Simple Summer Make Up

Whilst I love creating different summer looks, there's nothing worse than the feel of heavy make-up on a warm day.. Especially after spending so long creating the look, only for it to melt off in seconds.

So whilst recently on holiday in Spain, I took full advantage of my time in the sun to find the best combination of products to create a "simple summer look" to combat shininess & uneven skin-tone without leaving skin feeling "cakey".

Moisturiser - Nip + Fab Kale Fix - [x]
BB Creme - Rimmel Matte Beauty Balm - [x]
Setting Powder - Max Factor Loose Translucent Powder - [x]
Bronzer - Sleek Contouring & Blush Palette - [x]
Highlighter - Makeup Revolution Baked Highlighter - [x]

Mascara - Max Factor Clump Defy Mascara - [x]
Brows - Soap & Glory Archery Pencil & Brush - [x]

What are your go to summer make-up products?
I'd love to know in the comments

xxx

Soap & Glory Kick Ass "All Is Calm" Concealer

Colour correcting concealer seems to be becoming an increasingly popular product recently. So - whilst picking up a few essentials during a recent trip to Boot - I decided to test one out for myself picked up the "All is Calm" concealer from Soap & Glory (currently retailing at £8.00).

The All is Calm concealer is green in colour & is therefore designed to mask redness.. Perfect for anyone who - like me - suffers from uneven skin-tone & blemishes. It has a creamy consistency that I like to apply with a beauty blend after foundation (just like normal concealer).

Whilst it is a little worrying to see bright green smudges all over your face, once blended it becomes a much paler shade - especially when used alongside foundation & setting powder. Of course, I wouldn't recommend using large amounts of this concealer (or you'll end up resembling a family member of the hulk) but in small amounts & used along other products it really does help tone down redness.

As well as redness control, Soap & Glory also offer two other colour correcting concealers. The Fake Awake (to cover dark circles) & the Just Bright (for tired looking skin) - both of which I'll be picking up soon.

Have you ever tried the All is Calm concealer?

I'd love to know your thoughts.
xxx

Simple Spring Make-up

Anyone in the UK will know that warm weather is not something we experience all to often. However now the sun seems to finally made a slight appearance, I'm very excited to dust of my Spring make-up & start creating a few lighter/brighter looks.

Below is a something I put together before heading off for a pub lunch - very stereotypically British, I know - & as it's my first real spring make-up look of 2016 I thought I'd share it here.

For the base of my make-up I decided to go with Rimmel's BB Cream. I love this as an alternative to foundation as it offers good coverage without feeling to heavy on the skin - perfect for the warmer weather. As foundation (or BB Creams) rarely cover all imperfections I opted for Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer - a cult favourite within the beauty world - to cover any remaining blemishes/red marks. I then dusted a light layer of Max Factors Translucent Setting Powder. A loose powder that feels beautifully lightweight on the skin & is a great way to set make-up without leaving the skin feeling at all cakey. 

When it came to bronzer, I decided to opt for Rimmel's Natural Bronzer. A natural looking bronzer that is perfect for adding a little warmth back to my face again. I then complimented this by using Make-up Revolution's Baked Highlighter "Golden Lights". Not only does the slight shimmer in this product make it perfect for highlighting those cheekbones, it also looks gorgeous when the light bounces off of it. The third & final product I used on my skin was a peach-tones blush from Make-up Revolution called Treat. This is a pretty peach-toned blush that creates just the right glow (although this doesn't seem to show too well in photos..oops). 

For brows I opted for a much-loved product of mine - Soap & Glory's Archery. Not only is the tiny-tapered pencil perfect for a creating fine/hair-like strokes, the attached spoolie is also great for blending any excess product (click here to read a full review). To set this I then used Rimmel's Brow This Way in clear - a styling gel designed to keep any unruly hairs in place throughout the day. 

Next - came mascara. Something I wanted to keep relativity natural & therefore opted for Benefit's They're Real Tinted Primer. Although designed to be used underneath the They're Real Mascara, I find this to be a perfect product for a daytime look as it adds length & definition without being too dramatic. 

The last product I used to create this look was an Estee Lauder Lipstick in the shade Wildly Pink A gorgeous shade with a creamy formulae that can either be used lightly to create a subtle pink colour (similar to above) or built up for a more dramatic, statement look. (Side note - the packaging in the link seems to have changed but the shade is still the same). 

I personally love this look & the products used as I find it looks like I've made an effort without feeling to heavy on the skin. Perfect for the warmer Spring months. 

What are your favourite make-up products

to use during Spring? 

xxx

24th Birthday Haul

If you follow any of my social media accounts, you may have noticed me mention a certain special occasion - my 24th Birthday! Birthday's are always something I get very excited about as I love the excuse to celebrate & spend time with loved ones.

As usual my family, friends & boyfriend all spoilt me rotten and I was extremely lucky to receive some lovely gifts. This gave me the perfect opportunity to put together a little "24th Birthday Haul" post to share here on my blog.

