August Favourites

Laura Mercier Mineral Pressed Powder in Soft Porcelain
If there's one thing that Laura Mercier does extremely well, it's powders. I've been using her Loose Mineral Powder & Secret Brightening Powder for years as they're so finely milled & make your skin look flawless. After running out of my last pot of Mineral Powder I decided to try the pressed compact version as it's a bit more portable & less messy to use. It doesn't feature the pearl powder found in the loose version so the finish is a little more matte which might be better for those with oily skin. I really like powder foundations like this when I'm running short on time as they're so quick & easy to apply. This powder offers medium buildable coverage that still looks fresh & natural. It buffs into the skin so beautifully that it doesn't actually look like a powder. It can be used as a standalone foundation or as a setting powder for a truly airbrushed finish. However you decide to use it, the Laura Mercier Mineral Powder is such a fantastic base product & has become a staple in my makeup bag.

Pump It Up Cucumber Fresh Dry Body Wash
We've all heard of dry shampoo but now you can get a dry body wash for those times when you just can't manage to get to a shower. Instead of a spray or gel formula this stuff is an antibacterial foam that cleans & eliminates odour without the need for water. It dries really quickly & immediately makes your skin feel fresher. The foam is paraben & alcohol free so it won't dry out your skin. They do several different fragrances but I went for the cucumber one & I really like it. The scent is very subtle & doesn't last long but it doesn't need to as it's not trying to mask any smells. The foam kills the bacteria that causes body odour which is rather clever. Much like dry shampoo, dry body wash will never replace an actual shower but it's really handy to take to the gym, a festival or anywhere else you need to freshen up on the go.

Vitage Age Defence Power Skin Repair*
I've tried out quite a few different products from Vitage lately as I took part in their 30 Day Skincare Challenge. I loved using all of their products so much that I rejigged my entire skincare routine to revolve around them. I couldn't include all of the items here but my favourite product was the Age Defence Power Skin Repair which is a high performance antioxidant moisturiser. This really helps to soothe & calm my skin whilst making it feel super soft, hydrated & firm. It also helps to repair & refine the texture of my skin as it contains retinyl palmitate. I really love using this moisturiser both day & night. It feels very luxurious & works well as a base for makeup so this product is always such a pleasure to apply.

Superfacialist Vitamin C+ Dark Circles Eye Cream
My sleeping pattern has gone completely out of whack recently. Now that Chloe's back at school I have to get up even earlier & whenever I'm feeling tired it really shows on my face. My dark circles always look particularly bad. I'm a huge fan of the Superfacialist By Una Brennan range so I picked up this eye cream which is rich in vitamin C. It's one of the best things for tired skin as it helps to brighten the complexion & fade discolouration. I normally go for eye gels but the consistency of this cream is really light so it absorbs quickly & doesn't interfere with my makeup. It hydrates & smooths the area, plumping up any fine lines so that your eyes look fresher. Over time I would say that this does help to reduce the appearance of dark circles. It hasn't gotten rid of them completely but there is a noticeable enough difference for me to say that this is worth trying out. It's very affordable & would be a good eye product to start using at a younger age.

theBalm Overshadow Mineral Eyeshadow in No Money, No Honey
I never thought that anything could compare to theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer as it is the most perfect highlighter ever. However there's something even prettier & more pigmented than Mary-Lou and it also comes from theBalm. Now technically this is an eyeshadow but loose pigment products can be used anywhere. Their Overshadow Mineral Eyeshadow in the shade No Money, No Honey has that same gorgeous golden champagne shimmer as Mary-Lou Manizer but the effect is even more extreme. It is highly metallic & looks almost wet on the skin. This is definitely one to save for a night out rather than adding some glow to your everyday makeup. This little pot of magic looks absolutely stunning & I love using it as an eyeshadow too.

