STEPPING OUT OF THE EVERYDAY NEUTRAL COMFORT ZONE

I'm sure I am not the only one who sees all of the new eye shadow releases and continually feels so certain that I just need each and everyone of them, so desperately that my eye lids are just crying out for them... okay a bit too much, but you get the point. I probably have every colour that I could ever need and want in some shape or form in my collection, so really I should be content. Lately I've been noticing that, not surprisingly I don't even get to make use of some of the more daring shades that I own. I stick to neutral browns, maybe the odd taupe 5 days out of the week for work and by the weekend I will either wear no make up or not much at all, still reaching for the very neutrals. I've been trying to use different shades that I don't normally reach for as much, that you can pull off as just a little more daring than neutral, but still don't look out of place for work. Coppering by MAC is one of my all time favourite shadows; I used to blend it with more orange/red shades like Rule and Red Brick by MAC and black shades for a heavier make up look but it also works really well blended with light browns to make it more everyday appropriate. Obviously for photo taking purposes, I have packed on a little more colour than I normally would for work but it's still not crazy. For work days I usually apply Coppering all over the lid and blend something like Texture or Wedge both from MAC into the crease. Any light brown shade would work. I would then usually put a little bit of the light brown shade along my lower lash line and add mascara. I really love the Coppering shades of eyeshadow as they look gorgeous on all eye colours and really make the eye pop, looking really bright and awake. I like to use shades like this or purples when I'm wearing something very plain, neutral or black as it just instantly makes you look more glam. This kind of shade is also great for wearing in the summer and the autumn months. 

Hope you're all having a great weekend so far!

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?

MY MAC HAUL

L-R: Soar, Dervish, Brave, Velvet Teddy, Kinda sexy 

Who would have thought that it would have taken any girl - let alone a make up obsessed girl, a whole six months to spend a MAC gift card. I think the hardest part was limiting down what I wanted, so to be closer to the actual gift card value... yes I went over it, but only by a little bit! 

The one thing that secured a spot on the gift card straight away, was the Pro Shaping powder in the shade Emphasize. I go on about this product all of the time on this blog and I am currently using the last little bits of it, before I start my new one. I love it for under the eyes as it sets concealer and really brightens up the under eye and just smooths everything out. I have to use it every single day! 

On to the lip products. I knew I wanted some typical 'everyday' shades, as I'm sure I do own some but I don't think I do have too many. Oh well, regardless you can never have too many nudes. I feel a little cringey saying which shades I got as they're so cliche but they're really good! The two shades that are not so common, are the lipstick in Kinda Sexy and the Lip Pencil Dervish. I swatched Kinda Sexy in the store and loved it; its a matte finish described as a neutral pink rose shade. I think it's a very easy to pull off nude, not too dark or brown and definitely not too light but I think it's a bit more of a peachy pink than a rose pink. I think it's really flattering on the lips and lasted very well on me. 
I liked the look of Dervish when I saw Amelia Liana wearing it a few times in her videos. It's a rosy pink colour which is like an exaggerated version of my natural lip colour, so it's great when you just want a very subtle everyday shade. I think it would go with so many lipsticks too as it is such a natural and easy shade. The only thing that isn't so great about Dervish, is that it doesn't seem very creamy so doesn't apply as easily as I would like, but this isn't too much of an issue. 

Onto the more obvious lipstick choices, of course I needed Brave. I really love the rose pink shades (can't you tell)! that just enhance your lip colour, which Brave does perfectly. It's hyped so much but it is such a great shade. I think it's the kind of shade that just completes your look and is a pretty pink but not your typical girly pink pink shade. The Soar Lip pencil is a darker version and more brown toned.I prefer Brave for an every day shade but I love Soar if I want something a little more. I completely got sucked into the hype with Soar as when I first swatched it at MAC I really didn't like it but the beauty blogger in me just needed it. When I was being logical I decided that maybe I didn't need to buy Velvet Teddy too but then my logic gave out and I needed it. I'm so glad I got it as originally I thought it would be my least favourite of the lipsticks as it seemed the darkest and I thought it might be too brown. After wearing it, I'm in love. I didn't realise how flattering it is. It's a dark pinky/brown nude but it's extremely wearable which surprised me. I find that when I wear it, likewise to Brave and Kinda Sexy, it seems to stain the lips, so even hours and hours later you can still see the colour. 

