Inside my suitcase - Skincare & Makeup!

Hello everyone! I apologise for the lack of posting, i've been really trying to relax this past couple of weeks, and suddenly realised that I do infact have work to be doing so I have been getting on with that. However, I wanted to do a post about my skincare and makeup that i'll be taking with me to Turkey on Monday.  I love seeing what's inside peoples makeup bags, their skincare routines etc., it's a great way to discover new products or learn new ways of applying particular products, so I thought i'd do one :) Here's a picture of the skincare i'll be taking with me:

Clockwise from top

 (1) MAC Fix +. Not only is it a finishing mist, but it's also a skin refresher that absorbs into the skin really quickly. Far more effective then splashing water on your face, in my opinion!

(2) It's Potent! Eye Cream from Benefit. A hydrating and brightening skin cream that reduces the appearance of eye bags. Perfect for a 4am drive to Gatwick on 3 hours sleep!

(3) Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion. A light, creamy cleanser bursting with vitamins.

(4) Enzymion facial moisturiser. My all-time favourite moisturiser. Read why here.

(5) Moisture Prep Toning Lotion from Lush. A refreshing toner that includes extracts of Aloe leaf and vitamin E acetate to ensure total moisture and soft and supple skin. A full review coming soon!

Clockwise from top

(1) Studio Fix Fluid SPF 15 from MAC. A light matte foundation that promises even coverage without looking too orange or cakey. The SPF 15 is essential in protecting your skin from the dangers of the sun's rays. It's also oil-free which is always a bonus!

(2) Cherry Carmex Lip Balm. Includes an SPF 15 sunscreen so it protects you from sunburn and replaces moisture lost during sun exposure. Spells super sweet and is world-famous as the ultimate moisturising lip balm.
(3) Posie Tint Lip & Cheek Stain from Benefit. A poppy-pink stain that gives you an all-day colour so you don't have to worry about lipgloss or lipstick.
(4) Sugarbomb Blusher from Benefit. A blush that has four complimentary shades of peach, soft plum, pink and rose. I swirl my brush around all four and sweep across my face, then just use two complimentary shades on my cheeks. It is essential for a warm glow if you don't really tan, like me!
(5) 'Linger' Brow Pencil from MAC. I'm taking this for the evenings, as i've just had my eyebrows tinted so I don't need to apply during the day. An easy-to-use defining pen that allows you to shape perfect brows.
(6) Mineralize Skinfinish Natural from MAC. A silky matte power that I use to set my foundation. Really light and i'll definitely be using this throughout the day, and accompany it with my liquid foundation in the evenings.
(7) Khol & Contour Eyeliner Pencil from Bourjois Paris. This goes with me everywhere. Unfortunately it isn't waterproof, which means I won't be using it throughout the day. But for a more natural look, jet black eyeliner isn't really beach appropriate. Will certainly be used for nights out though!
(8) Big Beautiful Eyes eye palette from Benefit. A small eye contouring kit that features a concealer and three shadows. I use the alabaster pink base shadow for during the day, and will layer it with the cocoa brown shadow for a natural look that isn't too try-hard.
(9) Diorshow Black Out waterproof mascara from Dior. Get gorgeously thick and glamorous looking lashes in seconds. Layering is easy for the evening, but one thin coat is perfect for long lashes at the beach.

I forgot to include my primer (featured here) but this is generally what i'll be taking with me. I can't say i'll go out with a full face of makeup everyday, but the advantages of lip and cheek stains and waterproof mascara is that it's so beach appropriate.

Hope you've enjoyed, and i'll be sure to upload some holiday snaps when I get back on the 23rd!

x

Inside my make-up bag!

I've seen a lot of beauty bloggers do this. And i've always found it interesting because obviously we review these products, but how many of them actually make it into our make-up bags? So I thought i'd empty mine out and show you all. Sometimes it changes, depending on the occasion, but this is generally what comes with me whilst travelling back and forth from Bournemouth to Southampton (As it would be impossible to bring all of my makeup back with me, but i'll wait for another post to show you that!). So here's what's inside my make-up bag:


(1) I personally believe that if you're going to spend the money on buying quality makeup, what you carry it in is equally important. That's why I swapped my tiny Clinique freebie makeup bag for the gorgeous Romiley Make Up Bag (Jack Wills,£19). It's spacious and is made of oil cloth, making it easy to wipe clean and protect your make up brushes etc. from gathering bacteria.

