Makeup Look - Natural and glowing

When it comes to makeup, it can be tricky to strike the right balance between too little and too much.  Too much and your makeup can end up looking cakey, but too little and you can feel like you don't have enough coverage and are left thinking "Why did I even bother in the first place?"

It took me a lot of experimenting to finally feel completely happy with the way that my makeup looked and the following products are used in my everyday makeup routine. The finished look is healthy looking skin with a flawless complexion. 

Enjoy!

 STEP ONE - For my base, I have switched from using my Bourjois Healthy Mix foundation to using their 123 CC cream every time I do my makeup. It's perfect for creating a natural looking complexion as it isn't at all cakey or heavy on the skin. I find that it covers my under eye cirlces better than my foundation and also blurs imperfections such as spots and redness. I like to apply this product with my Real Techniques Expert face brush which really is the best brush I have ever tried  :) The end result is hydrated skin and a flawless, glowing complexion!

STEP TWO - Seen as the CC cream does a great job at covering up imperfections such as dark under-eye circles and any spots that I may have, I tend to skip concealer and move straight onto blusher. This blusher was in my June Favourites and I am still using and loving it! The Dream Touch Blush by Maybelline is brilliant for adding some colour into the apples of your cheeks and will leave your skin looking radiant! Plus, you only need a little product to make a big difference....

 STEP THREE - To set my makeup, I like to use the Rimmel Stay Matte Pressed Powder. It' amazing because it ensures that my makeup stays on all day but as I mentioned before, doesn't make my face look completely lifeless or reverse the effects of the CC cream or blusher. I apply the powder with the big fluffy brush shown in the picture. It's actually from Primark and was inexpensive but works very well.

STEP FOUR - Mascara time! Personally, mascara is the part of my makeup routine that really makes a difference as it makes me look more awake (which is especially helpful on those mornings where I just didn't get enough sleep the night before!)This mascara is brilliant because it's a multitasker. It volumises, lengthens and separates in one application. If you feel like you don't need mascara to complete your look then you can skip this step or even apply some clear mascara to separate your lashes without being as obvious as wearing black mascara.


STEP FIVE - If I have time, then I'll just finish off by brushing through my brows with some clear mascara to "set" them in place.

And that's it! Occasionally I'll add on things like coloured lip balm or lipgloss and sometimes I will use my original Naked Palette to do a pretty eyeshadow look but most of the time, this is the routine that I stick to.

Once again, thanks for reading and I hope that you enjoyed!

What products do you use in your everyday makeup routine?

Elle xox

Lash sensational vs they're real mascara

 Hey everyone and welcome back to my blog!
Today I will be comparing two well-known mascaras - one high end and one drugstore.
The Benefit They're Real! mascara is extremely popular around the world and many women swear by it.
The Maybelline Lash sensational mascara is relatively new to the UK, yet many women love it and think of it as the best drugstore mascara.
Today I will be comparing the two so that you can decide which one is best for your lashes (and perhaps for your wallet!).

They're Real! - £19.50

VOLUME
I feel that this mascara gives just the right amount of volume (with no clumps). If you are after extreme volume (and I mean extreme) then you may not find it in this product, but for most people,I think that the volume that this provides is perfect.
Personal opinion 10/10

SEPARATION
For me, the mascara separates my lashes without making them appear too "spidery" (is that a word?I'm not quire sure!). Again, if separation is all that you are looking for in a mascara then maybe this particular one isn't for you, but for most people I think that the separation that the wand provides is perfect.
personal opinion 9/10

LENGTH
Amazing. I couldn't imagine anyone wishing for more length than this gives you. It doesn't matter how many coats I apply, I always get results!
Personal opinion 10/10

LONGEVITY
As I have mentioned before, this mascara can be a little tricky to remove, and therefore stays put throughout the day. However, I do sometimes find smudges underneath my eyes when I wear this, but I think that that may be because of the consistency of my concealer (quite creamy) rather than because of the mascara alone.
Personal opinion 8/10

Lash sensational - £7.99

VOLUME
Great volume, but I find that I have to be more careful with this one in order to avoid clumping. I think that this mascara may have a thicker formula maybe? Correct me if I'm wrong! However, if you take your time, you can get amazing results from this.
Personal opinion 8/10

SEPARATION
Pretty good as the wand almost "fans out" your lashes. As with the Benefit mascara, if separation is all that you are looking for, then you may not be blown away by this, but for me, it's perfect.
Personal opinion 9/10

LENGTH
Another amazing mascara for length. My lashes always look glamorous after use and I was very impressed by the results when I first tried this!
Personal Opinion -  10/10

LONGEVITY
This product doesn't advertise as being waterproof and because of this, it can take a little longer to dry - patience is key to avoid smudges! However, once dry, this mascara stays put all day but isn't too tricky to remove.
Personal opinion - 9/10



As you can see, there isn't much difference between these two products, so I would suggest that you purchase whichever one that you feel will work best for you.
If I'm running low on cash, then I'll go for the Maybelline mascara (which is a great alternative to many high-end ones!), but if I fancy a splurge, or if it's Christmas or my birthday, then I will perhaps go for the Benefit one......
I hope that this comparison has helped you in some way, and I will speak to you in my next post, which will be up sometime early next week.
Thanks for reading!
Elle xox