October

The second the clocks go back I suddenly start feeling all autumnal and that definitely shows in the products I've been reaching for this month. Once the weather gets colder I immediately notice a change in my skin and really have to step up the moisture if I want to stop things getting chapped and dry. Every winter I end up reaching for the Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Skin Protectant. This multi purpose balm has you pretty much sorted for lips, elbows, cuticles and any other dry bits you can think of. After just one use it already begins to restore sore lips, and this tube has lasted me forever! 

As for my hair, it needs extra moisture and attention all year round, due to the excessive straightening I put it through daily... I know its bad. A product I've been loving recently is the Aveda Damage Remedy Daily Hair Repair. Containing Quinoa protein, its aimed to prevent damage and work towards getting your hair in a better condition. I rub a pea size amount through the ends of my hair when wet, and I've seen an improvement in the amount of breakage going on. It also smells all lovely and spa like, so feels like a treat to use. 

I love a dark lip in winter, and I've gone straight back to a favourite from last year; Starry Eyed Lasting Finish Lipstick by Rimmel. I find it sits in the middle of being purple and red toned, which makes it a flattering shade on a lot of skin tones. I also love to dab this on lightly for daytime which creates a really pretty berry stain that lasts for hours. The formula of this lipstick is great, creamy and almost matte (my favourite) but not drying on the lips at all. 

To warm up my skin tone I've been reaching for a M.A.C Mineralise Blush in Warm Soul. A gorgeous golden peach shade, I have been blending this down my cheekbones and onto the apples for a subtle bronzy glow. The Mineralise Blushers are great as there isn't really any need for a highlight, but this also looks lovely in the evening with a bit of M.A.C Soft and Gentle for extra sheen. 

Lastly this month I've been getting use out of a gift I received a while ago, the Aromatherapy Associates Relax Eye Mask. Not going to lie I do feel like the price of this mask is slightly ridiculous, but I have a serious curtain problem at the moment and this has been helping me get my weekend 

lie ins! The lavender inside the mask smells great, and with the tie strap and soft velvety fabric this is definitely the most comfortable (and luxurious) eye mask I've ever used! 

The Winter Glow Givers

Winter is coming and for me I know that means saying hello to a dull, grey, ghoulish complexion. I love dewy skin all year round, I feel a glow can really make you look so much more alive, even if your wearing barely any make up. So I thought I would share some of my favourite products for helping your skin to look radiant through the colder months. Two of these products are more of a primer type thing, where as the other two I would call a typical cream highlighter formula. Though personally, I would use most of these products over or under make up. 

The first is the M.A.C Strobe Cream. This is a product which used to be talked about frequently online, but I haven't really heard anyone mention it in years. It has always remained one of my favourites, a creamy formula which feels moisturising on the skin and leaves an amazing dewy glow. This product really is a multi-tasker, you can use it under, over or mixed in to your base and it never fails to inject some life into your skin! A great cheaper alternative is Hocus Focus by Soap and Glory. Personally I find this a more subtle illuminator, which makes it great for day time. I can imagine this would look lovely on darker skins, as it has a more golden tone to the highlight. Soap and Glory products are reasonably priced and really easy to get hold of in Boots stores too. 

Next up is the NARS Multiple in Copacabana. This is a cream highlighter which is really pretty dabbed onto the tops of the cheekbones, it has a slight shimmer to it that makes it the perfect highlighter for evenings. This product is the only one out of the four that I wouldn't recommend using under your base, as you don't want any shimmer to travel to unwanted parts of your face whilst applying your foundation! 

I have repurchaced the M.A.C Cream Colour Base in Pearl so many times, it is such a perfect all round highlighter for my skin tone. I use this in so many ways... under or over my foundation, mixed with cream blushers, or even as an eye base. The formula is creamy and easily blended, and I find the end finish I get much more natural than a powder highlight. 

Xen Tan Round-Up

As a long term tanning addict I have tried and tested quite a few over the years. I wear tan pretty much all the time, and Xen Tan is a brand I've loved for a while now. I find them to be the most long lasting on my horribly dry skin, and love the natural colour they give.

So lets start with possibly the most hyped up tan of all time.. the Xen Tan Dark Lotion Absolute Luxe. A quick note about this product is that I don't actually find it to be all that dark. After one layer, I'm left with a natural glow, so normally I would use this for two consecutive days to get to the colour I want. This product also doesn't really have a guide colour, on my pale skin tone it shows up slightly, but on anyone darker than me you really wouldn't be able to see where you have applied, which may be a worry for some! Aside from that, due to its luxurious and moisturising formula, I find this the most long lasting tan that I've tried.

