NARS Highlighting Blush in Miss Liberty

NARS Highlighting Blush (£21.50)

This is one of those products that I picked up without fully understanding its uses.  Very naughty I know because you should always do your beauty research but sometimes those products you pick up on a whim turn out to be pleasantly surprising.  And guess what?  This is exactly that.

Miss Liberty from NARS is described as a highlighting blush however I was under the impression it was just a regular highlighter.  I was using it on my brow bone and my cupids bow and although it was giving a nice amount of shimmer, it wasn’t as light-reflecting as some other powders I’d used.  Feeling a little frustrated I took to the trusty internet in search of answers and of course the blog world didn’t fail me.  I soon found this was actually a blusher designed to be worn either alone on or on top of other cheek products to create that glow from within.  The flecks of shimmer running through the powder are very subtle which explains why it works better as a discreet illuminator rather than a full-on highlighter.

I prefer to wear this alone but I have tried it over other blushers and it does look lovely either way.  I think it adds that perfect hint of shimmer and really brings my cheekbones to life without being too obvious or OTT.  I have been known to go a little blusher crazy in the past so this is a refreshing change for me.  You can also get this in two other shades: New Order (a pinky, slightly more pigmented colour) and Albatross (a translucent offering which seems to be a favourite in the blog world).  I think all shades are rather gorgeous and all are supposed to be universally flattering so should suit most skin tones.

I’m so pleased I discovered how to use this product properly.  I’m using it every day now and have had lots of comments on how dewy and fresh my skin looks so it certainly does the trick.  Perfect for perking up your complexion the morning after your Christmas party!

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What's On My Face: The Office Edition

Max Factor’s Instant Complexion Enhancer CC Cream (£9.99) | Paul & Joe’s Limited Edition Pressed Powder UV (£28) | MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental | Maybelline’s Mega Plush Volum’ Expess mascara (£7.99) | Benefit Browzings Brow Shaping Kit (£23.50) | Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant (£25)

Every morning I’m faced with the same old predicament: get up and apply some makeup or have an extra ten minutes in bed.  You can guarantee I choose my bed every time.  However, I’m not brave enough to go to work barefaced so have to try to make myself look presentable with a limited amount of time and a few products.

When I don’t have time to sit and blend in my foundation, the Max Factor’s Instant Complexion Enhancer CC Cream comes in really handy.  It’s more like a tinted moisturiser than a foundation so doesn’t need as much work.  It’s light and refreshing yet gives me good coverage.  If needs be I top up with a little concealer.  I forgot to photograph it but no prizes for guessing which one I use (Collection’s  Lasting Perfection concealer - review here).

I have to add powder when I need my makeup to last all day and my current dusting of choice comes from Paul & Joe’s Limited Edition Pressed Powder UV.  It contains finely milled glitter which adds a sheen to my face - the perfect pick me up for when I’m at work.  Onto blush and my usual office choice is MAC Powder Blush in Supercontinental, a bright yet natural coral shade.  It’s perfect for giving me a bit of a flush whilst not being too OTT or girly.  Unfortunately it was a limited edition from a collection last year so you will find it hard to hunt it down.  I’m using it sparingly!

Now for the eye area.  I tend to keep my eyes really simple whilst at work because as you nine-to-five girls know, too much tired eye-rubbing will leave you looking like an office zombie.  I apply a good few lashings of Maybelline’s Mega Plush Volum’ Expess mascara to keep my peepers looking wide awake.  I didn’t get on with this mascara at first as I found the formula rather runny and hard to work with but I persevered and glad I did.  I fill in my browns using the amazing Browzings duo from Benefit.  As you can see, the wax (left) is my favourite but I stick to the powder (right) during the day for a subtle look.

Finally, the lips.  Whenever I wear bright lipstick during the day at work I’m often asked if I’m going out afterwards and I get sick of saying “no I just like fancy a change!”  Can’t a girl wear a bit of bright lippy if she pleases?  Jeez!  Most days I opt for a touch of lip balm to keep my lips soft but glossy.  I make sure I keep it on my desk and top up during the day, especially in the colder weather.  My all time favourite lip balm is the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant.  If you don’t have this in your makeup bag then why not?  It cures an array of ailments and I love how soft it makes my lips feel.

And there you have it.  This whole routine takes around 10 minutes and is so fool proof it can be done when half asleep.  I plan on doing a few more What’s On My Face posts so let me know other ‘faces’ you would like to see.

