Best Skincare Purchases 2016

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. I was really hoping to get this post up a few days ago, but I've been having a break in London with the family, so it's a little late! Anyway, the second part of my 'best of 2016' is focusing on skincare, and its been a good year for it! I have a lot of products to share with you all so I won't ramble on in the intro, on to the goodies.

Una Brennan Super Facialist Vitamin C Oil Cleanser 200ml | £11.00

An oldie but a goodie on my blog, this is my absolute favourite way to remove my makeup because it quite literally melts it away. Although its kinda pricy for an oil, I find a little bit goes a long way and it really helps to hydrate the skin, whilst removing the majority of my makeup. Plus I only pick it up when its on special offer (which it is right now). Occasionally in the past few weeks I've been too tired to go through my proper cleansing routine, so I've resorted to using face wipes and my skin has really felt the difference. Without fail I have woken up with dry, tight skin that lacks any sort of hydration or glow. Honestly switching to a double cleanse routine was the best thing I have done and this oil plays a big part in that. I did recently pick up a cheaper oil cleanser though and if its as good, you'll be hearing about it soon, but for 2016 Una Brennan kept her crown!

Vanity Planet Spin For Perfect Skin Brush | £80 £25!

This brush has changed my skincare routine for the better, it is wonderful! I first saw it on youtube and so many vloggers were talking about it that I decided to give it a go - especially at the discounted price. I have the cheaper set, which includes 4 attachments, a cleansing, exfoliating, pumice stone and body brush. For the price that is fantastic and the depth of cleanse you get from this brush is EVERYTHING. Seriously its a game changer and I recommend for you all to purchase this, its worth twice or three times the price. I am currently not an affiliate for them so I can't offer you a discount code, however I believe in the brush so much that I've got in contact with them to hopefully become one, which speaks volumes cause I only back brands I am truly impressed by. Also luckily for you all they have a sale on right now, so no need to hunt down a code ^_^ Also cleansers that work best with this are cream and gel, my favourite to use is the manuka honey one, which I have raved about plenty of times so refrained from really including it haha.

Lush Ultrabland Cleanser 100g | £12.95

A well loved product that I finally decided to try at a Bloggers event this year. Now at first I wasn't mad about this, because its not your typical cleanser. It has a balm like texture, which is pretty waxy to touch and due to this whenever I tried to remove it, I always felt like there was a light layer left which would really annoy me. It also doesn't work very well with the skin brush, another thing that put me off a little! However if you use a warm flannel or soft cloth and gently remove it in circular motions, the skin is left feeling so incredibly soft, smooth and hydrated! The cleanser is created from lovely natural ingredients such as almond oil, rose water and honey too. I totally see the appeal now and tend to use it twice a week when I'm not using the facial brush, if you have sensitive skin I highly recommend it.

B. Revealed Glycolic Cleansing peel 125ml | £7.99  £3.95

This product is pretty new to my skincare routine, but it just about made it to my 2016 faves because I really do love it! A 2-in-1 product which contains glycolic acid, I find this cleanser really works well at brightening my complexion and leaving my skin looking fresh and feeling smooth. Mostly I'll use it as a typical cleanser, with either the face brush mentioned above, or a flannel (it comes with a muslin cloth by the way). However if my skin is looking particularly dull and tired, which has been the case when teaching and working long hours, I'll keep it one for the recommended three minutes as a quick mask. Don't leave it on for longer because I did once by accident and felt my skin start to sting. A fantastic budget cleanser (especially when theres an offer on!) which I recommend everyone to pick up and incorporate into their skincare routine a couple of times a week.

Good Things Manuka Honey Refining Scrub | £5.00 £3.33

Again another product which is relatively new to my skincare routine, but I love it! I wasn't actually surprised in the slightest that I would end up loving this because you might know that the cleanser in this line is a firm favourite. This scrub is gentle enough for sensitive skin, but it really does leave my skin feeling smooth. Although cleansing is an important step, using a softer scrub like this is what leaves my skin feeling squeaky clean. It really gets into the skin and removes impurities, plus the magic ingredient - manuka honey has so many skincare benefits, as well as the sweet almond oil and oats! Also this brand is usually on special offer, so not only is it effective and free from nasty stuff like mineral oils and parabens - its very very affordable too!

Alpha-H liquid gold 100ml | £33.50

Well 2016 was definitely the year that I discovered the benefits of using AHAs in my skincare routine! I picked this up as part of a special offer and instantly saw results after a couple of uses. I do think this is worth the hype, although I will say that there are affordable options out there now on the highstreet. However nothing has given my skin the same results as liquid gold, it evens out the skintone and makes my face look brighter. I did stop using it when I was using my IPL machine on my face, but recently I broke out quite badly (for me), so I'm excited to get back to using it and hopefully seeing my dark marks fade away.

Caudalie instant detox mask 75ml | £22.00

My favourite 'easy' clay mask by far! This was a recommendation by a lovely friend and reader of mine, and I'm sooo glad she let me know about it, because its the good stuff.  Although its a clay mask, its very comfortable on the skin and I love how detoxed my skin feels after using it! One of those masks that definitely do something great with one use and I will be repuraching this as soon as its empty, its just that good.

Embryolisse Lair Creme Concentrate 75ml | £20.00

Back to products I use everyday, I have fallen head over heels with this moisturiser. Initially I purchased the 30ml because I didn't want to spend such a large amount on a base, however I soon realised that it is worth all the hype and more! Nothing prepares and hydrates my skin better and a little goes a long way, so one tube will last me months on end. I have tried other moisturisers here and there, but always come back to this. Theres a reason why makeup artists swear by the stuff!

