Summer Makeup Shakeup

Summer is officially here, and so obviously my first priority is mixing up my makeup stash. Obviously. I know, I have a problem.

For me, Summer makeup means glowy, bronzed skin, and pretty pink colours. Today I'm coming at you with my pick of the bunch.

When it's hot, your makeup is going to disappear from your face much faster than usual, so a good primer is essential. Right now I am obsessed with the Max Factor Face Finity Primer which in a nutshell, is basically glue for your makeup. It's not budging anywhere with this. 

When it comes to bases, I want something that's gonna make my skin look naturally healthy and glowy, but I don't want to compromise on coverage. A good all rounder is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation, which has a good medium but buildable coverage, and makes the skin look really healthy and glowy. 

I love using cream products in the Summer months, and the Bourjois Bronzing Primer is a favourite of mine, I like to take a tiny amount of this on the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush in the hollows of my cheeks and around my temples. It blends out seamlessly and gives a naturally bronzed look. I'm loving pairing that with the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Cheek Rush Cello Shot in Pink Patent, which is a gorgeous bold pink liquid blush which looks incredibly natural on the cheeks, and lasts really well throughout the day. If I'm not feeling cream blush, a nice shimmery one will do the trick, one of my favourites is the NARS Orgasm blush a deep peach with a strong golden shimmer, it just screams summer.  I like to go all out with highlighter too, to give my skin a real glow, one of my favourites is TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer, a gorgeous champagne gold highlight that really gets your skin glowing.

I'm all about the bold lip colours for Summer, but I do love a sheer formula. The Estee Lauder Pure Colour Lip Shine in Plexi Pink is a beautiful blue toned bright pink, but it's sheer formula means it's not too scary, and still daytime appropriate. A similar formula is the Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour and I love the shade Rosy, a pinky coral lipstick that can be built up to pack a punch, or worn sheer for a little pop of colour. If I feel like going all out then I'll reach for the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet Lipstick in L'Exuberante, a vivid matte pink with blue undertones. It's bright, but it's also really freaking gorgeous. 

What are your favourite Summery makeup picks?

Summer Handbag Essentials

It's been seriously warm in the UK over the last couple of weeks, causing a hasty switch up my makeup drawers to include a more heat-friendly selection of products. The rotation also took place in my handbag, and here's what was left.

Blotting Sheets: Pretty self explanatory, for my skin, heat = oil. I like to keep The Body Shop Tea Tree Blotting Tissues on hand, they absorb any excess oil on your skin like a dream.

Setting Powder: My makeup seems to just vanish off my face throughout the day, so I like to keep a good setting powder on hand. I love the Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot powder, which takes away any excess shine, and helps my makeup stay in place all day.

Hairbands: Again, pretty self explanatory, I always start the day with my hair down and styled, and by midday I  want it up and off the back of my neck. 

Facial Mist: This one is mostly for use on the tube, the underground in the summer heat is practically unbearable, so I keep a facial mist on hand to cool my skin and stop myself from overheating. The Aven Eau Thermale Spring Water is great because it's pretty much just water in a can.

Body Spray: Heat + Tubes + Walking around London = Hot sweaty Jaye. I like to keep a body spray on hand to counteract that. Right now I'm loving the Q Awe Body Mist, a fine, refreshing body mist scented with jasmin and rose.

Getting Summer Ready

We're approaching the end of June, and the weather has been pretty damn fine this month in England, and I'm starting to think about getting my pasty pins out for the warmer months. Wearing skirts is no mean feat, it's something I need to be thinking about days before it actually happens.

My skin currently represents something between polar ice cap and Edward Cullen, and really, who keeps up with shaving their legs when you're wearing jeans? Operation de-fuzz and faux glow is a go.

I've really struggled with shaving my legs for a long time now, no matter what razors or shaving creams I use, whether I exfoliate and moisturise, I always end up with an awful rash all over my legs after shaving. I'd basically resigned myself to a day of rashy red legs when I tried out the Wilkinson Sword Intuition Naturals Sensitive Care Razor. I actually picked this up by accident, I thought it was a standard razor, but I'm so glad I stumbled across this. It's got a normal razor head, and then what is basically a creamy bar of soap built around it, so you just get the razor wet, and shave, no gels or creams needed. This is the first product that hasn't caused me to come out in a rash, and it actually gives an incredibly close shave, and leaves my skin feeling really soft. I'd definitely recommend giving this a go! 

