Beauty splurges this month

Mac Studio Sculpt SPF 15 Foundation - Foundation lately has become rather problematic for me. I can't seem to find one that caters to my skin tone and type. I need something rather yellow shade-wise, and hydrating as my skin is mega dry and sensitive. The one in question here is quite awful. Well for my face anyway. This foundation is very creamy and mousse-like which means it is extremely difficult to apply and blend, for the most part it plainly refuses to and just stubbornly sits on the face. The effect is something really cakey and patchy. It clings to dry skin, ageing it in the process. The coverage isn't fab either, expect to be greeted to an uneven skin tone with blemishes clearly visible. Mac left me feeling absolutely disappointed with this disaster. Tut tut.

Mac Mineralize Satinfinish SPF 15 Foundation - Glides on easily and provides a smooth, velvety finish. The result is very natural yet dewy, healthy and youthful. Me likes. The only problem is that the coverage is quite light which means blemishes of all kinds still remain fairly unconcealed, cue: upside down smile. The quest for my ideal foundation still continues.

Mac Lip Conditioner SPF 15 - I had to reexperience this product as I recall fond memories from the first time round. It's not as extraordinary as I remember but still a very lavish treat for the lips - leaves them super soft and ultra moisturised, not to mention very kissable. And the hint of vanilla gives it a delectable smell, and oh how I love the smell of vanilla. Plus it's not just any old lip balm, guys it's a lip conditioner! Not quite sure what the difference is, if any, but it just sounds much fancier and like it does stuff that the ordinary lip balm cannot quite manage, not stuff like making you a cup of coffee in the morning or giving you a foot rub, stuff more lip-related. Think of it as a more qualified and educated lip balm.

Yves Saint Lauren Touche Eclat Radiant Touch - Everybody seems to rave about this product, it has a firm place in the beauty hall of fame, is meant to be a miracle for make-up artists and celebrities alike but unfortunately I can't quite seem to understand the hype. I really want to but I just can't. I must be the only person in the whole entire world whom this magic wand doesn't work on. At first I must admit I was applying it incorrectly, mistaking it for a concealer instead of the highlighter pen that it is, and I was relieved as it meant that there was a chance that it could still work. It is not to be administered directly on dark circles and such but rather around contours so that it reflects light from these areas, making the problem areas appear less prominent. Make sense? Just consider it as light trickery. Even so, this new application method failed to provide any considerable results. I didn't notice any improvements so am not quite sure what Touche Eclat does exactly. Maybe my permanent dark under-eye circles are just beyond help eh. I know this legendary product has a cult following but I won't be joining the fan club anytime soon.

Lancome Hypnose Mascara - Revlon's Fabulash is my regular mascara, and although I am completely satisfied with it I fancied a change and decided to experiment a little. Besides they say change is good. I felt a bit guilty and disloyal, like I was cheating on my trusty Fabulash but Hypnose doesn't compare to the former and makes a lousy mistress. Sure it separates and lengthens the lashes but to no impressive level. It definitely does not volumise though - thick lashes cannot be achieved here peeps. Ideal for a natural look, not so much for the likes of me whom like a dramatic, false-lash effect. Guys, if I wanted natural don't you think I would just skip the mascara altogether? I want sky-high glamorous eyelashes not the average ones this mascara has to offer.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant - An exceptionally renowned product which I really don't want to slag off. Unfortunately, I am sorry to report that there was a marked deterioration in my skin after using this brown gel, probably as I was slathering on like half the tube in the hope for a complete skin transformation. It's not a moisturiser, it's more like a medicinal ointment, designed to treat a variety of skin irritations, including "symptoms of chapping, peeling or flaking due to minor burns, sunburn, windburn, scrapes, abrasions or cracked lips". I quote directly from the back of the tube here folks. It smells rather like Yon Ka Serum which I think is fab because I love the marvellous Yon Ka Serum. The gel is very sticky and greasy, so it's a good idea to apply the product just before hitting the sack, especially if the problem area happens to be your face, unless of course you fancy parading around with a mega oily mug. After my first night's application, I woke up to relatively softer and smoother skin but I continued slapping it on every night and perhaps this is where I went wrong as eventually my skin started to suffer from horrible breakouts, not sure if this was down to the oiliness of the product or due to the fact that my skin is majorly sensitive and I had some form of allergic reaction to it. However, I understand that Miss Arden's Skin Protectant should be used sparingly and occasionally, and of course on areas that actually require 'protecting'. In that case, why should I buy this when I can just nip to my local pharmacy and pick up an antiseptic cream, it's waaaaay cheaper and the effect is just the same. Just a thought.