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Daily Makeup #2

I really liked how my makeup turned out the other night. The style & colours I used complemented my 60s inspired Urban Outfitters dress beautifully. As I was going to a concert I needed to make sure that my foundation would stick around all night long. I can't get enough of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation at the minute. I sandwiched it between a bit of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and Illamasqua Translucent Loose Powder. Even after hours of jumping about & dancing my base still looked perfectly matte & in place so I'd recommend getting both of those if your foundation is prone to melting. For concealer I used NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer underneath my eyes & on any blemishes. As always I went for theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer as my highlighter and then applied my favourite ever blusher - NARS Deep Throat - to add a peachy pink glow to my cheeks. Nude lips were all the rage during the 60s but I find it really hard to pull that look off. Pale skin & pale lips just makes you look ill. Instead I went for a lovely peach in the form of MAC Ever Hip Lipstick. I slicked on a bit of Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid* beforehand to soften my lips & add a glossy finish. It also helps to sheer out the lipstick & make it look even prettier.

Moving onto my eye makeup I didn't want to do a full on 60s eye look so I went for smokey grey eyeshadow instead. To make my eyeshadow last all night long without creasing I primed my eyelids using MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I used a couple of shades from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Verve all over my eyelid & then Pistol on the outer corners, blended into the crease & under my bottom lashes. I still really like the Yves Rocher Volume Vertige Mascara* so I layered it up for thick, voluminous lashes. I wanted to do a fairly thin line of liquid eyeliner so I used L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim & added a little flick at the ends. My eyes are pretty tiny so I always use a nude eyeliner on my waterline to make them look a bit bigger. MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 is the ultimate. Finally I filled in my eyebrows using Anastasia DipBrow Pomade. This stuff doesn't budge whatsoever & delivers intense definition to your brows. To make them look a bit more natural I used a combo of Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel & MAC Clear Brow Set. These helped to bring out the individual hairs so my brows didn't look completely drawn on. Let me know what you think!

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Daily Makeup #1

Today I'm starting up a new feature as I've never really done face of the day type posts before. It always bugs me when people talk about the makeup products they're using and then they don't follow it up with a picture of how it actually looks on their face. So here's a look with a focus on thick black liner & cherry red lips. I started off with my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #2 which gives great coverage but also adds a wonderful glow to the skin. I concealed any blemishes & my undereye area with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair before setting under my eyes with the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. I'm always one for a bit of shimmer so I dusted a bit of my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light all over my face & highlighted my cheekbones with theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer. For blush I went for Illamasqua Naked Rose, it gives such a pretty flush to the cheeks. I then filled in my eyebrows using Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash & held my brows in place using MAC Clear Brow Set.

The lovely ladies at Baobella Boutique recently sent me a few new products to try out. Baobella Boutique is a free to join, members only online beauty store. They offer some amazing discounts on well known brands such as Clarins, Chanel, Decleor, L'Oreal, Maybelline & Lee Stafford to name just a few. There's a huge range of high end brands, drugstore brands and some that you might not have come across before. Each item is only available for a limited time period so you have to be quick to make sure you don't miss out on a great deal. If you like buying discounted beauty products (who doesn't?!) then it's well worth signing up for. I received an Yves Rocher duo worth over £40 yet you could buy it on Baobella Boutique for just £10.99! Yves Rocher is the number one makeup brand in France. All of their products are natural so if you're into that kind of thing then they're a great brand to check out. Not only that but their products are very high quality too.

I was extremely impressed by the Volume Vertige mascara. I love the curvy wand applicator. It really sculpts the lashes, giving lots of separation & definition without any clumps. One coat is enough for super long & thick lashes but I always like to add another to pump up the volume. It holds a curl so well & makes my lashes generally look amazing. After applying my mascara I lined my eyes with lots of Soap & Glory Supercat & MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 on the waterline. I finished off my look with a slick of Yves Rocher Grand Rouge lipstick in the shade Radiant Red. This lipstick feels really comfortable & moisturising on the lips. It features camellia oil, organic sesame oil & vitamin E to keep your lips in tip top condition. The highly pigmented formula simply glides on & it has a nice glossy finish. The staying powder is incredible, it lasts for hours even after eating & drinking. When it does begin to fade, it leaves a pretty red stain rather than a horrible ring around your lips. I love the packaging & it smells really nice too. Yves Rocher get a big thumbs up from me.

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June Favourites

Tea Tree Oil
I recently ran out of my Origins Super Spot Remover and didn't really want to pay £13 for a new bottle just yet. Gemma often mentions that she uses pure tea tree oil on her spots so I decided to give it a go too. I picked up this little bottle from Superdrug for £3 and I've been really pleased with the results. I find it only works on those really big painful under the skin spots but it definitely reduces the level of pain and speeds up healing time. It does smell very strongly so you're probably better off just using this at bedtime!

