WHY I LOVE L'OREAL FOUNDATIONS

A few weeks ago I cleared out and tidied up my entire make up collection and was slightly ashamed by the number of foundations that I own. It was then that I realised the majority are L'oreal foundations, in different formulas and shades - yes I have a winter and a summer shade in all three of these formulas. My all time favourite foundation is still and probably always will be the Bare Minerals Ready Foundation but that's definitely not the cheapest, so I prefer to have some cheaper alternatives. I have tried lots of different brands, high and lower end but the L'oreal foundations are definitely my favourite after the Bare Minerals and work the best for me. I rarely feel like I need to try other foundations, even exciting new high end foundation launches don't really appeal to me anymore now that I have found these and would happily keep repurchasing them.

L'oreal True Match

The famous True Match foundation continually receives so much hype and the first time that I tried this foundation I completely agreed with all of the great reviews; I distinctly remember all of the, 'Oh this is beautiful's'. It has great coverage and stays on the skin all day. It also comes in so many shades so you should be able to find your true match... see what I did there? I would think that this foundation would work well on all skin types as it's quite a natural finish. 

L'oreal Infallible 24 Matte

This foundation has received the most hype lately and has made an appearance on pretty much every blog in the last few months or so. I used this foundation so much earlier in the year that I have very nearly used up my 'winter' shade in it, as I used it everyday which is very rare for me. This foundation is supposed to be full coverage without being heavy and I would agree with this, it gives great coverage all day. I have normal skin that goes quite shiny throughout the day, which is still the case with this foundation so I'm not sure I fully agree with the matte claim but this isn't exactly an issue. When I first apply this foundation it does go on more matte than others and I do think I look slightly less shiny throughout the day when I use this but it's still not a matte finish for 24 hours. I find that I don't need to use much of this foundation and I can still get great coverage, which is really great. 

L'oreal Infallible 24 Stay Fresh 

This is probably my favourite of the three foundations. When I knew I was going to write this post I started paying more attention to how my foundation actually looked close up throughout the day. I applied this foundation at 7am and looked in the mirror when I got home at 5.30 and it looked exactly as I applied it, only needing a little powder to help control shine if I wanted to. I was amazed at how good it still looked. The other two foundations have a great wear time too but this just seemed to be the winner. I think I've had the most compliments wearing this foundation too, with people saying that my complexion looks very fresh and healthy. Like the others it gives a great coverage but looks really smooth and natural on the skin. 

I now feel as though I have accomplished one of life's many make up dramas, by finding my perfect foundations. I've got a huge list of other make up that I want to try but I'm satisfied that I have found the one, or the ones... for foundation. Have you tried any of these or any other L'oreal foundations?

FIRST IMPRESSIONS: THE CLINIQUE SAMPLES

Clinique isn't a brand that I'm too familiar with so it was really nice to have some samples to try as I haven't tried too many products from the brand and of course we all love getting some freebies to try out. These are all really good sizes too so you are able to get a really good idea as to whether you will enjoy the product in its full size form before you buy it.

High Impact Curling Mascara
Probably my favourite of the bunch is the mascara sample. Normally I find that mascara samples aren't as good as the full size but this little sample is really good. I like it because it's quite a thick consistency, so covers the lashes really quickly and can build up quite a dramatic amount of volume. As it's quite a thick consistency, it lasts on the lashes all day and doesn't flake off or anything throughout the day. I'm not sure about it's curling qualities which essentially is what this mascara is all about but I've never felt like my lashes need a curling mascara so it's not really relevant to me.

Chubby Stick Baby Tint Moisturising Lip Colour Balm
The chubby sticks are definitely staples of Clinique's make up line but I wasn't too intrigued about this when I first got it. After using it I have completely changed my mind and I really like it. They're great for just applying a quick colour to your lips. The formula is very hydrating and feels more like a lip balm on the lips but it does still give a really good amount of colour. I really like how quick and easy they are. This shade is Poppin Poppy and it's a really easy to wear coral shade. 

