EVERYDAY MAKE UP

I don't think that I've ever posted an everyday make up routine on my blog! I've been wearing this look non stop over the past few weeks and so I thought I would pop up a little post, It's a fresh, dewy look with shimmery eyeshadow, fluttery lashes and a perky peach lip.

For my base, I tend to stick to the same base products throughout the year, (Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer & Rimmel Stay Matte Powder) I then switch up the rest of my make up depending on my mood and the seasons.

For blusher, Sleek Pixie Pink has been giving a fresh flush of colour to my cheeks. It's a pretty, vibrant pink that works beautifully with MAC Soft and Gentle, a golden champagne highlighter to give me a radiant glow.

On my eyes, I've been reaching for MAC All That Glitters Eyeshadow, which is a dreamy golden beige shade with rose and peach undertones, I've used it so much recently that I've just had to repurchase another! I've then been curling my lashes with my trusty Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers before applying lashings of L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara which is my favourite for long, fluttery lashes.

Nars Lip Pencils have been a staple in my make up bag since last Christmas as they're creamy, long lasting and extremely pigmented. Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Torres Del Paine is a brightening, creamy peach and my favourite of the bunch. As a limited edition shade it's quite hard to get hold of a backup, I'm still yet to find a good dupe for it but Nars Lodhi looks slightly similar.

Which products are currently in your everyday make up?

A BEAUTY WISHLIST

At the moment, my wishlist consists mainly of transitional products and shades that will carry me through to autumn, I can't wait for berry tones, glittery nail polish and to switch up my skincare ready for the colder months. These are the products that are currently at the top of my beauty wishlist:

Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel: This seems to be the most raved about skincare product in the beauty blogger world right now and I can see why. Packed full of good, natural ingredients it contains cleansing pumpkin enzymes, restoring vitamins E & C and skin softening starflower oil. I tested a little of this pink gel to oil cleanser on the back of my hand in Space NK and it left my skin feeling amazing!

Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Never Say Never: This beautiful cool toned mauve pink lip pencil has a hint of berry to it, making it look great for the transition into autumn.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Mood Exposure: I've been on the hunt for a new blusher ready for autumn and this one looks perfect. It brings light and radiance to the skin thanks to the ambient lighting powder running through it and when mixed together the shade looks similar to the likes of Nars Doucer and Tarte Exposed.

Nars Copacabana: This is a stunning, iridescent, light reflecting illuminator that looks perfect to perk up dull skin all year round.

Essie Set In Stones: I love Essie glitters and I can't wait to start wearing them again as we move towards the colder months. Set in Stones is a beautiful silver glitter that would work well as an accent nail or even worn alone as a wash of glitter over the nails.

Kiehls Skin Rescuer: This has so many great reviews and claims to help dehydrated, dull, uneven and stressed skin which sounds perfect!

Are any of these on your beauty wishlist?

THE PERFECT NUDE LIP

For days when you want to go a little heavier on the eyes, or if you prefer a more natural make up look, nude lips are the perfect solution. Nude lip shades can be quite a personal thing as they're dependant on your lip colour and skintone, I love the above products as they're universally flattering and work so well together.

Prep

The first step I take when preparing for a nude lip is to buff and scrub any dry skin away with Lush Mint Julips Lip scrub. It helps to leave lips smooth and creates the perfect base for your lip products.

Hydrate
Next, applying a rich, hydrating lip balm like Nuxe Reve De Miel will keep your lips plump and nourished. It contains honey, shea butter, sweet almond oil and calendula to moisturise and heal dry lips.

Lip Pencil
Using a lip pencil as a base can prolong lipstick wear time and lasts even if your lipstick does fade. This is also where you can even out your lips and shape them slightly. I like to neaten and even out the lip line, define the cupids bow and fill the entire lip with colour for a long lasting base. MAC Lip Pencil in Boldly Bare is the perfect, creamy pink brown that lasts for hours on the lips and is completely smudge proof.

Lipstick
Lastly, for a natural, dewy finish, a satin formula lipstick like MAC Brave, a pigmented mauve pink or Nars Descanso, a creamy peach pink/nude gives you the perfect barely there shade. The combination of lip liner and satin lipstick ensures that your nude lip will be long lasting and flattering on the lips.

Here's MAC Boldly Bare and MAC Brave worn on my lips.

What are your favourite nude lipstick shades?

MY FAVOURITE BRANDS FOR #2

Skincare: Origins has been my choice for skincare for a while now, their products are formulated with natural oils, certified organic ingredients and without parabens, petrolatum and paraffin. It's not only the great ingredients that really set Origins apart, their products deliver great results time after time and they're good at giving out samples so that you can really find the right products that work for you. 
My favourite Origins product has to be the GinZing Energy Boosting Moisturiser, a lightweight, hydrating and radiance boosting moisturiser that leaves skin incredibly soft. I also absolutely love Origins face masks, Out Of Trouble Face Mask contains Zinc oxide, sulfur and salicylic acid and so is perfect for bad skin days, Clear Improvement is an active charcoal based mask that unclogs pores and Drink Up 10 Minute Mask and Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask are rich, nourishing masks that keep skin plump and hydrated.

Highlighter: There's something ethereal about Topshop highlighters, they give an iridescent glow to the skin and are so pigmented and long lasting. Topshop Sunbeam is a golden highlighter that instantly brings light and radiance to the skin, making it perfect for Summer. Topshop Glow Highlighter in Polish is a dreamy champagne shade that blends so seamlessly onto the skin and leaves you with a lumiescent glow, see me wearing it here.

