Easy Eye Duo: The Charlotte Tilbury Eyes To Mesmerise Cream Shadow in Jean & The Laura Mercier Caviar Stick in Ganache

As much as I love experimenting with different products, most mornings I just don't have time for anything complicated so end up reaching for the things that can do the job as quickly as possible. My eyes lack any natural definition and despite having dark hair my lashes are blonde, so I'm not lucky enough to be able to run out of the house with no eye make up on without looking halfway dead. What I've been opting for recently is a wash of brightening cream shadow with a chocolatey liner stick blended around the lash line for the illusion of thicker lashes - perfect for everyday definition.

The product I've been loving for this recently is the Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise Cream Shadow in Jean, a glossy, sheeny champagne gold that highlights the inner corners and brightens the lids. I'm in love with this formula, on first application the mousse has a lovely cooling sensation and is easily blendable before setting in place and lasting all day.  I find this works beautifully alone or with a powder shadow applied on top and I've had no problems with creasing. The Laura Mercier Caviar Stick's are perfect for if you want to add any depth in the crease or for simply defining the lash line, my favourite shade is Ganache - a rich chocolatey brown. I tend to apply products like this with a tiny pencil brush in a naturally winged shape, but if I'm in a serious hurry I'll just line the outer corners and soften the colour with my finger.

The result is a sheeny, golden, softly smoky look that lasts all day without budging or creasing. What are your favourite speedy eye combinations?

A Fresh Spring Base Routine / ft the Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser

I may be massively jumping the gun here, but the second I see a hint of sunshine I snap into full Summer mode. For me this means barbecues, cocktails and fresh, glowy make up - however seeing as it's actually still freezing outside only one of these things has been at all realistic. I've gone back to an old favourite tinted moisturiser from last Summer paired with some more recent discoveries in the way of an illuminating drugstore primer and light concealer.

The Laura Mercier Illuminating Tinted Moisturiser was a favourite of mine last summer for it's gorgeous glow giving formula that can be built up to cover what you need it to, with the help of a little concealer. The product does look slightly shimmery when squeezed from the tube but once blended onto the skin this disappears and leaves behind a radiant, dewy finish. I actually use my fingertips to apply this, which makes for a speedy application in the mornings with the added bonus of including SPF 20. As far as tinted moisturisers go, this product has pretty decent staying power, however recently I've been pairing it with the L'Oréal Paris Lumi Magique Primer - a sheeny, hydrating formula that has been helping my base stay put all day. I love this under more velvet finish foundations such as the Nars Sheer Glow to give a radiance boost, but it's still really wearable when paired with something already illuminating, like the Laura Mercier. Finally I've been loving a touch of the Charlotte Tilbury Mini Miracle Eye Wand to brighten my under eye area and conceal any dark circles, patted in with my fingertips.

The result of these products is a dewy, fresh base that lasts all day with a dusting of my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Diffused Light. I gravitate towards this kind of finish all year round, but particularly in the warmer months when it's all about looking glowy, awake and healthy. Have you switched to a lighter base recently or tried any of these products? Let me know in the comments!

Becca Afterglow Palette

Becca's Afterglow Palette was a winter release last year, containing three shades of the Shimmering Skin Perfector and two of their Mineral Blushers, one of which could be used as a bronzer. Although sadly no longer available, all of the shades included can be purchased individually so I thought it was worth sharing my thoughts.

The Shimmering Skin Perfectors are definitely internet/cult favourites (I'm still dying to try Champagne Pop) and this palette contains Moonstone, Rose Gold and Topaz. Moonstone is the perfect everyday illuminator, starting off with a subtle pale champagne glow that is incredibly buildable. I like to use Rose Gold in the place of a blush, brushing it over the cheeks and forehead to add colour and luminosity to the skin even when I'm pale. Topaz was the shade that I felt slightly apprehensive about, being a deep bronze, however I've found it to be surprisingly wearable when used lightly in the place of a bronzer and I've found myself constantly reaching for this for nights out!

I had never tried any of Becca's Mineral Blushers before this palette, but have been really impressed by both the shades included. Wild Honey is a warm peachy shade that works perfectly as a pale bronzer on my skin tone and Flowerchild is a beautiful bright coral pink that has a lovely brightening quality that seems to wake up your whole face. Every powder included in the palette is of a really lovely quality with incredible pigmentation and I've already been having a snoop around online to see what other gorgeous shades are available.

I love the fact I can do my entire bronze/blush/highlight routine with this palette and this seems to have shunned all of my other cheek products from my make up bag lately. There are definitely a few shades in here that don't think I can live without now (Moonstone & Flowerchild in particular) so the full sizes will have to be added to my ever growing wish list once I've used them up. Champagne Pop obviously needs to happen soon and now I'm eyeing up all the Mineral Blush shades too! Have you tried any of Becca's cheek products? Let me know in the comments!

Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Sun Shield Superfluid SPF50+

It's quite ironic that for someone that loves skincare as much as I do, that the one element I am laziest is probably the very most important - SPF. The main reason is a lot of the foundations that I use regularly contain it, but I've also had a few bad experiences with facial SPF products irritating my skin and causing breakouts. However most foundations only contain SPF 20 and some have none at all so I decided I needed to up my game - particularly as I use a lot of AHA's that make skin more susceptible to sun damage.

I considered forking out for the highly praised Keihl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defence but when once I read Lily Pebbles post about the far more affordable Soap and Glory Make Yourself Youthful Sun Shield Superfluid I thought I'd give it a go first. Luckily for my finances, this is lovely. Less greasy than others I've tried, this super light fluid glides onto the face, creating a matte finish ready for foundation to be applied. I haven't had any problems with blemishes, irritation or noticed any impact on the wear of my foundation. I'm so pleased that I've managed to find a great product that does the job without having to spend a small fortune, especially as this is something I've been wearing most days.

As usual let me know if you've got any recommendations for me, or if you've tried this and loved it too!