MAC LIPSTICK - MORANGE

Now that the hot weather is really kicking in it is time to bring back out my favourite summer lipstick MAC's Morange.
I never expected that I would like an orange lipstick until I received this one as a gift last year but this was all I wore when going out last summer. It's Amplified formula really add's a bright pop of colour to any look and I especially love pairing it with a golden smokey eye and a bronzed complexion or with a really neutral makeup with lashings and lashings of mascara. As much as I love this gorgeous vibrant colour I would rather it to have a more matte finish so it would last longer and I wouldn't have to reapply as much.

I really want to try out more orange shades especially matte ones and the next on my list is the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in the shade Red Square, a beautiful reddish orange.

What is your favourite lipstick to wear during summer? Are there any matte orange's you would recommend?

FOUR MIRACLE SKIN CARE PRODUCTS

When my skin is giving me all sorts of trouble I know I can rely on these four products to save my skin and help bring it back to normal. I own quite a few skin care products, most of which I am not really fussed about but do the job so when I rave about something or continuously reach for it, you can trust that it's good.

Listed from left to right: Mario Badescu Drying Lotion, Alpha H Liquid Gold, Sukin Rose Hip Oil, Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask

Although the Lush Catastrophe Cosmetic fresh face mask is a relatively new purchase every time I use it I notice pretty dramatic results. It keeps skin clear and really lives up to its claims to calm problematic areas and reduce inflammation while also making the skin very smooth and soft. While the packaging is fairly small I've managed to get a good amount of use out of it so far and still have quite a lot left. I am with out a doubt going to pick this up again along with another fresh face mask to try out, Lush do such fantastic products!

Both the Mario Badescu Drying Lotion and Alpha H Liquid Gold are products I have used up many times and have been staples in my skin care regime for years now. The Drying Lotion is fantastic to throw onto that pesky pimple before bed and in the morning it will be dramatically reduced. Alpha H Liquid Gold is one of those crazy hyped up skin care products, so much more a couple of years ago and I think it does deserves the hype. I use this around two to three times a week and I feel that it has helped to reduce my acne scars and it leaves my skin looking bright and feeling incredibly smooth.

The last product that is a must in my skin care draw is Sukin's Rose hip oil. I used to have pretty oily skin but over the years it has become more on the dryer side, bringing a few stubborn flaky patches with it that I have had a little trouble getting rid of. Rose hip oil with its many moisturising properties, is great at combatting this problem as well as fighting acne scaring. I also find that rose hip oil helps to even up the skin tone and give it a beautiful healthy glow. As much as I love rose hip I do want to try out some other oils and would appreciate any recommendations!

What are your holy grail skin care products? Have you used any of these?

MY TOP FIVE FAVOURITE FOUNDATIONS

Foundation is one of my favourite makeup products to buy and I believe that if you are new to makeup or are planning to build your collection, investing in a good quality foundation is the best way to start. I personally tend to lean more toward trying out higher end foundations due to having some issues with a few drugstore ones in the past, this is why my favourites are all high end.

Listed from left to right: MAC Face and Body Foundation, Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation, NARS Sheer Glow Foundation, Benefit Big Easy, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser.

MAC FACE AND BODY FOUNDATION
This really is an amazing foundation, as much as it is great for that 'no makeup look' it is just as perfect to wear on nights out. When applied in a really small amount the coverage is very sheer and feels like you have nothing on your skin but the best thing about this foundation is that it can be built up to being full coverage and does not get caky no matter how many layers you apply. It photographs beautifully and can also be used on the body, I couldn't recommend this foundation more!

LAURA MERCIER SILK CREME FOUNDATION
A beautiful foundation and definitely my most reached for when doing my makeup for nights out. This foundation has no faults it applies evenly, blends like a dream and has amazing coverage. It is also great value for money because you only need a pea sized amount to cover your entire face! I have had this for ages and I still have quite a lot left considering how much I use it.

NARS SHEER GLOW FOUNDATION
NARS Sheer Glow is my most used and has been my favourite for a good few years now, it was one of the first high end foundations I bought and I will continue to repurchase it again and again. It gives a really nice natural finish to the skin and is moisturising while also being medium to full in coverage which is the perfect combination for me.

