Summer make-up essentials ☀️

I feel as if I have lost my blog post mojo but I promise soon I'll be back in the swing of things! I've just finished my old job and am awaiting to start my new job Monday so I have a few days to sort things out again before a mad rush begins! Today is a gorgeous day but my plans for the day aren't commencing until late afternoon so I thought it was a perfect time to get a post done! 

I have found myself loving a certain few products so I thought I'd share with you what I seem to be regarding as my summer essentials! They are all products I use almost every day and I'm really enjoying them! 

First of all, I want to talk about this highlighter (top left). This is the Mary-Lou Manizer by The Balm Cosmetics. It is sooo gorgeous, it's a rich champagne colour with flecks of shimmer which give you the healthiest and prettiest glow! It's really radiant and contrasts well with bronzed skin! By far the best highlighter I've used and I know so many people will agree with me on that one!

A product I cannot live without is Soleil Tan De Chanel (bottom left). This is a bronzing make-up base and it definitely is a must have! When summertime approaches, girls face the struggle of their foundation not matching their tan - it's a dilemma! Instead of going to get colour matched for a new foundation, I decided to mix this in with my current foundation and it has given me the perfect shade for my skin!! It's also great to use on its own for bronzing and contouring. It definitely is a worthy investment! 

I feel like I have been alternating between these 2 lip colours the whole summer! 

During the day I prefer a nude lip shade and I've been steering towards Chanel's Brillant À Lèvres Lipshine in Malta (bottom right). Besides loving the name (I went on holiday last year to Malta and it was amazing), it's such a gorgeous colour, a deep nude with a tiny shimmer to it! However, in the summer I do feel lipsticks dry my lips out so I like to wear glosses more! The one I'm loving is Charlotte Tilbury's Lip Lustre Luxe Colour in Sweet Stiletto (top right) as it's a flattering pink shade which isn't too garish! The consistency is lovely too as it isn't sticky and its long lasting! 

Last but not least is MAC's Prep + Prime Fix+ (centre). This is the most handy product ever! I use it before my make-up to help my primer and then after my make-up to set it in place! Sometimes throughout the day I like to spritz it all over my face to freshen my skin which is a great pick me up! I also find that my brushes hold so much more product when I've sprayed some of this onto it! This definitely is one of those holy grail products that you wont be able to live without! 

So now you know what my summer essentials are beauty wise... What are you loving this summer? 

Katie x

Duty free holiday haul ✈️

Last week, I came back from my summer holiday (alas the lack of posts, I've been super busy!) to Marbella, Spain! It was such a lovely time spent with two of my friends, so relaxing and fun!! As many of you will probably agree with me, it is so hard to go to the airport and not visit the duty free section! I already had a few things in mind I wanted to purchase make-up wise but I definitely ended up having a little splurge! So of course, I knew I had to share with you what I got!! 

Duty free is a great way to try high end beauty brands as you do get a much better deal and save yourself some money! 

I purchased the following - 

MAC Mineralize Blush - Love Thing 

OPI Nail Lacquer - Nomads Dream

Clinique Chubby Stick Sculpting Contour - 01 Curvy Contour 

Chanel Ombres A Paupieres Eyeshadow - 95 Mirage 

MAC Prep + Prime Higlighter - Bright Forecast 

MAC Lip Pencil in Subculture 

I haven't been using the products long enough to give a detailed review but I can tell you that I love them all so much!! 

Hope you're all having a great Summer! 

Katie x

My holiday make-up picks!

I can't believe July is here already and in a few days time I'll be on my way to Marbella!! I'm so excited, time away is long overdue and I can't wait to soak up the sun and sip on cocktails! 

I thought I'd just share with you briefly the make-up I have decided to take with me! These bits and pieces are my trustworthy can't-live-without products that I know will not disappoint me on holiday! I'm not going to go into detail with each product as they're all ones you've seen time and time again in many other posts! 

To start with, here are my base products: 

~ Benefit Erase Paste in Fair

~ Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay in Place make-up in Desert Beige 

~ Chanel Soleil de Tan bronzing make-up base (I mix this with my foundation to make it darker, perfect for when I tan). 

~ Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in Cool Medium

~ MAC Mineralise loose powder in Light Plus 

~ Bourjois Delice De Poudre bronzing powder 

~ MAC Sheertone Shimmer blush in Sunbasque 

~ NARS blush/bronzer duo in Orgasm/Laguna

~ The Balm Mary-Lou Manizer highlighter

Next are my eye products:

 

~ Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick eye shadow palette in Raw Sugar 

~ NARS Soft Touch Shadow Pencil in Hollywoodland 

~ Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon shadow pencil in Amber Haze 

~ Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise cream eyeshadow in Bette 

~ Chanel Sublime de Chanel mascara 

~ MAC Zoom Waterfast Lash waterproof mascara 

~ Rimmel Scandaleyes waterproof kohl pencil in Nude 

~ Soap & Glory Archery brow pencil 

~ Maybelline Brow Drama sculpting brow gel 

And lastly, lips! 

~ Chanel Rouge Allure in Coromandel

~ Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet in Olé Flamingo!

~ Maybelline Super Stay 14hr lipstick in Stay With Me Coral 

~ Charlotte Tilbury lipgloss in Sweet Stiletto 

~ MAC Velvet Teddy 

~ MAC See Sheer 

Brushes: 

I didn't want to go overboard with brushes as they're bulky and take up a lot of room so I picked the ones I knew I couldn't apply my make-up without! 

~ MAC 214 

~ Real Techniques base shadow brush 

~ Real Techniques angled shadow brush 

~ Real Techniques duo fibre eye brush 

~ MAC 219 

~ Real Techniques setting brush 

~ Real Techniques Bold Metals 100 

~ Real Techniques powder brush 

~ Real Techniques blush brush 

~ Real Techniques cheek brush 

~ Real Techniques duo fibre face brush 

Are you going on a summer holiday? What make-up are you taking with you? 

See you after my holiday!! ☀️✌🏼️

Revolution make-up review

Revolution Make-up is a brand I've frequently seen on blogs, Instagram photos and YouTube videos but not one I've felt compelled to try. I was aware it was a drugstore brand but I didn't realise how cheap it was! Whilst browsing in Superdrug, their stand caught my eye and what really captured my attention was that they had a bunch of different eyeshadow palettes for £4! Great looking palettes at that! I purchased that there and then and a few days later went back to try out their blushers and bronzers. For the price, I would highly recommend these products. They are really pigmented with a great pay off and are easy to apply. Their products also resemble a lot of high-end cult classic products which is great you're on a budget and want to recreate a particular look you've seen. 

~ Iconic Nude 3 eyeshadow palette (top)

~ Dupe of - Urban Decay Naked 3 palette (bottom)

If you're just starting out with make-up and want to experiment, I'd really suggest you add this palette (along with Iconic Nude 1 & 2) to your collection. These are replicas of the Urban Decay Naked palettes and they are equally as good. The colours in this palette range from light pink hues to soft bronzey browns and some more darker plum toned shades. The versatility of the shades are great and this palette could create plenty of different eye make-up looks. This palette does come with a foam applicator though which is annoying as they aren't the greatest to apply eyeshadow with. Definitely £4 well spent though in my opinion! 

~ Ultra Blush palette (top)

~ Dupe of - Hourglass Ambient Lighting blushes (bottom)

What attracted me to this product is the fact that it's a palette. I only own singular blushes and have accumulated many favourites. Soon I'm going on holiday and now there is a possiblity that I only need to pack this as it contains 8 gorgeous blush shades. Again, the pigmentation is great and they're super flattering on the skin. The powder itself also isn't too heavy or cakey! Along with this one, there are 2 more colour schemes available which consists of different shades of pinks and reds. I wish they done a more orange/peach toned though as they would be perfect for me! 

~ Vivid Baked Bronzer (top)

~ Dupe of - MAC Mineralise Skinfinish (bottom)

This product is a look alike for a MAC Mineralise Skinfinish but instead of being a highlighter, it is a bronzer! I love that this is a baked bronzer as it makes application that bit easier and smoother! The colour of this is gorgeous - a dark bronze colour with a lighter champagne shade running through it which helps to luminate the skin. I first had a disaster with this as I didn't realise how dark it actually was! Once applied with a light hand, it does give a natural, super sun kissed glow to your skin. 

Have you tried Revolution before?

Katie x 

Highlighting heroes ✨

Excuse the mega cringeworthy post name, it was the first thing that popped into my head and I really wanted to share with you my favourite highlighters. 

Contouring and highlighting has definitely become more of a craze now especially with celebrities like Kim Kardashian channeling it as her every day look! Contouring does look very good and natural when applied correctly but I personally cannot bare the thought of having all that make-up on my face! I definitely steer more towards highlighting - it's light, natural and healthy looking making you appear more radiant as opposed to cakey looking. 

