What's On My Face: The Berry Eye

I've been trying to be a bit braver with my makeup, stepping out of my usual comfort zone of champagne eyes and nude lips. The darker shades in my Lorac Pro were just dying to be used, so I've been experimenting, and surprisingly, I quite like this look.

I started with the Soap and Glory One Heck Of A Blot Primer, which is growing on me on a daily basis, before going in with my Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation, which I'm still in the process of trying. I used the Estée Lauder Double Wear Brush On Glow BB Highlight under the eyes to add brightness and neutralise any dark shadows. 

I was nervous of using blush with this tone eyeshadow, so I kept things simple and used my Collection Highlight and Sculpt Contour Kit, to carve out cheekbones, give me a little colour and glow. 

I started eyeshadow by taking the shade Cream from the Lorac Pro Palette all over my lid and up to my browbone, before taking Garnet along the lid up to the crease, Sable in the crease for definition, and a little of Espresso on my lashline. I blended this for ages so it wouldn't look to scary, but I actually really liked the finish result, Garnet has just enough brown in it to not look too red. I finished it off with lashings of the Essence Lash Princess False Lash Effect Mascara on my top and bottom lashes, and a coat of the Rimmel The Only One Lipstick in Naughty Nude.

I'm getting braver! Would you brave a berry toned eye?

How I Wear Red Lipstick

Sometimes, a red lip is just necessary. In the interest of full disclosure I should probably tell you I'm a little bit terrified of red lipstick. It's a rare occasion that I slap it on, but when I do I always love it.

My favourite red lipstick is the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, a gorgeous deep red that's super matte and long lasting, but not drying at all. This is by far the most long lasting lipstick I own, it never fails to impress.

The trick with red lipstick is figuring out how to make up the rest of your face. I like to keep things pretty basic and tend to go in with a good coverage matte base. I opted for the Jouer Matte Moisture Tint which you guys know I'm currently totally obsessed with. Just because you're after coverage and a matte finish doesn't mean you want to skip out on the glow, so I used the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer to brighten up my skin before the base, and then the YSL Touche Eclat under my eyes to perk everything up. I find that red lipstick can wash out the skin a little, so whilst you don't want a strong blush colour, a little something something is often required to fix that. My go to is the Benefit Rockateur Blush, and a little of NARS Laguna in the hollows of the cheeks, which adds a bit of colour back to the complexion and definition. I also tend to add a tiny amount of TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer to the tops of my cheekbones to give a little glow.

Eyes are a simple affair, you want lips to be the sole focus. I primed the eyes with the Smashbox Photo Finish Eye Primer, and then went in with the Wet and Wild Walking On Eggshells palette, taking the cream shade across the lid and the brown shade lightly in the crease. Finish off with the Soap and Glory Supercat Liner along the lash line, and lashings of the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara. A little of the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade to fill in the sparse areas of my brows, but not too much.

And as far as the red lips go, the NARS Pencils aren't the most precise for application, so I take a little lipliner, the Rimmel Exaggerate Liner just to make sure the edges are precise.

How do you wear red lipstick?

What's On My Face: A Simple Spring Look

 Awkward smiling face is awkward. Sorry, best of a bad bunch there.

Right now I'm reaching for products that give a bit more of a subtle look. From about the age of fourteen I could probably count on one hand the number of days where my eyes haven't been rimmed with dark kohl liner, or sporting a smokey eye, I never feel quite right without heavy eye makeup. Recently, however, I've put down the darker shades and have been reaching for something more natural, so I thought I would show you how I created it!

I've been using the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer non-stop recently, it's just so, so good. It really brightens the whole face, and makes me look alive! On top of that I used the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, which you guys know I love, natural and glowy. I used the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer around my nose and on my chin, and then mixed a little of that with the primer for under my eyes. I love mixing these two at the moment, it's just really counteracts dark circles! I don't normally set this foundation but I just felt like it on this day, so I just took a little of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder across my t-zone. The MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade has become a staple for setting my under eye concealer, I take it in a big triangle underneath my eyes and that makes a massive difference to how my skin looks, as well as doubling as my day-to-day highlight. 

