Everyday makeup routine // current favourites

It's been a while since I've had a proper chat about my current makeup routine and my favourites, so I decided to combine the two and discuss what I've been loving so much, that I've been using them all on the regular. It is officially the summer holidays!! So I've spent the last couple of days either shopping for my first ever classroom, or just lounging about and relaxing at long last. So this makeup routine is more what I was doing in the final weeks of term, whist I was supply teaching (more on that in an update post!).

Starting with the base, I have been LOVING using the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow (£38.50) after applying my favourite moisturiser. As I have been so exhausted since way Easter time - really there has been SO much going on, I feel like my skin really has suffered the consequences 😪. Late nights, stress, dehydration, you all know the drill and my skin will need a good amount of pampering this summer to get back on track. As a little cheat, I've been using the wonder glow to add some glow and not only does my foundation look better over the top, but it just adds a gorgeous sheen to the skin. On no makeup days I like mixing a little in with my moisturiser too. I think there are better liquid lighters out there in terms of intensity, but this is a beautiful before foundation step. The base of choice, has been the Wet'n'wild photo foundation in golden beige ($5.99) . I've linked the site where I purchased mine from, and if you don't spend over £15 you won't be charged customs. Anyways this foundation is gorgeous, I love it and I can't believe it's so incredibly affordable! I definitely will be repurchasing it - the shade match is amaaaazing, the coverage is medium and the finish is pretty natural. Let me know if you'd like a full review.

Also it's not often that I talk about foundation brushes, because I am a HUGE beauty blender fan...but I have just gone about 3 months without using one. I really couldn't justify picking another one up whilst I was training and not earning a penny, so I decided to use face brushes and fingers. Don't get me wrong, beauty blenders are still the one and only tool for me if I HAD to pick, but actually the Morphe E6 brush (£15.00) is brilliant. I felt like I was using less product with this brush and with a stippling motion, the size of the brush meant my face was blended in next to no time - perfect for anyone with a busy morning routine. I used to adore the RT buffing brush, but I've literally chucked those out since I've had this in my collection, cause they just do not compare!

Moving on to concealer, old habits die hard here! Well, actually in the last couple of months I did try this phase of going for a lighter coverage undereye, but nothing would work as well as my beloved Kevyn Aucoin Sensual skin enhancer in SX07 (£38.00) reviewed here.  And what I love most about this pot of goodness is that you can actually adjust the coverage if need be. It's my tried and tested and has definitely earned the title of H.G. And to set it, as you can tell from the photo I have been loving yet another U.S drugtore product - the wet'n'wild contouring powder in caramel toffee ($5.99). Majorly hit pan and I will be ordering another one soon, because I love it, the yellow powder is so brightening and its really comparable to more high end powders. I also still do my 'light bake' with whatever loose powder I am using, I don't have a particular favourite at the moment, but just search loose powder in the side bar if you want to know my thoughts on the ones I've used.

Brows...really not much has changed here either! I am still smitten with the ABH dip brow in chocolate (£15.00) and in total shock that it has lasted this long. I have often added a couple of drops of the kiko mixing solution (not on the website for some strange reason!) which works really well at reviving it. The brush I've been obsessed with for the last few months is actually the primark brow brush (£2.50), it honestly rivals brushes that are 4-5X the price, I highly recommend you picking it up.

The eyeshadow palette of choice has been the Zoeva Cocoa blend (£18.00), which is genuinely one of the best palette out there right now. The mattes are creamy enough and have good pigment and the shimmer shades are beautiful on the lid. Colourwise, it is just perfection - with all the shades I need for a basic look. Don't get me wrong, my single shadows palette is still my all time favourite because of the amazing variety and formula - but I wholeheartedly recommend this to anyone looking for a daily palette with the basics you need if you're a warm toned lover! The mascara of choice has been the Essence rock n doll (£2.80) because it adds a lovely amount of volume - not the most length, but its a goodie!

Moving on to the face powders, it has been a bit of a Narssist party! The laguna-orgasm duo (which you can get an adorable mini version of for just £15!!), is something I kept with my throughout my time in Pakistan, partly for the mirror but also because laguna is a must have for me. As for that iconic blush shade, I certainly don't mind it, but its not something I would purchase the full size of. That mini size is literally perfection, I mean I've not had the chance to see it in person yet, but what an affordable and great way to try some NARS iconics! The second NARS product is the One shocking moment palette (limited edition). I have loved using the various shades in this and I'm so pleased I picked it up, because again it was a very affordable way to try several of their products in one go! To be honest it was tucked away, for far too long, so I've ensured I'm using it on a regular basis and I've got a really good feel for those, so keep an eye out. And finally a non-nars product! The Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in that glow (£40) reviewed here is just my favourite for everyday, its beautiful and if you don't own a glow kit yet....YA NEED ONE OKAY.

And finally on to the lips, I have been obsessed with my oldschool jordana lip liner in tawny ($),which I saw years ago on Carli Bybel's channel. It is perfect, the ideal MLBB shade and great for slightly over lining. The formula is fantastic too, so much so that I had to pick up a back up last month. The Huda Beauty Liquid Lipstick in bombshell (£18.00) and The Balm Meet Matte Hughes in committed (£15.00) reviewed here are the two liquid lippies that have been used the most recently. They're both beautiful pink shades, with fairly similar formulas actually - neither are too thick or heavy and to be honest they don't have the best longevity, but they're lovely! That colourpop lippie is actually their ultra glossy lip in weho (I think!), because I've been loving to switch it up with a different finish. YES, colourpop is a pain in the butt to ship over, but I am soooo impressed with weho, because it's such a comfortable creamy, non-sticky gloss - big big fan.


