Face of the Day with Dior Rosy Glow Blush

This is not a particularly exciting makeup look, no bright lips :( 

This is the type of makeup I wear to work, neutral, fool proof make up! In the week I need to use colours which make me look a bit more awake! So I tend to go for lighter, slightly shimmery eyeshadows and a nice bright blush. Keeping everything else pretty basic.

Face

Smashbox Photo Finish More Than Primer - Blemish Control - A very good primer for keeping your makeup on all day but I cant say I have noticed much in the way of blemish control!

Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua Foundation - My favourite foundation, this is my 3rd bottle and its almost empty *waah*

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage - Essential!

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer - This is definitely needed to make me look more awake!

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in "00 Makeup Artist"

Dior Rosy Glow Blusher - One of my all time favourite blushers. This looks ridiculously bright but its designed to react with the moisture in your skin, depending on your skin type. Giving you your own, unique colour. I love this, makes my face look a lot fresher and a bit more youthful!

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight - The best highlighter 

Rimmel Stay Matte Long Lasting Pressed Powder - In the week I need my make up to last all day and this powder works at keeping that dreaded oil at bay!

Eyes

Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

Benefit Stay Don't Stray Primer - Amazing at keeping your eyeshadow on all day (I just really dislike the packaging, as it always pumps out way too much)

MAC Eyeshadow All That Glitters - I mentioned in my last post that I was trying to make more use of my MAC eyeshadows. All That Glitters is my favourite everyday colour, with just enough shimmer.

MAC Eyeshadow in Saddle - I like to add a bit of this warm toned brown to bring out the colour of my eyes.

Benefit They're Real Mascara - One of my favourite mascaras for a lot of definition but still keeping things reasonably natural!

Lips

Jordana Lipliner in Tawny - The best $1.99 I ever spent. If you are going to America, make sure you try one of their lip liners!

Burberry Lip Cover in English Rose - My idea of a 'nude' lipstick, I love that I can slap it on without a mirror!

The Neglected MAC Palettes

I had left my MAC eye shadow palettes neglected for too long but I dug them out a few weeks ago and have fallen back in love. 

I have done a previous post on all the colours in my MAC palettes which you can read here.

I have been a lot more experimental with my eyeshadow in general lately, I've even deviated from my beloved neutrals into the world of purple. When it comes to my MAC palette however, I like to keep things neutral!

I thought I would just show you a few of the colours I am currently loving.

Saddle - The name describes the colour, far better than I ever could!

Bronze/Romp - These colours are practically identical, I can never tell them apart.

All That Glitters - Possibly my favourite? And, and, and I've just 'hit pan' on it. This is a really pretty peachy/pink neutral, which I just apply all over my lid to make me look a little more awake!

Swiss Chocolate - This is such a beautiful rich, chocolate brown colour. I never like to use too dark colours in my crease, so this is a good middle ground.

Sable - Blend this all over your lid, slightly above your crease and all the way underneath your lash line. Lashings of mascara annnnnd you're done!

If you are doing your Christmas shopping and you know someone who is a makeup lover, I think a MAC palette and one eyeshadow to start off with, is the perfect present. 

I always see so many lost boyfriends at the MAC counter at this time of year and I just want to tell them, put down the pink pigment and buy one of these!

You can buy MAC's Pro Palettes direct from MAC for £14.00 and the pan eye shadows that fit in them are £10.00 each. Makes me want to start all over again!

Topshop Velvet Lips

I do love a matte lip, so when I heard about Topshop's Velvet Lips I knew I had to try them.

These look like a lip gloss but they are actually extremely pigmented, matte lip creams. Although I love and highly recommend Topshop's nail polishes (they are Ahhmazing) I am relatively new to the rest of their makeup line, having only tried one of their lipsticks before. 

The Velvet Lips cost £10.00, which I think is a little bit pricey considering their nail polishes are only £5.00 but as they say, the proof is in the pudding.

First impressions, these are very drying on the lips. In general matte lip products are more drying but I particularly noticed it with these. After wearing these for a few minutes, my lips felt quite tight and there was an overwhelming urge to reach for the lip balm.

Plush

This is a really cool purple colour, but god damn was it hard to apply. I probably have about 5 coats of this on in the above picture. The problem is, it was quite streaky and I kept having to brush more on to even it out. I was really quite disappointed with this colour.