I've linked everything I can below - however there a few items I couldn't track down online.

1. "Moments" chocolates - Thorntons - [x]

2. "Hunger Games" T-shirt - Primark 

3. "Alice in Wonderland" mug - Disney Store - [x]

4. "Looking for Alaska" by John Green - [x]

5. Delicate Bow Ring - Pandora - [x]

6. "Milk-Tray" chocolates - Cadbury - [x]
7. "The Maze Runner" by James Dashner - [x]

8. "Happy Bathday" Gift Set - Lush - [x]

9. "Star Wars" DVD set
10. "Marie" Mug - Disney Store - [x]
11. "Happy Pamper" Gift Set - Soap and Glory - [x]

12. Flower Earrings - Pia Jewellery - [x]

Alongside these lovely gifts I was also given some money/gift vouchers, however I felt that was a little weird to photograph. After opening presents I was treated to not one, but two birthday meals (thanks very much to my parents for one and to Ollie for the other - yum!) & also spent an evening enjoying one or two (cough.. a few) drinks with friends. 

I hope you've enjoyed reading this little birthday haul. Of course *disclaimer alert* this is in no way bragging or showing off.. I just love having a good nose at posts like this. 

Have you used any of the above products?
What are your thoughts? 

xxx 

Christmas Party Make-up

Last week I jumped on the train down to London ready to celebrate alongside my colleagues at our annual Christmas Party. Of course, I wanted to look my best so carefully selected my current favourite beauty products to create a festive, party look (as you can see from the list below.. this turned out to be a lot of products!). 

Excuse the slight yellow tint - apparently hotel rooms
aren't the best for photos. 

Foundation - Mac Studio Sculpt [x]
Primer - Benefit "Pore-fessional" [x]

Setting Power - Max Factor Translucent Powder [x]

Bronzer- Sleek Face Contour Kit [x]
Under-eye Concealer - Rimmel Wake Me Up [x]
Blemish Concealer - Collection Lasting Perfection [x]

Highlighter - Benefit "Watts Up" [x]

Mascara - Benefit "They're Real" [x]

Eye-brows - Soap & Glory Archery 2-in-1 Brow Pencil [x]
Setting Spray - MUA Pro Base Fixing Mist [x]

Lipstick - Kate Moss for Rimmel in shade 30 [x]

To start the look I used Benefit's Pore-fessional, which I find perfect for creating a smooth base to the skin. This was followed with Mac's Studio Sculpt Foundation to provide full coverage & ensure my skin was well moisturised throughout the evening. After foundation, I covered any remaining dark circles & blemishes with concealer (Rimmel Wake Me up for Dark Circles & Collection Lasting Perfection for blemishes). This was then all set in place with a layer of Max Factor's Translucent setting powder - which is gorgeously light on the skin.  

Next to create a slight contour (I need all the help I can get when it comes to  giving the effect of cheekbones) I chose the bronzer from Sleek's Contour Kit to sit in the hollows of my cheekbones & a small amount of Benefit's Watt's up to add highlight to the tops of my cheekbones & nose. 

Following this was a mascara.. For this I used a product that I find perfect for adding both length & volume to my lashes - Benefit's "They're Real". This has quickly become one of my favourite products to use for a night out. I then moved onto eyebrows using my trusty Soap & Glory Archery Pencil to add shape & definition.

Next came the product that I really felt pulled this look together - lipstick. I decided to opt for a lipstick form the Kate Moss & Rimmel collaboration in the no.30. This is a deep plum statement shade that tied in perfectly with the deep purple of my dress. 

Last but not least came MUA's fixing mist. I sprizted a layer of this product to ensure the look stayed in place throughout the night.

Have you used any of these products?

What are your thoughts?

xxx

Soap & Glory: Archery 2-in-1 Eyebrow Pencil

As many beauty lovers know Soap & Glory is a brand that has a lot to offer, including gorgeous bath & make-up products. However despite being a huge fan of the bath products,  I'd never actually sampled anything from their make-up collection 
That is until very recently, when I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon & purchase the Archery 2-in-1 Eyebrow Pencil.

As you can see above, Soap & Glory's Archery 2-in-1 is essentially a double ended eyebrow pencil. With one end containing the pencil itself & the other a spoolie-type brush. The pencil - which is a lot thinner than most eye-brow pencils - is used in light/short strokes to add definition & shape. Then the brush is used to ensure the pencil is fully blended & tame any of those pesky fly-away hairs. 
 As someone who often struggles to create a satisfactory look from regular eye-brow powders or pencils, I find this product allows the precision to create perfectly defined brows. 
Archery currently retails at £8.00 & comes in two shades; "Blondshell" & "Hot Chocolate". As my eyebrows are slightly darker than my hair I use Hot Chocolate & find it matches perfectly. 
After using this product for around a week it's safe to say that I've found a new favourite to add to my collection & I honestly don't know why I didn't invest sooner. 
Have you used Soap & Glory's Archery Pencil? What are your thoughts?