FOTD: A Very Natural Make Up Look

This is just a really natural make up which I wear most days during the week if I'm not doing anything special.

FACE - I used my Lily Lolo mineral foundation and concealer as usual, applied their mineral blush in Clementine. Then under my eyes I applied my Clinique Airbrush Concealer. To finish off the skin I used Estee Lauder Lucidity Loose Powder which I love.

EYES - I used Painterly Paintpot from MAC on my lid, lined my upper lash line with Brown Down Eyeshadow from MAC on an angled brush. Then I applied what was left on the brush to my lower lashes and blended for some natural definition. I lined my upper waterline with Collection 2000 Lasting Finish brown eyeliner and applied Volume Million Lashes from L'oreal. 

I also curled my lashes before my mascara which I think makes a real difference to your eyes and highly recommend!

BROWS & LIPS - On my brows I used MAC Brow Set in Beguile. And on my lips I put a bit of tinted lipbalm on.

FOTD Life's a Beach

Last night I played around with a bit of make up and here's what I ended up with...

I hardly ever go out wearing bright colours on my eyes but I'm starting to get into wearing blues and purples.

Eyes -

• MAC Paintpot in Painterly
• MAC Amber Lights Eyeshadow in socket
• NYX blue eyeshadow
• MAC Vanilla Eyeshadow on browbone and inner eye 
• MAC Brow Set in Beguile
• L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara in Brown
• Collection 2000 brown eyeliner on waterline

Face - 

• Clinique Airbrush Concealer
• Lily Lolo Mineral foundation and concealer in Blondie
• Estee Lauder Lucidity Loose Powder
• Lily Lolo mineral bronzer in South Beach
• Revlon blusher in Tawny Peach
• MAC Hush Cream Colour Base on cheekbones

Lips - 

• MAC Honeylove lipstick
• Revlon Peach Petal gloss

Products I'm Loving Right Now!

I did a bit of shopping the other day and bought a couple of items which have turned out to be really good products, so I thought I'd show you the products I'm loving right now and am wearing pretty much every day!

YSL Elle Perfume -

This winter I've not really been wearing perfume but I'm starting to get back into wearing it. I got this for my birthday last year and I wore it pretty much everyday. That was during the summer so every time I wear this now it reminds me of summer days. It's quite a heavy perfume but I find that after a few minutes of wearing this, it settles down into a nice sexy, slightly sweet floral smell. I also like the bottle, nice and classy, very YSL! It's a nice size as well so you can throw it in your bag easily if you want to.

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara -

 I love this mascara. I am now wearing it everyday and I like it more and more each time I wear it! The brush is surprisingly good at getting right to the roots of my lashes, and I wore my Estee Lauder Projectionist the other day which I was in love with but it's crap compared to this mascara. Very surprised at how much I like this!

17 Lasting Fix Lipstick in Hot Chilli -

I have been after and orange-y red lipstick for a while. Collection 2000 had what looked like the perfect colour but when I got to the shops I couldn't find it at all! I saw Hot Chilli by 17 though, which looked similar so I opted for that. It's a nice colour, maybe not orange toned enough for what I'm after but I still think it's a nice bright coral-y red. Good Lady Danger dupe!

Clinique Instant Lift For Brows -

I bought this on a whim but am in love with this product. I use it along with my MAC brow gel to do my brows. The pencil is a perfect colour for my very fair brows and it's so easy to use. I love the texture of it as it's a lot softer than the usual eyebrow pencils out there and it almost has a waxy like feel to it, which I find is good for keeping the hairs staying in the right direction and it coats the hairs better, giving better definition.

On the other end it has a highlighter colour which you are meant to put on your brow bone, but I use this on my eyelids as a cream eyeshadow and find it gives a really nice sheen to them, and it stays put all day. The colour is very similar to Hush Cream Colour Base from MAC.