BENEFIT BIG EASY
I'm not really sure what category Benefit wanted Big Easy to fall under as it has "bigger than BB" listed in its name but I definitely would call this a foundation because of its great coverage. I have only had this for about two months but have used it pretty much every day since! I was worried about it being a liquid to powder finish due to my combination to dry skin type but I don't find that it clings to my dry patches and I actually really love it's powder finish. The biggest plus about it's finish is that it is really long lasting and doesn't budge or get oily like I find some of my other foundations do when I'm making coffees as work and there is steam all up in my face!

NARS PURE RADIANT TINTED MOISTURISER
Although this is a tinted moisturiser I feel like it deserves a mention because it some what replaced foundation for me. I don't like wearing foundation during the day due to the heavy feeling that it sometimes gives to my skin, however I do like to have some coverage and to even out my skin tone and this tinted moisturiser fixed this issue for me. It feels really light on the skin and offers a really nice medium amount of coverage.

I'd love to hear what your favourite foundations are! Also let me know if you would like to see a post on some of the more affordable foundations I love.

If you have any questions make sure to leave them below, I'll try my best to get back to you!

LUSH HAUL

There is no better way to get into the Christmas spirit than to soak it up in a nice hot bath and watch holiday movies, so on a recent Christmas shopping trip I decided to stop at Lush to purchase a few holiday limited editions and do just that! I originally planned on buying a whole lot more but most of what I wanted had already been sold out. However I am really happy with what I picked up, even though only two of the seven were limited editions.

Recently I have been suffering with a few breakouts so I did a little research and I found that the Catastrophe Cosmetic Fresh Face Mask was meant to calm the skin and help reduce problem areas, so ultimately this stood out to me and I can't wait to try it! I hope it can help out my skin before Christmas day.

For the bath I picked up The Comforter Bubble Bar,  Golden Wonder Bath Bomb and Dragon's Egg Bath Bomb, all of which smell divine! I've heard so many wonderful things about The Comforter and when I smelt it at the store it went straight into my basket, I knew I had to have it! Out of all of the Christmas releases the Golden Wonder was the one I wanted to try most, so ended up buying two! The reviews I read for the Dragon's egg made it sound really fun and I couldn't help but pick it up. I haven't tried any of these products before but I can already tell that I am going to love all three.

When I went into Lush I had my heart set on getting the So White Bath Bomb but they were of course sold out and the shower gel version was the only choice I had on getting this amazing sent, but I'm not complaining! This stuff smells just like apples and leaves you feeling really fresh, I already love it and I'm sure it will become a part of my daily routine! Rose Jam Shower Jell smells really nice too, I only intended on getting one shower jell but when I smelt this I just couldn't leave it behind!

Finally I picked up Santa's lip scrub, I have the bubble gum version of this which I did like but wasn't really a huge fan of its super sweet taste. Santa's lip scrub tastes just like cola with a hint of cherry and also leaves a slight berry red tint to the lips, making it perfect for the holiday season.

I'm really looking forward to trying out these products and will definitely be using some in the bath tonight!

What are some of your Lush favourites?
Have you tried any of these products?

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FESTIVE RED LIP - MAC RUBY WOO

It's holiday season which means that there is no better time than now to flaunt a little red lippie.

MAC Ruby Woo is a cult favourite and it's not hard to see why. It has quickly become one of my all time favourite lipsticks and I am yet to find a more perfect shade of red. Its blue based undertone really suits my complexion and I do think it would complement a variety of different skin tones. This lipstick is highly pigmented and because of its retro matte formulation it really clings to the lips and lasts for very long time. It can be applied straight from the bullet and without a lip liner but when paired with MAC Cherry lip liner, the combination is to die for. 

Ruby Woo is a lifesaver during events, I don't feel the need to constantly touch up my lipstick and I also worry less about colour transferring onto teeth! 

Some people may find that this super matte formula is too drying, so I would really recommend to prep your lips by exfoliating and using a balm before applying this absolute stunner of a lipstick.

