Summer Makeup

July 2016 Beauty Favourites

- Vicki 2 Comments
Five Beauty Favourites July 2016

Five Beauty Favourites July 2016

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

I adore using this toner as part of my morning skincare routine. Its so soothing, calming and refreshing on the skin. It contains so many skin loving ingredients (as you expect from skincare experts Liz Earle), including active ingredients aloe vera to revitalise and soften and calendula, chamomile, cucumber and natural source vitamin E to soothe and refresh the skin.

This feels so gentle and soothing nice on the skin and the formula is alcohol free. It does have quite a strong floral / botanical scent, which I like and find relaxing. I pour a little product on to a cotton pad & sweep all over my face and neck every morning. Its not at all drying and leaves your skin feeling leans and hydrated, ready for the next step in your skincare routine. This paired with the Eye is the complete package! Now that Liz Earle is sold at larger Boots stores it is even easier to get hold of, which is ideal.

My Current Favourite Beauty Products

Max Factor Creme Puff Blush in Gorgeous Berries 

I always come back to this blush more than any other in my collection. Its just beautiful. I love the packaging, the fact that its a baked blush and the colour looks a little different each time I wear it. This blush has a marbling effect and I have heard them described as dupes for the much coveted Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blusher, I haven’t used those so I can’t compare. Although I can say its incredible quality for the price.

The Max Factor ones are buttery soft and extremely pigmented, I have the shade Gorgeous Berries which is a deep mauve berry shade. It is the darkest shade in the range and it gives the cheeks a beautiful flush of colour, if you want to build up the intensity you can go all out. These wear really well and the colour lasts all day. This shade does have a slight sheen to it but I wouldn’t say it was anything on par with a highlighter.

Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude

Again this is a foundation I have had in my collection for some time now and its one I love to go back to. The consistency is so fluid that I find it easy to blend and get a good even coverage. This is quite a dark shade compared to what I would usually wear but it works for the warmer months when I have a little more colour, so I am making the most of it. This gives quite a light coverage but it is build-able and it gives the skin a velvety smooth flawless (as the name suggests) finish. I really like the way it makes my skin look and it feels lightweight. Unlike some bases it actually looks better throughout the day, bonus!

July favourite products swatches

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in BackTalk*

I have been wearing this lipstick almost everyday, the colour is so easy to wear. Its is a comfort matte finish but it doesn’t make my lips feel overly dry. Its not a faff to apply and it just makes me look like I have have made more of an effort with my makeup (when I am wearing bare minimal). BackTalk is a gorgeous mauve pink nude shade and I just can’t get enough of it.

Urban Decay Vice Lipstick in BackTalk

Bobbi Brown Long Wear Cream Shadow Stick in Golden Pink

I know I am not alone in loving cream shadows, they are a lazy girls best friend. You just sweep the product over your eyelid & blend it out using your finger & it always looks amazing. This Golden Pink is not what I would call a pink, it is a lot more a golden and has a pretty metallic finish. These cream shadow sticks are easy to blend but after a couple of minutes they dry done and do not budge. These are very similar to the Laura Mercier Caviar Sticks which I have quite a few of and I’d say the quality of them is identical. I always travel with cream shadows, because they take up no space, they don’t break in your makeup bag and you don’t need a brush.

•PR Sample

Michael Kors Into The Glow Collection

- Vicki 5 Comments
Michael Kors Getaway Lip Colour

The new Limited Edition Intothe Glow Colour Collection from Michael Kors is perfect for Summer. This collection centres around that sun kissed holiday vibe and includes vibrant colours for nails and lips also a bronzer and a dry oil spray so you can achieve that iconic Michael Kores sun kissed glow.

The products are all beautiful and look so luxurious in the signature gold MK packaging, it just screams take me on holiday!