I haven't been wearing bronzer all that much recently, but when I have I've been taking a little of The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer in 001 on the Real Techniques Blush Brush into the hollows of my cheeks and along my temples. I find this brush doesn't pick up that much product, so it gives a much more natural, subtle look. For cheeks, I'm totally obsessed with the Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso, it's the perfect peach blush, so pretty! I'm seriously impressed with the wear time of this too.

I kept eyes pretty basic and primed them with the Urban Decay Anti Aging Primer Potion. So far I can't really tell a difference between this and the original, but every little helps in the fight against eye wrinkles, right? I then used the Wet and Wild Walking On Eggshells Palette, basically in the way it tells you to. I took the cream shade along my browbone and as an inner corner highlight, the pink champagne shade across my lid, and a tiny bit of the brown shade in the crease. I then decided I wanted to add a tiny bit of definition (old habits die hard) so I took the smallest amount of the Smashbox Eye Liner in Bronze Citrine along the outer corner of my lashes and smudged it in.

I've fallen back in love with my eyelash curlers and have been using them pretty much daily paired with the L'Oreal Volume Million Lash Excess Mascara (yes I realise it's not done up properly, it's bugging me too), which is my current lash love. For brows, I just combed them with a spoolie and then took the pencil end of the Soap And Glory Archery through the sparse areas.

And lastly, I went with a swipe of the Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Tutu, a colour that looks fairly bold in the bullet but applies as a sheer peachy nude, that can be built up, as above!

What's your go to Spring look?

What's On My Face: Pink Lips and Eyeliner Flicks

 I decided to mix up my makeup a little the other day, and I really liked the outcome, so I thought I'd share with you the bits I used. I'm not normally one for a bright pink lip, so this lipstick was a bit of a silly purchase, it was the first Chanel lipstick I ever bought and I think I just got a bit delirious at the counter, but I actually really like it!

I started by using the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation to even out my skin tone, I really like this foundation but I don't think I've ever reviewed it properly on this blog, so I might have to do it properly! Since my skin is pretty good right now, I just used the MAC Mineralize Concealer under my eyes to brighten the area. I have gotten into the habit of setting my under eye concealer with the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade which I actually love, it really brightens my under eyes and gives me a natural looking glow. For the rest of my makeup, I used the Tarte Amazonian Clay Airbrush Powder to add a little extra coverage and mattify my skin, because I always prefer matte skin with matte lips!

For cheeks I of course used my Body Shop Honey Bronzer to add a little definition to my cheeks, and then the Tarte Amazonian Clay Blush in Doll Face to add a little pink. I really like the combo of these two products, they look super natural but really pretty.

I used the Urban Decay Primer Potion to prep my eyes for eyeshadow, and while that set I dealt with my brows. I actually forgot to include it in the picture, but I used the Anastasia Dip Brow Pomade, which I am totally in love with, it really fills in your brows whilst keeping them natural looking. For eyes, I used the Rimmel Glam Eyes Quad Eyeshadow in Smokey Brown. I used the light cream shade under my brow bone and in my inner eyes, and then the taupe shade all over the lid. I used a very small amount of the darkest shade in the crease, and along my lower lashline. I used my Soap and Glory Supercat Liner as well, just to add a thin line on my upper lashline, that is slightly thicker at the outer corner, not so much winged liner, just with a little flick. If I'm wearing a bright lip you can pretty much guarantee I'll be wearing flicky liner. I polished off the eyes with my favourite mascara, the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic.

And last but certainly not least, on my lips I wore the Chanel Rouge Allure Velvet in the shade 37, L'Exuberante which I think I have worn maybe twice since I bought it. Like I said I think I got a bit delirious when I bought it, since I never really wear bright lips, and definitely not Pink. But I actually really like this look, and this lipstick is just define, it's matte but really soft, so it's not drying and it doesn't pull on the lips at all. The wear time of this is amazing too, and it doesn't really transfer at all. I really need to wear this more. 

Also, do you like my hair here? I woke up with mental curly hair and I really didn't want to straighten it, so I pinned part of the sides back, and plaited a little section that wouldn't co-operate, and then stuck a few random curls in the strands around my face, but I really like it! I feel like I could wear my hair like this to a wedding. 

Do you wear bright lipstick a lot?