I also got a free sample of the Studio Fix Fluid Foundation in shade NC25 with my order. I am yet to try this shade but I do already own the foundation in NW25 and I like it but it's not my favourite foundation. 

What are your favourite MAC lipstick and lip liner shades, I'm sure there are still more that I need!? 

THE QUICK WEEKEND MAKEUP

I used to happily spend hours getting ready when I had the time to on days off; applying every product I could and trying out eye looks better suited for a night out than a chilled weekend. Lately, I've been embracing the much quicker routine and even skipping make up all together quite often on Sundays, if I'm just staying at home. I don't think I'll ever be the type of girl to go out happily without make up, not because I can't stand myself completely naked faced, but I just like to make an effort. These products are my go to items for achieving a very quick, fresh, pretty make up look, that still looks like you've made an effort but doesn't waste any valuable weekend time! 

First I apply the MAC Prep + Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose under my eyes. I don't bother with an actual concealer as this product counteracts the darkness and brightens up the under eye well enough. I then go in with the Bare Minerals Original Foundation as you can just buff it onto the skin really quickly, without any careful blending, like liquid foundations. It evens out the complexion and adds a really radiant, fresh glow to the skin. If I feel like I need more coverage I can also buff a little more on. I love using the Bare Minerals Warmth to obviously warm up the complexion; it's the most gorgeous shade and makes such a difference to your base. You could just use the Warmth as a blush too but I'm a sucker for a pink blush, so I love using the Benefit Hervana Blush. It's a really pretty shade, that would probably suit a lot of skin tones. For my eyes, I blend a little of the two brown shades from the Naked Basics palette by Urban Decay through the crease, the outer corner and the lower lash line. I then take the black shade form the palette and just blend it along my upper lash line, so it looks like a blended out liner. I also take a little under the eye to add some definition . I then use the highlight shade from the palette to highlight under the brow, the inner corner of my eye and as a cheek highlight. I also use this palette for my brows all of the time. (I LOVE this palette)! I then apply mascara to my lashes, Lash Domination by Bare minerals is a favourite of mine. I finish by putting on a little lipstick, as I think lipstick is so easy to chuck on, yet makes your look so much more complete and like you've spent a lot more time on it, when really you were spending time still in bed or making time for a proper weekend breakfast! I love the Revlon Lip Butters as they're pigmented enough to give a good colour pay off but not as dramatic as a bright lipstick if you want something a little more subtle. This shade is Sweet Tart. 

I hope you all have an amazing weekend! 

MY MOST USED MAC EYE SHADOWS

 

There's something about MAC eye shadows; on one hand they make me swoon over how pretty they all are, yet on the other hand, it makes me a little - I mean a lot, sick when I think about how much those damn things cost! I've built up quite a collection of MAC eye shadows over the last few years and sometimes as much as I hate to say it, they have been slightly neglected in favour of other shadows. I also worked on two different make up counters which weren't MAC so everyday for work I had to wear those brands which pushed my poor MAC palette further down the line. Recently I've found myself using my MAC palette non stop and absolutely loving all of the colours. These are my most used eye shadows from my palette. Obviously, they're extremely neutral and all close in the colour family but that's just what I find easiest to wear for work, quick eye looks and the safe smokey eye shades. Some of these aren't necessarily my favourites out of all of the shades I have but they are the ones I get the most use out of.

L-R All That Glitters, Wedge, Charcoal Brown, Espresso, Swiss Chocolate, Sable, Mulch, Antiqued, Texture, Embark 

L-R All That Glitters, Wedge, Charcoal Brown, Espresso, Swiss Chocolate

All That Glitters: A beige with gold pearl. A gorgeous all over the lid colour, not your typical light lid shade as it does have a lot more colour to it, which means it's great to apply really quickly and easily and still look pretty. 