Swatches -

Top to Bottom - Clinique Highlight Colour, Clinique Brow Pencil in Soft Blonde, 17 Hot Chilli Lipstick.

 Estee Lauder AeroMatte Pressed Powder -

I have been after a pressed powder which I can take around with me in my make up bag. All the other powders I own are loose powders, so they aren't very practical for taking around. I researched into many different brands, as I was wanting a mattifying powder which doesn't give any coverage or look cakey. I bought this AeroMatte compact from Estee Lauder, which is pricey at £24 but I know Estee Lauder's products are always going to work, and I'm going to get a great product.

They had discontinued this product but have recently starting selling it again, which I am so glad about because it is fantastic. It gives a gorgeous finish to the skin, mattifies but does it in a way that doesn't make me look dull or dead. It doesn't change the coverage or colour of my make up either.

So those are my favourite products at the moment...what are yours?

L'oreal Volume Million Lashes Mascara Review

I bought this mascara about a week ago because I was running out of my Estee Lauder Projectionist, which I love but it's too expensive to keep re-purchasing.

 I find most drugstore mascaras I've tried are too dry and clumpy looking and always flake off by the end of the day but L'oreal have fairly decent ones, they are at the higher end of the drugstore mascaras. So I thought I'd give them a go and got Volume Million Lashes because I liked the look of the brush. It cost me around £11 in Boots.

The brush is a good size, and very lightweight. It's quite big but not overly so. I really don't like huge mascara wands. I once bought Max Factor's False Lash Effect and couldn't use it at all because the brush was so huge! 

Volume Million Lashes has also a no-clumps brush and as you take the wand out of the tube it takes off the excess product so you don't end up with clumpy lashes, which is what attracted me to it.

This mascara separates my lashes nicely, I don't get any clumps at all and it makes my lashes look pretty long. I wouldn't say it's amazingly volumising, you'd have to put a few coats on to get really big lashes. I like the ammount of volume it gives though, for me it's just enough without looking over the top. You can build up to bigger lashes and it still won't clump.

The mascara doesn't flake off either and another problem I have had with mascaras is that they can irritate my eyes. This doesn't do that at all.

I also really like the black and gold packaging, it's nice and classy.

All in all I like this mascara, it's a good replacement for my Projectionist :)

HAUL and SWATCHES: Clinique + L'oreal

Yesterday I popped into Boots to get Clinique's Clarifying Lotion which is part of their 3 Step System. While I was at the Clinique counter I noticed they had an offer on for 750 Boots Card points if you buy 3 or more Clinique items. So I decided what the heck I'll get 3 things.. here's what I got-

I've always thought toners to be a bit of a con and never quite understood the point of them. But and after a bit of research I think my skin could do with one. Thought I'd go with Clinique as I really like their skincare and already use their Dramatically Different Moisturising Gel.

The Clarifying Lotion sweeps away any dirt or oil that your cleanser has left behind, and helps clogged pores and oil etc.

I got it in number 3 which is for combination/oily skins. I was thinking about getting number 4 which is for very oily skins but after reading reviews people said they found it a bit harsh, so number 3 should be a good middle ground.

The other two Clinique items I got were the Airbrush concealer as I'll be needing a new one soon and the Instant Lift for Brows. 

This is the first concealer I've ever re-purchased, it's so good! 

I've seen Sam at Pixiwoo use the eyebrow pencil in her videos and thought I'd try it out. I like that it has a highlighter with it which is a similar colour to Hush Cream Colour Base from MAC.

Top to bottom- Airbrush Concealer in Fair, Instant Lift for Brows in Soft Blonde, highlight colour.

I also got the L'oreal Volume Million lashes mascara, as I'm nearly out of my Estee Lauder Projectionist and even though this is probably the best mascara I've ever used, at £18.50 it's just way too expensive to keep re-purchasing.

I went with L'oreal because their mascaras are said to be the best out of the drugstore brands, and I liked the look of the brush on Volume Million Lashes.

Have you tried any of these products?