What's On My Face: The Birthday Edition

Happy birthday to me! Today is my 20th Birthday, god I feel old! I don't feel grown up enough to be twenty, I still have to ask my mum how long to cook chicken for... I'm not really doing anything super exciting, it's deadline week so getting time to relax is much more important than a big party. Today my parents are coming up to London to spend the day with me, I'm not really sure what we are going to do, I'm happy to just spend some time with them. Then hopefully my boyfriend and sister will be joining us for dinner, they both have classes during the day! Then I'm planning on greasy burgers and tasty cocktails for Friday night with my friends at Meat Liquor. 

So for today's post I thought I'd show you my current go-to makeup look, which no doubt I will be sporting today. It's pretty simple, a slightly smokey taupe eye, a little pink blush (which the lighting has totally washed out, but I promise is there!) and a nude lip. This is the look I've been wearing pretty much everyday since the beginning of the month!

I started by prepping my skin with the Maybelline Baby Skin Primer, a product I've worn every day since the middle of February. This smooths out the surface of my skin and creates a barrier so the makeup doesn't break me out - pretty important because I've opted to use the MAC Studio Sculpt Foundation, which always breaks me out if I use it alone. I've mixed this with the Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser, a third of the MAC offering with 2/3s Laura Mercier. This mix works really well for me, the Laura Mercier gives a lovely finish but the MAC bumps up the coverage, they work really well together. I took a little of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on my chin and nose, where I seem to be a bit red at the moment. For my under eyes, I used my ring finger to pat a little of the Illamasqua Under Eye Concealer in 105 in an upside down triangle shape. This is a pinky white concealer that really brightens my undereyes, and counteracts any dark circles. Just to bump up the coverage, I topped it with the Rimmel Match Perfection 2 in 1 Concealer and Highlight, which I also ran under my eyebrows later on. I set my undereye concealer with the MAC Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade, which stops it from creasing as well as brightening it. 

The lighting has really washed out the colour in my cheeks, but I took The Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 001 underneath my cheekbones and up around my temples to add in some colour, and then the Creme Blush de Chanel in Revelation above that, my go to pink cheek. I also took a tiny amount of the Revlon Photoready Skinlights just along the top of the blush, to add a little glow. 

I then went in with the Urban Decay Original Primer Potion* to prep my eyelids and make my shadow last longer. Whilst that set, I lightly filled in my eyebrows, using the MAC Brow Pencil in Strut, and then set them with the Maybelline Brow Drama, you guys know by now I like my brows to look pretty natural. For eyeshadow, I haven't put down my NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette since I got my mitts on it, and I went for my favourite combination. I covered my lid in Ashes to Ashes (1), then took Bali (2) through the crease. I added a little of Pandora (3) along my lash line just to add definition too, and then ran the Max Factor Kohl Eyeliner in Black along my waterline to really intensify the look. All finished off with lashings of the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara, my favourite. 

I finished the whole look off with a slick of Chanel Rouge Coco Shine shade 54 Boy, because if you can't wear a Chanel lipstick on your birthday, when can you?

Would you guys be interested in seeing this sort of thing as a get ready with me style video? Let me know!

What's your go to makeup look at the moment?

What's On My Face - The Spring Edit

The third Spring related post of the week, and we've actually had better weather this week, which is a surprise. Maybe we are actually coming out of the depressive stream of wind, rain and freezing cold weather? That would be nice.

Speaking of nice, I thought I would be nice to do a What's On My Face post using some of the products I mentioned in Sunday's The Spring Makeup Shakeup post, to show you what they look like on, and how I like to use them. Nice, nice, nice. This time of year I like to go for something a little lighter on the eyes, but brighter on the lips and cheeks. Since it's only the beginning of March, I thought I'd ease myself into brighter lips and cheeks, with just something that gives a little pop of colour, rather than a bold look.

So starting with base, I used the Benefit Hello Flawless Foundation to even out my skintone. I'm currently between shades with this foundation so I mixed one pump of the I'm Pure 4 Sure Ivory with one pump of Believe in Me Ivory. This foundation has a really nice texture, it covers a multitude of sins, but it's really light. I like that although it's got quite a radiant looking on the skin, it doesn't feel sticky, wet or look greasy, which is always great! I used the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer to cover a little redness on my nose and a couple of spots on my jawline, and the MAC Mineralize Concealer under my eyes. I then used the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade to set my T-Zone, and under my eyes. I like this powder because it sets my makeup well, but it doesn't make my skin look matte or powdery, and it's brightening. 

