Empty Products

I always feel a great deal of accomplishment when I use up a product. For me, knowing that I've used up a product means I'll 100% repurchase because I obviously loved it!

My first empty is my beloved Benefit Rollerlash. This is hands down my favourite mascara of all time. It's black, it curls, it stays all day, it doesn't transfer onto my skin midday and it's easy to remove. I need to repurchase another one of these ASAP, I don't know how long I can be without it!

Up next is MAC Strobe Cream. I'm not surprised this is empty as I've been using it as a primer underneath my foundation near enough everyday. Will definitely repurchase this as it makes my foundation look super glowy. 

If you read my skincare post (click here if you haven't) you'll know how much I love the La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo[+] and I'm so gutted that it's empty so I will definitely be picking up another one.

Last but not least is the Benefit Stay Don't Stray. I ran out of this a while ago and I've been using a concealer in replacement of this as an eyeshadow primer and although a concealer works well, nothing works as good as this. 

Have you finished off any products recently? Will you repurchase? Let me know in the comments below! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Hangover Makeup

If you're lucky enough to have a full day of doing nothing when you have a hangover then you are winning, because for most of us that isn't the case. After a night out, sleep is a must so getting up early to do a burgundy smokey eye is the last thing on anyones mind. I just throw on some makeup that'll make me look more awake but isn't too time consuming because I need that extra hour in bed.

Moisturing is always key after a night out because it's highly unlikely that you stumbled in and did a full evening cleanse, tone and moisturise routine before your head hit the pillow (we're all guilty) so putting the moisture back into your skin is a good way to start. I use La Roche-Posay Effaclar Duo it's hydrating but it's not thick in consistency which makes it perfect for under makeup. 

L'oreal True Match foundation is great as a hangover foundation because of it's luminosity so your skin will appear brighter and more awake. The coverage is good too but the foundation itself isn't very long lasting. Concealer is a must to hide your tired eyes, Maybelline Eraser Eye is my favourite. 

No one has the time or the effort to use one powder for baking and the other for the rest of the face so a light dusting of the holy grail Laura Mercier Loose Translucent Setting Powder is a quick and easy way to set the foundation. 

Bronzer is good for putting colour and warmth back into the skin. MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Give Me Sun is my new absolute favourite.

I find that brow pencils are easy to work with to create a good shape without the effort of a pomade and brush. For hangover days (and hangover days only!) I sway away from my beloved dipbrow and just lightly define my brows with a MAC brow pencil in Lingering. 

Last but not least is a coat of mascara to try and make my eyes look more awake!

That's my recipe for hangover makeup, I suggest you pair this makeup with Netflix and carbs. Let me know what your key products for hangover makeup in the comments below! See you soon!

Rebecca x

The Beauty Lover Tag

Last week I was flicking through Bloglovin and came across Shoes and Glitter's post doing the Beauty Lover Tag (click here to read hers) and I loved it. I've never done anything like this before on my blog so I thought it'd be good to do something different and i'm super excited to be doing it.

If you could have anyone in the world do your makeup, who would it be?

Definitely 100% hands down Karen Gonzalez (iluvsarahii on instagram, click here). I have been following her for a very long time on instagram and I don't think I've ever seen her do a makeup look that wasn't anything less than flawless. She is definitely my biggest makeup inspiration and if I could let anyone beat my face it would be her. 

What is your top makeup tip?

My top makeup tip is to apply a concealer or eyeshadow primer all over the lid and setting it with a cream eyeshadow before you start applying any eyeshadow. This step prevents creasing and also creates a light base which I feel like makes the eyeshadows you use after this step more true to their colour. My favourite eyeshadow primer is the Benefit Stay Don't Stray. 

What one skincare item could you not live without?

The skincare item that I couldn't live without is definitely moisturiser. For me there's nothing more satisfying than applying a rich moisturiser after taking your makeup off, and waking up the next day with plump well moisturised skin. 

What are you worst at when it comes to applying makeup?

Winged eyeliner for sure. I can do it but it either goes fierce or turns into a hot mess. I don't tend to do winged eyeliner that often on a day to day basis because it takes some time to make it right for my eye shape which is probably why I find it difficult sometimes. 

What is your biggest pet peeve when it comes to beauty?

My biggest pet peeve when it comes to beauty as a whole is when people ask why you're wearing so much makeup. If you want to do a full face of makeup just to take a ten minute walk to the shop to buy yourself some chocolate then no one should question it. If you're on holiday and you want to wear makeup on the beach, then you do it! It's all about being comfortable and confident and for me I can go to college in no makeup and I can go in a full face and feel fine both ways. There's nothing okay with questioning someone why or why not they're wearing makeup. 

What is your favourite makeup era?

Being slightly biased I would say that now is my favourite makeup era, I love looking back on the different eras and how they've changed over the years to create what is todays era. In this era we have so many new products readily available to us and different ways of doing makeup. 5 years ago contour kits and highlighters weren't as popular as they are now, I don't even think liquid lipsticks were even heard of! When there is a new trend, brands just jump on the bandwagon so quickly and I think it's a good thing to have different brands creating the same product but in their own way. 

What is your guilty pleasure product?

My guilty pleasure product is my Dior Addict Collagen Activ Lip Maximiser. For a lipgloss £23.50 can be a bit steep, but I'm not even phased because this is my favourite lipgloss ever and I think it's worth every single penny.

What is your underdog product?

My underdog product is the Maybelline Eraser Eye concealer. For a drug store concealer, this one delivers. It's a full coverage concealer but its not sticky, cakey or heavy which can be difficult to find especially when you're using the concealer under your eyes the last thing you want it to look is cakey.