(2) For anyone who doesn't know, I consider the carbon footprint of everything I buy and care deeply for the environment. That's why when I had to buy the Ecotools Bamboo Powder Brush (Boots, £9.99). It uses the highly-sustainable bamboo plant for the handle, and recycled aliminium for the ferrule. The synthetic taklon bristles are cruelty free (As opposed to other brands' make-up brushes that use real animal hair?!), and they're super soft so my loose powder glides on evenly.

(3) As i've said before I suffer from oily skin, and it isn't uncommon for makeup to just slip off my face, which prompted me to purchase The Porefessional (Benefit, £23.50). It's a balm that you use to minimise the appearance of pores and leaves your skin smooth and even, ready for makeup application. In personal experience it extends the coverage time of my makeup and the oiliness is gone.

(4) I have a lot of different liquid concealers, but for during the day I really just prefer to wear powder so my skin doesn't feel to heavily covered, which is why Correcteur Mineral (Loreal Paris) goes with me everywhere. I've had it so long I can't remember how much it was, but it was bought in Superdrug at a time when I had hardly any money so I doubt it was more than a few pounds! When using this product, a little goes a long way so it's lasted me ages! It definitely does the job of covering my blemishes and spots, without feeling like it's blocking them like liquids can do.

(5) This is the mother of all mascaras. I cannot get enough of this, and cannot praise it enough. I purchased They're Real! (Benefit, £17.50) about 4 months ago, and I cannot believe that I haven't run out yet as I wear it practically every day. It elongates my lashes like no other mascara has ever done, and the spiked ball at the end of the wall is useful for pulling up individual lashes that you have missed while applying. It really opens my eyes and makes them stand out - Now i'm just waiting for Benefit to bring out different colours so I can buy them all!

(6) Well kept eyebrows have always been a top priority for me. Which is why it's important for me to have a handy eyebrow kit to carry around with me so they're constantly looking their best. Brow Zings (Benefit, £22.50) comes with everything you need for perfect eyebrows: Pigmented wax for shaping, natural shaded powder for darkening, a tiny pair of Tweezerman tweezers, a mirror and both a hard-angle and blending brush. It also comes complete with a lesson of how to use everything, and achieve perfect eyebrows in minutes. This will never leave my makeup bag. Ever.

(7) Blusher is the thing that changes most in my makeup bag. Currently, I have Coralista (Benefit, £23.50), a coral blush that I love wearing when I want people to notice that i'm wearing makeup. It's suttle, but has a slight glow which warms up a pale face like mine! When I want something more natural I switch to Benefit's Dandelion, which is a pale pink. It comes with a compact brush inside, and the newer shades from Benefit also have a mirror on the inside too!

(8) I've reviewed this product before so I won't go into it, but Witch Stick is perfect for calming down the redness of a spot instantly, so it's always handy to have.

(9) I have a never-ending collection of eyeliners, ranging from a 99p pencil from Savers to a £17 kohl crayon from Dior, but this is the eyeliner that can't be beaten in my eyes. Khol & Contour (Bourjois Paris), glides on easily and leaves a jet black line for hours. It goes on thick and easily, so I don't have to spend ages colouring in my eyelids!

(10) I cannot stress how important it is to invest in a decent foundation. Cheaper brands may be better for your bank balance, but they aren't always the best for your skin. I use Mineralize Skinfinish Natural (Mac, £18.50) for matte, low coverage that lasts all day. It's light and allows my skin to breath while it covers the redness on my face and leaves my skin feeling refreshed and so smooth it feels as though i've just moisturized.

(11) Liquid eye-liner is only something i've been using in the past few months. I always thought that because I had such small eyes it wouldn't really compliment them by piling on jet-black around my eyes. However, what's amazing about Magic Ink (Benefit, £13) is that the brush is so thin that you don't have to over-do it if you have smaller eyes and eyelids like me. It look me a while to get used to drawing a straight line, but the sleek brush makes it quick easy to line your eyes in one stroke. I'm so glad I tried this product; I can't imagine going without it now!

So, there you go. Those are all my essentials, although I forgot to include any of the lip products I use. At the moment if you must know, i'm using Cherry Carmex because it moisturises my dry lips in the cold weather and smells like sweets :)

I'm constantly on the lookout for amazing products, but these are my makeup staples. What are your beauty essentials?

x