Current favourite things

Is there anything quite so satisfying as new beauty buys you adore?

Every time I think there isn’t anything I need or want for a while, I stumble on something I’m convinced I can’t do without. I’d seen the Clarins Summer collection floating around on Instagram and other blogs, but because I’m not the biggest Clarins fan, I dismissed it for a good long well.

Don’t get me wrong, as a brand Clarins is lovely, and I’m rather in awe of the Courtin-Clarins cousins, but most of their products are made with parabens, and I live a paraben free life.

Try as I did, I couldn’t find a list of ingredients for this incredible bronzer and blush duo so I choose to believe it’s a friendly. It’s the most beautiful thing, but is slightly tricky to open and I’ve almost dropped it twice! I'd link it now out of stock I'm afraid

Finally, I have a simple retinoid, with no frills attached. Thank you, Caroline Hirons for your takedown of cosmetic retinoid products, because that’s the main reason I’m over paying crazy money for anti-ageing products, when the ingredients we need are cheap themselves. Thank you, Deciem, for opening our eyes!

I do like The Ordinary’s Advanced Retinoid 2%, but I wish the retinol content was slightly higher. I can’t wait to pick up more from the Ordinary soon!

For an extra dose of hydration, I’ve added the Clinique Moisture Surge Hydrating Supercharged Concentrate to my routine. Another Caroline endorsed product! I love it, and it brightens a fair bit! The gel texture feels almost watery, it contains antioxidant spheres, so I do feel it’s a good fit for me and what I prefer from skin care.

Lastly, I’m so in love with Dior Absolutely Blooming! It’s fruity sweet, the packaging is so pretty, and so, so me. It’s been a long while since I’ve been excited by a scent so I’m very happy!

I suppose this counts as my July favourites! What were yours?