Dramatically Different Moisturising Lotion + 
I still haven't found a moisturiser that I am completely loyal to, I have never repurchased the same moisturiser so I'm not that fussy when it comes to liking a moisturiser. I do like this one as it does everything that you need; adds hydration, absorbs into the skin easily and isn't too heavy. I have tried the Clinique Moisture Surge moisturiser and this one is definitely a lot more moisturising than the Moisture Surge. 

Clarifying Lotion 2 
This is probably one of Cliniques more controversial products, with people either loving it or hating it for being too strong and full of alcohol. There is no denying that it does have a very strong smell to it and for this reason I haven't been using it everyday. I have been using it when I feel like my skin seems to be stuggling a bit and needs some extra help. I do apply a lot of moisture and hydration after using it, in case it is too strong but I have never noticed anything bad from it. My skin feels and looks good after I use it. 

Rinse Off Foaming Cleanser Mousse
This was one of the samples that I was most interested to try as the Mousse in the name sounded like it could be really nice. This is the one product that on first impression I am really not getting on with. I will perceiver and try it now and again but so far I find that it is really drying on my skin and doesn't seem to do it any good. 

All About Shadow Duo in Strawberry Fudge and Blushing Blush Powder Blush in Bashful Blush 
This is a really cute little compact and would be perfect for travelling. The colours are really neutral and easy to wear, which is nice as often in freebies, you find yourself with shades that you wouldn't actually wear. 

The set also contained the fragrance Happy Heart, which has such good reviews. It's hard to explain the fragrance but it is a really nice fragrance thats easy to wear. I've had compliments when I have worn the fragrance and it's just nice to have little fragrances lying around if you fancy a change from your usual ones. 

What are your favourite products from Clinique?

THE 'UNSUNG HEROES' OF THE EVERYDAY BEAUTY PRODUCTS

As I write this post I am currently enjoying the sunshine outside in my garden and typing away on my new Macbook Pro. The only downside is the flies that seem to enjoy landing on it - much to my disapproval. Apart from that it's quite a nice experience blogging outside, as I can't actually hear any other people, that is apart from my boyfriend who is just inside currently shooting people on Grand Theft Auto, which is definitely lowering the tone just a little. Today I wanted to share the products that I like to use everyday but kind of go un noticed most of the time, my everyday essentials that don't really make it into favourites posts because they're not really that exciting but nonetheless they are products that I've really been enjoying using every day.

First would be the products that I use in the shower. My sister had been telling me for months that I had to try the Garnier Ultimate blends Shampoo and Conditioner as she absolutely loved it and we do have the same type of hair; thin, flat, boring... I put off buying it until I had run out of my current products, so it did take me a while. I was using the L'oreal Thickening collection before but didn't find that it left my hair feeling anything special so I was happy to change. My sister told me to get the ones that she got, which were the Silky Smoother range, designed for people with mid to long hair and split ends. Now, I don't really have any of this but she assured me I still needed it. I had my hair cut very short last year so it has now just about grown out to a long bob, just about touching my shoulders. As it was cut so short I also don't really have any split ends. She was right though, as they both make my hair feel so lovely and really soft and silky as the name suggests. It looks and feels so much better than before I started using these. They contain vanilla milk and papaya so of course they also smell amazing.

I've been using the Soap & Glory Orangeasm Body Wash and although I don't think you can go hugely wrong with any shower gel, it is really nice to use. Once again it smells amazing, quite citrus with a little zest but not your typical orange scent. It's a great product to wake you up in the mornings and leaves my skin feeling pretty soft, even before moisturiser. One product that I don't use everyday but do enjoy using if I want a little more moisture, is the Soap & Glory Whipped Clean Shower Butter. I like to use this after the body wash if my skin is feeling particularly dry or if I just fancy a little extra pamper. I don't actually need to apply moisturiser after using this product but I normally tend to, as I use self tan so I don't want to risk going patchy!