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Guerlain Terracotta Four Seasons Bronzer

 Guerlain Terracotta Four Seasons Bronzer (£46.50)

I don’t know about you but I’m actually more concerned with being bronzed in the Winter than Summer.  I know it might seem topsy-turvy but my Summer tanning routine is usually a lot more relaxed than in the six months that follow.  I’m more about sporting a few natural freckles and beachy waves because evening soirees during the warmer weather tend to come with the ‘anything goes’ dress code.  Winter, on the other hand, is time to get glam.  It’s party season, everyone wants to look their best and for me this involves having a healthy glow.

My favourite makeup item when creating a bronzed look has to be the Guerlain Terracotta Four Seasons bronzer.  Comprising of not one but four beautiful matte shades, this compact can be used for an all over sweep of colour or to contour your face.  This is one of the only bronzers I’ve used that doesn’t have an orange tinge or any nasty glitter particles making it practically impossible to go wrong with it.  I have the colour ‘Brunettes’ but it also comes in ‘Blondes’ too so you do have a choice.  Both shades look very au natural might I add.  If I’m having a good skin day then sometimes I will use this alone on my face without any foundation but it does also look just as good on top of a base or fake tan.

Have I sold it to you yet?  Well if so, then this may be one of the most expensive bronzers you will ever buy.  At £46.50 (that’s almost £50!) this gorgeous glow doesn’t come cheap.  I got this is a gift so managed to swerve any uncomfortable exchange with the counter girl where I don‘t fully let go of my cash as I reluctantly hand it over.  Imagine the buyer’s guilt you would feel after purchasing this!  What I will say however is you can really tell this is a luxury product.  The powder is so finely milled that it feel super soft when applied to your face and the results do speak for themselves.  Did I mention that the packaging is amazing too?  It feels so heavy and expensive in your hands.  

Despite the hefty price tag I would buy this bronzer if, and only if, I couldn’t find a good enough dupe for it.  I’m skeptical as to whether I will though because I’ve never used anything like this before.  It love it.  Good news for those who do want to buy it now as it’s currently half price on Debenhams’ website.  What the hell are you waiting for?

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Sleek Face Contour Kit in Fair v Urban Decay Naked Flush Palette

 Sleek Face Contour Kit in Fair (£9.99) v Urban Decay Naked Flush Palette (£20)

Lately the make up world has been all about the contour.  I blame the Kardashians, Kim in particular, for making us feel completely insignificant for not having chiseled cheeks and bright brow bones.  Although the look may be hard to perfect, there are some great products on the market which can help us along our way.  These Urban Decay and Sleek palettes for example are basically a ‘contour in a kit’ and contain most of what we need to give it a go.  But which one do I like more?  I don’t need both...that’s for sure.

Urban Decay are trying to replicate the success of their Naked eyeshadow palettes with their offering: the Naked Flush palette.  The kit contains a bronzer, blusher and highlighter.  I like how the products are proportioned in the palette.  You get more bronzer than you would highlighter as you obviously use this product on a larger area of your face.  With the Sleek palette you get equal amounts of each and I can see me running out of the blush much quicker that I do the highlighter.  The Urban Decay blush is a vibrant pink which only needs a very small amount on the brush.  It blends in well but can be a little bright if you apply too much.  I’m not a fan of the highlighter in this trio.  I find it’s a little too pink toned and although it does look lovely over the blusher, it’s hard to blend into the rest of your face.  It’s not the right shade for my brown bone and I wouldn’t even attempt to add it down the centre of my nose (another prime highlighting point).

Sleek’s highlighter is a lot more face friendly and I find myself adding this everywhere on my face, including my cupids bow.  The bronzing powder is a beautiful matte brown shade and perfect for blending in the hollows of my cheeks to make my cheekbones stand out.  It suits my skin tone and doesn’t have any orangey tones unlike the Urban Decay bronzer which is more suitably used as a bronzing powder rather than a contour.  I love Sleek’s packaging too.  It’s really...well...sleek, and I love how each of the powders are in their own pans so they won’t smudge together and look messy.

If you haven’t guessed by now the Sleek palette is definitely my favourite.  It’s half the price yet does a better job of shaping, highlighting and accentuating my face.  It also contains the Rose Gold blush which is one of their most popular blushers and looks beautiful on most skin shades.  I think I’m in love! The Urban Decay is a nice palette however I think it only really works on my cheeks and doesn’t give the full contoured effect that I’m going for.