On my cheeks I used the YSL Terre Saharienne bronzing powder* in the contours of my cheeks, and on my temples, just to warm up my face a little. I really love this bronzer, it's got a hint of shimmer but it's not noticeable on the skin, it can be used as a contour or as a bronzer and it looks great as both! I recently hit pan on my beloved NARS Laguna, so I thought it was time to try some of the other bronzers in my stash, I've had this for about six months and never used it, but I'm really impressed! On my cheeks I used the Creme Blush de Chanel in 69 Intonation, a beautiful bright coral (no idea why it's photographed pink!) blush. I don't know how other people apply this blush, but I like to pat it onto my cheek with my fingers, and then blend it out with my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I'm always impressed with how long this blush lasts on my cheeks, by the end of the day it always still looks perfectly applied. I didn't use a highlighter, I just took Lightscapade over the top of the blush again.

For eyes, I primed my lids right up to my brows with the MAC Painterly Paint Pot as usual, and then pulled out my Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette, which always gets preferential treatment in the Spring, I find that I tend to gravitate towards cooler toned shadows in the Spring. I took the shade Foxy all over the top of the Paint Pot, right up to under my brow to highlight, then I took Bootycall over my lid. Then in the outer corner I put a touch of Chopper, not so much in the crease, more just on the outer third of my lid, and then I blended it at the edges. I then took the shade Tease on an angled brush lightly through my brows, just to add a tiny bit of definition. I finished off my eyes with lashings of the Max Factor Lash Extension Mascara, which seperates and lengthens lashes, making them fluttery.

Lastly, I finished it all off with the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in Orange Punch. I thought this was going to be a really bright orange but because my natural lip colour is quite pigmented pink, it ends up being more coral. I actually really like it, a lot more than I thought I would, it's got a really pretty glossy finish, and it matches the blush shade beautifully. 

If there are any products or looks you'd like to see me use in a What's on my Face post in the future, let me know in the comments!

What do you think of this look? What are your favourite spring products?

What's On My Face: The Monday Morning Edit

To me, Monday mornings are all about tricking people into thinking I'm awake. Not this Monday, because I have a rare day off, so today will be spent catching up on work from the comfort of my bed, but every other Monday. Since I'm not really a morning person (my idea of a perfect day is one that involves me waking up around 1pm) I tend to have a fail-safe plan for fast Monday makeupto make people believe I'm well rested, and enjoy getting up at ridiculous o'clock. The aim of the game here is to look awake, healthy and glowy, using as few products as is humanely possible, to be as fast as is physically possible.

So to start with I always spritz my face with the Caudalie Beauty Elixir, which does an incredible job of brightening up my skin, making it look naturally glowy. Then, to really ramp up the glow factor, I like to use my Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer which not only adds a real glow to my face, but also makes sure my makeup stays put all day without fuss. I then go in with the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation, a gorgeous natural looking foundation with medium coverage. My concealing tag team of choice at the moment is the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer on blemishes and redness, and MAC Mineralize Concealer for under the eyes, the shade I have gives good coverage whilst still really brightening the area. All of this literally takes about three minutes now (I've got it down) so that's a good start.

Monday mornings are not the time for attempting contour and highlight, so I just like to really go to town with a good highlighting blush. Most of the time, the blush in question is NARS Daydream a beautiful pink blush with silver shimmer running through. I use the Space N.K. Contour brush to really pack this onto my cheeks, the silver shimmer is subtle but it really brightens my complexion, whilst the pink adds dimension back into my face and gives me a good old glow. 

Eyes are normally a mascara only affair, but if I have time (read: am bored on the tube) I'll add use a coloured eyeshadow primer to even out the tone of my eyelids, and then smudge a little liner into the outer corner of my lashline. On this occasion, I used a sample I had of the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Eden a matte beige that disguises the redness on my eyelid, and the Smashbox Eye Liner In Graphite just to define the lashes a little. For mascara, Monday mornings call for the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara, a one-coat-wonder that lengthens and volumises each individual lash, making my eyes look more awake and my lashes fluttery.

