The Review // Urban Decay Naked Skin Bronzing Beauty Balm

I love the summer and I love the sun, but when it comes to my foundation routine, this can get a bit tricky and often expensive when your constantly changing shades. How to eliminate these constant Space NK and Boots orders? The Urban Decay Naked Skin Bronzing Beauty Balm has got you covered (pardon the pun). 

I add this to any foundation, BB cream and concealer too light to add a bit of colour and a lovely glow to your base. This can also be used on its own for a natural, darker glow or even apply before your base but I do prefer to mix it in for a smoother and even finish. 

£23.50 Urban Decay

What's your favourite product to add a bit of colour to your base?

xoxo

Summer Beauty Guide

For messy, relaxed beachy waves

In the summer, its all about messy, wavy hair for me. Something I can wear for a few days with a little extra help from some dry shampoo, because I think everyone can agree that washing hair is such an effort. 

If you are blessed with naturally wavy hair...

~ Towel dry your hair until damp.

~ Apply a texture gel or cream from roots to ends // Bumble and Bumble Texture Creme

~ Spray sea salt spray throughout the hair focusing on the ends // Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray or Toni and Guy Sea Salt Spray

~ After applying the products blow dry the hair upside down and scrunch the ends while blow drying, use a diffuser to create even more volume and waves. 

~ Once hair is dry, depending on how wavy your hair is naturally and how wavy you want the end result you can add a few more waves throughout your hair with a 1-1 1/2 inch curling iron. 

~ Then spritz a little more sea salt spray in the ends and scrunch. 

If you have straight hair...

~ Go through the same steps above but you will need to curl your whole head. When curling your hair use a 1- 1 1/12 inch curling iron and leave around 2 inches uncurled at the end. When curling swap directions for every curl you do, this will result in a more natural, messy look and won't look too overdone. 

~ Spritz a little hairspray at the roots and ends // Tresemme Volume & Lift Firm Hold Hairspray  

To make this style last for a few days, in the morning lightly brush through the hair then add some dry shampoo and a little sea salt spray for more texture. People with naturally straight hair may need to add a few more curls in the morning after two days.

For glowy, bronzed skin

~ Use a tinted moisturiser or a BB Cream with SPF instead of a heavy foundation. This will give you a healthy, natural glow and feels light on the skin in the hot summer weather // Origins Vita Zing or Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream

~ Add a matt bronzer on under the cheekbones and temples and using the rest to dust over your nose and forehead. This will contour and add colour to your face // Nars Bronzing Powder or Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder

~ Use a peachy cream blush and apply with your fingers onto the apples of your cheeks and work the rest up to your temples // Maybelline Dream Soft Blush

For natural, bronzed eyes

~ Dust a bronzed, champagne colour over the lids and work into the crease // MAC All That Glitters

~ Use a lighter colour to highlight the inner corners and brow bone // MAC Naked Lunch or Urban Decay Virgin

~ Curl your lashes and use a waterproof mascara on the top and bottom lashes to make sure the mascara doesn't budge // Maybelline Volume Express The Colossal Waterproof Mascara

xoxo 

Left image // Found via Pinterest

Right image // Found via Pinterest  

The Daily Makeup Routine

The Face

I have been more into BB creams lately instead of foundation, foundation just makes my skin look a bit of a 'nothingness' and 'dull'. This Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector BB Cream gives a nice dewy, natural finish. BB creams don't tend to be very high coverage, hence the natural finish so I go over any blemishes and dark circles with the Make up For Ever Full Cover Concealer. This concealer is one of the best in the market, it's waterproof so it literally doesn't budge one bit... not to mention neither does it crease under the eyes which is a big bonus. When my face is looking a bit colourless I like to bronze it up with the Bourjois Chocolate Bronzing Powder, yes you heard right... chocolate. Basically imagine putting hot chocolate powder on your face, it smells like a dream. Don't worry though you don't go around smelling like a bakery all day though (however, not necessarily a bad thing), the smell doesn't linger. Then for a rosy glow to the cheeks I add a bit of Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush in Rose Petal. 