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Shu Uemura Depsea Water

 Shu Uemura Depsea Water (£16.50)

I previously didn’t own anything by Shu Uemura - not even their holy grail eyelash curler which so many people rave about.  I didn’t realise they had a skin care range (bad beauty blogger alert) but when I saw their Depsea Water I was immediately attracted to it.  Although this comes in many different fragrances, such as rose and lavender, I went for the mint scent because I love anything fresh and invigorating.  I really liked the colour too which looks exactly how I imagine the water to look at the the bottom of the deep sea.

Let’s not beat about the bush: this is simply scented water for your face.  I don’t think it has any real skin benefits other than a quick zap of hydration and it’s definitely not a life changing product.  However, if you do like a little bit of luxury in your skincare routine this would be a nice addition.  I tend to use it as soon as I get out of bed on a morning to help me wake up and it was a life saver during those hot Summer days as it feels very cooling on the skin.  

I was rather disappointed with the smell though as the scent of mint doesn’t really come through at all.  The size of the bottle is rather large so it’s not very handbag friendly and I also think the spray nozzle can be a little overpowering, soaking your face at times rather than giving you a light mist.  I really do like the idea of facial spritzes but I think there are better ones on the market than this one.  For example, the Simple Moisture Boost Hydro Mist is a fraction of the price and does a better job in my opinion.  Sorry Shu but I’m just not won over with this one.

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What I Bought: The Beauty Edition

I've done quite a bit of shopping lately so thought I'd do my first ever haul post to show you what I've been buying.  This haul is beauty related but I've bought myself some new threads too so I'm going to do a separate post for my fashion related purchases.  I've accumulated this stuff over the last couple of weeks so I don't feel too bad when I think about how much I've spent.  Wouldn't it be lovely if I could afford a haul like this every week though?  A girl can dream!  So without further ado, here are the products that have made it into my beauty basket lately...

Clinique Take The Day Off Cleansing Balm (£21):  Oh look!  Another skin care purchase inspired by Caroline Hirons!  My purse is begging me to stop reading her blog.  This melting make up remover is one of her firm favourites and is a lot cheaper than the popular Emma Hardy Cleansing Balm which does the same sort of job.  I've used this a couple of times so far and love it already but need to use it a little more before I give you guys a full review.

Ciaté Emerald Collection (£25):  I actually got this amazing kit as a birthday gift from my friend Tonya.  She knows me so well.  Not quite a purchase of my own but I just had to include it because it’s so beautiful.  The kit includes an array of sprinkles, sparkles and fluff to create three different textured nail art looks.  I find myself in a trance-like state whenever I look at the glitter pot!  It's just so pretty...I can't wait to dip my nails in.  I've never seen anything like the velvet effect before so I'm rather intrigued with how that works.  Green is my favourite colour so this set is simply heaven for me.  It's like I've died and gone to the Emerald City.

Primark Face Cloths (£1.50):  To some, these flannels may be basic, boring and Nana-like but to me they are a godsend!  I use them on a daily basis to cleanse my face and remove my make up and they're a great little accompaniment to my new cleansing balm.  At £1.50 they're a steal!

Primark Plastic Travel Bottles (£1):  Another boring but practical purchase.  I'm going away for the weekend at the end of this month and have been warned in advance that I need to pack light.  These travel sized bottles were just £1 from Primark and are going to help me on my quest to take less products with me.  Now if only there was an easy solution for my shoes...

Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara (£12):  How cute is this?  This teeny tiny mascara is designed especially for your bottom eyelashes.  The minuscule brush is perfect for getting into the hard to reach inner corners of your eye and is great for avoiding those pesky mascara smudges.  Is it a necessity?  No.  But I was swayed by an offer on the Boots' website and thought it wouldn’t hurt to try.  I’ll review it for you soon.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer (£3.99):  I’ve lost count of the amount of times I’ve repurchased this.  It’s the only concealer I use and I’m not about to start changing it anytime soon.  The consistency is thick and creamy and the coverage is amazing.  Spots, redness, eye-bags...you name it, this covers it.  If there’s one thing I recommend you try it’s this.

Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask (£22):  I think this is the product I was most excited about buying.  After hearing so many rave reviews about how it transforms your skin I knew I had to try it for myself.  Leave this mask on your face overnight and your skin will literally drink up the moisture.  The next day my face felt hydrated and looked brighter than it had in a long time.  I am really impressed!

And that includes my beauty haul!  What do you think?  Any treats in there that you would like to purchase yourself?  Or is there anything you’d recommend I buy next?  I know I shouldn’t considering my recent beauty binge but I really don’t care.  A girl can’t have too many products in my opinion ;)

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Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm

 Dr Jart+ Premium Beauty Balm (£24)

I was never one for BB creams.  As a hardcore foundation wearer, I thought they were essentially just tinted moisturisers and their sheer formula wouldn’t cut it with my uneven skin tone.  Then I tried Dr Jart + Premium Beauty Balm and now I’m somewhat of a convert.

