Monthly Favourites: January 2014

1) Yes Nurse! Hand cream

There's not much to say about this hand cream that I haven't said before (check out my full review of this one here), but it's quite possibly the best hand cream I've ever used. No faffing about with greasy, slimy hands that won't let you touch anything without leaving a snail trail. This sinks in pretty much instantly and protects my hands from the harsh environment. Every winter my hands would get so dry that the skin would crack at the knuckles - now that's a thing of the past. The tube in the picture has been in my handbag for a while, so it's gone a bit manky and it's starting to run low as well, but I can definitely see myself repurchasing this.

2) MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush

I've had this product for ages and it's only recently, when rummaging through my stash, that I rediscovered it. I've not put it down ever since! It's got quite a hard, waxy cream texture, but I find that that makes it perfect for placing a strategic highlight on top of the cheekbones as well as above the lip on the cupid's bow. It works best when blended in with fingers, as I find that brushes struggle to pick up the pigment. I actually reviewed this product on my blog in May two years ago, back when I lived in Germany for a bit and wrote my posts in two languages! Click here for a blast from the past.

3) Bumble and Bumble Thickening Spray

This mini thickening spray came as a freebie with a magazine sometime last autumn I think. The first time I used it I was a tad overzealous and as a result my hair went literally horizontal after blow drying. There's volume and there's too much volume. After that incident I've banished the spray to the back of my unwanted drawer, but something made me dig it out again at the start of the month and give it another go. Turns out, if you're not overgenerous with your application, this is actually a brilliant product that gives me just that little bit of lift to my hair without being at all sticky or drying on the hair. 

4) Maybelline Color Tattoo in Permanent Taupe

Right before Christmas there was a 3 for 2 deal on all Rimmel products on at Boots, and as I was in the market for a new foundation and mascara anyway, I popped this into my basket as well, seeing as I'd heard so many good things about the Color Tattoos from various blogs. Turns out, I can completely understand the hype. The formula is simply brilliant. Nice and creamy and blendable to begin with, it eventually settles into a powder finish that does not budge all day. Permanent Taupe is a little less pigmented and more muted compared to the other shades on offer, but it works amazing with a winged eye liner. I can't wait to get my hands on some of the other colours, including On and On Bronze!

MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush Review

Highlighters are something I don't really use an awful lot, so at the beginning of the year I vowed to change that and my very first purchase taking me in that direction was this MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush.

Ich benutze nicht furchtbar viele Highlighter und am Jahresanfang habe ich geschworen, daran etwas zu ändern. Mein erster Einkauf, der mich in diese Richtung führte, war MAC Cream Colour Base in Hush.

MAC Cream Colour Base comes in typical black MAC packaing with a transparent lid which makes it easy to see which shade is housed inside. It's lightweight yet sturdy, which makes it very travel friendly.

MAC Cream Colour Base kommt in typischer schwarzer MAC-Verpackung mit transparentem Lid, wodurch die Farbe innen drin einfach zu erkennen ist. Sie ist leicht, doch stabil und somit sehr transportfreundlich.

Though it says "Cream" in the name the texture of this is much more akin to a wax. It's solid enough to make it nearly impossible to make a dent in it or to accidentally pick up too much product. It melts slightly on contact with skin, but I wouldn't mind if it was a bit creamier.

Obwohl es im Namen "Cream" heißt, erinnert mich die Konsistenz eher an Wachs. Er ist so hart, dass es praktisch unmöglich ist, zu viel mit dem Finger zu erwischen, oder eine Delle zu machen. Er schmilzt zwar ein bisschen bei Hautkontakt, aber ich würde es nicht schlimm finden, wenn er etwas cremiger wäre.

Having said that it's still very easy to apply - it's not the most blendable of products, but it needn't be, as you only ever highlight small parts of your face anyway. You can easily build it up till you get the desired finish depending on whether you want it for daily wear or for a night out clubbing. The only thing I found slightly disappointing was the product's wear time. It lasts about four hours before it completely slides off my face.

Trotz alldem ist er sehr leicht aufzutragen - es ist zwar nicht sooo einfach, ihn zu verblenden, aber das muss auch nicht unbedingt sein, weil man ihn sowieso nur auf kleine Hautpartien aufträgt. Die Pigmentierung lässt sich leicht aufbauen, je nachdem, ob man ihn für den Alltag oder für eine Partynacht benutzen möchte. Das Einzige, was für mich etwas enttäuschend war, war die Haltbarkeit. Nach etwa vier Stunden schmilzt er von meiner Haut herunter.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl seems to be many a blogger's favourite, but Hush doesn't really get talked about that much.
It's a sort of warm peachy champagne colour with golden shimmer particles. I find it blends effortlessly even into my ghostly pale skin leaving behind a gorgeous golden glow. It's much more subtle than lighter shades (such as Pearl) which would make it great for everyday use if it wasn't for the short wear time.

MAC Cream Colour Base in Pearl scheint ein Favorit unter vielen Bloggern zu sein, doch über Hush wird nicht so viel geredet.
Er ist eine Art warmes Pfirsich-Champagne mit goldenen Schimmerpartikeln. Ich finde, er passt sich hervorragend dem Hautton an (selbst meiner leichenblassen Variante) und hinterlässt einen wunderschönen goldenen Glanz. Er ist viel dezenter als hellere Farben (wie zum Beispiel Pearl) und somit wäre er hervorragend für den Alltag geeignet, wäre da nicht die kurze Tragezeit.  

All in all as I've now delved deeper into the world of highlighters I still like Hush, as it's just so easy to wear. It quickly perks up my complexion without looking too overdone and though it has a lovely light shimmer there's no chunky glitter in it which is always a good thing in my books!

Alles in allem mag ich Hush immer noch, auch nachdem ich tiefer in die Welt der Highlighter eingetaucht bin, weil er einfach so leicht zu tragen ist. Er gibt meinem Teint ganz schnell das gewisse Etwas, ohne dass es übertrieben aussieht. Obwohl er leicht schimmert, enthält er keine groben Glitzerstücke und meiner Meinung nach ist das immer ein Pluspunkt!

MAC Cream Colour Base costs £14.50 for 3.2g of product.

MAC Cream Colour Base kostet €20.00 für 3.2g.