Natural Make Up

Hello!
As promised, this post is about a natural (ish) make up look that I've been wearing almost everyday. As usual there are some pretty hideous close ups but I'm still including them to show you my step by step application.

Step 1:
After cleansing , toning and moisturising I apply Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser all over my face with my fingers. I don't need a face primer as my face cream works so well with this.

Step 2:
I dot Nars Creamy Concealer under my eyes and Dior Star Concealer on my (many) blemishes. Again, I use my fingers to blend. I do also love using foundation brushes but I find blending with fingers helps the skin to appear more natural.

Step 3:
I fix the base using a dusting of Chanel's Les Beiges powder, focusing specifically on my oily t-zone. I also use a fluffy eyeshadow brush to put a dusting of the powder on my eyelids.

Step 4:
I add a bit of bronzer, applying Chanel's Universal bronzer to the hollows of my cheeks, forehead and temples.

Step 5:
I lightly fill in my eyebrows using a Soap and Glory Archery brow pencil and set them L'oreal Brow Artist. I also use a fluffy eye shadow brush to apply a little highlighter on the brow bones.

Step 6:
I use Dior waterproof eyeliner pencil in black to line my upper inner lid only (this feels a little strange at first but works well to thicken the lashes).

Step 7:
I curl both sets of eyelashes and use quite a lot of Benefit Roller Lash Mascara to thicken my upper and lower eyelashes. I love this mascara!

Step 8:
I apply a small amount of Dior eyeliner on my lower waterline. I don't always do this but have found that some of the eyeliner from the upper lid will transfer to the waterline anyway so I might as well make it look deliberate! An alternative is to use a nude eyeliner but I just can't make this work for me at the moment!

Step 9:
I apply Bobbi Brown blusher in pink to the apples of my cheeks using a Real Techniques blush brush.

Step 10:
I then use my finger to apply No7 highlighter stick to my cheekbones. I just dab my finger in and pat it on. I've found that this gives the most natural look.

Step 11:
Finally I shove something on my lips depending on my mood. Sometimes it's just a lip balm, or one of my Benefit lip glosses or my Estee' Lauder Doublewear lip pencil in pink (I bought this after seeing my friend wear it on her wedding day, beautiful!)

And there you have it! I know some of you are thinking there's a lot of make up going on here but I promise it does look natural, just a polished natural!

Thanks for reading
Becky xx

Make up haul!

Over the past couple of months or so ( I think its been roughly that long since my last post...) I've been picking up bits and bobs to make my skin look better and also to add to my make up bag.
I thought I'd give I run through of the products that I've bought along with a short review to let you know if it's worth spending your dosh!

I'm going to begin with skincare:

L'occitane Comforting Cream Light
I bought this cream after Clinique's 3 step system didn't really help me when I'd had a breakout. It is a very light yet moisturising cream and so far, so good. I can use it twice a day and my skin finally seems to be clearing up. Hurray! I think I've finally found a face cream that I will stick with.

Pixi Glow Tonic
I've been after this toner for ages but because you can only buy it online, I have been putting it off (I much prefer going to the shops to buy and try products). I was running out of my Clinique Step 2 which was beginning to sting my skin (there is a serious amount of alcohol in there!) So I finally went for it and I'm so glad I did. I use the tonic twice a day after cleansing and it feels nourishing but also cleansing. I like to use toners that actually feel like they're doing something and Pixi Glow definitely does, well worth the £18!

Soap and Glory Dr Spot 
It's no secret that I've been battling with some serious spots just lately. So I decided to buy a dab on product to help clear them up. I can proudly say that since using this and my other new skincare products, my forehead has completely cleared up. I have however, developed some new mountains on my cheek which seem to be taking longer to shift... I'm on the fence about this product, it might be totally psychological but I'm going to keep using it twice a day until I run out, or a miracle occurs and I wake up with no spots!

Now onto make up:

Benefit Roller Lash
It's early days in our relationship as I only bought this very  recently but I have been quite impressed so far. The wand is plastic - my favourite - and usually it takes a while for me to warm to a mascara but this I liked instantly. I still use my eyelash curlers and Dior Maximiser with this mascara but it did lift and lengthen my lashes amazingly well. Definitely worth a try.

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser
In addition to spotty skin, I have also been suffering with dry, flaky patches (probably because I have been squeezing a LOT) which has resulted in my usual foundation looking cakey and drawing attention to the gross bits. Because of this problem and as the weather is finally getting better, I decided it was time to try a lighter coverage to hopefully help my skin recover and keep it looking more natural. I tried this tinted mosituriser in Space NK after reading lots of reviews and also the Nars one. I'm glad I finally went for this one. It gives enough coverage to give your skin an improved natural look and even though it's oil free, it gives a dewy glow and doesn't dry my skin out. I love this so much, I think everyone needs to try it!

Nars  Creamy Concealer
This is a new concealer for the dark circles that no amount of sleep can get rid of. The assistant in Space NK chose quite a light shade for me which I was unsure of at first but it does seem to lighten up the area without looking unnatural. This concealer gives good coverage without being too thick of drying either. Well worth the investment.

Nars Lip Gloss in Priscilla
I love bright pink lips and own a Nars lipstick but wanted a more daytime friendly gloss that I could build up. This gloss is perfect, not too sticky, just the right amount of colour and I love, love, love it! I will definitely be wearing this day and night.

YSL Lip Oil
I bought this product impulsively and still haven't made up my mind. Its basically an oil- looks like a gloss when you first put it on- that stains your lips. So, when the oil wears off - which it does quite quickly- you're left with the stain. I thought this would be a nourishing product as I do suffer with dry lips but have found that is is quite drying. I also like a shine, so I am constantly reapplying. That said, I do like the colour but I think I'm more of a traditional gloss girl.

The final section is perfume:

L'Occitane Neroli and Orchidee
I fell in love with this scent when after purchasing my face cream, the assistant sprayed it on my bag. I was walking around the shops and this beautiful scent kept floating out from the bag. I went back to the shop and bought the gift set for £32 ( I'm such a sucker). I do still love this perfume but I am a tad disappointed. I should have known when it said Eau de toilette on the bottle because even when I layer the soap, body lotion and perfume, the scent doesn't linger for very long so I'm constantly having to reapply a regular problem with toilettes. I'm really sad about this because the scent is beautiful, I wouldn't even mind paying a bit more for a stronger version, eau de parfum maybe? Sort it out L'Occitane!

Lancome Miracle
I picked up the gift set for £28.14 reduced from £42,from House of Fraser the other day and in it you get a 30ml Eau de parfum, body lotion and shower gel. I really like the scent, its light, fresh and summery and even though it is quite light it lasts on my skin. I'm not madly in love with it but it's a good day time fragrance that was a bit of a bargain.

Oh dear, seeing this long list of purchases is a bit scary but I hope you found this post interesting and helpful in some way. I am planning on writing another post this weekend on a new natural make up look I've been using, so please come back to read it!

Thanks for reading
Becky xx