I'm trying to get into the habit of moisturising on a daily basis, to make my skin look and feel softer and smoother, and I've found a good smelling moisturiser is the key to this. I'm totally hooked on the Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Buttercream, a thick, creamy body butter that smells deliciously of sweet limes and vanilla sugar. This stuff is incredibly hydrating, and it sinks in quick so I don't have to wait around feeling sticky and hot! 

I'm not normally one for fake tan, it generally goes wrong so I try to avoid it, however the No7 Perfectly Bronzed Tinted Lotion is pretty idiot proof. I have medium/dark because the lighter shade does very little. I take a few pumps of this on a tanning mitt and massage it into the skin in circular motions after moisturising. It takes very little product to do my whole body, which is impressive since I'm 5"10 and not a size 0. One application will give you a little colour but two is my jam, gently bronzed without being anywhere near Oompa Loompa. Just gives a little colour to stop my skin looking snowman-esque. 

My feet are a giant problem for me. Years of cramming them into pointe shoes has left them looking a little worse for wear. When sandal season approaches I like to attack my feet with The Body Shop Foot File to get rid of any unsightly scaly bits, and then go in with a nice bright red polish.

And when all else fails, I douse myself in the Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Eau Fraiche, and then at least I smell summery.

How do you get ready for summer?

Park Packin'

Last week, I had planned a day of working in my flat, but my piddly little fan and the impending heatwave seemed to have other ideas (I still can't even find the words to describe how grateful I am to my parents for bringing me their air conditioning unit, life saver). So I packed up shop (by shop I mean copious notebooks, iPad and camera) and headed to a shadey spot in the Kyoto Gardens at Holland Park with Melisa to do a little work, a little chatting, and a little relaxing. I got a little snap happy with my camera, and figured I'd share with you what I took, for those moments when work wasn't at the forefront of my mind...

You'll always find a handbag sized copy of a recent magazine (or five, no wonder my handbag always weighs a ton) in my bag. Melisa is vehemently against handbag sized issues (the girl just loves to have strong opinions) and whilst I do love a good full sized glossy spread, generally the only time I get for magazine browsing is on the tube, and the practicalities of a handbag edition just wins against the journalist in me. I forgot my sunnies (my Oakleys are in the shop being fixed after my boyfriend sat on them.. and I have a habit of leaving Primark sunnies wherever I go) so Melisa kindly lent me her RayBans, which, whilst endlessly unflattering on my face, are ever so comfy, and protect your eyes without making the iPad screen too dark. 

At this point, I've completely given up with makeup since it just melts off my face, but I have a bottle of water mist in every handbag, and countless packs of Kleenex blotting tissues, so I can keep cool, but eliminate any shineyness. My makeup-free face is one thing for the general public to handle, but sweaty too? Maybe not. 

And of course, the essentials, SPF in oil form, since a pale girl needs all the tanning help she can get, and a bottle of water, whilst I prefer Evian, the glass Voss bottles keep water cooler in your bag longer. Bonus.

What do you keep in your bag on a sunny day?

The Fuss Free Face

 Can we just take a moment here to talk about how green this grass is?! I mean like, seriously, I haven't edited these photos one iota. Pretty green huh?

I decided to take advantage of the beautiful natural sunlight on my day off and take a few pictures outside, so there are a few posts coming up with a grassy background.

So yesterday was one of those days where it's so hot and humid out that being anywhere other than under airconditioning makes you feel like you are melting, so it felt like the perfect time to share this post.

I don't know about you, but when the weather is this ridiculously hot, makeup is the last thing I want on my face. However, I'm still not quite face-confident enough to bare all when I'm out and about. So I've come up with a product rotation that will protect your eyes from the horror of my naked face, but not make me feel like a chocolate bar in Satan's back pocket. 

