My Most Used Highlighters

One of my most used beauty products and also one of my absolute favourite things to use is highlighter. I definitely have way more than I need but I love the effect I get when I use it and different ones give such different finishes. Here are my most used.

Chanel Blanc is a great multi purpose product as this can be used as a normal highlighter on top of make up, or underneath as a primer and makes a brilliant illuminator. This is my favourite way of using this as it just gives a really natural dewiness and glow through your foundation. The Topshop All Over Glow is a cheaper alternative for this.

An old favourite of mine is Benefit's High Beam. When I worked for Benefit this was my holy grail product. I still love this, although I do now prefer more bronzed highlighters compared to pinks. This is another great multipurpose product though, as I have sometimes mixed this with powder eyeshadows to make a cream one and I have also mixed it with lipgloss to cheat plumper looking lips. If you prefer more of a cream highlighter to liquid, then the No7 Instant Radiance Highlighter is a great dupe and half the price of High Beam. 

When I am after more of a bronzed glow I go for Benefits Hollywood Glo. Now it might be a bit unfair talking about this one because I am not sure if Benefit still do it which is such a shame. This liquid highlighter is the perfect colour for a natural sun kissed glow with just the right amount of shimmer to it. However a great dupe for this is the Topshop Glow pot which is another cream highlighter. This is slightly more pigmented so a little goes a long way.

There are three powder highlighters I love and I probably tend to use these on more of a day to day basis as I find them a bit more natural looking. My most used is the Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm. This looks beautiful in the light and I always get compliments from people when wearing this. I like to use it every day on my cheek bones and down my nose. Another similar product to this is Benefits Miss Popularity. This is the same shade as the Mary Lou Manizer with a bit more shimmer and is a loose powder rather than pressed. It has a small applicator with it so I find it really great for using on my brow bone and the inner corner of my eye.

Last but not least is my favourite highlighter of them all and it comes in the Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow Palette. This is definitely a high end product so I tend to try and save this for when I am going out or really making an effort with my make up. I cannot rave about this product enough it is so natural but makes such a difference. I love both the bronzer and the highlighter and it is definitely worth the splurge.

L-R Charlotte Tilbury, The Balm, Miss Popularity, All Over Glow, Chanel, Hollywood Glo, Glow, No7, High Beam

The Winter Face

In the winter time I like to disguise redness caused by the cold and make the most out of my make up staying put and not sliding off my face like it tends to in Summer. My every day routine tends not to change very much, but here is a break down of my current make up routine.

Firstly, I like to use a primer. I know its not for everyone but I think it really helps my make up go on better and does help it last a lot longer. For every day wear I just like to keep it cheap and cheerful and use the Maybelline Baby Skin Pore Eraser. This is good because only a tiny amount is needed and it helps make up sit better on the skin.

For my base I have recently gone back to the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. This is perfect for day time wear as it is so buildable. If I want a light natural base I can achieve it, and if I want to build it up to conceal a little more I can also do that. It keeps my skin looking flawless but natural and gives me a natural glow even in the colder months.

I use two concealers which may seem a little excessive but I like to use a lighter one under my eyes and a slightly thicker one for any redness or blemishes. My favourite under eye concealer is the Maybelline Eraser Eye. I love this stuff - it conceals but doesn't sit or crease in any fine lines. It also lasts me all day. For redness and blemishes I love the Estee Lauder Double Wear Concealer. This is great because you only need a small amount to get a great coverage. 

I always set my base with a powder and I am currently loving the Bourjois Healthy Balance Powder. This is so finely milled that is doesn't make your skin look cakey or flat but just really helps prevent shine and helps set your make up.

On my eyes I use the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in On and On Bronze. This is a lovely bronze eyeshadow with just the right amount of shimmer and it lasts all day. I much prefer a cream shadow for the day time as it is much longer lasting. I always use my Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner as I feel naked without this and then I like to use my Loreal Telescopic Mascara on my top lashes. I finish of with Clinique's Bottom Lash Mascara. This stuff is brilliant because it does not cause any fall out or smudging underneath the eye even by the end of the day.

