10 Beauty Products You’ll Love in April! [Review]

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It’s time for another WomenStuff beauty round up! Every month our beauty desk is inundated with new beauty products to try – from new skincare product releases to fabulous new makeup items and more, there’s always something exciting popping up. So, I decided to put them all together for you in one convenient place so you get all the reviews and news on the latest must-try beauty products without having to sift through a million articles. All of the products featured here have been personally reviewed by me, so you know they’re aces. Here are 10 new beauty products to try in April 2017!

Reviewed by Me

These are some of my favourite products from our beauty desk this month – they’ve all been personally reviewed by me and get the WomenStuff stamp of approval!

1. Elizabeth Arden White Tea

Add a spritz of bliss to your life with this new fragrance from Elizabeth Arden. It’s a beautifully fresh fragrance that is sure to entice tea lovers and the woman looking for a little bit of zen in her life. The fragrance does a great job of capturing the purity of beautiful simple pleasures of a lazy Sunday morning … think sunlit skin, crisp sheets, a good book, and that first sip of your favourite cup of tea. Elizabeth Arden White Tea takes you on a sensorial journey starting with White Tea vapours and Sea Breeze Accord which develop into the sweet smell of White Iris before finishing with the warm wood scent of Madras Wood, Tonka Bean and a delicately blended trio of musks. After using it for a few weeks this new addition from Elizabeth Arden is my go-to fragrance on a weekend away or when spending a lazy day reading at home. I also love the bottle of this fragrance – the tall, refined bottle with clean lines and a white clear ombré design perfectly conveys the purity and simplicity of the product and will look beautiful on your nightstand.

For a limited time shoppers will receive a gorgeous white handbag as a free gift when purchasing a 100ml Elizabeth Arden White Tea fragrance. The fragrancece is now available at selected Elizabeth Arden counters and independent pharmacies nationwide at a recommended price of R695 for a 100 ml White Tea Eau de Toilette Spray. The range also includes a 50ml, and 30ml fragrance size as well as a White Tea Pure Indulgence Hand Cream at R85 (30 ml).

2. Elegant Touch Hall of Mirrors

The hologram beauty trend is still going strong and now you can have beautiful hologram-inspired nails with no fuss at all with the limited edition Elegant Touch Hall of Mirrors stick-on nails. I love the kaleidoscope effect you get with these easy-to-use stick-on nails. Elegant Touch nails are my go-to on weekends when I don’t have time to pop into the salon for a manicure or am looking to change up my nails for a day. If you’re worried about them feeling super fake when applied, the great news is the new ‘Super-flex’ technology used for these nails offers the wearer superior comfort that feels more like acrylic nails than stick-on. Once applied (correctly) the nails will give you up to 10 days wear with no chipping or peeling.

Find Elegant Touch Hall of Mirrors nails at Dis-Chem pharmacies nationwide at R90.

3. Physicians Formula Argan Wear BB Cream

Argan oil is here to stay and drugstore makeup brand, Physicians Formula have a released a range of argan oil-infused cosmetics that will allow you to introduce the moisturising oil into your makeup routine. The range is perfect for ladies with dry skin who feel like they need an extra touch of moisture on a daily basis and one of the key products is this Physicians Formula Argan Wear BB Cream. With super cute Moroccan-inspired packaging the product definitely stands out and the easy-squeeze tube allows you to dispense the right amount of product every time. Sadly the ultra-nourishing BB cream is only available in two shades (light and light/medium). I found that the light shade was best for my fair skin and the product blended really nicely. While the cream felt a little thicker than most BB creams when I first applied it, I found it soaked into the skin quite quickly and feel light on my skin. The product also gave my skin a subtle glow which went a long way to improving the look of my often dull complexion. I also love that it offers an SPF 30 coverage to protect skin on a daily basis.

Physicians Formula Argan Wear BB Cream is available at Dis-Chem pharmacies at R229.95.

4. OPI Infinite Shine Gel Effects

If you’re looking for a great alternative to gel polish that is sure to last longer than natural polish then you’ll love OPI Infinite Shine. The product is available in salons as well as for at-home use and is OPI’s answer to CND Vinylux, Sally Hansen Miracle Gel, and Morgan Taylor React. Each of these systems promise extended gel-like wear without the UV/LED light and soak off process. Just like its competitors, OPI Infinite Shine goes on like a polish and dries like a regular nail lacquer and, as always, the magic is in the top coat that contains UV-activated molecules that polymerize in natural UV light and strengthen your manicure over time. I got the chance to try out the system for myself and got a good few days of wear out it of. I find that Morgan Taylor React gives me longer wear (about 7 days) whereas I only got 5 days of wear using the OPI version. The 3-step system, which includes the OPI Infinite Shine Primer, Infinite Shine Laquer, and Infinite Shine Gloss Top Coat offers about 30 shades, many of which are very similar to some of your favourite OPI natural polish shades.