When highlighting, you want to focus on the areas which naturally reflect the light. The most flattering places are the tops of your cheekbones, your brow bone, forehead, the bridge of your nose and your Cupid's bow. Here's a picture I found online which shows your where to highlight and why.

(There is also loads of pictures of where to contour if anyone needs any help)! 

Anyway, time for me to stop rambling! Here are my 4 favourite highlighters 😊

MAC Mineralise Skinfinish in Soft & Gentle 

MAC mineralise skinfinishes are to die for and every girl needs at least one in their make-up collection! The shade I love is Soft & Gentle which is a beautiful champagne pink with gold flecks within it. When the light catches it, it gives you the prettiest glisten to your skin which is super flattering! The light, powder consistency makes it so easy to apply and doesn't look too built up on your skin! 

Benefit Watt's Up! 

This is a really similar colour to Soft & Gentle but it is in a cream form. It's really silky and smooth which makes application great! I personally love to use this highlighter on my brow bone and Cupid's bow and it really does finish your make-up off perfectly! I also adore the look of this product - Benefit always do the cutest and coolest packaging!! 

The Balm Cosmetics Mary-Lou Manizer 

Similarly to Benefit, The Balm create the best names and packaging for their products! So witty! I've wanted this highlighter for so long so when I finally purchased it a few weeks back, I was very excited to try it! The powder itself really doesn't look like anything special but once it's on, oh my god, it looks amazing! I'd describe its colouring as a vanilla gold and it's just so pretty! I like to apply this with a fan brush onto my cheek bones and it really brightens up my face. You do have to be careful not to apply too much though as it can make you look a bit too shimmery! 

Sleek Makeup Precious Metals Highlighting Palette 

For a drugstore product, this highlighting palette is an absolute steal! You get 3 cream and 1 powder highlighters consisting of different shades which are all great for different parts of your face. The shades are Platinum, Royal Gold, Renaissance Gold and Antique Bronze. They all apply really well and leave a lovely looking finish to your skin. This was the first highlighting product I brought and I would definitely recommend it for first timers. At only £9.99 it's great to experiment with and also lets you get to decide what shade and finish you prefer (cream or powder). I really do rate Sleek Makeup!! 

I hope you enjoyed today's post! What highlighters do you recommend? 

Katie x

Charlotte Tilbury haul 🎥

Charlotte Tilbury is a brand that I've always been interested in but had never got round to trying. I follow the Charlotte Tilbury account on Instagram and I adore the way her products capture classic timeless beauty with inspiration from icons such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Bette Davis, Grace Kelly and Audrey Hepburn. This week, I had a clear out of my make up and threw away some old products and the tiny bit of extra space in my dressing table drawers had to be filled up ASAP!! I treated myself to 5 products and was enchanted by them straight away! The packaging itself was enough to make me fall in love but the products really are amazing.

The products I purchased were: 

Full Fat Lashes 5 Star mascara in Glossy Black

This really is everything you need in one mascara! Just like it says on the packaging, it curls and separates your lashes and adds volume, length and drama. It is lovely for daytime wear but it is so easy to build it up to create a more intense look. With this mascara, I will not ever need false lashes! 

Eyes To Mesmerise Long Lasting Easy Colour eyeshadow cream pot in Bette

Recently I have been loving cream eyeshadows as opposed to powder ones but I haven't found one as creamy and silky as this! It sweeps across your eyelid so effortlessly with rich, intense colour. The shade is a burnt Amber gold and I feel it compliments my brown eye colour so well. It's so easy to create a quick, gorgeous eye look with this product - just apply it all over the lid and blend it out. 

So gorgeous. 

Colour Chameleon Colour Morphing eye shadow crayon in Amber Haze

As well as creams, I love crayons as they are also easy to apply with great pigmentation. These colour morphing crayons are specifically designed to bring out the best beauty in your eye colour and there are several different shades for brown, hazel, blue and green eyes. The one I went for was the night time version for brown eyes. Again, it's a similar Amber gold toned shade but mixed with a deep brown. 

Lip Cheat lip liner in Iconic Nude

I love lining my lips before applying lipstick and when I read the description of this, I knew I had to have it. On the packaging it tells you the best technique to use this product in order for it to appear to reshape and resize your lips. The shade I got is a classic nude which is perfect to use with any lipstick. 

