Stila Lilium Convertible Colour

Stila Lilium Convertible Colour - £16

Spring is finally here & as a result my makeup has become a lot lighter. Instead of using a full coverage foundation & powder blushers I've been favouring a less opaque base & creamy blush. I still adore Topshop & Illamasqua's cream blush offerings but Stila's Convertible Colours really do come out on top. I've previously reviewed the Petunia Convertible Colour and everything I said there still stands for this shade. I absolutely love the dewy finish of these blushers & they last for ages too. Whereas Petunia was a bright rosy pink, Lilium is a pale dusky pink. It has a nice blend of nude & pink tones which makes it one of the most natural looking cheek colours I've come across. I used to apply these with the Real Techniques Stippling Brush but I now think that the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush is a far superior applicator when it comes to cream blush. It makes it really easy to blend these in & either sheer out or build up the colour intensity to your desire.

Lilium also makes for a rather gorgeous lip colour. Pale pinks are my fave for everyday wear & I think this one really suits my colouring. I really like how the colour transforms from my cheeks to my lips. They might look a bit different as they're applied in different places but as I've used the same product they go together perfectly. I always apply some NUXE Reve De Miel lip balm before applying this as otherwise it is a bit drying on the lips. The colour will disappear completely as soon as you eat something but it's easy enough to top up. One of the things I like best about these Convertible Colours is their portability. They're perfect for slipping into your handbag as you get a mirror, blusher & lipstick in one. These are fast becoming one of my favourite ever products. I need more of them!

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Pastel Pretty

Crop Top - Topshop / Skirt - Lavish Alice* / Flatforms - ASOS
Necklace - H&M / Bracelet - H&M / Watch - Michael Kors

Yesterday I tried wearing a crop top for the first time. Could've been a disaster but I don't think I look too bad haha. I'm totally into all the awful 90s fashion trends going around right now and no 90s look would be complete without a crop top! I think the best way to wear them if, like me, you're not super thin is probably with a high waisted skirt. That's why I paired it with this dreamy pastel skirt from Lavish Alice. Totally serving some My Little Pony realness. I love this skirt so much and the tie dye effect fits in well with the 90s theme. It's now been reduced to just £15.80 in the Lavish Alice sale so pick one up before they all go! Their whole new collection is pretty fab too. Loving this shorts suit! I bought this gold chain necklace from H&M the other week. I really like chavvy gold chains for some reason. Must be my magpie/Mr T tendencies coming out!

I spent most of yesterday stocking up for the next few days before taking Chloe to the park. There's nothing like a bank holiday weekend that makes me want to stay indoors. I can't stand all the crowds & people going mental at supermarkets. All the parks, seasides & shopping centres will be crammed as well so we're just gonna enjoy ourselves at home for a few days I think. I'm completely slacking on the email front too so that's something I really need to take care of this weekend. What's everyone else up to? Hopefully something more exciting than my plans!

Also I was featured on the Temporary Secretary blog as their blogger of the week! Squee! They make some gorgeous quirky jewellery & the owner Sarah is one of the best fashion bloggers around so it was an honour to be included on the shop blog. Check out the post here.

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April Favourites

Real Techniques Kabuki Brush
I own pretty much all the Real Techniques brushes now but the Kabuki Brush was missing from my collection. I prefer this to the huge Powder Brush as it is a much better size & shape for powdering the skin. The bristles feel really silky & it works well with both mineral foundation & setting powders. It's a joy to use as it's just so soft and simply glides over my face without disturbing my foundation or blusher. The design of this brush is pretty cool as you can also flip it out so it almost resembles a fan brush. I love using my Louise Young Super Fan Brush for contouring so this is like a more travel friendly version of that one & much cheaper too!

Superfacialist By Una Brennan Rose Miracle Makeover Facial Oil
This is hands down one of the best cleansers I've ever used. I really like all the Superfacialist cleansers I bought but this one stands out as it hydrates, cleans off makeup & clears out blocked pores. I love the rose scent & it isn't overpowering at all. I look forward to cleaning my face with this day and night. It feels so good massaging this into my face before washing it off with a muslin cloth. I think it's really helped clear up my recent breakout. The only problem with this product is that I seem to be going through the bottle rather quickly! I'll definitely have to stock up while it's still on offer in Boots. Read more about some of the brilliant Superfacialist cleansers here.

La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo
I bought this product quite a few months ago when there was just tons of hype around it. I still get acne at 24 years old so I'm willing to try anything that is heralded as a brilliant spot treatment. It didn't really do anything for me so I just shoved it to the back of my skincare drawer and forgot about it. I recently had an awful reaction to a REN exfoliating product which resulted in a million spots all over my face. I figured I would give it another go as my skin was in such a sorry state & I'm so glad I did. The rest of my skincare routine helped to clear up my face but this product in particular has unclogged a lot of the red spots on my cheeks. My skin feels a lot smoother & I've had less new spots since I started using it again. I think there is some confusion as to how to use this treatment but what I do is apply it only on the congested areas of my face before moisturising at night. This method seems to be working rather well as Effaclar Duo is definitely not moisturising enough for my skin on it's own. I know a lot of people have differing opinions about this product. Some people say it's ruined their skin, others say it's saved it and for some it does nothing at all. So it's definitely one you need to try out for yourself.

Clarins Lotus Face Treatment Oil
I have well and truly been loving face oils this month! I've spoken about this oil a few times now but I haven't been using it for a few months. It feels so lovely to massage this into your face at night, very soothing & calming. The blend of rosewood, geranium & lotus oils in it smells divine too. This is a great choice for anyone with combination/oily yet dehydrated skin as it balances the natural oils in your skin as well as unclogging pores. I've found it also helps with scarring & redness. Think I need to try the Trilogy Rosehip oil next as treatment oils are definitely my fave thing at the moment.

Maybelline Ceramic Blue Forever Strong Professional Nail Polish
This gorgeous pastel blue has been gracing my fingers a lot lately. It's such a nice colour and has a really subtle yet pretty baby blue shimmer running through it. It has also lasted surprisingly well on my nails! I've never tried any Maybelline polishes before but colour me impressed. If the Forever Strong polishes live up to their name then it's helping to strengthen my nails too so it's win win with this product.

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