The moisturiser that I have been constantly using lately is The Body Shop Shea Butter Body Lotion. You may notice that it's not actually in the photo...I only realised once I had uploaded the photo and put everything away so it'll just have to hope it makes it into a future post.  It's quite a lightweight formula and has a pump, which makes it great at applying very quickly and absorbing fast so you can get dressed straight after. I find that it hydrates and moisturises the skin really well; I never feel like I have dry skin throughout the day, even though it is more light weight than others. The smell is fairly subtle and kind of reminds me of a very toned down coconut smell.

Throughout the day I like to use the Clarins Hand and Nail Treatment Cream, I can't stand my hands feeling the slightest bit dry and as everyone over maybe 30 says; you need to take care of your hands and neck as these are the areas that aren't afraid to show their true age!

I thought I would include a perfume here, as lately I have been wearing perfume most days. My favourite at the moment is the Giorgio Armani Si perfume.  I actually nabbed this off of my nan, believe it or not. She said her friend gave it to her, I presume because she didn't really like it anymore and my nan isn't really the person to wear perfume so she said I could have it. When it was released I worked in a department store on one of the make up counters. At the time I wasn't sure if I really liked it but then I kept smelling over people wearing it and really liked it. I think it's quite a unique fragrance and I've just realised that I also liked the Armani Diamonds fragrance, which I think it is of a similar scent family... I don't know!

THE STAGES OF LIFE AFTER UNI

Last week I was scrolling though Facebook and a photo from my graduation popped up; it was only then that I realised it had been a year since I graduated. I cannot believe that it's been a whole year, it has flown by so quickly and it really does only seem like a few months ago that I was in university. I was one of those that was quite looking forward to finishing uni as I wasn't the biggest fan of my course and it was such hard work that I was looking forward to having spare time, without having to be doing work all of the time. I thought I would share briefly how my year has been since finishing university, with the help of some funny little things... 

The last exam/deadline

After my last exam I couldn't quite believe that I was finished and now didn't have any work to do. It was an amazing feeling and felt like a whole load of stress and worry had been lifted - well apart from waiting and agonising over the results. 

The what the hell am I supposed to do now?

When you're so used to waking up everyday and heading straight downstairs to start a long day of revision or essay writing, waking up with not much that actually needs doing is a very weird feeling. You have all this freedom that can actually seem quite daunting. Luckily I already had a job and this blog so I did at least have some purpose to my days, but I imagine for those who don't have a job it must be a very scary thought literally being dropped into the big wide world and having to decide what to do with your life now. 

The job hunt that you're either too good for or not good enough

I worked on a make up counter while at university, so I just picked up full time hours once I graduated, so I had a bit more of an income to live on. I knew this was definitely not the job I was going to stick with for any amount of time as it's just not for me; hours of just standing, doing nothing but faking smiles and answering stupid questions and pushing sales that people do not want does not appeal to me in the slightest. While I was looking for jobs I found it so hard to know what I should be looking for. On the one hand I had a law degree which would surely show I'm more than capable to do a lot of jobs but then on the other hand, I only had a lot of the same retail experience and not much else. When I decided to maybe put my law degree to use, I looked on a job site and opened up all of the jobs that were what I was looking for in new tabs. I ended up with a very good selection but then had to close them all as they all read 'experience essential.' Now, if I was being a little more daring I still could have applied but I didn't really know exactly what I wanted so I didn't. 

The relevance to your degree

In addition to the too qualified/too inexperienced job dilemma, I actually found that my degree was in a way putting off employers when I did apply for a job that was completely irrelevant to my degree, but still closer to what I wanted than the make up counter. They couldn't quite comprehend that I was applying for a job that didn't involve law, even after explaining numerous times that I didn't necessarily want a job in law and I was very aware of that when I applied. Luckily I still got the job and I now realise I should have just gone with the 'I can't afford to pursue that career.' I used to have heart to heart chats with my manager/friend that I worked on my counter with, (yes we had that much free time), about what I was going to do in life and if I suggested anything that didn't relate to law she just couldn't understand why I was considering anything else. After talking with friends and colleagues who have also recently finished uni, you realise that there are really very few people that do end up doing anything that links with their degree, especially straight out of uni so I have definitely learnt not to stress about that. 

