July Favourites

I have an all-beauty favourites for you this month. (And yes, I know it's a little late, but what's a few days between friends?!) As usual, I've kept it brief, limiting my picks to just a few items. Shall we take a look?

1. Dove Summer Glow Gradual Tanner

I absolutely love Dove as a brand. I nearly always use their shower creams as I find them so gentle and moisturising - likewise their liquid hand soaps. I've also been hearing really positive things about their hair oils, so it probably won't be long before I acquire one of those too! I've tried this gradual tanner before, but forgot about it for a while when I became more focused on "proper" fake tans. I like a fairly deep tan, and used to think you could really only get that from a dedicated tanning product. But they can be a pain to apply, so the last time I was looking for one, I decided to try this again. I went for the medium to dark skin version, even though I'm obviously more light to medium, and applied it every morning for about a week. And voila! A nice deep tan, with none of the hassle. Applying this stuff is basically as easy as putting on moisturiser. And the beauty of it is, you can make it as subtle or as deep as you like depending on how often you apply it. My bottle is almost finished now and I'm definitely going to pick up another one soon.

2. Coffee toned lipsticks - Rimmel By Kate Nude Collection in #43 and Mac Lipstick in Mocha

I'm loving both these shades at the moment. The Rimmel Kate in #43 is a lovely, wearable nude, whereas Mac Mocha is slightly deeper and packs more of a punch. I can see myself wearing this one a lot through the Autumn. I haven't really worn any brown/coffee toned lipsticks for a long time - I don't think anyone has since the nineties, up until two or three years ago! It makes a really nice change from the usual pinks, peaches and reds. There's not much more to say about these really, just that I love them and will no doubt end up buying a few more that are same same but different!

3. Real Techniques Starter Set (Eyes) and Bold Metals Pointed Crease Brush

With my sister's wedding fast approaching, I've been practicing my eye makeup a lot this month, and really appreciating having the right tools for the job. The Real Techniques Starter Set has been so useful. There's a firm brush to blend shadow into the crease, a fluffy brush to pack colour on the lid and a tiny one that's perfect for highlighting the inner corner. The Bold Metals pointed crease brush, aside from being a thing of beauty, allows for accentuating the outer corner very precisely - an area I struggle with. I know I've talked about this one very recently, but I just had to mention it again in my favourites because I've so loved using it this month. These brushes are going to be a real lifesaver on the big day!

4. Moisture-rich skincare - Indeed Labs Hydraluron Moisture Boosting Masks and Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate

I reviewed the Kiehl's product very recently here, so I won't go on about it too much. Suffice it to say that I'm still loving this stuff. It feels so light on the skin and my complexion looks nicely "plumped" by morning after wearing it overnight. For an even more intense moisture hit, I've been loving these hydraluron masks by Indeed Labs. I've actually had these for ages, tucked away in a drawer, but I found them when I was tidying up recently and decided to pop one on while I was having a bath. They're those paper masks that make you look like something from a horror movie, but they certainly work well! Again, they have a lovely plumping effect on the complexion and will soften fine dehydration lines - fantastic if you have dry skin.

And there you have my July favourites! Have you tried any of these? What have you been loving this month?

Kate x