How Much Does Your Daily Face Cost? ♡

Do you ever think about how much you really spend on make up and it makes you cringe and squirm?  Me too.  So for some reason I've decided to find out how much my daily face costs to create.  I'm only going to factor in make up for this post - I think if I added in skincare and brushes as well the number at the end would make me feel mega sick.  Let's not go there today!  Anyway, down to some maths!

Face: 

L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer - £9.99 (buy here)
Benefit Big Easy - £27.50 (buy here)
Boujois Healthy Mix Concealer - £7.99 (buy here)
Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer - £7.99 (buy here)
Body Shop Honey Bronzer - £13.00 (buy here)
Bourjois Cream Blush - £7.99 (buy here)
Bourjois Poudre de Riz de Java - £9.99 (buy here)
Revelon Nearly Naked Powder - £7.99 (buy here)

Face total: £92.44

Eyes/Brows:

Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint & Pencil - £10.00 (buy here)
Miss Sporty Clear Mascara - £2.99 (buy here)
Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen - £6.00 (buy here)
Benefit They're Real! Mascara - £19.50 (buy here)

Eyes/Brows total: £25.50

Lips:

Revelon Lip Butter - £7.99 (buy here)

Lip total: £7.99


TOTAL: £125.93

It's surprising how it all adds up!  I never really think about my daily make up to be a luxury thing, but when you add the cost of each piece up it's pretty shocking - especially since most of my products are drugstore!  I do only tend to buy make up when they are offers on (hello 3 for 2 at Boots...), so I don't think I actually paid the full amount, but still a pretty hefty price tag on my boring everyday face!

Also, a quick disclaimer!  This post isn't bragging about how much my make up collection is worth, it's purely out of interest.  

How much does your face cost? 

Summer Nail Favourites ♡

I always have my nails painted -  I really can't be doing the 'naked nails' thing.  I thought I'd show you what I'm wearing on my nails for the warmer season!

Pastels

You really can't go wrong with a pastel nail for summer!  All my pastel shades are from Barry M.  I love these polishes as they're super affordable, but also brilliant quality.  They are opaque with two coats, and pretty durable.  I always add a top coat though, just to make them extra life-proof!  Here are my picks:

•  Blue Moon - £2.99 (buy here)
• Berry - £2.99 (buy here)
• Gelly Hi Shine in Rose Hip - £3.99 (buy here)

Brights

There's nothing more summery than a bright nail if you ask me, and as you may see from the photo, my choices have been very well loved!  

• No 7 Gel-Look Shine in Mint Treat - £7.00 (buy here)
• No7 Stay Perfect in Stand Back - £6.00 (buy here)
• Rimmel Lasting Finish in Ballet Pump Perfection - £2.99 (buy here)

Glitters

People tend to neglect glitter nails in the warmer months, as they seem to be seen as a more festive thing, but I think they can still look summery -  and they also make you look more tanned!  They may be a pain to remove, but I'm still a fan!

• No7 Stay Perfect in Daisy Darling - £6.00 (buy here)
• Umberto Gianni in Oyster - can't find this one online anywhere!  I got it as part of a gift set - let me know if you see it anywhere!

Removing it all?

When it comes to buying nail varnish remover, I usually just go for the cheapest one at which ever supermarket or drugstore I'm at, and this has lead me to finding the best one ever!  Can I get a yay for the Extra Strength Nail Polish Remover by Sainsbury's (buy here)!?  It got glitter nail polish with with no problem!?  I don't think I'll ever stray from this now, it's amazing!  Plus super cheap - what a find!  

What are your favourite nail colours for summer?

Lush Portsmouth Summer Skin Event ♡

Obviously I haven't been blogging long, so when the opportunity came along for me to attend the Lush Portsmouth blogger event I was thrilled!  I've been a fan of Lush products for a long time, and honestly - who doesn't love a Lush bath bomb?  But this was the Summer Skin event, and I can't say I've tried many skincare products from Lush, but as someone who has a bit of obsession with skin care products, of course I was completely open to trying products!  The staff at the event we so lovely and helpful, and I'm so grateful for being invited!  Also, beware... there may be images of feet ahead!     

We were truly pampered at this event, from head to toe - literally!  The first thing we did was a foot pampering session!  I am completely guilty of neglecting my feet a bit, even in summer!  First we scrubbed our feet with the Stepping Stone Foot Scrub (buy here) which gets rid of dead skin, whilst softening your feet.  It also contains essential oils, to really give your feet some TLC.  What a treat!

