Do any of you have any huge objections if I widen the scope of my monthly favourites round-ups to include stuff other than beauty? I feel it would inject some new and welcome joie de vivre into what is an old – yet surprisingly still very popular – format.
The only problem might be (spoiler alert!) is that some of the items, if I’m let loose completely from my self-imposed constraints, might be a bit random. For example this month, had I been given free rein, I would most probably have included a faux-antique rug in my favourites as well as a vintage BelgoChrom table I picked up (not literally) from Belgium for an absolute steal.
I don’t mean to imply that all of the favourites would be interiors-related – I’ve also had a great love-affair with a new Amazon Prime TV series this month – I’m just throwing some examples out there. So what do you think? Death to the (exclusively) beauty favourites? Bring in a new era? Or are you change-averse?
(If you are incredibly change-averse then I do genuinely feel for you. 2020 is most certainly not your year.)
Let me know in the comments, please – I do love a spot of market research on here! But for now, on with the beauty favourites. I’ve mostly avoided skincare this month despite racking up a fair few new discoveries that were deserving of a big mention, and that’s because I’m judging the Marie Claire skincare awards. It would be slightly disingenuous to go shouting my mouth off about my favourites whilst others are still doing their solemn judging.
So two bodycare items, two makeup favourites and one thing that is skincare but not quite as you know it. Shall we start with that one? It’s called a ZitSticka and it’s a small patch infused with potent spot-fighting ingredients that you stick over an emerging or early-bird blemish. You know when you have that hard swelling beneath the skin and your heart sinks because you know it’ll take long and painful days to erupt into anything you can (illegally) squeeze?
That’s what these ZitStickas are aimed at. I actually did an ad for this product at the very start of the year, having used it over the Christmas zit period, but I’ve had a fairly spot-free spring and summer and so hadn’t needed them since. But boy did last month’s PMT week see a beauty of a boil! The perfect pustule to place a Sticka on and I was delighted to find that it worked just as well as at Christmas. From hard, red skin to…absolutely nothing.
The raised bump didn’t disappear completely overnight, I had to take the patch off in the morning and double-obliterate it with a second one, but after that it simply dispersed. No squeezing necessary, which was good as it’s a very bad thing to do with a hard and horrible spot like that.
The patches aren’t cheap (you can find them at Cult Beauty here*, they’re £27) but they are an excellent, excellent product to have in your skincare SOS kit. More info on them over on Cult*.
And to bodycare, where a Mitchum deodorant stole the show. On closer inspection, a “man’s” deodorant but I’m not really sure what makes it manly. The smell is “Cedarwood” but I find it fresh and figgy, which is why it’s in the faves (a good deodorant smell is hard to find), the formula is creamy, aluminium-free and effective.
True fact: to test efficacy I always do a half-half trial, whether it’s foundation, SPF or an exfoliating body lotion. You need to keep one half of your test area free from the product being tested – in this case it was so that I could gauge that day’s sweatiness with one pit and the sweat-fighting prowess of the anti-perspirant with the other.
It did well. The depths of the underarm were fresh even after a brisk walk down the river on a hot day wearing inadvisable levels of cashmere.
You can find Mitchum’s Natural Power deodorants here at Boots*, they are £4.50.
A seasonal favourite now, in the shape of Weleda’s Pine Bath. I know I’ve mentioned this a fair bit over the years and usually it’s more of a winter staple, but I ran out of Epsom Salts the other day (shock horror! fear not, I have reordered) and bathing just wasn’t bathing without something added to the water.
The Weleda bath milks are excellent – lavender would be my warmer months option but nothing beats pine for a bit of a Christmassy run-up. Again, I know I’m early – I’m not wishing Christmas upon anyone for the moment, the last thing we all need is another bloody school holiday! – but if you’re craving those crisp nights and blustery russetty days, this will be your bag.
Weleda Pine Bath Milk is £14 here*.
My next favourite is actually a whole category and so I’m going to sort of mulch over it – if you want more of an in-depth explanation of it then watch the video below. It’s mascaras. All mascaras. I’ve had a sort of renewed falling-in-love of them and have been testing out loads. I am going to be back with a video of my favourite four new mascara launches in the next week or so, but if you can’t wait that long then know that these are currently “the ones”:
Marc Jacobs At Lash’d Mascara, £25 here*
Charlotte Tilbury Push Up Lashes Mascara, £23 here*
Urban Decay Lash Freak Mascara, £21 here*
Dior Overcurl Mascara, £28 here*
All do things to my puny, barely-there lashes that would definitely win prizes, if there were prizes for lash transformations.
