Blush Beauty: June 2015

June Favourites

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What to Pack When Going on Holiday? - Makeup

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I always find that packing, and making sure not to forget anything, when going on holiday is the hardest part. Although I write list upon list there always seems to be something that I forget to pack and that I cannot get hold of when abroad so this year I have been trialling the products that I want to take away with me before hand so that I know exactly what comes with me and what doesn't.

I know not everyone likes to wear makeup when on holiday, and most of the time I probably won't be wearing any, but I do like to make sure that I take products that are easy to apply, can withstand the heat and that are long lasting. After trialling them out over a few weeks I have whittled down my usual everyday makeup bag, taking out certain products or swapping them for alternatives, and am left with a set of makeup products that I think will work very nicely when on holiday next month.

Soap and Glory Sunshield Superfluid - After moisturising, and before applying my base product I like to apply a layer of this sunscreen. It has an spf of 50 which is perfect for my fair skin and doesn't leave a greasy film as I feel a lot of other facial sunscreens can.

Nivea Express Hydration Primer - This is a great primer for anyone with dehydrated skin as it adds a layer of moisture but doesn't leave you feeling greasy. I have combination/oily but that is also dehydrated at times and find this works very well for me! It sinks in very quickly to the skin which is an important factor for me when on holiday as I don't want to spend too long applying makeup. I will be decanting this primer though, and popping in into a smaller pot as the glass pot that it comes in is quite heavy and bulky.

Rimmel BB Cream - This is a product that is still fairly new to me but one that i've really enjoyed using. This BB cream has doesn't have a dewy finish like most and claims to keep the skin matte throughout the day which it does very well! This can be applied with fingers or with a brush for extra coverage (although BB creams work to create an even tone more than they do to add coverage) and has an spf of 25 which is an added bonus!

Maybelline Fit Me Concealor (Review here!)- I love this concealor for applying under the eyes as it is so creamy, but can also make it work for concealing blemishes. I apply it in the needed areas then blend/pat in using my finger.

Mac Blot Powder (Review here!)- I have been using this powder for a few years now and find that it's the best blot powder to use in order to keep the skin looking shine-free throughout the day.

Sleek Californ.i.a Blush Palette (Review here!) - This is the perfect blush palette to take on holiday as you can really mix and match the shades you wear, mixing them if wanted and can also be used for things such as cream shadows or a light wash of colour on the lips.

Maybelline On and On Bronze (Review here!) - I probably won't be wearing eyeshadow everywhere that I go, but when I do I think i'll be using this one as it's easy to apply, long lasting and gives a subtle wash of colour that can be built up if needed. You can see me wearing this in the photo below.

Soap and Glory Brow Archery Pencil - This product has become my go-to for brows. It saves me so much time in the morning so is perfect for taking away on holiday.

Loreal Million Lash Waterproof Mascara - I love the original version of this mascara but for holiday prefer to go for a waterproof mascara.

What are your go-to products to take away on holiday?

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Beauty

Makeup Starter Kit - Cheeks

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Following on from my previous Makeup Starter Kit post (focusing on base products), today I have the cheek products that I think would be perfect for anyone building up a makeup collection. There are so many amazing blushers, bronzers, and now highlight and contour products, at the drugstore and I've tried so many over the past few years or so but there are a selected number of products that I love and will always go back to.

Blusher:

Sleek By 3 Blush Palette - How could I not mention these? If your looking to start out with makeup, blushes in particular, theses are the place to start. These palettes feature three blushes, either cream or powder, sometimes a combination of both, and come in a range of colours. I have have both 'Pink Lemonade', a palette made up of two powders and one cream, and 'Californ.i.a', an all cream palette. These palettes are very versatile, easy to use and extremely affordable at £9.99, most single high-end blushes alone cost more than that.

Topshop Cream Blush - I've tried a few different cream blushes in the past but I think the ones by Topshop are my favourite. They are so creamy and although they look a little scary in the pan, they blend out to give a very natural flush to the cheeks. Also, a cream blush is perfect for this time of year as they tend to sit better on the skin as it gets warmer and your skin produces more oils.

