Face of the Day with L'oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss in Sin for Peach

This has been one of my go to makeup looks all month long. Its quite a 'girly' makeup look for me as its quite pink but I actually love this look. There's a lot of added radiance in here as well because trust me I need it right now!

Face

Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji

Concealer

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

My first weapon against dull and tired Winter skin! This brightens up my face but doesn't look artificial.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium

Because using a highlighter on your spots isn't the best idea!

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzer in 00 Makeup Artist

I like to use a bronzer in the Winter not only to add warmth to my face but to also give it dimension. 

Blush

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

I love this soft pink colour against pale skin, plus it has a tiny bit of shimmer in it which helps add to the overall glow of this makeup!

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight

Now, this is where 99.9% of that natural glow is coming from. Honestly the best highlighter I have found, well worth the money.

Powder

Ben Nye Luxury Banana Powder

Like Light Boost, this is yellow toned so brightens dull, sallow skin....just what I need right now!

Eyes

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Eyeshadow Primer

Benefit Stay Don't Stray

Eyeshadow

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush

Featured in my January favourites, which I posted yesterday. This is one of those one wash colours, where you can use it all over your lid and don't need to worry about using a separate colour in the crease.

Mascara 

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara

Very sad to say this mascara has now come to the end of its life. I probably won't repurchase it again any time soon, as I'm pretty fickle when it comes to mascara but it was good while it lasted.

Lips

Lip colour

L'oreal Glam Shine Balmy Gloss in Sin for Peach

I spied this in Boots and thought it was a very 'me' colour. I love this natural, rose shade and these Balmy Glosses feel lovely on the lips. I still will always prefer a lipstick over these new wave of lipstick crayons but the formula's have really impressed me.

January Favourites

I've only got a few favourites this month, mainly because I have been using pretty much the same products all month long. I'm happy with my condensed selection though, these are all amazing beauty products.

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

A long term favourite of mine, I use this highlighter under my eyes, in the middle of my forehead and down the centre of my nose. I love that its yellow toned rather than pink toned, as it really does brighten up sallow looking skin. I think I'm on my second one of these, so you know its good if I repurchased it!

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm

Another long time favourite, to say I'm obsessed with this lip balm would be an understatement! Its the prettiest rosy pink colour and it sorts my dry lips out a treat. This is my second pot and I have another pot somewhere else which is almost finished, so technically its my third! This has also been in both my 2012 and 2013 beauty favourites, I will never be without it.

L'oreal Infallible Eyeshadow in Amber Rush

Like some of the best things in this world, you can only buy this particular shade of eyeshadow in America :'( The Infallible eyeshadows are available in the UK, we just don't have a particularly great shade range. I bought this in Chicago in September and I'm so happy I got it. These shadows are really metallic so they give this beautiful sheen to the lids, plus this colour looks beautiful with blue or green eyes. If you are going to America anytime soon put this on your wish list!

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadow in Camel

The newest addition to my Bobbi Brown eyeshadow family and quickly becoming the favourite. Don't be put off by the fact its the same colour as the end of cigarette! This looks amazing if you just use a matte cream colour all over your lid and run this through the crease, a tiny bit of winged eyeliner and you're done!

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

I'm sorry to put another American product in my favourites but I did actually buy this from Amazon, although its a lot more expensive on there! I love my Happy Booster blush in Warm but I think I actually prefer the Natural. Its pinker than I expected but it just looks (as the name suggests) very natural once applied. Every time I look at those little tacky hearts it makes me smile!

Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray

Behind Moroccanoil this is my favourite hair discovery ever, just a shame its also ridiculously expensive! I spray this in my hair when its about 80/90% dry and leave it to air dry. It leaves me with natural, beachy waves but with no stickiness at all. Love it.

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji

My latest and greatest foundation. I feel like I have spoken about this foundation a lot this month, so I wont repeat myself now but i just love how this makes my skin look!

Topshop Gloss Ink in Sugar Rush

If you haven't tried anything from Topshop's makeup line then I have some recommendations for you.  My favourite products by far are their nail polishes, amazing quality and such a good range of colours, my personal favourite is Celestial. I also love their lip products and have tried their Velvet Lips (loved Velveteen Ribbon) and I know Liv Tyler is a big fan of their lipstick in Rio Rio.

Next on my list to try was their Gloss Ink. These are designed to give you the shine of a gloss but with the lasting power of a lip stain. 

There are only a few shades available and I went for the lightest, Sugar Rush.

Sugar Rush is a peachy pink, I like that it doesn't translate as bright on the lips as it looks in the tube.