My favourite brow product at the moment is the Soap and Glory Brow Archery and I use a bit of both shades Blondeshell and Hot Chocolate. I am somewhere in between these so I tend to use mostly Blondeshell and then a little bit of Hot Chocolate for the ends. I set these with a £1 clear mascara from Miss Sporty and I love it.

Finally I use a bit of the Body Shop Honey Bronzer in the hollows of my cheeks, and some Mary-Lou Manizer from The Balm on the tops of my cheek bones and down my nose. My all time favourite blusher is Dallas by Benefit and my current one has so far lasted me three and a half years and I haven't even hit pan despite using this every day! 

Finally on my lips I always go for a nude and I am currently loving Shy Girl from MAC with some of Tanya Burr's lipgloss in Chic. I always set my make up with Avon's Setting Spray which gives my skin a more dewy finish and helps keep my make up lasting that little bit longer.

January Favourites

Monthly favourites are easily one of my favourite posts to read so writing my first one of the year is very exciting. Unfortunately, I have been battling with Perioral Dermatitis recently so have actually been having to avoid both skin care and make up as much as possible so most of my favourites this month are actually non beauty favourites. 

My first favourite of the month is actually a cook book and it comes from blogger Deliciously Ella. I have been reading and using recipes from her blog for quite some time now and they are honestly all amazing. Her book was released this month and I just love it. All of her recipes are free from refined sugar, meat, gluten and dairy. One of my new years resolutions was the same as it is every year, to be healthier and watch what I eat. I usually fail some time near the beginning of the month but since using recipes from this book I have not been struggling at all and have really been embracing a sugar and dairy free lifestyle. My favourite recipes are definitely her raw brownies, and sweet potato and spinach salad. I highly recommend checking this out! The book itself is also beautiful and I find myself just flicking through looking at all of the drool worthy beautiful pictures.

A beauty related product is the Clinique Moisture Surge Extended Thirst Relief Moisturiser. I re-discovered this after running out of my regular No7 moisturiser and forgot how much I love it. It is oil free but feels so hydrating when you put it on, without leaving a greasy film on your skin. A little goes a long way and my skin just loves this stuff. As with all Clinique products it is great for sensitive skin and fragrance free so with my skin being a nightmare at the moment, this moisturiser has been a life saver!

A face mask I have been using this month is cult favourite Aesop Parsley Seed Cleansing Mask. What I love most about this is how gentle on the skin this is despite being a clay mask. As I have mentioned, I have been extra careful with my skin recently, and once this has set and needs to washed off it melts away so easily meaning I don't have to rub my skin until it is red raw. It has also worked brilliantly on all of the little pimples I had on my forehead. I now understand the hype around this product and prefer it to other popular clay masks out there. 

A fashion favourite has been my beautiful Daniel Wellington Classic York Lady Watch my boyfriend got me for christmas. I had my eye on this watch for so long but could not justify spending the money on it at the time and I was lucky enough to be given this after so much longing. It's a classic and need I say more - I love it!

My final favourite is another christmas present and it is my One Line A Day Memory Book. I am very sentimental and keep things from most places I go. I used to keep a diary but haven't done for years due to laziness but this I have been writing in daily. It is a really cute gold lined note book dated for five years that you can write daily memories or things you are thankful for. I love the idea of this and think it would also make a great gift. I personally love reading over things like this and think it is just such a cute keepsake. 

Top 5 Foundations

Foundation has definitely got to be one of my favourite beauty products, and I am constantly looking out for products to give me flawless, oil free but dewy looking skin. Not too much to ask for right? Here are my five favourite foundations for different occasions.

Estee Lauder Double Wear is an old favourite of mine and for years was my every day foundation. This is great for oily skinned girls like myself because it provides a lovely matte but not flat finish. This product is also without a doubt the longest lasting foundation I have ever used. Although I now find this a little heavy for every day wear, I will always reach for this on occasions I need my foundation to last a whole day. It's also great for occasions you know you're either going to be crying or sweating or getting into a situation likely to remove your make up, trust me this foundation will not let you down. There is also an amazing shade range for this foundation so I am sure there is one to suit everyone.

Next is Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation. When I first got this it took a bit of getting used to because I find this to be pretty high coverage. I like to use this for nights out when I am after a higher coverage and flawless but natural looking skin. The consistency of this is quite a thick creme but it blends in beautifully on the skin. Plus only a tiny bit is needed so this lasts for ages.