And that is just about it everybody! Those are my current favourites and go-to products, a mix of high end and low, U.S and UK.

What have you been loving recently? 

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Everyday makeup routine // current favourites

I.G Tut #1 | Glitter Wing Details

Hello hello, I hope you're all having a great Sunday. I know I only just introduced a brand new series yesterday, but brace yourselves for a new one, because I had another brain wave and I'm really excited to share it with you all (again). I'm not 100% sure what I will be calling this, so atm I've left it as 'I.G Tut', but watch this space haha. Now I have always enjoyed making little makeup clips for the gram, even when the video length was just 15 seconds! I would diligently sit and cut down, speed up, find music and create mini clips, which I personally loved doing and I got a great response from my followers. The chances of me ever starting my own YouTube channel are slim to none, but that doesn't mean I can't utilise one of my favourite platforms and take advantage of their newer 1 minute allowance for videos. At the same time I don't think the videos alone are very useful, so I wanted to combine my main platform (my blog),  with my second largest base I.G and write posts to go along with it. I hope my IG followers find this useful ^_^ I'll be linking products, reviews, talking about techniques and giving you mini reviews of each of the products too.

Video one - base

1. Moisturiser: Embryollise creme concentrate, is the absolute BEST. I very rarely apply anything else before I put on makeup, because it sinks into the skin so well and any foundation applied on top applies beautifully. Especially if its a heavier kind of base. I once tried to use mehron HD over a nivea moisturiser and it just took longer to blend and didn't sit as well. Embryollise does have mineral oil in it, so if your skin doesn't react well with that, perhaps avoid! Otherwise though it's well worth trying out, the best moisturiser for it's price without a doubt.

2. Corrector for under the eyes and around the mouth: I have created my own custom corrector and it was a bit of a spur of the moment thing, but it works SO well! I reviewed the L.A Girl correctors here, and in that post I said how the orange shade just does not work for me because its too strong of an orange. So I decided to try mixing the orange and yellow on the back of my hand and it worked so well! I've not cleaned out a little benefit eyecream pot, and mixed them together which'll save me a lot of time in the morning.

3. Foundation: NARS Sheer Glow in Stromboli (reviewed here) is one of the best bases EVER. I love this and because I've reviewed it already in detail, I won't into too much detail, but basically its the best medium coverage base ever, I adore it! I blended it in with a damp beauty blender, my favourite method of application, the sponge is worth the price I promise.

4. Concealer: I used the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX07 for under the eyes and to highlight of course! I've reviewed this base in full here, and this post also explains the best way to use it and to set it too. I then used the same concealer in the shade SX08 to conceal that horrid spot on my forehead - it can conceal EVERYTHING. I blended it with the same damp beauty blender of course.

5. Set and lightly bake: The Kat Von D Shade and Light palette, which I reviewed here, is my all time favourite and you can see that by how much I have hit pan! 4 shades down, just two to go haha. The shades lyric and levitation mixed together work really well under the eyes. The brush I used is the Real Techniques Setting brush, its fantastic and I need one more in my collection for sure. I then used the orange shade to set over that pesky spot, and it really helped to hide the spot. You wouldn't want to apply the yellow powder over the spot, because it would highlight it and bring it to the surface. The to 'semi-bake' I used the Kat Von D Lock It Setting Powder, which is very lightweight and doesn't appear ashy on the skin. I've not had a chance to talk about this on the blog yet, but I have to say I really like it. For the price you get a lot of product and it does look better than the Coty powder. I use the primark mini sponge for the semi-baking, it is BRILLIANT! Just make sure it's well and truly damp first.

Video two: The Rest Of The Base

1. Brows: I've been using the Colourpop brow pencil in bangin brunette, which is very very similar to the ABH Brow Wiz! I usually wear my pomade, but when I'm in a rush this pencil does an excellent job at drawing out a shape. Plus the spoolie on the other end is perfect for blending the product through - you can't go wrong for the $5 price tag. The next step is to use the essence make me brow in 3 - a total benefit dupe for less than £3! I love this for toning the brows down a little bit, but also for setting them in place and the fibres create a more realistic look too. A real must have. Also for those asking, I always order my essence products online because theres a lot more variety vs. my local store (which also isn't that local by the way).

2. Bronzer: Topshop mohawk, is my all time favourite affordable bronzer', it is the perfect colour for my skintone! I've reviewed it more here. I love using the Real Techniques multi task brush, it is a great size, and ever so slightly tapered so you can apply it at an angle if you want some definition. I use the multi task brush almost every single day, its a must have in my collection, but as far as I remember its only available as part of their sets - they need to sell some of their brushes individually I'd be picking up a lot more!

3. Contour: ABH Refil Shade in Ash Brown, which I bought on sale from beautybay for an unbelievable price of less than a fiver! Although its not one of their more popular shades, I LOVE it so much. It's not quite as grey as a typical contour shade, but it is deep enough to really add definition. For the cheeks I used the Real Techniques Contour Brush and for the nose I used the Real Techniques Flat Foundation Brush, which was actually a first but it works really well! Both of these brushes are available in this kit, which is also on sale atm.

4. Blush: NARS Torrid is one of my favourites, I have reviewed it here. The brush I used is actually an ebay Jessup one. I love it because the bristles aren't very dense and it blends products out in a more natural way - which is useful for highly pigmented products! I can't seem to find the exact brush kit I purchased, but a quick ebay search shows they've improved their kits a lot and I think its the same blush brush in this kit.