I was pleasantly impressed with this, it feels nice, a bit sticky but not unbearable and it did last longer than a traditional lip gloss. I imagine if you got one of the darker shades the stain would be more noticeable. A nice addition to my handbag, although not at all needed!

Available from Topshop £8.00

New Hair Care Purchases

I picked up a few new hair products recently which I am very excited to try. 

When it comes to my hair I tend to keep things very simple but having long, straight hair gets kind of boring after a while, so I wanted to play around with some new products.

Bumble and Bumble Surf Foam Wash Shampoo and Creme Rinse Conditioner

These are a repurchase so I already know I love them. I had put off buying these again as they are very pricey but now I am very happy to have them back in my life! These promise "buoyant body and soft seabreezy texture" and you know what, they completely live up to that promise. Love, love, love.

Redken Wool Shake 08

This is described as a "gel-slush texturizer" (doesn't sound overly appealing, I know!)

When sprayed in your hair this is designed to give extreme volume, texture and a semi matte top coat. I haven't used this yet but I'm hoping it will work really well with my Messy Waves.

Oribe Dry Texturizing Spray

I tried this before and wasn't overly fussed, although I did like using it kind of like a dry shampoo, as its invisible. I thought I would give it one last try and of course I only bought the mini bottle due to the ridiculous price tag!

Living Proof Full Discovery Kit

I love my Living Proof Prime Style Extender and have been wanting to explore more of their line ever since. I have had my eye on the Full Discovery kit for a while, it comes with a shampoo and conditioner, Full Thickening Cream and Full Root Lifting Spray, all in mini size. 

I really want to try their Perfect Hair Day 5 in 1 Styling Treatment but I don't think its available in the UK yet. To be honest since discovering that Jennifer Aniston is the co-owner of Living Proof I want to try everything!

I will report back with my views once I've had a chance to try some of these!

Face of the Day with Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 210 Unapologetic

I have been sitting here debating whether to put a 'u' in Colorburst, it just doesn't look right but as Revlon went to the trouble of trade marking it, Colorburst it is!

As much as I love a matte lip, I wasn't overly excited about these new Revlon balms. Sometimes I get caught up in the beauty hype, other times I get a bit tired of it all but when I was in Boots I swatched this colour on my hand and it was so beautiful I caved!

I chose the shade "Unapologetic"which is a bright pinky red colour, out of all the shades this is the only one that really stood out to me. I just love the colour and its cool to see bright, matte shades like this available on the highstreet.

The balms are matte but don't feel overly drying and have a pleasant minty scent. I would wholeheartedly recommend trying this shade.

Face

Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow in Fiji

I have been loving this foundation, full review here

Concealer

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

Perfect for brightening under the eyes and the centre of your face.

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer

Whilst i love my MAC Highlighter, its no good for blemishes. Lasting Perfection is one of the best concealers for redness and spot cover ups!

Bronzer

Givenchy Terracotta Moisturising Bronzer in 00 Makeup Artist

Adds just the right amount of warmth to my face without being orange.

Powder

Ben Nye Luxury Loose Powder in Banana

I will have a full review of this powder on the blog this week so will save my thoughts for then!

Highlighter

Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder in Candelight

Simply the best natural looking highlight, I would seriously struggle to use any other highlighter now.

Eyes

Eyeshadow

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadows in Bone and Camel

I have got a lot of use out of my Bobbi Brown palette this month. For this look I used the lightest colour, Bone all over my lid and then used the darkest colour, Camel through my crease. 

Eyeliner

Stila Stay All Day Waterproof Liquid Eyeliner in Intense Black

This eyeliner is amazing for creating a really subtle flick, which is a look I have been loving lately, plus it doesn't budge!

Mascara

MAC Extended Play Lash Mascara

I didn't want loads of volume from my mascara for this look, as its all about the lips so I went for MAC's Extended Play, as its a great lengthening mascara.

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

My favourite product for filling in my brows

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Another favourite. I love this gel as when you brush your brows up and use this it actually keeps them in place, all day.

Lips

Lip colour

Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in 210 Unapologetic

So, I really did not need another lip product but I'm glad I got this #sorrynotsorry (get it?!)

Face of the Day with Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm

This is one of my go to makeup looks, foolproof products which leave you looking a lot more fresh and awake but still look natural.

Face

Foundation

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation in Fiji

My new love, full review here

Concealer

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium

This has quickly become my favourite concealer, giving my beloved Laura Mercer Secret Camouflage a run for its money. This gives superb coverage but doesn't look or feel cakey or heavy, plus it costs less than a fiver!

