My current obsessions

I recently stocked up on some new beauty products, which I have very quickly become obsessed with and thought I would share what they were and why I have been loving them!

MAKEUP

MAX FACTOR MIRACLE MATCH FOUNDATION:

I started using this foundation because I was recommended it by a friend and I am really glad I tried it. I was looking for a foundation for my sensitive skin and a formula that would not dry it out, I tend to stay away from matte formulations as they contain ingredients that irritate my skin and dry it out. This foundation is so perfect for me and I am so happy that I purchased it. Usually when I would wear makeup my skin would become irritated after removing it or the next day it would flare up, I have not had that once with this makeup and I have actually worn it for a few days in a row before and it still has not irritated my skin or affected it negatively in any way. The main reason I purchased this foundation was because of the ingredients - no irritants like perfumes, chemical exfoliants and parabens. When I went to purchase this foundation I was pretty sure I would have to buy two colours to mix like I have always been doing because most of the foundations I have tried to shade match with my skin tone have the wrong undertones or are either a little bit too dark or too light for me (it ends up being more expensive as well) but I was so surprised when I actually found a match for my skin tone that was actually dead on for once! My foundation is in the shade Golden 75. This foundation gives a dewy finish which I love, but halfway through the day (especially since it is summer now) my foundation starts looking very shiny and it doesn't stay in place completely around areas like my chin and jawline, so I have started trying out translucent powder to set my makeup and it makes a huge difference (I am going to mention the powder I use later on in this post). My only other criticism on this foundation is that it is not full coverage, but it is buildable, so it does take a little longer for me to get my coverage to where I want it to be but I am okay with that. I only use two and a half pumps of product to do my entire face and and I like the natural look that this foundation gives me, my blemishes and imperfections are covered but you can slightly see one or two dark freckles. This foundation is available at selected Clicks stores that have a Max Factor makeup display counter, it retails for R219.95. This foundation is perfect if you are looking for a medium to buildable coverage and you want an illuminating finish or if you have sensitive/eczema prone skin like me, then this foundation will be perfect for you and will not cause any flare ups (I never wore makeup when my skin was flared up and even though my skin has not flared up in a while I still try to use products that will not irritate my skin just as a precaution and to maintain it).

RIMMEL MAGNIF'EYES SPICE EYESHADOW PALETTE:

I had this palette on my list of things to buy for a while now and it is definitely a purchase that was worth it! I have never really used eyeshadows before in my makeup looks and had always wanted to, so I thought this would be a good first palette to learn off of and play around with. It is such an easy palette to use because the shades all compliment each other, the shades have amazing colour pay-off and they blend beautifully as well. I have fallen in love with this palette because it is so versatile - you can create day and night looks - and most of the colours in this palette compliment my eye colour and make them stand out even more.

I am not going to lie the first time I tried this palette I was so scared I was going to hate it or not figure out what I was doing (I had tried eyeshadows before and ended up looking like a clown), but I had watched a few videos and tutorials on it before and tried it out and I was genuinely so impressed. So far I have been loving the looks I do with this palette which are usually a brown and gold shimmer eye or a redish/orange eye with a coppery shimmer. I actually can't wait to try more of these Rimmel palettes (there are so many to choose from) and they are so affordable, I purchased mine from Clicks for R189.99. In my opinion this palette is definitely value for money and is basically a dupe of the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette because the shades are so similar.

MAYBELLINE BABY SKIN PRIMER:

I also started using this primer because a friend had recommended it to me and let me try it and I really liked it. It really evens out my skin and gives me a little bit more moisture. The texture of the primer feels a bit like Vaseline but much thinner in consistency and it is also clear like Vaseline. I use this every time I do my makeup and I feel that it helps with the finish of my makeup and it prepares my skin properly before applying foundation. I purchased this tube from Clicks for R99.95 and it has lasted me a couple of months now because a little goes a long way. The only problem I have with this product is the that when it is brand new it is extremely difficult to get out of the tube because the nozzle is so small and it has to be squeezed quite hard just to get some of the primer out, but once you use it a few times it becomes easier to use.