Mac Mineralise Blush - When your starting out with makeup people tend to stick to more affordable brands, but if you are looking to branch out into the world of high-end then these blushes are a great place to start. My favourite is the shade 'Dainty' which gives such a lovely, peach glow to the cheeks.

The Body Shop Baked to Last Blush - This is a lovely blush/highlight duo which when swirled together gives a lovely pop of colour to the cheeks. I have this in the shade coral and have been wearing an awful lot since the sun has started to come out. Also, there is almost, always a discount code for The Body Shop so you never have to pay full price for their products.

Bronzer:

The Body Shop Honey Bronze Bronzing Powder - I've raved about this before, and i'm going to do it again. This is the perfect bronzer for beginners as it gives such a subtle glow (but can be built up if wanted). This is a completely matte bronzer which I personally really like and think that it's worth every penny!

Contour and highlight:

Sleek Contour Kit - This is the perfect product to use when starting out with contouring and highlighting. It's so affordable at less than £7 and comes in three shades, light, medium and dark. The contour shade isn't too warm so doesn't look orange on the skin but works to

Topshop Glow - I've been absolutely loving this one at the moment. It's perfect for spring as it's so creamy and easy to blend out and doesn't leave you looking like a disco ball! (Review here)

What would you like to see next from my Makeup Starter Kit series?

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Beauty

Review: Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot Powder

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Blogging

New Blog Layout!!

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Beauty

The Best Eyeshadow Palettes for Travelling

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My eyeshadow collection has grown drastically in the past year and now I am even running out of room to store them. As I am going on holiday in a month or so I've been trying to decide on which eyeshadows to take with me and which ones to leave behind and in the process came to realise that i have a few palettes that would be perfect to travel with. Today I'm going to be discussing the palettes that would be perfect for travelling with due to their shade range and sleek packaging!

The Neutral Palette - If your looking for a neutral eyeshadow palette then I'd definitely recommend the W7 Naked Nudes Eyeshadow Palette which is made up of four neutral, easy to wear shades. If you'd like to read about this in more detail then check out this post that I wrote last month.

The Custom Built Palette - Of course Mac is the place to go if your looking to customise your own palette with shades specifically catered to your skin tone. I know that Mac shadows aren't exactly cheap but they are great quality, last forever and fit into a very convenient palette (which you do have to buy separately and come on a duo, quad or 15-pan palette). I will actually be doing a separate post on my own Mac palette very soon if you'd like to know more about the shades that I have!

The Day-Time Palette - Although this isn't my favourite palette in the world, I do tend to take the Loreal La Palette Nude with me when travelling purely due to the sleekness of it. It comes with a lovely range of shades perfect for the day time (though you could definitely use this to create a night time look too!), and comes with a good sized mirror.

The Pop-of-Colour Palette - When I fancy incorporating a hint of colour into my makeup look I tend to opt for Sleek's 'Oh So Special' palette which has a combination of 12 shades. My favourites from this palette are the two bright pinks which I actually used to create this look.

The Night-Time Palette - Rimmel's eyeshadow palette in 'Brixton Brown' is perfect for creating an eyeshadow look for the night-time. It comes with four very lovely shades and is so small, meaning that it won't take up too much room in your makeup bag!

The Smokey Eye Palette - If your new to the whole 'smokey-eye' thing, then this may just be the perfect palette for you. I have this palette from Topshop in 'Constellation' but i'm pretty sure that this comes in other colours if you'd prefer.

What are your favourite palettes for travelling with?

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Beauty

Updated Skincare Routine: Morning

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Since I have been getting more and more into skincare lately, my own routine has change up quite a bit. If you've read my previous skincare routines (here and here) then you'll notice that I now use a few different brands and products, although some products remain the same. I feel like I now know a lot more about my skin type (combination, acne prone and at times dehydrated) and how to adapt my routine to catering to that, though I'm quite lazy with my skincare so don't use anything too fussy and in the morning prefer to keep things as simple as possible. Today I'm going to talk you through my morning skincare routine and follow up with my night-time routine in another post. So, onto the skincare.