Lanacane Anti-Chafing Gel
Well now... here's an embarrassing favourite if there ever was one. If like me your thunder thighs give you grief as soon as the weather improves then you will love this product. I always had to wear cycling shorts or thin tights under dresses until I tried this stuff. It's a silicone-based gel that you just smooth on and hey presto! No more chafing. You know what else this works as? A pretty decent primer. It's full of silicones so if you react to them then you might want to give it a miss but I would liken this to a cheap dupe of the Smashbox Photo Finish Primer. It makes my skin feel really silky, smooths over pores and keeps my foundation in place. Not bad at all for £6!

L'Occitane Almond Shower Oil*
This is probably the nicest shower gel I've ever used. It's incredibly moisturising and cleans like a dream. I think it works brilliantly as a shaving product and it has saved me from wasting money on expensive razor blades. It's also managed to heal my eczema flare ups so I can't recommend this enough! Check out my full review here.

theBalm Frat Boy Blusher
I love theBalm products and their Mary-Lou Manizer is my favourite highlighter ever! I decided to buy one of their blushers and this is one of the best Summery cheek colours I've come across. It's a satin-finish peachy pink that I think a lot of people would love. I own quite a few peachy blushers but this one stands out because of how highly pigmented it is and how silky the powder feels. It applies so smoothly and blends out really well. It's easy to overdo it so a light hand is necessary here but I love the healthy glow it brings to my cheeks.

Illamasqua Furore Pure Pigment
I've had my eye on this product for months and I finally bought it in the crazy 50% off everything Illamasqua sale. This is a beautiful champagne coloured loose powder that can be used as an eyeshadow and highlighter. The shimmery finish this gives to the skin is truly stunning. It's highly metallic so it almost looks wet. I wear this on my eyes a lot as it's such a lovely shimmery nude colour. It looks absolutely gorgeous when worn with their Ore pure pigment too. I'll be sure to do an eye makeup look soon so you can see both of these powders in action.

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What's In My Makeup Bag?

I store all of my makeup collection in some acrylic drawers from Homebase but I keep the stuff I tend to wear on a daily basis inside my makeup bag. I bought this from MAC a few years ago & it's still going strong. It is the signature medium rectangle bag. It's a good size as it can hold a lot of stuff and has a separate pocket to keep my brushes in. I tend to keep far too many things in here as I like to have a little bit of choice when it comes to what I'm gonna use that day. I would clear some of the products out but I just like too many things! Anyway here's a little peak at some of my most used makeup products.

Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation / Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
By Terry Touche Veloutee / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

I keep a couple of different base products in my bag to use depending on how my skin is behaving & how much time I have to get ready. If I have time I prefer to use the Laura Mercier Silk Creme applied with a Beautyblender. If I'm running late a blob of the Dr Jart BB cream mixed with a tiny dot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer helps to even out my skin and hide some of my blemishes & scarring. The BB cream alone is far too dark & sheer for me so adding the Sensual Skin Enhancer lightens it up & adds a bit more coverage. I use a few different concealers but tend to just go for some of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector under my eyes most days.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer / Illamasqua Naked Rose Blusher / NARS Deep Throat Blusher / theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / MAC Omega Eyeshadow / Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

As well as the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer I also keep the Clarins Instant Smooth one in my bag. The Clarins primer is better if I want to hide my pores & smooth over my skin so I use this one more often. I love blushers & have tons in my collection but the ones I've been using most are NARS Deep Throat & Illamasqua Naked Rose. They're both nice peachy pinks that add a much needed burst of colour to my complexion. My go-to highlighter is theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, I recommend this product for anyone who wants a highly metallic sheen to their skin. It's one of the most pigmented I've tried & really makes my skin glow. I use the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette every day as it's a great selection of neutral colours that are ideal for day or night. If I fancy using a powder to fill in my eyebrows I opt between the shade Naked2 from this palette and MAC's Omega eyeshadow.