So what’s so good about it?  I’m not sure if it’s the creamy formula or how lightweight this feels on my skin but either way I’m pleasantly surprised that I like this product so much.  I find myself reaching for this on days when I’m running a little late for work.  It goes on evenly with your fingers and needs minimal effort so I apply it in the car on the way to the office (when I’m in the passenger seat of course!)  I like the packaging too.  The tube looks like you could squeeze it like toothpaste but it’s actually sturdy plastic, making the product feel a little more luxe. 

The beauty balm gives me a lot more coverage than I thought it would, disguising most blemishes and redness and giving my skin a glowing finish.  And despite it being a one-shade-suits-all colour I find it blends in well with my pale skin.  Once I’ve applied the rest of my make up, such as my concealer, powder, blusher, etc, my face doesn’t look too dissimilar to when I’m wearing foundation.  Same face, lighter base.  Your skin is seriously going to thank you for it.  

At £24 this BB cream does lean on the expensive side and as I haven’t tried a great deal of budget BB creams, I can’t really comment on whether it’s worth the extra pennies or not.  I’ve there are some great beauty balms on the market at a fraction of the price so don’t fret - there is something affordable for everyone.  I’m certainly going to try out some cheaper options once I’m all out of this tube.  Anybody have any favourites?

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Indeed Labs Pepta-bright & Hydraluron

Indeed Labs Pepta-bright (£29.99)

Indeed Labs Hydraluron (£24.99)

Forget Brangelina, I have for you today a brand new power couple that I just can’t get enough of.  Brought to you by Canadian company Indeed Labs, I introduce to you Pepta-bright and Hydraluron.  Recommended by number one skin guru Caroline Hirons, these two products should be at the top of any skincare lover’s wish list.  If you haven’t heard of Caroline Hirons, and I must admit that I only discovered her a few months ago, then this video she filmed with the Pixiwoo sisters is a great introduction to her and her facial favourites.  I’m obsessed with her and her blog Beauty Mouth and the minute so expect many a Hirons reference in my upcoming blog posts.

Pepta-bright is a cream type serum designed to reduce the appearance of dark spots and skin imperfections on your face.  I suffer a lot from scarring and find whenever I have a pimple it takes ages for the mark it leaves to fade away.  In fact, I still have scars from spots I had years ago despite teenage acne being something I’d rather forget thank you.  I’ve been using the serum under my moisturiser for a good few weeks now and have definitely seen an improvement.  My skin looks a lot clearer and those dark marks are slowly but surely going away.

Now where do I start with Hydraluron?  I have so many good things to say about this product.  Again it’s another serum but this time a clear gel which soaks straight into your skin when applied.  It’s packed full of hyaluronic acid which despite sounding quite scary is actually found in the body naturally so is nothing but good for you.  It has hydrating agents which literally take one look at dry skin, then smother it in goodness.  I’ve been using this on my face both morning and night before applying my moisturiser and my skin has never felt so hydrated.  I usually struggle with dry/combination skin but this product has changed all of that.  I find the sensation very strange when I first apply the serum.  It sinks in so fast that my face feels a little tight, almost as if the skin has drank up all of the product.  I’ve heard some people say it stings them a little but I’ve only found it to do so if my skin is broken or open due to a nasty spot.  It’s a big claim to make but I think this is my favourite skincare product to date.

The two products can be used together, Pepta-bright first, then Hydraluron and then your favourite moisturiser but I do think they work equally well used alone.  If I had to pick a favourite it would have to be Hydraulon.  It’s a miracle worker!  It’s Caroline’s favourite too hence the reason it’s sold out online at Boots!  That girl could sell sand to the Egyptians.

Both of these little beauties retail at £29.99 for Pepta-bright and £24.99 for Hydraluron which is a very good price I think.  However, the exciting part is that Boots have up to a third off Indeed Labs products at the moment meaning Pepta-bright is down to £19.99 and Hydraluron an amazing £16.99!!!  I’m ecstatic!  Like I said, it’s sold out online but I will be scouring every Boots in the North East this weekend to make sure I stock up and at that price, I suggest you do too!  Fight you for the last one!

