Honey, I'm home!

I'm back!

It's been over a year, but I'm here (and I rhyme). Back on the blog, and on the 'tube - head over to https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZn7sERMMJ0vH1FkeQG1dPQ to check out my new video.

Hope you enjoy!

Base routine/ favourite base products

Oh hi! Welcome to my morning face, and my amazing mug which I got literally ten years ago. Welcome.

It's been a while, sorry about that, life got in the way.

Anyway, hopefully as  you can see from the title, this post is all about base (buttery biscuit base)..if you don't know what that means I don't think we can be friends. Look it up.

So for this, I used all (very almost) highstreet, or drugstore products to achieve a natural looking base which just needed topping up with whatever eye and lip look I fancied.
I won't say this is an everyday look - I tend not to have time to do a few of these steps- but this probably only took 15-20 minutes tops.

For foundation, my favourite at the moment is Rimmel Match Perfection in a mix of Porcelain and Ivory to get my colour. I love this stuff, even though I have pretty oily skin, and I think it might be better suited to normal to dry skin as it has a really natural/dewy finish. I do get oily on my T Zone during the day, but I prefer that to the foundation breaking down into patches which looks awful with foundations like the L'Oreal True Match. Anyway, I digress.

For concealer, a mix of my Bobbi Brown Corrector, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and the L'Oreal True Match clicky highlight pen thing. Love all these, great cocktail of concealers. Speaking of the Collection concealer, I used a little of Shade 4 to warm up my face just around the edges and on my cheeks. This isn't a cream contour, it's a pretty warm shade, but it works really nicely as a cream bronzer.

For powder (which isn't in the photo, sorry, it was 7am) I use my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Difused Light, as well as my Fit Me Powder to set oilier areas.

I like to cancel out discolouration on my eyelids every day, it just makes your eyes look so much more awake. I was using the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in Creme de Rose, but I have this sample of Benefit's Stay Don't Stray so I've been using that for a while now - it's lasting forever!

For my brows, I am looving my Anastasia Dip Brow in Soft Brown at the moment, I think it's dried out a little and I'm finding it a lot easier to not over- load. I top this off with the L'Oreal Brow Plumper. 

Somehow, for the rest of my face, I accidentally used three Revolution Products. Firstly, this huge Bronze/Shimmer/Highlight pan and then the blush in Love. Really like both of these, especially the bronzer which I always go back to. For highlight, which I basically put all over my face, I used the Revolution Radiant Lights palette which is amazing if you're looking for a budget highlight, really long lasting, and a great selection of three shades for all skin tones. Ah-maze.

So yeah! Think that's it. As I said, not something I have time for every morning, but definitely nice when I have a little more time in the mornings and I want a little extra bronze 'n' glow.

Thanks for reading!

Side note, I have child hair. Yep. 

I don't understand hair products/ hair stuff I actually use

I have a strange relationship with my hair, especially recently.
After spending at least 4 years growing and bleaching my hair slowly blonder (basically I want to be Blake Lively), I have done a total U-turn in favour of shorter, darker hair, and have quite literally gone back to my roots in terms of colour.
Anyhow, even when I had longer, blonder hair, my haircare/ styling routine was pretty minimal, and how ever many hair styling products I try, I never cease to be underwhelmed.


Instead of listing all the things I have tried and do not understood, I thought I would list the things I actually do use in the order that I would use them.


1. Shampoo and conditioner. Because obviously I do need clean hair. I have no loyalties where this is concerned - whatever is on offer will do, price range pretty much 2-5£ and not above. It's basically soap for your hair right? - Why spend a lot.


2. Some form of leave in conditioner/ hair oil. I do like to use something on the ends of my hair when it is damp to further hydrate and tame while I blowdry. I'm currently using some kind of L'Oreal split end treatment cream; it's alright, nothing to write home about.