The second product I've tried from Xen Tan is their original Dark Lotion Weekly Self Tan. This is a really great all rounder, it leaves you with a lovely olive toned tan, feels moisturising on the skin, and I think you get a good amount of product for your money. I also really like the packaging of this tan, it may not be as fancy but the pump is really practical as it helps you use an even amount of product round your body.

The most recent addition is the Xen Tan Moroccan Tan.  From first application I fell in love with the seriously dark colour of this product. I love a really really deep tan, and this pulls that off on my pale skin with out looking too orange or un natural. The formula is more of a gel consistency as opposed to the other two which are true lotions, but due to the Argan Oil enriched formula, the Moroccan tan still feels moisturising.

Its worth mentioning that all of the Xen Tan products smell lovely too, Absolute Luxe and Dark Lotion have a warm marzipan sort of scent, while Moroccan tan smells of coconut and holidays!

Price wise, none of these tans are the cheapest, I find the pricing is on par with the likes of St Tropez, but I think Xen Tans range of products perform much better.

Thanks for reading, and if you have any other suggestions of tans that I would like then please comment below, I'm always looking for an excuse to spend money!

THE FAVOURITES - September

September has been an incredibly hectic month for me, what with moving out and starting University. For this reason, I have been reaching for trusty old products that I know work for me. I've seen a lot of people starting to fully embrace autumn with berry shades but personally I'm clinging on to Summer for as long as I can, so its still all radiant skin and nude nails over here I'm afraid!

Base wise, whats been slapped on my skin for most of this month is the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. Nothing perfects and evens out my skin tone like this gem, and whilst not as dewy as some of my other favourite foundations, this formula has a velvety, lit from within radiance that nothing else quite compares too. Add that to the fact it is long lasting and contains no SPF, and you've got your perfect day to night foundation.

I rediscovered my Kevin Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer at the beginning of the month, and it is all I've been using to conceal. I find this works best mixed with a little moisturiser, which is great as it allows you to control how much coverage you need for the area.

At the beginning of the month I repurchased one of my old favourite Mascaras, the 'Yves Saint Laurent Luxurious Mascara Shocking Volume' (and breathe...). I find this is one of those Mascaras which gets better with time, as it starts off a bit on the wet side for me, but once its dried out slightly its incredible at giving dramatic length and volume to my seriously lacking eyelashes. You can apply with care for a more natural, fluttery look, or go all out for a false lash effect.

There is one polish which hasn't left my nails for most of the month, and that is 'Glints of Glinda' by O.P.I. It is the perfect nude, with a high shine jelly consistency, which leaves your nails looking really neat and polished, with no real effort involved.

And finally, we have the Charlotte Tilbury Luxury Palette in 'The Golden Goddess'. I have been travelling a lot between home and university, and this palette has been so useful for creating neutral looks for both day and night. The shadows are all buttery in texture and really well pigmented, even the glitter shade has minimal fallout and is perfect for the evening. As with the whole Charlotte Tilbury range, the packaging is gorgeous, and really compact too.

 Hopefully next month there should be a favourites post packed with new products, as I'm getting the chance to try lots of new things through my course, which is very exciting!

THE REVIEW - By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace in Rose Melba

I picked up this blush a while ago when I had a Space NK gift card to spend. I was apprehensive due to the cost, but the texture, packaging, fragrance, and basically everything drew me in. I love By Terry as a brand, and find their products always perform brilliantly. This blush is no exception, I chose the shade Rose Melba which is a brightened pale pink with a gold sheen, which appears almost neon in the jar. The texture is like a watery jelly, which once blended in with your fingers creates the most natural, lit from within glow that I have found with any cheek product. Due to the watery consistency, it looks like the colour is coming from under your skin, and they leave a dewy finish on the cheeks. I find this lasts most of the day on me, and fades naturally with my foundation. I would love to try the other two colours, next on the list being 'Frozen Petal' which is more of a rosy shade.

By Terry Cellularose Blush Glace in Rose Melba

Basic skincare routine

I love reading about skincare just as much as make up, so I thought I'd share my skincare routine. I have never had particularly spot phone skin, but do suffer with the odd blemish and blocked pores, and my skin is quite sensitive. I would say my main problem is redness and unevenness, and my skin looking dull and feeling dehydrated. I have a lot of extra oils, serums, lotions and potions that I use in conjunction with these products, but these are the bare bones of my daily routine.