Mario Badescu Facial Spray 118ml | £7.50 | Review

I've written a whole review dedicated to this, so I won't go on and on but in short: ESSENTIAL. I spray my face with this every day, makeup or not. The past few days I spent in London with my family and I was recommending it to everyone, aswell as giving their faces a healthy spritz too. Not only does it hydrate and add a subtle glow, but it gets rid of all powderyness too! Yes its way better than MAC Fix+, but anyway I have properly reviewed it linked above, so have a read if you want to find out more.

What have been your standout skincare products from 2016?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Best Skincare Purchases 2016

Hello everyone, I hope you're all well. I was really hoping to get this post up a few days ago, but I've been having a break in London with the family, so it's a little late! Anyway, the second part of my 'best of 2016' is focusing on skincare, and its been a good year for it! I have a lot of products to share with you all so I won't ramble on in the intro, on to the goodies.

Makeup Starter Kit | Affordable Edition

Hello everyone, I thought I'd type up a makeup starter kit filled with ethical recommendations from yours truly. As 2016 draws to a close, you and I will be bombarded with fantastic deals and sales, so I hope this post is helpful for all, but especially for those of you who may not be too much into makeup, but just want to add a couple of bits to your collection. These items are all affordable and most of them you can purchase from the highstreet, however some I would recommend picking up online, because there are always great deals on them. These are also the items that I would repurchase if all my makeup disappeared, so I hope if you purchase any of them, you enjoy them as much as I do.  Apologies for the lack of photos, teacher training AND short days = no time!

To prime or not to prime?

Personally I only use a primer on a special occasion, because I tend to stick to my Soap and Glory (£14.99) SPF 50 as being a base, which is so important ladies! I have written a post on it before, but the basic jist is that it manages to get makeup to stick onto the face AND protect the skin. However the Topshop airbrush primer (£12.00) is fantastic for providing a smooth canvas if you have uneven skin. If your makeup melts away quickly, spritz your face with a makeup setting spray after moisturising, but before applying any makeup - the MUFE Mist and Fix 30ml (£8.00) is travel size and very affordable to try out.

Foundation

If we are talking strictly bases you can buy in the drugstore, I would recommend the Bourjois Health Mix Foundation (£10.00) which has a beautiful medium coverage and really leaves a healthy glow to the skin. However the shade range isn't fantastic...so I highly recommend the EX1 Invisiwear Liquid Foundation (£12.50), which I didn't love at first but I've grown to like it a lot. I find its quite versatile, though the finish is more on the matte side, if you mix it with some illuminator or even a tin drop of oil you can achieve a glowy finish. The coverage is great too, a solid medium but buildable. I tend to apply it with my E.L.F Stippling brush (£4.50) when I'm wearing it for 'everyday' as it sheers it out a little. They have actually recently released a bunch of new shades, so its no longer limited to just olive skintones. My new shade is 6.0 and I found their website quite helpful when trying to determine the perfect match here.

Correctors and Concealers

My all time favourite corrector is the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in Medium (£10.00), which IS pricy for the amount of corrector you actually get! This is a three piece kit and the good thing is, I can use each of the items just fine, however it is the corrector which I love the most. It is the perfect shade for neutralising my horrendous dark circles and works even better than a similar Benefit product! Pricy, but worth it...especially when theres a 3for2 deal on! In terms of actual concealers, the L.A Girl Pro Concealers creamy beige (£5.00) and Collection Lasting Perfection in 3 (£4.19) are my two tried and tested. The L.A girl one is more hydrating, yet has great pigmentation and manages to conceal and brighten at the same time. The collection one is thicker, creamier and if you have dry under-eyes won't be your cup of tea, but as long as I have colour corrected it works a charm.

Powders

Over the years I have liked powders more and more, because quite frankly I cannot wear makeup without a light bit of baking under the eyes these days! When I don't I notice the most awful creasing and melting of my undereye concealer. My favourite brightening yellow powder for under the eye is the Wet 'n' Wild Megaglo contouring palette in Caramel Toffee ($4.99), which I have a post on here. I like to bake with the Coty Airspun loose powder ($8.99) which works really well. I keep it on for about 50 seconds and then brush it off - works like a charm. I don't have a favourite face powder for all over the face, instead I just use the excess of the coty powder over my T-Zone which can get a little oily sometimes.

Contour, Bronzer, Blush and Highlight

For bronzing the face, Topshop's Mohawk (£9.00) is my all time favourite shade and formula from the highstreet. It is beautiful for those of you who have an olive medium skintone and provides the perfect warmth of the skin. Contouring wise, if you're looking for a really strong one which sharpens your features the Natural collection shadow in crushed walnut (£2.00) works a treat! I would advise you go with a light hand though. I have a few favourite blushers from the highstreet, the Sleek blush by 3 in spice (£10.00) is gorgeous for a medium skintone and I often will mix and match the shades. The value for money there is fantastic and so is the pigmentation! I also enjoy the Rimmel soft colour blush in pink rose (£4.00), which has been a long time favourite of mine and mentioned on my blog many times. It is a gorgeous natural flush and you are at no risk of looking like a clown. I have to say for highlight, I am a firm stickler for my highend ones - especially ABH! But when I think my collection and the one I would want to repurchase, I go back to the Topshop Glow Pot (£9.00) or their baked highlighter - either one is BEAUTIFUL. A little goes a long way and both of them can look very natural on the skin, or be built up for a more intense glow.