What is your favourite makeup product of 2015?

This question confused me slightly as it's 2016 now and I didn't know whether this question was for 2015 or it hadn't been updated but I'll answer it anyways. My favourite product of 2015 was my Nars Bronzer in the shade Laguna. I purchased this in summer last year and I loved how it was warmer than the bronzer I was using before hand, it's still one of my favourite bronzers today.

Lazy Day Makeup

We all have those days when we're feeling super lazy but we've got one or two errands to run, or those days where you want to watch Netflix all day but you need to nip to the shop for Kinder chocolate (yes this was me half an hour ago). And although I love to go out on a day to day basis with a full face of makeup, on lazy days I just can't be bothered but I'm just not one for going out with no makeup on so I've got my quick as a flash makeup routine for those days when I'm feeling lazy!

I start off with Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation. Now I'm not one for drugstore foundations because I always find that the colours are too pink and they're just not long wearing or full coverage enough for me but I'd heard good things about this particular foundation and I thought I'd give it a try and oh what a lovely foundation it is! It's medium coverage and has a dewy finish and smells amazing I use the shade 53 and it matches my skin colour perfectly! However, I find that this foundation only lasts about 4 hours on my skin before it starts to slip and slide off my face and it makes me so sad because I really do love this foundation! I set the foundation with a quick dusting of Bare Minerals Mineral Veil Translucent Powder just to make sure my foundation stays put. 

As they say "a good face starts with a strong brow" and there is no other eyebrow product that can compare to my beloved Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Pomade wow wow wow! I can't rave about this product enough, I've had mine since December and I still haven't used it all up yet! This stuff is bulletproof and no matter how lazy I am feeling I will always save a bit of time for my brows. 

I keep my eye makeup simple by just sweeping a cream shadow over my lid with my finger and most of the time I tend to reach for my Benefit Creaseless Cream Shadow I love the shade Birthday Suit (cheeky) it's kind of a similar shade to the Maybelline Colour Tattoo shade On and On Bronze but it's a bit more cool toned. Cream shadows are great for lazy makeup days because they require minimal effort and blend out really easily. I pair this with a few coats of mascara, todays choice was Benefit Rollerlash just to finish off the eyes. Rather than using a lipstick I reach for a tinted lipbalm for a little bit of colour but nothing that requires any effort, I love Benefit Cha Cha Balm it's really moisturising and has a beautiful colour too! 

Let me know what your favourite makeup products are for your lazy days! See you soon!

Rebecca x

Skincare Routine

We all love to think we've had a skincare routine for years, but for me I'd say that until a year and a half ago my skincare routine was rather part time! But now I can't even think about beginning my day or going to sleep without my rituals.

My morning skincare routine is slightly different to my night one, only because I prefer a richer moisturiser for my face whilst I sleep.

 I start my morning by using the Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, I purchased this about 3 months ago so it is fairly new to my skincare routine but since using it twice daily I have noticed a big improvement in the condition of my skin! The smell is fresh and clean so it's great for waking you up in the morning (yes, even on Mondays!) and because it is a cream cleanser my skin feels well moisturised afterwards as well!

After cleansing I always reach for my Clinique Clarifying Lotion (I use number 2 for dry/combination skin). I found out about this product a few years ago by sneaking it off my mum and I've been in love with it ever since! It really does take away all the dirt and cleanser residue off my face and I never feel like my skin is properly clean until I've used it (honestly you'd be surprised what this product gets out of your skin when you think it's clean! Gross - but trust me on this one).

When my skin is squeaky clean I use Benefit 'It's Potent' Eye Cream. I never really thought that using an eye cream would make a difference however a year ago I realised that with all the eyeshadow brushes I shove into my sockets maybe I should give the skin around my eyes a little TLC too! This eye cream has cocoa butter in it so it's super moisturising however the best thing about it is that the product absorbs quickly into the skin - perfect for someone like me who likes to get their face on and attack the day with full force! By the time I come round to putting my makeup on the eyecream has soaked into my skin and doesn't interfere with the way my makeup sets around my eyes, love it!

 I then use my Lush Skin Drink moisturiser (I used to use Skin's Shangri La which was beautiful but a little too rich for under my makeup) I love how Lush products are made from fresh ingredients - it makes me feel so much better knowing that what I'm using on my skin is made from natural products! 

So that pretty much concludes my morning skincare routine so I'll move on to my nightime routine...

My nightime skincare routine isn't that much different to my morning routine, the only difference being is that instead of using my Skindrink moisturiser I use Bio-oil instead. So after I've taken my makeup off with the Liz Earle Cleanse&Polish I use Bio-oil on my skin before I sleep because it's richer than a cream so when I wake up in the morning my skin feels so silky and I know that the oil has been working it's magic whilst I've been catching my Z's. Since using Bio-oil I've noticed that my skintone has become a lot more even and although I don't use Bio-oil for scarring or stretch marks which is its primary purpose, I LOVE it for moisturising my face at night! 

Those are the products I use on my face every single day. However, two or three times a week I do like to use an exfoliator to get rid of any dead skin cells to keep my skin in tip-top shape! My favourite exfoliator currently is the Clinique 7 Day Scrub Cream which is heavenly! Also, if my skin is having a bit of a bad day and needs a little pick me up I always reach for a face mask! I've been loving the Quick Fix Facial Purifying Charcoal Mask recently! I usually just apply it to my T-zone as this is my problem area and leave it to set before washing it off. 

SO! That finally concludes my skincare routine, I'll be sure to update you if I stumble upon any miracle products! Let me know in the comments what your favourite skincare products are! See you soon!

Rebecca x