June favourites

So June was a month full of sun for me, I had two weeks off work and I probably picked the best weeks to take, London was beautifully sunny and I spent the other week in Zante soaking up the Greek rays. So my picks seem very appropriate for these summer months. Fingers crossed the weather stays good in England and lasts longer than the traditional 3 weeks! So let's get started!


Clarins Santal face treatment oil

I must admit this oil actually saved my summer skin! Whilst being away I got slightly burnt on my forehead and nose (and yes I did use SPF) but nether the less the annoyance of it happened. It meant applying any make-up became a chore as the flakiness of my skin just didn't agree with it, until I decided to pick up this bad boy! What an angel of a product, I applied a couple of drops day and night prior to my moisturisers and it just seemed to diminish any flakiness and angry skin I had! I was amazed! I used the Santal version which is for dry skin however I do know that Clarins do others catering to your skin type. So if the sun is making your skin like a crisp I would highly recommend this!
Retails at £32.00

Nars bronzer - Laguna

The return of an oldie but a goodie! I have used this on and off for years inbetween others to find my
 perfect bronzer but this one is always the one I fall back in love with! Everyone and their mother
would of heard about this and all the hype you here around it is true! I'd personally say its great on all skintones other than deep ebony (it may be too light). The formulation is easily buildable, it never goes on too heavy which means it's hard to get it wrong! It's not completely matte however it doesn't have heavy chunky glitter either which also means it's a great year round bronzer. Such a staple for me, I'm pretty sure I couldn't live without.
Retails at £27

Vita Liberata - Phenomenal Tan Mousse 

I am always on the hunt for the perfect fake tan, I can't say I've found it just yet but this one does come pretty damn close! I always use the darkest shade as I tend to tan easily in the sun regardless so that works best for me, however they do have shade fair and medium depending on how much of a deep tan you would like. The claim for this is that it last 2-3 weeks on application, I can't say that is completely true as traditionally I top up after a week regardless! I tend to sleep over night with mine so it gives the tan time to develop, knowing that I am always concerned about tan covered bed sheets! That never happens with this! The application is smooth and easy to blend and is touch dry within minutes!! Which means no standing around feeling sticky waiting for it to dry! Perfect! If you're sick and tired of looking for a great tan, this one is an amazing investment.
Retails at £37

Laura Mercier - Angelic Lipstick

Nude lipsticks this summer are all I have been reaching for, it tends to bring out a tan and also looks effortlessly beautiful with simple eyes. This one in particular, Angelic, is a great one, and I've probably had this on my lips 90% of the month! It's not too pale, therefore not making you look washed out and ghostly! It's got a pink undertone rather than the typical 'beige' tone which is great, no one really likes that concealer lips look anyway do they, really? C'mon. The formulation is the 'Creme smooth', it's long wearing but has Shea butter to prevent the lips from drying out. It's creamy but not slippery making it a joy to wear. I can't stop.
Retails at £21


MAC Mineralized skin finish - Cheeky Bronze

I've got a lot of these MSFs in my make-up collection but I never really saw a need for them, I used to buy them because I thought they just looked pretty and really that was it! However this month I made a conscious effort to actually start using the products I never reach for, and this one in particular I actually found a great use for! This looks beautiful dusted all over the skin to give a natural glowing look (although if you arn't a huge fan of shimmer you really won't like this). You need a gentle hand unless you want to look like a glitter ball, but the effect when you do it right is stunning! It also looks great as a highlighter used on the top of the cheek bones to give that 'I have amazing cheekbones' kind of look. Perfect for the summer!
Retails at £23

Nars highlighter - Albatross 

If you would like another highlighter in your collection for this summer, this one is for you. I'm a huge fan of having a sheen on the skin, regardless of your skin type it's always nice to have some sort of healthy glow rather than looking like a flat sheet of paper. Nars have done this one right, it's got a beautiful golden tone to it, which is perfect if you have more of a warmer undertone to your skin. It's rare to find a great golden highlighter that actually makes an impact. I would recommended applying with a light hand, albatross is so pigment you don't want to cover up any blush you've applied prior. Want to have amazing cheekbones? Pick this one.
Retails at £22.50

Thanks for reading!
It would be nice to know of some of your favourites for this summer!

