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?

Empties Video

Do you enjoy watching people talk through their rubbish? I do! And if you do too, I made an empties video which you should watch. Hooraayyyy!!

Check it out on : http://youtu.be/_cZlWMNilb8 ,subscribe, and it'll be great. Cool, yeah, see you there!
Thanks for reading!
Lou x

My Brow Game

(Don't you hate when Superdrug put those stickers on everything?)

For a girl with tri-colour hair which can look anything from brown to ginger to blonde on any given day, eyebrows have always been a problem. I also think it's quite hard to find decent eyebrow products in the drugstore for fairer hair. I've tried a lot of pencils, and have found so many red-toned browns masquerading as 'taupe' or 'blonde', including the Rimmel 'Hazel' eyebrow pencil which looked hideous on me. (If you have darker auburn hair, that pencil would be perfection for you).
Recently, I feel like I've really found my eyebrow jam. It started with the Soap & Glory Archery pencil, which I resisted for so long, but finally bit the bullet and gave it a go.

So my only gripe with this you can see in the top photo- the pencil end totally crumbled within weeks of buying it, but I'm fairly sure that's because I've thrown it around my room a fair few times. Fingers crossed my next one won't do that. I opted for the double-ended product, which has the pencil at one end and the pen at the other, since I figured it was only £2 more and basically double the product. Fabulous.

So basically I love this. The perfect colour, lovely natural finish, and both sides achieve pretty much the same result so it'll last twice as long! I've already bought two back ups, and I'm fairly convinced that this is my holy grail eyebrow product. (in the shade Love is Blonde.)

The second product is the L'Oreal Brow Plumper in Light/Medium, which is a really recent find, but one which I feel has taken my brows to the next level. I've always used a clear mascara as a brow gel, mostly because I didn't see the point of buying a tinted one if you've already filled your brows in, but also because I've never found a good one. This one is really good. It holds the hairs in place and apparently adds fibres to make your brows look thicker... I don't know about thicker, but my brows look ( I hope) pretty in- place and shaped. (I know I need to pluck my brows, exam period has just finished ok?)

So yeah, I think these two are a really good combo in colour and product, and I've heard great things about the darker shades too!

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

Four Budget Blushes

So, I'm having a bit of a blusher moment. I think its the warmer weather, I just want to have beautifully flushed cheeks All.The.Time.

These are four really good budget options if you are after a new blusher for Spring and Summer,  all with amazing lasting power and an even application.

From left to right-

Make Up Revolution Vivid Blush Lacquer in Rush. -This is an interesting liquid/cream blush formula which comes out really pigmented and beautiful. Now, there is definitely potential for clown-face here. You have to use a VERY light hand, you literally need the smallest smidgen dotted on the apples of your cheeks, and then go ahead with a blending brush- or your fingers- and blend it. And, let me tell you, this blends out like a dream. If you've gone a little overboard you can sort it out with a quick swipe from your foundation brush/sponge to merge it all together. Lovely. Really nice natural colour which lasts all day long.

Soap and Glory Sexy Mother Blusher in Onamatopeacha. - First of all, I have a lot of love for the name. Second of all, I have a lot of love for this product. The handy stick formula makes this really quick and easy, and unlike the make up revolution blush lacquer, this goes on quite sheer and is one you build up rather than blend out. Obviously, you would blend this one out too... but you know what I mean. Despite the swatch, it is really subtle on the skin, with the smallest hint of sheen but no glitter. Lovely for a natural peachy cheek and perfect for summer.

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Lavish Mauve.- This is a colour which I would normally steer well clear of, as I would assume it would be too dark for my fair skin. But, used with a light hand, this is a beautiful bronzer-blush-highlight hybrid. It adds a bit of depth, a bit of a pink flush, and has a lovely shimmer running through it which really brightens up the cheeks. Amazing.

Sleek Blush in Pixie Pink. - This is a lovely blue-based pink which is no way near as scary as it looks in the pan, believe me. The colour is actually very sheer and buildable, which I absolutely prefer to scary unblendable pigmentation. Such an easy colour to wear, and definitely a go-to for a matte pink blush. 

Hope you enjoyed these recommendations,

Thanks for reading!

Lou x

We be Haulin'

So I've been buying stuff again...

Head over to my YouTube channel to watch my new haul video :)

http://youtu.be/fgYOUfniK6s

Make sure to subscribe and follow the blog to keep up- to -date 

Thanks reading!

Lou x