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara* / MAC Clear Brow Set / NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm / Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara / Benefit They're Real Mascara / MAC Fling Eye Brow Pencil / Anastasia Granite Tinted Brow Gel / Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara / Beaute Girlina Weightless Lip Creme / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter / Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
LORAC Front Of The Line Pro Eyeliner / SUQQU Eyebrow Liquid Pen

I have four mascaras in here which is probably overkill! At the minute I like to layer the last dregs of my Lancome Doll Eyes mascara with Benefit They're Real mascara and then use the Clinique mascara on my bottom lashes to stop them smudging. I didn't really like They're Real to begin with but it's starting to get better as it dries out a bit. Still clinging on to the Lancome one though! There's some more eye brow products here depending on how I want them to look. I love brushing on some of the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel when I don't have time to fill them in properly. I have lip products galore but I tend to go for the Beaute Lip Creme or Revlon Lip Butter as I do love a nice pink lip. I use the L'Oreal Superliner to do my regular cat flick but the LORAC one is amazing for really thin lines. I use this to fill in any tiny gaps, neaten the end of the flick & sometimes I draw on bottom lashes with it a la Twiggy. And I can't go a day without using my MAC NC15/NW20 pencil on my lower lash line to brighten up my eyes.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush / Real Techniques Contour Brush x2 / Real Techniques Setting Brush / Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush / Real Techniques Brow Brush / Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow Brush / MAC 239 Brush / MAC 222 Brush / MAC 219 Brush / MAC 227 Brush / Tweezerman Tweezers / Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

I keep a few essential brushes in here but often dip into my brush pots when I'm getting ready. I typically apply foundation with a Beautyblender (but I keep that in a separate jar) or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I always keep two of the Contour Brushes in here - one for blending concealer & one for applying blusher. I use the setting brush with some loose powder to set under my eyes and the Sigma brush to apply highlighter. There's two angled brushes in here but they're quite different, the Real Techniques one is better for lining my eyes with black eyeshadow & the Laura Mercier one is my favourite eye brow brush. The bristles are a lot stiffer so it works a lot better. I also keep several eyeshadow brushes in here but I probably use the MAC 219 the most as I like to apply some brown eyeshadow under my eyes with it. Finally I have my tweezers & eyelash curlers, total essentials for me & you can't get better than Tweezerman & Shu Uemura.

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May Favourites

Alpha-H Liquid Gold
This stuff has been working absolute wonders on my face. I did a full review of this the other day and despite the high price this is something I can see myself using for years to come. The effects are practically immediate which really sets it apart from most skincare products. It has certainly helped to keep my blemishes at bay and leaves the rest of my face feeling soft and smooth. My face also looks positively radiant. If like me you suffer from closed comedones (those annoying little bumps under the skin that no blemish treatment seems to shift) then this product is a bit of a godsend. I can't sing its praises highly enough!

Cetaphil Gentle Skin Cleanser
I recently ran out of my Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish as well as my Philosophy Purity Cleanser and to purchase either of these I have to order them online or hop on a train. So I had a look through my local Boots to see if there were any cleansers I liked the look of. I actually found this in the pharmacy section rather than the skin care section but I'm glad I spotted it as its something I've always wanted to try. Cetaphil is a cleanser that you hear a lot about mainly because its so basic & gentle on the skin. Since I've started using my Alpha-H Liquid Gold I've not really felt the need for a fancy cleanser as that product seems to be doing all of the hard work for me. I wouldn't say that Cetaphil is brilliant at taking off makeup but I use this in the morning and after using my Bioderma at night so thats not really a great concern of mine. A lot of acne sufferers use this product because its really good for sensitive skin. Theres no fragrance in it at all. Its a kind of gel formula that you can either just apply to your face and tissue off or wash off. Like all cleansers you should actually use this on your face while its still dry. It doesn't foam up at all but I still think it works nicely with the Clarisonic Mia (I just wet the brush head after massaging the product into my skin). Whichever way you use this it leaves your skin simply feeling clean, fresh & supple. It does contain parabens which isn't brilliant but for the price I really quite like this cleanser.