5. Highlighter: Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit in Sundipped, a full review for this is coming up in the next week or two - I love it! The shades are beautifully pigmented and a little stronger than the previous glow kits (although not as intense as the newest one, as far as I can tell!). The brush I used is the Morphe M501, which is AMAZING! Its a shame they've increased the price, but I have to say it's still worth it and double, because it applies highlighter better than any other I own.

6. Facial Spritz: Mario Badescu Facial Spray With Aloe Herbs And Rosewater, reviewed here. BEST EVER. Can't speak highly enough!

Video Three: Eyes and Lips

1. Crease: MUG Dessert Sands is a gorgeous mustard shade which I LOVE for the crease! As my favourite colours to wear on the eyes are deep reds and browns, this shade of yellow blends so beautifully with them and it is one of my all time favourites. I used the Morphe M504 brush, which is fantastic for blending in any crease shade quickly and efficiently, a real go-to.

2. Lid: ABH Blazing was then blended all UNDER the crease area, mainly on the outer part of the eyelid. I adore the shade and I'm not sure why it's not more popular to be honest! The brush I used was the Morphe M507, again another MUST have brush in my collection! It is perfect for smaller detail work and its a very unique brush in my collection, I love it for the crease and inner corner too. I then blended out the crease again with the same M504, to make it all look seamless - blending is KEY for any eyeshadow look!

3. Main Lid: ABH Henna, all over the lid with a double ended ecotools brush (reviewed here!). Tbh I wish I had applied this with my finger instead as the pigmentation would have been stronger.

4. Lower Lash Line: Using the Zoeva 238 Luxe Precise Shader reviewed here, I ran Blazing under the lower lash line.

5. Inner Corner: Taking that same brush, I popped some of MUG's Vanilla bean reviewed here, in the inner corner and slightly further into the lid. This reduced the pigmentation and opened the eyes up a little too.

6. Back to the crease: Using the other end of the ecotools brush (the shader side), I roughly applied some of MUG's Wild West, which is a beautiful deep dusty purple which I LOVE for adding some depth to any look. I then blended it out with the same M504. 

7. Lower Lash Line again: Going back in with MUG's Dessert Sands, I blended it all over the lower lashline, because it looks gorgeous with the red hue of blazing, they're a match made in heaven😍. I then went over the lower lashline again with Wild West, because I felt like it needed some definition and depth!

8. Winged Liner: The Balm's Schwing Liner is a gorgeous, very pigmented, long lasting eyeliner which I have really enjoyed. I don't like the fact that the tip is fraying now, but hopefully with a pair of scissors it'll be as good as new! 

9. Glitter! Horaaaaay, the glitz part. Using the paintglow glitter me up fix gel, I applied a little on the edge of the Zoeva Winged Liner Brush, then I carefully used the brush to apply a line of it just above the wing I had created. I could have been a little more precise with this part, but once the lashes were applied it didn't look too intense! The using a double ended primark brush, I dipped my brush into the certifeye rose gold glitter and carefully patted the glitter over where I had just placed the gel. 

10. Lashes: I've not included these in my video, because I plan to write a post about it and create another mini video for IG. But the lashes I'm using are from Anaqa lashes (IG here) in the style Nour. They're VERY dramatic but really made the look appear glamorous. Also the lovely owner Doua, kindly gave my readers a discount code, so use 'Iqra10' for 10% off your order!

11. Lips: And the final step 😅, I used the Rimmel liner in tiramisu, which is a firm favourite. It's excellent for natural lip shades, as well as anything orange toned because it does lean on that side of the colour spectrum. I also really like the formula of these pencils. I then used the Huda Beauty liquid lipstick in trendsetter - another favourite of mine! Whilst it appears more orange, once it's dried down it looks deeper and very sophisticated. 

And that is finally the end haha! I hope you guys found this beneficial, I really enjoyed creating it for you, even though it took ages haha. Thanks for all the good feedback I've already had 😄

Thank-you for reading ♥

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I.G Tut #1 | Glitter Wing Details

Hello hello, I hope you're all having a great Sunday. I know I only just introduced a brand new series yesterday, but brace yourselves for a new one, because I had another brain wave and I'm really excited to share it with you all (again). I'm not 100% sure what I will be calling this, so atm I've left it as 'I.G Tut', but watch this space haha. Now I have always enjoyed making little makeup clips for the gram, even when the video length was just 15 seconds! I would diligently sit and cut down, speed up, find music and create mini clips, which I personally loved doing and I got a great response from my followers. The chances of me ever starting my own YouTube channel are slim to none, but that doesn't mean I can't utilise one of my favourite platforms and take advantage of their newer 1 minute allowance for videos. At the same time I don't think the videos alone are very useful, so I wanted to combine my main platform (my blog),  with my second largest base I.G and write posts to go along with it. I hope my IG followers find this useful ^_^ I'll be linking products, reviews, talking about techniques and giving you mini reviews of each of the products too.

January 2017 Favourites

Hello! Welcome back to za blushing giraffe, with a slightly late favourites post. So if you read my Jan chatty post you'll know this last month has been the busiest start to the year I have ever had. PGCE year ain't a walk in the park, thats for sure haha. So this post I'm gonna be sharing, as usual, the products that have been making me that little bit happier as the month flew by, leggggggo!

Starting with the base, I have been loving the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in shade 7 (£32.00), which is a gorgeous light/medium coverage very glowy foundation. It's super quick to apply because I literally blend in a little with my fingers and I'm done in 20 seconds flat. I LOVE IT. You get 40ml and the coverage is pretty buildable, which I do appreciate a lot for the days I may need a bit more coverage (and on the days I actually have the time to add some more too haha!). I didn't love the concealer, but this foundation is a firm favourite.


