It has been a busy month and I managed to buy a few new products as well as receive some that I have been testing out. It's one of those monthly favorites that features all new products that have impressed me. Because otherwise, I pretty much used all of my favorites from April and March.

Te Mana Glow Activator Mist and Radiance Infusing Essence

Te Mana is new natural brand to me and it's from New Zeeland. I received a few of their products to test out and I have to say I am impressed. First of all, I always thought of natural skin care as being less refined in terms of texture, but Te Mana proved me wrong. All of their products have surprisingly sophisticated formulas and fairly natural scents. I chose to add these two products in my favorites, because they are the two that give you that instant glow. Mist is like a liquid hydrating toner that you can even use over makeup. It gives you such a nice natural sheen. Essence is exactly what it says to be. It's a more liquid transparent product with some of that grip and as soon as you apply it on the face, it gives you that natural glow, but without the greasy feel. All of their products seem to be gentle, but effective. 

Gua Sha

This is gua sha tool which comes from Chinese medicine. It's basically a piece of stone molded into the shape that fits well on face contours. I ordered cheap one from Ebay, but there are companies selling proper jade or rose quartz stones. I just wanted to use it for facial massage and it works great for that. Usually I use it with face oils and I look up massage techniques from YouTube. I find it to be so relaxing. It promotes circulation and helps my skin care to sink in better. 

Zoeva 142 Concealer Buffer Brush

I have two brushes for the face that have similar shape to this one which I use for foundation and creamy products. I knew I wanted this smaller one to blend out concealer. It works great and blends out product well. The bristles are soft, but dense. In general, I like almost all of Zoeva brushes that I buy. They are just such a nice quality and the price is not too expensive.

Avon True Blush Pearls - Rose Radiance and Radiant Glow

I also received a bunch of Avon's new blush pearls. They have highlighting pearls as well as bronzing, but these are more of a blush pearls, although I sometimes use them all over the face as bronzer. Rose Radiance is that browny, but slightly pinkish shade that can be used all over the face for a bit of color and definition. Radiant Glow is warmer and more peach toned brownish shade. I love this one as blush, but it also has such a nice glow that you can skip highlighter. These are great for when you're in the rush, because you get dimension of color in one and you can use it all over the face in a lighter layer. 

NYX Micro Brow Pencil - Taupe

I have heard nothing but good reviews about this brow pencil, so when I finally saw it in person, I decided to try it out. I got it in the shade Taupe, because it seemed most similar to my natural brow color. It's taupe based brown, but still quite warm. It's slightly harder pencil with tiny precise tip. I love how long lasting it is, but I would almost prefer it being slightly more creamy. That being said, it applies smooth and looks fairly natural. It's harder than Essence Micro Precise Eyebrow Pencil and applies smoother than Catrice Slim'matic Ultra Precise Brow Pencil. I love that it has spoolie on the other side, which is exactly what Essence one is missing. But in honesty, I think the one from Essence is just as nice.

Avon True Perfectly Matte Lipstick - Rose Red

This is just such a lovely red lipstick shade. It's exactly as the name suggests, a perfect rose red shade. It will suit almost all skin tones, because it's more of a medium red and it doesn't have too much of warm nor cool undertone. Matte finish gives it that velvet look that just brightens up any makeup look. It's such a classic red that goes with everything and the formula isn't too drying either. 

Avon Rare Flowers Night Orchid Eau de Parfum

I really wasn't sure that I would like this kind of fragrance. It seemed a bit too floral at first, but then it grew on me. The weather here has been surprisingly cold for May and I reached for this fragrance more than I thought I would. I love how strong this is. It pairs sweet subtle cashmere vanilla base with pink pepper that gives it that kick. There is also a lot of florals, but vanilla base makes it sweeter and more my kind of taste. It's quite strong and lasts on me well. I got a few compliments on it which made me want to wear it even more. 

OPI Nail Lacquer - Sun, Sea and Sand in My Pants

I knew I would love this nail polish as soon as I saw it. It's that bright, yet just enough muted mustard yellow shade that is just perfect for spring and summer. I actually applied it on in three layers, because with two I still didn't get completely opaque look. But the formula is pretty standard creamy. I wore it with Seche Vite top coat and it lasted about a week on my nails which positively surprised me. I know I will wear it a lot through the summer, because I love those kind of shades. 

Bipa Earring

This pair of earrings I got in Bipa in Seiersberg, but I never saw these in other Bipas. It's that classic stud earring with bright crystal that is supposedly zircon (usually used in place of real diamonds). I was most surprised to find this kind of earring matched with gold colored details, usually these are all silver. I have been wearing them a lot. They are such a classic that works with all outfits.