MAC Prep & Prime Highlighter in Light Boost

As much as I love the Collection concealer, for me I prefer something more highlighting under my eyes, to give me added brightness. This is great because its yellow toned and makes you look a lot more radiant then you actually are. I apply this in the middle of my forehead, down the centre of my nose and under my eyes. One of my favourite products.

Bronzer

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in 00 Makeup Artist

A bronzer is essential for me, even in Winter. This bronzer by Guerlain adds just the right amount of dimension and warmth to my face.

Blush

Physicians Formula Happy Booster Glow and Mood Boosting Blush in Natural

I have made no secret of how much I love my Happy Booster blush in Warm and I may or may not have purchased a new shade, Natural from Amazon. I have not stopped wearing this blush since getting it. It gives me the most beautiful, natural, pink flush. Dare I say I even prefer it to the Warm version?!

Eyes

Eyebrows

Hourglass Arch Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

The best.

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Also the best.

Eyeshadow Primer

Benefit Stay Don't Stray

This is a very good eyeshadow primer, evens out the colour of my lids and makes my shadow last all day but I wouldn't recommend it as its overpriced and the pump packaging means you waste a lot of product.

Eyeshadow

Bobbi Brown Eyeshadows in Bone, Toast and Camel

I love me some Bobbi Brown shadows and I have created the perfect warm trio for myself with this palette. Camel reminds me of a cigarette (ugh) but its the perfect brown colour to bring out blue eyes!

Eyeliner

MAC Fluidline in Dipdown

Its not very often I have an eyeliner to include in my Face of the Day posts but I have been loving my subtle eyeliner at the moment and this brown colour keeps things looking natural.

Mascara

Lancome Hypnose Star Mascara

I may have bought this purely for the packaging but I have used it for a fair few months now and can say it is actually a very good mascara. Very black and gives lots of volume and drama.

Lips

Lip balm

Givenchy Hydra Sparkling Magic Lip and Cheek Balm

Lastly I used my absolute favourite Givenchy lip balm. This is perfect for me because 

a) it keeps my lips moisturised 

b) it gives me the perfect pink colour 

c) the pink colour stays as a stain on your lips after the balm has worn off, so my lips stay pink all day! 

This is my second pot of this stuff and I can tell I will soon be on my third!

Now that seems like a hell of a lot of products for a "natural" makeup look!

Taking It All Off

There are just some days where removing your makeup at the end of a long day is the best feeling in the world. In my teenage years and early twenties I was all about the makeup wipes and I very rarely bothered to take my makeup off at night. Now I'm a bit older, a bit wiser (sadly that doesn't apply to important life situations!) and I couldn't even tell you the last time I slept in my makeup. I am religious about it now, even after a night out I have to cleanse my face. No more sleeping in false eye lashes for me!

Skincare is very personal, I am not a skincare expert by any means (actual beauty school drop out here) but these are the products I love to remove my makeup with and that work for me. I have typical combination skin, oily by the end of the day and I am prone to the odd breakout more often than not!

Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel and Muslin Cloth - Cleansing balms and muslin cloths were a revelation to me and are what got me off makeup wipes in the first place. They are so easy to use, apply the cleanser of your choice all over, then wet your muslin cloth with warm water and wipe over your whole face. I normally will repeat this twice as I wear makeup everyday. This is my favourite method of removing my makeup as its so quick and you don't need to use a separate makeup remover first, everything just comes off in one go, face makeup, mascara, the lot!

The Clarins Pure Melt Cleansing Gel is one of my favourites as it feels so luxurious on your skin, I also love Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish and Tesco's Pro Formula Radiance Hot Cloth Cleanser. All of these I use with a muslin cloth. 

Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover and Bioderma - If I'm not using a hot cloth cleanser and want to use my Clarisonic, I like to remove my makeup first with a cleanser. This stops your Clarisonic brush getting really dirty and ensures your face is properly clean.

Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover is the best I have found for removing waterproof mascara. For my face makeup, I love using micellar waters as they are quick and easy (can you see a trend?!) I just squirt some on a cotton pad and rub over my face, cant get much more simple than that. I am currently back to using Bioderma as my lovely Sister bought me back two bottles from Paris but L'oreal's Skin Perfection Micellar Water is just as good.

The Clarisonic Plus - My best friends bought me a Clarisonic for my birthday last year. The most simple way for me to describe a Clarisonic, is that its like a giant electric toothbrush for your face. I have always wanted to try one but I was a bit scared to spend that amount of money, so it was amazing to get it as a present. 

