It’s the end of the month of August now and it’s time for August 2014 beauty favourites!

August has been packed with lots and lots of purchases from everywhere (Sephora, the recent Net-A-Porter free shipping etc..). Surprisingly, my favourites this month doesn’t include any of the new purchases because I really wanted to use the things I bought actively for exactly or more than a month to really test the efficacy of the products. Many a times we keep getting new things to play with that we don’t really reach out for a product more than 2-3 times, let alone give a full in-depth review. Thus, I am proud to say that I have been using my favourites so diligently this month that I don’t even realise I’m using them every day! 😀

Without further ado, let’s jump right into my skincare favourites followed by the makeup ones!

For skincare this month (or rather these 2 months), I have been loving my entire skincare range from Kiehl’s! Having acne-prone skin can be quite a headache as it is really not easy to tame the inflamed skin while trying to control acne formation. 3 products that have particularly improved my skin condition drastically are the Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser, Dermatologist Solutions Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution and  Dermatologist Solutions Blemish Control Daily Skin-Clearing Treatment. Oh my what a mouthful. The names are way too long.
Let’s start with the cleanser! Basically this Blue Herbal Gel Cleanser has been a life saver and I love it because it has a very light and watery texture unlike soapy facial cleansers that will dry out your skin after cleansing. The cleanser gives you a very minty and cooling sensation when you massage this all over the face! I personally use my Clarisonic Aria (not shown here) with my Deep Pore Brush Head to cleanse my skin and I really feel the difference. Using the Clarisonic makes me feel that cleansing is more thorough and of course, the minty sensation is much stronger than when you only use your hands to cleanse. Thumbs up for this treasure here!

Next up, I follow up my skincare routine with the Dermatologist Solutions Clearly Corrective Dark Spot Solution. The reason why I use this is because I was told by the BA that I could use this with an acne treatment so that it would lighten my acne scars overtime! This isn’t a miracle product but as it didn’t work for the first few days when I used it twice a day. However, after using for about 2 months now, I can really see a significant difference in my scars in terms of lightening the pigmentation! I guess the Clarisonic cleansing does exfoliate my surface dead skin cells in order for this to work as well. The texture is pretty light and absorbs fast but it retails for about S$90 a bottle I think, rather expensive.

And the last step before my moisturiser (shu uemura Depsea Hydrability Gel Cream) is the Dermatologist Solutions Blemish Control Daily Skin-Clearing Treatment. This is my miracle product. I swear by this. About 6-8 months ago, my skin started breaking out and it has never stopped since then. Nothing could tame the acne formation and wearing makeup to cover up certainly did not work for my skin as well. However, when I started using this product, 2 weeks into using it twice daily, I could already see results! My parents and siblings noticed the difference in my skin too and even commented that my skin condition drastically improved! I used to not be able to walk out of my house bare-faced but ever since my skin condition improved, I feel more confident in my skin without makeup! 🙂 Two thumbs up for this!

For makeup, I have a full face (I think) of products! Here are they:

Benefit Hoola Bronzer – S$47
Well, I must really say that this is by far the best bronzer for me! It’s matte and it isn’t too grey nor orange on my skin. It gives a really nice contour that looks very natural when blended out! I was caught by surprise when I discovered that the brush is actually very functional for contouring and it’s so soft even though it looks like it can scratch your skin! Amazing product.

Wonder Honey Cherry Cheek (Fresh Cherry) – S$25
I received this from the Vecua Honey team, (thank you!) and I must say that I really love the peachy glow it gives to my skin! I love cherries and the scent of cherries just makes my makeup application more enjoyable! Made of natural ingredients including honey, this blusher is amazingly long-lasting.

Fresh Beauty Sugar Passion Lip Treatment – S$33
This lip treatment is one my favourites! It has the honour of always being in my makeup pouch no matter where I go, simply because, it works! I apply this almost every day to condition my lips and to add a hint of colour to my pout as well!

shu uemura (yes the brand name is in small letters) Petal Lash Mascara – S$50
By far my favourite mascara because of its floral scent! Which mascara has got a floral scent, or is even nicely scented? Almost none. But this, my friends, brightens up your mood when you apply because floral scented mascaras are so rare! I love the wand as well as it separates the lashes accurately, coating each lash fully. Open your peepers with this lovely mascara!

Benefit Stay Don’t Stray Eyelid Primer (Light/Medium) – ?
I received this GWP from Sephora from one of my purchases some time back. I like how the consistency is think but blends in nicely when you apply on your lids! The light/medium shade actually brightens up the eyelids too before eyeshadow application!

shu uemura Vision of Beauty Vol. 1 Pink Palette – S$98
My favourite palette because all 6 shades in the palette are sooooo gorgeous! 😀 I am in love! These eyeshadows are so pigmented yet blendable, making it easy for a fuss-free makeup application! Use these for a fun and flirty look! P.S. I love the 4th shade from the left as a one-wash!

Vecua Honey Wonder Honey: Honey Dew Lip Essence (Cherry) – S$22
Even though this was a sponsored product, I have to say I am amazed by how this works for my lips. This is a wonder product for me when my lips are dry and peeling. Said to contain serum that melts quickly into lips, it gives an instant boost of moisture and nourishment to the lips – AND IT WORKS! I am really impressed by this product itself and I will definitely repurchase when I run out of it even though it’s pretty pricey for such a small tube.

Alright, this lengthy post concludes my August 2014 favourites! Hope you enjoyed and do let me know if you have any thoughts for the products I mentioned here! My review is honest and true to what I feel about the products even though some of them are sponsored, so don’t worry that I am just singing praises just because I have to 😉

Hope August is still treating you well while we welcome September!