First off, when it's hot, you sweat more. Gross but true. I'm prone to a bit of shine at the best of times in the t-zone, and it's even worse on the underground at rush hour when it's almost 30 degrees out. Although I'm not a massive fan of Benefit's Porefessional, it does help keep the oils at bay on the face, so a slap of this goes under my No 7 BB cream for Normal to Dry skin. This is a very light coverage base, that just helps to even out my skin tone, whilst giving me SPF protection on my pasty white face. I then buff a little of my trusty MAC Studio Finish concealer onto any blemishes or areas of redness that aren't quite covered, and a little Illamasqua Under Eye concealer topped with Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer under the eyes. 

The brows are lightly filled in with my trusty Along Came Betty set (hold the wax though, too sticky for a hot day!), which I cannot rave about enough, it's an infallible dupe for the Benefit Brow Zings for a blink of the cost. I prime my lids with the Urban Decay Primer Potion, which is a recent acquisition, that is impressing so far. It makes any attempt at eye magic stay put all day. Top this off with MAC's Paint Pot in Rubenesque, blended across the lid, and a little of the Rimmel Scandaleyes pencil in Bronze along the upper lash line, and nude on the inner waterline, to hide any zombie eye signs. Top off with any decent long wearing mascara, in this case Smashbox's Hyperlash Mascara*. 

Cheeks get a smudge of the Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge in Fresh Melon for a natural flush, and a dab of Benefit Sunbeam under the brow and on the upper cheek bones, to add a little dimension. Lastly, a slick of a natural long wearing lipstick, I'm loving the L'Oreal Rouge Caresse in Dating Coral, which is a very subtle pink coral.

So there we have it! I hope you are all making the most of this gorgeous weather!

Beauty Bag - The Travel Edition

So earlier this week I gave you a little peek into my makeup bag for my travels, so today I thought I'd show you the rest of my beauty bumf that made the cut for the trip away!

Like I said in the makeup bag post, this bag is from Tesco, super reasonable and I love the pink zip! This one isn't quite as rigid as the smaller bag, but it holds everything perfectly. 

Piz Buin SPF 30 Wet spray - The only sun cream that allows me to tan. For the first day I'll be using the factor 30 allergy cream that my mum has, since for some reason the first couple of days if I use an oil I get heat rash, but after that I'll be slapping this on.

Sanctuary Body Moisture Spray - I'm actually allergic to most Sanctuary products, but this stuff works a treat on me. I'll be spraying this onto my pins and arms before going out in the evening, to keep my skin hydrated, my skin always gets so dry in hot weather!

Montagne Jeuneuss Buriti Fruit Body Smoothie* - A new offering from a brand I associate only with face masks. I like this product, it's like a super whipped mousse version of a body butter, it's super hydrating and smells like Starburst.

Beauty Formula's Body and Face Cooling Mist* - I like to take one of these water sprays on holiday with me to keep in my beach/pool bag for when I get too hot. You can get these really cheap and they're so nice for refreshing you in the sun. Whenever I go to France I always grab a few of the big litre bottles for summer.

Aussie Take The Heat Leave In Spray - This is a great all in one product for travel, it detangles, protects against straighteners and works as a leave in conditioner. And it smells really good. 

L'Oreal Matt and Messy Salt Spray - This is my favourite styling spray. It works just like a salt spray, but doesn't make your hair crunchy or clumpy, and looks super natural. This will be great for spritzing in wet hair when I get out the pool if I'm going for a wonder in town before I have time to shower.

V05 Dry Texturising Spray - This product made it into my May Favourites and I've used it everyday. There's not tons left so I should be able to ditch this at the end of the week to save me carrying this back. I use this every morning after I've straightened my hair to give volume and texture, but it also doubles as a dry shampoo, and it's great because it's clear and doesn't leave a grey powder.

L'Oreal Skin Perfection Cleansing and Perfecting Milk and Velvety Toner - I decided to decant these into a smaller bottle, since the bottles are very big. The two with the white tops came from Tesco, and the pink top ones are from Primark of all places. Anyway, I've been trying out this cleanser and toner duo for the last few weeks and I really like them, they're very creamy and hydrating. I put the toner in the spray bottle since I like to be able to spray on my toners, but the spray is a little harsh!