Similarly I've been loving the NARS Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in St Moritz (£29.50), which I am now almost coming to the end of sadly! It has a little less glow than light wonder, however it does provide a smidgen more coverage and again due to its consistency I have been obsessed over how quickly I can apply this with just my fingers when I'm really in a rush. On days where I've hardly had enough sleep (which is pretty much 5/7 days!), I need a base that'll last decently well, but provide me with a generous glow and both these products deliver. The NARS alternative does get you 10ml more AND has SPF 30, which is worth noting, but they're both fabulous in their own way.

I have also still been obsessed with my Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX07 (£38.00), the BEST concealer ever if you're looking for high coverage! I have spoken about it a lot on IG lately and just want to point you 👉🏽 in the direction of this post, where I share the three shades I have as well as the best way to use it in my humble opinion. Expensive? Initially yes, but one pot will last you minimum 2 years, which is a heck of a lot longer than a typical tube concealer that is around £20 - so if you really think about it, its amazing value for money. It has been my go to, because like mentioned a few words ago, when one is running on a tiny amount of sleep the dark circles are bound to be dark!
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And finally, a product I have talked about SO much not just on my blog, but on every single social media platform I am a part of!! The embryolisse lait concentrate (£12.95-£20.00) is the best base ever, I have repurchased it sooo many times and although I am trying samples of moisturisers inbetween and trying to switch it up, nothing really compares. One of the key steps to a flawless makeup application is the skincare and the other step is the base you apply underneath. No other product gives me the same plump glowing skin as this does, and it takes foundation and powder really well!

Speaking of powders, there are two new ones in my collection and I have been enjoying them for different reasons. First of all we have the Revolution luxury banana powder (£5.00) which is their blatant rip off from Ben Nye! Literally down to the back of the bottle, they have copied everything and although I do think this is pretty naughty, this brand is a lot easier to get my hands on than that famous Ben Nye powder. I did used to own the B.N version, but I chucked it out a year ago as it was getting a bit too old, and I've not felt the need to order it since as the original is not expensive, but pricer than I would like to spend on a powder. Now this dupe is a gorgeous shade, not too yellow to the point where it verges on green like the E.L.F version, but also not too much of a rich shade either. This is the perfect powder for medium skintone/olive complexions and also deeper skintones for baking. I have heard SOO much about the Laura Mercier one and maybe one day I'll pick it up, but typically I do prefer a slightly yellow toned powder and this stuff sets the face really well, doesn't cake up or crease and lasts well! Whether you're using it for an all over the face powder, or for baking if you're a WOC this could be the best fiver you spend on a powder!

The second powder is one I never hear people talking about, its the Kiko soft light powder. Now I just popped over to their site and sadly I cannot find it anywhere :( which is very upsetting because it makes me think they've discontinued it! However if you do spot it in a store near you, it's worth picking up as its a lovely baked mineral face powder and its very comparable to the MAC mineral skin finishes. The main use I have found for it, is the soniaXfyza buffing technique, which Wayne Goss explains in detail here. This technique does work beautifully and the other powder I love to use it with, is the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless powder in medium. However the Kiko one is a great cheaper alternative, so I'm hoping that its a accidental slip up that its not one the website ☹️.

And finally moving on to the eyes, my go-to palette has been the gorgeous Anastasia Beverly Hills Modern Renaissance Palette (£41.00), which seemed to be in everyone and their grandma's yearly favourites! If you don't have it yet and you're thinking about whether you should pick it up or not, YOU SHOULD. Gorgeously buttery pigmented shades, that blend like an absolute dream! I have gotten so much use out of this palette and one of the best things about it is the vast amount of youtube tutorials out there using just this alone! I definitely get stuck in a rut when it comes to my eyeshadow looks, so to see so many DIFFERENT yet totally stunning looks on the tubes makes me very happy.

I have also really been loving playing with glitter and the Certifeye glitter pots (£5.00) are my all time favourites! They just add so much to a simple look and now I know how easy it is to apply, I almost can't stop haha. Again there is a whole bunch of fantastic inspiration out on instagram and youtube when it comes to glitter, so a major fan! I have the mini bottles which are a fiver and they'll last me a decent amount of time, however Ayesha (the brand owner) also have an amazing range of brushes and lashes and bundles too, so check out her awesome business ^_^

And my final favourite of January has been the Illamasqua precision ink liner in wisdom (£20.50) which I have swatched in my lastest haul post, so check that out if you're interested. This liner has been a beautiful alternative to my regular black and brown liner, as its a stunning olive/khaki shade and to be honest without I didn't think I COULD love liner more, but this has changed the game for me...obsessed!

What were your favourites from the month of January?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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January 2017 Favourites

Hello! Welcome back to za blushing giraffe, with a slightly late favourites post. So if you read my Jan chatty post you'll know this last month has been the busiest start to the year I have ever had. PGCE year ain't a walk in the park, thats for sure haha. So this post I'm gonna be sharing, as usual, the products that have been making me that little bit happier as the month flew by, leggggggo!

Starting with the base, I have been loving the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in shade 7 (£32.00), which is a gorgeous light/medium coverage very glowy foundation. It's super quick to apply because I literally blend in a little with my fingers and I'm done in 20 seconds flat. I LOVE IT. You get 40ml and the coverage is pretty buildable, which I do appreciate a lot for the days I may need a bit more coverage (and on the days I actually have the time to add some more too haha!). I didn't love the concealer, but this foundation is a firm favourite.

Review | NARS Sheer Glow in Stomboli and NARS ADLW in Stromboli

Hello! Its been a while since I've written a foundation review, so to make up for it, I thought I would give you guys two reviews in one post. I have owned both of these foundations for quite a while now, but the sheer glow review has been a LOOOONG time coming, because it has been an absolute favourite for over two years! So we'll start with that base and then move on to the All Day Luminous Weightless foundation, with a brief comparison at the end. This is going to be somewhat of a long post, so I recommend grabbing a snack before proceeding.