Wedge: A soft muted beige taupe. Probably the most boring looking colour but the one I use every single time I use my MAC Shadows, without fail. It's a great light brown crease colour that works with any other shadow colour to make it really easy to blend seamlessly. 

Charcoal Brown: A muted taupe brown. The famous brow colour. I used to use Charcoal brown on my brows with a mixture of Espresso and Carbon but mostly I now use the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette as it just seems to fill my brows in a lot quicker. Now I like to use it as a good colour to deepen the crease.

Espresso: A muted golden brown. Likewise to Charcoal brown I like to use this in the crease/outer corner. Both shades work well for more neutral or cooler eye shadow colours. 

Swiss Chocolate: A Muted reddish brown. Maybe one of my favourite shadows out of all of my MAC ones as it's a really pretty unique shade. I think this colour would compliment all skin tones as it's so warm but still quite rich. 

L-R Sable, Mulch, Antiqued, Texture, Embark

Sable: A gold plum with bronze pearl. I love to wear sable all over the lid for another quick and easy look. I also like to smoke it out with either Charcoal Brown and Espresso. 

Mulch: A Red brown with bronze pearl. I use this like I use Sable, all over the lid. I love how pretty both shadows are and easy to use. I like to smudge a black eye liner along the top lash line and blend it into the shades which creates a really pretty and simple smoky eye, yet not too dark.

Antiqued:An ash brown with bronze. Thinking about it, this is probably another one of my overall favourites as well as most used. I used to love watching Ghost Whisperer and Melinda Gordon always used to wear a really pretty warm bronze colour all over her lids and quite heavy under the eye. Whenever I wear this shadow I like to wear it like that and it's one of my favourite eye looks, with a warm shade in the crease and maybe a black if I want to darken up the look.

Texture: A Peachy brown with shimmer. The perfect shade to wear if you want a warm eye look; it works well in the crease and all over the lid. It does have shimmer in it but you don't really see that when it's on your eyes. It's a really good shade to use to blend out the lower lash line too if you don't want anything too dark. 

Embark: An intense reddish brown. I love Embark as it's a dark shade that's great for adding definition to the eye but it isn't as harsh as a black so it looks really good and smokey on the eye yet without being too heavy. I like to use Embark quite heavy along the lash lines and smoke it out with lighter browns for a grungy kind of look. 

There you have my most used MAC eye shadows and maybe a few all time favourites too, I may do another post on my favourite shadows soon. I thought I was good for eye shadows for maybe the rest of my life but now I've been on the MAC website again, I've definitely found some more that have caught my eye! 

EMPTIES: MAKE UP ITEMS I'VE USED UP

 As you can see, I nearly had a concealer crisis as I managed to use up every concealer that I owned, not too far from each other. I now feel that buying in excess is completely justified as that was a scary time, when I didn't know if I'd be able to cover those dreaded dark circles and blemishes. Luckily, we can all sleep easy again as I am now back to being well stocked and ready for anything - phew!

While on the topic of concealer, I ran out of an old favourite - MAC Pro Longwear. A really great concealer for under the eyes and other imperfections that lasted for ages! I did repurchase this concealer and it's one that I like to have in my collection, although the Urban Decay Concealer (review here), has now taken the favourite spot. Another good concealer was the Maybelline Eraser concealer in shade light; it's a really good product for brightening under the eyes as it's quite yellow toned. My issues with this concealer are that it didn't seem to last long at all and I am now left with what appears to be a lot of product in the tube that I cannot get out. One that I wasn't so keen on was the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer; I bought the lightest shade but it still wasn't very light at all and quite orange toned. It was disappointing as others seem to love this concealer. The MAC Prep & Prime brightener in Radiant Rose and Bare Minerals Stroke of light 1 products are both very similar. They are light pink in colour and are great for counteracting darkness and brightening the under eye area. I have repurchased the MAC one over the Bare Minerals, as it lasted so long with me using it every day. The Bare Minerals product seemed to run out a lot quicker. It must be something to do with the packaging as the MAC one only has 3ml of product, while Bare Minerals is 5.5ml. I trust the ingredients of Bare Minerals more but for how much longer the MAC one seemed to last, I have to favour it.