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Intensive Daily Moisturizer for Face SPF 15 - This is the moisturiser equivalent of the Skin Protectant. Smells a bit like the exclusive Crème de la Mer which was a nice surprise. The product itself left my skin soft and glowing, it's fairly hydrating too and therefore provides a good base for makeup, but I guess I expect more from my moisturiser, there is nothing extra on offer here, for example most people want skincare that is anti-ageing or has firming properties or fights wrinkles, this claims to do nothing of the sort so I would rather go with something that does.

No7 Radiance Revealed Exfoliator - A lovely exfoliator that apparently contains natural fruit acids which help sweep away dull skin, brightening it in the process - the grains brush away dead skin cells from the surface, revealing the much brighter skin from underneath. Or so I think. Very true indeed though as this product left my skin soft and fresh.

No7 Purifying Sauna Mask - This clay-like mask heats on contact with water which is what the whole sauna thing is about. Although it targets impurities and blemishes, I feel the drying and tightening aspects of this mask are too harsh for my skin type.

No7 Heavenly Hydration Moisture Mask - This peach coloured whipped cream in a bottle just looks soooo yum. Spread it on and instantly it provides a hydrating quality as well as a feeling of being pampered. Skin is left baby soft. It's a fab treat for tired, thirsty skin - uplifting, invigorating and renewing.

Organix Vanilla Silk Shampoo and Conditioner - Not a two-in-one by the way. I hate two-in-ones, I don't think they provide the same quality that shampoo and conditioners separately would. I am always in hair heaven with Organix, in fact my hair actually thanks me for this indulgence. Organix leaves hair feeling incredibly soft, shiny and silky. What more could you honestly want from your shampoo and conditioner? The result is healthy, glossy, shampoo advert hair And the smell of this product is simply gorgeous. Hair food at its best I claim and you can most certainly quote me on that.

Sarah Jessica Parker Covet eau de parfum spray - I wanted a relatively inexpensive scent for those long working days and this is what fate had in store. SJP is a hu-uge style icon, I mean the woman has such impeccable taste, plus her first fragrance was a complete winner so how could I ever really doubt something created by her Midas touch? There is an abundance of positive reviews about this scent so without being fazed by the scary green concoction I took the plunge and ordered it without batting an eyelid - oh I know, I'm such a daredevil. At first whiff the perfume had a light powdery quality to it which then evolved into some strong repulsive grass-like stench. So much so that I honestly believed that somebody behind me on the bus sneezed because SJP's handiwork had triggered their hayfever. Miss Parker, if I wish to smell like grass then I shall roll around fervently in a field. Am not impressed. At all. Great for nature-lovers, not so much for those that expect their fragrance to smell, let's say, nice. Sorry, is that too great an expectation? Never ever buy perfume that is green. Simple rule really.

Givenchy Very Irresistible Summer Cocktail eau de toilette spray - I have liked Givenchy's original Very Irresistible ever since I received it as a gift very many years ago. It's not exactly a firm favourite but its seductive rose-like scent is something I turn to whenever I fancy an elegant change. The perfume is powerful, commands attention, doesn't fade away and smells swanky so I figured what with summer fast approaching its season appropriate version should be a ideal investment. Summer cocktail - you expect it to be fun, fruity and fresh - I imagined it would smell exactly like if it were to rain Skittles. Oh how amazing it would be if it actually rained Skittles. However the result here is more amateur barman experimenting with random ingredients. There are probably too many aromas at play here. Overall it has a dominant spicy, wood-like scent, not something I would at all associate with summer. Very misleading indeed Givenchy, you cunning charlatans!

* Please note: I am not overpaid, in fact I earn peanuts, I can understand how many may assume from this post that I take home a big, fat wage packet at the end of each month but the truth is that my salary is extremely humble, I am just a sucker for beauty products, and very extravagant and reckless, read: absolutely crap with money.