My 'Must-Have' Blushers

Blush used to be my least loved product, don't get me wrong, without it I would look like a walking ghost, but it never really peaked my interest. That is until recently, I've been delving into higher-end blushers like Illamasqua and Clarins and I have to say they have shed a shining light of love on the blusher world. Yes they basically just come in a million shades of pink, but it's all about the pigmentation, the finish, whether there is just the right amount of shimmer or does it have a perfect, smooth matte finish. I think because there is such a limited amount of shades you can apply to your cheekbones and have it look natural, finding the correct blush for your complexion becomes an art.

Some of my favourites for fair skinned beauties are the more peachy toned blushes like the Clarins Blush Prodige in Soft Peach, which has a very subtle amount of shimmer, barely noticeable, but gives a smooth soft flush of colour. A cheaper option is the Rimmel Mono Blush in Pink Rose, probably my favourite blush in my collection. Super affordable with amazing pigmentation, this has a little more shimmer but is perfect for a peachy glow.

If you're more of a pink person, the matte Illamasqua Powder Blusher in Nymph is second to none. The pigmentation on this baby will truly knock your socks off. Because of my pasty white skin, I have to apply this with a very light hand; it is very strong and too much is not good, unless you're going for the 80's vibe. If you want to go for a drugstore option, the Monsoon Accessorize Merged Baked Blusher in Wowzer is, in my opinion, greatly overlooked. The Monsoon Blushers have amazing pigmentation but they are a little shimmery, not glitter ball face glittery, but a nice glow.

I definitely think 2014 is a year for growing my blusher collection; I might even throw a couple more bronzers into the equation during the upcoming summer months! 

What are your must-have blushers? Do you prefer high-end or drugstore?

 

Worth The Splurge

We all fall prey to hype and new shiny products, but sometimes they can fall a bit flat of what we expect. I like to read every written review and watch every video about a product before I buy it, just to make sure I know the negatives as well as the positives. I've therefore been pretty lucky when it comes to buying higher end products.

I had to think long and hard about the products I wanted to feature in this post. I wanted to include products that, when I was first starting to get into beauty, really wanted to know the truth about. 

MAC Eye shadows

When you first start to get into the world of beauty and cosmetics, the first brand you hear about is MAC. MAC isn't as expensive as most higher end cosmetics companies, but they still cost more than a £7.99 eye shadow quad from Boots. The fact of the matter is that MAC eye shadows are simply the best of the best. The pigmentation is amazing, they come both in pots and as pans for empty palettes, which is extremely handy, and they are long wearing. At £12.50 for the potted shadows and £10 for the pans, they are definitely worth paying a little bit extra for.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

One of the most hyped up products in the beauty world. With the new Naked 3 palette recently released, I think it's important to point out that these palettes are 100% worth the splurge. The pigmentation is amazing and all the shades can be worked together, giving you endless amounts of options. I've featured the original Naked palette because it is the one that I prefer for my skin tone. This is the warmer toned palette, but if you find cool tones suit you better, then the Naked 2 is for you.

MAC 217 Blending Brush

If you don't like to spend an exuberant amount on your brushes, you may be forgiven for avoiding MAC brushes. I myself don't own a great deal of them, but the 217 is a brush that belongs in every brush collection. Its super soft natural hair is the perfect brush for blending out your eye shadow, it makes blending feel effortless and gives amazing results every time. 

YSL Rouge Volupte Shine Lipstick

Despite it being the most gorgeous packaging ever created, the actual product is a dry lipped girls dream. These lipsticks are so creamy and the most comfortable lipstick to wear. The pigmentation is amazing and makes you feel like your living in the lap of luxury. Yes, they are extremely pricey for what they are, but if you are like me and find lipsticks usually uncomfortable to wear, then these are perfect. 

Clarins Blush Prodige Illuminating Cheek Colour

I'm not a big lover of blush; my blush collection is probably the smallest out of all my products. So when it comes to splashing out on blush I usually hold back, I've found such amazing blushes in the drugstore that I didn't feel I needed to spend more. But then I found this blush, the packaging drew me in at first but then I fell in love with the finish. This isn't powdery at all and goes on so smoothly and evenly, with uneven and freckled skin, I find that blushes can look very patchy on me. This can also be used in a multitude of different ways due to its mosaic design. 

So what products in your collection do you feel are worth splashing that bit of extra cash for?

Morning Skincare Routine

Over the past year I've been trying out a lot of skincare products to find products that really work for me. It's extremely hard seeing as I have some trust issues when it comes to skincare. I always have that fear that when I buy a new face wash, it's going to make my face explode and I'm going to look like I've been in a fight with Stallone. I have had the pleasure of this in the past with a Garnier moisturiser, it wasn't pretty. 

After a bit of experimenting I have figured out what types of products work for my skin. I have oily/combination, sensitive skin and I'm prone to a lot of breakouts. I like to use cleansing milks for my morning cleanse, I find them gentler on sensitive skin and this one from Clarins really controls my oil throughout the day. I like to wash this off with a muslin cloth as it's a bit gentler than a normal face cloth. I then like to follow it up with a splash of Bioderma to make sure I've got all the cleansing milk off, I like to use the giant cotton pads from Boots as they make it super quick to do the whole face. I then finish off with my Simple Rich Moisturiser, this is really gentle on sensitive skin which is ideal for me. I will say now that winter is coming, I may have to look for something a little more moisturising, as my skin gets really dry.