On to foundations both by Bourjois. I managed to use both of these foundations up as it was when I first started abandoning fake tan and gradually getting lighter and these two were the lightest ones I owned at that time. I think they are fairly similar in terms of coverage and longevity. I would say they are a light-medium coverage that evens out the skin tone completely, yet you would still need more coverage for bigger imperfections if you wanted it. They both feel and look very light on the skin. The only different that I can really think of is that the Happy Light foundation is obviously a lot more dewy and radiant looking than the Healthy Mix Serum. 

The L'oreal Volume Million mascara was a repurchase as I used to love it but this time round it didn't impress me as much. The formula wasn't 'wet' enough for me to build the lashes well and get a lot of volume from it. I want to try other L'oreal mascara's as I have liked some of them but this one I wont be repurchasing. I now only use powder products for my eye brows as I don't actually own any pencils now that I have used up the Bare Minerals Frame & Define brow pencil. It's a very thin, twist up product so you only need to twist the tiniest amount up, otherwise the product snaps off pretty easily. It is a good product; great colour and really good at adding definition but it just seemed to run out too quickly for my liking. As I'm pretty happy with just powder products I don't feel that I need to repurchase this product but I'm definitely not ruling out brow pencils in the future! 

On the other hand, a product that lasted for so long was the MAC Prep & Prime Skin Base Visage. It's a cream formula face priming product, with little shimmer particles to make your skin look more radiant. I found it really great for when my skin felt a little drier as it is so hydrating, yet very light weight so works great as a base for foundation. I've got a full review of the product 'here.' At the moment I don't actually use any face primers any more so I don't need to repurchase this product but I would still recommend it. 

The final product is MAC's Give Me Sun, which I repurchased even before I had run out of this one. It's an amazing bronzer, with so much pigmentation. It's a lovely warm tone so really works for making your skin  look more healthy and warm very quickly. It works on my now very fair skin really well and also when I have a dark tan so I think it's a good all rounder - as long as a lighter hand is used in times of the fairer skin! The bronzer lasted so long, even though I used it every day that I actually started to wonder why it wasn't hitting pan and wishing it would, in a strange kind of way. 

A HIGH END WISHLIST

I thought that I was completely shopped out after my recent High End Haul but clearly I was wrong and now I just can't shift the spendy feeling. There were a few products that I knew I had been lusting after so I decided that I would compile together this post partly so I could see how much damage I wanted to do and also to share it with fellow beauty obsessives for some moral support. I didn't quite realise how many products were actually on my list... Oh dear.

First things first, Clarins. I definitely thought I had bought everything I possibly could from Clarins after my Skincare Haul but there's still a couple of things on the list. I did intent to get the Eye Contour Balm but it was out of stock at the time. I also wanted the Liquid Bronze Self Tan as I've heard such good things about it and think it will be great for the summer months. I've had a sample of the One-Step Cleanser and really liked it, for when I'm feeling lazy and want something quick, especially in the mornings. It smells amazing and feels so refreshing. I resisted temptation to buy the Clarins Bronzer last year when it came out but now that they've released it again for their summer collection I'm just not sure I can resist it this time round. 

I've never actually tried anything from Origins but it's always popping up on blogs. I currently don't have a back up product for a moisturiser so I've been eyeing up the Ginzing range and the eye cream also sound lovely. I've also put the Eye Doctor on there as the description sounded so nice. I'm starting to think I'm a bit of a sucker for eye creams...

I like the sound of the Kiehl's Midnight Recovery Concentrate as a good all rounder serum for overnight. I'm quite lacking in the serum department and only really have the Clarins Treatment Oils which are amazing but I tend to only really use them when my skin is feeling like it actually needs the treatment aspect, so it would be nice to have a good all rounder serum for most nights. Caroline Hirons has recently been raving about the Moisture Surge Face Spray by Clinique so obviously it's taken my fancy. I like using moisturising/hydrating sprays in my routine and this one seems like a good choice when my current one runs out. 