Brows, Liner and Mascara

Brows is a tough one because I am again so used to my ABH products, which are well worth the investment ladies! However if they're out of your budget, I would recommend checking out the Freedom eyebrow kit (£3.50) which I used to use all the time. It has a range of shades and even a gel in the kit, as well as a mirror, applicator and mini tweezers - the biggest bargain of all time! If you like a bolder brow and don't mind practicing, pick up their version of the ABH drip brow (here for a fiver). I don't think its quite as good as the ABH, but it does the job so long as you have a good spoolie. I am a real fusspot when it comes to eyeliner, but if I HAD to pick one I'd recommend The Balm's Schwing liner (£13.50). Not the cheapest, but by far the best you can pick up in superdrug or online! It is extremly black and lasts all day long. The applicator is thin and relatively easy to create cat eyes with, once you get the hang of it. When it comes to mascara, the only drugstore brand I ever spend money on is Essence! The 'I love crazy volume mascara' (£2.80) is a firm favourite and worth at least 4x the price.

Lips

Finally I'd recommend you pick up a good lip liner and the Rimmel 1000 kisses lip liner in spice (£3.00), is one I have back ups on, just in case they stop making it! My favourite affordable lipsticks are most definitely the Wet n wild mega last lipsticks ($2.00). They're very pigmented, beautifully creamy and ridiculously cheap - you can find a bunch of reviews for them on my blog by searching wetnwild! Liquid lipstick wise, The Balm's Meet Matte Hughes Liquid Lipsticks (£13.50) are fantastic. They feel comfortable, have a good pigmentation and aren't too drying. At the moment there is a cute little gift set available to purchase for the holidays, which contains 6 of the shades and is sold out everywhere, but keep an eye out, its a good one!

Final Touches...

How could I type up a makeup starter kit without my all time favourite Mario Badescu Facial spray (£7.50). It is definitely my go-to spray for before and after makeup, it hydrates the skin, diminishes any powderyness left on the face and just leaves me with a subtle glow. Although I am loving a more expensive version a little more, I'll always have a bottle of this in my collection!


I really hope this was helpful for you all! It was so nice to sit down and blog without worrying about my huge to-do list, I kind of despair when I see the lack of posts I've managed to get up this year :( But thankyou SO much for continuing to read and support my blog, I hugely appreciate it!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Makeup Starter Kit | Affordable Edition

Hello everyone, I thought I'd type up a makeup starter kit filled with ethical recommendations from yours truly. As 2016 draws to a close, you and I will be bombarded with fantastic deals and sales, so I hope this post is helpful for all, but especially for those of you who may not be too much into makeup, but just want to add a couple of bits to your collection. These items are all affordable and most of them you can purchase from the highstreet, however some I would recommend picking up online, because there are always great deals on them. These are also the items that I would repurchase if all my makeup disappeared, so I hope if you purchase any of them, you enjoy them as much as I do.  Apologies for the lack of photos, teacher training AND short days = no time!

Requested | How to get a long-lasting DEWY base!

Hello lovely readers, I hope you're all doing well. Today's post is a requested one, I often get asked what the best long-lasting non-matte foundation is on the market. I personally love a dewy base, however it is well known that they just don't have the best lasting power in the world - but fear not! There are ways around this and whilst I'm quick to recommend the Dior Star Foundation as well as the MUFE Face and Body (although the shades in that line aren't the best for yellow toned/medium skintones) I also know they're not in everybody's price range. There are quite a few ways of getting a dewy base which lasts well on the skin, without having to spend a lot on a new foundation (though if you are in the market for one, the star foundation is a winner!). I'm sure you'll have some of these key ingredients  in your home already, so do read on if you're interested in creating a glowing base which lasts well on the skin.

1. A tiny drop of Oil

You may be confused when reading the first point, especially if you already have oily skin, but the key word here is 'tiny'. You only need a TINY drop of oil to mix in with your regular foundation, which will add a gorgeous glow to your face and it will not decrease the lasting power either. The best thing about this step is that you can take a thick, cakey foundation and transform it into the most beautiful and wearable base in your collection. For me the EX1 foundation is a little bit too thick, however when I add a tiny drop of rosehip seed oil OR sweet almond oil it glides onto the skin, doesn't highlight dry patches and looks absolutely radiant. I actually find that I get a similar effect with this step, as when I apply the NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, which has become an absolute must have for me during the summer months. There is nothing worse that wearing makeup on a hot summers day and feeling a thick foundation melt off the face! So give this tip a try if you want a glowing, dewy base which'll stay in place (and credit for this totally goes to Wayne Goss video here).

2. Liquid Illuminators

Liquid illuminators were a real game changer for me, I currently own the Mememe beat the blues Oyster gold illuminator and the Becca shimmering skin perfector in Opal and I adore them both. The mememe is a thicker, and a very much golden shade of liquid highlight. Opal is a softer shade, which appears subtle yet can be built up and is super blendable. It melts into the skin and essentially creates the glow without enlarging any pores, drawing attention to texture on the skin or looking over the top. The best thing about liquid illuminators is how versatile they are, if the base I am using has a light coverage then I'll apply the illuminator straight onto moisturised skin and then the base over the top, creating a soft glowy look. If the base is of medium/full coverage I mix the liquid illuminator directly with the base and this creates a GORGEOUS soft focus dewy look, without impacting the formula of the foundation too much. So if you have a matte base that you love already, a little bit of liquid highlighter mixed in will give you a real glow. Of course you can also apply a liquid illuminator over the top of your foundation too, however I'd only recommend this if you're using a thinner formula such as the Becca ones, because the mememe and benefit ones can look a bit patchy over a matte formula especially. Another advantage of using a liquid illuminator over the top of foundation, is that it works very well as a base for any powder highlight you apply over the top = double the long lasting glow!