Velveteen Ribbon

I LOVE this colour, I featured it in my Festive Red Lips post. I just cant get enough of matte, red lipsticks. This was much easier to apply than Plush and didn't streak at all. 

If you want to try these, definitely try Velveteen Ribbon and skip Plush. 

Although these are much more drying than the NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil's, I do really like the colour of Velveteen Ribbon. If you don't want to splash out £17.50 for NARS, pick this up but just make sure you have a lip balm to hand!

Available from Topshop for £10.00

Face of the Day with NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Although I do love my red lips, sometimes I do need to tone it down a little! My NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita is the perfect middle ground. Its a soft, rose, red, which gives me the colour I want but is wearable enough to wear on a daily basis.

Face

Koh Gen Do Moisture Foundation

I wanted something quick and easy to apply and this foundation works best when applied with your fingers.

Maybelline Dream Lumi Touch Highlighting Concealer

A must for those dark under eye circles!

Laura Mercier Secret Camouflage Concealer

This is my life saviour at the moment as my skin is really playing up. This stuff will cover anything!

Guerlain Terracotta Moisturising Bronzing Powder in "00 Makeup Artist"

I am loving this bronzer at the moment, stops my skin looking 'flat', adding dimension and warmth.

Kevyn Aucoin Creamy Glow in Pravella

One of my Liv Tyler inspired purchases. Like the foundation this is so easy to apply, I just blend this on my cheeks with my fingers and it gives me the perfect flush of colour.

Kevyn Aucoin The Celestial Powder in Candlelight

The perfect highlighter for a subtle glow

NYC Colour Wheel Mosaic Face Powder in Translucent Highlighter Glow

I used this as a setting powder, it is a little bit chalky but doesn't do a bad job and for £3.99 you cant complain!

Eyes

Hourglass Brow Sculpting Pencil in Soft Brunette

I love this and having a brush on one end makes life so much easier!

Illamasqua Brow and Lash Gel

My brow products rarely change because this combination does everything I need.

MAC Eyeshadow in Sable

I'm trying to give my poor, neglected MAC palettes some love. Sable is one of those colours you can blend all over your lid and you don't need anything else as it has enough dimension on its own. I love these kind of 'slap and go' products.

Benefit They're Real Mascara

Brilliant mascara for defined lashes with a good amount of volume

Lips

NARS Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Dolce Vita

Chloe, I need another one of these.....I'm thinking cheeky NARS shop Saturday, you down? ;)

On My Dressing Table

So technically this isn't a dressing table but who cares! I keep some of my most reached for things here and as I shared my favourite makeup brushes with you yesterday, I thought I'd share the rest today.

At the front I have my incense burner which was a present from my Sister all the way from Bali. In the empty Yankee Candle jar I keep my cotton wool pads and next to it all my favourite skincare products:

Origins Super Spot Remover Blemish Treatment Gel - I need this close to hand for emergencies!

Tarte Maracuja Oil - My favourite face oil

Kate Somerville Goat Milk Cream - The best moisturiser I have every used, perfect for combination/oily skin. I'm going to be devastated when this pot is finished.

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner - I have decanted this into a spray travel bottle so I use less! This is a toner which contains fruit acids, these act like an exfoliator and get red of dead skin cells leaving my skin looking much brighter and smoother. I love this stuff.

Neal's Yard Rehydrating Rose Toner - A birthday present from my Sister, I like to use this after I have cleansed my skin. I love the rose smell and it feels very refreshing.

Hydraluron - Love this stuff, I apply a blob of this before my moisturiser.

Moroccanoil - I keep my Moroccanoil out as I use it every time I wash my hair. This would definitely be in my top 5, may even top 3 beauty items of all time! (So dramatic aren't I!)

Clarins Instant Eye Makeup Remover - I have used up all my L'oreal eye makeup remover and have now moved onto this. Although I really like the L'oreal one, its useless at removing waterproof mascara. This on the other hand is amazing and removes waterproof makeup like a dream.

Bioderma - After saying I wouldn't buy Bioderma again as the L'oreal Micellar water is just as good, my Sister bought me back 2 bottles from Paris (woohoo). I still love Bioderma, its just the L'oreal is cheaper and easier to get hold of.

Urban Decay All Nighter Makeup Setting Spray - My secret weapon on a night out and in the Summer, keeps your makeup on your sweaty little face!