Favourite foundations!

Flawless airbrushed skin is something all of us dream of, male and female, but let's be honest and realistic, that kind of skin just doesn't exist. We are all our worst critic, pin pointing minute imperfections and trying our best to combat them.
I must say I'm a foundation addict, I don't fall for marketing or advertisement the majority of the time, but when it comes to a foundation I feel like I NEED to try and MUST try every new launch on the market, and because of that out of all beauty products a huge chunk of my vanity table is made up of bases, foundations, tinted moisturisers and anything that can try and make my skin look the best it possibly can.
So here is a few I would happily repurchase and most probably have done and give 5* for.
(Just an inside note, my skin is sensitive and dry, although can gravitate towards oily if in humid conditions).

Nars - sheer glow foundation

I thought I'd start off with this, its and oldie but a goodie, I've probably been using this on and off inbetween others for the past 5 years or so, the name can be a little deceiving though. If you're in the market for a dewy sheer foundation I really wouldn't recommend this, I'm not even sure why it's called the name that it is as it doesn't live up to it at all! So don't be deceived! For me, this foundation is much more of a medium-full coverage, with a satin finish, I would say it does give a little glow but nothing that's really visible on the skin therefore making it a great all rounder for those with a slight oil too, if you have a problem with oily skin however you may find this a little too liquid and would probably be best going for the 'Nars sheer Matt' the brother version.
I find this one in particular is best applied with a standard flat foundation brush or even a dense buffing brush to really work it into the skin. I find it glides and blends easily and the staying power for me is what particularly won me over, I can forget to use a primer and it still manages to hold its place on the skin. Only downside that I found with this is that it does transfer, if you are on your phone you will notice a slight smear on the screen but I rarely find a foundation where that doesn't happen as I never like to use powder. Overall a wonderful all rounder.
Retails at £31


Laura Mercier - Silk creme foundation

Another foundation with a long standing hold in my collection, the Laura Mercier silk creme foundation with its high pigment and cream (rather than liquid) formulation a little bit goes a very long way. The first tube I had lasted me 6months using everyday religiously before I had to repurchase, which means a great investment! I'd say this foundation gives quite a full coverage, originally made for people with rosacea, therefore has colour correcting properties and great for those with more of a sensitive skin. Keep this in mind if wishing to purchase as the colours run quite yellow based just for this reason, for those with much more of a pink undertone I wouldn't say this is the perfect one for you. I tend to reach for this when doing bridals or any photography work as it has no SPF which is perfect for a no 'ghostly white face' effect! Incredibly long lasting on the skin with a natural luminous finish, you'll get compliments all round! I found this best applied for a stippling brush in circular motion to really spread the product evenly and not waste a huge amount by going all in. 

Retails at £32 

Yves Saint Laurent - Touché Éclat foundation

Before I start I must state that I'm not a huge fan of the Touché éclat concealer/highlighter pen at all, for me it conceals nothing and just gives a dewy finish under the eyes (which I could easily achieve with a cream highlighter), however this foundation is another story. I was intrigued as soon as it came out, obviously following it's concealer friend, it was a hugely hyped launch, with reviews flying everywhere. The addict that I am I NEEDED to see what the fuss was about and soon got a sample from a counter, it was love at first application! With a very liquid texture I wasn't sure on how much of a fan I was going to be, but smoothed into the skin with my fingers I found this blended in so effortlessly and made my skin look so radiant. It does have quite a high sheen finish with a medium coverage, so a concealer may be needed to really cover any stubborn blemishes or pigmentation, but with such a naturally dewy finish it was really something I could live with. I wouldn't recommend for oily girls but those wanting a fresh feel, I say yes. 