The I want everything right now!

Speaking of which, I did go through a stage where I felt like I needed to have everything sorted right that second. As education was finished I felt like that meant my adult life had to be completely in place. I wanted to buy a house, yet go travelling, have my dream career secured and be earning very comfortably straight away. This is extremely unrealistic and not necessary, but I'm sure it's something a lot of graduates struggle with. I moved in with my boyfriend which has been lovely and I love the independence but it is expensive and does make it harder to save up for the future, but I am still glad I did and think it's nice that we are now properly building our lives and futures together. 

Where are my friends?

So, first you leave all of your school and sixth form friends but you make new ones at uni so it's not so bad and when you come home you're all still in the same place but once uni is finished everyone seems to be all over the place. I thought I had loads of friends and then realised actually, they're all over the country. My best friend moved away for uni and has since moved even further away from me - the cheek of it, does she not even care?! 

What am I going to do?

I feel like during the last year I have considered so many careers and along the way I have realised that I now definitely don't want to do some things that I thought I always did. I've learnt that it is okay to be like this and I would rather take a little longer to figure it out, rather than just jumping into something else that I don't want to do. 

I'm actually kind of enjoying not having my life fully planned out; I know roughly what I want and I definitely know what I don't want but I have no idea about any certainties so it's actually a little more exciting not knowing. A year ago I wouldn't have imaged being where I am now and although I'm not doing exactly what I think I'll be doing for the long term, I'm grateful for the experience and feel that it's a necessary step to take. 

MY CURRENT FAVOURITES

Originally this was intended to be for my June favourites but I had a stage of not really feeling like blogging and then as we got further into the month it just seemed too late to post, so here we have it my current favourites instead as I couldn't ignore these products that have been doing me so well recently.

My absolute essential product over the summer months is self tan. With everyone jetting away and coming back so tanned, I just feel like I have to be tanned too. I can embrace the lighter natural skin during the winter but when I'm showing more skin I feel better when it's tanned. I recently posted my tanning routine which you can read if you want more detail, 'here'. I absolutely love Lauren's Way. I love all of the ones that I've tried but I discovered the spray formula during June and think that is makes the application much easier and quicker and doesn't feel heavy or sticky on the skin. I love the Rapid tan as it develops quickly, you don't need to make sue you've got over 8 hours for it to develop every time you want to apply self tan. Full review here.

Of course, with beautiful tanned skin, come the chore of exfoliating a lot!I can't believe during all of these years of wearing fake tan I have never bought exfoliating gloves; they're amazing! I bought these from Primark and I don't think they were more than a couple pound if that.

My next favourite is the Make Up Revolution Iconic Blush Bronze and Brighten palette in Smoulder. I recently did a post showing all four shades of this palettes but Smoulder is my absolute favourite and I have used it pretty much everyday this month. The other day I found MAC Peaches, which I loved last year, I tried wearing it and just didn't like how it made my make up look at all, I needed the pretty pink in Smoulder. I love the highlight in this palette too as it's just so pretty. I even got complimented on it from a very unlikely source at work - who knew men notice that pretty thing on your cheekbones?!

For ease in the mornings I always tend to opt for easy neutral brown eye shadows, but recently I have been branching out a little and I mean a little as it's only a small extension of the usual brown family. I've been enjoying using slight plum/purple toned shadows, like Quarry from MAC and the Naked 3 palette from Urban Decay. It obviously still looks very neutral but it's a nice little change and I feel that the colours really brighten up my eyes and emphasis the green in them.

My go to lipstick lately has been MAC's Kinda Sexy; it's a gorgeous neutral nude shade, which leans more on the peachy tone making it really flattering and I find that is such an easy shade to pair with most make up looks.