It also turns the water green!

Then we used the Volcano Foot Mask (buy here), and I had never used a foot mask before, but this was really nice.  We covered the bottoms of our feet in this, then left for ten minutes.  When you wash it off, your feet feel soft like you can't imagine!  We did cover our feet in cling film while we had this on so we could put our feet down and walk around without making a mess.  

Then we finished off with the Fair Trade Foot Lotion (buy here) and the T for Toes Foot Powder (buy here), and the foot lotion really moisturises your feet, then the powder dries them off, and is good for use before a long day walking, as it soaks up any moister and keeps your feet fresh all day!  This was such a lovely pamper session, and I'll definitely be doing this again at home!  

After this we had one to one consultations with a member of staff.  All the staff know the products so well, and are able to recommend the right products for you!  If you're ever unsure about what to go for in Lush, just ask someone!  We were shown around the store, and each different collection of products, then recommended something that would be good for us.  The event was focused on how to care for and prep your skin for the sun, and Lush have actually brought out a collection of sunscreens!  I'm really excited about trying them out for real in the sun, since they feel so nice on the skin, just like a moisturiser.  I usually find that suncreams can feel sticky and thick, but these are really light on the skin, and there is a range of different SPF strengths to choose from.  I will be doing a post in the near future with reviews and first impressions of the products I've been lucky enough to bring home with me!  They also let us test out many of the products - honestly, my arms have never felt so soft! 

We also got to make our own face mask!  We made the Catastrophe Cosmetic Mask (buy here) which did involve getting our hands (well rubber gloves) dirty, but was obviously really fun!  They actually use real blueberries in this, and I tried it when I got home, and it feels so nice on the skin!  

It was so lovely to meet other bloggers as well!  We all got on so well, and I'm so grateful for being able to attend this event!  Here is a photo of us from Alice's instagram!

 From left to right - Alice, Amy, Man Yee, me, and Becky!  Check out their blogs!

Sorry for the picture spam, I couldn't chose one!  A post will be coming soon with product reviews - Lush were very generous with goodie bags!  I just need a little time to use the products a couple of times to get a proper feel for them!  I had such a lovely time at this event, and feel so lucky to have been invited!  

What Lush products are your favourite?   

Face of the Day: A Minimal Look ♡

Thought I'd do a quick face of the day post today, nothing super exciting, but I'm always super nosey about how other people create a minimal make up look, so I thought I'd show you mine!  

Products I used:

• Benefit Big Easy in Fair (buy here)
• Maybelline Eye Eraser Concealer in Light (buy here)
• Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in Light (buy here)
• Body Shop Honey Bronzer in 01 (buy here)
• Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Santa Rose (buy here)
• Soap & Glory Archery Brow Tint and Pencil in Love is Blonde (buy here)
• L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara (buy here)
• Revelon Lip Butter in Raspberry Pie (buy here)

I really enjoy doing a minimal look for summer, and going for a eye-catching pink lip.  I think it really brightens up my whole face, so I don't need to do a lot with the rest of my make up.  I just go for a light bronzer to contour, and a light pink blush.  This is the look I wear most days, and I usually swap the bold pink lip for something more natural on the days that I work.

Do you use any of these products?

See you in the next post!  Let's chat in the comments!

Summer Shopping List: Skincare Edit ♡

It's the final edition of my Summer Shopping List series!  This has been a really nice way to get myself back into blogging, and I've loved writing these posts.  I'm definitely considering doing these for all the other seasons when they come along!

Here I'm going to talk about all things skincare, and I know a lot of skincare can be appropriate for any climate, but I think it becomes even more important to take good care of your skin in the sun.  I have very fair skin, and my skin really doesn't enjoy the sun, so I really take extra care of my skin in heat.  

1) Benefit Dream Screen - £25.00 (buy here)

Using SPF is essential on my face, and this has SPF 45, so it seems like a pretty good product to have in my skincare stash.  This claims to be ultra light on the skin, so would be a good product to use before applying make up.  Benefit have really started to advertise their skincare range a lot more in recent months, and before this I wasn't really aware of it.  I love Benefit cosmetics, so I'm super curious to try out some of their skincare!  