Ruby Woo is definitely a classic and will always be a staple in my collection. If you haven't already got your hands on it I totally recommend that you do, you will not be disappointed!

If you would like to see a review of anything in particular feel free to leave a suggestion in the comments below!

My Current Go-To Makeup Products

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Over the last few weeks I seem to have been reaching for the same makeup products every time I go out, so I thought I would share them with you as my very first blog post! These products make it very quick and easy for me to throw on my makeup and run out the door. The result is natural and glowing, my favourite look for the spring and summer months.

NARS PURE RADIENT TINTED MOISTURISER
This has been a staple in my base collection for a while now, it is one of my favourites and probably always will be. It adds a nice amount of coverage to the skin for a tinted moisturiser and makes the complexion appear more healthy and radiant. I have the shade Finland.

HOURGLASS AMBIENT LIGHTING PALETTE
The Hourglass Ambient Lighting Palette has 'dream product' it written all over it. I can't help but reach for it every morning when I'm getting ready, it literally makes my skin look ten times better than it did without it. I use the shade Dim Light all over my face after I have applied my tinted moisturiser as it does a lovely job at evening out the complexion and blurring out imperfections. I then apply Incandescent Light as a subtle highlight to the high points of my face, down my nose and a little on my cupids bow to make the lips appear more full. Radiant Light is my least used of the three but I still love it for those days were I don't want to apply bronzer but still want a slightly warmer complexion. I don't think I could ever get sick of this palette, total miracle worker in my books!

NARS VIRTUAL DOMINATION CHEEK PALETTE
This beauty was a pain to get my hands on but I just had to pick it up due to missing out on the last few holiday cheek collections by NARS and I tell you what.. it was definitely worth it! Having almost run out of my individual Laguna Bronzer it is handy to have again in a sleek compact with three gorgeous blush shades (Deep Throat, Sex Fantasy and Final Cut) and one highlight (Miss Liberty). I like to change up my blush colour everyday so having these three options all in one is really great for me and each shade is perfect for the transition between spring and summer. I usually just warm up my complexion with Laguna on a big fluffy brush and then apply one of the blush shades sheerly to the apples of my cheeks, my current favourite is Final Cut.

Listed from left to right: NARS Virtual Domination Cheek Palette, NARS Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, Hourgalss Ambient Lighting Palette

MAC NYLON, PATINA AND CHARCOAL BROWN
My good old MAC palette hadn't been getting much attention lately, so I decided to put my Too Faced Chocolate Bar down and have fallen back in love with this combination. Before patting Patina all over the lid, I start off by buffing the shade Charcoal Brown through the crease and around the lower lash line. I then sweep Nylon through the tear duct and under the brow bone. As Nylon can be used as quite an intense highlight, I recommend tapping the excess shadow off the brush and to try applying it with a light hand as it gives off the most gorgeous glow. All three colours used together create a subtle and natural smokey-esque eye .

MAC COFFEE EYE PENCIL
Because this pencil is a brown it is great for those days were you don't want a heavy eyeliner look but still want some definition. I like to replace my black gel liner with this to tight line and define my upper lash line, I also add it to the outer corners of my lower lash line.

BENEFIT THEY'RE REAL MASCARA
I like this mascara because it can lengthen and volumize really well, it is one of my best in terms of this but I do find that it smudges slightly during the day and I get mascara lines on the tops of my eyelids.

LOREAL PARIS SUPER LINER BROW ARTIST
I'm not really a fan of filling in my eyebrows as it is time consuming and I usually find myself getting frustrated and giving up, but this little pencil fixed the problem for me. I comb through my brows with the little brush on the lid and because the led itself is firm and my perfect colour (Blonde) it is so easy to quickly fill in the sparse areas in naturally and then set them in place with the clear wax on the other end of the pencil. Too simple!

Listed from left to right: MAC Coffee Eye Pencil, Loreal Paris Super Liner, Mac Nylon, Patina and Charcoal Brown, Benefit They're Real Mascara.

If you would like to see a full review on any of these products (or any other product) please let me know in the comments below!

Which products are you reaching for at the moment?