So the NARS Sheer Glow foundation has been a firm favourite of mine for a long long time now. You get 30ml for around £32 but if you're lucky you can might be able to find your shade on ASOS and get it when they have a good 20% off sale on! Sadly right now Stromboli is not on their site, but it is worth checking it out to see if yours is there. I first saw beautycrush, use this base and then Shaanxo and it didn't take me long to pick it up myself! A quick search on my blog has told me that I picked this up at the end of 2014, so it is high time I got myself another bottle haha.

Sheer glow has a confusing name and any review you may watch on it, I can almost guarantee the person talking about the base will tell you that it is not a sheer foundation! However what almost everyone seems to miss is that it literally gives you a SHEER GLOW! The finish on the skin is a sheer glow, I'd describe it as satin like and that is why it is so popular amongst so many people. It's not matte, nor is it overly dewy which makes is beautiful on the skin. The coverage is medium but buildable, although I do tend to apply a light layer and then a tiny bit more over the areas that might need them.

Sheer glow photographs beautifully, there is no flashback at all and it is a really stunning olive shade for me. I think the main reason why I loved it so much two years ago, was that it was one of the first olive toned foundations I've ever owned. NARS do WOC shades sooo well! Something which the majority of highstreet brands really lack unfortunately. I also adore the medium coverage, which is definitely my comfortzone because all discolouration and redness is beautifully evened out and there really is a gorgeous sheer glow to the skin AND the base holds in place all day without the need for a specific primer of setting spray (of course both of these would increase the longevity even more! But in general I don't find I HAVE to use them in order for it to stay in place). I don't need too much to cover my entire face either.

Application wise, I LOVE using a damp beauty blender, to bounce this into the skin. However it also applies nicely with a buffing brush. If I am wearing it for a special occasion, I'll usually set my T-Zone with the Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush flawless powder in medium, which keeps shine away after a couple of hours. However for day to day, I won't get it because it holds well alone. I do sometimes need to touch up after a while though.

The only thing I dislike about this base, is the lack of a pump. You can buy one for an extra £3, but I do think thats a big silly and they should have just included a pump. When I use the last few drops of this bottle, I'll be picking a pump up online and repurchasing ASAP, because I really adore this and even though I've purchased a lot of foundations since buying the sheer glow, this one STILL stands the test of time. It's in my top three high end bases and I recommend everyone to try it out, unless you have really really oily skin, because this doesn't have a matte finish.

Moving on to Sheer glow's sister, the All day luminous weightless foundation, has one of the longest names ever and you get 30ml for £34. When this foundation was released, so many loved it and were raving about the coverage, however I was so into sheer glow (which I still am as you can tell if you read the above!), I wasn't tempted to purchase it. However when I saw it on sale on ASOS, I snagged it for around £27 and wanted to give it a good go. First of all the packaging of this is a little more functional than S.G, because hooray it comes with a PUMP! It's a lot taller than sheer glow and has a frosted glass effect, to be honest neither are great for travelling but it is what it is.

So ADLW has a very thin liquidy consistency and when I say a little goes a long way, I really do mean that! Often two pumps is too much for my whole face, so I like to go in with one pump using a damp beauty blender and as I bounce the product into my skin I literally see all blemishes disappear. The covergae of this foundation is fantastic, its one of the highest coverage bases I have ever owned and you can really achieve a blank canvas look with this. It also lives up to its weightless name, as the formula is so thin I can hardly feel it on my face, even though its obvious I'm wearing foundation due to the coverage.

It claims to give you 16 hours of wear, however I actually find that sheer glow lasts longer on my skin before it starts looks shiny. I typically get about 9 hours of wear with ADLW before my face starts to glow a little too much. Now when I pop the  Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush flawless powder in medium on after this time, it looks just as beautiful as it did before, but I have to say it's not as long wearing as I expected. Personally this foundation doesn't oxidise on me, although I've heard it does for others - although it is a tiny bit darker than the sheer glow stromboli, so perhaps keep that in mind if you've tried S.G and want to pick this one up.

Personally I like to wear this foundation on bad skin days where I have a lot of blemishes and scars to cover. I also reach for it when I'm going out for a couple of hours and I really want a full coverage base. If it stayed non-shiny for a longer time, I think I'd wear this more often, but because of that and also because of how full coverage it is, I just don't wear it enough.

Now on to a little comparison, like I said sheer glow has been my all time favourite and it still is between the two of them.

You might like ADLW if: you want a full coverage foundation that doesn't feel heavy on the skin at all. You're looking for a strong olive toned foundation because this really is! You want a base that doesn't flash back, this photographs beautifully and you have normal/combo/slightly oily skin. 

Repurchase: No, although I love the coverage I don't prefer a full coverage on a regular basis so I don't get enough use out of this. I am planning on mixing it with a few other bases and seeing if I can get the longevity to improve because thats another reason why I'm not so keep. To be honest I'm waiting to use this up so I have an excuse to purchase the Marc Jacobs foundation - another full coverage one that has great reviews!

Rating: 7/10

You might like Sheer Glow if: you prefer a medium coverage with a satin finish, you want a base that photographs beautifully and doesn't flash back and if you want a base lasts well on the skin longevity wise!

Repurchase: ohhhh yes! For sure, I really can't fault the foundation itself, its my go-to and I adore it.

