Showing posts with label beauty blogger. Show all posts
Showing posts with label beauty blogger. Show all posts
I have made an conscious effort this year to reduce the amount of makeup I purchase as a whole and it is safe to say it has been a big success. I haven't brought any new makeup since 2018 and the last post I made about makeup was a review of makeup I gifted the previous years so I definitely think my beauty blogging days are officially over. But that is fine and my priorities for this space have changed massively so roll on the future!
Back to the post...
I thought I would show you my current makeup routine for autumn telling you about some of my favourite products from my more streamline collection and if you are lucky, you might get a selfie with the makeup one! (sorry didn't happen :P)
For my base I have been mainly going between two equally great foundations from two different price points. The first is the Rimmel Lasting Finish 25hr Foundation in Classic Ivory which gives a gorgeous flawless effect on the skin as well as not looking too full coverage or over the top. When I feel like I need a little bit more coverage especially in the evening, I like to add in a few drops of the Clinique Beyond Perfecting Foundation in the shade 3.5 cream rose. I can't go wrong with either foundations as they both last all day on my skin.
For bronzer I like to keep it simple and use the Urban Decay Naked Flushed Palette in Noorer as it can be lovely and subtle when I need it to be or built up to create a powerful look when I need.
For my eyes I have been going in between the same two palettes for over a year now, both Urban Decay and both amazing. The Naked 2 Palette is great for glitter and smokey eye looks where as the Naked Heat palette is great for a flushed natural pop of colour to match a sexy red lip.
And lastly for lips I like to keep it simple with a nude … or a darker nude - ground breaking I know. When I want a easy simple look I opt for the Revlon Ultra HD Lipstick in Sand and when I want a big of a darker I opt for the Kiko Lipstick in Velvet Passion which I can never find online!
This will probably be the only beauty related post I make for a long time now as most blog posts would involve all the same products so saviour it while it is here!
Over the time that I have been blogging I have learnt a few things that really help to make a blog look better and get more attention. Some of these I have seen in other blogs and some I have found myself along the way. I thought today I would tell you guys a few tips that I wish I knew when I first started blogging.
- A little goes a long way - Posts don't have to be paragraphs long with super super detail. I love reading bullet point posts and lists.
- Labels are important - These help people who search for a specific topic find your post which means more page views
- The blogging community isn't scary- I didn't start taking part in the blogging community until recently because I didn't know if I really fitted in, but since I have I have met so many lovely people and gained some lovely followers so don't be scared to put your self out there.
- Add properties to your photos - By copying your labels into the Properties tab on your photos, when someone searches a topic your photo can appear leading them to your blog which means more page views
- You can post as much or as little as you want - Some times I can feel like I need to post more frequently because all of my favourite bloggers do but if you have a good following, it won't matter how often you post they will still be there to read them.
I have learnt a lot since I first started my blog many moons ago, feel free to comment anything you wish you knew at the start!
This week I had a huge de-clutter of my makeup and removed a huge bag of products from my collection. When I first got into beauty blogging and youtube I thought the aim of the game was to have the biggest makeup collection. I used to watch youtubers collections and be so envious of the size of theirs and the different products they had to hand. That made me end up buying makeup every time I went out and picking up bargain products I found in random shops so that I had products to bulk up my collection.
I know now that that is stupid since I hardly used the majority of the products because I had my favourites, thankfully people started focusing on steamline makeup collections and the 'makeup declutter videos' were born. As silly as it sounds, now that big youtubers are reducing the size of their makeup collections I now don't feel deflated with my small collection and enjoy reducing my own to the essentials.
So here are 5 questions that I ask myself when I am de-cluttering my makeup!
1. Is it used up?
Sounds simple but I find so many products which are basically empty but are still in my collection. Whether its a reminder to repurchase the product or you just forgot to throw it away get rid of it. Luckily with my blog I can talk about the products that I love so in the future I can look back and know the formula and shade I want to repurchase.
