Best in Beauty : May 2013

Another month, another wave of gorgeous new beauty products to splurge on... After all, we must get beach-ready. What else are we supposed to spend on?

I've tried some fabulous products this month, so just thought i'd do my duties in sharing them with you !

Have you tried something particularly yummy? Comment below and let me know !

Looking to tone up before you have to squeeze in your bikini? If you're anything like me, then this is sure to be the case. Actually, if you're anything like me then THIS will be the case... Anyway, I digress. If you're looking for the easy-ish way out, then treat yourself to this minty cream from Soap & Glory with the most pun-tastic name imaginable. Brace yourself, ladies, for THE FIRMINATOR (£12 here). Slather all over your thighs after a shower and wait for the firming to begin. Of course, this works better with a bit of toning work at the gym!

 Bourjois are known for their best selling Little Round Pot blushers. Soft, delicate and easy to blend, Bourjois' powder blushes are the best on a budget but it does not take a genius to know that during the warmer months, powder blushes are not always a good idea. Usually in Summer, our skin is a little better and it's all about getting a dewy glow. Praise the beauty lords, then, for Bourjois have now launched these amazing creamy blushers. A snip at just £7.99 exclusively at Selfridges, these blushers go on so smoothly and offer wonderfully buildable colour.

With a new beauty collection inspired by cupcakes, this powder from MAC is great for adding a little pearlescent sheen to a beauty look. It is £21.50 here. 

If you're lucky enough to go lovely and bronze during the Summer months, then this Bobbi Brown multipurpose product is sure to be your saviour over the holidays. A bright bubblegum pink with plenty of delicate shimmer, this Summer Pink blush stick will add a little glow to your barefaced beauty look. Add a little slick to lips and finish with No7 BB lip balm for a killer look. It is £18 here. 

A lovely light scent for Summer, my current fragrance obsession is See by Chloé's suitably chic new fragrance. You can buy it here- £49 for 50 ml. 

A foundation that has the power to actually heal spots? Count. Me. In. This full coverage foundation from Seventeen has just launched and i've been lucky enough to try it already. While i've not been using it long enough to notice a huge difference, the coverage of this foundation is just ideal for Summer, especially if you have problem skin. The formula contains salicylic acid which works to dry out pimples while the creamy foundation provides just the right amount of coverage. Just what the doctor ordered for a cool £6.99 here.

Best in Beauty: Early April

I can't believe that my Easter holidays have been and gone and I am back to London today until Summer holidays. Yup. SUMMER.

Without risking sounding like a grandmother, WHERE has this year gone?

Oh to be young again.

Anyway, without further ado, here are my first best in beauty picks for this month- i'll do another batch towards the end of the month because i'm that much of a beauty junkie.

Hope you likey! 

My first picks this month have to be two of the finest mascaras of the moment. Stila is a cult label that last year saw a long overdue relaunch. While their nourishing, super-shiny lip glazes are particularly iconic, I must admit that I have heard nothing but great things about their Stay All Day mascara (£15 from Space NK here). It really is in the name on this one, girls, for this mascara supposedly does not budge all day long. I am thinking that this shall be one for my Summer beauty bag (back off panda eyes- just back off) and will keep you posted when i've tried it. If anyone has already just pop a little comment below.

My second mascara pick is one that I have been using for a little while and must say that I do swear by it for giving me super fluttery eyelashes in just a couple of coats. Don't be perturbed by that snazzy looking old tube, for this MAC False Lashes mascara is certainly a keeper (£18 here). While it is certainly not smudge (ahem - tear) proof, this glossy mascara is thick but not clumpy and is perfect for lengthening and volumising without too much hassle. I always curl with Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers beforehand, of course. 

I shudder to think how much money I have spent in this lifetime on lipgloss. I go through it at the speed of noughts, and buy way more than I really should. I just love a good lipgloss, I do. I also am pretty pernickety about the glosses I go for, as nothing is more off-putting than an overly viscous or oily "gloss", it's got to be suitably sticky and preferably sweet. 

My favourite, month by month, is always the NARS lipgloss. It is thick but not gloopy and has just the right amount of pigment to remove any need for a base lipstick or colour. It is a little bit more expensive than your average Superdrug shot (£17.50 here), but it is also a big bit better. This Turkish Delight colour is a pale, powdery pink and is soon to be the latest addition to my ever expanding beauty bag. See ya in Selfridges... Or Space NK... Or Harvey Nicks. I'm not fussy. 

Another product I am really keen to try is the Benefit Dandelion lipgloss (£14.50 here). If anyone has any feedback on it just let me know- I love the blusher personally for it's delicate touch of petal pink, so I can only imagine that the lipgloss is just as lovely. 

I featured these Urban Apothecary candles in my Mothers Day post a while back (after spotting on the amazing Discover and Escape) and I just had to feature them again because they sound SO delicious! I still haven't found an excuse to treat myself just yet, but don't they sound so lovely? Inspired by french macaroons (mmmmm...) these delightfully sweet candles come in an array of sugary scents that sound so very decadent. I felt as we edged into Summer, I should stay true to good old Great Britain and bring out the strawbs and cream! This luxury candle comes in a beautiful little glass jar which is perfect for storing trinkets once the candle is all gone. You can treat yourself here for £30. 

You know i'm off to New York this June, right? Don't know if i've mentioned...

Eep! I am so very excited to visit the Big Apple and on reading a book called The Stylist's Guide to NYC, I got even more excited about checking out some of the cities' big name perfumery stores such as Le Labo.

Le Labo scents are a tad expensive, but they are delightfully unique and can even have the labels personalised. What could possibly be a better souvenir? 

