My favourite makeup looks consist of bronzed, glowing skin - all year round, come rain or shine. Naturally, I'm not blessed with an olive skin-tone, nor do we get enough sunshine to catch a deep tan here in the UK. Instead, I have to rely on my trusty bottles of faux glow and a generous sweeping of bronzer. From powders, creams and liquids, I've tried a whole host of formulas thanks to my obsession, but there's a top tier that I consistently go back to.
Who doesn't love summer? There's nothing better than flying off to exotic destinations, basking in the sunshine (when there is any!) and throwing your jumpers and black tights to the back of your wardrobe. But, there are a few downsides to the warmer climate. My biggest issue in summer, is that I struggle to find a balance with my skin. Naturally, skin gets oilier and less flakey, but it can easily feel the effects of strong sunshine and start to show signs of dehydration, all at the same time. That's when it's time to call on products which will hydrate and plump, without overloading the skin or leaving it greasy.
Now that 2016 has arrived, it's time to give you the low-down on my favourite products from the past year, starting with makeup. Whilst I've already harped on about my love for the majority of these products, there's a few in there that may surprise you!
New Year's Eve is the night I like to go all-out with my makeup. I'm talking all the sparkle. This year, I'm heading to party so have the perfect excuse to get all dressed up, but to be honest, I'd do the same even if I was planning on just cosying up in front of a film with a bag of pic n' mix. This year, I've put together a look featuring glittery, golden eyes, glowing skin and a classic, red lip.
We all want long, thick, voluminous lashes, right? If I had to pick only one, makeup item to use for the rest of my life, it would have to be mascara and I'm sure the majority of people be with me on that. To help me make the most of my lashes, I have a few mascaras that I can always rely on to make my lashes look their best.
Family genetics have blessed me with some persistent, dark circles under my eyes. Even when I've had those crucial, eight hours of sleep and I'm hangover-free, those eye bags still linger. It can be difficult to banish shadows for good, considering they're caused by blood vessels showing through the thin skin, but I've discovered a collection of products that have really helped to reduce the look of them, both short and longer-term.
At this time of year, makeup is all about fresh colours, healthy-looking skin and highlighted features. But, sometimes we aren't graced with a naturally luminous complexion and our skin needs a little help in the radiance department. I've got a small arsenal of products that I whip out whenever my face is looking dull, so I can achieve that much sought-after glow.
In the beauty world, some products come and go without much of a buzz, whilst others rocket up to cult-favourite, must-have status, in days. I don't always like to give in to the hype, at least straight away, and let it settle before I take the plunge and make a purchase, to see if the commotion dies down or remains strong. With the constant influx of new products, if a certain product remains in the limelight, then that's an indicator that it's something pretty special. So I thought that I'd give you the low-down on which products I think are deserving of the hype surrounding them.
Unfortunately, there are some products that just don't live up to their claims, or just don't float your boat. Obviously it's not as nice to talk about products that you've found disappointing, but it's only fair, after raving about so many others. It's always important to remember that what doesn't work for me, may be the best thing since sliced bread, in your eyes. Everyone has their own, individual taste, skin-type, hair-type etc and that makes such a difference to your opinion on a product. These are just a selection of products that haven't got my seal of approval, recently.
In my makeup routine, coverage tends to get ramped up in Autumn/Winter. But, when my skin is dried out from the bitter weather, I don't want to cover my whole face in layers of heavy foundation. It only ends up making me look about twenty years older than I am, by clinging to any rough areas and exaggerating an uneven texture. Instead, I like to use moisturising bases and choose thicker, full-coverage concealers to do the hard work, hiding any bits that need some extra help. There's a lot of options out there and I've been putting a selection to the test over the past couple of weeks. Bear in mind that I have dehydrated skin that can get quite dry, so if your skin-type is normal or oily, the products will probably perform very differently. But, I have mentioned which skin-types I feel each concealer will work best with and why. So, which do I rate and which do I slate?