2. Have I used it in the last 3 months?
Like I said when I was trying to expand my makeup collection I had quite a few products in my collection that never got used so I had wasted my money and time in purchasing them. Now I like to go through my collection and see if I have actually used the products. If I haven't used the products in the last 3 months then I will either give them away or put them in my everyday makeup bag to use them and see if I like them. The worst thing is throwing away a product to later find out you would have loved it if you had tried it. If when I next sort through my makeup I still haven't used that product it then goes in the give away pile.
3. What is the expiry date?
I am someone who will hold onto a product because I love it even if it is a little bit old... I know it is disgusting but you ignore the fact that the product is gloppy and just spend an extra 10 minutes blending it in... I have stopped doing that you will be pleased to know and I follow a strict process now where every 6 months I go through the items which I know would have expired during that time. I do use the little icon on the back of products to identify if I need to get rid of them but lets be honest, who remember exactly when they bought that lipstick? I also use this cheat sheet to remind myself of the time frames for makeup.
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| Photo Credit - show some love! |
4. Do I like it?
Sounds very strange when you have spent money on this product to ask if you like it but so many times you are keeping products you don't actually like because of sentimental value or because you spent a lot of money on it. I am quite careful with high end products because I will always research them before giving over any money, the idea of spending so much money on a product I won't like scares me. So I always ask myself if I like this product when I am going through my makeup because a lot of the time the products that always make it through your sort outs are sentimental but not your shade or formula at all. You might be thinking I couldn't do that my nans best friends son's girlfriend got me that eye shadow palette but when you have minimal room for your storage and the palette hasn't been used once, isn't it better to give it to someone who will use it?
5. Do I have anything similar
Lastly the question we are all guilty of, have the same product in 5 different variations. I am not that adventurous with my makeup because I like the natural look most days so this can mean I end up with 5 eye palettes all with the same shades in which is obviously silly and wasteful. I don't need two matte nude palettes or two shimmer pink palettes sadly so I like to pick my favourite one and pass on the other to a friend. It is the same with lipsticks so many shades right now are basically the same with different packaging so who needs two browny nudes with look exactly the same.
I hate the idea of waste so any products that aren't out of date or a bit grim go to my sister or friends who love rummaging through and finding treats. I find that I might not like a product but my sister who is different in her style of makeup and shades might love the product so at least it goes to a loving home.
I hope this post helps you de-clutter and spring clean your makeup collection.
Isn't it great when you receive a free gift?! I recently went into Boots to purchase my current favourite Clinique moisturiser and was told that if you bought two or more products you got to pick a choice of 5 free gifts. Never one to turn down a good deal I bought right into it and picked up another product so I could get the gifts.
I originally went into Boots to pick up another of the Moisture Surge Moisturizer which is one of my favourites and I had just ran out of it. I love this moisturizer because it is so nourishing on the skin, it almost gives the effect of a moisturising mask afterwards. I know a lot of people like to take this traveling with them as it is great to counter out the downfall of flying and dry skin. This moisturizer isn't the cheapest product to purchase but it also isn't anywhere near the price of some products alike. I tend to spend more money on my skincare and stick to drugstore makeup as I believe if you get your base right then your makeup will always look good.
The second item I purchased to receive my free gift was the Take the day off makeup Remover which I had previously tried in cleaning balm form. This was £17 in boots and I chose this because I have had my eye on it for a long while but was always out off by the price. When you are used to buying Simple micellor water for a couple of quid £17 seems crazy. Any i loved the cleaning balm version a lot as you know from my previous posts so I was intrigued to tried this version. It is definitely more luxurious and feels like it benefits my skin a lot, but I do have a few things I don't like about it. Firstly it leaves a residue on my skin which I end up washing off with water afterwards so it takes more time and effort than my Micellor water and secondly, you have to shake it well before you use it to mix the product together but me being me, I forget 9/10 times. Let me tell you rubbing oil over your face on a cotton wool pad isn't as comfy as you would imagine. Apart from them two things I do like how it leaves my skin and I am glad I have tried it out.