The Eyes and Lips

For days when I have enough time for eyeshadow, I like to keep it pretty natural. I always reach for my Urban Decay Naked 2 palette with my Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion (which is amazing, my eyeshadow stays on all day). I put 'Bootycall' from the palette all over the lid with 'Tease' in the crease and 'Busted' as eyeliner. Then I curl my lashes with my eyelash curler (from boots but not too sure on the brand) and apply a few coats of Maybelline The Rocket Volume Mascara. This mascara looks like you have false eyelashes but in a nice, natural way (I am not aspiring to rock the look of a Geordie Shore girl, don't worry). For the lips I keep it really natural with the Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss, this just adds a neutral peach sheen to the look.  

The Tools
I use these brushes everyday so as you can see, I am a big fan. From left to right, I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for blending in the BB cream and any concealer I don't blend with my finger. This brush gives a natural, airbrushed look to your foundation/BB cream. For the bronzer I use the Real Techniques Blush Brush as it has a tapered end, it's easy to work into the cheekbones and down the side of the face. I will also use this brush for blush as well but the Maybelline Dream Bouncy Blush I apply with my fingers. Next I use the spooly to comb through my eyebrows (makeup tip: spray hairspray on the spooly before you comb to set the eyebrows), I can't remember where I got this but probably just a cheap basic Boots Drugstore one. In the crease for my eyeshadow I use my favourite eyeshadow brush which is the the MAC 217 Blending Brush, a little on the pricey side but it has lasted forever and its still in amazing condition. All over the lid eyeshadow colour I use the MAC 239 Eye Shader Brush. Last but not least, I use the Bobbie Brown Eye Liner Brush on my top and bottom lash line to apply the eyeshadow for a natural, blended out eyeliner look.

xoxo

Cold weather essentials // Top products for dry skin

That pesky winter weather always takes a toll on my skin when that time of the year rolls around so here are my top products for conquering that dry skin!

La Rouche-Posay, Moisturizing cream for sensitive skin 

I love La Rouche-Posay and not to mention they are a big part of my skin are routine! My skin is usually dry and sensitive despite the cold weather so this moisturiser is perfect. Pop a pea size amount before bedtime then the same in the morning before applying your makeup (I normally wait 5 minutes for it to soak in before foundation). 

The Body Shop, Vitamin E face mist 

This stuff is amazing. You know when you've had your makeup on for a few hours and your skins feeling a bit 'eugh'? Just spritz this little gem on your face and it will give you that extra boost that you need. Especially good if you skin is feeling a bit dry it gives that lusted dewy finish! 

Dr Jart, Water fuse BB cream

In winter, like I said my skins tends to get even more dry than it is already and I find most foundations tend to stick to dry patches leaving your skin looking even worse that it did before you put the foundation on (so what's the point?!) That's where BB creams come in (my ultimate favourite being Dr Jart) a happy medium between a tinted moisturiser and foundation you could say. 

Fresh, Sugar lip polish

Everyone needs a good lip scrub to exfoliate those babies in the cold season. This one smells like brown sugar, no joke. The kind of heavenly smell you get in the first step of making cookies, you know when you mix the brown sugar and butter together, Is it just me who sometimes stops on this step and gets straight to the eating? just me? oh okay then ;) but seriously who doesn't want that on their lips?!

Revlon, Lip butter in Pink Truffle 

If you are looking for a bit of colour and moisture, my personal favourite are the Revlon Lip butters, Pink Truffle being the 'best cold weather colour'! 

The Body Shop, Shea body butter 

This has everything you could ever want in a body butter. Thick and luxurious? check! Not greesy? check! Smells good? double check! Normally I lather this on my elbows, feet, knees and hands when I get out of the shower and before I go to bed, resulting in lovely smooth (and smell good) skin!

E45, Nourish & Restore body lotion 

Pretty basic just a good everyday, all over moisturiser! Again, I put this on when I get out of the shower and at night all over! I tend to find The Body Shop one a bit heavy for all over.

So that's it, those are the products I use to help me through those cold months which are creeping up on us! 

xoxo