My Beauty Must Haves

These are a collection of products I have kept repurchasing more times that I can keep track of, plus a new favourite must have from Kevin Aucoin.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, in the shade Fair 1 This is one of those products that I will keep repurchasing and going back to no matter what concealer I try. I have tried concealers from Bobbi Brown, Nars, Makeup Forever and so many more but nothing can beat this one, and for £4.19 that is a winner in my books.

La Rouche Posay Effeclair Duo Plus I first started using this when my skin was not in the best way acne wise and I haven't stopped using it since. I don't know if this was the product that changed my skin but it certainly contributed as this was the only think I haven't changed in my skincare routine and its still going strong! I use this all over my face as a moisturiser type product then apply Aveeno Moisturising Cream to the drier areas.

Burts Bees Lip Balm This really does what it says on the tin, just a lip balm but a damn good one! This is super moisturising but the thing that wins me is I have to apply it once throughout the day and never again until bed. I have used this for at least four years and don't think I will ever stop.

Kevin Aucoin Sculpting Powder, in the shade Medium This is a new edition to my bronzer/contour products and boy do I love it. It may not look like it but I have had this for long but it has been quite a few months and it looks like I've barely touched the pan. This is a beautiful contour shade that is not orange or muddy and gives a perfect grey shadow-esque contour on the face.    

Bumble and Bumble Pret-a-Powder Hands down the best hair product if you have hair that lacks a bit of life sometimes. After I style my hair whether it is straight or wavy I will sprinkle this on the roots and it gives a perfect 'oomph'. This is also one of this products that you can transform slept on second day hair to make it look freshly washed, I really can't say anything bad about this. 

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

The NARS Base

The hype around the NARS Sheer Glow Foundation and Creamy Concealer, plus a trip to Space NK equalled a couple of well loved purchases and a hefty dent in the bank. Also resulting in a new favourite base.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

Medium coverage, dewy finish and natural looking on the skin. Probably one of my favourite foundations I have used in a long time. Having said that, if you have dry skin you will need a very heavy moisturiser before applying this because it tends to cling to dry patches on your face, but if you have normal or oily skin I would recommend this 100%.

NARS Creamy Concealer 

The concealer covers everything from dark under eye circles to blemishes. The best part is the formula, it is by far the creamiest concealer I have ever tried and as long as you set it with some powder it won't crease under the eyes. The thing I dislike most about concealers is when they are too drying and look flaky or cakey on the skin, but this NARS concealer will never disappoint.

This is the perfect pair for a base and leaves your skin looking dewy and natural, for me this definitely lives up to the hype.

 xoxo

Natural and Awake Makeup Look

For those tired and dull skin days (having had lot's of those since being at uni). My face is always in need of a bit of a pick-me-up. These are some of my beauty picks for an awake and fresh faced look after pulling those pesky all nighters. 

First, I like to prime my face with the Benefit "that gal" Brightening Face Primer which instantly corrects dull skin and gives a natural glow to the skin. Then I use the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation which is becoming to be my new favourite foundation. It has a light to medium coverage that is buildable and gives a lovely natural, dewy and glowing finish. Under the eyes and any blemishes I have I use the Benefit Erase Paste. This also does a brilliant job of brightening under the eyes to hide those dark circles and makes you look more awake (even if you are a walking zombie).
I like to have a subtle pink glow on the cheeks and for this I use the Topshop Head Over Heels Cream Blush which is a lovely coral pink colour and complements any skin tone. If I wanna go that extra mile and look even more awake I will go in with a highlighter and for this I use just a bit of Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Soft and Gentle, this gives a bronze, rose gold colour to the tops on the cheek bones. 
For eyes I keep it really simple, to be honest I would rather have that extra few minutes in bed then faff around with eye shadow when I haven't had much sleep. So I just pop a bit of BareMinerals Eyecolor in Soul on the tear duct area to brighten up the eyes then use a few coats of Maybelline The Rocket Mascara. Then to finish off the look I use Maybelline Baby Lips in Peach Kiss.

xoxo

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