Lipstick: When it comes to lip products, Nars Lip Pencils win on formulation, longevity and pigmentation for me. The creamy formula of the satin lip pencils apply seamlessly thanks to the pencil/crayon style applicator and the matte shades are highly pigmented and long lasting. My favourite shades are Nars Velvet Matte Lip Pencil in Cruella, a scarlet red, Nars Satin Lip Pencil in Yu, a shocking pink and Torres Del Paine, a pretty peach coral and my absolute favourite shade, I really need to find a dupe for as this was limited edition to the Digital World Lip Pencil Coffret Set (swatched here).

I also have to give a little mention to Revlon lip products, with lip butters, matte balms, stains and creamy lipsticks, they're my favourite high street lipstick brand. They have some great high end dupes and are pigmented, fairly long lasting and have an incredible shade range. My favourite shades are Revlon Wild Orchid (a great dupe for MAC Show Orchid), Revlon Lip Butter in Raspberry pie, a pretty berry pink and Revlon Balm Stain in Showy, a dupe for Chanel La Diva, see comparisons here and me wearing it here.

What are your favourite brands for these products?

See my favourite brands for eyeshadow, nail polish and shower gel here.

5 THINGS I'VE BEEN READING THIS WEEK

1. Blogs: I've been getting skincare and style inspiration from Holly, reading eagerly about Kate's amazing stationery shop and catching up on Lauren's latest posts this week - her beautiful blog has been a favourite of mine for a long time now!

2. Harry Potter and the Goblet Of Fire: I remember reading this for the first time, the size of the book, the first chapter and whole feel of the book was a little different to the first three. Ive been delving back into the world of wizardry with Quidditch, the Triwizard Tournament and Weaslys' Wizard Wheezes!

3. Bridal magazines: After seeing glimpses of Rosie's beautiful wedding on instagram, I've been inspired to really push forward with the wedding planning. Theres so much to plan; make up, a photographer, bouquet ideas and I don't even know where to start looking for a dress! Elle Wedding Magazine and Brides Magazine are great sources of inspiration, I've been leaving them scattered around my flat to keep wedding planning in the forefront of my mind!

4. Deliciously Ella - Ever since this book arrived I've been stock piling my cupboard full of healthy things - tahini, nutritional yeast, cashews, apple cider vinegar and coconut oil. I gave the Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto a go on Monday and it was divine. I made a few changes to her recipe by substituting the coriander with lemon thyme and risotto rice instead of brown rice, it was so good!

5. Pret a Manger's Great Vegetarian Debate: It's so great to see a company taking a proactive approach towards animal welfare and the environment. I think that Pret are really taking a step in the right direction whilst being open and honest with their customers. It's made me want to shop there more in the future and made me feel positive about brands and life as a whole! Plus, their hot chocolate and chocolate croissants are incredible!

What have you been reading this week?

A SUMMER CANDLE

Diptyque Baies is my first dabble into luxe candles and into Diptyque as a brand. Everything from the lavish packaging to the divine scent conjures up images of French perfumeries and sophistication, it has such a beautiful aesthetic and I can see why they're such a popular brand.

Although pricey, if properly cared for Diptyque mini candles last for up to 30 hours burn time. Each candle is made from a mixture of high quality vegetable/paraffin mix, it has a cotton, lead free wick and is hand finished. They're a real treat to own and fill the room with fragrance even whilst unlit.

Baies is a divine mixture of roses and blackcurrant leaves, It combines floral with fruity making it perfect for summer. I normally prefer autumnal, sweet and spicy scents but Baies has a hint of warmth and depth that's so appealing, the complimentary mix of delicate rose and fresh blackcurrant leaves work so beautifully together.

Burning my first Diptyque candle has felt like the ultimate treat, I've taken care to keep it lit for 2 hours on the first burn and will upkeep it by trimming and straightening the wick.

Diptyque candles are perfect to give as gifts, or to buy as a treat for yourself. The dreamy packaging means that you can re-use them post burn to house flowers, store cotton buds or make up brushes in. It's made the perfect addition to my dressing table and I already have my eye on Vetyver next to try.

What's your favourite Diptyque scent?

STROBING

I think that strobing is quite possibly my favourite make up trend so far. Skin is made luminous with clever highlighting to enhance and define the features, It gives you a fresh, ethereal glow and brings radiance and light to the complexion.

Where to apply

Highlighter is applied anywhere that light would naturally hit your face; swept over the cheekbones and pulled slightly up in a C shape to your temples, on your cupids bow, your brow bone, the centre of your lips and on the bridge and tip of your nose.

How to wear

Strobing works well with a light and dewy base, it's also best to opt for a matte/minimal shimmer blusher or bronzer like MAC Well Dressed Blusher or Rimmel Matte Bronzer to pair with this look, this avoids things getting a little too shimmery. It also ensures that the highlighter really gets to glow and stand out.

Products

For a creamy, opalescent glow, Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter gives a boost of radiance to the skin. It can be mixed into your foundation to create a dewy base or dabbed onto the high points of your face to highlight them.

Topshop Glow highlighters are beautifully iridescent and leave you with an almost ethereal glow. They're my favourite product to use for strobing as the creamy formula blends so seamlessly onto the skin and catches the light beautifully as you move. See me wearing Topshop Glow in Polish here.

A golden, champagne highlighter like MAC Soft and Gentle gives an effortless, illuminated glow to the skin. This mineralised highlighter glides easily over the skin, especially when applied with a fan brush. See me wearing it here.

What do you think of the Strobing trend?