On Plates of Style I'm going to be doing a regular post with my favourite beauty products. It will feature 10 of my most used, newly discovered, old favourites, best bargains, and luxury choices in the world of beauty.
This week, i'm covering products with prices starting from €2 to €50, from beauty brands like YSL, Dermalogica, Trinny London, and even non beauty brands like Lidl. All the products are linked up, so if you're interested in trying them out, just give them a click!
1. Dermalogica Precleanse Balm €49.59 - I was introduced to this 2 months ago after a facial at Dermalogica in London and its no exaggeration when I say it's changed my life. It comes with a cleansing mitt, which you use to apply the balm to your face. The mitt works to invigorate my skin, and the balm leaves it feeling exceptionally clean and nourished at the same time. It removes all makeup, even waterproof eye make up, and really helps to calm my sensitive redness prone skin. This has become the first step in my evening routine, and if I go without it, my skin definitely notices a difference and appears dull and feels extra sensitive.
2. Trinny London BFF Skin Perfector £35 - After attending Trinny's masterclass and getting my match to me done at Brown Thomas a few weeks ago, I've been religiously using the BFF cream. It does what it says, it perfects your skin and leaves you looking radiant, and most importantly for me, helps to reduce the redness on my face. It's made with porcelain flower extract which is responsible for it's delicious scent, but it's also the key ingredient to combat the redness. It helps to even out skin tone, and works as a fabulous base for foundation or you can wear it on its own for a natural make up look. It comes in 4 shades, I wear Light. Bonus is, it's got SPF 30! If you're interested in the Trinny London range, check out my review of the products here
3. Isle of Paradise Self Tanning Drops €25 - I don't normally do fake tan, but as I had a holiday to sunny Lisbon coming up, I didn't want to show off my winter white legs and arms and have them glowing white in all our holiday pics. I had heard a lot about this new brand, Isle of Paradise, and it looked relatively easy and fool proof ( a must for me), so thought i'd give it a go. Being not an avid self tanner, I didn't want to go too dark, so tried out the Light self tanning drops (also comes in Medium and Dark) which you add to your usual moisturiser.The more drops you add the darker your tan develops. I've used this all over my face and body, and have really liked the results. Its quite a subtle tan, which is just what I wanted, and it's been streak free - I've not even applied it with mitts. The brand also makes a mist and a mousse option which I've not tired but have heard positive reviews about. If you're looking for a change, i'd definitely give this a try - especially if you're a beginner, or afraid of the whole concept of self tanning!
4. Luna Sleeping Oil by Sunday Riley £45 - This was my first Sunday Riley purchase and my first foray into retinoids and anti ageing skin care. It's pretty pricey, as are the rest of Sunday Riley's products, but I genuinely think Luna is worth the hype and the price. Luna is a blue retinoid oil (the blue disappears once it's on your face) that helps to reduce pore size, improve the appearance of damaged skin, and help fight wrinkles. It's best used after you've cleaned your skin, and before you layer any other products on top. For me, I use it after cleansing and exfoliating by patting the oil onto my face. I don't put any other moisturisers on top as feel it would be a bit too heavy (but that's just my skin type!). When I use Luna, I noticeably see a brighter complexion the day after, and my skin feels soothed and hydrated. I always use Luna when my skin looks dull and needs a pick me up - it's worked every time!
5. Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Amazing Grace €32.00 - Ok I know Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks are on the pricey side, but I can't help buying them! They are the perfect lipsticks, the consistency, the lasting factor, the colour choices, and the way they make your lips look is second to none. My current favourite colour is Amazing Grace from the Matte Revolution range. It is the perfect pinky coral colour, which really lifts your skin tone, and gives you a bit of sparkle. Its a great everyday shade, and it's my go to colour for holidays, as coral always makes me feel summery.
6. Trinny London Stack prices start at £16 - Since getting my Trinny London stack a few weeks ago, it's been firmly placed in my handbag and has been my go to make up choice. My stack includes the bronzer Soala, Just a Touch foundation in Trintron, Lip Luxe in Dalia, Lip to Cheek in Cha Cha and Phoebe and Eye to Eye in Empress. I've used them all, but my favourite especially on holiday was Soala (the bronzer). It's hands down the best bronzer I've ever used, the application is super easy (either with your fingers or with a brush) and it looks so natural. It was truly my best friend on holiday. If you're interested in the Trinny London range, check out my review of the products here.
7. Lidl Cien Double Effect Eye Make Up Remover €2.25 - This is an out and out bargain of a beauty product, and Lidl have done it again with their top quality products for less. This eye makeup remover is super effective and has been perfect for removing stubborn waterproof mascara and eyeliner. Its very similar to the Nivea Double Effect Eye Make Up Remover, but its half the price. Its also comes in a handy 100ml sized bottle which is perfect for those hand carry only holidays. It's not given me any issues considering my sensitive skin, and if anything, I prefer it to the Nivea version, as that can sometimes leave you feeling a bit oily. Definitely worth checking out if you're putting together your holiday toiletries!
8. Dermalogica Calm Water Gel €50 - This calming gel is part of the Dermalogica Ultra Calming range, and has been a saviour to my sensitive skin issues. I use it as a moisturiser, and it works wonders due to its weightless water gel formula which hydrates and soothes your skin. It literally feels like you're soaking your face in water and its drinking it in. It's a fab product to use if you want to soothe any irritation you may have, or if you've had any sort of treatment to your face and you are in need of a gentle and calming moisturiser. I use this day and night - after morning cleansing and before makeup, and at night after cleansing.
9. YSL Touche Eclat All In One Glow €44 - I'm always on the lookout for a new foundation, always looking for the best way to cover up the redness on my face. I'm not one for heavy foundation, or full coverage foundation, so something light and natural always appeals to me. This new All In One Glow foundation offers light to medium coverage, whilst giving you a natural dewy glow. It's also really hydrating, which is super important for me, as I often find other foundation formulas very drying on my skin and end up looking cakey. It comes in 12 shades, and I wear the B20 (second lightest). Sometimes I wear this over the Trinny London BFF cream, as both a really light and give a healthy radiant complexion. It is expensive, being one of the high end make up brands, you expect no less. But it is a really good product, and a little goes a long way, I never end up using very much. I wouldn't recommend this to those looking for a full coverage look, you're better off with something else.
10. The Ordinary High- Adherence Silicone Primer €4.90- Another bargain of a buy from The Ordinary. This primer is one of the best I've ever used, and not just because of the price, (that is a big factor though), this primer is so smooth when you apply it, and it really helps to even out and smooth the texture of your skin. It also acts to blur imperfections which is always a positive. It's also a non greasy hydrator for your skin, so you can apply this before make up and skip on the moisturiser. Of course, it also does it's job as a primer, and keeps make up in place for most of the day, even on sweaty busy ones. It's better than a few of the Smashbox primers, and the Urban Decay ones. For this price, its definitely worth a go.