Michael Kors Into The Glow

I have two products from the collection and the first is this gorgeous fushia pink Lip Luster Lip Gloss in the shade Getaway*. The colour is bright & summery and the finish is very glossy and thick but it still feels hydrating on the lips. This shade is really pigmented it would look really pretty with a tan. I’d say its the perfect holiday lip gloss. I found the gloss applied evenly and didn’t feel too sticky on the lips.

Michael Kors Getaway Lip ColourMichael Kors Lip Luster in Getaway

There are two new Hydrating Bronze Gel Cremes in this collection, I have the shade Sun Chaser*. This is a liquid bronzer for face & body, at first this product scared me & excited me all at once. I’m quite pale and I was really worried that this bronzer would make me look like an Ompa Lumpa, although this looks really dark in the pot once you blend it out on your skin its more subtle and adds a pretty glow to your complexion. So I use just the smallest amount of this & I apply it like a highlighter on my cheeks & it makes my skin look really healthy, there is a slight shimmer but its not disco ball – more sun kissed goddess.

Michael Kors Bronzing GelMK Sun-Chaser Hydrating Bronzing Gel

I have also worn this under my foundation as an illuminating primer, it is very lightweight and feels hydrating on the skin. It leaves your skin with a gorgeous glowing base for you to apply your foundation and look radiant and sun kissed. Its not shimmery but has an iridescent pear finish that catches the light and makes your skin look healthy and gives you that jet set glow. This pot is going to last me for many summers to come as you need just the smallest amount. So it might be an investment but one that you will get a lot of use from.

MK Into The Glow Collection

It was so hard to swatch the Hydrating Bronze Gel – this is it just swatched on my arm, I haven’t blended it in and its already quite sheer. When blended you’re left with a hint of colour & a luminous warmth to the skin. So don’t be put off by how dark / bold it looks in the packaging its not that intense on the skin, although it can be built up to give more of an intense look.

The Michael Kors Into The Glow Colour Collection includes,

  • Hydrating Bronze Gel Créme in Permanent Vacation and Sun Chaser £25
  • Lip Luster in Dew, Getaway and Fire Coral £21.50
  • Nail Lacquer in Blush, Daydreamer and Paradise £15
  • Bronze Powder in Glow £34
  • Liquid Shimmer Dry Oil Spray £40

Michael Kors Ito The Glow Colour Collection 2015

So its quite the Summer holiday collection, let me know if you’re jetting off somewhere warm this year & if you have your eye on anything from this collection. I have to say the nail polishes look gorgeous too!

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.

5 From NYX Cosmetics

- Vicki 9 Comments
5 From NYX Cosmetics

5 From NYX Cosmetics

Up until a couple of years ago NYX was quite hard to get hold of in the UK & we would all see American bloggers rave about their products, I for one was very jealous so when Boots started to stock a selection of their products in their larger stores and we could also order from NYX online in the UK. I was so excited to get hold of a few bits & bobs. I thought I would share with you 5 of my most used NYX products. Let me know what products you use the most from NYX & if you have any recommendations for me to try.

Jumbo Eye Pencil in Sparkle Nude £5.00

I have a number of these Jumbo Pencils and absolutely love them. I am obsessed with cream shadows and find them so easy to apply & blend and they last all day on me so they have fast become my favourite product. NYX have a quite a large selection of colours in these Jumbo Pencils but I have been wearing this Sparkle Nude on all over the lid on its own. It is a pretty champagne bronze with a touch of glitter running through, it brightens up my look & lasts all day. The glitter is quite chunky & not for everyone but I do like to wear a little sparkle on my lids & the colour is just so pretty. Oh & NYX do these pencils in 32 colours!

5 Products From NYX

NYX Illuminator in Narcissistic £9.00

This is a very light champagne highlighter which looks so pretty worn on its own or layered with your blusher to give it a glow. The colour in this highlighter is very subtle and the shimmer is very fine & just catches the light on your cheeks and makes your skin look healthy. The powder is very finely milled and is easy to apply, a little goes a long way so don’t over apply, I like to take this on a duo fibre brush & lightly dust it across my cheekbones. Very pretty for the warmer months.