P.S Anyone else reaaaaally wanting to pick up the liquid version of champagne pop?! I'm so excited for it to release in the U.K!

3. Cream Highlighters

Similar to the liquid highlighters, creams will create a beautifully seamless glow on the skin and I find you can be a little more precise when using them over liquid formulas. Cream highlighters aren't quite as versatile as liquid highlighters though as you obviously can't mix them with your foundation, but I find I reach for them most when I'm using a satin/demi-matte base (for example the NARS Sheer Glow or the MUFE Ultra HD foundation). My two favourite cream highlighters are the KIKO Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter and the Topshop Glow Pots - particularly in the shade gleam. So like I said if you want to get a dewy look using a cream highlighter, you simply apply your regular foundation and then using your fingers or a duo fibre brush, you blend it into the skin! I definitely prefer using the warmth of my fingers to blend the highlighter in and what I love most about the cream formula is it doesn't accentuate any texture on the skin! They're also great for everyday, as much as I love champagne pop it is a little too much for the more formal settings such as teacher training days! On the days when I still want a subtle glow, cream highlighter are where its at ^_^

4. Setting + Finishing Sprays

The final step to ensuring your base is glowy AND long lasting is to use a good makeup setting spray! I have been loving the Pixi makeup fixing mist, which works well at keeping my makeup in place AND leaving a beautiful subtle glow. This intensifies the glow a little and if you want to go that extra step and ensure your highlight won't fade until you're ready to remove your makeup, then I recommend putting the highlighter on your brush, spritzing the brush with the mist from Pixi and THEN applying it on the skin. One word of warning though, I don't think I'd describe the nozzle as a spritz and it does apply quite a lot at a time, I don't mind this but if you want less of a spray hold it further back or spritz it onto your beautyblender and apply it that way instead. I also included the Mario Badescu Facial Spray (reviewed here), its not much of a setting spray but it is a step I rarely skip out in my makeup routine. This is because it moisturises the skin AFTER makeup (although having said that I usually spray it before hand too), it eliminates any powdery looking skin, intensifies the glow from highlighters and just makes the world of a difference. I also love the scent!


And there you have it! A tiny drop of oil, a little liquid illuminator or some cream highlight is all you need for a dewy base which lasts well on the skin. And then a spritz of setting or finishing spray too of course. Don't be afraid of using a little oil, I promise it has the potential to change your makeup game - Goss is RIGHT! Especially with those thicker bases that can look a little too much on the skin, even with a beautyblender.

Do you use any of these tips on a regular basis?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Requested | How to get a long-lasting DEWY base!

Hello lovely readers, I hope you're all doing well. Today's post is a requested one, I often get asked what the best long-lasting non-matte foundation is on the market. I personally love a dewy base, however it is well known that they just don't have the best lasting power in the world - but fear not! There are ways around this and whilst I'm quick to recommend the Dior Star Foundation as well as the MUFE Face and Body (although the shades in that line aren't the best for yellow toned/medium skintones) I also know they're not in everybody's price range. There are quite a few ways of getting a dewy base which lasts well on the skin, without having to spend a lot on a new foundation (though if you are in the market for one, the star foundation is a winner!). I'm sure you'll have some of these key ingredients  in your home already, so do read on if you're interested in creating a glowing base which lasts well on the skin.

Requested | My Take On Strobing (AKA Intense Highlighting)

I was so excited when a lovely reader asked me to do a post on strobing because it’s a makeup ‘trend’ which I LOVE and one of those reasons is because I know that anyone can try it without difficulty. Or any harsh streaks or muddy cheeks (i’m looking at you contouring!). As always when I do these kind of posts I have to say, I’m not an MUA nor have I had any master classes in strobing, this is just how I personally like to achieve the look. Strobing is basically intense highlighting, which means bringing features that we want to stand out forwards in a slightly over the top manner. As I do have medium/olive skin these products will work best with those of you who have the same, but I will try my best to recommend alternatives where I can and the whole technique can be replicated by everyone of course!


Base
Personally when going for the stobing look I like to have a natural looking base so of course I opt for the Make Up For Ever Face & Body Foundation (reviewed). I like this because it’s not matte by any means, so all the extra highlight doesn’t look super harsh against my skin but at the same time it’s not so dewy that my whole face ends up looking sweaty. A drugstore alternative that I enjoy using is the Bourjois Happy Light (reviewed) again it has a nice amount of dewy whilst still looking rather natural and looks lovely on the skin!

Step 1: Cream/Liquid
It’s important to start with a liquid or cream base as this will be the primer for your highlight. It’ll ensure longevity and more importantly it will help to make your highlight really stand out. Start off with applying this to your cheekbones as you normally would, but extend the cream highlight a little lower down the cheek and a little higher up the cheekbone. Basically: highlight hardcore. Extend your highlight over the usual blush area to really emphasise the cheekbones. Also put some on the brow bone, bridge of the nose (tip of the nose if you want to make your nose appear shorter), cupids bow and anywhere else you want the light to shine on you. The beauty of cream products is that they’re very easy to blend so if you DO over apply it doesn’t matter too much as the warmth of your fingers can blend it all out again! I also pop some cream highlight just over the arch of my brow which I wouldn’t normally do with a powder, however the cream/liquid texture means it’ll look flattering.