This is all finished off with a slick of a sheer lipstick (Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour in Pink Flush, a pretty pink that brightens up my face) that can be applied on the tube sans-mirror, my glasses so I can actually see at uni, and a good spritz of dry shampoo in the roots of my hair, to disguise the fact that I haven't even brushed my hair, much less styled it. 

I've got this entire routine down to an impressive seven minutes. How long do you spend on your makeup on a Monday morning? Do you have a failsafe, go-to routine?

What's On My Face - The Drugstore Edition

Not the worlds most revolutionary makeup look but hey, it was a Sunday. Have you noticed that I like taupe shadows and dark pinky lips yet? 

I wanted to do a What's On My Face post with only drugstore products, I know a lot of you were after some more affordable products to be featured here, and well, consider me your Fairy Godmother. (P.S. I know it looks like my face is a different colour to my neck, it's just a combination of the angle my face is at and the lighting, my face appears to end where I applied my contour!)

Since this was for a lazy Sunday spent walking with the boy, I went for a light base (new blog plug, you can read about that walk here). I used the L'Oreal Nude Magique Eau de Teint Foundation, one of my favourite highstreet bases. It feels like water when you apply it, but it sets like a powder, leaving you with a matte finish that stays put really well, but doesn't feel at all heavy. I then covered up the redness around my nose and on my chin with the Seventeen Phwoarr Paint Concealer, a product I've been reaching for a lot recently because of it's creamy texture and medium coverage. For my under eyes, I used the Maybelline Instant Age Rewind Eye Eraser, which successfully brightens and covers any signs of my insomnia. I also took a little of this down the bridge of my nose, to cover up my nose and highlight a little. 

I then filled in the sparse areas of my brows with the same product I've been using since Christmas, the Soap and Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil, for natural brows that are a little more even. For my eyes, I used the Topshop Eye Gleam in Bronzed, to create a shimmery golden bronze base. I like this because it's almost a mousse consistency, it sets fast and fills in any creases or lines. I then used my Body Shop Shimmer Cubes in Warm, I originally was going to use the golden shades but I decided I wasn't keen, so I built up colour in the crease with the taupey shade, and then covered my lid with the Maybelline Eyestudio Shadow in Iced Fudge. I took a little of the Max Factor Kohl Pencil in Black along the outer edge of my upper lash line, and in my waterline for definition, and then added lashings of Maybelline The Rocket Mascara, I'm still unsure if I like this mascara, I do find it kind of groups my lashes together and makes them look a little spidery, but I'm persevering!

On my cheeks I used the Body Shop Honey Bronzer in the lightest shade to define my cheeks. I honestly can't tell you how much I like this bronzer, it's so pretty! For blush I used the Topshop Cream blush in Morning Dew, a blush I haven't touched since the summer, but I like a lot. It really perks up the cheeks, but it has a powdery finish so it lasts much better than most cream blushes.

On the lips I used the No7 BB Lips in Berry Rose, a super moisturising but long lasting lip gloss.

What are your favourite drugstore products right now?

What's On My Face - The Valentines Day Look

 Valentines Day. It's one of those love it or hate it things really, and whilst I'm of the opinion that it's a very commercial day, and you shouldn't need a specific day to show someone you love them, my boyfriend usually needs a little push when it comes to romantic gestures, so having a specific day where he's expected to be romantic is much appreciated.

The last few Valentine's Days have been borderline disastrous, with things like uni and work always getting in the way (last year we both got in after 9.30, hurriedly ate an M&S meal for two, had an argument and then fell asleep - not exactly romantic), but this year we both finish uni at a reasonable time, and I've been told to be ready to leave at 7.30, for dinner at 8.15 in Central. This is a big deal for us.

So my next dilemma, what makeup do I wear? I thought I'd better have a fiddle with some products before hand, date night is not the time to be experimenting with new products. I knew I wanted to go for something pink and girly, but not too full on, with a natural base and long lashes.

Because I wanted a really natural base, glowy and not to heavy, I started with the Laura Mercier Radiance Foundation Primer, to add glow and create a smooth base for foundation. The foundation I chose was the Chanel Vitalumiére Aqua, a medium coverage foundation that is incredibly light on the skin, it doesn't look or feel like you're wearing foundation, but it evens out the skin tone nicely. I then went in with the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer under my eyes, and on areas I felt I needed a little extra coverage, namely my chin and around my nose! I decided to set it all in place with the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder down my T-zone, just to make sure I didn't get shiny throughout the day (no one wants an oily face on a date).