1. Cleansing - The first step in my routine, both morning and night, is to cleanse. There are a few products that I like to use to cleanse depending on the condition of my skin at that time, at the moment though I've been using The Body Shop Tea Tree Cool and Creamy Wash. I have written a review on this particular cleanser (here) where I go into a little more detail on how I apply and use this, but love this one as it aims to fight blemishes whilst not drying out the skin.

2. Moisturiser - I always aim to apply my moisturiser around 2 to 5 minutes after cleansing so that the skin really locks in the moisture. In the morning I like to use a moisturiser that sinks in fairly quickly and that sits well underneath my makeup. The moisturiser that I've been using lately is another product by The Body Shop and is their Aloe Soothing Day Cream. This moisturiser is one aimed at sensitive skin so is very gentle and not at all heavy feeling. It sits well under makeup and doesn't leave my combination/oily skin feeling greasy throughout the day. However, on those days that I don't intend on applying makeup I prefer to use something a little heavier and more moisturising so tend to go for Neautrogena's Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Oil-free Moisturiser (Review here).

3. Prep the lips - Next I use a Lush Lip Scrub if my lips are looking a little dry then pop on a layer of lip balm. I have been really liking the Eos Lip Balm in 'Sweet Mint' lately, and I know that I'm very late on the bandwagon with these ones, and yes I know they are pretty gimmicky but I love how cute the packaging is and surprisingly how moisturising they are on the lips.

As you can tell my morning skincare routine is quick, simple and fuss-free but gets the job done perfectly! It's well suited to my skin type and perfect for those early morning starts. What's your favourite skincare products for the morning?

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Beauty

Review: Tea Tree Cool and Creamy Wash

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Beauty

From The Drugstore: Rimmel Scandeleyes Eyeliner Pencil

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Beauty

Four Lipsticks for Summer (+100th Post!!)

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Beauty

Makeup Tutorial: A Subtle Hint of Colour

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Believe it or not, on a blog that is predominately made up of makeup related posts, this is the first makeup tutorial that I've done. I don't know why it's taken me so long to do one as I'm always experimenting with different makeup looks and trying to recreating those that I've seen others do. I think perhaps part of the reason why I haven't done one sooner was due to not having a good camera to take close-up photographs, but today I decided to bite the bullet and make do with photos from my iPhone as I really loved the look that I created.

Today's look is very summer appropriate and is about adding a subtle pop of colour to your makeup. I know a lot of people shy away from adding colour to their look but there is a way to do so without looking too crazy. As you can see, I've added a wash of coral to the lids as well as using two lipsticks to mix a very pretty salmon shade. The colours where a bit more prominent in real life and for some reason didn't show up as pigmented in the photos so take a look at the swatches towards the end of the post to get a better indication of the colours I used. Also, I'd love to hear what you thought of this type of post and whether you like me to continue posting makeup tutorials.

1. I began by applying my eye makeup but feel free to apply your base beforehand. I'd already cleansed and moisturised my skin so then applied a thin layer of Mac's Paint Pot in Painterly to act as a base for my eyeshadow.

2. Next I used a Zoeva Luxe Petit Crease Brush to apply Quarry by Mac in the eye socket making sure that it was well blended.

3. Using a Real Techniques Shading Brush I took the bright coral shade from Sleek's Oh So Special eyeshadow palette and applied it to the outer corner of the eye.

4. Using the same brush I applied the lighter pink shade in the middle of my eye, then the highlight shade from the Natural Collection's eyeshadow duo to the inner corner and brow bone.

5. I swiped Rimmel's eyeliner pencil in 'Nude' along my waterline, curled my lashes then applied a few coats of Benefit's Roller Lash mascara which I am absolutely loving at the moment.

Products used: Mac Paint Pot in 'Painterly', Sleek I-Divine palette in 'Oh So Special', Mac single eyeshadow in 'Quarry', Natural Collection eyeshadow duo in 'Mink/Sable', Rimmel Scandeleyes liner in 'Nude', Benefit Roller Lash mascara.

6. I applied my usual base products, Revlon Colourstay foundation and Maybelline Fit Me concealer under the eyes then set using Bourjois' Healthy Balance Powder. I then went in with Benefit's Hoola Bronzer which I'm currently testing out, to warm up the face.

