I feel like I was only just sitting down to write my July Favourites, but here I am with August Favourites. Whilst it's been great having some lovely sunny weather, I have always been an Autumn/Winter girl so I'm all for the beginning of September and I get so excited at this time of year.
Amika Perk Up Dry Shampoo & Soulfood Nourishing Hair Mask
I was kindly sent the Amika Perk Up dry shampoo and the Soulfood Nourishing hair mask at the beginning of August to test out and write a review of. Since the first time that I tried the Perk Up dry shampoo, I have honestly been head over heels in love with this dry shampoo (and this is coming from a previously die hard Batiste dry shampoo girl!). This dry shampoo is designed to literally be the next best thing to washing your hair without using water, it makes your hair look and feel really clean and refreshed. It's got a super fine mist meaning you can layer it up day on day without that horrible chalky feeling and if used correctly it doesn't leave a white cast on your hair. I have very fine hair and with dark blonde roots even with day 2 hair I feel like my hair sometimes looks greasy when it isn't so this Perk Up dry shampoo has been a life saver (especially when I'm on shift) and I really like that I don't end up with loads of product build up in my hair after a couple of days of use. Because of the talc-free formula you can run your hands through your hair and it feels so soft and clean.
Because I highlight my hair and use toners, I really like using a hair mask minimum once a week so you know that I was excited when the Soulfood Nourishing hair mask arrived at my door to try out. This hair mask is a super nourishing formula that can either be used as a once a week treatment or as an everyday conditioner depending on your hair type. It's filled with avocado oil, provitamin B5 and sea buckthorn which help to provide moisture and nourishment without weighing your hair down and leaving it super shiny. I often find that because of my fine hair on the day that I wash my hair I often end up with loads of fly aways because of how soft my hair is, thankfully on the days that I use this hair mask, I don't end up with all these fly aways and my hair looks a lot smoother.
Self Care Reflection Journal
I picked this Self Care reflection journal in Costco last month while I was doing my shopping and since I've been doing the 75 Balanced challenge around my shifts at work, I've really liked starting and ending my day with this journal. I love that it gives you space to record an intention for the day, how your slept, what you've eaten during the day, how much water you've drank, exercise you've completed but you also get space to record your mood during the day, things that you found fun or relaxing, things that were hard or stressful and kind things you did for yourself during the day. I really love that it gives me ways to reflect on my day and helps me keep track of my life and fitness goals.
It Ends With Us Book
During my 75 Balanced challenge, I've committed to reading at least 30 minutes of a personal development book usually in the morning but I've also committed to try and read 30 minutes of a non-fiction book before bed and recently one of the books I've been loving reading has been the It Ends with Us book by Colleen Hoover. My one issue with this book is that it literally hooks you in and I have read it for over an hour multiple times this month. I've really loved reading it and I actually don't want it to finish so you'll have to leave me your other Colleen Hoover book recommendations in the comments below.
Laneige Berry Lip Mask
I have heard non-stop about these Laneige lip masks since the beginning of last year when they blew up on tiktok. I suffer from dry, chapped lips year around so I was really excited to see how these Laneige lip masks fared against them. I've had my eyes on the berry option, although since trying it out this month I've definitely got my eyes on the other options. A little of this lip mask goes a long way cause I've used it every night and sometimes in the mornings too and it barely looks like I've made a dent in the container. I really like that the Laneige lip masks put a protective layer on my lips but also actually nourishes and hydrates my lips by the time I wake up in the morning. I'm actually very tempted to buy a little miniature to keep in my work locker so I can pop some on when I'm in work all day in a face mask cause that just seems to dry my lips out even more.
Espa 24-Hour Replenishing Eye Cream
I have fine lines and dehydrated skin around eyes so I'm always looking for hydrating eye creams that will lessen this so that my makeup sits nicely over the top. I received this 24-Hour Replenishing eye cream in the Cohorted Espa box and I've been loving using it especially for my eye cream in the morning cause I've found that my makeup sits really nicely on top of it and doesn't crease as easily. It's £31.50 for 15ml but you only need a little dot for each eye so I feel like this small tub of eye cream is going to last me absolutely ages!
Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser
I feel like the past two months my skin has felt more dull and congested so I've been adding in the Dermalogica Daily Glycolic Cleanser back into my morning skincare routine to help refresh and brighten my skin. It is gentle enough that you can use it twice a day but because I have more sensitive skin, I use it every other morning and it seems to work perfectly. It's definitely helped my skin look more radiant this month whilst helping maintain my skin barrier so my skin stays hydrated and not overly sensitive. I do get a little tingle during and after using this cleanser but I've not been overly sensitive to it.
You Are Not A Before Picture Book
For reasons I won't get into just yet, I've always struggled with my body and my mindset about my body. However at the end of July I found this new book, You Are Not A Before Picture by Alex Light (who I follow on Instagram and see posts some amazing content). This is one of the personal development books I've been reading in the morning as part of my 75 Balanced challenge to help try and reset my way of thinking and it's definitely started to restructure how I think about myself and think more positive thoughts with the goal to fall in love and making peace with myself.
What have you been loving this month?
Speak to you next time!
*This blog post contains items previously gifted for review. All opinions are honest and my own.