Time for lipsticks! I love the colour of the Urban Decay Sheer Revolution Lipstick in Rapture. It's a perfect easy to wear everyday colour, that gives a plum-pink look to the lips. As it's sheer, it's so easy to just apply it quickly and it doesn't look too over done for everyday. I received a MAC voucher for Christmas that surprisingly is yet to be spent. I haven't decided which lipstick I want yet but I have been admiring Brave, Twig, Plumful and Syrup maybe..? Let me know your favourites! 

I'm a huge Bare Minerals foundation fan anyway but recently I'm also enjoying a lighter coverage of foundation, so I'm really interested in trying the Complexion Rescue. I swatched a tiny amount the other week and it did look really lovely, a decent amount of coverage and really radiant. Urban Decay's Summer launches includes the gorgeous Afterglow blushes; there are so many colours that look amazing so I know at least one will just have to go on the list. The final product on the list is the Too Faced Better Than Sex Mascara. It's such a raved about product and although I do really like the Urban Decay Perversion Mascara I still don't think it's the one, so I'm still on the hunt for the perfect mascara. 

MY NEW FAVOURITE CONCEALER

If you've read any of my previous posts, it's quite likely that you will have come across me raving about MAC's Pro Long Wear concealer; I've repurchased it and loved it for the last 2 years at least, but I think I've found something I like a lot more, which is very exciting!

The Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer was released earlier this year and received pretty good reviews straight away. As soon as I tried it I knew I had to have it; it seemed a good coverage, good consistency and it also smells a lot like MAC's foundations and Pro Long Wear Concealer, so I was very intrigued. The first time I actually used it I liked it but it didn't wow me. I kept using it and then on one of the days that I did wear it, I looked in the mirror during the day and without specifically intending to, I noticed that my under eyes looked really brightened and concealed and remembered that it was this concealer that I used. I really like it as it is described as weightless, complete coverage and it is. It gives really good coverage, yet doesn't feel or look heavy on the skin, like the MAC concealer can. I find that it lasts all day and I never notice any creasing under my eyes when I use it. I find that you don't need much at all as it is such good coverage, so I think it'll last a long time. Although my complexion isn't perfect, I tend not to bother concealing on my face too much as no concealer ever completely covers spots and you can end up looking worse. I do however put a tiny bit around my nose to cover redness and I think it works really well and still doesn't look heavy on top of foundation. I think it would be really good for blemishes and other imperfections, if you get the right shade. I chose Light Warm which has a very yellow tone to it which makes it really good for brightening under the eye. If you have a light complexion and want something more neutral that will work under the eyes and on the face I would use the shade Light Neutral. The shades do go up in colour pretty quickly, so I wouldn't go any darker than Medium Light Neutral unless you have a very tanned or darker complexion. The concealer is designed to improve skin's youthful appearance and elasticy, radiance and reduce the appearance of fine lines with it's matrixyl 3000, green tea, sodium hyaluronate and Litchiderm ingredients. 

I haven't yet read or heard a negative review of this concealer and I couldn't fault it so far. I much prefer it to any other concealer that I've used but the deciding factor as to whether I repurchase it will be how long it lasts. It's £17.50, which for a high end concealer is pretty reasonable as long as it lasts well.  

Have you tried the Naked Skin Concealer? 

MY EVERYDAY MAKE UP

Since leaving my make up counter job, where it was actually written in my contract that I must wear a full face of make up, I've made some big changes to my make up routine. This probably still seems a lot for the everyday woman, but for us beauty obsessed this is pretty tame. I've been really enjoying not feeling like I need to layer every product I can onto my face and think up new and exciting eye looks everyday, in a minimal time. It's strange but I'm actually feeling a lot more confident with my face...? since cutting down on the products. I still wear more make up than pretty much everyone in the office, but it's a start. 