I then moved onto eyes, priming with my MAC Paint Pot in Painterly, to even out the tone and create a good base for the shadow to adhere to. All the shadows I used were from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette, which I decided to use for all it's rosy tones, not only because I wanted a pinky look for Valentines Day, but also because the rosy, purpley tones really make my eyes pop. I started with the shade Burnout all over the lid, then I blended Nooner into the crease. I added a little of Liar to the outer edges to deepen the look a little, and also took this under my lower lash line. I then took an angled brush with Blackheart as a liner along my top lash line, and the outer corner of my lower lashes to add definition and make the look a little smokier. I finished it all by blending Strange from my crease to my browbone. Topped off with lashings of the L'Oreal False Lash Telescopic Mascara, for long fluttery lashes. I might add some subtle falsies on the night itself just to really increase volume, but I'm undecided for now.

I finished off the eyes by filling in my brows, with the Soap and Glory Archery in Brownie Points, using the tint end to draw in hairs where my brows are sparse, and then using the pencil end to add definition.

I then took The Body Shop Honey Bronzer under my cheekbones and on my temples to add a little dimension back into my face, and Benefit's Rockateur Blush on the apples of my cheeks, a beautiful dusky rose blush that compliments the Naked 3 palette really well.

I finished the whole look off with a slick of the Tanya Burr Lipgloss in Picnic in the Park, a gorgeous baby pink lipgloss that is really well pigmented and not at all sticky. I didn't want to use a lipstick because I didn't want to end up with it fading unevenly whilst eating dinner!

 I'm pretty sure this will be the look I'll end up sporting on Valentines day! What do you think of these products? Do you have plans for Valentines?

Now I just need to pick an outfit!

What's On My Face #4 - The Naked 3 Palette

 It's been a while since my last What's on My Face Post, the abundance of chocolate that I ate over the festive period caused a few weeks of dodgy skin, so I thought I'd save you from the pain of looking at my face for a while! But I've definitely fallen for a few products over the last six weeks, and I really wanted to show you them in action. 

I snapped this picture before heading out for dinner with the boy last week, hence the dodgy lighting. I wasn't going to do a post on it, but I really liked the look, so I figured why not, and grabbed a few pictures.

To start off I used the Hourglass Mineral Veil Primer, which I am dreading running out of! On top of that, I applied a very small amount of the L'Oreal True Match Foundation, I wanted quite a light, natural looking base. I then took the Maybelline Eraser Concealer under my eyes, and over any redness. I really love this concealer, but mine actually broke yesterday, and I'm not even halfway through but I can't get any more product out, which is disappointing. 

To add a little colour to my face I've been trying out The Body Shop's Honey Bronzer in 01, which is a super light matte bronzer, perfect for warming up the face, or contouring on pale skin. I took this under my cheekbones and then up onto my temples for a little more warmth. On my cheeks I used the NARS Day Dream Blush, which has fast become my favourite blush, possibly of all time. It's such a pretty, brightening pink, but it really goes with everything. Then I took the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light down my nose and across my cheekbones, just to set my makeup, and add a little glow.

Brows were handled by the Soap and Glory Archery in Brownie Points, another product that has totally stolen my heart. I only used the brow tint here, just to draw in a few hairs where my brows are sparse to make them look naturally more even, but I do usually then take the pencil end through them to define them a little more. I then primed my eyes with the Urban Decay Primer Potion in Greed, a gold shimmery confection that holds shadow in place and shimmers the situation up a little. I then took the shade Mugshot from the Urban Decay Naked 3 Palette all over the lid, and Factory through the crease, one of my favourite combinations from this palette. I also took a little of the Urban Decay 24/7 Liner in Rockstar on a small angled brush along my upper and lower lash line, very close to the lashes just to define. A very Urban Decay centric eye look, but I'm really loving the brand at the moment! Lashes curled with the Shu Umera Lash Curlers, and then applied a few lashings of the L'Oreal False Lash Effect Telescopic Mascara since the boy always comments on my lashes when I wear this (think long fluttery lashes). 