Onto jewellery now. I always love the look of lots of cool and simple jewellery but I'm pretty rubbish at buying any. My money normally goes on make up then clothes and maybe shoes. I then struggle to justify more on jewellery and bags etc. While I was in Forever 21 a month or so ago I decided that I was definitely going to make the effort to chose a necklace that would go with lots of outfits and just make them look more stylish and like I've made more effort. I love how you can just wear very plain clothes but with the right accessories it looks so much more stylish. I picked up about five different necklaces as they were only a few pounds each, so hardly broke the bank. They are all gold, very simple and some quite unique and I've loved incorporating them into my outfits. 

A recent discovery, which I am blaming my mum for as she bought me it first is the Sweet & Salty Poshcorn. It seems a little odd really raving about a pop corn so much, but it's the best that I have ever had. It's the perfect combination between sweet and salty and is just so addictive!

My final addiction favourite recently has been the TV show Desperate Housewives. I watched the later seasons when they were originally on the TV and a couple of years ago I think they were all on Netflix, so I watched them all then. They have recently come onto the Sky boxsets so I've been watching them like crazy as they just don't ever get old. I've even managed to get my boyfriend Jamie into them, which is really funny as he was sure he wouldn't like it at first but now he sits and watches, asks questions and moans when he doesn't like certain characters. 

Those are all of the things that I have been loving recently, what have you been enjoying lately?

URBAN DECAY 24/7 GLIDE ON LIP PENCILS

I've always been one to focus more on my eye make up and neglect my lips on a day to day basis but I always feel a little un complete with my lips looking bare. Recently I've been branching out and filling the void in my make up routine with lots of neutral everyday shades. I love lipsticks but I feel that you can't beat the staying power of a good lip liner and the Urban Decay 24/7 Glide on Lip Pencils are my absolute favourite lip liners. I discovered them when I worked on a make up counter; as you have so many make up items at your finger tips you do end up trying everything and realising what brands have the best products and Urban Decay definitely win with lip pencils and eye pencils while we're on the subject! 

I love the formula of these lip pencils as they are so creamy and as the name suggests, they literally do glide over the lips. I like to fill my whole lips in when I use these lip pencils and not just line the lips. They give a matte finish to the lips but it's still very comfortable and it doesn't feel drying at all. The staying powder is unbeatable and I even have an example of how good they are! One day I decided to use the red Urban Decay lip pencil, 69... this would be the day that one of the girls I worked with decided that we should get Burger King for lunch. Obviously eating with a bold lip is hard enough but red and eating a chicken royale, really isn't easy. I rushed straight back down to top up my lip liner as I was sure it would be in a right state by now, like wise to the other girls (I won't mention which brand doesn't have very good staying power)! To my surprise it was still absolutely perfect, so much so that I didn't even top up. 

I used to wear Manic all the time as it's such a great everyday, pretty rose pink shade. I like it because you can tell that you are wearing something on your lips but it isn't so extreme that it steals the show. I found it easy to pair with most eye looks and even some heavier looks suited Manic still. I think it's the kind of shade that you could use with so many different lipsticks. 

For a perfect lighter nude lip, I love the lip pencil Naked. It's a light pinky beige which is very flattering without being too light and 'concealer' like on the lips. It does look good alone but my favourite way to use this is all over the lips with either a pink or coral coloured lip gloss over the top. I think it gives the most gorgeous and easy to wear nude lip. 

Naked 2 is still a nude but it has a lot more brown in it. It looks nice all over the lips but also looks really pretty paired with a pink lipstick, as it's then the perfect mix between being a brown nude and a pink nude lip colour. If you're embracing the slightly more brown tones it does look really nice with a pinky brown lip gloss over the top too, like Urban Decay's Nooner lip gloss. 

I think I may end up purchasing at least a couple more shades as they're just so good! I love low maintenance lip options and these are just that as you apply and they stay forever! Have you tried any of the Urban Decay lip pencils?