March Favourites | 2021

Well hello Spring and my goodness has it sprung! It feels like only yesterday I uploaded my (somewhat slightly late) February Favourites post and here we are talking about March favourites! I don't know how March seemed to fly by so quickly for me but I feel as though I didn't take a second to stop and appreciate the view somewhat. As it was for some reason a fairly busy month for me I didn't find myself wearing as much makeup this month just gone and thus it's again only a small monthly favourites posts alas there were some feel stand out products and picked that I have been loving this March! From rediscovering old favoruites, to new products and Spring 2021 style there's a few gems I think you'll like to have a nosey at that I've been loving this March.

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Urban Decay Cream Vice Lipstick - Native

Although we seemed to have quite a cold snap following the start of Spring this March I have had a liking for all things Spring pink to my makeup. One of my favoruite lip products I've been loving wearing this March to embrace my longing for some Spring pinks is my Urban Decay Cream Vice Lipstick in shade Native. It's a gorgeous delicate pink but with a hint of confidence to it's colour, without being "over-poweringly" pink. The Cream Vice formula from Urban Decay are just gorgeous. They feel as light as a feather on your lips, whilst being nourishing yet packing a punch with great colour pay of. This is one of my most favourite pink shaded lip products I own and has been a firm favourite this start to spring. 

All my lipsticks tend to last me quite a long time hence I don't mind treating myself to a more high-end pick every now and again as I know I'll most certainly get my wear and value out of them and it's so worth it for the quality. The last time I purchased one of the Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks I felt they were well reasonably priced and are currently around £17.50 online at John Lewis and £18 at Boots. The Vice Lipsick collection comes in various formula too, with matte and sheer, hence I found it the perfect cruelty free and vegan alternative to MAC lipsticks, of which I used to adore collecting. My MAC to Urban Decay Vice Lipstick wish list goes on!

Kiko Velvet Passion Matte Lipstick - 326 Natural Rose

Another gorgeous lipstick I've been enjoying to add a touch of Spring pink into my makeup this March is the Kiko Velvet Passion Matte Lipstick in the shade 326 Natural Rose. Firstly, the Kiko matte Velvet Passion Lipsticks are just a dream of a matte lip formula! They are so light and have a ever so slight powder-touch but that's silky and has an almost delicate balmy feel to it and they never leave my lips dried out! I actually have two of the Velvet Passion Lipsticks, both of which I got on what I think was our last traditional family holiday to the south of France (a beauty-related memory I talk about more in my Why I Started Blogging post and you can see my first ever holiday Kiko Haul which I documented on the blog). 326 Natural Rose has the perfect light creamy pink tone to it but that isn't to pale and leaves you ghostly faced, something I often struggle with when it comes to lighter lipsticks being so pale. It is the perfect light, little-bit-nudey, Spring pink in my eyes! The Velvet Passion Lipsticks also have one of the most gorgeous vanillia-ry cake scents to them too!

Spring Pink - Urban Decay Naked 3 Eyeshadow Palette

Again, obsessed with the Spring pinks I have been, I also merrily found myself cracking out my holy grail and much beloved Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette over my birthday this March. (Yes it was my birthday month, woo ooo!). I enjoyed wearing a simple wash of the lighter pink shades, like Buzz and Burnout, but also enjoyed a touch of gold, adding a little touch of the gold shade from my Revoholic Eyeshadow palette to the outer half and corners. I've already found myself picking up my Naked 3 palette again this April and I think it's going to be fun playing around with more pink tone for Spring. It goes without saying, the quality of the Urban Decay Naked palettes are just top notch and some top favourite eye shadows!

Only Good The Hydrator Mist & Facial Toner

At the beginning of March I found I was in need of a big skincare haul as I was running out of a lot of my skincare and good bargains and all deals considered (and free delivery may I add!) I decided to make all my picks all from Holland and Barrett. The Body Shop Aloe Vera range is still my holy grail skincare range to date but at current I’ve been on the look out for something a little more affordable but still simple, calming yet effective, whilst being as clean beauty friendly as much as possible. A new skincare brand to me that I chose for my toner was Only Good. I’d never come across the brand before but they appeared to be another great vegan, cruelty free and natural beauty brand. The Hydrator Mist & Facial Toner seems a simple hydrating toner on the tin that just does a gentle, nourishing good job at toning. It says to contain blue plum for toning, chamomile for soothing and hyaluronic acid for moisture supplying. I was also amazed to learn it's 100% natural and does not contain palm oil, parabens, phthalates, phenoxyethanol, colour, synthetic fragrance, gmos, pegs, EDTA or silicones! At it's normal price, £9.99, it's not far off my holy grail Body Shop Aloe Toner but with the deals Holland and Barrett had on it worked out even cheaper. Aside from it's amazing clean beauty friendly claims the big question when it comes to natural beauty is more often than not I find, does it really work? Well, quite simply I've just been loving the Only Good The Hydrator Mist & Facial Toner since my first use! I am obsessed with the delicate sweet yet very subtle and light scent and have narrowed it down in decriptive terms to what can only be a Petits Filous yoghurt/ blueberries. It's bloody lovely and I really look forward to using it each day and night. As for my skin, it leaves a really nice light, nourishing barrier and just coforts and lightly, what it feels like, "plumpens" my skin. It's a really treat to spritz! I've not noticed a drastic change in hardcore things like pigmentation but it's really been keeping my skin in quite the happy state and makes me most happy to use!