7. Next I applied the shade 'Icing Sugar' from Sleeks 'Pink Lemonade' blush palette using my Real Techniques Blush brush.

8. To finish the look off I layered two lipstick to create a very pretty salmon shade. I began by applying a thin layer of Rimmel's Kate Moss lipsticks in the shade '101' and onto Topshop's lipstick in 'Secret Admirer'. You can see swatches of both separately and combined below!

Products used: Benefit Hoola bronzer, Sleek Blush by 3 palette in Pink Lemonade, Rimmel Kate Long Lasting lipstick in 101, Topshop lipstick in 'Secret Admirer'.

So, that was my first makeup tutorial! I love the finished look and would love to know what you thought of it too. What your favourite way to add a pop of colour to your makeup?

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Beauty

Review: Neutrogena Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Moisturiser

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I’ve had a solid skin routine for around four/five years but until now, I have never really taken an awful lot of notice as to what my skin actually needs/wants. I’ve always seemed to stick to the bare minimum when applying skincare, though I have experimented with all kinds of products overs the years. Lately though, I’ve really taken an interest in skincare and have finally realised that though my skin is combination/oily and tends to be acne-prone, it is also dehydrated. Whilst reading up on this skin type and searching for products best suited to it, I stumbled over this moisturiser by Neutrogena. It has an awfully long name and is their Visibly Clear Pink Grapefruit Oil-Free Moisturiser. It claims to hydrate and refresh, keep the skin clear and soft whilst not clogging pores. It is a moisturiser that can be applied both day and night (it sits well under makeup as long as you leave around 10/15 minutes for it to sink into the skin) and that I’d say is best suited to those with combination, oily or acne prone skin.

On first use I wasn’t entirely sure what to make of this product but after using it for almost a month, I am absolutely hooked. It has a very strong, yet pleasant scent (of grapefruit), which I’d never really experienced from a moisturiser before as I tend to stick to non-scented products. I apply a small amount of this to my fingers then rub it into the skin using circular motions. The moisturiser has a cooling effect, which I personally really like, though can feel almost ‘tacky’ on the skin. It also takes a while to sink in (around 10/15 minutes), but when it does leaves my skin feeling very smooth, yet not at all oily/greasy. This is something I’m always weary about when it comes to moisturisers due to my skin type and hate anything that feels too rich or heavy on the skin. This is definitely neither of those things. My favourite thing about this moisturiser is probably the fact that once it has sunken into the skin it feels very skin like and not at all like you're wearing moisturiser, though the after effects of applying this are great.

Have you tried anything from this range? Any recommendations?

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Blogging

One Small Trick to Improve the Quality of Your Blog Photos

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One of the most important things about blogging is that your blog photos are of good quality due to them being one the first things that people see when they visit your blog and today, you don't have to own an expensive dslr to do so as you can take good quality photos using your phone. I use my iPhone 5s to take all of the photos for my blog and although they aren't the best photos you'll stumble across, they are as good as I'm going to get at the moment as, as a student I can't afford to fork out the money for a decent camera so with a combination of good lighting and editing (as well as this new tip that I discovered) I make do.

I stumbled over this little trick a few weeks ago and have been sticking to it ever since. It does involve a editing your html codes but it is a lot easier than it looks! I know almost nothing about html codes, so if I can do this, I'm sure you'll find it very simple.

1. Begin by uploading your chosen photos to your blog post whilst in draft/editing. I find that it's easier to do this before you add too much text as it makes your html codes look a lot simpler and makes it easier to find what you are looking for.

2. Next you'll need to switch from the 'Compose' option to 'HTML' (see photo above for where to find it). If you look at the screen shot that I've taken from from my post you'll see that I've highlighted 's640', you'll need to change this to 's1600'. It is as simple as that! If you make sure that this is changed for each of your photos then the quality should look a lot better than they did before. The only thing is that you'll have to do this to every image in every blog post, but it's a very easy thing to change in order to get better quality photos for your blog.

Below you can see a before and after of a few photos taken from my blog. On the left is the photos with the html code 's640' and on the right the 's1600'