I have officially survived my first post-Christmas week at work and, as with every January, I'm surprised by how quickly I've found myself back in a routine and feeling like it was months since I had a break!
I thought I would try a slightly different post today, in that it is purely cosmetics and beauty related, as I've stumbled across this sort of post on a few blogs recently and I enjoyed reading them, so I figured I would have a go at doing one of my own!
So, here goes a review of the products I use in my daily make up routine:
1) Simple Kind to Skin Light Moisturiser (£3.99) - First thing to say is that my skin is 'combination'. I prefer to call it 'temperamental' and 'annoying'. I can literally have a patch of desperately dry skin on my temple, an oily t-zone and pimples at the same time. It's like my skin can't make it's mind up! I'd heard brilliant things about Simple so thought I would give this light moisturiser a go and it's worked brilliantly. It doesn't irritate or clog my skin and it absorbs super quickly, so acts as a great base for make up.
2) Simple Kind to Eyes Soothing Eye Balm (£3.99) - I have to confess, I bought this because there was a 2-for-1 Simple offer when I first bought the moisturiser and I've been repurchasing since but only out of habit. There's nothing blow-away about this but it is quite cooling and refreshing when you've just woken up! I've got another tube of this to get through (another multi-buy offer - I'm a sucker for them!) and then I'm hoping to try some of the Kiehl's Avocado Eye Treatment I keep reading about. Hopefully that might give some more noticeable results - I hope so for 10x the price!
3). Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream (£7.99) Shade: Light- This was an accidental purchase. I had forgotten to pack foundation for a weekend away and a supermarket (Morrisons) was the only place open to pick up any replacements. I'd been going through a particularly 'spotty' patch with my skin, so going without make up wasn't an option. I picked up this BB Cream because it was cheap and seemed like it would do the job. I was surprised to find that my skin cleared up over the 3 days I used this BB Cream and it gave great coverage, so I've stuck with it. It's great for 'good skin' days if just a little bit is used, but it can be built up to provide heavier coverage when it's needed. I'm very pale, so the lightest shade isn't a perfect match when I don't have a tan (like now!) but I'm a bit hesitant to try anything else when this has been so good. Other than the colour, this is perfect for me so I'd be keen to hear any suggestions for a good alternative?
4) Maybelline Cover Stick (£3.99) Shade: 01 Ivory - I bought this in the same emergency Morrisons trip as the BB Cream and have stuck with it. The shade's a good match and the coverage is good, although it doesn't do much for disguising the dark eye bags that appear after a few late nights! I might change this when I find a new foundation, but it does a great job, especially for the price!
5) Dior 5 Shadow Pallette (old - 2008!! - similar here ) Shade: 589 Goldfever - I don't wear eyeshadow during the day because I have a habit of wiping my eyelids a lot but it turns out that one of the colours in this pallette works perfectly for my eyebrows (pictured colour)! My eyebrows are a slightly lighter colour than my hair (which is my natural colour, so I'm not sure why they wouldn't match!?) so they do need definition but, personally, I hate pencilled eyebrows as they always look so severe and bold. I find that this eye shadow gives definition but still looks natural.
6) Jemma Kidd Make Up School 'Line' Brush (old - similar here) - I bought this in Boots many years ago along with a few other brushes to shade, highlight and deepen and it works perfectly for lining eyeshadows, but now it's redundant from that job it now works perfectly for applying a light coat of eyeshadow to brows. It loads up well and applies lightly enough to give full control of the depth of colour. I would actually recommend this brush for this purpose - even if it isn't what was it was intended for!
7) Lancome Hypnose Mascara (£22.00)- This is my first tube of Hypnose as I've been a Benefit 'They're Real' girl up 'till now, but I love love love this mascara! The brush is small and slightly curved, making it easy to apply. The brush is always perfectly loaded, it applies with no clumps and can be built up for a more dramatic evening look. It even applies well and provides non-clumped definition on my bottom lashes, which I'd accepted as an impossible feat until now! This is a definite repurchase.
8) Bobbi Brown Blush (£19.00) Shade: 9 Pale Pink - This was a present from my mum and I thought she'd gone a little bit crazy when I saw it. In the pot this is an almost-fluorescent pink and not something I would ever have imagined wearing unless I was a clown. However, on the skin it is a gorgeous muted-pink and gives a nice rosy flush to the cheeks. The kind you get when you've been out walking in the wind, but this blush provides it without the terrible windswept hair! It doesn't look quite right when I'm a bit more tanned, so I switch to a bronzier toned Chanel for the summer but, in my opinion, it's great for giving a little bit of colour during these miserable grey months.
9) Dior Blush Brush (old - similar here) - I have had this brush for years (almost 8?!) but it is still as good as new. It's beautifully soft but the bristles are compact enough that it's great for blending the colour. Regular washes with baby shampoo haven't harmed it and I can't imagine getting rid of this brush before every bristle has dropped out!
10) Chanel Loose Powder (£36.00) Shade: 30 Naturel Translucent 2 - A beautiful, light, translucent powder that I use as a finishing powder. I find this sets my make up well, stops any oiliness and makes my make up last all day. I used to use Bare Escentuals Mineral Veil for the same purpose - this was good, but it works out as the same price per grams as the Chanel and if there's a choice like this Chanel will always win with me!
11) Limited Collection Kabuki Brush (out of stock) - I bought this from M&S when I had some Reward Points to spend and my old kabuki brush had given up on life. It's a lovely soft brush and provides good application of the Chanel powder (which comes with an applicator of it's own that I don't like using). It isn't anything special, but it does the job.
12) Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight Lip Balm (£16.00)- Most days, I apply the same theory to lipstick/gloss as I do to eyeshadow - it'll be gone in an hour or so and I won't have time to top up regularly, so I don't wear it. But, I will always put a bit of this lip balm on as a finishing touch. It's an intensive moisturiser, which is great in my dry office and the moisturising feeling lasts a long time. Personally, I like the little bit of shine and definition that it adds to my lips too. It's expensive for what it is but, in my opinion, it's worth it for a little luxury on your lips!
So, there you have it - my 12-product daily face! I hope you've enjoyed reading and perhaps picked up ideas for some new products to try. The Philosophy lip balm and Chanel powder became part of my routine after I'd read a blog review and I love them both. :)
As I said, if you have any recommendations for a light foundation that gives good coverage (and comes in the shade 'Ghostly White'!) please leave me a comment. I really would appreciate any advice.
Do you have any 'must try' products or things to steer well clear of??
If you've managed to last to the end of this post without falling asleep - thank you! I really do appreciate you taking the time to read my ramblings. :)
Aimee x
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