2) Palmer's Cocoa Butter Natural Bronze - £5.35 (buy here)

I'm a little weary of full-on fake tanning products, and I love that this moisturises and adds a bit of colour to my skin.  This is a very builds up very gradually, so you won't find yourself in a situation where you're suddenly orange!  I've been using this since last summer, and I need to repurchase soon!  This makes my skin look really healthy and glowy, and it also doesn't have a horrible fake tan smell! 

3) Body Shop Peach Body Butter - £13.00 (buy here)

If you have never tried a Body Shop body butter, then what have you been doing?  I love them!  They sink in so quickly, and all the scents I've tried have been really nice, and not too over-powering.  I'm yet to try the peach one, but I'm a bit obsessed with peachy smelling things at the moment, and think it's a great fresh scent.  Will definitely be picking this up next time I'm in the Body Shop.  

4) Body Shop Seaweed Pore-Cleansing Exfoliator - £9.00 (buy here)

If you've read any of my skincare posts before, you will know how much I love Body Shop skincare - it just works for me.  I always need a really good exfoliator in the summer... things can get sweaty (tmi? tmi.)... anyway, I need something that's really going to get into my pores and get all the dirt out.  The seaweed line at the Body Shop is specially for oil-control, and believe me, in the summer, in need that.  I feel like I got a bit weird and tmi about my sweaty face in this blog post... I'm glad we had this talk.

5) Ambre Solaire Dry Mist SPF50 - £7.99 (buy here) 

What Summer Shopping list would be complete without sun cream?  I always go for a high SPF since I burn so easily!  I love the mist ones, since they're so easy and quick to apply.  I always carry a sun cream around with me in my bag during the warmer months. It's a no-brainer!  

Hope you've enjoyed this little trilogy of summer must-haves!  

What are your favourite skincare products for the warmer months? 

See you in my next post!

Lazy Day Make Up ♡

We all have lazy days!  I'm currently studying for my A Level exams, meaning most days I don't want to do anything exciting with my make up - just something natural that will last through the day.  I thought I'd share my go-to lazy day routine with you, since I'm sure many of you are doing the same thing as me at the moment!

I don't use a primer on days like this, so I go straight to my base.  I've been loving using the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (buy here) and buffing that in with a stippling brush.  It gives a lovely natural look, and when it comes to bases, Bourjois is such a strong brand!  I don't actually use any concealers for anywhere but my under eye area on days like this - my skin is fairly even at the moment!  For my dark circles I've been using the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer (buy here), which is the best under eye concealer I've ever tried!  

I set this with the Revlon Nearly Naked Pressed Powder (buy here) which is a lovely everyday powder to keep shine away, and also doesn't leave a powdery cakey finish - it just looks like skin.  

I like to add a tiny bit of colour, so I bring in the Bourjois Cream Blush in Nude Velvet (buy here) to add a bit of a healthy flush to my cheeks.  Nude velvet is the perfect natural shade for me, and it's been my everyday blush since I got it!  

I don't bother with filling my brows on lazy days, I'm not a big brows person, so I don't mind wearing them natural with a minimal make up look!  I curl my lashes, then apply the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara (buy here) and I find one coat of this mascara leaves my lashes looking long and defined - but obviously for a more dramatic look this can be built up for more volumised lashes.  I've seen a lot of mixed feelings on this product, but I love it!

That's the look finished!  And obviously hair in a messy bun is essential for days like this!

See you next time!  And good luck for exams if you have them coming up!

Beauty Haul ♡

Hi there!

It's been a while since I last blogged and that's most certainly down to the exam season fast approaching!  I finished photography today, so I thought a blog post was in order, and I have some new things to show you!

The weather is a tiny bit warmer in England now, so I've been changing up my everyday make up routine, and I wanted to introduce some new products.  There were a few products I'd wanted to try for a while, so I made the most of the 3 for 2 offer at Boots and made a few purchases.  These were actually purchased over two or three trips over the past few weeks, so I waited till I had a fair few products to post a haul on here.  But I'd say I have a fair few things now, so here's what I've added to my collection in the past few weeks!

I'm going to start by talking about the brushes I picked up.  The first being the Real Techniques Stippling Brush (buy here).  For the warmer months, I don't usually go for a full coverage foundation and I wanted a brush that would give me a lighter coverage.  Real Techniques is usually my go-to brush brand, as it's so affordable compared to other companies, and the quality of the brushes is excellent.  I really love this brush, as it really works product into the skin for a natural finish.  I've been loving using this for BB/CC creams and tinted moisterisers.  