Find OPI Infinite Shine at selected nail salons nationwide at R250 a bottle.

5. LA Girl HD Pro Setting Powder

This translucent setting powder is a budget wonder. The luxe finishing powder sets foundation and mattifies skin while evening out your complexion for a glowing, radiant look. I love that it’s a universally wearable shade that can be applied to bare skin as a primer or over foundation for a flawless finish. The formula is lightweight and helps to set makeup to ensure it stays put all day long. This setting powder from LA Girl is made from 100% mineral silica and left my skin feeling soft and silky smooth after applying. I love using it to prep my skin before applying makeup and to set my foundation once I’m done creating the perfect look. I found this super fine powder does a great job of preventing smudging and my makeup doesn’t rub off on everyone and everything when I’m wearing it.

Find LA Girl HD Pro Setting Powder at Dis-Chem pharmacies nationwide at R59.95.

6. Shield MotionSense Germ Defense

If you loved Shield’s MotionSense antiperspirant then you’re going to want to try Shield’s new MotionSense Germ Defense. This new range also makes uses of the Shield MotionSense ‘bubble’ technology – with microcapsules activated by friction for renewed freshness as the day goes on – but with added ingredients that promise to protect against the germs that cause odour. With this new range Shield says you’re getting 10 times more protection against odour causing germs than a regular anti-bacterial soap. I used the range on a few super hot days in Cape Town and it definitely did the trick. The deodorant kept me feeling fresh during the day and I liked that it didn’t have a strong, overpowering scent.

Shield MotionSense Germ Defense Roll-on is R22 from Clicks stores nationwide.

7. Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Bold Liquid Lipstick

I am truly in love with these new Beautiful Colour Bold Liquid Lipsticks from Elizabeth Arden. They’re the gold standard of liquid lipsticks, giving you the best of both worlds – the creamy, high impact lip colour offers the coverage and intensity of a lipstick with the shine of a gloss which means your lips will stay soft and moisturised for ages after applying. The gloss-lippy hybrid from Elizabeth Arden is also long-lasting and doesn’t bleed or feather (my worst nightmare!) so you can feel confident your look is staying put. Read my full review here.

Elizabeth Arden Beautiful Colour Bold Liquid Lipsticks are available online from Foschini at R295 – click here to buy now.

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Things I Love this Month

While I haven’t had a chance to review the products below they are definitely on my radar for summer. These products and places range from the oh-so-cute to the down-right brilliant. You’re bound to find something you’ll love and want to try.

8. Vita Liberata Body Blur Instant HD Skin Finish

Hollywood’s new favourite body makeup has arrived in South Africa! Vita Liberata’s Body Blur is a wash-off skin finishing body makeup that allows you to have perfect skin when you need it most. The makeup gives a natural looking tint for the body, and reflects light for a photo-ready finish – it’s the ideal product to use before a night out on the town or for an important photo shoot. According to Vita Liberata the water resistant product perfects skin by masking blemishes and giving a natural-looking tint. The product can also be used as a makeup primer on the face and hydrates skin while you wear it. The product is also free from parabens, alcohol, fragrance, animal derivatives, and other nasties so you know it won’t harm your skin.

Vita Liberata Body Blur available at selected salons and spas at R1030 for 100ml.

9. Mii Cosmetics Passion Matte Lipsticks

Launching 1 April 2017 these Passion Matte Lipsticks from Mii Cosmetics are lightweight and long-lasting. According to Mii, the matte lipsticks offer a soft, suede finish on the lips with intense colour. Mixed with an enriching blend of oils and waxes, these matte lipsticks glide onto lips with ease. Available in four shades including Bare 01 (pink nude), Adoration 02 (deep aubergine), Sassy 03 (a cool red), and Obsession 04 (merlot red), you’re bound to find a colour you love.

Mii Cosmetics Passion Matte Lipsticks are priced at R315 from Poise Brands.

10. Theravine Aftersun Rescue Gel

If you spend loads of time in the sun then check out Theravine’s Aftersun Rescue Gel. This exciting addition to the Theravine range is set to become your skin’s new best friend and will help to heal some of the damage done by the sun’s harsh rays. The lightweight, cooling treatment gel contains grape stem cells and Aloe Vera, to soothe, calm and reduce irritation of the skin after exposure to UV sunlight. According to Theravine, the Aftersun Rescue Gel is further designed to target the burn on two fronts — relieving reddened, inflamed skin while easing pain. They added the benefits of Aloe Vera soothe, calm and reduce the irritation while the cooling action of peppermint increases skin comfort and allows the Hyaluronic Acid to restore the water gradient in the skin. Rehydrating the skin helps to shorten the recovery time while calming chamomile and lavender further soothes and refreshes the skin.