Lip Lustre Luxe Colour Lasting lip lacquer in Sweet Stiletto

When the weather warms up, I tend to turn away from lipsticks and draw more towards lip glosses. This one is a perfect pretty pinky nude which looks great alone as well as paired with a lipstick too. It isn't sticky and it keeps your lips feeling moisturised whilst staying glossy. There are so many more gorgeous shades and I know I'll be purchasing more! 

Last night, I went out and along with other products, I used all of these Charlotte Tilbury products so I thought I'd share with you the outcome (excuse the classic moody pout)!

I'm 100% chuffed to bits with all of these products and I couldn't recommend them enough! Worth the splurge! 

Katie x

May favourites 🌸

May is my favourite month of the year - it's my birthday month!! I've had such an enjoyable couple of weeks and I thought I'd show you some of the make-up products I've especially been loving! 

Benefit Watt's Up / Bourjois bronzing powder and highlighter

I have wanted this Benefit highlighter for ages, so many people rave about it and I knew I needed it in my collection! It's such a gorgeous creamy shimmery toned  highlighter which is so easy to apply! On the other end, there is a foam applicator which can be used to blend it in although I prefer to do that with a brush. However as much as I do enjoy it, I think I prefer powder highlighters better as creams and liquids feel a bit thick on my face. I do really love this product though and once again, Benefit hasn't disappointed me!

 

Now speaking of powder highlighters, I picked up the new Bourjois bronzer and highlighter duo. This is such an amazing hybrid product and I'm so glad they've brought it out as their bronzers are my favourite! The bronzer itself is the same one as their classic bronzing powder and it's a gorgeous yet subtle chocolate colour (it also smells like chocolate too)!! The highlighter is quite light as opposed to a bronze tone but looks so pretty and flattering on the skin! 

Chanel Brilliant A Levres Lipshine in Malta / Kate Moss Rimmel lipstick in 32

There's 2 lipstick shades I've been loving lately and that's nude and peachy pinks!

Chanel's Malta is a beautiful dark nude with a slight shimmer to it - it's perfect for everyday wear and compliments any make up look! 

The Kate Moss lipstick is a bit less wearable as it is quite a neon looking peachy pink! With bronzed skin this looks so pretty and is the perfect holiday lipstick! I've never tried a Kate Moss for Rimmel lipstick before but I am really impressed with this! 

Soap & Glory Archery in Hot Chocolate / Rimmel Scandaleyes eye liner in Nude 

When it comes to eyebrows, I don't really put much effort in, I'm pretty basic! I really love the look of Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Wiz but I didn't want to purchase it until I knew I was comfortable with using a crayon/pencil on my brows. Soap and Glory do an amazing dupe of Brow Wiz and it's sooo good. I love the fact there is a pencil and brush, it makes application just that bit easier! Once I've finished with this Soap and Glory one I'm definitely going to treat myself to the Anastasia Beverly Hills one. 

I've never thought to try a nude eyeliner but seeing Barbara (ThePersianBabe on YouTube) using this made me so curious! This eyeliner is a holy grail product! You apply it to your waterline and it instantly opens up your eyes! The nude colour compliments so many different eye shadow shades and looks so natural. This has changed eye make-up for me!

Soap & Glory Smoothie Star The Breakfast Scrub exfoliater / Sugar Crush body wash / Orangeasm exfoliater body polish

Soap & Glory skin products are some of my absolute favourites and I had completely ran out so I stocked up on more whilst Boots had a 3 for 2 offer on. Now the summer weather is here, I am exfoliating like crazy to prepare my body for a tan!! I've really been enjoying both the Breakfast Scrub and Orangeasm exfoliaters. They both smell soooo good - Breakfast Scrub is more sickly sweet whereas Orangeasm is more fresh and zesty - the smell lingers on your skin for ages! After exfoliating, your body feels really smooth and nourished. I've gone back to an old favourite S&G body wash of mine and that's Sugar Crush, it smells like a yummy yoghurt and is so moisturising, such a great product! 

Real Techniques Bold Metals powder brush - 100 

Lastly, I have really enjoyed using the number 100 brush from Real Techniques Bold Metals collection. I've been debating whether to purchase these brushes for a while as I already have so many other brushes but I caved in and brought it. At £22 it is more in line with the prices of MAC brushes but i personally find these better! This is meant to be a powder brush but I've been using this to apply my foundation and it's amazing. It's so soft yet dense and really buffs foundation into my skin making sure it's all blended together well. I can definitely see myself buying the other brushes in this collection! 

What have you been loving this month?!

Katie 😊 x