Origins GinZing Eye Cream
This eye cream is the best one I've ever used. It contains light reflecting particles that help to brighten the under eye area. A lot of eye creams claim to reduce dark circles but this is the only one I've found that actually lives up to the claim. The effects are not really a solution to the dark circle problem but it works more as a temporary pick me up for your eyes. Its especially great to use in the morning because it brightens your eye before you apply your concealer meaning that you don't need to use as much makeup in that area. I have pretty bad dark circles so its really nice being able to just use a light concealer rather than a full coverage one. Its brilliant at keeping your eye area hydrated so I use this morning and night. It also de-puffs your eyes and feels very cooling on that area. My hayfever has just started playing up and I've found that this does help to stop your eyes feeling quite so dreadful.

Clarins Lotus Treatment Oil
I bought this mainly because I needed to buy a second Clarins item to get a ton of gift with purchase samples & 1000 Boots points but I am absolutely loving this facial oil. I know a lot of people can be funny about putting more oil on their face especially if they already have oily skin but this oil is specially formulated for oily or combination skin. Therefore it actually works to balance the amount of oil that your skin will naturally produce and help to stop spots. They also do two other facial oils for dehydrated and dry skin but I have combination skin so I went for this one. It contains Clarins exclusive blend of rosewood, geranium & lotus oils which smell incredible. Its really calming to massage this into your skin before bed and whenever I wake up after using this my skin feels beautifully plump & smooth, not greasy at all.

Clarins Sun Wrinkle Control Cream For Face SPF50+
I spent a couple of weeks last month researching facial sunscreens because this summer I am determined to keep my freckly face under control. The moisturiser I've been using lately (Embryolisse Lait-Crème Concentré) doesn't contain any SPF so I bought this to use on top of it to protect my pale skin. Theres a lot of moisturisers out there that already contain SPF but they tend to only go up to factor 30 and I need a lot more protection. This is a really nice sunscreen because it doesn't leave any white cast to your skin and actually smells quite nice. I was tempted by the La Roche Posay and No.7 facial sunscreens but they smelled horrible. The lady at the Clarins counter told me that if you're using this as an everyday sun protection product you should wear your normal moisturiser underneath but I found that my face felt a bit too greasy after that. So I've just been using this product instead and used alone it does a great job of hydrating your face without making it super greasy. It might not be ideal for someone with really oily skin but I've found that as soon as you apply your foundation the greasiness goes away anyway. Since discovering the wondrousness of Alpha-H products I'm tempted to buy their Daily Essential Moisturiser SPF 50+ when this runs out because thats two products I want in one. Plus its important to wear sun protection all year round which is something I've failed to do in the past & its doubly important if like me you've been fiddling about with glycolic acid products recently!




MAC Powersurge Eye Kohl
Since we've had this recent heatwave I've been trying to wear less eye makeup because it does tend to melt onto my face. My hayfever has also been flaring up a bit so if I do rub my itchy eyes, my black liquid liner and mascara go absolutely everywhere. So I've been wearing this golden bronzey eyeliner smudged over my top and bottom lashes to give them some definition without looking too harsh. The good thing about smudged eyeliner is that if it does get a bit messed up as the day goes on, it looks intentional haha. I'm not too keen on loads of black kohl liner on my waterline because it does make my piggy eyes look even smaller than usual. This colour is a gorgeous alternative that also highlights the green in my hazel eyes.

theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer
Another month, another highlighter it seems! I just can't get enough of this champagne coloured powder highlighter. The shimmer in this is comparable to that of MAC Soft & Gentle MSF but its perhaps a touch more metallic. The colour is more golden than the peachyness of Soft & Gentle and I think it looks really nice on my skintone. I know that Christine of Temptalia is a big fan of this product and if its good enough for her, then its good enough for me!



Alpro Almond Milk
I've never really been too fond of cows milk. I don't put milk in my tea or eat loads of cheese or yoghurt but I have it on my cereal every morning. When I do buy cows milk I always go for Cravendale because they filter it loads so it contains less bacteria. In the past I've tried soy milk (vom!) as well as rice milk & oat milk but recently I saw that Alpro have started selling almond milk. This seems to be the healthiest out of all the faux milk products as it contains less calories, less fat, more vitamins and more fibre. I know a lot of people have been wanting to go dairy-free after watching Barbara's video about how it has helped her skin so this is a good milk alternative to buy. It tastes amazing and even though its more expensive than normal milk (at about £1.50 a carton!) I'm definitely going to be buying this from now on. My new addiction is having this warm with golden syrup flavour Weetabix, nom!