The second brush I purchased is the Soap and Glory Kabuki Brush (buy here).  I was in need of a decent powder brush, and I've always been a fan of Soap and Glory cosmetics, so I picked this up.  I love it!  picks up plenty of product and leaves a nice finish on the skin.

Now let's talk about primers.  I was never big on primers - I can't say I really saw the point in them.  I didn't want to spend money on something I wasn't even sure would make a difference. Lately though, I've been having trouble keeping make up on my face, even with powder.  I've been finding whatever base I use, after a few hours my skin is showing all kinds of redness.  I reached for the L'Oreal Paris Lumi Magique Primer (buy here).  I've only used it for a couple of days, but I can see a difference.  I also really like the pearly kind of finish it gives my skin.  Anything that will give my skin a nice glow for spring!

I am constantly on the hunt for the perfect drugstore concealer, and I'm super impressed with the two I picked up in this haul!  The first one is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer (buy here), and since I'm such a fan of the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation (buy here) I had high expectation for this!  It covers any blemishes really nicely and also smells amazing!  I can't fault this concealer.

Dark circles are my nemesis, so any product that promises to banish them gets my attention instantly!  The Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer (buy here) really brightens up my super dark under eyes, and it blends really nicely and I haven't had it crease yet, which is always promising!  There's been a lot of buzz around this product for quite some time, and I've been wanting to try it for a long time!

I love Bourjois, like a lot.  I can't seem to stop buying their complexion products - they always seem to get it so right!  I'm a big fan of powders, so I picked up the Healthy Balance Compact Powder (buy here).  It smells lovely, and keeps the shine at bay for most of my day!  The second powder I picked up from Bourjois is the Poudre De Riz De Java (buy here), which is more of a highlight powder.  It smells like cola bottle sweets to me?  Am I the only one smelling that?  The packaging is adorable as well!  It's very shimmering, but I've been using this as a cheek highlight, and it works a treat!  

I also got the Bourjois Cream Blush (buy here) in the shade nude velvet, which is perfect for me.  I don't like to go too wild with blush, but this is a lovely natural shade that puts a bit of life into my face!

I'm not usually a high end make-up kind of girl, but when I saw this product on Cohorted I couldn't help myself!  It's the Benefit They're Real Mascara! It only cost me about twelve pounds on Cohorted! What a steal!  This product has been raved about online since it came out, so I won't go on too much - but I do love this, even if it is a pain to remove at night!

I also got the Sleek Contour Kit (buy here), which I haven't tried out yet, but looking forward to doing so!  If you don't know what it is, it comes with a bronzer and a highlight for all your contouring needs in one place!  I'm only just getting into contouring, and hopefully this product is as good as I've heard.

Lastly I picked up a few nail polishes from Barry M.  I love Barry M nail polishes, as they're so affordable and lovely quality.  I got a clear coat and the colour Blue Moon and Berry.  I've currently got Berry on my nails and I'm in love with it!

Hope you enjoyed this haul! What have you picked up for spring/summer? 

See you next time!

Go-To Skin Care Products ♡

Hi there,
As you may have seen, I tested out some samples from Pai skin care a while back - and as much as I loved the products I tried, my purse really isn't stretching to those kind of prices at the minute, so I had to search for alternatives.  I've now reached a combination of products that I'm very happy with - most of which are all from the same range at the Body Shop.  I was fairly new to Body Shop skin care, and I walked into the store, took a look around, and choose these products.  It also helped that they had a 3 for 2 deal on!

The first product I use is the Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water (buy here) - a hugely talked about product in the beauty blogging community!  I use this to remove my make up at night, and I also use it in the morning before I apply my make up, just to make sure there isn't any dirt that may have built up in the night on my face.  I like to work with a totally blank canvas!  This is kind of the UK drugstore version of Bioderma.  Bioderma is such a pain to get hold of for those that reside in the UK, and as much as I wanted to try it, when I saw this, I thought it's probably just as good.  I'm very impressed with this, and since I started using it my skin has improved a lot.  I used to take my make up off with face wipes (a bblogger sin, didn't know that before!!) and I can see that using cleansing waters is a much better alternative!

