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. 

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

Maybelline Colour Tattoo - Creme de Rose | Review & Swatches

I have been waiting so long for Maybelline to come out with this - a Colour Tattoo in a shade perfect for priming before eyeshadow.
This is shade Creme de Rose and it has quickly become an essential in my everyday make-up bag, as a great little product to apply before liner, shadow or mascara to create a blank canvas.
Here's a before and after and a cheeky swatcheroo -

It is a little bit pink- toned, and even though I have more yellow skin, it works fine just blended up to my crease. Basically, everything is great about it. I very occasionally get dry patches in the inner corners when I don't take a minute to blend it - and I do mean literally just a moment.

I would really recommend this to anyone, especially people looking for a quick one-step eye look for work/school - pop a bit of bronzer or shadow in the crease and you're good to go. Or, if you've always been curious about MAC Painterly paint pot, I expect this will do a very similar thing! If this is too light for your skin tone, I would recommend Creamy Beige which is a soft taupe and would be perfect if this is too light.

Thanks for reading ;)

Lou x

What's in my on-the-go make-up bag?

That girl curling her eyelashes on the train? Yep, that's me. I've mentioned before that I often find myself doing my make-up on my thirty five minute commute, and I know from personal experience that I'm normally one of a few ladies applying their blusher while whizzing through the English countryside.
I thought I'd share an everyday make-up bag for me- basically what I'm throwing in my bag after I've sorted out my base and my eyebrows before I leave the house.
Here's a sneak peak in order of how I do my face-

Mac Cinderella Palette
I might have mentioned before how happy I am that I bought this, and not the lipstick from the MAC Cinderella release back in Spring. It's just so handy! Definitely an everyday palette, I tend to use Quarry in the crease, Phloof on the lid and Satin Taupe on the outer edge and lower lash. It's also great to use the black shade, Stroke of Midnight, along the upper lashline like a smudgey liner.

Clinique Full Impact Mascara
This really is on it's last legs, but I'm struggling to find something to replace this mascara. It's separating, lengthening, and just generally a great all-rounder. No complaints here.

Clinique Cheek Pop in Melon Pop
I apply this with my H&M blush brush, which is great by the way- but I bought it yonks ago, and this is just a really nice colour to brighten up your face. These blushes are also quite sheer, which is great for on-the-go, as you don't end up elbowing the guy next to you while you're feverishly blending your blush into your cheeks. None of that, just peachy goodness.

Revlon Balm Stain in Honey
A classic. A soft, warm pink with great staying power and a natural sheen, perfect for the office.

Other Stuff
Although I've already sorted my base by the time I get on the train, I  always carry my Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair  with me to retouch during the day, as well as my Maybelline Fit Me powder in 120 Classic Ivory for that lunch-time shiny forehead fix.
Brush wise, I've got ma blush brush, as mentioned, and a great stippling brush from Wilkos which I love for powder. There's also my eyelash curler in there cause, y'know, nobody likes a droopy lash.

So yeah! I hope that was interesting, thanks for reading! :)

Lou xx

Sunday Chat | My face powder story

I have never been a huge face powder fan; I've had far too many horrific cake-face incidents as a teen to make me trust the stuff. But recently, especially since working in a hot office, I have realised that my skin can get a tad, erm, oily.
I love a bit of dewy-ness regardless of season, but what I mean by oily is a world away from a healthy glow, so, I started hunting for a powder.
One of my friends almost convinced me to buy one of the Hourglass powders over the summer. But, after wearing it for a few hours, I found that I wasn't as impressed as I had hoped to be for forty quid, so I gave that a pass.
For a while, I dabbled in Rimmel Stay Matte - a classic - which I found, repeatedly, was just way, way too heavy on my skin. I also have experience with the Soup&Glory One Heck of a Blot which is fairly good, but still quite matte.
It wasn't until I watched some random KatheleenLights video recently and she mentioned the Maybelline Fit Me, that I scooped this beauty out of my collection and started to use it again.
I don't know why I ever stopped using this powder, but I definitely owned it for around a year during Uni, and my compact was fairly busted, but this is hands-down the best powder I have used to date.
It isn't matte, it  definitely doesn't have sheen, it just looks how you want it to look - like your face.

If you're hunting for a new powder I would absolutely recommend giving this one a go- especially if you're on a budget. I haven't had enough experience dabbling with higher end powders, but when I do, I'll be sure to report back!

