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

June Favourites 2015

Hello again!

This year has gone so quickly and I cannot believe that it's already July!

With another month over and done with, I thought that I would write about my June Favourites. I have been loving so many things recently, but for the purpose of this blog post I have condensed them and selected six which I feel are my absolute favourites....

I purchased this impulse spray recently from Boots (they are always on offer so pop down to your local drugstore and check them out). The can tells me that it is "Raspberry and Gardenia" scented and I must admit that I was ready to buy as soon as I saw the word "Raspberry".

When I arrived home with this and was able to properly try it out, I fell in love! 

My favourite smells are ones that combine fruity and floral notes, so this spray gets a big thumbs up from me. Neither of the scents overpower each other and the overall smell is feminine and summery.

Just perfect....

This little beauty has become my everyday moisturiser (despite the fact that it is described as a pre-moisturiser). My skin does not respond very well to regular moisturisers - they make my face oily (no matter what skin type they're targeted at) and I find that they just sit on my skin and don't sink in properly. 

I was out shopping a while back and found the Aloe Vera version of this in the Body Shop's skincare section. Curious to see how my skin would react to a serum, I purchased it.......and LOVED IT!!

• The serum actually sank into my skin, which made my face feel more hydrated than usual. 
• The next morning, my skin wasn't oily at all and over time, my skin started to look healthier.

The next time I tried to buy the Aloe Vera one, I couldn't find it, so I tried this one instead. I liked it just as much and have been using this product ever since (this is my 3rd bottle).

The product may seem a little pricey (£12.00 for 30ml) for such a small amount of serum, but you really don't need much and in my opinion it is worth it....

My body and face seem to react in the same way to moisturisers. I never used to moisturise my body because, after all that effort, I just felt extremely greasy.
I had seen this product advertised a lot and had always wanted to try it - I'm so glad that I eventually did!
The spray can makes it easy to apply and the formula isn't very thick, so it sinks in pretty fast.
I will be re-purchasing this product when this can runs out!

Maybelline Dream touch blush

I have really enjoyed using this blusher for the past month or so.

It has a very creamy formula, yet it is very long lasting and doesn't just slide down my face an hour after application.

The colour is gorgeous - a dark pink with tiny flecks of glitter in it. 

The glitter isn't visible after application (I was a little worried that it would make me look like a disco ball!)  - and actually gives me a lovely glow . 

You only need the tiniest little bit of this for it to work its magic and the pot will last be ages.

Love.Love.Love

I bet that you have heard of this little miracle!

If not then allow me to introduce you - this is the Nivea Lip butter in the Raspberry flavour. It has an ultra creamy formula and is my go-to product when my lips need some TLC.
The smell is incredible - like raspberry ice cream. Unlike many other products for the lips, it actually tastes as good as it smells.
You really don't need a lot of this - the only downside is that too much will leave a white residue on your lips. However, a little goes a long way, so this doesn't really matter.
An amazing product that I take with me everywhere!


Thanks for reading - I'll speak to you again in my next blog post!
Elle xox