3. Heat protectant. I do see a need for this, and absolutely notice a difference when I don't use something to protect my hair when I dry/ straighten/ curl it. I have to say I have used a couple of shoddy ones which have left my hair sticky and gross, but the Vo5 one I'm currently using is awesome. It's pretty much the rules of suncream for your hair - why would you not use it?


4. Dry Shampoo. I can't live life without dry shampoo. Not that my hair is particularly greasy, but on the second day it does need a refresh, and I definitely find that spraying some dry shamps onto my scalp before bed makes it a little fresher next morning.


5. An occasional hair mask/ deep conditioner. Especially when I had longer, blonder hair I found a nice hydrating hair mask really nice to use, and definitely a good boost for the moisture and colour of my hair.




These are the 5 things I use on a very regular basis. Hairspray, mouse, texturizing spray, styling cream... all the rest of it really eludes results for me. Hairspray I often find sticky and doesn't make enough of a difference to make me want to use it much. Anything that claims to volumise/ style/whatever doesn't seem to make any difference to me if I'm honest ... I'll stick to my dry shampoo and heat protectant.
Thankyoubye


Thanks for reading!!

My "no make-up" make-up essentials

A no make- up face, for me, means a light base and no eye make -up. I know a lot of people still like a coat of mascara with their looks, but personally for my stumpy eyelashes, mascara adds another 5 minutes onto the routine and then it just doesn't look natural any more.

For my base, I love using the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue - my absolute favourite lightweight base - and my usual trio of concealers ; Bobbi Brown corrector, Collection Lasting Perfection and L'Oreal Touche Magique. Obviously, the less product the better but as my skin is far from perfect, concealer is generally a bit part of any make- up look for me.

For brows, I try not to go to bold, and use my Soap&Glory Archery pencil in Blondeshell and the L'Oreal plumper in light/medium. Even though I'm not really blonde anymore, this combo just creates a soft, ashy brow which looks fairly natural.

To get rid of my veiny eyelids, I like to use the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in this lovely rosey colour which is an amazing everyday product. Lastly, a pop of pink blush on the cheeks completes the look, and today I used Benefit's Dandelion.

Thank you for reading, I hope you all had an amazing Christmas or relaxing break and you're looking forward to the New Year,

Thanks for reading, if you liked  this post you can follow me on BlogLovin' to stay up to date with all my posts :)

Lou

Brows | Back to Powder

Just when bold brows are phasing out, I get a real taste for them. Typical hey? Since my dark roots now take up about a third of my hair (I'm trying to pull it off as a grown-out-ombre look...it's not working), I can pretty much get away with a dark-ish brow.
My everyday brow preference is for the Soap and Glory Archery Pencil, paired with the L'Oreal Brow Plumper, both in blonde. I find both products quick and easy to use, and they don't budge all day, which is a definite plus.
But, when I have a bit of time for my face, I like to experiment with slightly bolder, better brows. Here I used the Naked2 Basics palette to really sculpt my brows out. Seriously, whatever colour your hair, this palette will have something in it for your brows, as well as being an amazing eyeshadow palette, obviously. I used a mixture of Frisk and Primal to match my shade, and I really like the results. Am I crazy?

My current concealer cocktail

Who- ever said that one concealer could do it all was lying. Or they don't have the under-eye circles I have... OR they've found a magic make up product I have yet to stumble upon.

Anyway, I'm all about that layering life to make sure those bad boys stay hidden all day long. I can't say I'm 100% in love with all three of these, or that they're my holy grail concealers, or anything like that. But at the moment, it's working , and until I finish them, I'm not hugely bothered about hunting down some alternatives. If I ever need a hint more coverage, I pop a tiny dot of Collection Lasting Perfection right on the darkest part of my eye to really hit it where it hurts. (What?)

