Beauty Edit | June

Thanks to a trip to New York at the beginning of the month, an over-indulgent hour spent browsing and spending in Sephora opened my eyes to a lot of new beauty brands I'd been keen to try (the curse of getting hooked on samples..), as well as allowed me to invest in some die-hard favorites of mine. With the summer months in full force, I've recently been trying to revamp my make-up, base in particular, with a focus on the fresh and dewy (the ever-desired no-make-up-make-up) and going slightly OTT on highlighting.. Whereas, when it comes to skincare, summer tis the season to bare all after all and trying out the Ameliorate body lotion this month was one of the best decisions I've made all month.

AMELIORATE Skin Smoothing Body Lotion | Feel Unique £17.50 for 100ml

I'd heard that this product is formulated to target the appearance of Keratosis Pilaris and other dry skin conditions, so I read up and found raving reviews about it's effectiveness. It uses alpha hydroxy therapy with a combination of natural ingredients that help to encourage the skin's natural exfoliation process to re-texture it's surface. It's quite a light, easily absorbing and moisturizing formula that I tend to only use on my arms and legs. Ameliorate do advise you to be patient with the results but I found a noticeable difference in the appearance of my skin within about a week. Now that summer is pretty much upon us, and along with it comes sleeveless tops and shorts weather (hopefully), this really helps your skin become summer-ready. It comes in a few different sizes so you can essentially try before you buy and see for yourself just how good this product is. I feel as though this is something than I will end up buying time and time again.

Laura Mercier Silk Creme - Photo Edition Foundation in Cream Ivory | Space NK £35

I picked this up whilst I was in Sephora a couple of weeks ago, as I'd tried a few samples of the foundation and fell in love with it. I am always drawn towards foundations that offer both coverage and a glowy finish as the matte look can be slightly drying on my skin. It is really long-wearing, lasts on my skin throughout the day and even through the gym which is quite unheard of. It is a mystery how the formula can be so light and creamy but provide such effective, enduring coverage. It doesn't contain SPF so it does not create any kind of flashback in photographs; ideal for special occasions and evenings in particular (there is nothing worse than discovering you had ghost-face when looking back at pictures from the night before). I usually apply the foundation with a beauty blender/sponge to achieve an even layer and you don't need to use much at once.

Mac Lip Liner in Oak | MAC £12.50

Pioneered predominantly by Kylie Jenner, brown tones for lips have become extremely popular and I am well and truly on the band-wagon. Although it is brown, it is a neutral, subtle brown that means it can be worn day to evening. I don't tend to wear anything over this as I like the colour as it is and because it's a lip liner, it doesn't tend to move and you can put it on with precision. It works really well with lightly-tanned skin and works wonders in making lips look fuller and more pronounced.

Byredo Gypsy Water Eau De Parfum | Libertys £135 for 100ml

"The scent of fresh soil, deep forests and campfires illustrates the dream of a free, colourful lifestyle close to nature." An extremely indulgent purchase and potentially one for the Christmas or birthday wishlist. I have only been trying the sample-size but the full-size packaging is dreamy and almost reason enough to buy it as an ornament for your dressing table (but not quite, for over £100..) The scent is delicate, comforting and earthy. 

Becca Opal Glow on the Go Collection | Cult Beauty £20

Another thing I picked up whilst perusing the aisles of Sephora, the Becca highlighter is something I have tried before, fell in love with but could not bring myself to buy in full size (as I already have a pretty much brand new theBalm Mary LouManizer which is almost as good). So when I saw a travel-size duo nearly half the price (travel-size items are my weakness), I thought it would be a fair middle-ground. The set contains a Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed and a Shimmering Skin Perfector Spotlight Wand, both in Opal. The spotlight wand is amazing and teamed with the powder creates such a beautiful, glowing shimmer which is unlike any other. You need the smallest amount of each to last all day (it is very easy to over-apply as they are quite addictive..!) and the effect is so striking. This pair does have the edge over their highstreet theBalm alternative, but obviously you have to pay for what you're getting. 

Mac Pro Longwear Concealer in NC20 | House of Fraser £17.50

My friend recommended this to me a few months ago and I finally picked it up in Duty Free before a flight recently . The coverage is medium to full and I find it is perfect for covering dark circles or using in areas of redness (a saviour for fighting jet-lag bags). It lasts all-day and if you are using a shade that is lighter than your skin-tone, it can really brighten your complexion. My only criticism is the packaging, as the pump action does not allow you to only release a small amount of product which is a common desire with concealer. Aside from that, I'm sold by the coverage and have used it everyday since buying it.

Kiehls Olive Fruit Oil Nourishing Conditioner | Kiehls £19 for 200ml

Something I've raved about before but can't get enough of. Teamed with the Olive Fruit Shampoo, this Kiehl's duo is such a luxury to treat yourself to. I only tend to apply it to the ends of my hair as they are the dryest part, as well as it being expensive stuff that needs preserving..! This is such an unnecessary purchase but I can't help re-buying this as soon as it runs out it makes my hair feel softer than any other conditioner I've tried. I don't feel as though it makes my hair look any different but the texture is that just-stepped-out-of-the-hairdresser feel and you can notice the difference as soon as you apply it in the shower.