 First up for my base, I use the L'oreal True Match foundation in N2, which is still a little dark for my light, un-fake tanned skin. I use Urban Decay's new Naked Skin concealer under the eyes and set it with my trusty MAC Emphasize powder, which I will be repurchasing very soon by the looks of it. I did include Rimmel's Stay Matte powder in my 'Hyped products that I'm not in  love with' post, but I don't actually have many powders in my collection, so I'm just using it to set my foundation and use it up. I use MAC's Give me sun bronzer, as it's so pigmented that it takes no time at all to apply and gives a gorgeous warmth to the skin. I like to use Bare Minerals 'The One' blush, as it's a soft pink shade that gives a healthy flush to the cheeks, topped with MAC's Soft & Gentle on the cheekbones. For my eyes I still like to define my eyes, yet not so dark and the winged liner has definitely been got rid of. I use MAC's Wedge in the crease, Sable on the lid as it's a light slightly shimmery brown and Swiss Chocolate to slightly darken  up the outer corner and on the lower lash line. I use a little bit of Urban Decay's Perversion eye liner along my top lash line and smudge it out to give the definition and extra thickness to my lashes, but so it's quite soft. I then finish off with Urban Decay's Perversion mascara and a little bit of Soft & Gentle on the brow bone and inner corner. I fill in my brows slightly with the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. To finish off my look, I use L'oreal's Eva's Nude lipstick, as it's a gorgeous natural shade that you can just put on to complete the look. 

I'm really enjoying my new everyday make up routine as it's so much quicker and when I look in the mirror I feel more myself, instead of just looking at make up. Don't get me wrong, I haven't ditched the intense smokey eye for good, but it'll probably now just be a special occasion thing, like normal people do! What are your favourite products to use everyday?

2014 MAKE UP FAVOURITES

Better late than never, right?

I don't often do monthly favourites posts as I've been pretty good lately and not bought that much make up, so I end up just using the same old products over and over. For my year favourites it was a lot easier to chose products as I have only included products that were my absolute favourites to use and not necessarily just the products that I used most regularly. I haven't included make up from every category as for some like blushers, I don't particularly have a favourite.  

My first favourite is probably the best make up item that I have ever used! The Bare Minerals Ready foundation has been my favourite foundation since the start of 2014. It has the best staying power, looks very glowy, fresh and radiant on the skin, gives a great amount of coverage which can be built to a high coverage and yet doesn't look or feel heavy. I always get so many compliments when I wear this foundation. My shade right now is R250 as I've ended my relationship with fake tan, but when I did fake tan it was R330. 

The MAC Give Me Sun bronzer, is such a great bronzer as it's so pigmented that you don't need to use much at all - this is my second purchase of the bronzer and the first must have lasted me about a year and a half. It's a gorgeous warm colour, which isn't too orange but gives a really healthy and natural glow to the skin. It still works just as well on my skin now that I'm fairer as it did with tanned skin. 

As Give Me Sun is quite warm toned, I like to use Benefit's Hoola bronzer to contour. It's such a great contour shade and really makes your contour look so much more defined. 

One of my most favourite products that I discovered in 2014 was MAC's Emphasize powder. It brightens up the under eye area so well and sets the concealer. I feel like my make up looks so much more complete and flawless when I use this powder. 

I have loved Make up Geek eye shadows since before 2014 and have slowly been building up my collection. There are so many shades to choose from and many are quite unique. They have great pigmentation and blend so easily. The only annoying issue is that you have to order them from America, so customs charges are a bit off putting. 

Another Make up Geek product that I have been loving is the Immortal black gel liner. It  is so black and literally does not come off, which can be a little annoying if you're trying to be quick with removing make up but it's worth it. I've had mine I think since last February and it still works just as well and hasn't dried out at all. 

I enjoyed using the Urban Decay Chill setting spray as I do think it helps prolong your make up. It became a favourite product when I travelled to Corfu and after a very hot few hours in the sun it was so great at cooling you down and making you look pretty decent when you go to lunch. 

In 2014 I really got into using a pink toned under eye brightener to help hide dark circles and make the under eye look more awake. I tried MAC's Prep and Prime highlighter in Radiant Rose and Bare Minerals Stroke of Light in Luminous 1. Both were very good and I couldn't tell much difference, apart from that the MAC concealer lasted so much longer than the Bare Minerals, so I chose to repurchase the MAC one, plus it's also cheaper! 

A new find of 2014 was the Urban Decay's Subversion lash primer. I hate applying a lot of mascaras as many take so long to build up any length and volume. This primer helps shape the lashes and really makes them a lot longer and helps build the volume much quicker. It may seem like you're taking more time by using an extra step but it's so easy and quick to apply that it's actually a lot quicker than building up your mascara alone. 