Now onto the goodies.... there were about 7 items to choice from and the two I didn't pick were products I already had so it worked out quite nicely. The first product I picked was the Superdefence Night Recovery moisturizer which I have just realised is a newer version of a product I used to use. I am excited to test this properly but so far I like how moisturized and healthy it is leaving my skin in the morning. Next we have the 2 in 1 micellor gel make up remover which is a great travel size and perfect to take on holiday with me. I've finally booked a holiday btw thank god! Then I've got a True Bronzed Pressed Powder in Sun Kissed which is a great summer bronzer shade which isn't too pigmented, so it makes the dark shade much more wearable. I chose to get another High Impact Mascara which I have been using a long while now and it again is a great mascara to take away with you and on a night out. Lastly I chose two Pop Splash Lip Gloss + Hydrators in the shades Adore and Watermelon Pop. Adore is definitely my kind of shade because shock I love nudes but Watermelon Pop will be great to take on holiday with me.
I can't find this offer being advertised anywhere on the Boots website now but if you live anywhere near one i would definitely pop in and take a look. I'll let you know how I get on with these goodies!
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| Swatches: 1. Insta Girl Iridescent Highlighter 2-5 Glow Palette |
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| Swatches: 1 Instant Radiance in Goddess, 2 Instant Radiance in Paradise, 3 Face and body highlighting cream in Rose Gold, 4 Face and Body highlighting cream in Oyster Rose |
I had a cheeky little shop in Primark last week and I thought i'd treat myself to some of their new makeup range. I haven't bought any Primark makeup in years, the last product I bought from them was the PS... 9 Shade palettes for £2.99. I really liked them at first but after a while I did realise how rubbish they were....
A few years later and I'm back at it giving them another go. I'll start with my bargain products!
On the clearance rack I noticed the PS...Insta Girl Banana Powder which I have heard a lot about when it first came out. I tend to stick to the same powders so I wanted to change it up a bit and give this a go since I have never tried a loose banana powder before. I've tried the powder once so far and I liked it but the packaging isn't great. I tap some powder into the cap of the bottle but once I had used enough powder I didn't know what to do with the excess powder. A part from the packaging flaw the powder is really finely milled so it doesn't feel like I am wearing anything no matter how much I apply. On first impressions I really like this powder but to be fair, I've never found a powder I haven't liked.
My second sale item is the PS... Insta Girl Iridescent Baked Highlighter which is a beautiful icey crystal tone. I find with baked products brands really can't go wrong in my opinion, every baked product I have tried has been really good and this highlighter is no exception. It isn't a shade I could wear on a daily basis as it is too light for me, I tend to go for more golden shades for highlighter but I thought in the winter when I don't have a tan I could make this highlighter really work for me. For £3 you can't say no.
Sticking with the highlighters I picked up two Strobe Face and Body Highlighting Creams in Oyster Pink and Rose Gold. Oyster Pink gives a light shimmer whereas Rose Gold comes out much more pigmented and acts like a fake tan. From first impressions I think these are a great product to have for a night out or in a travel bag to either mix in with your foundations or use underneath. I don't have anything like these in my collection and when I wore Rose Gold underneath my makeup for a BBQ a few days ago my skin looked sun kissed and flawless so I am a big fan so far!
I also bought some PS... Bronze Instant Radiance Highlighting Drops in two shades, a light creamy shade called Paradise and a gold bronze shade called Goddess. From first impressions these seem amazing for adding a glow to your foundation to give you a super healthy glow. I have tried the more golden shade on top of my foundation on my cheekbones for that BBQ and the glow it gave me was amazing. It does look quite scary in the bottle but it blended out like a dream and didn't budge my foundation one bit. The lighter shade is definitely more suitable for everyday but the bronze shade is just to die for. I am definitely loving the bronzing shades this summer. The packaging of these drops is very fancy as well with the glass bottles with the pellet, Primark have upped their game with this packaging.