As for exfoliating, I have two go-to products that I'm currently loving.  For the morning, I use a gentler product, and at the moment I'm really enjoying the Body Shop Vitamin E Cream Exfoliator (buy here).  This is the first product I tried from the Vitamin E range, and after this, a few more popped up in my routine!  I love how gentle this is on my skin, and isn't too grainy, but my skin still feels super clean and refreshed after use.  I feel like this really preps my skin for my daily make up, and keeps my face feeling fresh.  This contains jojoba beads, similarly to the Pai exfoliator I tried.  This is the main thing that drew me to this product, as the Pai one worked so well for me, but is a little out of my price range at the minute!  I would recommend this if, like me, you have sensitive skin.  I find a lot of drugstore 'sensitive' skin brands, such as Simple and Nivea cause me problems, but this gives me no trouble at all, and it also smells great!

For my evening exfoliator, I tend to go for something a little bit more heavy duty.  At the moment I'm really enjoying the St. Ives Naturally Clear Blemish Fighting Apricot Scrub (buy here), and this is product I always end up going back to after trying others!  For just under a fiver, it's a total bargain, and after a day of wearing full make up it really does a great job of lifting all the dirt out of my pores and combating any blemishes that might be ready to form!  It also leaves my skin smelling fruity and feeling fresh.

When it comes to moisterising, I go for two products I got from the Body Shop Vitamin E range.  For day time use, I got for the Vitamin E Illuminating Moisture Cream (buy here).  I absolutely love this moisteriser!  It keeps my skin from getting dry under my make up, and it also has a pinky shimmer to it.  At first I was unsure about the shimmer, and thought it might make me look a bit shiny - I wasn't actually aware it had this feature until I applied it!  Now I've been using it for a while, I actually love the shimmer to it, and once I've applied my make up, it gives me a lively glow - something my skin has been crying out for!  It sinks in really well and I'm a big fan of this product!

For my night moisteriser, I go for the Vitamin E Nourishing Night Cream (buy here).  I don't have a bad word to say about this product!  It's a brilliant night cream - as someone who suffers from dry skin, I find this to be a brilliant solution for keeping any flaky patches at bay.  Sinks in quickly and isn't at all sticky.  I don't even know what else to say about this product - all you need to know is that it is the best night cream I've ever come across!

I was never big on eye creams - I'm not sure why, since my eye area seems to be a problem area for me.  I suffer from bad dark circles and also a lot of dry skin around this area.  Because it was 3 for 2 in the Body Shop when I went in, I just happened to pick this up on a whim, and wow! I'm so glad I did.  It's the Vitamin E Eye Cream (buy here).  I did warn you I'd fallen in love the Vitamin E range!  This reduces puffiness and dark circles - both of which are problems for me.  I will definitely be buying this again, as now I can't imagine life without an eye cream!  I don't really know why I never thought to try one, it's definitely an essential for me now.

If any bad spots appear on my face, I just pop a bit of Skinology Tea Tree Anti-Spot Stick (buy here).  It literally costs 98p, and does a great job of making any zits disappear.  What a bargain!  I find I don't get a huge amount of spots anyway, as long as I keep on top of my exfoliation routine!

As for a bit of lip care, I've never strayed away from your basic Vaseline Lip Therapy (buy here).  It keeps my lips from getting chapped, and I honestly can't fault it.  The little tins are also super handy for keeping in my handbag!  If I'm going for a natural look in the day, I love the Vaseline Lip Therapy Rosy Lips (buy here), just to introduce a little bit of colour to my face.

I hope you enjoyed this post!  I'm obsessed with skin care at the moment!

What are your favourite skin care products?

See you next time!

The Base-Off ♡

Hey you!
It's a rainy Easter Sunday, and I should do some college work, but instead I'm eating chocolate and reviewing foundations.
I'm hoping the title makes sense... it's meant to be a play on 'face-off'.  It's probably been done before, I'm just trying to keep my titles a bit interesting.  Anyway, I've recently been trying a lot of new bases.  I kind of had a base crisis.  I didn't have a huge amount of bases to choose from in my collection, and I used to always opt for Rimmel Match Perfection - a cheap and cheerful foundation choice (buy here).  I was content with this for quite a while, but in the past few months, my skin got truly terrible - not acne or spots, but patches of redness everywhere, and my skin tone was horrendously uneven.  My trusty Rimmel go-to product just wasn't up to the job anymore!  It also couldn't handle a long day of college, then a shift at work.  I have no time to touch up my make up during the day, so I need a base that's going to keep my skin looking good all day, and will fight the oil to some extent.  I've been testing six bases over the past few weeks, and now I'm going to share my thoughts on them for you!  I'd be interested to her what you thought of these products if you've tried them!