A lovely little skincare pick. - Not to mention, the packing is bloody gorgeous! <3

Gingham Print

Onto style now and in all honesty I didn’t give style picks two hoots when it came to gathering my March favourites together for this post but I subtly recently noticed (thanks to some very kind comments from some lovely people as to how Spring-like I’ve been looking) I have been absolutely obsessed with Gingham! I’ve certainly worn my staple blue gingham check dress more than a handful of times this March and I’ve even found myself commenting on how lovely it is to see everyone else’s gingham picks. I’ve been wearing it buttoned up, opened up with shirts underneath, with roll neck jumpers under and over, as a skirt and paired with my blue pin-stripe shirt to make a very Spring blue tonal ensemble. To my knowledge I think my gingham dress is the only gingham piece I own but I’ve sure been loving getting my wear out of it this March as Spring has sprung (you can see my gingham dress over in my Cosy Christmas Day Outfit Ideas 2020 post if you want to see exactly what it’s like). There’s something just so fresh and Spring-like about gingham, perfect for when the sun’s out, and it always puts me in such a cheery mood. I think it’s been the perfect cheery Spring style pick to accompany my anticipation and excitement for this Spring and Summer ahead.

Zoe Sugg and Alfie Deyes' Vlogs

Now I love March for many a good reason but especially so for being my birthday month and something else that I also very much love is a good old throwback and in the month of Ellie I’ve had quite the exciting very-Ellie throwback! Since Zoe Sugg and Alflie Deyes’ big announcement they shared early this March (my goodness wasn’t it exciting news and oh my did I feel every emotion under the sun and also a little bit “oh my goodness where has the time gone!”) I have been absolutely loving getting back into watching Zoe and Alfie’s vlogs again! I never really lost my love for a cosy up watching Alfie and Zoe’s vlogs but I think as they had taken a break from video creating over the past three months and with how busy I had been over Christmas with work, plus as time has passed us by since the merry old days of 2013/ 2014, I found myself a little drifted away from that world of watching, catching up with and enjoying vlogs. Zoe Sugg has always been my most favourite vlogger and YouTuber and likewise I’ve long loved Alfie and his vlogs too (I always find his content really motivational and inspiring and most enjoyable). It’s been really nice and really feels like the good old days watching Zoe and Alfie’s current vlogs again and I love how they are documenting their new chapters but also creating content in their signature, traditional ways. P.S I also flipping adored Zoe’s collaboration and IGTV with GDH earlier this year! It just felt so old school, beauty YouTube Zoe. It’s her ???? IGTV if you’d like to see; I promise it’s a treat for you old school YouTube beauty lovers!

Joe Sugg's Vlogs - ThatcherJoeVlogs

Likewise, for some unbeknown reason or maybe more so due to the sprinklings of the throwback fairy, I’ve also found myself getting into and really enjoying Joe Sugg’s vlogs this March. Again, I used to love watching Joe too and there was nothing better than his and Caspar’s prank videos back in the day – my goodness they were a corker! I used to watch Joe’s vlogs from time to time in the past but recently I’d noticed his videos more and more on my YouTube suggested feed as he’s been documenting his and Dianne’s move to their new house. My personal favourites of Joe Sugg’s vlogs I've watched this March have been Removing a big wasp nest.. I wonder what's inside. and my most favourite, his metal detecting video, I found buried treasure in our new garden!. My goodness he just has me in stitches! I love it. 😆

And that is everything I’ve been loving this March!

I feel as though I tie off every monthly favourites post with that sentence but it just fits too well not too. 😆 Maybe I’ll mix it up for April (or so God help me!).

March has flown by this year for me and I really wish I’d had more time to stop and enjoy the view, especially being my birthday month, but I’m definitely going to focus more on doing that this April. Here’s to more Spring pinks, embracing the third British Winter, more blogging, vlogging and a sprinkle of gingham and Spring style - or should I say... gingham-style! If you too are also digging your jumpers back out after the freak Monday snowfall following the Easter weekend heat wave and are frantically swapping back to your Winter skincare routine you might want to keep your eyes peeled for my next post if you are finding yourself also returning to and suffering from the inevitable cold weather-induced dry hands!

Until my next post,

Ellie Xx

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