I forgot to photograph the lip product I'm wearing here, since I'd chucked in my handbag for after dinner touch ups, but it was the MAC Lipstick in Syrup, which I've mentioned a thousand times in the last month, it's my current favourite!

What do you think of these products? Are there any products you would like to see in a future What's On My Face?

What's On My Face #3 - Everyday Makeup

 I've been favouring a more natural look recently, peachy nude lips and a gentle smokey eye with a slick of pink blush has been what it's about.

On this particular day I used my Real Techniques Buffing Brush to blend Max Factor's Facefinity foundation into my skin. This is my favourite high street foundation, incredible coverage but still looks natural. I used my NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer under my eyes to brighten them up. I would usually use my Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer too on any blemishes or red areas, but I was surprisingly blemish free, and this foundation covers redness incredibly well.

I then took my Nars Laguna Bronzer on a Real Techniques Powder brush under my cheekbones, and on my temples to add a little colour and give my chubby cheeks a slight contour. I then patted the Chanel Creme Blush in Revelation onto the apples of my cheeks with my finger, and blended it out with the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I've tried loads of ways to apply this blush, and this is by far my favourite, it gives a very flawless finish and you can build it up this way too. 

Then onto my eyes, I skipped brows, just combing them through with a spoolie, and setting them in place with a clear mascara. I then took my Naked palette, and ran Buck, a medium matte brown, through my crease and outer corner, blending it loads with a fluffy brush, before packing Toasted, a shimmery pink, onto the lid with my MAC 215 which is my favourite brush for that. I blended it all again before adding a tiny bit of MAC Sketch into the outer corner, because I decided I wanted a little more definition. I also ran this under my lower lash line on a detailer blush. I then used my Max Factor Kohl Liner to tightline my eyes, as well as a little on my upper lash line for definition, and then added a little of the Max Factor False Lash Effect Mascara to my upper and lower lashes. 

I then took my Real Techniques powder brush again, this time with the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Dim Light to set my makeup, it gives the most flawless finish. I also took a tiny bit of Incandescent light under my browbone and on the inner corners of my eyes to highlight. Finished off with the Bobbi Brown Sheer Creamy Lip Colour in Tutu, which I am obsessed with at the moment. 

What do you think of this look? Have you used any of these products? What makeup have you been wearing recently?

What's On My Face #2 - A Foundation I Don't Like

(Apologies for the dodgy lighting in these photos, the sun kept disappearing behind the blackest cloud ever...)

 Ohh foundation. It's so hard to find a foundation that does everything that you want it to. One piece of advice I can offer however, is that I didn't like this one.

Can we take a moment to point out the obvious here? LOOK HOW ORANGE MY FACE IS. JUST LOOK. I have not put a powder, or a bronzer on, just this on top of Benefit's Porefessional. Can I also point out, that this is the lightest colour in the range? 

I picked up the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation after hearing a few people rave about it, and being tempted in by the introductory price (£.6.99, how good is that?!). I really like the Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation, and the Healthy Mix Serum so I had no reason to think I wouldn't like this one. 

Firstly, I should say that in the bottle this looks like my perfect shade. Even when I tested it on my face and neck in Boots, it looked like the closest match I've ever found in a foundation. But once I buffed this into my skin I could see it was too yellow for me, but it blended out okay, so it didn't seem like a major thing. However, half an hour later, the stuff had oxidised on my face and I was a fetching shade of Essex Oompa Loompa. It didn't even oxidise evenly, which you can tell in these photos.

Shade grumbles aside, I don't really rate the formula much either. Looking in the mirror, this foundation hasn't covered any redness and is actually highlighting my pores, something I've never experienced with a foundation before. I have really normal skin, it's not in any way oily or dry, but this is just clinging to the pores in my t-zone.

In other news, I've been sporting a purpley tinged eye this week, sweeping MAC Satin Taupe across the lids, and blending Brousse (top right) from the NARS Fairy's Kiss Palette to add definition. I'm also shunning liquid liner in favour for a matte black shadow (Pandora, bottom right in the NARS Palette) taken across the lash line and flicked slightly out, for a softer look. I used MAC Painterly Paint Pot as a base to make sure the colours were true to pan. I also swiped lashings of the Max Factor Lash Extension Effect mascara on my upper and lower lashes to lengthen them and make my eyes look more awake.

