Foundation, BB or CC?

With all of the different kinds of makeup available today, it can be hard to decide which one is best for you. Should you try BB cream? Or maybe CC cream? But what about foundation? I hope that this post can help you decide which type is best for you...enjoy!

 CC Cream  -  For most brands, CC cream stands for "colour correcting" cream. The product is supposed to "colour correct" dark under-eye circles, red patches (such as spot scars or actual pimples) and even-out your complexion.
The Bourjois "123 Perfect" CC cream is pictured on the left in the above photo and as you may be able to tell, this particular cream is quite runny compared to the foundation in the middle and the BB cream on the right. I wouldn't even call it a cream - it's almost a mix between a cream and a serum...
 I would say that CC creams give medium coverage. I never need concealer when I use one because I really do feel like it covers up or "corrects" my dark under-eye circles. However, if you have bad acne or any really red spots then you may need some sort of concealer to completely cover it.
Most CC creams give a glowing finish and provide your skin with some moisturisation which I like but which wouldn't be good if you like a matte finish or have oily skin.
Most CC creams come with an SPF which is brilliant, especially in summer!

CC CREAMS ARE PERFECT FOR........

• People with dark under-eye circles or redness that isn't properly covered by their usual base.
• Anyone who wants glowing skin and a little moisturisation from their makeup.
• Those who need to stremline their makeup routine with an all in one product that corrects and conceals.
• The summer time!

 BB Cream - Short for "Blemish Balm" or "Beauty Balm", BB creams have been popular in the beauty and blogging world for some time now.
Most BB creams are multitasking products - they usually pack a moisture punch, give subtle coverage, have an SPF and leave you with glowing skin after application.
Unlike CC creams, I've found that BB creams don't give as much coverage and won't get rid of under-eye circles or cover up redness. The coverage is very light and simply evens out the complexion.
The BB creams that I have tried have a really creamy consistency and are very similar to a moisturiser - to be honest, I haven't seen much difference between a BB cream and a tinted moisturiser (if anyone knows the real difference between the two then I'd love to know - just leave a comment down below  :))

BB CREAMS ARE GREAT FOR....

• Younger girls who are just starting out with makeup and want very subtle coverage.
• Lazy days when you don't want a full face of makeup but would like to even out your complexion just in case you need to pop to the shops!
• People with dry skin 
• Sunny days when you want coverage with an SPF (the Dream Fresh BB cream from Maybelline has an amazing SPF of 30!!)

FOUNDATION - Most girls who are have been experimenting with makeup for a while will have tried some sort of foundation. 

The great thing about foundation is the variety of types that are available. There are matte foundations, high coverage foundations, foundations with subtle coverage and foundations that keep skin moisturised all day. Most foundations are designed to be long lasting (but many don't deliver on this promise!) so are good when you have an event to go to. 

I tend to reach for my foundation when I feel like I need more coverage or when I want a longer lasting makeup look. 

I feel like foundation just "masks" rather than "correcting" and this "masked" look isn't to everyone's taste. When I use foundation, I feel the need to use lots of blusher to make my skin look more alive!

Unlike BB or CC cream, my foundation always has to be an exact match for my skin tone. This can be tricky when a brand doesn't always offer a wide range of shades.

FOUNDATION IS BRILLIANT FOR.....

• Events when you want long lasting coverage and a flawless complexion
• People who want to have lots of choice when it comes to picking the right product for them - foundations come in a variety of formulas.

I hope that this post has helped you in some sort of way! 

Ell xox

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

Holiday beauty essentials

Hey everyone,
First of all, I have to apologise for the lack of posts on my blog recently! I have been abroad for a while and unable to blog whilst I was away, but I am back now, so expect a lot more posting from me!
Whilst on holiday, I used a variety of different products to keep my skin and hair in good condition and I'm going to share my favourites with you today. Here are my top four Holiday beauty essentials!

We all know that the hot conditions and damaging chlorine that your hair experiences on a relaxing holiday abroad can sometimes leave it feeling dry and frizzy.
I was keen to purchase a shampoo and conditioner set that would tackle these two holiday hair horrors. The Aussie Miracle Moist range did just that.
My hair was soft and shiny and frizz was kept to a minimum (despite the humidity!).
The incredible smell of these two products was just an added bonus.....

Before my holiday, I knew that I was in need of a product that had subtle coverage and that contained an SPF of at least 15.
The Bourjois CC cream ticked both of these boxes.
With an SPF of 15 and less coverage than a foundation (but still enough to blur imperfections), this product had everything that I needed.
Whilst on holiday, I used the CC cream every day and really enjoyed doing so. I didn't need any concealer (it covered my under eye circles and blurred any spots that I had) and my face didn't burn in the 30 degree heat. Result!


This mascara isn't a new discovery for me. I've been using it on and off for a year or two now, and it's my go-to mascara for everyday wear.
On holiday, this mascara worked for both the day time and for evening wear. The wand grabs every lash and adds volume and length whilst separating my lashes.
The perfect mascara for glamorous holiday lashes!

Ok, so this technically isn't a beauty favourite, but it was an essential product whilst I was away.
If you are prone to either "Prickly heat" (an irritating itchy rash that appears after sun exposure) or burning, this product is worth trying.
My skin is pale, and so is sensitive to hotter temperatures. This holiday, my skin burned pretty badly and was extremely sore and itchy.
This cream-gel after sun was lovely. It cooled my skin down and moisturised the burnt area without irritating it further.
If you struggle to find an after sun that won't irritate your skin, I really recommend this one.


Thanks for reading! As I said, my blog posts will be more frequent from now on, so expect another from me this week.
Elle xox