Rating: 10/10

The main difference to me is the coverage and the lasting time on the skin. For me sheer glow will stay on the skin looking just as beautiful 8 hours later, as when I first applied it. When I check back in the mirror, I rarely need to touch up (although sometimes I do!) and my skin looks the same colour as when I applied it, it's stayed where I put it and I can rely on this to photograph gorgeously. The pump is a bit of an annoyance, but I can honestly look past that because the foundation speaks for itself. I wish the ADLW looked the same a couple of hours later, but it just doesn't appear quite as in tact and lovely as sheer glow does for me.

Have you tried either of these foundations? What are your thoughts?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Review | NARS Sheer Glow in Stomboli and NARS ADLW in Stromboli

Hello! Its been a while since I've written a foundation review, so to make up for it, I thought I would give you guys two reviews in one post. I have owned both of these foundations for quite a while now, but the sheer glow review has been a LOOOONG time coming, because it has been an absolute favourite for over two years! So we'll start with that base and then move on to the All Day Luminous Weightless foundation, with a brief comparison at the end. This is going to be somewhat of a long post, so I recommend grabbing a snack before proceeding.

Requested | Whats in my work bag?

Hi everyone, it has been faaar too long! Todays post was inspired by a lovely reader of the blog, who asked me to share one of these 'whats in my bag posts'. Can I just state how much I adore Claire's versions of these on Youtube? Total magic! ✨ I am going to get straight into the post, so as you may know if you read my blog now and again I'm currently a trainee teacher. So it was really important for me to get myself a decent sized bag which I could carry my laptop and a folder or two in comfortably. Before I got really into makeup, I use to be obsessed with handbags haha, however since the last three years my money has been spent on makeup and food I had to cut out one indulgence and bags it was. However when I graduated, my current handbag was in such a state that I had to go on a hunt for a sturdy one that wouldn't cost an arm or a leg. Of course TKMaxx was the store that delivered in the end, because their handbag selection is probably the best on the highstreet.

I came across this awesome Valentino bag, which obviously isn't anywhere near new in season, but it came with a dust bag and it IS valentino....so it counts as my first real designer bag right? Haha, I honestly am not fussed by labels at all and I don't aspire to own any designer gear any time soon, its more the fact that its a great size and comfortable to wear that drew me in. The best part was by far the price, its less than £50, I wish I could link it for you all but its one of those in store gems :(  I appreciate that it has a strong shoulder strap so I can wear it closer, or when it's a little less empty I can wear it with the longer strap and have it hang as a bit more of a casual vibe. The only real gripe I have is the fact that it doesn't have studs at the bottom, so as you might be able to see the corners are already a little worn ._. I may have to ask my uncle to attach some on if he can without damaging the bottom of the bag, because I would like to to last of course.

Right moving swiftly on to whats inside the bag, I HAVE to carry my diary around with me everywhere because I honestly have the memory of a goldfish and if I don't write stuff down theres not much hope. I also sometimes carry my bullet journal the khaki book pictured above, because when I make the time to use it, I LOVE IT! Bullet journaling is really great, but it is something you have to take time out of your routine to do, or even schedule actual time in to do. I have the Leuchtturm 1917 in the plain style and what makes this book a little bit too expensive, is that they have numbered pages which works really well with the whole index system of the book and style.

I also have my keys of course! And I used to have a bunch of keyrings, including a little teddy and a few of those pom poms, but they all fell off and the only thing that remains is the beautiful Palestine keyring which I adore. I normally always have one or two of these lanyard things, I spend Mon-Fri in two different schools and without my I.D it makes getting around them pretty hard because schools have tight security! That different coloured marble thing on the right hand side is my laptop, I always carry this around which definitely makes my bag heavier but I being on this course means I'm always having to check my emails or printing something out haha.

The little leather square is actually a spare bag in disguise, I love it! My uncle gifted it to me and it has already come in really handy - on that note if you're ever interested in leather, suede and sheepskin garments then do check out their business crossbow factory, based in East London. They obviously tend to work with designers and larger companies, but if you're a fashion student or in the area then get in contact for sure ^_^

Getting into the makeup side of things, I ALWAYS have my Charlotte Tilbury airbrush powder in medium, which also happens to be linked in my little shop right next to this photo ayyyyyyee! Anyway this is the best powder I have ever tried ever, I usually don't set my whole face when I first apply my makeup, so this is my touchup powder if I'm a little too shiny - because it restores my makeup like nothing else could and I feel like it blurs my skin a little too. I should probably mention that I DO wear this powder on special occasions or when I'm going for a lighter dewy base. To apply the powder I have this mini ecotools brush, which I got in their travel set - can I just take this moment to say how under rated ecotools brushes are, srsly they're so good for the price especially.

I sometimes have my Tarte gifted mascara because it's the best EVER. Often these days I won't have time to do any eyemakeup, but if I do get stuck in traffic on my commute, a quick layer of this just makes such a difference. And I have a bunch of different lip products, to be really honest with you I usually have 4 or 5 because I'm super indecisive. I also always pop on a lip product last minute before I leave my car, so having options is always useful. I've linked some of my favourites below ^_^

And thats about it really, aside from chocolate wrappers receipts and change haha. I used to carry everything AND the kitchen sink around with me, but the heaviness of a laptop and sometimes folders is more than enough for me these days.

What do you ALWAYS have in your bag?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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Requested | Whats in my work bag?

