PHP's Beloved Beauty Bits (April)

It's been a bit of a strange one this month, with no colour products and only two 'makeup' items making it into my favourites. I think it's probably because my skin has been suffering so much, that I've been concentrating on treating that and makeup wise I haven't really tried anything new or exciting. I've been really disappointed after months of searching for the Oxy Seaweed range, only to find it, use it and it's not worked wonders on my skin like it did last time. The stress of being spotty again definitely isn't helping and I'm finding areas that used to be blemish free are breaking out too (I'm really getting exasperated). I finished my last jar of Clarins Multi-Active and although I didn't think my skin was overly enamoured with it recently, it seems to have broken out in sympathy spots asking for the pricey stuff back ("no chance" at the moment face)! So I really need to rethink my whole skincare and makeup routine this month to get control over the situation. Anyway, first up is one of the makeup items, Clarins Ever Matte Mineral Powder Compact in 00 Transparent Opal.
I've had this for a while but only recently started using it exclusively. I was surprised to hit pan one day though as I hadn't realised I'd used it quite that much! I remember being disappointed when it arrived, as it looked much darker than I'd expected, however it actually applies very light. It feels like silk, very lightweight and does a good job of keeping my face matte for most of the day. It's not overly powdery or matte looking though, it leaves my face looking very natural.  I prefer to apply it with my Urban Decay Powder Blush, rather than the applicator in the compact. I'd definitely consider repurchasing this once it runs out.
 For the past year or so, I've gotten out of the way of using concealer. My foundation (and powder) cover pretty well, so I felt it was an unnecessary step in my routine. Now that I've had more breakouts than hot dinners, I've been back to using concealer! I bought Dainty Doll Concealer Hot Pour in 001 Very Light and 002 Light and am especially fond of 001 (shown here). I'd been using it under the eyes to brighten and kept 002 for spots, but for the past couple of weeks have just been using 001 for everything. It's a creamy pot concealer, so I just apply it with my finger, patting it until it blends into the skin. It doesn't 100% conceal to the point you don't know there are any blemishes there, but it does a pretty decent job of masking the redness on large spots and does cover smaller pimples.
A couple of months ago I mentioned I wanted to try another of my Harajuku Lovers 'Wicked Style' fragrances after using Baby lots. So I tried 'G' and am really loving it this month. It's a refreshing, fruity-aquatic scent which feels perfect for summer. Usually G contains coconut in her fragrances but there's no 'tropical' tone to this, which made for a pleasant change. Upon application it's quite strong (not overpowering) but fades. There's apple, raspberry, pineapple and watermelon coming through and although it's not my all-time favourite, it's been a playful scent that I've enjoyed wearing.
I've also been a big fan of Sunshine Cuties G. So much so, that I've finished one bottle and asked my sister to switch 'bases', so I can use hers too (they are only 10ml unfortunately). I like to wear a light scent in bed and this one is really subtle, so perfect for that. It's mainly coconut and vanilla and quite sweet without being sickly. I definitely prefer it to the original coconut G. I only wish they'd made the SC range in 30ml sizes because I have several favourites from that collection now.
I've been feeling lazy this month when it comes to applying body lotion, so Soap & Glory Girligo body mist has been the perfect product for me. It's like a liquid form of Righteous Butter (the original pink fragrance) that just sprays on. Obviously you still have to rub it in (it's as watery as milk), but there's something about not having to dip my hand into a big tub, that's had me reaching for this! It's also nice and light for summer. I've just finished my first bottle, but have about 4 more in my stash, so it better remain a favourite!
Generally my hands are pretty good in that I don't suffer with dry or cracked skin or any problems. I do apply hand-cream every night before bed regardless of how my hands feel and what time of year it is though. So imagine my horror when down the right side of my right hand, I got what I can only describe as 'old lady' hands! It was so dry it was rough (literally felt like sandpaper), it looked cracked and it felt like it belonged to a hard working, 85 year old (no offence). So after a quick freak out, I found this No7 Revitalising Hand Savour in my stash. I got this ages ago with a GWP, but thought it was worth a try before throwing it out. Wowzers, this stuff is good! It's a bright yellow scrub, which you apply to dry hands. It's gritty, very gritty, especially dry and once you've rubbed it in, your hands feel a little greasy/oily. You wash it off and you're left with the softest, smoothest skin you've ever felt! It's brilliant! I've been applying it a couple of times a week and finishing with hand cream and it's sorted out my hand issue. I'll definitely be looking into buying this next time I have a voucher.
Before my hand problem, I had a dry elbow issue (what is wrong with my entire body and face this month?)! I put it down to working at the computer all day, with my arm rubbing along/resting on the hard arm of the chair. I've used Soap & Glory Flake Away for years, but have to admit to losing interest in scrubs recently. While Flake Away isn't quite as yummy smelling as The Breakfast Scrub, it's still a delight to use. It's a sugar and salt scrub with small but very scratchy grains, so if you have sensitive skin this probably isn't for you. personally I like an exfoliator to feel like it's really scrubbing, so am alright with this one. It washes off to leave an oil like finish to the skin which feels like it's really hydrating. I always finish with body lotion to seal that moisture in. After one good scrub of the elbow and some body lotion (see below), my elbow was fixed.!
 
As well as using Girligo this month, I've been treating my problem areas (elbow and hand) with Jergens Ultra Healing body moisturiser for extra dry skin. I got this tube free with Look magazine a few weeks ago and it's certainly come in handy. It's got a really subtle, warm scent and contains vitamins C, E and B5 to penetrate beneath the skin and heal dry skin at the source and lock in moisture for 24 hours.  I expected it to smell quite clinical and be a really thick cream, but it was neither.  It was easily absorbed into the skin and I'd say after 2-3 applications, my skin had recovered completely.  
Told you it was a funny bunch of items this month!  Is there anything you've been loving or anything you like here?