And finally another favourite that I’m not going to explain at length; it’s basically anything from Trinny London that counts as “makeup in pots”. In particular the cream eyeshadow in Truth and the cream blush in Electra. I’ve used both so regularly that it would be disingenuous for them not to make an appearance in the monthly hall of fame. You can read my full review of the eye2eye shadows here and the cream blush is online here*.
And there endeth the beauty sermon: it’s all on video right here if you want to see items up close and personal or find out about the makeup I’m wearing. Any extra details are written below the video pane. Enjoy – and let me know whether you’d like me to expand on my favourites categories!
Wearing:
Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Foundation in B30, £40 here*
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow, £49 here*
Pat McGrath Permagel Lipliner, £25 here*
Pat McGrath Lip Balm, £35 here*
Jumper is from Cocoa Cashmere here
Amazing abstract painting in background is by Holly Delaney
I think doing ‘other’ favourites is a fantastic and interesting alternative.
Again Ruth, love your honesty and your down to Earth approach.
Definitely a From me.
Great beauty favourites!
I need to get my hands on the new Charlotte Tilbury Mascara, it looks great!
Danielle
https://www.thereluctantblogger.co.uk/
Your skin looks so glowing.. Great video and review about these products.. Going to order the bath milk and the eyeshadow soon..Thanks!
I am here for an expanded favorites category – adds other inspiration as well, and as someone that always benefits from your reading suggestions I think I would benefit there as well.
Anne
Great! Thanks for sharing!
These products are to die for!
Yes please! And may I recommend something to you: Dr. Hauschka moor lavender calming bath essence. I also have the Weleda one you talked about but i find myself loving the Dr. Hauschka one more. And of course epsom salt, which i only discovered through you – it is not so well known in germany
The bath product you were trying to remember is Badedas……and I still get a bottle every Christmas from my mum!
Me too!
I would love a wider range of favorites Ruth. It’s a great idea!
Yes, yes & thrice YES! Definitely branch out & extend your repertoire. Love reading yours posts…. thx & best wishes
I feel bad to say I still haven’t tried a marc jacobs mascara yet, hopefully 2020 is the year!
https://blushandpearls.com
Didn’t like other one, love the new one!
I had my first mince pie of the year today so I will let you off with the Weleda pine bath.
OMG
Would like to see non beauty favourites- some months it might be two separate posts? My interiors desires far exceed my interiors budget (approaching zero at this time)
Haha! Yeah my interiors desires have become slightly outrageous. Having to pull it back a bit
I don’t mind seeing other favorites! I enjoy seeing some non-makeup/skincare in this post. That mascara and cream eyeshadow combo is to die for.
xoxo Amanda | theaestheticedge.com
And it’s a yes from me too. In fact I love your ramblings on any subject. Still awaiting the book
I really want to try CT’s new mascara, sounds amazing! x
Zoey | http://www.zoeyolivia.com
Ooh, yes, please, to expanding the monthly favourites beyond beauty and skincare products! Your telly and reading recommendations are always ace, and you’ve got fab interiors taste, so I, for one, would love to hear about more of your faves. Bring it! [Please :-)]
Death to the (exclusively) beauty favourites – would love to read on some amazon recommendations!
Oh yes please – don’t think I’ll be able to sleep tonight until I find out about that rug. Internet rug browsing is my favourite thing in the world.
Louis de Poortere! I’m obsessed!
Yes! Love this idea
Brilliant idea to widen the scope and I can’t wait to find out what it is from Prime. Thank you!
It’s a yes from me :) Xx
Oh yes, a wider range of favourites would be fascinating- I already want to see the rug :-)
I’m very happy for it to include all sorts of things and to not be limited to five things. It’s always interesting to have a peek at things I would otherwise not have discovered myself. Thank you for sharing with us.
Thanks Lulu!
I love the idea of branching out the Beauty favorites to include other categories.
Yes, go for it! Change is good…
Hi Ruth, will very happy to see all of your favorites from all of the categories, thank you :)
Hi Ruth, your 5 favorite anything would interest me. On a makeup note, I wonder if you’d consider reviewing the Salt of New York Make-up?
Ooh I hadn’t heard of it, looking up now x
Yes yes yes I would love to see other things in here too! Can’t wait!
Loving your love of the word disingenuous
Great review and video. Trinny’s eye pots are fab x
It’s a great word!!