Hi everyone, it has been faaar too long! Todays post was inspired by a lovely reader of the blog, who asked me to share one of these 'whats in my bag posts'. Can I just state how much I adore Claire's versions of these on Youtube? Total magic! ✨ I am going to get straight into the post, so as you may know if you read my blog now and again I'm currently a trainee teacher. So it was really important for me to get myself a decent sized bag which I could carry my laptop and a folder or two in comfortably. Before I got really into makeup, I use to be obsessed with handbags haha, however since the last three years my money has been spent on makeup and food I had to cut out one indulgence and bags it was. However when I graduated, my current handbag was in such a state that I had to go on a hunt for a sturdy one that wouldn't cost an arm or a leg. Of course TKMaxx was the store that delivered in the end, because their handbag selection is probably the best on the highstreet.

My go-to / 'everyday' makeup routine

Hello everyone, it has been over a week since I have had the chance to sit down and blog because I have started my teacher training journey and all I can say thus-far is that I'm VERY TIRED. It'll inevitably get a little easier once I get out of the erratic and super relaxed university lifestyle (i.e no real routine and plenty of late nights followed by lie-ins). I thought I'd ease back into blogging with my go-to makeup as of late. This was kind of my everyday summer makeup, because I had a lot more time of course and this is kind of like my favourites post of August too, because these are the products I reached for again and again.

My base of choice has been the Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation in 7 (£32.00), I wore this throughout my London trip and pretty much every-time I wore makeup in August. It is so beautiful when applied, whether my skin was in a good state or more on the dry/rough side, some how light wonder foundation manages to not accentuate any flaw whilst still providing enough coverage to get me that 'my skin but lets face it, way better'. My skin glows like no tomorrow, without looking sweaty or disco-balling. In fact it looks VERY similar to that famous tutorial Charlotte T did on her youtube channel, recreating Amal Clooney's wedding makeup. I've probably watched it about 20 times, if you don't know what I'm on about this is what I'm talking about! Just to give you an idea of how much I love this, I'm thinking about purchasing the shade 6 for the winter time, as 7 will be far too light. Now I own a silly amount of bases, so to even consider picking up another shade of one I already have really speaks volumes.

Application: I've liked applying this with the Real Techniques Buffing brush, I find it doesn't alter the coverage unlike when I tried it with a damp beauty blender. 

Concealer wise I have been OBSESSED with the Soap and Glory Kick Ass Concealer in medium (£10.00) and I really cannot believe I have skipped over this time and time again in the highstreet! This is probably the most perfect corrector shade I have ever tried for my dark circles, I've recently been using the Benefit erase paste again, which I used to swear by and it has nothing on this at all - plus its double the price! As for concealer, I've been using the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer in SX07 (£38.00) which is true HG status for me and I adore it. The coverage is fantastic, a little goes a long way and when set correctly. I have a detailed post of the SSEs coming up in the near future because they're rather expensive and not the easiest to work with, but I can't imagine my makeup routine without it now, so it must be pretty fantastic.

Application: The corrector I always apply with my ring finger in the darkest areas under my eyes. One layer is more than enough to actually correct the darkness and it doesn't cake up at all - so great! I've recently been doing most of the concealer application with the same finger too, getting the majority of it blended in and then finishing off with the beauty blender before setting. 

Setting wise, theres nothing better than the Kat Von D Shade + Light palette ($45.00) coming to the UK really soon 🎉 which is definitely HG status for me. I love mixing the lightest colour with the yellow shade and it both sets and highlights the face perfectly. When I don't use this palette, I massively notice a difference in my makeup so it is another staple. If I have time I'll lightly bake under the eyes with the Coty Airspun loose powder ($8.99), which works really well to set down such a creamy formula like the KA SSE!

Application: Real Techniques Setting brush (£4.89) for the yellow powder and a damp beauty blender for the bake!

Moving on to the cheeks, this summer I have been using my usual blusher of choice: NARS Deep Throat (£23.00) which is basically the most beautiful blush for everyday that was ever invented. I tent to stick to the same KVD palette for bronzing up the face, using the middle shade in a 3 shape for adding warmth and the shade on the left to sculpt out the cheeks. For highlight, Laura Geller's Gilded Honey (£21.00) has been my go-to. When I first got this, I didn't love the baked formula but if you use more of a stiffer brush it picks up the product better.

Application: for blusher I use pretty much any synthetic round brush, my favourite of late has been one from an ebay set I reviewed here. I've been using the large fluffy powder brush in the same set for bronzer and for highlight it's been all about the Morphe M501 (£6.25). Like I said the bristles are a little more firm as a natural haired brush, which makes it excellent for picking up powder formulas. 

Finally moving on to the eye makeup (as I change up the lips all the time), I have really loved wearing a warm eyemakeup look whenever I've had the time. When I went to London, I decided to use my lovely ABH palette to create a quad of shades I could use everyday. Since then I've not actually switched them out because I've been enjoying them so much. The red shade is ABH Sienna - basically the most perfect terracotta brown there ever was in all the lands, a little bit of this in the crease and along the lower lashline is all I need to add some depth and warmth. The shade to the right of Sienna is ABH Peach Sorbet - a lovely all over the lid colour for brightening up any look and it is perfect for everyday too. Going clockwise, I had to pick MUG's Mirage - my all time fave brow bone highlight. It is a beautiful satin formula which is slightly off-white and again works fantastically as an inner corner highlight too for everyday. Finally the most wonderful crease shade to ever exist: MUG Creme Brulee SO MUCH LOVE FOR THIS EYESHADOW! You can already see I've made a bit of a dent in it and it is by far a game changer. Yes it looks like nothing much in the pan, but trust me it makes a world of difference.