I recommend:
1. Kiko Radiant Touch Creamy Stick Highlighter 100 Gold (£8.50 £4.20) Similar to the NARS multiples, this is the easiest of cream highlighters to use and one of my favourites because it is so subtle too! It is buildable and not too golden despite the name, meaning it’ll work for cool and warm skintones too.
2. Topshop Glow in ‘Gleam’ (reviewed) or ‘Polished’ (£9.00) both of these shades are beautiful but if you’re a WOC especially you need gleam in your life, it is gorgeous! ‘Polished’ works well on light and medium skintones, it’s a pearly silver highlight with subtle pink undertones and it blends easily. This is more pigmented that the Kiko stick highligher and I opt for Polished most out of all of these when going for that intense highlight.
3. Mememe Beat The Blues - Oyster Gold (reviewed) (£5.95) There are two versions of this, but the gold shade is my absolute favourite and I love it. It looks super intense when straight out of the bottle but when blended out it becomes much more sheer and subtle. This isn’t the best of bases as cream products tend to work better, but it does the job with bringing light to the face.
4. Kroylan for Glossybox in Cashmere (£12.95) Although this looks more pink in the tub, when applied it translates as a pigmented silver/pearl shade which I would really recommend for those of you with lighter skintones. It has a gorgeous slightly gloss like finish which catches the light beautifully and it’s a more subtle version of the limited edition topshop polished, if you can’t get your hands on that.

Step 2: Basic Highlight
This is the step most of you probably do on a regular basis, taking a subtle highlight shade of your choice, grab a thicker fan brush - my favourite is the Ecotools Deluxe Fan Brush (£4.48) and apply a decent amount to the cheekbones first. Then taking a smaller fluffy brush, apply the same highlighter to the nose, under the brow bone and cupids bow. As this will be on top of the cream base, your highlight will already look more intense! I especially love how this looks on the nose, when done precisely it gives the appearance of a much slimmer and short one, which once in a while is nice heh. Under the brow bone is also essential as it’ll brighten up your whole eye area and give the illusion of more space between the eyelid and brows - I’m not too sure why this looks so good but trust me it does.

I recommend:
1. The Balm’s Mary-Lou Manizer (£17.50  £14) which has been a LONG time favourite of mine (I wrote a review of the stuff two years ago!) and for many people this wouldn’t be used on a daily basis due to how intensely pigmented it is. However with a lighter hand you can totally use this for day-to-day, especially if you have a warmer skintone as it just merges with the skin so beautifully and catches the light like no other. As it is a champagne shade it is loved by fair skinned ladies and medium skinned ladies, warm and cool toed it just seems to work well on most people! I am yet to find a better version of this champagne/white/light golden tone so I will repurchase when I’ve used it up.
BUT side note I’ve dropped this twice now and fixed it using good old ‘surgical spirit’ an alternative to rubbing alcohol!

2. Accessorize Baked Bronzer Duo - Bondi shade 4 (reviewed)  This one is vastly different to Mary-lou, it is a LOT more low key and more of a neutral shade rather than golden/white, however I wanted to add this in here because I think its a great highlight for those of you who shy away from the stuff. Okay Iqra, why would anyone who shys away from highlight be reading your post on strobing?? Well I think there are people who don’t know how to highlight or what magical effect it can have on your makeup and they don’t want a pricy intense highlight so here is an option for them ^_^ Also I quite like using this on work days, it’s not in your face but it does the job - it adds some highlight in a more understated way and even when you’re strobing, for step two this still works! I can’t find a link for this online but I bought it from my local accessorize store - however I would recommend baked highlighters in general.

Okay ladies stay with me here, just one more step left to go (kind of!)
Step 3: the INTENSE stuff
Okay so now you’ve got your (slightly extra) highlight on, you gotta step it up a couple of notches and putting the STROBE into the process! This bit involves taking a smaller brush (I have this thin fan brush from a set I got from ebay) loading it up with gold/intense highlight of choice and then spritzing it with a facial spray such as the Mario Badascu facial spray. A golden highlighter WET will instantly enhance the pigment and really make your features stand out. Taking the thin fan brush, apply it on the high points of the cheekbones, gently down the bridge of the nose and the end of it, under the brow bone and if you want to go all out brush some of the cupids bow too. With the cheekbones and the brow bone, imagine them connecting in a sort of C shape and the make sure you intensely apply it to that C in particular. The reason I like to have a bit more precision on this step is because I love how the light first hits the golden intense highlight and then continues to the base we created in step one and two - this is what makes your features looks sharper, longer, wider, whatever you’re trying to achieve with the highlight, step three is like the icing on the glowy cake!

I recommend:
1. Kiko wet and dry eyeshadow 208 (£8.90 £6.20) this is one of the biggest bargains EVER, it’s a total dupe for a l/e MAC highlighter and so much cheaper AND ETHICAL so if you can get your hands on this make sure you do! A stunning light yellow/gold shade which looks nice dry but incredible when used wet! I have a backup and one for an upcoming giveaway too ;D
2. Laura Geller Baked Gelato Swirl Highlighter (£21) this is the most yummy looking highlighter in my stash and also a perfect match for warm/olive skintones. It’s a more orange based gold shade than the other two and for this one I actually prefer using it dry on a more dense brush which picks up more product.
3. NARS Dual Intensity Blush in Jubilation (£30) the gold shade in this is EVERYTHING for strobing for you medium skin toned ladies out there!! A true gold which looks gorgeous when applied wet, it catches the light beautifully truly defining the features you’re highlighting. The peach shade is beautiful but much better for an everyday type of highlight as it’s quite similar to my skintone making it very subtle.