I have two every day wear foundations I go between, and the first one is a cult favourite, the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation. I love the finish this gives my skin, it really is dewy skin in a bottle. It provides enough coverage but not too much, it just gives that 'your skin but better' look. I thought I wouldn't get on with this at first because everyone talks about it being great for girls with dry skin, which it definitely would be, but I thought I would end up an oily mess at the end of the day. However, as long as I set this with a good powder then it does the job perfectly and lasts me the whole day.

My other daily foundation is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet. This is very similar to the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk but with a bit less coverage and a more matte finish. I personally love the finish of this more so than the Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua foundation as it gives a bit more coverage, and I need the slightly more matte finish. 

Lastly, I wanted to include a powder foundation and my favourite is the MAC Studio Fix Powder Foundation. Although I only bring this one out occasionally, I think it is great to have a powder foundation either to wear on top on foundation for extra coverage or staying power, or to wear alone on top of moisturiser for a more natural finish. Sometimes when I am on holiday and I don't want to be caked in make up but I also want my skin to look a little better and less greasy I reach for this. When worn alone it looks really natural but can also be used to provide great coverage over a regular foundation. 

NYE 2014

I love getting ready on New Years Eve. It is the perfect time to use all of the new beauty bits you got for Christmas and really go all out. If you want a sparkly eye and a bright lip, New Years is the time to do it. Although I didn't go out this year, I did have a lovely dinner party style night in with my closest friends and it was my best New Years yet. We all still made just as much effort to dress up as we would if we went out.

I wore a green sparkly low back dress from Topshop that I bought in the Boxing Day Sale and I got so many compliments on it. Its the kind of thing I love wearing out and I am so glad I bought it. On my nails I had one of my favourites from the year, Revlon's Vixen which is a burgendy maroony kind of shade.

I had a couple of new Charlotte Tilbury bits to try. I love Charlotte Tilbury herself and her make up line. All of her products feel so luxurious and so many people always seem to comment when I am wearing them. I used her much raved about Filmstar Bronze and Glow which I bagged in this years Selfridges sale, and also her Golden Goddess Luxury Palette which I mentioned in my 2014 Make Up Favourites. Although I have only had these products since Christmas, they have quickly become two of my favourite products. I've never met a Charlotte Tilbury product that I didn't like. 

For an extra glow I used The Balm Mary Lou-Manizer, another cult favourite. This is my favourite highlighter of all time as it is so natural looking yet gives your complexion the most perfect glow without being glittery. It is a beautiful champagne gold colour, and almost a powder version of Benefits Watts Up. I use this on my cheekbones, my brow bone, down the centre of my nose and on my cupids bow. For a night like New Years I also use this in the inner corner of my eye to help brighten them. 

As it was a special occasion I stepped outside of my comfort zone and went for a bold lip. I used Topshop's Matte Lip Bullet in the shade Get Me Bodied. This is a deep purple berry shade, far from my much loved nudes. Despite my concerns, everyone seemed to love this shade and I am glad I tried it out. This lasted so long on my lips, and even after eating it still left a nice stained colour on my lips, but was very easily removed with the rest of my make up. Maybe now I will have to start being a little more adventurous and trying some new lip colours so I am definitely open to any recommendations.

Finally, my fragrance of the night was my all time favourite Chanel Chance Eau Tendre. This is a fruity-floral fragrance which is my personal favourite kind anyway. It has notes of grapefruit, jasmine and white musk and this scent lasts all night on me. I have used Chanel Chance Eau Fraiche before and also really like that, but Eau Tendre is definitely my favourite. 

2014 Haircare Favourites

You may notice a trend in my haircare products and that is that I like to use a product that promises volume and texture as my hair is pretty fine and pretty flat. Here is a round up of the products I have been turning to and loving this year.

I have used countless shampoos and conditioners throughout the year but my favourite has to be the Matrix Biolage Hydrasource Shampoo and Conditioner. These leave my hair feeling really soft but not at all flat or greasy. My hair gets greasy very quickly, but I felt as though my hair was much cleaner than usual a day after using this, and a few times I have not had to use any dry shampoo on my day two hair (which is unheard of for me). 