L'OREAL TRANSLUCENT POWDER:

I mentioned this translucent when I was speaking about the foundation. I have actually never used finishing or translucent powders before and also never felt the need to when my skin was quite dry because I know it is meant to help matify your makeup. Now that my skin has become less dry and has started becoming normal again, I can afford to use a powder to give my makeup a matte finish without using a matte foundation that has drying ingredients in it like alcohol and salicylic acid (these ingredients are used to stop the skin from becoming oily but can also end up drying out the skin over time as they strip the moisture from the skin). I never went out and bought my own translucent powder (this is my mom's that she has been using), I have been using her powder for the time being because the first time I had tried it months ago, I hated it and recently I decided to give it another go. I had worn my new foundation three times before I started using this powder and I had noticed that throughout the day my skin became super shiny and my makeup would not stay in place, so I decided that I wanted to try setting my foundation and concealer to see if it would make any difference. I was already surprised when I had first just applied and blended the powder in as it also helped minimize the appearance of my pores completely and gave me an overall airbrushed finish, it kept my makeup in place throughout the entire day and my skin did not become shiny and it did not crease or crack, nor did the powder make my makeup look cakey or dry. Ever since I tried translucent powder I have changed my mind on it completely and also see how and why it is necessary as a step in my makeup routine. I apply my foundation and concealer first, then my translucent powder, and once it is blended in I apply my bronzer, highlighter and eye makeup. I don't know how much this powder was when my mother purchased it but I do know that Yardley and Maybelline sell really good powders (those are the ones I am planning on purchasing for myself soon) that range between R160-R170 at Clicks or Dischem. I also feel like this is a product that lasts a super long time because you don't use a lot of it to set your entire face.

MAKEUP ACCESSORIES & TOOLS

THE BODY SHOP BEAUTY BLENDER:

I have always used a makeup brush to do my makeup but I have always wanted to try a beauty blender, so I went on a search for the perfect beauty blender - good quality and affordable, and I think this one from The Body Shop is it. I purchased mine from Clicks for R70. It has become my favourite beauty tool to use when applying my makeup because it blends my makeup so evenly without soaking up all of my makeup (so I get good coverage and don't use large amounts of makeup) and it spreads my makeup nicely and evenly. I prefer to use my beauty blender when it is damp, so before every makeup application I run it under the tap for a few seconds and then ring it out and this helps give my makeup that airbrushed and hydrated look. I love this sponge because it is so dense and soft and it is the perfect shape, I use the top bit to blend my concealer and around areas like my nose and mouth and use the bottom of the sponge to blend my foundation and translucent powder into my entire face. I have been fully converted to beauty blenders after using this one and I also felt that it worked the best with my new Max Factor foundation, which I did try with a brush first - it did not blend nicely and left streaks every where, which the beauty blender doesn't do. If you are looking for a good quality beauty blender under R100, then this one is definitely it, I already love mine so much.

WET N WILD EYE MAKEUP BRUSHES:

I discovered these Wet n Wild brushes in Clicks recently and I could not help myself, as I did not have eye makeup brushes to begin with and they had been on my list of things to buy for a while along with my Rimmel palette. These brushes are so beautiful, they do the job and they are seriously so affordable. I only got these three for now because they are really all I need, I got a: small shading brush, a large eyeshadow brush and a fluffy crease brush. The small shading brush was R34.95, the large eyeshadow brush was R49.95, and the fluffy crease brush was R34.95.

Wet n Wild has an entire range of these brushes for your face, eyes and lips that are all sold separately/individually and the most expensive brushes only go up to R99.95! I am so impressed with these brushes and already love them so so much.

BODY

OH SO HEAVENLY HAND CREAM:

I ended up buying this hand cream because a friend of mine was using it and I had smelt it and fell in love with it instantly. I love hand creams and I have used quite a few in the past that would make my hands oily and just weren't pleasant to use, but I have become such a fan of this hand cream because it gives me the right amount of moisture without making my hands greasy and it leaves my hands smelling amazing. I love coconut or warm smells like this and Oh So Heavenly have created the perfect coconut scent. They have an entire body range with this scent available. Oh So Heavenly is available at Clicks stores, I purchased this hand cream for R26.95. I have always been such a huge fan of Oh So Heavenly's products because they always smell so amazing, they are affordable, there is variety, and they make great gifts.

FRAGRANCES

EX'CLAMA'TION QUEEN PERFUME:

I already use the Queen body spray by Exclamation and it is my favourite scent at the moment. It has a beautiful sweet smell with a slight musk to it and it is more of an oriental scent (not floral or fruity). I purchased the perfume because it is more concentrated than the body spray so one or two sprays of this is enough and it stays on for a long time. There are two sizes available in the perfume, the small one (the one I purchased) is R90 and the bigger bottle is R200.

HAIR CARE

SCHWARZKOPF GLISS OMEGAPLEX HAIR MASK:

I spoke about this range by Schwarzkopf in my review .My favourite product from the range, which I am obsessed with, is the hair mask. I have been using it for over a month now and I love the way it makes my hair look and feel and this tub is actually so big and will last me very long because I don't use a lot of it, and I only use it every second wash. This hair mask retails for R90 in stores.