The last highlighter I picked up in Primark is the PS... Glow Palette Highlight and Sculpt Cheek Palette which is a perfect dupe for the Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Palette. It was only £5 so since I don't have the original palette I thought this was a good start. The packaging is the exact same as the Beverly Hills version so it looks gorgeous and definitely stands out in my collection but it will get dirty very easily. The highlighters feel so creamy on the skin so they blend in really easily and can be built up depending on how much of an impact you want. The golden shade is my favourite of the four but they are all shades that I would wear and I have used it a lot already since I purchased it.
The last product I purchased in Primark is the PS Bronze Metallic cream eye shadow in this gorgeous metallic golden bronze shade which is just up my street. I love cream eye shadows because they are so easy to apply and they look like you have spent a lot of time on your makeup. During the last 3 months I have been growing my finger nails so now they are super long and healthy but it means getting product out of tub can be frustrating so I have adapted using a small brush to get the product onto my eye lid and then using my finger to blend it out. This cream eye shadow is as pigmented as the Maybelline and Loreal cream eye shadows I've been using for years so I've intrigued to try more shades.
So far I have been really impressed with the products I purchased and I've been using most of them on a daily basis. I'm excited to see what else they have in store next time I pop in to Rushden Lakes. Expect to see these mentioned a lot during the summer months when all I care about is having the best glow ever.
Following on with my wedding series I have collected loads of photos off Pinterest of hair styles which I would love for my wedding day. I love the look of short and long wedding hair so choosing if I want to cut or grow my hair for my wedding is a tough decision. Although I am loving having a short lob style right now I have always wanted long wavy hair for my wedding so who knows which way I will go!
Since I want a outdoor garden/field wedding I want the boho hair to match so my perfect wedding hair would be loose wavys/curls with some french plaits and flowers in. I don't want to look like I have put a lot of effort into my hair so I want it to look quite natural and low maintenance. The flowers are optional depending on if I feel too silly in them, but again it is my wedding day so who should care but me!
All photos have been taken from Pinterest so make sure that you go over to my Hair board and show some love to the original photo!
L O N G H A I R
S H O R T H A I R
U P D O S
Previous Wedding Posts
My Pinterest Dream Venue
My Engagement Story
Previous Pinterest Posts
My Pinterest Old Fashioned Kitchen
My Pinterest White Bedroom
Autumn Mad
How To Style | Ripped Jeans
Since I want a outdoor garden/field wedding I want the boho hair to match so my perfect wedding hair would be loose wavys/curls with some french plaits and flowers in. I don't want to look like I have put a lot of effort into my hair so I want it to look quite natural and low maintenance. The flowers are optional depending on if I feel too silly in them, but again it is my wedding day so who should care but me!
All photos have been taken from Pinterest so make sure that you go over to my Hair board and show some love to the original photo!
L O N G H A I R
S H O R T H A I R
U P D O S
Previous Wedding Posts
My Pinterest Dream Venue
My Engagement Story
Previous Pinterest Posts
My Pinterest Old Fashioned Kitchen
My Pinterest White Bedroom
Autumn Mad
How To Style | Ripped Jeans
With Christmas coming up (100 days to go as I write this!) I have been online shopping a lot recently so that I can get some ideas for beauty products I want as a present -yes Cal this is your hint... So I thought that I'd make a list of all the products I have my eye on as I also love reading these posts.
Iconic London Illuminator Drops - Link
I have had my eyes on this highlighter ever since Steph from Cocochic first tested it in a video and made me fall in love. I like liquid highlighters which are natural but also pack a punch, with the original shade a light hand can look really natural and glowing from within.
Elf aqua Beauty Molten Liquid Eye Shadow - Link
These Liquid eye shadows look amazing! You all should know by now that if I can be lazy I will so liquid eye shadows are my favourite invention ever because they are so easy to use. The shade range of this product is perfect for Christmas with all the golden glitter shades.
Beauty Pie Foundation - Link
I have had my eye on this brand ever since it first appeared on the scene but I've seen a mixture of reviews on the products and a lot of people debating whether it is worth the subscriber fee but I still want to try it. I love the packaging of all the products and the foundation really is the product I want to try the most.