The first one I want to talk about is the Rimmel Stay Matte foundation (buy here).  I have this in the shade 010 Light Porcelain.  This costs about six pounds, which is fairly cheap for a foundation.  I didn't expect this to be the best foundation ever, but the it was the advertising that drew me to it.  It is advertised as a non-cakey foundation, that will stay matte (as the title suggests) all day.  I am a fan of a matte finish for the colder months, and I do get quite shiny in the day, so this seemed like a good one to try.  I was super disappointed though!  I don't understand how this can be advertised as not cakey, when it is probably the cakiest foundation I've ever tried!  It's so thick - kind of like a mousse, but it just didn't blend well on my skin at all.  It really highlights and clings to any dry patches you might have, and overall is just such a let down.  I like my foundations to blend into my skin, so it looks like I'm not wearing make up, but with this, it was obvious there was a layer of make up on the top.  I think the idea of this foundation is really great - a light weight matte foundation, that keeps the shine at bay - but in reality, it just did not do any of what I wanted it to, and I really wouldn't recommend this foundation at all!  I suppose for six pounds I shouldn't complain too much though!

Another foundation I've been trialing is the No 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation (buy here).  I went a bit mad for matte foundations at one stage, as you may be able to tell.  This is a slightly pricier option at £13.50, but I felt like it was worth a try.  The bottle says "for an all day shine free look with a soft, even finish", which I would agree with, and I do like this foundation.  It is definitely a better option for a matte finish than the Rimmel product.  This goes on like a liquid foundation, and sets quickly to a matte finish - but not too matte.  I think with some matte-ifying products, like foundations and powders, they can go to an extreme, and make your skin look a bit too made-up.  This product covered my flaws up nicely and evened out my skin tone.  It didn't keep the oily patches at bay all day, but kept me looking presentable through most of my day.  The shade I got is a little dark for me at the moment, but once the summer rolls in and I get a little bit more tanned, it'll be just right!

Next up is the Rimmel Lasting Finish foundation (buy here).  This product claims to last for twenty-five hours.  Now I have long days, but never quite twenty-five hours.  I think this foundation is a pretty good all-rounder.  Fairly similar to my ex-favourite, the Rimmel Match Perfetcion, but with better staying power.  It isn't the greatest for coverage, and I do need a fair amount more concealer than I would with most of the other foundation I reach for.  A benefit to this foundation though, is that it's very moiusterising, and I suffer from dry skin, but this doesn't dry me out at all.  This doesn't highlight my dry patches, and blends really well - it feels very light on the skin.  My main criticism though, is that it isn't brilliant at fending off oily, shiny patches during the day.  When I wear this, I feel like I'm going to need to carry a powder with me, which I don't normally do.

Now it is the turn of a CC cream - the Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Cream (buy here) in fact.  I've mentioned this on my blog before, and it's definitely made a splash in the beauty blogging world!  Wonderful coverage, whilst being incredibly light at the same time.  The different colour correcting pigments work a treat for me, and this gives me a very natural yet even looking complexion.  I think this is going to be the perfect summer base for me, as it's quick to apply and blend, and keep my skin looks fresh and awake all day.  It's not the best product for combating shine, but with a small amount of powder on problem areas, this base is a definite treat for the skin with wonder lasting power.

Next is another Bourjois base, this time it's the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation (buy here).  I'd seen  Estée of essiebutton talk about how good this foundation was on her YouTube channel, and I had been desperate to try it ever since!  This definitely does not disappoint, and it smells so fruity!  It glides on, and it so easy to blend.  My go-to brush for applying foundation is my Real Techniques buffing brush, and it really works a treat with this!  This product contains radiance-boosting ingredients and keeps me looking lively all day.  Even when I'm super tired after a day of college and work, my skin is showing no sign of this.  It stays on really well, and keeps any wild shiny patches at bay.  Out of all the products I've tried recently, this one has to be my favourite, as it's such a wearable everyday foundation.  It looks very natural and I've had a lot of compliments about my skin when I've been wearing it.  The first time I tested it out, I asked my boyfriend how my skin looked and he described it as a "radiant beacon of skin", which is the most ridiculous way to describe skin ever, but normally he claims my skin always looks the same to him (I don't understand males), so this one must be doing something right!