The final step is to firstly spritzing the Mario Badescu Facial Spray on the strobed areas directly. This takes away any sort of powdery appearance and also intensifies the highlight of course! Secondly I have been loving the Kiko Long Lasting Stick in 28 which is a nude/brightening shade for the inner-corner as a base and also along the first half of the lower lashline. I’ll add whichever highlighter I’m using in step 3 on top of this on the inner-corner, making my eyes look brighter and bigger!

To Contour?
A lot of people say you shouldn’t contour when strobing because the whole point is that your highlight should be so intense you have no need for that definition from a shadow tone - but we make our own ‘rules’ in the makeup world! Personally I skip the full face contour but I do add a little bit to the cheekbones and to the sides of the nose - purely because when you add so much highlight to the nose it’ll inevitably look wider so its necessary to add bit more dimension. However I skip adding any contour to the temples or the chin area, which allows the focus of the makeup to be on the gorgeous glowing cheeks and brow bone area. I also apply less blush, but I can’t just skip it altogether because that feels unnatural to me! Just a small amount, right above the contour line so it doesn’t interfere with za highlight.

Now that was a very long blog post so a big well done you if you got to this part!! I know it sounds complicated but I promise it’s not at all, this is pretty simple and only takes a couple of steps to achieve - unlike a full on contour! As you can tell I am loving the whole idea of going crazy with highlight, it makes such a huge difference to the face try it, I’m sure you’ll agree ^_^

Have you tried this strobing trend? Do you like it?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Requested | My Take On Strobing (AKA Intense Highlighting)

I was so excited when a lovely reader asked me to do a post on strobing because it’s a makeup ‘trend’ which I LOVE and one of those reasons is because I know that anyone can try it without difficulty. Or any harsh streaks or muddy cheeks (i’m looking at you contouring!). As always when I do these kind of posts I have to say, I’m not an MUA nor have I had any master classes in strobing, this is just how I personally like to achieve the look. Strobing is basically intense highlighting, which means bringing features that we want to stand out forwards in a slightly over the top manner. As I do have medium/olive skin these products will work best with those of you who have the same, but I will try my best to recommend alternatives where I can and the whole technique can be replicated by everyone of course!

Review + Dupe | Mario Badescu Facial Spray - it’s better than MAC Fix+

Do you ever look back at old photos and wonder what makeup you were wearing? A few weeks ago I was doing just that and trying to remember how I got such a glowy complexion without the use of a highlighter. I love love love glowing skin! It looks healthy, bright and more natural than a matte finish. I finally realised that I had a glowing complexion in past photos because I had started using the E.L.F Makeup Mist & Set on a daily basis. It contains Aloe, Green Tea and lots of vitamins which helped to get rid of any powderiness and make my face glow. Recently E.L.F UK closed down and so I was looking for a replacement, after trying the whole rosewater mixed with water and just not getting the same effect. After doing a bit of reading online I discovered the Mario Badescu Facial Spray and there were simply rave reviews after rave reviews about the stuff. And well....not to ruin the surprise or anything but this is going to be another one!


Those who have been reading my blog know that I am an ethical beauty buyer which means I’m boycotting MAC Cosmetics to name a few. I plan to update my page on that at some point so it’s less intense and more clear as to why exactly I am doing this, but anyways one of the products I did own before I started boycotting was the MAC Fix+. To be honest with you I preferred the E.L.F spray over the MAC one anyways (I still have half of the Fix+ left) and I’m happy to report that the M.B version is even better than the two of them! In the simple plastic spray bottle, contains a facial spray which also contains Aloe as well as herbs and rosewater. It is paraben free, a light peachy/pink colour and has a shelf life of 24 months.

The reason this spray is so wonderful is because it has SO many uses. I find myself spritzing this a few times a day on my skin, straight after a shower, before I moisturise, anytime my face is feeling a little tight and dehydrated and of course the main use - as a makeup finishing spray. This is not a setting spray, but it does transform your makeup if you have the tendency to over-powder. Cakey makeup is never a good look and a lot of times it becomes that way because we layer so many products on. This spray does an excellent job at merging makeup together and providing some hydration whenever you need it. I’ve used the word glow too many times already in this post but honestly it provides such a flattering glow to the skin!! Which is the main reason why I can’t get enough, because recently I’ve been into more long-wearing foundations of the matte nature and although I enjoy the longevity, I really missed having a slight dew to the skin, which is now restored ^_^


Why it’s better than the MAC Fix+

1. Firstly it’s an ethical brand so no profits will fund oppression of innocent people!
2. Secondly it’s cheaper and much better value for money. This 118ml bottle only cost £7.50 (yed the price has increased, which is a shame, but it is popular for a good reason, I can't blame them). Even though I use it on a daily basis and I’ve gotten through it faster than any other facial spray in my life, it’s so affordable I’m happy to repurchase it. Plus it’s easily available from beautybay, who deliver fast and it's free when you spend over a tenner.
3. Thirdly the ingredients are actually good for your skin, rosewater helps maintain the skins PH balance (hence why this is a great toner), it hydrates, moisturises and calms the skin and the scent it beautiful - like an actual flower rather than that artificial rosy scent. Aloe is fantastic for all skintypes as it’s super soothing and cooling and the herbal scent is wonderfully calming.
4. Also this spray doesn’t contain glycerine which the MAC Fix+ does and apparently that makes oily skins oilier - so don’t think this spray is only good for those with dry and dehydrated skin!
5. For those of you wondering if this too increases the pigmentation of eyeshadows - I’ve been testing them with different eyeshadows and they both increase pigmentation just as well! Spray the brush before you dip it into the shadow et voila, the MB spray gets colours looking richer than ever! ^_^

 

Rating: 10

Pros: Has so many uses, adds hydration, removes powderiness, makes matte foundations dewy, ADDS SO MUCH GLOW!!!, Smells lovely, is calming and cooling, affordable, does everything MAC Fix+ does but with added skincare goodness, no parabens, nourishing ingredients, great for all skintypes, increases pigmentation of eyeshadows.

