Tried and tested

June Favourites

Cult Beauty June Favourites 2015

It’s that time of the month (in a good way) – time to reveal the {skin care} and {make up} must-haves I’ve been turning to, to get me through four weeks of sweat and weddings.

I know I bang on waaaaaaaaaaay to much about {Verso} but, contrary to my usual belief that good things soon get boring, this Scandinavian skin care range is an exception to the rule. I am now closer to thirty than twenty-nine (bleurgh) and my skin cells appear to be striking – they’re bored or tired or something, and instead of making stuff I want like collagen, they’re sitting still and knitting, or possibly painting their nails (I would). Thanks cells.

Which is why I’m constantly kicking their proverbials with Verso’s {Super Eye Serum} and {Day Cream} – two, velvety-textured marvels rich in supercharged, Retinol 8 Complex; a cell-stimulating cocktail which bothers them into activity, without leaving skin looking (or feeling) irritated. The smell is pleasant, the formula is thick-ish but non-greasy and the results are sufficiently addictive to maintain my interest. No mean feat.

And because (thanks to Verso), my skin has shown signs of improvement – and because I’m so sweaty I can’t make foundation stay put – I’ve entrusted care of my complexion to Pixi‘s {H2O SkinTint} – as weightless as its name implies, it leaves a lovely dewy veil of skin-perfecting coverage, without slipping or sliding around in the hot, hot heat. It’s really lovely if you like a little sumthin’ to even things out, but don’t want to feel caked in make up.

Cult Beauty June Favourites

Two weddings down, two to go… and because I’m too scared to fake tan (I’m so white I’m see-through), I’ve gone for golden shimmer in its stead. A favourite for a long time, Nuxe‘s {Huile Prodigieuse Or} has made my limbs less pallid and my shoulders look a little more… expensive. Gorgeous when you’re truly tanned on holiday, or tousled through the ends of post-beach hair to highlight blonde bits and enhance that slightly crunchy, sea salt texture. The smell is delectably heady – like a sultry summer’s evening. I’m addicted.

Cult Beauty June Favourites

Stop the press! I knew I liked {Beautyblenders} – and I knew that I wanted to carry the minis around in my pockets like Borrowers (CUTE) – but what I hadn’t fully realised until recently, is just how good these sponges are. Not only is the {Beautyblender} vividly pink (as all the best things should be), but when dampened and ‘bounced’ over skin like a space hopper, it creates that perfectly polished, soft-focus finish that’s almost unreal – you know? Like you belong on the cover of VOGUE , and can’t understand why you’re the only one who’s realised (philistines). The {Micro Minis} are great for concealer – I use mine with BECCA’s Under Eye Brightening Corrector to fake (at least semi-) awake in an instant.

And finally, when you need a bold lip that lasts (through tear-induced-sniffles, hymn singing, champagne toasting and dancefloor-canoodling), you need Stila’s {Stay All Day Liquid Lips} – the long, long… long-wear formula the CB office is obsessed with. We’re all so impressed by its colour payoff and seeming invincibility, we’ve each bought four (or five… who’s counting!). I’m almost anxious to apply it, for fear I’ll miss and have to spend the next, many hours with a David Bowie/Aladdin Sane-esque flash across my visage – it’s seriously, that budge-proof (unless you’re using {Bio-Essence}). My favourite shade is ‘Aria’ – a gorgeous pink-purple that’s bold but not too in-your-face. It’s LOVE.

Cult Beauty June Favourites

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Verity Douglas

Verity Douglas

Content Editor

Cult Beauty’s Content Editor and a Cult Beauty OG, Verity loves nothing more than the marriage of language and lip balm. A quintessential Libran, she’s a self-professed magpie for luxury ‘must-haves' and always pursuing the new and the niche — from the boujee-est skin care to cutting-edge tech. Balancing an urge to stop the clock with her desire to embrace the ageing process (and set a positive example for her daughter), Verity's a retinol obsessive and will gladly share her thoughts about the time-defying gadgets, masks and treatments worth the splurge...