Monthly Favourites: November 2015

/ COFFEE WITH ZOE

I’ve done it again. I’ve went and spent a small fortune on myself when I should really be saving and planning ahead for Christmas! Damn instant gratification and online shopping. Unfortunately this month’s favourites are predominantly on the expensive side of the spectrum, but if any of them make your want-list don’t forget to drop hints for Santa. I’m actually very pleased with these purchases since I’ve been trying to really improve my skincare regime and I think I have the beginnings of a very good routine in place. Anyone else been overly indulgent in this area or have some suggestions?

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Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, £29.50: I’m usually more of a medium coverage kind of foundation junkie, yet I wanted something that would really perfect my skin for photographs, special occasions and general wanting-to-feel-fabulous days. In between these notions I’ve been obsessed with cultivating a look more focused on light, natural skin and glow, but that’s for a whole different post. I’ve never been let down by Charlotte’s brand before so when I’d heard she released a more full coverage foundation I instantly added it to my wishlist, and this month I just went for it. The rosegold cap and dinky glass bottle totally had nothing to do with it. The product is actually a medium-buildable formula, which I wasn’t expecting, but now I’m thankful for it as it makes this a more versatile item in my makeup collection. Despite being a heavier formula it still feels nice and light blended on the skin, and allows for some glow so no cakey matte mask face here, but I have oily-combination skin and so unfortunately can’t vouch for drier skin. If you have a little more money to invest in a fuller coverage high-end foundation then I definitely recommend looking into this magic little number.

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Too Faced Bullet-Proof Brows in ‘Universal Taupe’, £27: This lovely little product is a tinted wax which comes with a spooly and angled brush duo making application easy. I generally don’t have unruly brows, so I use this more for adding extra dimension and colour as it is the perfect shade for my hair and skintone. On its own it creates a natural looking brow, and for a more polished look it’s nice paired with a brow pen to define the arch and edges. It is expensive though for what you get, considering how many dupes that exist out there, and I was lucky enough to get this as a present. I’ll enjoy it while it lasts, but I’ll probably purchase a cheaper option next time!

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Clarins Instant Light Lip Comfort Oil in ‘Honey’, £18: I’m very prone to rambling, and since I’ve already posted a raving review (here) about this product last week I think I’d better check myself! To recap: this is a lipgloss and effective recovery oil-based lipbalm in one! And tastes like honey.

Origins Overnight Drink Up Intensive Face Mask, £23: This is a great product for skin that suffers badly in the Winter. I’d say from brisk chilly walks or something poetic like that, but for me it’s the super drying central heating as I stay firmly inside the house. It’s dubbed a ‘mask’ but it requires no washing off after several minutes have elapsed, making it the perfect option for lazy people who want a little special TLC before promptly getting into bed. I’d actually consider it a really rich and thick overnight moisturiser, which my thirsty skin just drinks up like crazy! Plus the smell is heaven – fruity with apricot hints.

Origins Clean Energy Gentle Cleansing Oil, £23.50: I had an epiphany this month following a stalker-like fascination with Caroline Hiron’s skincare blog: oil can make oily skin less oily. My previous night time cleansing routine involved makeup wipes, micellar water followed up with another chemical exfoliant or a gentle washing with a facecloth and foam cleanser. I did this to fully remove makeup and grime and to achieve that ‘squeaky-clean’ effect that I didn’t really feel throughout the day when oiliness factored in. Turns out by stripping my face of natural oils through this rather drying routine I was causing my skin to overcompensate with more oil throughout the day, essentially making my situation worse! To remedy this I opted for the Origins cleansing oil which is a lot more moisturising and gentle than foam-based products, and I follow it up with a bit of micellar water to remove any eye makeup or missed patches after. It’s so simple to use: just massage it onto a full face of makeup and just watch it all melt away. Very therapeutic too. Then wash it off with a wet facecloth and pat dry. I love how gentle this particular oil is and have suffered no breakouts whatsoever since I started using it over two weeks ago! My skin doesn’t feel so tight and uncomfortable after cleansing and before applying serum or moisturiser, which can only be good news. And you do get a pretty hefty 200 ml in a bottle which always helps.

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Kiehl’s Midnight Recovery Concentrate, £36: I was really investing in my face this month (damn you Hirons!) and opted for one of the most popular and raved about night oils on the market. Since I already loved the brand, my mind was set on this product and it was just a matter of waiting for pay day. This oil keeps skin hydrated and renewing throughout the night and by morning it reveals a bright, fresh face. I don’t personally understand how it works, maybe they added fairy dust or something magical to the formula, but my skin looks radiant after a night of using this! It does contain essential oils, but I haven’t suffered any kind of reaction or breakout since using it, and I’m usually pretty intolerant to anything heavily scented. Glad I risked it. Big thumbs up.

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Kiehl’s Ultra Facial Moisturiser, £24: This brand just does wonderful things to my face! When picking up the oil I also decided to try a light lotion formula for daywear, under makeup. This one was perfect for me as it seriously moisturises yet doesn’t create a slippery, greasy base for foundation. I frequently see it on offer on FeelUnique, so if you’re interested keep an eye out for it there.

COLAB Luxe Shine Glossing Hair Fragrance, £4.99: This is indulgence in a can! It is essentially a shine spray that is perfect for the festive party season, but it also has perfume notes of cashmere, bergamot and oud. The formula has a micro-fine blend of nourishing oils which lightly gloss over the hair to create a smooth, shiny finish without feeling like you’ve physically added a dollop of oil. Such a unique and useful product, I will be repurchasing! The shine payoff is a-maze-ing, and for someone with dry curly hair this is a godsend.

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‘Orlando’ by Virginia Woolf: I used to be obsessed with everything Woolf related, so revisiting one of my favourite books by her this month through university really rekindled my love! For anyone unfamiliar with the basic premise; this book is about Orlando who lives an extraordinarily long life spanning centuries, and experiences a spontaneous sex change along the way. Witty and extremely funny, it usually takes me around a few hours to read this book since I can’t put it down, and every time I notice something I missed previously. It’s like finding hidden treasure. Reading pleasure aside, this novel raises some very key fundamental issues surrounding feminism, gender and queer studies, and the very nature of what personal identity is in the modern and now post-modern century. *book-gasm*

Happy December!

Zoe Signature

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46 thoughts on “Monthly Favourites: November 2015”

  5. I’ve also spent so much this month …. but the products are yet to arrive, I’ll have what to play with this December 😀
    I also have the Khiels Midnight Recovery Serum and its ok… not that great but ok. I love their avocado eye cream… just amazing.
    If you want oils, you should try the aloe vera one as a facial serum…. it’s my favorite of them all. Can’t hype enough about it.

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  8. I went Kiehls crazy a couple of months back and completely changed my whole skincare routine. It really needed it! My favorite kiehls products are the calendula face wash, the avocado eye creme and the microdermabrasion scrub! A bit pricey but they’ve improved my skin!

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    • I don’t think I’ll ever go back now, I’m officially converted too! I’m the same my skin has just been so much clearer and calm ever since I started using the concentrate and the oil cleanser. I think it was breaking out beforehand because my skin was producing more oils to combat dryness! Thanks for reading 🙂

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