My eyeliner of choice has been The Balm's Schwing Liquid Liner (£13.50) which is SUPER pigmented. It's actually the darkest liner I have ever used in my life and the best part is the colour lasts all day. Sadly it is not without its issues however, if you happen to get water on your face it transfers instantly and runs down the cheeks very dramatically. Still it works well for the most part and I can create a dramatic sharp line with little to no effort. Finally, last but not least, my mascara of choice in the Tarte Gifted Mascara (£21.52) which has knocked benefit's They're Real out of the water for me. It separates and adds volume like no other mascara, it layers up well and the best part is that it's really easy to remove, major dealbreaker! 


So that is my go-to makeup routine, especially for the summer time. Of course I switched things up now and again, however I did largely stick to these products and I wanted to share them all with you. I do however want to reduce these kinds of posts in which I talk about loads of products, they're getting really uninspiring for me to type and I feel like they're kind of repetitive too. Just to let you know, I am currently deep into my teacher training course and I am REALLY busy. However I do want to continue blogging and reading other blogs and commenting whenever I can, just bear with me! The next two posts are going to be quite specific as they have been requested and on my to-do list for quite a long while. After those posts I'm not really sure, but I imagine I'll be trying to switch up my content a little and do more focused reviews as they're the most 'useful' posts I feel like I share!

What are some of your staple makeup products that you reach for without even thinking about?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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My go-to / 'everyday' makeup routine

Hello everyone, it has been over a week since I have had the chance to sit down and blog because I have started my teacher training journey and all I can say thus-far is that I'm VERY TIRED. It'll inevitably get a little easier once I get out of the erratic and super relaxed university lifestyle (i.e no real routine and plenty of late nights followed by lie-ins). I thought I'd ease back into blogging with my go-to makeup as of late. This was kind of my everyday summer makeup, because I had a lot more time of course and this is kind of like my favourites post of August too, because these are the products I reached for again and again.

Review | NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint in St Mortiz

Hello everyone! Today I am going to be reviewing the NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint (£30.00) in the shade St Mortiz. I've had this base for a couple of weeks now and I have really enjoyed using it, especially as I'm not a regular in the matte foundation department - I prefer a satin/dewy finish myself. But recently my skintype has shifted to combo, with some areas of my face being normal and others getting oily rather quickly, so this definitely interested me. It also  received a LOT of good reviews, so of course when I saw my shade available on the ASOS 20% off sale I purchased it.

Packaging

This is the sleeker, yet equally as convenient packaging to it's elder sister the NARS Tinted Moisturiser and I really like it. It doesn't take up much room, its lightweight and non-messy too! Another reason why the packaging is so long is because you get a huge 50ml amount of product for the £30, which is pretty awesome value for money. It is almost as affordable as a highstreet base if you think about it and it certainly is the best price I've paid for a 50ml high end base.

Formula and Coverage

The formula is akin to a foundation rather than a tint, so I don't find it great to use my fingers. It does blend into the skin evenly though, using either a damp beauty blender or a buffing brush. Like I said I'm not really used to a matte finish, so to me this definitely is MATTE, which did take some getting used to. I find that as long as I've moisturised well and used my beloved Mario Badescu Facial Spray (reviewed here), it applies and sits beautifully on the skin. However when my skin is on the drier side, or I've had to skip out on the prep it does tend to catch on the little dry patches and obviously accentuate them. Prep is key here.

Coverage wise I really really like this, again its less of a tint and more of a medium coverage. It evens out the skintone and covers most of my redness around the nose. This makes it a great base to rely on for the warmer days and when the skin needs a bit of an extra help thanks to the generous coverage. This base also contains SPF 30 which makes it great for day to day wear, of course you shouldn't skip out on SPF EVER but if you live in a sunnier country this is another pro for sure.

Longevity

The NARS Matte Skin Tint lasts for a decent amount of time on the skin, I get to at least 8 hours before my T-zone starts getting a little oily and that is without any other prep underneath. When I use a priming water (more specifically the Freedom one here, which I have been really enjoying btw) my base does look fresher for longer. I'm not the biggest fan of using a powder over the top when oil starts to seep through though.

St. Mortiz Matte Skin Tint VS Tinted Moisturiser

As you can see there is quite a shade difference between the Matte tint on the left, to the tinted moisturiser on the right. So if you already own the TM and you're planning on getting this, make sure you're aware of this and go down to the next shade if need be. Personally the NARS tinted moisturiser for me is best in the summer time and it is a shade or two deeper than my skin-tone which I like. However it's been quite nice getting a really close shade match from NARS, which is a little less on the yellow side too. As the TM is a little deep for me anyways, the matte tint matches very well and it works.

Round Up:

Rating: 7/10

Pros: It is a comfortable 'soft' matte base to wear, and has a good shade range which doesn't exclude women of colour. I also appreciate that contains SPF 30. The longevity is good and when I've prepped my skin correctly it lasts well and remains looking fresh on the face. You get a really good amount of product for your money and its a good base for combo/normal skintypes.

Cons: It does cling to dry patches and I find that it needs some extra prep to make it work really well.

Overall: Like I said at the start I have really enjoyed using this skin tint, though I would describe it as more of a matte medium coverage base, which isn't too harsh for dry skins and also sits well with oily skins. Really it is the ideal matte base for normal/combo skintypes, not so matte that it'll zap out any moisture but just matte enough for me anyway. It leaves a very subtle glow A.K.A a matte not flat finish to the skin and personally its a nice enough base for now and again. However it's not a base I'd reach for on a daily basis and I don't think I'll be quick to repurchase it either, simply because I do like that satin look to the skin! I think I'll get the most use out of this in the Autumn time, when I'll have longer days at my teacher training and I'll need to rely on a base that will last well. So we shall see how I feel about it in a few months! For now I'm glad to have this in my stash, but it hasn't replaced my love for the other NARS bases.

Have you tried this matte tint? What are your thoughts?

Thank-you for reading ♥

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