Hits and Misses: February 2012

Dear Readers,

Is it me, or did February just fly by? This month was an extremely busy and cold month, but it was also my birthday month, so at least I got to take a break for some celebrations.

At the beginning of February, I was invited to an event organised by Catrice and Essence and as you might know I was given a goodie bag with products to try out. I spent this month testing these items, hence why my hits and misses consist entirely of gifted products. 

I'll be doing a 'favourite Essence' and 'favourite Catrice' products videos and posts, which might feature some of the items in this entry, but in the meantime, here are my hits and misses for the second month of 2012.

A great hit is my new mascara combination! Alas, my lashes are not the best in town, so they always appreciate a little help from good mascaras. I start by applying a coat of the Essence 'Get Big Lashes' Volume Curl mascara, then I move on to the Volume Boost mascara from the same range. Both mascaras work wonders, especially when I conclude with Catrice's 'The Giant' mascara. The latter is an excellent product with an interestingly shaped wand! I highly recommend all of the above eye products, but using them together is what really makes the trick!

I was quite disappointed with the Essence 'My Base' Skin Perfecting Make-Up base! It could be that I didn't use it well, but even though I made use of it more than once, I never saw any noticeable differences! It's such a pity since the other 'My Base' product, namely the Illuminating one, is more than fantastic! In fact, I'll definitely mention that in my favourite Essence post! Catrice's 'Dulce and Havanna', pictured above, was also another miss for me! The colour, well, is...horrible! It looks like things that are unworthy of a mention! 

My most favourite product this month - and the best thing I've tried in a long while! - is the Essence 'Pure Skin' Natural Cover Moisturizer. This product has put me off foundation ever since I applied it for the first time. It's that good! I tend to try and avoid applying foundation, but I still need that little amount of coverage. That's why I like tinted moisturisers, they strike the balance between the two. This product is not only an excellent alternative to foundation, but it's also anti-bacterial and highly moisturising. My skin can breathe, it looks better and I think it suits my skin tone really well. The above tinted moisturiser is the one for light skin, but it's also available for people with medium to dark skin complexions.

Last, but definitely not least, is the Catrice 'Intensif Eye' Wet & Dry Shadow in 'Charly's Chocolate Factory'. As of late, I've been reaching for brown hues more often than I did in the past. I've become a fan of the smokey brown eye look. This eyeshadow can be applied both wet and dry, even though I confess I haven't given the former a try as yet! Oh, and that dent you see in the photo was made by yours truly's nails. My nails aren't sharp and long enough to open plastic packaging, but they're nasty enough to accidentally mess one of my favourite eyeshadows!

With the weather slowly getting warmer and the days becoming longer, I predict much more Spring-oriented favourites next month! But until then, I hope you all have a great month! I shall :)

-B