The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil +  Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel  

The first product I use is the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel, which I would describe as much more of a balm cleanser than a gel. It melts into the skin, is great for doing a quick facial massage to get some blood flowing, and makes my skin look really alive and glowy. It leaves my face feeling really clean with no oily residue, and smells of roses which is an amazing bonus. I use this cleanser in the morning, and as my second cleanse at night. To remove my make up in the evening I love The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. Its a lightweight oil, which feels moisturizing and soothing on the skin, whilst really getting in there to easily remove every trace of make up. I haven't found another product that removes my make up as well as this does, and at this price, why would I be looking?

Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner

In the evening I use an exfoliating toner such as the Clarins Gentle Exfoliator Brightening Toner. I use this after cleansing at night, and it does a great job of brightening and evening out my skin tone. I feel like it helps keep blemishes at bay, and I feel it keep my skin looking more clear and radiant. Its like a more gentle version of the Alpha H Liquid Gold (more on that in another post) and is gentle enough to use every evening. In general I prefer acid exfoliators to gritty ones as my skin is quite sensitive, and they tend to bring out the redness in my skin rather than evening things out.

Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Day Cream + Antipodes Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream

As for moisturizers, I have been using the Antipodes Vanilla Pod Hydrating Face Cream and the Avocado Pear Nourishing Night Cream for about 6 months now, and I love them both. Antipodes is an all natural brand and these products don't make any big claims apart from to nourish and moisturize the skin, but I prefer to target my skins specific problems using serums, masks and oils, and keep my moisturizers very basic. The day cream has a strong smell of vanilla, which I know may be off putting for some people, but I love it, and I find it doesn't linger once its on the skin. It feels very thick and nourishing which is great for my dehydrated skin, but still works well under make up. The Avocado night cream has a much more subtle scent, and feels really soothing and smooth when you apply it. When I wake up in the morning I find my skin has really drunk it up, and is feeling really soft and plumped out.

As I've mentioned, there are a lot more steps involved in my skin care routine, and I will probably do a couple more posts on my favourite masks and other treatments that do most of the hard work!

The Haul - SEPHORA

I've just gotten back from a trip to Barcelona, and while I was there I couldn't resist stopping into Sephora to pick up some things. European Sephora doesn't carry nearly as many brands as the US stores, but it does stock some brands such as Make Up For Ever which are very hard to get hold of in the UK. 

Make Up For Ever Invisible Cover HD Foundation

The first item I picked up is the Make Up For Ever HD Foundation. I did try this years ago a trip to New York, but due to the unnatural lighting in the store I picked up the complete wrong shade. Why do they do that?! I do remember really liking the finish of this though, it feels light on the skin, and has a glow to it while remaining fairly matte. After factoring in the lack of SPF, this means that this foundation is perfect for a night out, or any occasion where there will be lots of flash photography and you want your skin to look flawless!

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in 02 Classic Beige

I'd heard other beauty bloggers talking about the Sephora Cream Lip Stains, claiming they were the best of the bunch when it came to this sudden wave of matte cream lip products. I definitely favor a matte lip and I've tried both Hourglass and Bourjous' offerings, so I had to give this one a go. I chose 02 which is a dark pinkish brown shade, as I'm loving the whole Kylie Jenner inspired cappuccino lip trend that's going on at the moment. It's a great every day lip shade for when I want to look slightly more polished. As for the formula, these have the same pigmentation and lasting power as competitors from other brands, but I find them much less dying on the lips. The only downside is the shade range is pretty limited, but there was a true red and a lovely watermelon shade tempting me! 

Formula X in Radical

As if I need more nail polish, but I couldn't resist picking up one of Sephora's new(ish) Formula X nail varnishes. These polishes are supposed to be seriously long lasting and as I am the proud owner of acrylic ruined nails, nail varnish normally doesn't last too well on me. I chose the shade Radical which is a pinky lilac, but with a hint of a grey tone in there somewhere which keeps everything looking slightly more neutral and less barbie. The formula of this polish really is lovely, it applies really evenly and is opaque in two coats. I also found it has a shiny, almost gel like finish, and even without a top coat the lasting power is amazing. I'm now wishing I'd picked up more shades!