The Benefit Box Powders have been around since I can remember, with the original, Dandelion, featuring in the magazine beauty charts regularly, hailed as a celebrity favourite. Since then, there's been an influx of new shades for us to lust after. I may not have fallen for them all, but I have built up a modest collection and definitely get my moneys worth of use out of them. It's rather rare for me to actually finish an entire blush compact, but this has happened with a couple of the Benefit box powders and, yes, I did repurchase.
There's no real theme running through my current favourites this month, but there's definitely more of a Spring/Summer vibe appearing, finally! Even though the weather isn't playing ball just yet, my makeup and fragrance choices are starting to transition. Patience really isn't my thing. I may still be reaching for lots of layers in my wardrobe, but my face is breathing a sigh of relief as everything is being toned down.
So, I've kicked my bloggers block, got my act together and I'm back. Despite being quiet online for too many months for my liking, my thirst for anything related to beauty, remained unquenched. As a result, I have an absolute tonne of products stocked up that I need to both rave, and unfortunately, rant about. First up, there's the products I'm currently obsessed with. Spring is finally here and this is one of my favourite seasons for beauty!
Forgive me for being a month late with this one, but now my batteries are recharged after a hectic, few months, the time has come for me to unleash a whole load of 2013 favourites, starting with part one - the makeup and nail products that have truly bowled me over and will give my past loves a run for their money. Another year has passed and although my blogging had tailed off towards the end of 2013, due to work and busy, general life, my thirst for anything beauty-related remained unquenchable. As the months go by, we find products that we like, love and hate, but to narrow everything down to only one item per category is bloomin' challenging.
This time round, my monthly favourites are pretty makeup heavy. There are a couple of products in there that I've had in my to-try pile for a while, but have only just got round to opening and consistently using. I'm sad to see August pass us by, as the weather will only head in a downwards spiral now, but the start of September is always welcome, as I adore Autumn/Winter. Plus, my birthday is less than a week away! I digress. Let's get back to business, shall we?
A couple of weeks ago, it was getting a lot warmer, I finally put my Winter coats away and we were seeing lots more sunshine. Since then, the weather has been up and down, but for the past couple of days, the sunshine has powered through. Spring has finally arrived, it seems! So, I thought I'd show you my favourite blushes to wear during this season. As you'll find out, I much prefer warmer tones, especially when the sun's out.
Apologies that this month's favourites are a little late - you know how busy the end of the year can be!
What with all the festivities, parties and seeing lots of people that you might not see too often, December is a month that is all about wanting to look your best. With that in mind, the products that I was loving last month were all about getting me party ready and keeping me that way, right through the entire month.
Day to day, I don't have to wear a face primer to keep my makeup in place for longer; that's never been too much of an issue for me. But, when I know I'm going to wear my makeup for a long, busy day/night, I do like to wear one, to ensure that my makeup stays looking as good as it possibly can, without much work. Benefit's The Porefessional PRO Primer Balm has had a lot of rave reviews on the internet and has become somewhat of a beauty favourite by many, being one of Benefit's top sellers and, apparently, the number one selling primer in the UK! With that in mind, I just had to give it a whirl and see for myself.
As my skin has become a lot less oily recently, thanks to my current skincare routine, I've been trying to wean myself off powders. I've relied on them for years to tone down shine and secure my makeup in place, but I'd find myself applying more powder whenever an opportunity arose as a bit of a comfort blanket, which left my skin looking a little too dry by the end of the day. To try and kick this terrible habit, I've been instead opting for powder alternatives, such as setting sprays. Then I came across Benefit's Dr. Feelgood Complexion Balm, a multi-use primer, mattifying balm and pore smoother. So, if you've been as intrigued by this product as I was, keep reading for my thoughts on how well it works.
Most days, I'm quite partial to a touch of highlighter along the top of the cheek, cupid's bow and brow bone. I love anything that helps my skin to look bright and radiant, especially when I'm feeling tired and my complexion is looking dull. When worn during the day, I tend to reach for cream formulas for a softer finish, as powder highlighters can end up looking too chalky and intense for the daytime. After recently sorting through all the cream highlighters hidden in my stash, I thought I'd put together a comparison post for a selection of them.