What products do you love for waking up in the morning?

Clarins Cleansing Milk: Oily/Combination

In my skincare journey, I have discovered that my skin really loves a good cleansing milk. Before, I was using frothy cleansers and my skin felt tight and had constant blemishes and dry patches. I'd heard a few good things about Clarins skincare and so I took the plunge and got their cleansing milk.

I have sensitive combination skin so I was looking for something that would control my oiliness in a gentle way. This cleansing milk is so thick and creamy that you can make a little go a long way. It does have the slight issue of smelling a little grannyish. It has a sort of musty perfumed fragrance which might put some people off, I however am more interested in how well it works!

This definitley ticks all the right boxes for me. It is the best cleanser I have found that controls my oil, when I don't wear makeup all day I usually find my face gets super oily. After using this cleanser I noticed a massive difference in how oily my face was come bed time. It is also super gentle for sensitive skin, I don't feel like my face is irritated or tight after using this. 

It's only downfall (apart from the strange fragrance) is that it isn't super effective at removing makeup. I usually remove my makeup before cleansing anyway, but this won't budge the really stubborn mascaras or eyeliners. I still would say it is in my top favourite cleanser list. This is perfect for your morning cleanse, super refreshing and light and makes your skin feel silky soft. 

RRP: £18:00

Have you tried the Clarins cleansing milk? Do you love it as much as I do?

August Favourites!

I cannot believe that it is September and nearly time for me to embark on my final year of University! I feel like I'm getting old far too quickly! But since August has passed us by, it is time for me to share all the things I've been loving this month.

Skincare
I've been a bit skincare obsessed this month so it was really hard to pick one thing I've been absolutely loving. But saying that, I have to say I'm in love with the Clarins cleansing milk for oily/combination skin. It's the first cleanser I've ever used where I can really feel a difference in how oily my face is at the end of the day. I'm not going to say too much because I have a full review planned so you'll have to stay tuned for a bit more info! 

Makeup

There's been a few re-discoveries for me over the last month. I've been loving my Maybelline gel liner, which I've had for a fair amount of time now. I love it for creating winged out cat eyes and it just has amazing staying power! 

I've also been loving my Maybelline Color Tattoo in On And On Bronze/Bad To The Bronze. It's my go to 'omg I'm late for work and I look a mess' eyeshadow. You can slap this on with your finger and no matter what, it will look amazing.

My final makeup product is the Clarins blush, oh my is it a beautiful little thing. Not only is it stunning to look at, but it is so pigmented and looks gorgeous on fair skin. I've been using this every day since I got it and it is a firm favourite in my little collection. If you would like to see more of this beautiful being, just click here.

Fragrance

I don't have a massive fragrance collection (actually is pretty much non-existent) but I'm working on it. I did a little post on The Body Shop Madagascan Vanilla Flower body mist here so I won't go into massive detail, what I will say is it smells so delicious I sometimes just sit and sniff it!

TV

Usually I'll stick to my beauty favourites in these posts/videos, but I wanted to include some of my more random favourites as well! I'm a big lover of TV shows and this month I've been getting back into my Breaking Bad. It's really difficult to get into at first but I'm nearing the end of season 4 and things are heating up. So excited to watch the final season to see how it all goes down! 

Music

I love music as much as I love beauty so it's essential that I include some of my musical favourites. I'm a massive fan of The Civil Wars and their new album did not dissapoint! I love their gothic folk sound and it is so sad that they have parted ways. What will I do without them!? Another (surprise to me) favourite is Jay Z's album Magna Carta. I'm not a big rap fan so I was surprised how much I love it!  Probably not for those who find bad language offensive :/ 

 

Websites & Apps

I've been a bit of a Pinterest fangirl lately, I'm on there constantly and can not seem to pull myself away! I've been getting loads of inspiration and motivation from their lately, when I wake up in the morning and don't want to go for a run, I look on pinterest and remind myself why I run in the first place. 

What things have you been loving this month?

The Greatest Blush Of All | Clarins Soft Peach Blush Prodige

I've wanted to try Clarins makeup for a while now, I've always loved their packaging and have longed to have at least one of their beautiful products in my collection. Because I don't really have much in the blush department, I decided to go for the Blush Prodige in Soft Peach. I was drawn to the mosaic of shades and of course the gorgeous gold packaging. I'd only looked at it online so when I went into the store to swatch before purchasing, I was very very happy at how pigmented they where. 

Soft Peach has a very subtle gold shimmer, not overly glittery that you look like you've been hit in the face with a disco ball, but just enough to give a subtle highlight. The blush itself is made up of two different shades of pinky-peach, two darker segments and two lighter segments. They can be used separately or together depending on what kind of finish you're after, I prefer to use them together to get a gorgeous Peach glow.

This does come with a small brush which is actually really good quality, I've used it a few times now when in a rush, but most of the time I'll use my normal blush brush. It also comes in a rather snazzy red velvet pouch, which seems a little unnecessary but gives that high-end feel I want when spending so much on one product. 

I've really been loving this blush, I've been using it practically everyday since I bought it. The Soft Peach shade looks amazing on fair skin but would also look great on medium to dark skin. The pigmentation is amazing (as would be expected of a high-end blush) and the finish is flawless. If your thinking about treating yourself, I definitely recommend you splash out on one of these gems. 

RRP: £26.00

Have you tried any of the Clarins Blush Prodige's?