Feast your eyes on my eye. (Eye-eye Sir). My camera is fairly flattering, so the intensity of that eye bag just isn't showing up. Anyway, I've done a couple of photos to try to show you the concealer- layering process, and the finished result

So, first of all, I dab a little of the Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque into the purple-most bits of my undereye bags. Now, despite costing me almost 20£, I have found it hard to fall in love with this product. It's super SUPER creamy, making it hard to set, and not to crease the moment you apply it. But, it cancels out most of the purple-ness fairly well, which I suppose is it's number one purpose.

The next step is to layer a little of the Maybelline Anti - Age sponge concealer thing over top, just to cover the peachy-ness of the corrector. Side note: check out that blending job on my nose. Oh wow.

Lastly, I layer a healthy load of L'Oreal Lumi Concealer, which is basically a brightening pen. You can get loads of these, and I would recommend any that L'Oreal make as I've tried a good few. Loverly.

And that's it! Wack a little powder on just to set the concoction, and you're good to go. I would be happy to get this routine down to two steps, but the Maybelline concealer isn't a good colour match to my skin, and needs a bit of a pick me up.

Hope this was helpful!
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

3 New L'Oreal Products

Well, new to me. A good old Boots 3 for 2 deal on L'Oreal drew me in and made me make a cheeky purchase of a couple of single eyeshadows and one of their Colour Riche lipsticks.

The eyeshadows have had a fair amount of buzz around the blogosphere, and I can now see why. Whilst swatching in store, I had trouble picking two rather than ten. You can see from the crack in the right- hand shadow (Nude 201, Cafe Saint Germain), that these are buttery, buttery soft. In fact, I would say that half the pans on the shelf were at least cracked, if not completely crushed.

I'm not normally one to buy single shadows, but these swatched so well in store that I was totally convinced. The right hand shade is Cafe Saint Germain, as mentioned above, and the one on the left, more of a peachy, rose gold shade, is Lumiere 507 Pin Up Pink. I love them both, and I don't think this photo does the intense pigment justice. I hope these wear as well as they swatch!

The lipstick is part of the Colour Riche range too- Doutzen's Nude. It's a true, sheer baby pink, which is something I've been looking for recently. With nudes, I normally lean towards a more peach or purple base rather than straight- up pink, so I love this. It is very sheer, and so far I can say it doesn't stay on particularly long- but that's to be expected with such a creamy formula.

I'm excited about these new products and look forward to trying them out!
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

New Kids on the Block | Eyeliner and Mascara Review

I'm pretty fussy with mascara and eyeliner- eyeliner especially- and I find it hard to try new ones and like them. However, this Maybelline Falsies Volum Express Flared Mascara (long enough name?) has really impressed me recently, and I can see myself repurchasing it fo sho.
Black liquid eyeliner is a product I haven't switched up since the very beginning of my make-up journey. I've been using the Collection Liquid Liner for literally years, too scared to try anything different... until now. This L'Oreal Super Liner is the Bomb.Com I have to say. A super skinny nib, excellent staying power which definitely rivals my beloved Collection version, and very easy to apply. The only con to this product is the thickness of the liquid itself. It isn't quite as black as my Collection one, and needs a little layering to make it super intense. But, the precision you get with the super fine felt nib makes up for the slightly thinner consistency.

I didn't actually curl my lashes this morning when using the mascara, because I've been wearing make up quite regularly and I thought I'd give my lashes a break. Admittedly, it made building the product up a little harder, but I'm amazed with the results- this is probably 3/4 coats and it's not clumpy.
I've been wearing both for over a week now and I haven't noticed smudging or flaking as yet, so a big thumbs up for the wear-time.
Definitely two products I would recommend!
Thanks for reading
Lou x

First Impressions | L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream

A while ago, when I purchased the L'Oreal Infallible Foundation and Brow Plumper, it was 3 for 2- so I picked up this- the L'Oreal Nude Magique BB Cream in 'Light Skin Tone'.
It's been sitting in my drawer for a while, because...well mainly because I was a little bit scared of it.
The squeezy tube is very handy and sleek looking, but the product comes out a strange shade of grey/white. The idea is that it blends to match your skin tone once you rub it into your skin.

