The Big American Beauty Haul Part One: Face Products

To celebrate a year since I left for America I thought I'd post my first Big American Beauty Haul blog. While I was in America I did a lot (and I mean a lot!) of beauty shopping. With a limitless supply of makeup just a click away on Sephora.com, and with prices being cheaper, I just couldn't help myself. I bought so many great products and built up my Sephora rewards points in the process too! Here is part one of my American beauty haul: face products.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla

I already owned this concealer before I went to America but it is still my all time favourite concealer. I bought many of these while I was out there because I use it every single day. I use the shade vanilla, the second lightest shade, which is great for covering dark circles as well as masking blemishes.

Nars Sheer Glow Foundation in Deauville

 
This is another product that I already owned in England but it is also my favourite foundation, so I bought a lot of this while in America too. Deauville is the perfect shade for my skin tone and although I have oily skin, the glow makes the makeup less cakey and heavy compared to matte foundations.

Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector

As I mentioned above, I suffer from very oily skin so I always need to prep my skin before applying makeup. The Becca Ever-Matte Poreless Priming Perfector is great at smoothing out imperfections and preparing the face for makeup, but most importantly it mattifies the skin which I certainly need!

Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Captivating

I purchased this when I went to a Sephora beauty class intended to find the perfect lip and cheek colours for you. They figured out my skin colour and what products matched. Then we got to choose the ones we liked and had a chance to try them on ourselves. The lovely makeup artists suggested that I should wear a more peachy blush to compliment my skin tone. I loved the Tarte blush and the peachy colour isn't something I'd usually go for but according to Sephora it's the right colour for me so I thought I'd give it a go.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat

I'd heard great things about the brand Hourglass and having never really seen it in England, I jumped at the chance to buy a product when I got to the U.S. This blush was so pretty I just couldn't resist. I love the marbled effect and the golden packaging, and the blush is very pigmented too.             

Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion

I wanted to buy a high-end moisturiser while I had such a large choice in America, especially at Sephora. I searched for a long time for a moisturiser that helped oily skin, wasn't too thick, but still kept my skin hydrated. I eventually chose the Murad Skin Perfecting Lotion. I've used all the product now but it was a good lightweight moisturiser. I'm not sure it really helped with oil control though.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette

I loved my hourglass blush in diffused heat so when I saw hourglass were releasing a limited edition blush palette with two shades from the original collection and one new shade I just had to order it. I really love the plum shade, mood exposure, as it gives a soft and subtle glow. 

Clinique Cheek Pop in Heather Pop

This is a product I've wanted for ages, having read so many blogger reviews about them. At first only a few shades were released but since I last checked there were a few more added to the colour range. I instantly loved the heather pop shade. It gives a subtle hint of colour to the cheeks without being too overpowering. Now I really want to try some more shades. 

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in Luminous Bronze

This is a very recent Hourglass addition. After loving the high quality blushes, I needed to try the bronzer. It was released in two shades and I went for the lighter shade Luminous Bronze. It's perfect for a beautiful summer glow applied with a big fluffy brush and the shimmer gives a really pretty luminous effect. 

Surratt Artistique Blush in La Vie en Rose

Surratt is a new brand that has only been stocked in Sephora for the past couple of months. The thing that grabbed me the most about these products was how high end yet simple they looked at the Sephora counter. I tested a few things on my hand and everything seemed so highly pigmented. I bought a palette that fits both blush and eyeshadow and bought this blush in La Vie en Rose. Not only does it have a great name but it's also a gorgeous buildable rose colour that feels so soft and luxurious on the skin. 

I had so much fun buying all these products and as a result I've added some great pieces to my makeup collection. If you like the look of these products and want to know more let me know if you want a full review. Also don't forget to look out for the other three parts to my Big American Beauty Haul.

June Favourites

Sorry there have been no posts from me in a little while, June ended up being quite a hectic busy month for me with exams, holidays, moving out of uni and getting a job - all in one month! Anyway, here are the things I have been loving this month:

1. The Body Soft Camomile Cleansing Butter

I have been loving some of the Body Shop's skincare range recently, I think I will do a full blog post about all the things I have been trying in the near future. I have the oil form of this cleanser which I have been using for quite a while but I bought this one to take on holiday as the oil leaks and causes a disastrous mess in your suitcase (as I found out a few months ago). You massage the butter into dry skin then wet your hands slightly and continue to work into the skin then rinse off or use a muslin cloth to remove. It smells really lovely and delicate and leaves my skin feeling super soft.

2. Make Up Forever Full Cover HD Concealer

I bought this at the beginning of the month when I was away in Spain and got a chance to raid Sephora. It is an extremely high coverage, waterproof concealer and covers almost any blemish or imperfection. You only need the tiniest amount which I work into a blemish with my finger before foundation then buff around the edges of the spot with a fluffy brush to blend in the product. I have had a really spotty chin over the last few weeks do this concealer has been extremely useful. 

3. Real Techniques Expert Face Brush

I have recently switched from using foundation to using a tinted moisturiser and felt like the Stippling Brush I usually use for foundation just wasn't working as well for the tinted moisturiser. I felt I needed a brush with denser hairs but still had lots of movement in the bristles and the Expert Face brush fit the bill perfectly. It leaves a medium coverage but leaves a completely flawless finish. 

4. Bourjois Rouge Velvet Edition in Ole Flamingo

These little guys have been doing the rounds on beauty blogs for a couple of months now and with good reason. They are liquid lipsticks in amazing, vivid colours that stay for hours and hours and leave a lovely matte, velvet finish. The colour I have is a bright shocking pink which is perfect for summer but I do want to get my hands on a couple of other colours too.  

5. Clinique 'Neutral Territory 2' 8 Pan Palette

One thing I definitely didn't need in my make up collection was another neutrals palette, but I bought one anyway! I can get away with this one though as I bought it in America for a great bargain at $20. It has 8 neutral shimmery shades ranging from a sparkling white to a deep warm brown. This palette is perfect for traveling with a slim compact and a great mirror. My favourite shades in the palette are 3rd and 5th from the left.

What have you favourites been this month, drop a comment down below! Also don't forget to check back in the next couple of days to see Sophie's wishlist this month.