Loreal Nude Cushion Foundation - Link
Even though this is a reasonably cheap foundation on the drug store I am still to try it and I can't wait. I love light foundations which make my skin look dewy and healthy and a cushion foundation sounds right up my street. Every time I go into Boots or Superdrug I always forget to pick one of these foundations up so that is my mission in the next month.. If I remember.
Bare Mineral Complexion Rescue - Link
Everyone seems to have this bb gel in their makeup collection and this sounds like a great product for dry skin which I am really suffering with at this moment. Again I like to wear light formulas which show my skin through them so this sounds perfect for me.
Even though this is a reasonably cheap foundation on the drug store I am still to try it and I can't wait. I love light foundations which make my skin look dewy and healthy and a cushion foundation sounds right up my street. Every time I go into Boots or Superdrug I always forget to pick one of these foundations up so that is my mission in the next month.. If I remember.
Bare Mineral Complexion Rescue - Link
Everyone seems to have this bb gel in their makeup collection and this sounds like a great product for dry skin which I am really suffering with at this moment. Again I like to wear light formulas which show my skin through them so this sounds perfect for me.
Urban Decay Naked Heat Palette - Link
Who doesn't want this palette? I think by Christmas everyone will have this palette in their collection if they don't have it already. I live for brown plum tones with a bit of shimmer especially during the end of the year when all I am wearing in mustard, brown and black clothing.
Who doesn't want this palette? I think by Christmas everyone will have this palette in their collection if they don't have it already. I live for brown plum tones with a bit of shimmer especially during the end of the year when all I am wearing in mustard, brown and black clothing.
Stila Magnificent Metal Glitter Glow Liquid Eyeshadow - Link
These liquid eye shadows are absolutely beautiful! I love liquid eye shadows for nights out because I am lazy and don't know how to blend properly so these are a god send when I want to look good on a night out. I want all the gold glitter shades which basically 6 out of the 9 shades.
These liquid eye shadows are absolutely beautiful! I love liquid eye shadows for nights out because I am lazy and don't know how to blend properly so these are a god send when I want to look good on a night out. I want all the gold glitter shades which basically 6 out of the 9 shades.
The first palette is the Seventeen Easy On The Eye palette in Birthday Suit, it is such a good size and it includes 12 shadows which makes it great for travelling and creating different looks. It includes 3 cream shades, one cream base and 8 powder shades which all work really well together. I tend to use one of the cream shades as a base and then layer the power shades on top and it lasts all day on me. I find the shades are really easy to blend as they are really buttery so when I have no energy I can still create a good look.
My next palette is the Revolution Salvation Palette in What Are You Waiting For which I have had for a few years now but I love it so much I can't get rid of it. It includes 6 matte shades and 12 shimmer shades which all really compliment each other and you can make quite a few looks with them. I find all Revolution palettes are super pigmented and feel so buttery to apply, you can create looks really quick and easy in a rush in the morning. I especially like that the palette ranges from pale nude shades to a jet black and shimmer black so you really can create any look.
I had to include the cult classic Urban Decay Naked 2 palette in this post because how could I not?! I love using this palette for nights out and party makeup because it always works and the shades are so pretty. I love golden shimmer shades and this palette is full of them which is like heaven to me. This palette also includes a black so if I want to do a smokey eye, I have all I need. Surprisingly as well I really like the brush that comes with the palette, I usually throw away them brushes straight away but I use that brush every time I use that palette, it makes blending so easy.
My last palette is the W7 In The Nude palette which is an amazing dupe for the Naked 3 palette and it has been a favorite of mine for a few years now. It is full of blush tones which work really well in the spring time. It includes 3 matte shades and 9 shimmer shades which again all compliment each other really well and the pigmentation of the palette is on par with the Naked 3 palette if I am being honest.
I don't think you need to splash out loads of money to get a good quality eyeshadow palette as the drugstore has some amazing products, as you can see three out of my four favourite palettes are drugstore.