I tried the concept on my hand first...and I'm not sure about matching my skin tone, but at least it didn't stay white.

Here's my face with nothing but the BB cream on. First of all- application = Nightmare. Because it's white/clear until its spread onto your skin, you really can't see where you've been and where you haven't. Very annoying. I applied it with a buffing brush, and added more to my chin area to build up coverage- which it actually did pretty well.
The finish is so strange, and completely not what I expected. I would say it is a fairly natural finish, much more matte than I expected- but if it had actually been the right colour for me, it would just look like I had fairly even skin. So- obviously- the main problem is the colour. I'm going to have to bronze the heck out of my neck to make it match, because at the moment, my face is tangoed.

Overall- my first impression is that the application is easy and blendable, but flawed because of the nature of the product which doesn't allow you to see what you're doing. This colour, which was the lightest, is definitely too dark for me, and probably a lot of fairer skinned people. The coverage is a pretty solid medium- which is surprising for a 'nude bb cream'.
I'm not sure about this product, because of the colour, I don't think I'll be reaching for it that often- unless it wears amazingly. I'll keep you updated!

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Peaches and Cream: Easy Spring Everyday Make-up Look

If you love a peachy eye and a fresh, summer skin, head over to my YouTube channel and watch me putting my make up on and make my face look like this:

I'm not sure what's going on here, but my camera has made my skin look flawless. It's a lie.

All the products I used are mentioned in the video.

http://youtu.be/NyHb7Lre6hA

It's nice and easy and uses pretty much all drugstore products and brushes :)

Check it out, and appreciate my music/editting skills. Been working on dat ting alllll day.

Probably should be doing coursework...

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

The Weekend Edit ~ Travel Make-up Bag

 I find packing a travel make -up bag so much fun. I think I'm a bit weird, but I love challenging myself to cut it down to a small selection which offers me a wide range of options. So here's my latest edit, I'm at my parents' for Easter and the few days ahead will hold family gatherings, photo opportunities, and some trips out to see friends etc, so my make-up bag has to be quite versatile. I'll talk you through my picks so hopefully you'll get some ideas :)

Face

Three concealers I hear you say, well- let me justify it.

The Rimmel BB cream is a no-brainer, it's my absolute favourite at the moment. Light to medium coverage, brightening and flawless looking. Light enough for a casual day, but with a bit of neatly placed concealer, it can become a bit more flawless.

The Collection concealer is for blemishes which might rear their ugly head. Dotted onto bits-I-want-to-cover, this concealer is perfect for heavy coverage jobs. And everyone is bored to death hearing about this one, so I'll move on.

Maybelline Fit Me concealer is a strange one. It's looks darker than my skin tone but when blended in it's actually fine. I use the shade 15. I use this as an eyeshadow base to even out my pigmentation on my eyelids, as well as under my eyes to cover those dark circles.

The L'Oreal Touche Magique is for those days which I want a little extra summin-summin. Stripped over the top of the Maybelline under my eyes and down my cheeks a little, it can look really brightening, and on a really good under-eye day, I could just wack this on atop my BB cream for a really luminous face. Brill.

 Blush, Bronze and Highlight

Bronzing/ contour goes straight to my Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 Light Matte- perfect for both a chiselled cheekbone, and a sunkissed glow. 

Blush was a hard one, I wanted to take my MAC blush, but I've not been giving my other blushes much attention, so I've thrown in this Revolution blush in Love which is really really nice and fresh. It is matte but it lasts well and is a perfect Spring-pink.

For highlight, I gave the Mary Luminizer a break, and threw in this Technic Highlighter (available on Amazon) which is basically an amazing dupe for Benefit's High Beam, and a tenth of the price. I've had this for years, and it's perfect dabbed on the cheekbones or under the brows.

I chucked in my Rimmel Stay Matte powder in Translucent for shiny days.

Eyes

I feel like this is such a condensed choice, I am so proud of myself.