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GlamGlow SuperMud Mask

 GlamGlow SuperMud Mask (£44.99)

I first heard about the GlamGlow SuperMud mask during my nightly browse of Pinterest’s health and beauty pages.  If you’re a lover of the social network site then I’m sure you too will have seen the image of “the nose”.  Smothered in green face mask and dotted with big black pores, it caught my attention and I was intrigued.  Sounds gross doesn’t it?  But that’s definitely the defining feature of this mask.  It sinks into your pores, making them really visible before deeply cleansing and refining them.  Basically, your blackheads should be scared as this product is their worst nightmare.

A word of warning before I tell you how much I love this and get you completely hooked.  This mask is rather expensive for the amount of product that you get.  For £44.99 you can buy a 30ml pot which would give you around 4 - 5 masks if you apply it to your whole face.  At approximately £10ish per application, it is pricey!  Personally, I try to use it sparingly and only apply the mask to my problem areas such as my chin and cheeks, saving a full face treatment for when my skin really needs a bit of TLC.

Although the GlamGlow SuperMud mask does come with a hefty price tag this is a product that really works.  It might not suit everyone but I can vouch that it certainly works wonders for me.  Because of the hype around it, I really couldn’t wait to try it out and so ripped open the packet, applied a thin layer to my whole face, sat back and waited for my pores to show.  As the mask dries, the colour changes from a muddy dark green to a light pale pastel and I got rather excited as my nose began to look like the Pinterest photograph I’d seen so many times.  To my wonder, I started to see pores on top of pores as every imperfection on my face began to show.  I could see pores that I didn’t even know I had!  How many times am I going to say the word pores?!  I did experience a little bit of tingling and tightness as the mask began to dry but even with my sensitive skin I wasn’t worried as it didn’t feel uncomfortable.

When I washed off the mask I was instantly impressed with the results.  I don’t think I’ve used another product where I saw a difference in my complexion so soon.  Every blackhead was gone and my skin looked fresh and glowing.  There was a little bit of redness but it soon faded and I just took this as a a sign that the mask was doing it’s thang!  I know I’d said initially that this is a pricey product but I don’t think you can put a price on results and if something really works, then I’m happy to pay for it.  I can‘t afford to buy this religiously but it will certainly be going on all future Christmas, birthday and other various wish lists. 

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Nourish Protect Hydrating Moisturiser

 Nourish Protect Hydrating Moisturiser (£14.95)

Nourish is a skincare brand which has only recently popped up on my radar.  I hadn’t heard of the brand or knew much about it until I interned on the Vogue beauty desk and was lucky enough to pick up the Nourish Protect Hydrating Moisturiser.  I can safely say this has fast become my ‘moisturiser of the moment‘, a very big claim for me if I do say so myself.  It’s surprisingly light and non-greasy for a cream which penetrates and hydrates dry skin so well.  After a few uses of this product I instantly noticed a difference in my skin, especially on the drier areas such as my nose and forehead.  My face looked fresh and rejuvenated and before I knew it I was hooked and need to find out more about the Nourish range.   

The nature lovers behind the brand strive to bring us skin and body products made from natural, organic, kind-to-skin ingredients.  The Hydrating Moisturiser in particular is 84% organic and is bursting full of orange and mandarin oils and plenty of vitamin C, which explains why my face looks brighter whenever I use it.  The label has cute sketchy drawings of orange segments that hint at the subtle citrus fragrance of the cream, which is very refreshing on a morning.

Free from nasty chemicals such as paraben, silicone and unnecessary colourings, all of which the skin doesn’t need, Nourish aim to make nothing but lovely stuff to put on our faces.  There are four different ranges to choose from, all designed with different skin types in mind.  They are Relax for sensitive skin, Balance for combination skin, Radiance for normal skin and then of course the Protect range for dry skin which is home to the Hydrating Moisturiser.  Generally I would say my skin is combination so I’ve been eyeing up some products in the Balance range but I’ve been using this cream all over my face and haven’t found it to be too heavy so I think the Protect line works well for me too.  I apply this to my face every morning before my primer and make up and it keeps my skin hydrated all day without looking oily or shiny.

As I didn’t pay for this product I had no idea how much it cost.  Based purely on how well it works for my skin, I was expecting to find Nourish to be a really high-end, expensive brand so imagine my surprise when I discovered that this 50ml jar costs only £14.95!  I couldn’t believe it!  I thought I’d fallen in love with a product that was going to set me back at least £40 - £50 every time I needed to repurchase but joys of joys, it’s really affordable.  I’m very impressed.  A skincare range that really works and doesn’t break the bank.  Nourish, you have yourself a new fan.

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