What palettes would you include in your top four?
During the summer I purchased some highly recommended Lip Butters by Revlon and I fell in love, seriously I have used them so so much since I purchased them. If I couldn't buy another lip product for the rest of my life, I think I'd be alright.
First of all I love the packaging of this lip product, I love that they are more square then circle and the design makes them look more expensive that they actually are. They really aren't expensive at all and I usually get them in Boots 3for2 promotion so that's even better!
I have four colours in the lip butters, the four I think are most wearable. The first colour is called 'Pink Lemonade' (047) and is a lovely pale baby pink colour which looks great if you are wearing a lot of eye make up, it gives your lips a peachy/pink colour and doesn't look too much for a casual make up look. I always go to this product when I don't have anywhere special to go or have dressed really casual that day.
My next colour is call 'Tutti Frutti' (015) and it is a really rich orange colour. I personally have found that I don't really suit this colour, I think the colour is too orange for me, I think I would suit more of a coral shade rather than this bright orange. But it is still a nice shade that would look great during the summer months with bright coloured clothes, maybe it would suit me more when I'm on holiday and I have a tan? Maybe, I won't write it off for me just yet.
My next colour is called 'Sweet Tart' (090) and it is a really rich pink, it is a really wearable pink and looks great with both minimal and bold make up. I found this shade is very much like my Collection 2000 Lasting colour lipstick in shade 'Sweet Tart' (8) but the Revlon Lip Butters are more creamy and moisturising on my lips.
My last shade is definitely my favourite, 'Wild Watermelon' (063). The colour is amazing, a really nice red shade that isn't too bold, doesn't take over your face and suits most skin tones I've found. I love this colour a lot and wear it so often. I definitely prefer wearing this lip butter to any actually red lip stick, and I have a lot red lipsticks in my collection (all different shades of course, I'm not silly)
I would definitely recommend these lip butters so go try them out if your like bright coloured lip products that really moisturise your lips while you wear them :)
Here are my current skincare products that I use every night that I find work well for my skin. They may not work the same for everyone but they definitely help keep my skin at it's clearest and since my skin has not been too kind to me during the last year, these products are life savers!
# Simples Kind To Eyes Nourishing Eye make-up remover cream
The first thing I always do is remove my eye liner and mascara with this cream, unlike other creams it doesn't hurt your eyes at all (even when I actually get it in my eye) and it doesn't dry out the skin around your eye after you used it.
#Garnier Simple Essentials Soothing 2 in 1 make-up remover
I use this product to take my foundation/blusher/bronzer off and I am always amazed with how much comes off onto the cotton wool pad. This can be used on the eyes as well but I personally prefer to use creams on my eyes then liquids. The best thing about this make-up remover is that it has no perfume or alcohol in it so it doesn't irritate the skin when you use it. Plus it is suitable for sensitive skin too which mine can be during certain times of the year.
#Soap and Glory Peaches and Cream 3-in-1 Wash Off Deep Purifying cleanser
After I've taken all my make-up off I like to then wash my face with this cleanser just to get any last bits of makeup off of my face before I go to sleep. My friend recommended it to me last month when I was getting rather bad spots on my chin and around my lips and since I started using it my skin had definitely cleared up, to the point where I have only one or two little spots left.
# Sudocrem
Lastly before I start putting any night creams on my face I rub a little Sudocrem on any spots I currently have, Sudocrem never fails to do the job.
Night creams
My current favourite night creams to use are
# Simple Sensitive Hydrating Eye cream
This eye cream is really hydrating on the skin and it doesn't irritate it because it has Aloe Vera in it. I've had this tube for probably over 6 months so it does last a long time.
# Soap and Glory Night in Skinning Armour cream
I love this night cream so much, my skin always feels great after I use it. For most of the year my skin can be quite dry and this cream helps keep it hydrated during the colder months. Again the pot has only just ran out so it does last a long time and I will definitely be re-purchasing it.
So that's the skincare routine that works for me, give some of the products a go and see if they work for you too :)
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