Before the Suberverion primer was released I started using Bare Minerals Lash Domination. At first I didn't really like the mascara as it's a very big brush, with quite a wet formula, which I do like but it can be pretty messy. I didn't like the mascara as it seemed good with volume once you had carefully applied it, but it left my lashes quite stumpy and didn't do anything for the length. Once it had dried out a little I started to like it more and more. It is now my go to mascara and I hate to say it, but I'm pretty sure I used this for most of 2014 and it's only just drying out to the point where I can't get much from it. 

I think the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette is such a great little palette. I had to include it as although it looks pretty boring, it is such a handy and easy to use palette. You can get so many eye looks out of it; I love that you can do a really basic eye look if you want something natural but you can also go really heavy and dramatic too, with the amazingly pigmented black shade. I don't think you can beat a good matte smokey eye. As the palette is matte it's perfect for your eyebrows too. 

My last favourite is a little less of a favourite than the others as it wasn't something that I used often, but it was my favourite lipstick to throw on when I wanted to wear a bright lip. MAC's Lady Danger is definitely a classic favourite. I loved wearing it when I didn't want to do a heavy eye or when I was short for time and needed something to make it look like I had made a lot of make up effort, when really I had just put some lipstick on. 

And... finally we are done! I am also going to be posting my 2014 Body  product favourites, so keep an eye out for that. I hope you're all having a good start to 2015 and keeping all those new years resolutions - yeah right!

HOW TO LOOK FRESH & ALIVE DURING THE FESTIVE SEASON

We all know that this time of year is always pretty hectic; with busy schedules, lots of parties, increased working hours, deadlines, illnesses and the stress of Christmas shopping! It is no surprise if you're feeling a little run down and in need of a break! These are some of the products that I like to use when I have had too many busy days and late nights and want to pretend that I've had my 8 hours sleep and several facials of course... 

When my eyes are feeling incredibly tired and pretty much still asleep I always like to use a good hydrating eye cream, like the Bare Minerals Renew & Hydrate eye cream, as it always makes my under eyes feel so smooth and refreshed. You could also try keeping it in the fridge and then applying it to your under eyes to fight those pesky under eye bags.

I've recently been using The Body Shop's Vitamin C Energising Face Spritz; it smells of oranges and really hydrates your skin and makes it look a lot more fresh and radiant. You can also spray this onto your face during the day as a little pick me up. Another product that I like to use to add radiance to tired and dull skin is the Bare Minerals Biolucent Mineral Brightening Treatment. I really notice a difference when I use this product, as my skin looks so radiant and healthy, the kind of finish that a good dewy foundation would give. The cold weather is also a further battle to our skin, making it feel even more dry and dehydrated, so a good overnight mask like Clinique's Moisture surge mask is a must have.

There are of course a few make up must haves that really help to hide the appearance of dark circles and blemishes that have maybe appeared after one too many take aways or other naughty foods this time of year. I love Mac's Pro Longwear Concealer and Mac's Prep and Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose. I always talk about both of these products on my blog so sorry if you're a regular reader, but they are just so good! I always find that a pretty pink blush makes you look so much more alive by adding a good amount of warmth and colour to your complexion. I've chosen Benefit's Bella Bamba as it's a gorgeous bright pink, that still looks like a natural flush of colour on the cheeks. Finally, to make you look even more fresh and alive, I like to add a little highlighter, like Mac's Soft and Gentle, to the cheekbones, brow bone and inner eye. This really lifts your eyes and makes them look so much bigger, brighter and awake. 

I hope you find some of these products useful to you during this festive season and know that you're not the only one feeling very tired and ready for a day off come Christmas day! It's times like this when I'm especially grateful that us woman can have a little helping hand in looking great with a little, or maybe even a lot of make up!