I have been using the Clarisonic now for about 3 months and if I'm honest I still don't feel ready to give it a full review. I can say that I love how clean it makes your skin feel and I do enjoy using it, but I don't feel I have noticed a dramatic difference in my skin yet. It feels a lot smoother and softer but in regards to breakouts I haven't noticed this having any effect yet. Having said that I don't use my Clarisonic every day, so maybe it will take longer for me to see a visible difference in my skin.

You can use any cleanser you like with a Clarisonic, although more watery cleansers work better. I am currently using one of the cleansers that came with my Clarisonic and Neal's Yard Rose Facial Wash. 

After cleansing I like to use a toner, I have two toners which both do different jobs. The Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner is a chemical exofilator, sounds scary but its not! I much prefer chemical exfoliators to traditional gritty scrubs as the chemical ones are stronger and you notice a real difference in your skin. I just spray some on a cotton pad and wipe (top tip - pour your toners into a spray bottle as you use so much less product!). If my skin is feeling drier I will use my Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Toner, which I love. This just leaves your skin feeling refreshed and clean.

Lastly I moisturise and since discovering beauty oils I haven't looked back. I love using a beauty oil as your skin feels so nourished and hydrated, I also notice that my skin looks so much better in the morning after using these. 

As I have combination skin, I only use beauty oils at night. I apply 2-3 drops all over my face and leave to sink in. I will be honest I don't moisturise my face again in the morning, I find I don't really need to as the oil is hydrating enough and I'm kind of picky about moisturisers. The only one I have found that I really love is the Kate Somerville Goat Milk which I have now used up and as its only available in America I'm just going to have to stick with my beauty oils.

I'm currently using the Josie Maran Argan Oil Light. I wasn't keen on it at first, as its a more greasy oil but I have been using it for a few weeks now and I'm enjoying it. You can buy Josie Maran in the UK from Net A Porter. 

My all time favourite beauty oil is Tarte's Maracuja Oil but I have done a post on my favourite beauty oils which you can read here.

Now I'm off to cleanse my face!

NARS Sheer Glow Foundation

I have a new favourite foundation, may I present to you NARS Sheer Glow.

Now, the name of this foundation is deceiving as its not sheer and its not overly glowy, but that is not a bad thing!

This is a medium coverage foundation, which leaves you with a pretty flawless finish. I would say it has a satin finish on the skin, its not at all dewy but its not a matte finish either, it just leaves you with a natural radiance. 

I have combination skin and this lasts the whole day on me, it doesn't break down but I do have some shine by the end of the day. 

Overall I love how this foundation looks on my skin and its one of the best foundations I have tried in a long time. The shade range is vast, so if you are thinking of purchasing this its probably best to try it 

in store, I have the colour Fiji which is a pretty good match for me. The other thing to note is that most of the shades have a yellow undertone as opposed to a pink undertone. Personally I like this as I find a yellow undertone more flattering but again I think you need to check the shades out in person.

The one downside with this foundation is the price, £30.50 for 30ml. 

If you can justify the price I highly recommend this.

Inside My Makeup Bag

For Christmas I got the most adorable makeup bag from my Mum and Dad. Its extra special to me as its New York themed, with little taxis, pretzels and 'hot doigs' all over it. I adore New York, I have visited 5 times and would love to live there.

As I have been showing you inside everyone else's makeup bag, I thought I would give you a peek into mine. The only makeup I really reapply during the day is lipstick/lip balm, so this is pretty much a bag of different lip products which grows throughout the week!

Oh and if you are interested the makeup bag is from Kate Spade, I'm not sure if you can get it online but I know my Mum bought it from the Kate Spade outlet at Bicester Village in Oxford. 

Chanel Les Beiges Healthy Glow Sheer Powder (Shade 20) - Not going to lie, I pretty much bought this for the packaging alone. I like to have a nice compact in my bag and you can't get much more beautiful than this.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Matte Lip Colour in True Pink - I do love a matte lip and this is a pretty matte pink colour.

NARS Sheer Lipstick in Dolce Vita - This is the lipstick Liv Tyler wore in the film Jersey Girl. The film is shockingly bad (JLo and Ben Affleck ahem) but this lipstick is a really pretty, very sheer red. Perfect for me.

EOS Organic Lip Balm in Summer Fruit - Because I am obsessed with EOS.

DIOR Creme De Rose Smoothing Plumping Lip Balm - Don't waste your money on this lip balm, its nothing special.

NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla - I'm still forming my opinion on this concealer. Its nice under the eyes and has a good brightening effect but I'm still not sure if I like it as a concealer for redness/blemishes. I will report back....

