhancer Drops in Moonlight. The Primer gives skin a lovely glow and preps it for makeup,the Setting Powder doesn’t crease or make my skin look dry and ashy, the Setting Spray gives skin a glowy dewy look without any sign of oil or glitter and the Enhancer Drops in Moonlight are just beautiful! I am still in two minds about the Radiance Custom Infusion Drops, it is a serum that can be used alone, mixed into your moisturiser or into foundation.

Lastly I have been trying the new *Oxygen-Glow Range from Filorga. The range has been designed to give perfected, radiant and even looking skin. It is a bit more affordable than other Filorga Ranges, and is suitable for ages 25 to 35. The stand out products for me are the Oxygen-Glow Eyes and the Oxygen-Glow Mask. The Eye Cream has a lovely light but hydrating texture and visibly brightens and lightens the area with a highlighting effect. The Mask refines and exfoliates the skin (I even had a slight tingle thanks to the active ingredients) and you can see the difference in texture and radiance after use, it is recommended to use three times a week, but can be used every day for a week, for an intensive treatment and extra glow! The Oxygen Glow Super-Perfecting Radiance Cream wasn’t hydrating enough for me, and is probably best suited for oily skin, or perhaps as a light summer moisturiser. What I do like about it is the colour-contol peptide that perfects and evens out the skin. The Oxygen-Glow Clean is an okay cleanser, it cleanses well and doesn’t strip the skin, but I don’t think it does anything magical.

Thanks for reading my May First Impressions!

*Press Sample