WHAT'S IN MY TRAVEL MAKE UP BAG

I don't normally use a make up bag at home and prefer to keep all of my make up in my draws, as I just have far too much for any make up bag to handle. Last week I had the dreaded task of having to decide which make up products to take with me on holiday - which honestly felt like I was choosing which child I wanted to take with me. I was also terrified that things would get broken during the journey, so it took me a lot longer than I'd like to admit to choose between my beloved eye shadows. 

I did take quite a bit more than what is photographed but these were the only products that I used. First, I used MAC's Prep + Prime Skin Base Visage for my primer as it is really hydrating and spending all day out in the sun means you can't get enough hydration to your skin. For my foundation I used Bare Minerals Ready foundation as it's so quick and easy to apply, gives great coverage but still doesn't look or feel heavy on the skin. I set my foundation with Bare Minerals Mineral Veil to control any extra shine, so I didn't look like a hot mess in the equally hot weather. I used MAC's Pro Longwear concealer under the eyes and on any imperfections. I also used MAC's Prep + Prime Highlighter in Radiant Rose under the eyes and as always MAC's Emphasize powder to set it. I used Bare Minerals Stroke of Light to highlight areas of my face, to look more glowy and summery. To bronze my face I used Bare Minerals The First Resort bronzer, there is also a highlight shade in there which I used as a blush and highlight. 

For my eyes I used MAC's Painterly Paint pot as a base. As I was on holiday I decided to experiment a bit more with some colour, so decided to bring Sleek's Del Mar Palette and managed to use the green, blue and the coral and orange shades.  I also used Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette to compliment the brighter shades and also used the dark brown and black on my brows. When I wasn't feeling too colourful I stuck with my trusty Make up Geek eyeshadows, in Peach Smoothie, Coco Bear, Creme Brule, Cosmopolitan and Mocha. For mascara, I like to bring a waterproof one as I'm one of those girls that does apply a little make up throughout the day, so waterproof is essential. I chose Maybelline's The Falsies mascara, as we all know Tanya Burr raves about it so I thought it would be a good time to try it. I liked it but I wouldn't rate it as highly as she does. 

I love a bright lip for summer but I didn't want to deal with applying lipstick and then worrying about eating and drinking at dinner, so I just used a tiny amount of Bare Minerals Go the Distance lipstick, by just dabbing it on my lips to give a slight stain of colour. 

Finally, The Urban Decay Chill setting spray came in very handy, both when setting my make up and to use just to refresh and cool me down throughout the day. 

Have you been away lately? What are your holiday make up must haves? 

HOW TO GET BRONZED AND GLOWING SKIN

At this time of year, some of us have naturally bronzed and glowing skin from holidays and others are religiously packing on the bronzer in order to convince the world that they did in fact go on holiday this year. I thought I would share some of my favourite products to use when I'm trying to look naturally tanned and glowing. 

First off for glowing skin I like to use some kind of brightening primer, like MAC's Skin Base Visage, which I've reviewed 'here' and the Bare Minerals Brightening primer. Both are pretty similar and include tiny little shimmer particles, that look very natural under make up and just give a nice glow to the skin. I also like to use Benefit's Sun Beam highlighter mixed with my foundation if I want a really glowy finish. 

For foundation, I like to use L'oreal Lumi Magique as the name suggests, it gives a gorgeous dewy finish. I also like to use Bare Minerals Original foundation as it gives a naturally fresh, healthy and radiant finish to the skin. 

MAC's Give Me Sun bronzer is my absolute favourite bronzer in the whole world, it's just perfect. A little goes a very long way so it's very quick and easy to apply. It's a gorgeous warm colour that instantly makes you look so healthy and radiant. The colour is dark enough for fake tan wearers but also suits very fair skin tones, as I've also convinced my sister to buy it and she uses it regularly on her fair skin too. I also like Benefit's Hoola bronzer, but I just don't reach for it as much as Give Me Sun as it's just not as warm and 'look at my gorgeous bronzed, healthy glowing skin' as Give Me Sun.

For highlighter I like to use MAC's Soft and Gentle. I only apply it to my cheekbones and under the brow as I naturally get a tiny bit shiny on my t zone throughout the day so I don't need any extra on my forehead or nose like some people with dry skin like to do. 

What are your favourite bronzers and highlighters?