At the back I have my empty Diptyque candle jar which has all the brushes and tools I use on a daily basis. Behind I have my Tru Blood pint glass with eye brushes and next to that I have a Kellogg's jug with more face brushes. Poking out the back are all my eyeliners and lipliners which don't get as much love since I gave up wearing eyeliner. 

On this shell dish which I got from Zara Home years ago, I keep the jewellery I wear most often. My beloved Great Frog skull ring, Marc Jacobs earrings and Deer Love necklace which I got in America. I also keep a spare hair tie and my favourite perfume, Bobbi Brown Almost Bare.

Lastly I have this Alice in Wonderland tin from Paul & Joe's Disney collection. Inside I keep all my hair bands and clips.

Trust me, it doesn't normally look as tidy as this!

Festive Red Nails

Part 2 of my festive reds is going to be all about the nails! Now normally when it comes to nails I like a cream finish, ain't nobody got time for spending 1 hour of their evening trying to remove glitter polish, but when it comes to Christmas you just have to embrace the glitter! 

Here are my picks of the best festive red nail colours.

Butter London Knees Up

This is pure Santa suit. When I saw this in Boots I think I actually gasped, this is the most beautiful, metallic red I have ever laid my beady little eyes on. I have this on my nails now and people have already remarked how festive the colour is, its a hit!

Available from Boots

OPI Big Apple Red

One of my all time favourite nail colours. I know this colour is a winner because 3 of my friends have also bought it. This is a classic, Monroe red. When I wear this at work I feel like I should be in an episode of Mad Men!

Available from Beauty Bay

OPI I'm Not Really A Waitress

This is one of OPI's iconic shades, Slightly darker than Knees Up but still with the metallic shimmer running through it and I just love the name of this colour!

Available from Look Fantastic

Butter London Chancer

Onto the glitters, get ready to grab a litre of nail polish remover and a pack of cotton wool pads! To be fair the 2 glitters I have chosen are micro glitters so they actually come off really easily, hence why I chose them! Chancer is a red micro glitter in a red base, opaque in 2 coats. 

Available from Look Fantastic

 OPI Underneath The Mistletoe

Like Chancer, this is another easy to remove glitter (woohoo). This is a magenta micro glitter in a red base, again opaque in 2 coats. This is from OPI's Mariah Carey Christmas collection which is full of festive colours! Available from ASOS

Festive Red Lips

Its time to get festive and what could be more festive than red lips and nails! Today I'm showing you my favourite festive red lips. 

There's a reason I'm starting with lips and that is because one of my picks is going to be back on MAC shelves from 5th December. If you missed out on RiRi Woo the first two times, this is your last chance to get it. Yes MAC are doing a third and final collection with Rihanna (I know!) so don't go paying those crazy eBay prices just yet. 

Left to right: Dolce and Gabanna Italian Monica, Kat Von D Foiled Love Adora, MAC Pro Long wear Lipglass Driven by Love, Topshop Velvet Lips Velveteen Ribbon, Revlon Lip Butter Candy Apple, Rimmel Kate Moss 107, MAC RiRi Woo

Dolce and Gabbana Italian Monica Lipstick - Inspired by the beautiful Monica Bellucci, this is a classic tomato red shade which would look gorgeous anytime of year. £25.50

Kat Von D Foiled Love Lipstick in Adora - Sorry, this is for all you lucky Americans with access to Sephora! You couldn't get much more Christmas-y than this metallic red. $19.00

MAC Pro Longwear Lipglass in Driven by Love - So this is one sticky bitch, but for a red this bright and shiny its a small price to pay. Perfect for the party season! £17.50

Topshop Velvet Lips in Velveteen Ribbon - Blurry picture alert! I'm going to do a full review on these, so wont say too much here but the end result is a beautiful rich, matte red. £10.00

Revlon Lip Butter in Candy Apple - For all you red lip scaredy cats, my favourite sheer option - £7.99

Rimmel Lasting Finish Matte Lipstick by Kate Moss in 107 - The darkest of all my festive picks and my current favourite. Incredible lasting power and pigmentation, you cant go wrong. £5.49

MAC RiRi Woo Lipstick - Three words, Worth The Hype. Remember 5th December is your last chance, make haste to the MAC counter! Or even better lie in bed refreshing your web browser on the MAC website!