Thanks for reading :)
Lou xxx

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

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

Worth the Hype? | Maybelline Lash Sensational

I must be the only person in the world who hates this mascara. I'm serious, I've tried it probably four times now, each time expecting the formula to have thickened, dried or changed in some way to make it USABLE.
I don't understand how people like this mascara. Maybe I have a dud, but the formula is so wet and clumpy, it makes my lashes look wet, but not in a good way. It is also so HARD to make it hold a curl on my lashes, even with  a lash curler- the formula is so wet that it drags my lashes down again.
The above photo is after two or three coats, a lot of finger-lash curling (pushing my lashes up like a madwoman), and a lot of anger.

I rest my case on this one, Ive had it for months and the formula hasn't got any better. I'm prepared to admit that I have fussy lashes, but I just can't be friends with this one, sorry Maybelline

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Maybelline Colour Sensational Shine Gloss | Review & Swatch

I've had this product for a while, and I've been back and forth with my opinion on it. But, I'm afraid, I've finally decided that I really do not like it that much at all.
I have mine in the shade 420 Glorious Grapefruit, which looks completely gorgeous and summery swatched here - a really bright but sheer orangey peach. Amazing.

On the lips it is definitely a sheer wash of colour, which I am totally okay with, and it's definitely not the way it looks or wears which makes me dislike it. It looks juicy and fresh, wears pretty well, and fades gracefully rather than patchily. However, there are a couple of things which just make the experience of using this gloss completely unpleasant for me.
Firstly, the smell/taste.
-A really obnoxious fake orange, which you think is quite fun for the first ten minutes, but then it lingers and gets into your mouth and tastes like you've munched up an orange soap, or a bottle of the Body Shop Satsuma Shower Gel. Not nice.
Secondly, the texture is just so SO odd.
- It feels kind of gritty? When applied, it glides on smoothly and evenly and you're like  yeah, look at my lips. But then, that inevitable moment comes when you press or rub your lips together and it feels horrible...like there is a bit of sand accidentally mixed in.
If I ever wanted to try out another colour to see if the texture is consistent across the line, I'm afraid I'm put off with the scent, so I'm closing the door on this product forever I'm afraid.

Thanks for reading!
Lou x

Travel Make - Up

When I visited Morocco recently, my make- up selection  proved surprisingly successful while I was away- so, I thought I would share it with you in a video! 

Go check it out on:

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCECys22qgk3G01ozysH6rcA

I hope you enjoy it, please subscribe!

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

The New Blue

I know that I just did a Spring nails post, but I hadn't yet realised how amazing this nail polish is. 

This is the Maybelline Forever Strong Super stay 7 Day Nail Colour (whoa) in  'Surreal 635. I have to say, for some reason my camera is really brightening up the colour. In reality it's just slightly more muted and ever- so- subtly purple-y hued. I used two coats of this last night ontop of the Barry M Basecoat, Topcoat and Nail Hardener, and then added an extra layer of that this morning to really shine it up. 

So yeah- just a really nice, fresh, pretty way to wear a blue nail varnish. I like the formula of this nail varnish too, I'm not finding that the 'gel' in it makes it thicker or more long lasting than my other nail varnishes if I'm completely honest, but it's pretty good. I'd say a four or five day wear if you aren't doing anything intense with your hands (oo-er)

If you're near the highstreet I would go check this colour out as it is amazing

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

(I apologise for the hideous state of my cuticles. Ain't nobody got time for that level of upkeep.)

Maybelline Colour Tattoo On and On Bronze ~ Does it last a whole day?

If you haven't heard about the Colour tattoos by Maybelline yet...have you been living under a rock?

The most talked about shade- by far- and the first one I purchased, is 'On and On Bronze', or Bad to the Bronze in the USA.

I love this as a base or on it's own, and I thought I would test it's longevity ( it does claim to have 24 hour wear) and document a whole day's wear without eyelid primer or even concealer to keep it in place.

Here's the original hand swatch. You can see how amazingly pigmented and shimmery this cream eyeshadow is with just one swipe.

 So here's how it looked about half an hour after it went onto my eye. I was  short of time this morning so there's absolutely nothing else on my eyelid apart from the colour tattoo.

Two hour time check- the colour looks roughly the same, I do notice that it fades slightly from when you first put it on and doesn't pack the same punch as when first applied.

Here's about four or five hours later. I notice with this shade the colour seems to fade but the shimmer stays put really well. It doesn't look noticeably faded and patchy, but doesn't compare to the original swatch. 

Here's the last check up of the day. I swapped eyes, I'm not sure why but they look identical to be honest. This photo is after over nine hours wear, and I have to say, for one swipe of product, this has held up pretty well. I definitely think with a concealer or primer underneath the colour would hold up a little better, or even if I just packed the product on in a second or third layer. I think this is a really good one for quick morning make-up, as the shimmer and colour stay pretty well throughout the day.

(I have to say the photos show my mascara and how well that held out during the day too- it was Maybelline Falsies)