For my brows, I went for my Revolution Aqua Tint in Fair which I love, and it lasts really well, as well as my Natural Collection Clear Mascara for combing them through.

I have two cream eyeshadows which are great for bases, and for quick washes of colour. I went for Creamy Beige from Maybelline because it's matte, and everything else I'm bringing is shimmery so I wanted the option. The other is Petale de Glace ( i think) From Borjouis- the name has rubbed off but it's a really beautiiful dusty pink which looks so fresh and pretty. 

I'm loving this Collection Eyes Uncovered palette in Nude Bronze, it's got a really good selection of shades, and the quality is amazing for the price. Also the packaging is so travel-friendly.

Mascara was an easy one- Va Va Voom from 17, my go-to mascara. Same with eyeliner- the liquid pen from Collection is the best. I threw in a pencil black eyeliner just incase, it's the Rimmel Scandaleyes.

Lips

Stuff happening this week will mostly revolve around eating, so no bold lips are welcome. The Revlon Lip Butter in Pink Truffle is a nice balmy dark pink, the Rimmel Kate Lipstick in 103 is a matte mid pink, and the Maybelline Colour sensational in Glorious Grapefruit is an orange-y gloss. All fresh and spring-y but not high maintenance. Oh, and some Lip Balm from the Body shop which is chocolate smelling. Yum.

Other bits

Just a couple of extras. Baby skin primer in case I feel a bit pore-y, my lash curler because its an essential, and Barry M Topcoat, Basecoat and Nail Hardener in case I need to get rid of my current colour and I can't deal with naked nails.

So that's everything! Hope you enjoyed it and found it useful :)

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Drugstore Haul Video

My first video is live on youtube at

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVKUbBg8eJ0

Take a watch and please be kind, I'm new at this!

Lou x

The "No- Make- up" Make-up Essentials

There are days when my eyes want a break, but I still want to leave the house and not look like a zombie. Unfortunately I don't have that great skin and strong brows which means i can look flawless at all times. There are three basic steps to follow to perfect your natural face if you're in a rush, or if you just don't fancy blending any eyeshadow today (it happens)

Step 1: Base

Something fresh, light, and radiant makes the best quick base fix. My base of choice is the Rimmel Radiance BB cream in Very Light. This is a fairly new purchase for me but I LOVE it. So light, so fresh, but decent coverage. Pretty radiant but not as glowy as the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum. Love it. Check it out. Now. 

Next, wack on some concealer. I pop a bit of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair on any blemishes, and the L'Oreal Touche Magique under my eyes.

Step 2: Brows

My brow products of choice are the Kiko eyeshadows, just mixed together and swished through my brows to make them a bit fuller and ...just better. Sorting your brows out makes everything look more ready, and your face look more framed and beautiful. I envy people with beautiful dark brows...

Flick some brow gel (I use Natural Collection Clear Mascara) through them brows to keep them in place.

Step 3: Blush
A bit of blusher perks up your face so well. Choose one which is also illuminating so you don't need to bother with highlighter. My go-to brush is MAC's Peachykeen. It's really sheer so I can build it nicely to get a nice flush.


Thanks for reading!
Lou x

First Impressions & Review ~ L'Oreal True Match Foundation & Touche Magique Concealer

I am still on the search for the perfect foundation, as most of my collection are not quite the ghostly- white colour which is the reality of my skin.
The only one I am wearing at the moment is the Rimmel Lasting Nude in Porcelain which is quite sheer, and is really boring to wear every day. So, the hoarder in me went wild on my lunchbreak at work yesterday and purchased the much-talked about L'Oreal True Match Foundation in R1 C1 Rose Ivory. I also bought the Touche Magique concealer pen in Ivory Beige. 
First of all, I was really really impressed with the range of colours for the true match foundation. There was a Warm, Neutral and Yellow toned foundation for each shade, which is so good ; if you're struggling to find a foundation which matches your skin, I would check out L'Oreal. I picked out the 'Rose' Ivory shade which I think is the cool shade? Judging from the C which surely means cool? However- 'Rose' suggests warm, and it does look quite warm so...who knows. Basically, I swatched all three ivories, and this was the palest. (#ghostlife) 
The concealer is full-on yellow, and supposedly illuminating, so that bodes well. Who doesn't love illumination ey? I'm after a lightweight under-eye concealer because I always find that concealer settles into my fine lines, so I thought this would be a good one to try.