I think I shall be inclined to go for Jasmine. A light but floral Spring scent, this charming and distinctive scent is ladylike but still powerful. You can buy for £95 here or at Liberty (as per the one in the image)

Yesterday over lunch, my mother, sister and I spent a good half hour talking about our favourite nail polish brands, which made for a riotous old time for dad, as I'm sure you can imagine. 

While initially I flew the flag for Essie (I love Splash of Grenadine and Ballet Slippers- call me cliché!) and OPI, my mother plumped for Leighton Denny and my sister full on championed Butter London polishes. 

I must admit that my sister and I rarely agree, but on this one I could not argue. Butter London polishes really are quite fabulous and for Spring they have some delicious shades around. I just featured a couple of my favourites here- Fruit Machine, a poppy candy pink and Kerfuffle, a sugary soft coral. 

The polishes offer great coverage and don't go as streaky as other luxury polish brands tend to. Both these soft new interpretations of pastel shades would be great for the warmer months whether on your fingertips or tootsies. (both £13 at Butter London)

While skincare is not among the most girly or glamourous of beauty products, it is undoubtedly the most important, particularly if you suffer from skin problems like myself.

My skin is scarred from acne, dry in parts and oily in others, and also extremely blemish prone, so I spend my life in pursuit of a regime that will balance all of the above or, perhaps, make it all go away?

While this Eucerin DermoPurifyer hasn't quite cleared everything up, it really is helping. I have been using the cleanser (£9.18 here), toner (£9.18 here), concentrate (£9.50 here) and moisturiser/night here (both £9.18 here) every day and night for the past few weeks and I have noticed a great improvement in my skin.

My skin is nourished and no longer as oily, and spots are far rarer than they have been in the past. I have also been eating a far more nutritious diet since being at home, with more fats than I care to think about, which probably is a contributing factor, but I really would recommend this regime if you're a little conscious of your skin. 

Last but not least, a little touch of luxury from Anya Hindmarch. I really do wish I could call this make-up bag my own, but I think it's something I would need to ask for as a gift!

How adorable is it? This "Face Repair Kit" in soft metallic leather is £135 (here) but is perfect for carrying around all your favourite beauty essentials! 

How could you resist?!

Hey, Hot Stuff

So it's bloody freezing again... Just when I thought I was okay to go out in ballet pumps, to dance into spring in my balletic maxiskirts and cycle around London with flowers in my hair, the temperature plummets below zero and I once again forget what my hands feel like.

(Maybe i've not quite braved the maxis and hippy cycling, but I have worn ballet pumps, okay?)

Anyway, I thought that i'd try and keep my spirits up by posting this bold and exciting little dream outfit of mine, boasting the most sunny colours imaginable. I'll take that Sophie Hulme handbag and these J Brand jeans now, please.

1. A perfect coral pout will never go amiss during spring, and I love this shade by MAC. I picked this up in a MAC goodie bag but passed it onto a friend as coral lippy doesn't tend to suit me, but this Vegas Volt lipstick is a great shade for warmer skintones, not pasty Scottish birds like me.

2. Aaah The Kooples, someone tear me away! This little lace trim camisole from the new collection at The Kooples is top of my new season wishlist, purely for it is so very versatile. Perfect with little denim shorts or with distressed skinny jeans, this is a little gem right here (£65) 

3. When we first shot these jeans at Atelier-To-Go, I think I fell a little bit in love. Dishevelled denim at it's most stylish, these J Brand 620 Skinnies in Revenge are the most wonderfully soft blend and they fit a dream. J Brand skinnies are a modern classic... If only I could justify treating myself!

4. You probably all know that i'm a statement jewellery obsessive, and this necklace from Jolita has been on my radar for a little while now. It is coming soon, but will retail at £480. Featuring a rainbow of  acid bright matte gems in a bold collar style, this necklace marries together all these warm shades for a lively look that exudes modern style.

5. I have been loving Sophie Hulme handbags for a good while now, and this orange number is certainly a new favourite. Around the £400 mark, these handbags aren't ludicrously expensive, but they are beautifully made and totally timeless. This soft apricot shade is bang on trend for spring and also looks rather delicious with this particular outfit.

6. "Aw, Topshop have so many nice wooden shoes at the moment"

These words perplexed my flatmates a little bit earlier this evening, but they'll know what I mean if they take a look at this post. The wooden wedges in at Topshop for Spring at just gorgeous, and I am particularly drawn to these clompy but cool wedges in a soft sandy suede. The perfect neutral to balance the bold shades in the rest of this outfit.

7. Last but not least, make like Rosie Huntington Whiteley in a crisp red jacket, like this little number from The Kooples. In a corally red, this slick tailored jacket is a great buy and will see you through season upon season... Okay, maybe not, but it will look fit this season. Try with a cute creamy lace dress for a modern look. 

Carven, Mon Cherie!

1. MAC Lipstick in Lady Danger
2. Red Dress by Carven at Petit Bateau (Price TBC)
3. ASOS Bangles £12.50
4. Zara Stud Slippers £99.99
4. Olympia Le Tan Clutch *sharp intake of breath* £1140 (to order online)

I'm all about Parisian labels, and Carven is one of my all time favourites. I have been lusting after collection after collection, and though I wasn't overly keen on the SS13 show, Carven have redeemed themselves by teaming up with another French institution: Petit Bateau.

The collection will include pieces for him, for her and for the little one and it shall go on sale in November exclusively in Colette in Paris (the ultimate fashion store!) before the collection is rolled out to worldwide Petit Bateau stores in December. 

My favourite piece has to be this sexy little red dress. Long legs are a must though, guess that is me out! 

MAC Meets Marilyn

MAC Lipstick in "Charmed, I'm Sure" £15.50 from October