Retails at £30.50

Bourjois - Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

I must admit I'm never really been a huge fan of drugstore foundation, it takes a lot to Impress me and when it comes to it I always found that if I pay a little more I get better ingredients and better results that last longer, however this one is an exception. Bourjois healthy mix foundation. I can't really remember what urged me to by it other than the copious amount of reviews I saw floating around on blogs urging everyone to give this a shot, so I caved, and I did. I gave it a shot, and it worked. In fact it was probably one of the only foundations I wore all throughout last summer, the light as air feel on the skin had me sold, and as in hot and humid whether the majority of the time I just want to claw my foundation off this one actually made me forget I was even wearing it. Giving a medium-full coverage it was perfect for any breakouts I got but whilst still letting my skin breathe. Full of natural goodness (which I rarely ever believe I to be true) it actually felt quite fresh and less heavy. 

No doubt I will go back to this when it starts heating back up! 

Retails at £10.99

Dior - Skin Nude foundation

 Dior have never really been a brand I go to, or hear much about in terms of foundation but I LOVE THIS. My go to for simple running around doing nothing much interesting weekend kind of days. So beautiful to apply, I tend to use my fingers, glides onto the skin so easily. In terms of coverage I would say 'light', it kind of reminds me of a BB cream formulation but without all the 'over-hyped this does this that and the other' rubbish that comes with one. Gives a very naturally luminous finish but evens out the skin and any redness just the right amount, whilst still letting the natural skin shine through. Another great one for the summer! 

Retails at £32

Illamasqua - Skin Base foundation

I adore this foundation, I think very ken and their mother probably knows this by now! I've been banging on about it for so long! Ha! Check out my previous post 'April Favourites' to see a information on this beauty! 

Retails at £32 

So that's my round up so far. These are my shining stars, I do have so many more that I enjoy using but these are the ones I know I will always have in my collection! Until the day they die!

Just a little note: 

R.I.P Chanel pro lumiere & Jemma Kidd light as air, forever in my heart. 

Let me know some of your outstanding favourite foundations, I'm always willing to give any skin base a shot! 

April favourites!

So April hasn't been too exciting in terms of new products, however there has been quite a few I've rediscovered!

 Last month I moved to London and instead of buying loads of beauty things (and it has been hard) I decided I would shop my stash and start actually using things up that I'd forgotten I'd even got! 

First things first:

Illamasqua skin base foundation

I have been a huge fan of Illamasqua products for god knows how long, however their foundations have never impressed me until this bad boy came along! Illamasqua' beautiful skin base!
If you like a good coverage (I'd probably say full, but can easily be sheered out) with a dewy finish, this is one for you to try! The pigment in this product is incredible meaning you don't need very much product to give the coverage you desire, and therefore not needing to re-buy for a good while!
Comes in so many shades I'd recommend getting colour matched as the numbers don't necessarily go from lightest to darkest, they also go by undertones. I recently purchased another 2 shades to add to my kit.
I personally have dry-sensitive skin and wouldn't say it would be great for those with an oily complexion.
Retails at £32

MAC fluidline - dipdown 

I have been absolutely loving using this for my eyebrows, might sound strange it being a gel eyeliner and all that but for those of us with brown hair or even some of those who just love to have a strong statement eyebrow this product just works incredible (maybe even better) than any brow product on the market that I've used.
Used on an angled brush to create a sharp shape and highlighting underneath with a dense concealer is all I've been doing on mine all month, and I've never got so many compliments on my brows
before.
The staying power of this product means that even in intense heat or humidity it doesn't smudge or budge! Wow! No half smudged eyebrows! Right now, this is my saviour.
Retails at £15


Laura Mercier radiance primer

I think nearly everyone and their mother has heard of a primer by now, they've been floating around the industry for years but have recently become a huge essential product to many cosmetic companies. Little do a lot of people know is that Laura was first to bring out the primer and out of all 7 different types that she does I've been loving the radiance primer. It has given a huge lift to my dull winter skin and it being completely water based with no silicone (great for sensitive skins), and vitamins A,C and E it actually feels more like a serum on the skin. Whilst it's great at adding an illuminated look to any foundation it also holds the key perks on helping the longevity and also keeping oils at bay, a huge staple for me! 