Powder Blush in Angel £6.00

It’s a peachy pink with a slight golden sheen running though and its one of my favourite blushers. I like that its not too pigmented and you can build it up without looking like Aunt Sally. Its so easy to blend and never looks patchy or cakey. It gives the cheeks a natural flush of colour & when the light hits the pretty gold sheen gives you a glow. Its not a glittery or shimmery finish but a very subtle sheen, I always travel with this & I love it for day or night.

5 From NYX Product Swatches

Roll On Shimmer in Nude £4.25

I quite often pair this with my Jumbo Eye Pencils when I’m going out in the evening. The cream pencils act as a really good base / primer for the colour to really pop & it means these stay put all night long. This is the perfect colour for me as I love anything bronzy on my eyelids and it has the perfect amount of colour & shimmer. These Roll On Shimmers can be used wet for a really intense look that will stay in place without any shimmer ending up all over your face.

Fly With Me Mascara £11.50

This isn’t my favourite Mascara but I do like that it gives my lashes length and holds a curl. Its not as black as I’d hoped but it does make my eyelashes look long and very healthy & I really like that you can remove this with hot water & a flannel so that is convenient. I don’t get any flaking or smudging when I wear this either.

Have you tried any of the NYX products I have mentioned?

ESPA Naturally Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

- Vicki 5 Comments
ESPA Tinted Moisturiser

ESPA Tinted Moisturiser

ESPA recently released their Naturally Radiant Tinted Moisturiser & I knew it would be right up my street. Incase you don’t know, ESPA have over 450 spas in 50 countries and have developed a range of spa quality products, which they use in all their spas. Their products are also available online and in high street stores like Harvey Nichols and John Lewis. So you can use their spa quality products at home.

This new Tinted Moisturiser is available in four shades and has SPF15.

I’ve been trying out the two lightest shades and I can get away with both of them but at the moment I prefer the lightest shade which is 01 Nude*. It has cool undertones and is quite a fair colour, I think it is the perfect match for me. The shade 02 Blush* has peachy pink undertones is slightly too dark for me right now but come July this will be a really good match.

ESPA Naturally Radiant Tinted Moisturiser

For my everyday makeup I like to keep it simple and for want of a better expression go for the ‘no makeup makeup look’. I like my skin to look as natural as possible and find that tinted moisturisers & BB creams are my go to base. They’re a nice alternative to foundation and this new release from ESPA is just perfect. Not only does it provide sheer coverage but it also includes these skin benefits too,

  • Sunflower Seed Concentrate to hydrate and strengthen the skin
  • White Lupin to powerfully increase elasticity and skin firmness
  • Spruce Knot Extract helps to prevent the skin from free radical damage
  • Shea Butter and Hyaluronic acid helps to lock in moisture for all day hydration
  • UVA and UVB sun filters are enhanced with Argan, Vitamin E and Chamomile Extract to provide SPF 15 protection

ESPA Makeup

The product feels lightweight, moisturising, silky and easy to blend into the skin, I used a pea sized amount for my whole face & that was enough product. It give my skin a lovely fresh natural glow, it has a radiant dewy finish and would be gorgeous for the warmer months. I found I needed to use a concealer around my nose and on a few stubborn blemishes just for a little extra coverage. I do like how the tinted moisturiser let my freckles show through and just gave me that added glow and warmed up my complexion. I didn’t have to powder but I think as the weather gets a little warmer I would have to add that step just to stop my forehead & chin area getting shiny (as I would with any base product).

If you’re looking for a tinted moisturiser which will give you a natural, radiant glow to the skin then this is for you. It wears well and doesn’t oxidise throughout the day and is also fragrance free and like I said has SPF15.

ESPA Naturally Radiant Tinted Moisturiser* £32.00

Products that are marked with an * have either been sent to me for my consideration or I’ve received at events. I’m under no obligation to review them on my blog. However if I do, the reviews are 100% my own.