Cons: I think if you HATE any smell of rose you might not love this...but it’s such a beautiful herbal smell and calming too. The nozzle of the spray isn’t quite as spritzy/fine as that of the Fix+ so I hold it a little further back but it’s not hard to use by any means.

Repurchase: YES! I am obsessed with how much this ‘finishes’ my makeup, giving it an effortless looking glow and makes my skin feel happy. I will repurchase this over and over again - highly recommend this ladies! A HG for sure!

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review + Dupe | Mario Badescu Facial Spray - it’s better than MAC Fix+

Do you ever look back at old photos and wonder what makeup you were wearing? A few weeks ago I was doing just that and trying to remember how I got such a glowy complexion without the use of a highlighter. I love love love glowing skin! It looks healthy, bright and more natural than a matte finish. I finally realised that I had a glowing complexion in past photos because I had started using the E.L.F Makeup Mist & Set on a daily basis. It contains Aloe, Green Tea and lots of vitamins which helped to get rid of any powderiness and make my face glow. Recently E.L.F UK closed down and so I was looking for a replacement, after trying the whole rosewater mixed with water and just not getting the same effect. After doing a bit of reading online I discovered the Mario Badescu Facial Spray and there were simply rave reviews after rave reviews about the stuff. And well....not to ruin the surprise or anything but this is going to be another one!

Night Time Skincare Routine

Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I updated my night-time skincare routine and it has changed a fair bit since I last shared it so here we go:

Everyday (when I wear make-up)

TO REMOVE MAKE-UP

I start off with using the Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Skin Renew Cleansing Oil by Una Brennan (£10.99). Taking a few drops between my fingers I rub it all over my dry face on top of makeup and it breaks down the makeup effortlessly. I love how this feels on my skin, which I would categorise as slightly dehydrated/normal. It’s not heavy and once massaged into the skin and then with water added on top it washes away most of my makeup so easily. You can also use this on a cotton pad over the eyes to remove eyeliner, mascara etc, OR you could just gently massage the oil over the eyes when doing the face if you’re lazy like myself. This will result in looking like a panda for a few minutes but it’s worth it! I also appreciate how it doesn’t leave a filmy/oily feeling after using it too. I bought this after Anna from VDM said it’s one of her all time faves and she knows her stuff when it comes to good skin products - honestly I couldn’t be more pleased with it! Although it’s on the more pricy side, you get 200ml and surprisingly a little goes a long way - I’ll still be using this bottle till the end of 2015 I’m sure!

The reason I use an oil cleanser before another cleanser is because I’m all about the double cleanse method - I don’t believe you can truly cleanse your skin AND remove makeup in one go.

TO CLEANSE

Next I take a small amount of my FAVOURITE cream cleanser in the whole wide world - the Good Things Manuka Honey Creamy Cleanser (£4.99). It is the most soothing, luxurious feeling cleanser I’ve tried, much more than the much raved about Liz Earle one! It smells divine and is packed with brilliant ingredients that are found in much more expensive products such as - Royal Jelly and of course the Manuka honey itself. Most days I will massage this into my skin and then remove it with a warm damp flannel as that gets the best, squeakiest clean (yet still hydrated and plump) finish. Read the full review here.

Sometimes, not ALL the time I’ll tone with the Lush Eau Roma Water - reviewed here.

TO MOISTURISE

I did own a superdrug night cream but it just wasn’t doing it for me, so instead I use a combination of oils. Mainly the Pure Rosehip Seed Oil ($5.69) which is moisturising, nourishing and contains Vitamin C which is supposed to help reduce the appearance of dark spots and hyper-pigmentation. It's lightweight and works so well, in the morning my skin is glowing and feels soft and plump. I love the pipette style dropper allowing you to get the exact amount and not wasting any. The site I bought it from (linked) is so affordable and I will definitely be reordering.

THE UNDER-EYES

I pay special attention to my under-eyes with my all time favourite - Sweet Almond Oil ($3.81). Honestly this is like a miracle oil, the amount it has brightened my under-eyes is incredible! It takes a good few weeks to see results, but every night without fail I apply one-two drops on my under-eyes and pat it in. Then a couple of minutes later I'll take a little of the Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Rejuvinating Eye Cream (£14.00) which is super rich and creamy but also absorbs into the skin nicely. I mainly focus this on the dry patch above my right eye which is very stubborn and doesn't temporarily go away using anything else. It's pricey but worth it as a little goes a long way - the only thing I'm not too pleased about is that it's meant to be using in 6 months which is a very short lifespan for any cosmetic or beauty product! I'm still using it despite opening it 8 months ago, however I'll be keeping an eye out for any strange smells or colour textures D:

3X A WEEK

Moving onto the parts of my night time routine that I do pretty much every-other day (more or less). I use the Soap and Glory Scrubatomic Daily Face Polish (£9.00) which is a very very fine scrub. When I first purchased it I was a bit disappointed by just how fine it was, but not wanting to use it daily (as that's too harsh imo to be scrubbing the skin) I decided three times a week is adequate. It's a decent scrub and I do feel like I'm having the dead skin gently buffed off but I'm not sure I'd repurchase. I also use a sugar scrub, this one I've had for a while and it's similar to the one you can buy at Lush stores. It's so important to exfoliate the lips too as lip balm just doesn't cut it alone. Finally a new addition to my skincare routine, something I don't actually use 3x a week, I use it everyday (I just forgot to add it to the photos above) is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe herbs and rosewater (£5.95). This amazing multi-use product is the best facial spray ever, after cleansing, after makeup basically anytime I need some light moisturisation. 