Retails at £29 

Clarins multi-active day cream

Clarins multi-active day cream has recently become a skin life saviour! 

I don't know all the scientific facts that this cream claims to have & I honestly couldn't careless about wrinkles at this time in my life, all I know is that this cream is one of the only creams that hydrates my skin so thoroughly aswell as not irritating it's sensitive side, 

I used this nearly every morning but within a week I already had noticed a huge difference in terms of blemishes, they had completely diminished, and there was absolutely no sign of any coming to the surface either. It's such an incredibly rare experience for me to not have to worry about a cream breaking me out. It's rich but not greasy, and doesn't clog my pores at all. Sinks in so quickly and creates a perfect base for make-up, I'm definitely repurchasing!

Retails at £42

Chanel illusion D'ombre

So I was introduced to these just before Christmas, I don't know why I have never noticed them before, I guess I was always a powder eyeshadow girl and never bothered giving a second glance to some 'creamy shadow in a pot', how wrong and foggy eyed was I! 

These are cream eyeshadows, with a beautiful smooth texture with a stunning 'water-like' shimmer within them. The pigment can be hit and miss, however even the lightest of pigment looks stunning on the eye for a no-make-up-make-up day. 

If I have no idea what to wear, or I'm feeling just plain lazy, blend one of these on your lids and you'll look like you've made such an effort when really you haven't. My favourite go to eyeshadow.

Retails at £24 

Laura mercier Caviar stick - cocoa 

This month I've been embracing a smokey brown eye and this is the perfect product to do that with. Keeping yet again with the cream formulation, Quickly blended all over the lid and you're pretty much done! Great for when you're in a rush but still want to look like you've made a huge effort for a night out but haven't got a great deal of time! It's a deep brown shade with a copper metallic shimmer, which means you get a duo effect for the price of one product. You can't really do much wrong! 

Retails at £20.50 

Nars powder blusher - Exhibit A

I can't say that the first time I saw this in the pan that I wasn't scared. 'Clown' was the first thing that came into mind, how wrong was I. Used lightly on a fan brush Exhibit A can be your best friend on tired days. If you're looking for a statement blush that will instantly lift your complexion from boring to beautiful this one might be for you. I tend to pair this with a bright orange toned red lip and a coat of mascara, however used alone with simple eyes and lips it can create a great day look.

 What's more to say. Beautiful product now coming into the summer, get the summer feeling! 

Retails at £21.50

Let me know what your favourite products have been this month, it would be fab to know and now I'm settled with a Space NK just round the corner and selfridges 10mins away I'm feeling like I should possibly treat myself! 

Welcome to another one of those beauty blogs!

Okay, so I know I'm pretty late on this band wagon, but I thought I'd give this a shot. 

I've worked in the beauty industry for 4 years now and will hope to always stay, I've had so much experience in different aspects, such as starting out at a college in London specialising in make-up and throughout that time I worked in editorial, beauty, prosthetics and dramatic west end shows. 

I have also spent a lot of time in retail of cosmetics, so I've gained knowledge on all skin types and all skin concerns, working with all ages, races and genders. 

This has also helped with my freelance, within the bridal industry and HD TV. 

I have a huge collection of make-up myself, and I'm sure any fellow make-up addict will agree its hard to say when 'enough is enough', however trying out new products (high end & drugstore) has given me a huge insight to what is available, what actually works and what's not worth wasting money on.

So here is my blog, here for advice and recommendations for you all. 

Enjoy, and always remember flawless is being happy with yourself inside and out.