Ok so, onto the first impressions. I will be checking in throughout the day to share how well it is wearing on my skin.



11am- 

When I applied this, I was pleasantly surprised at how well it blended into my skin. It is quite a pink ivory (hence the name, duh), and I was panicking when I was putting it on because the rest of my skin looked quite yellow. BUT, I persevered, and it seemed to blend to my face colour. Which is amazing. The colour looks really natural, and definitely is pale enough, so, ten points so far.
I was really surprised about the finish of this. I kind of expected an illuminating but fairly- full coverage finish. However, the fluid (ew) itself is thinner than I thought it would be, and the finish is pretty matte. I am not really a fan of a full- on matte finish so I was a bit disappointed about that. 
The coverage, however, is really good. I didn't put any concealer on apart from the illuminating under eye concealer (more on that in a minute), and the scar- zone - which is located on my chin- was fairly concealed. Obviously, still visible, but not too much. I decided to not apply any concealer to this area so I could really see how it wore. I also did not apply primer.
I striped the concealer under my eyes in a scary triangle shape, and was horrified at the bright yellow colour. Yikes.
However, I went ahead and blended it, and it really sunk into my skin and blended nicely. I'm not super blown away with this concealer yet...I don't know if it's because it's pale enough to be my skin colour, so it doesn't create the dimension it would on other people...or just because it's not as illuminate-y as I thought it would be.

12 noon-
After an hour or so I am noticing that the matte- finish is settling into a more natural satin. I am so pleased. My forehead, nose, chin and cheeks are actually reflecting light rather than lying completely matte and flat, so I am much more enthusiastic at this point. I can't believe how good the coverage is- the pores on my nose and cheeks are completely camouflaged, and I'm not super bothered about not having any concealer on my chin.
The concealer under my eyes has settled a little into lines, but this always happens. I've sort- of  blended it with my fingers to make it settle, so hopefully it will last a bit better. I have to say, the coverage on this is really good for an 'illuminating' product. I'm not itching to wack some more concealer on my under eyes which is promising.


4pm-

The foundation is lasting well, the natural oils on my skin (ew) have made it a lot less matte on my forehead and chin, making it look more dewy, which I like. It was really hard to  get a photo with the right light so you can see, but I hope you get some idea. Normally I would love a bit of concealer over that chin area, so apologies for my skin, which is (never) in the best shape.
The concealer seems to be holding up well too, I would prefer to have a little more coverage, but hey, it's doing well to be honest, medium coverage, and I suppose a bit brightening? Not as intense as I imagined.

6pm-

My facial expressions are just getting more and more awkward as the day goes on.
Anyway, nothing new to report since 4; shinyness around the chin and forehead, which I would normally have the option of powdering, but I probably wouldn't -I don't like my face to look flat. So far I am loving this foundation.
Under-eye area is holding up really well, no more fine lines visible than normal which is always a plus.

8pm-

This is my I've-been-doing-coursework-all-day-and-I'm-really-fed-up face. Can you tell?
So last check in, my make up has been on for about nine hours. The foundation lasted really really well, my chin and forehead are quite shiny by now, but that always happens because those are my oily areas. The concealer lasted really well too, I would normally touch up my concealer throughout the day and I didn't today which is good.

Overall I really like this foundation and concealer.The foundation has an amazing colour range, amazing blendability and a lovely finish. Ditto for the concealer. 
I would recommend them both!
Thank you for reading, if you enjoyed this post make sure you +1 this post and follow my blog for more reviews :)
Lou x