For styling I have been loving the Got2B 2 Sexy Volumizing Mousse. I spray a small amount of this at the roots of my hair when wet, and I really notice a difference. This stuff also smells amazing. As I loved this so much I tried to the Got2B Rise 'N Shine Hairspray. Again, this also smells amazing, and also gives my hair so much volume and texture as well as keeping any style in place.

Two texturising sprays I have enjoyed using this year are the Charles Worthington Volume and Bounce Texturising Spray and the Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish. The Bumble and Bumble spray definitely comes with a larger price tag, but does not leave your hair feeling stiff or crispy in the same way that the Charles Worthington one does. However, both do seriously deliver great results. Not a day has gone by when I have not reached for either of these products as they just give my hair some much needed oomph.

Finally, my favourite dry shampoo of the year is from Colab. This brand launched this year from Beauty Blogger and Vlogger Ruth Crilly. I have tried nearly every brand of dry shampoo this year and could not find one I loved. They either left my hair white and chalky or stiff and knotty and some even left my hair feeling greasier than before. I tried the Colab range and finally found a product I was happy with. It does leave a little grey residue in my hair, however, it is much easier to work into your hair than other products, and it helps give my hair some much needed volume. I have tried the scents London, Paris and New York and love them all but I think New York is probably my favourite so far. 

2014 Skincare Favourites

This year I have loved experimenting with different skin care products and really learning what works best for me. I have learnt what my skin type is (thank you Sali Hughes) and have made a conscious effort to take better care of my skin and I now love nothing more than taking my make up off at the end of the day and starting my evening skin care routine. 

I have experimented with a few cleansers this year, and although I have enjoyed each of them for different reasons, none compare to the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel. This gel to oil cleanser really is a delight to use. It smells amazing and removes all traces of make up in one go. I like to use one pump in the morning and two in the evening and enjoy massaging it into my skin and washing away with warm water. The smell is reason enough to go out and try this (trust me).

As far as moisturisers are concerned, I have never fallen in love with any particular brand before and have found them all a much of a muchness. However, this year I started using the No7 Beautiful Skin Oil Free Daytime Moisturiser. I was obviously drawn to this as it is oil free, but you get so much for your money with this product and it sits beautifully under your make up. I haven't used any other moisturiser since March because of this.

I started using Estee Lauder's Idealist Pore Minimising Serum earlier this year and I can't be sure, but I do think that my pores look smaller than before I started using this. Aside from visible results, I just love the way this serum makes my skin feel before I apply my make up.

Overnight I like to use a facial oil, and I thought I should mention two as although I have a favourite, I have only been using it since Christmas. First is the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair. This product does not come cheap but it really does make your skin appear more plump and healthy the next day. For christmas, I got the Sarah Chapman Skinesis Overnight Facial and I am amazed with the results. After just a week of using this, my skin appears calmer, clearer and plumper. Small pimples that had appeared on my forehead (I blame the christmas parties and chocolate) disappeared almost overnight and patches of dry skin I had, began to appear calmer and smaller. I cannot rave about this product enough and will definitely be trying out some more Sarah Chapman products in the new year. 

Another overnight product I have loved this year is the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask. I like to use this a couple of times a week as my skin seems to love it and gets a great glow the morning after. Again, another amazing smelling product.

Another mask I have been loving is the Glam Glow Youth Mud Tingle Exfoliate Mask. This is a classic, apply to skin, let it set and wash off mask. However, this is not a mask you use a few days before an event but instead the night of an event. I can't describe how smooth this makes your skin and just how wonderfully this mask preps your skin for make up but trust me, it is worth the hefty price tag. 

Finally (sorry another long, long ramble) is the Clinique Anti-Blemish Solutions Clinical Clearing Gel. This tiny pot has lasted me almost a whole year despite regular use. I dab a tiny amount onto any spots I get and this just helps to reduce the size and redness overnight. It is particularly great to use on any spot you can sense appearing before it actually does, as it prevents it reaching its full unwanted potential. This product does smell incredibly clinical and unpleasant but if you can get past that it really is great and does exactly as it promises.