ONCE A WEEK

At least once a week I'll try to remember to do a face mask, either the Good Things 5 minute facial (£5.99) which is a good all around skin booster or either one of the Una Brennan masks - depending on if my skin is congested and spotty or needing moisture. When I'm have an oily moment, which does weirdly sometimes happen and I feel like my pores need a really deep clean I opt for the Soap and Glory 2-in-1 Facial Pore Purifying Mask (£10.00). Its very refreshing and does leave my skin a little tight feeling but it's worth it every other week, maximum.  Not pictured but I also really love the Good Things Manuka Honey Radiance Mask (£5.99) which is a clay mask that softens the skin! As well as brightening it and deeper cleansing. 

Boots currently have an offer on selected Soap and Glory - buy one get the second half price and all Una Brennan products are reduced so it's worth taking advantage of these offers if you're planning on buying new quality skincare ^_^

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Night Time Skincare Routine

Hey everyone, it’s been a while since I updated my night-time skincare routine and it has changed a fair bit since I last shared it so here we go:

Everyday (when I wear make-up)

TO REMOVE MAKE-UP

May Favourites 2015

It’s MAY favourites time! For the lifestyle post of the month click here. Now let’s get started with my favourite products of the last month ^_^

So during May I discovered an eyeliner which has actually been in my stash for over a year, but one which I’ve not really used. The Soap and Glory Supercat eyeliner came free with an eyeshadow palette that they had as one of their fantastic x-mas gifts two years ago and my mum bought it for me as part of my birthday present. I have never been a huge fan of pen style liquid liners because of how quickly they seem to dry out, however this one has been going strong since I opened over 12 months ago - I was half sure it had already dried out, but nope that was not the case! The nib is probably the reason it is in my favourites, it shape means it is easy to draw thick or thin liner on. The colour is black enough for me to give it the thumbs up and for the price (£6.00) this is certainly on the liners-I’d-buy-again list.

A brand new product in my collection is the Topshop lip liner in Beehive (£5.00) and it is certainly a favourite, what with the affordable price and the creamy formula. Beehive is hard to describe, it’s somewhat a MLBB shade mixed with a tinge of dusty rose and a dash of a deep orange. It’s very flattering, non-drying and gives the appearance of fuller lips too. A full review will be coming your way soon!

This ecotools duo brush which I reviewed here has been used every single time I’ve done my makeup. These eyebrushes are some of the best around and considering they’re available for such a budget friendly price is amazing. Super soft and the perfect size, I really couldn’t ask for more.

Please excuse that the Beautyblender (£16.00) isn’t washed properly, I was in a bit of a rush, but anyways once again this has made it to the favourites, I now own three different sponges and the other two just can’t top this one. No matter what, it managed to blend out foundation, concealer and cream products wonderfully well. I’ve been wearing some heavier foundations this month to events and for longer days out, yet despite the thicker texture I always get a flawless finish with this damp sponge! One problem I had with it though is that this is a ‘red carpet’ l/e one which looked so pretty in the box (I got it on sale of course) and the first time I washed it SOO much colour ran out! Which is a shame as for the price the colour should remain y’know.

The Rimmel London Lasting Finish Primer (£6.99) has not only made foundation application smoother but it also does pretty well at what it’s name suggests. It’s creamy and feels lovely on the skin. Sure it’s an extra step, but it’s the first primer that I’ve actually thought is worth that extra bit of effort.

The final makeup product is the bareMinerals bareskin serum foundation (£26.00) which I reviewed here a good few months ago. It’s been a while since I’ve used it, but throughout May I’ve really enjoyed how quickly and effortlessly it evens out the skintone whilst adding a glow. Unfortunately it doesn’t bode well with the dry patches around my nose, but as long as I avoid that area it looks fantastic and feels like nothing on the skin. The fact that it has SPF in it too also makes it wonderful for an everyday base.

On to my two skincare favourites and to start with a brand new product - the Mario Badescu Facial Spray (£5.95). I have a full review planned for this but in short it is a more effective, cheaper, ethical and good-for-your-skin alternative to the MAC Fix+ Spray. A wonderful makeup finishing spray which adds a light dew to the skin and merges any obvious powder well into the skin. It also smells so soothing and throughout exams I was spritzing this lift, right and centre!

The final favourite from May is the Soap and Glory The Fab Pore 2-in1 facial mask and peel (£10.00). It is meant for oily skin so I have been using this roughly every other week, mainly when my skin is feeling particularly congested and I love how it makes my skin feel. Refreshed and super clean. It can be a tad drying and it is in NO way a peel (believe me I’ve tried, t’was confusing) but overall it works well and does what I need it to do.

Those are my favourites from the month of May! If you’ve written one of these posts, please leave your link I’d love to have a read! ^_^

Thank-you for reading ♥

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