I can't speak highly enough of the NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer at the moment, it's a dark circle magic eraser and I think it might just be worthy of Holy Grail concealing status. Big claims I know but it's bloody brilliant. 

On my cheeks, I've been using the Nyx products I mentioned in yesterday's post, the blush in Taupe as a contour, and a little bit of peach for colour. I particularly like Taupe, it gives a really natural shadow under the cheekbone making you look naturally sculpted (you'd be able to tell better if I wasn't so FREAKING ORANGE!) I also popped the Xtreme Lip Cream in Pinky Nude (in what world is that a nude lip) on my lips and blotted it so it wasn't as intense.

 For brows I settled on my go to pairing, I filled in the sparse areas with the darker shadow from the Br-Wow kit, and set them with my Maybelline Brow Drama.

Have you tried any of these products? What do you think about the Bourjois Foundation?

What's On My Face

I seem to have settled into a little bit of a makeup rut routine recently, I'm reaching for the same products pretty much every day at the moment, a lot of newish products to my stash, so I thought, hey, why not share them with you guys.

I tend to start with a primer, partly to disguise those big 'ol pores, and partly because the foundation I've been reaching for doesn't have the greatest lasting time. I've been trying out L'Oreal's Skin Perfection Magic Blur Primer, which does everything I wanted Benefit's The Porefessional to do. It completely smooths out your skin (I've had a cut on my nose this week that has been totally disguised by this) and makes your makeup last all day. It's much thicker than any other primer I've ever used, but it doesn't feel heavy on the skin. Next I go in with my Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation (not to be confused with Healthy Mix Radiance Reveal), which is the latest addition to my foundation wardrobe. It's very light, lighter than the Serum foundation, with fairly sheer coverage. It's quite moisturising and the colour match is perfect for me. A bit of concealer on the undereyes, and any nasties, I'm loving the MAC Mineralize Concealer. On top of this, I go in with my Bourjois Bronzing Primer in the hollows of my cheeks to give me a little definition. This is a super easy product to use for contouring, I just dab my Expert Face Brush from Real Techniques into the product, take off any excess in the lid, and then push the brush up under my cheekbones, and then blend the colour out. The colour of the product is great, it's not orange like it appears, and it's pretty foolproof, and very hard to go over the top with. For blush, I've been using my Chanel Creme Blush in Revelation, which I just love. I take a little bit of this onto my finger, and tap it on to the apples of my cheek, and then use the Expert Face Brush (it's been getting a lot of love recently) to blend it out and up my cheek. You can really build this blush up, it can be a natural flush or a more striking pop of colour for night.

Onto the eyes, and I've been keeping my brows super simple, and just setting them with the Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Blond (yes I know I'm not blond, but the colour is more like a light natural brown, which is perfect for days when I'm not after a bold brow, just a little definition) which just fills in any sparse areas and keeps them in place for the day. Then it's onto lids, and I've been keeping things really simple, just packing on my MAC Paint Pot in Constructivist, and then blending it out with my Real Techniques fluffy eye brush. I then use a detailer brush to take a little under the eye too, which I find just defines everything a bit more. Slap on whatever mascara I have to hand, this time it was Maybelline The Rocket which I bought a) because it's the closest I'll ever get to something with my name on, and b) because everyone and their dog seems to love this mascara. To be honest I'm not sure about it yet, but I haven't fallen in love at first stroke. We'll see.

I finish it all off with a bit of Soap and Glory's Glow All Out highlighter, which I dust onto my browbones and the top of my cheeks, for a subtle shimmer, and set the t-zone with my beloved Chanel Les Beiges. The only part of the routine that has really changed has been the lipstick, this time it was my Urban Decay Revolution lipstick in Fiend which is my perfect natural lip, but I've also been reaching for my Rimmel Notting Hill Nude and Maybelline Colour Sensational Lipstick in Pink Punch when I want something a bit brighter.

So that's the lowdown! When I write it all down it does seem like a lot of products, but what I'm left with is a natural look with a smoky autumnal eye, that literally takes me about five minutes in the morning.

What products have you been loving recently?

Don't forget to enter my giveaway to win an Urban Decay Lipstick here!