Tresemme Salon Silk Shampoo and Conditioner - I don't normally take shampoo and conditioner on holiday, but my hair is so damaged that I decided to just bring along these. I like this Tresemme range, sometimes I find they make my scalp quite dry, but these are great. 

Pots from Boots

 

Monu Warming Clay Facemask - I got this facemask in a Glossybox and ended up repurchasing the full size. I really like it, it's warming and makes my skin feel plump and hydrated. I stuck enough in here for one midweek use!

Bioderma Sebium Pore Minimising serum - I've been using this for around a month now, it's my morning serum, and I have noticed a difference since I've been using it!

Frizz Ease Secret Agent Serum - For smoothing the flyaways that are part and parcel of being a curly haired gal!

Coconut Oil - I use this on super dry patches of skin (elbows and feet mostly!) but I also use this as a leave in treatment for my hair! Miracle working product!

La Roche Posay Effeclar Duo - This is a recent purchase that I'm using as my nighttime serum. Too soon to tell but I hope this lives up to the hype!

Soap and Glory Scrub Of Your Life (travel size) - I find that if I've been using suncream on my face, I tend to breakout, so I like to take a good face scrub on holiday to use at the end of the day to get rid of any remenants. I like this one because it's super gentle.

Bioderma Crealine H20 (decanted into Primark bottle) - I wasn't going anywhere without this. I use this to take off all my makeup before cleansing! You guys know the Bioderma drill, I'm not going into it!

Rodial Brazillian Tan* - My face is incapable of tanning. Like, literally, it will go red, but it won't go brown, so I tend to use total sunblock on my face in the day, and then I will mix a little of this into my nighttime moisturiser to make my face match my body.

MAC Cleanse Off Oil (travel size) - The only thing that will get off my waterproof mascara. A pump of this rubbed over my lashes and then rinsed off, takes off the waterproof mascara in a matter of seconds. I'll be wearing waterproof eye makeup too so this will be super handy.

Piz Buin SPF 30 Lip Balm - I am paranoid about burning my lips, I did it once before and never again, so I'll be lacing my lips with this before heading out in the sun, and keeping it in my bag for top ups! 

Mark Hill Sunshine Shampoo (travel size) - You know how when you've been on holiday and your hair gets all heavy with suncream, salt, chlorine and everything else, well this will get rid of it all! I don't like to use it every day, because it does strip your hair of everything, but I'll probably use this for every other wash.

Mark Hill Cover Up Protection Spray (travel size) - I've never used this particular spray before, but it's basically there to protect your hair from the sun's rays. My hair is so damaged that I'm terrified of it getting worse, so I'll be going to town with this every morning.

Molton Brown Warming Eucalyptus shower gel (travel size) - This was a little gift from the boyfriend and I've been looking for the perfect trip for this, so I'm excited to try this out!

Kleenex Shine Absorbing Sheets - I tend to get a little, shall we say, shiny, when I'm out in the sun, so I'll keep this in my pool bag for touch ups in the day.

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Nail Treatment - I use this as a base coat since I have the shortest nails ever. I redo my nails every two days, so this has to come along. My two colours of choice are in my makeup bag, which you can see here.

Seche Vite Topcoat - Possibly the best topcoat in the world. The only problem with this is that it can cause shrinkage, but since I change my nails every couple of days anyway, it doesn't make much of a difference.

Garnier Moisture Match Wake Me Up daily moisturiser - I am really loving these moisture match moisturisers at the moment, I have a few but I'm going to take this one because it's super hydrating and makes my skin look glowy and radiant.

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Skin Scent - The ultimate summer perfume. I had no difficulties in picking which one to take. I have a post on this coming up at the end of the week, so keep an eye out for that!

So that's the lot! My deodorant and hydrating face mask is in my in flight bag to use throughout the day while we are traveling. I've also got a little pink bag that has cotton buds, Kleenex Facial Cloths, hair grips and bands, and a nail file in, that slips inside this bag. I know I'm taking quite a lot but I really don't know how to cut it down any more! I'm a little high maintenance in the product department...

What would be your essentials for a summer getaway?