Last but not least is the most expensive product I tried.  A product I was completely unfamiliar with, a bit of a curve ball in my make up collection, but something I'm glad I've invested in.  It's the L'oréal The Minerals True Match foundation (buy here).  At about fifteen pounds, it's fairly pricey for a drugstore foundation, but I wanted to take the risk and try it.  I'd never tried mineral make before either, but I love how light it feels on the skin.  It starts out as a powder, but quickly blends nicely into the skin as a liquid would.  It does come with a brush, but I prefer to apply it with a powder brush, as otherwise I feel like I get took much build up of product, resulting in weird orange patches on my face.  When I use this I don't need a powder, as this keeps shine at bay, and also stays on my face all day.  The coverage is brilliant, and evens out my skin tone an absolute treat!  My main criticism of this product has to be the fact that it is fairly messy to apply!  Like any loose powder, you have to be careful not to cover your clothes in make up - this doesn't brush off that easily.  This is very quick to apply, and I always reach for it when I'm running late for college or work in the mornings!

I hope you enjoyed this post, and found it helpful.  Finding a new base is always tricky, but I suppose now I have a fair few to swap around for my day to day life!  I love testing out new make up products, so this post was a pleasure to write.

What's your go-to base at the moment?

See you soon!

       

Pai - A Skin Care Saviour ♡

I'm a teenager, so typically my skin isn't brilliant.  I suffer from dry skin, and I'm also allergic to most cheaper skin care products - not great for the tight budget I have to work with!  I usually just go for cleansing my skin and removing make up with Garnier Micellar cleansing water (buy here), then using the St. Ives Blemish Fighting apricot scrub (buy here) and finishing my skin care routine by moisturising using a basic Nivea cream.  As much I would really recommend these products, my skin seemed to be having a lot of issues in the past couple of weeks, and I felt it was time to up my skin care game a little bit.  The main problem I stumbled across was the fact that barely any brands do sample packs of the products I wanted to try.  As I have very sensitive skin, I'm not keen on spending a lot of money on a higher end skin care product if it's going to cause even more problems for me.

Then I discovered a skin care brand called Pai.  This brand sells a variety of organic products, especially for sensitive skin! Perfect for me!  I was quick to find they sell a little sample pack of six little pots of different products, and a muslin face cloth to use with the products.  The link to purchase this is here, and for eight pounds, I would say it's definitely worth it!

The package arrived quickly, and comes with all the products in an adorable box, and also some leaflets about the brand and how it started.  Here are some photos!

The tester products you get are the Camellia & Rose Cleanser, Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin Brightening Exfoliator, Avocado & Jojoba Hydrating Day Cream, Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream, Geranium & Thistle Rebalancing Day Cream, and last but not least, the Echium & Macadamia Replenishing Day Cream.  

The first thing that needs to be said about all these products is how amazing they smell!  You can really tell there is nothing artificial about these products just by the scent.  They all go on to the skin so nicely, and the day creams just sink in, and don't have any kind of shine to them.  

I used the cleanser to remove my make up, and lift any other dirt out of my pores.  I absolutely love the cleanser, and my skin felt very fresh after using.  It is also really hydrating - so unlike other cleansers, that draw all the moister as well as what you what removed from your skin, this made my skin feel brilliant afterwards.  

I also really loved the Kukui & Jojoba Bead Skin Brightening exfoliator.  I'd say that pretty much immediately after use I could see a difference in my skin, as it just looked more healthy and a lot less dull.  

I have tried all the day creams, and for me, I feel like the one that had the best effect would be the Chamomile & Rosehip Calming Day Cream.  I suffer from a lot of redness around my face, especially around my nose, and I could definitely see that using this moisturiser reduced this by a noticable amount. 

After using Pai products for a week, I can definitely see a change in my skin, and it feels and looks a lot healthier.  

So what products will I be purchasing in full size?  I'm definitely going to go for the cleanser and exfoliator, and I'm most likely to be buying the calming day cream.  I'm going to try a few cheaper alternatives for my moisturiser, and can compare what ever I'm trying to the Pai creams I used.  It wouldn't surprise me if I find myself going to back to Pai for this though.

I know Pai is quite pricey compared to various products you can pick up on the high street, but I feel like skin care is so important, and keeping a healthy complexion is something that will we thank ourselves for in the future!  I find I can't really rely too heavily on high street skin care anyway, as I've tried a lot of different products, and had nowhere near results as good as what I got from Pai!

Hope you've enjoyed this post!  What skin care brands do you love? 

See you soon, 

    xx