DIOR Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm in Original and Coral (limited edition) - Skip DIOR's Creme De Rose and get one of these instead. One of my absolute favourite lip balms, I got through a tube in less than 2 months I was that obsessed. I love these because they adapt with the temperature of your lips and  give you the perfect colour.

MAC Lipstick in RiRi Woo - I learnt the hard way to keep a red lipstick in my bag in case of emergencies. I was interning at a magazine and got invited, very last minute to a Pixi Lott Lipsy launch party. I had no makeup on me (FML) and there is a very terrible picture of me with Pixi Lott to prove that (again FML)

Hair Apparatus - When you've got to bun, you've got to bun! I love these Sephora hair ties, they leave no kinks in your hair at all.

Manuka Doctor ApiRefine Lip Enhancer - My friend bought me this for Christmas. It has purified bee venom in it and trust me it really makes your lips tingle. I didn't know if I was allergic to bee stings until I tried this....luckily I'm not!

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Medium - Now, this is one of my favourite concealers for blemishes. Covers anything but feels very light and its so cheap, I love it!

Burberry Lip Cover in English Rose - I know I always bang on about this lipstick but it truly is my favourite 'nude' colour.

Sephora Cinderella Collection Rollerball Perfume - I wish dreams really did come true! One day.....

Kate Walsh Boyfriend Rollerball Perfume - I love this slightly masculine scent, especially in the Winter time.

Jordana Lipliner in Tawny - One of my best American drugstore discoveries and it only cost $1.99

I always have such a heavy bag and now I realise that's because its full of lip balm!

Subtle Winged Eyeliner

I have a love hate relationship with winged eyeliner. I used to be obsessed with it, the (self proclaimed) Queen of the winged liner, then overnight I hated it and literally didn't wear eyeliner for a year. 

A reformed winged eyeliner addict, I am slowly trying to reintroduce it back into my life and the key is subtlety. You don't want a thick black line over your whole eye as it can appear very harsh and makes your eyes appear rounder, which isn't always the most flattering look. By only applying eyeliner to the outer corner of your eye, not only do you elongate your eyes but the whole look is much fresher and less heavy. Angelina Jolie is the master of this eyeliner trick and it looks beautiful on her. 

To create your wing you can use whatever liquid liner you like, as long as it has a thin nib. I personally like to use a gel eyeliner with a brush. This gives me more control and gel eyeliners are pretty budge proof. My favourite are the fluid lines by MAC, here I have used Dip Down which is a brown colour. Its a nice change from black and is less harsh. My favourite eyeliner brush is actually an art brush. I highly recommend picking up a brush from an art shop as they have a much finer point. 

The key to this look is starting your eyeliner at the outer corner of your iris and keeping the rest of your eyelid clear of any liner, I know its tempting to fill it in but leave it! You can extend your wing just above your crease but don't go crazy and remember to keep the line thin, we are thinking Angelina not Amy.

If you manage to bag yourself a Brad Pitt, thank me later ;)

Messy Waves

When it comes to hair I have learnt (the hard way!) to keep things simple, the trick is to make it look like you made no effort at all.

This hairstyle is essentially a more messy version of my Game of Thrones hair. Wavy, messy hair with a lot of texture, think Jennifer Aniston, the Olsen Twins etc.

Here is my piss easy guide for messy wavy hair

1. Brush your hair and start. This hairstyle works a lot better on day two hair, so you can skip the shower!

2. Get out your curling wand, mine is the Babyliss Waving Wand which I love. Its the only thing I use to curl my hair and was quite the revelation when I discovered it, I cannot recommend it enough. 

Now you can be fancy here and section your hair but I was not feeling very fancy so just started curling. Make sure to curl AWAY from your face (oh 18 to 23 year old Laura if only you knew that very important fact). Curl away until.......

3. You have a head of curls and look like the Lion from The Wizard of Oz after hes been beautified.

4. Fight the urge to brush through those curls! Its ok you wont have to stay like little orphan Annie for long but if you can just leave your hair until it cools down your curls will hold so much better. I tend to do my makeup in this time.

5. DESTROY THE RINGLETS! Get your hands in there and shake, shake, shake. 

6. Straighten - Now I know using two hair tools seems like a lot of effort but trust me this is the key to this look. Straighten random sections of your hair, particularly focusing on the ends. No rhyme or reason to this, just grab whatever bits you fancy. Make sure you run the straightener through your hair quickly.

7. Now you just want to add some product to your hair to give it extra texture, body and hold. You can use whatever you want, I like using the Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray or the Oribe Apres Beach Wave and Shine Spray. Today though I used Trevor Sorbie's Goop, which is a texturising paste. 

And you're done