The Sunshine State

Now I'm going away in less than a week so, for any of you travelling soon I wanted to do a post on the essentials you need when going away. It's not all pretty, but there we go.  First up I'm talking about a wash bag, and the things you need in it: Shower gel Shampoo Conditioner Razor Face Wipes Moisturizer Toner (If you need it) After Sun ie. Aloe Vera gel Sun tan cream - I have got Calypso  Any make-up and brushes Bobbles/Grips/Headbands   Now, I really do think that when you are going away you need to make up a small medical bag. In mine I have: Plasters - For rubbing shoes, or any cuts etc. Paracetamol - For headaches, or hangovers. Ibuprofen - For any muscle relief. Antihistamine cream - For insect bites etc. Eye drops - For itchy/dry eyes. Antihistamine tablets - For hayfever. Scissors - Becuase you always need them! Safety Pins - Again, because you always need them. Tweezers - For any splinters etc. Diarrhoea tablets -  I said it...

So recently, I feel as though I have found my perfect skin care routine...my skin is looking so much better than it ever has, so I wanted to update you on the products I have been using. Okay so first off I use FACE WIPES...Just to get as much product off my face as possible, bare in mind this does not get half of the make-up off your face! I use any face wipes beause most seem to work ok with my skin, but if you do have sensative skin, opt for wipes that cater to your need. Once I have done this, every other day I use my CLARISONIC PRO to really clean my skin. This is a brush head that 'pulses' and really gets into pores. I love my Clarasonic and feel that it really works. I use the brush with my OLE HENRICKSEN RED AFRICAN TEA CLEANSING FOAM. Again, I love this product also and after using both my skin is soft and deeply cleaned. If I don't use the first step I will use my BODY SHOP CAMOMILE SILKY CLEANSING OIL. I use about two pumps on a cotton wool pad and use this...

Now I know this has been quite a cult product in the Beauty world and been around an age. But still, I thought I would do a blog post about it becuase quite frankly, it's beautiful. The Shimmer Brick comes in a lot of different colours from corals to bronzes. They give you the most gorgeous highlight on your skin, and can make you look more 'bronzed'.  I really like that the product has several diffent colours in the pan and when your swirl your brush between the five different shades, it makes the most lovely multi-tonal colour.

I serial lusted after these...They looked so gorgeous! I've not seen many people talk about these, so I thought I would do a post on them. The first thing I love is that they come in mini tubes! So handy for travelling and just great to get the product out of. Now the colour pay off is so unique! So much shimmer and so much colour. I only have one word to say about them. Beautiful. I purchased three colours... First up is 'Gold'. Now I must say this was the colour I was the most dissapointed with becuase it's not actually 'gold' its more of a silver gold.  Next is 'Burnished Copper'. Now this is what it says on the tube...A dark copper, so beautiful. And lastly the one I really fell for is 'Rose Gold' again, aptly described, but oh wow.  I Loveee it! My only criticism of these is that they do migrate on the lid, so make sure you use an eye primer. Apart from that I would totally say go and buy these!

For summer I think that cream blushes are essential! They look a lot more natural than powder blushes and work well in the heat and seem to sink into the skin, instead of migrating on the skin or fade completely, like a powder can. A few of my favourites are: 1. By Terry in Ginger Glaze - a very natural earthy tone. 2. Becca in Lychee/Opal - a bubblegum pink with gold and silver highlight. 3. Becca in Papaya/Topaz - a coral red with gold highlight 4. Bourjois in Healthy glow - a 'healthy' coral colour 5. Bourjois in Sweet cherry - a dark pink colour 6. Stila in Gerbera - a light pink colour 7. Josie Maran in Poppy Paradise - a vibrant red These all come in different textures - Note By Terry and Stila are more sticky than others. Becca products are more bouncy (think like a 'souffle') Josie Maran is more 'gel' like. And lastly, the Bourjois are more creamy than the rest. I really like all the products shown here and think they are lovely and w...

Today I'm talking all about brushes..Now if your getting really into make-up you may want to invest in some brushes to apply your new make-up! I really didn't have a clue what brushes were used for what area of the face or for what product.  But worry not! I'm here to help.... FOUNDATION Liquid - A soft medium sized brush - some examples are:  The Real Techniques buffing brush The Real Techniques Expert face brush The Sigma Flat Kabuki F80 (My personal fav!!!) (For a light coverage - Use a stippling brush) Powder - A big soft fluffy brush - some examples are: Topshop powder brush Real Techniques powder brush Lola Make up Perse face brush (For setting make-up - I use the Real Techniques setting brush) CONTOURING/BRONZER Powders - Most bronzers come in powder form - some examples are: Space NK cheek contour brush Real Techniques contour brush HIGHTLIGHTING Powder - try a fan brush I'm currently using the Estee Lauder 6F Finishing brush Liquid ...

After reading a few posts about the Kevyn Aucoin lipsticks I decided to bite the bullet (anyone else get the lipstick pun there?!)  After looking through the variety of colours on offer I couldn't choose between three so typically got them all! ...More swatches for you guys! The first one I really wanted was so different in colour from my usual pink/coral/orange lipsticks. But after seeing a picture on the Internet a girl wearing it, it just looked so damn good! Queue ROSERIN - Described on the packaging as a 'plum rose'. A very apt description I would say.  Up next is SIREEDAN - described as a 'peachy nude', again bang on with the description. This is a perfect lipstick for day to day wear as it's that 'your lips but better' colour. And lastly, but definitely not least, is MICAVEL - a 'creamy coral'. So true, this is a very light coral/apricot colour and is great if your getting into oranges or corals. This is a very good colour to star...

There is all lot of talk surrounding stick eyeshadows at the moment. They range in price and quality... I really like cream shadow sticks as they are so quick and easy to use and really fool proof if you are new to using them. If you are in a rush then shadow sticks are great to use as you can just swipe them on for a great colour pay-off and go! Some of my favourites are the iconic By Terry Ombre blackstars, which I have wrote previous posts on, (check them out!) but I wanted to swatch all of the colours that I own together. These products have a ridiculous staying power! The longevity of this product is un-challenged! (Just check out the picture above!) Next up is the Laura Mercier Caviar Eye Colour stick, the colour I have is Pink Opal. This is a really nice shade, it's very light, almost like a highlighter colour, it does have shimmer in it. On the lids it looks like a 'gloss' I personally really like this look. The texture is very creamy, however it doe...