how to | fresh and radiant skin

Please excuse the fact that my hair makes it look as if I had just rolled out of bed, I hadn't.. cough. This is the make-up look that I wear most days, its simple, radiant and fresh. My secret weapons to flawless looking skin are both the Illamasqua Skinbase Foundation and the Nars Copacabana Illuminator, both of which I absolutely adore. I like to sometimes also like to use the Sisley Express Flower Gel beforehand which really perks my skin up too. If it's a really hot day and I don't fancy wearing much make-up then I will go for the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua which is my second favourite foundation, it doesn't give a great deal of coverage but has such a glowy finish. For my brows I've been filling them in with a lighter colour than usual, I can't bare using a warm toned brown on them so it always has to be an ashy shade. Flicked liner as always for the eyes with some smudged underneath the bottom lash line to create the illusion of thicker looking lashes. The lip and blush shades I choose were both a barely there almost unnoticeable pink to achieve an effortless overall look.

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how to: the pin-up look

I've always found that the pin-up inspired make up look seems to suit me most, I adore the combination of flicked liner with wispy false lashes along with bold eyebrows and bright red lips. This time round I decided to take it one step further and give my hair a 50s style twist too, it was super easy to create and I've come to the conclusion that I must give it a go more often. Do forgive my excessive posing but my inner pin-up girl couldn't resist a bit of pouting.

For my base I used the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation along with Benefit Erase Paste for my under-eye circles. To contour I went for the He-Shi Bronzer which adds a lovely warmth to the skin, along with the Nars Copacabana Illuminator which is my new favourite highlighting product. I used my HD Brows Palette as always and the Maybelline Gel Liner with Mac 48 Lashes all topped off with the Bourjois Colour Boost Lip Crayon in 'Red Island'. 

current make-up #14

NARS TUOMOTA MULTIPLE | MAC STEREO ROSE MSF | MAC VIVA GLAM lll LIPSTICK | BARE MINERALS MINERAL VEIL

A couple of days ago whilst in London I decided to go for a slightly edgy make-up look with a very dark brownish red lipstick and a deep shade of bronzer. I kept my foundation fairly light and just dusted over some Bare Minerals Mineral Veil to give radiance. With such a dark lipstick your skin can sometimes look washed out so it's important to apply plenty of blush, I opted for the cult favourite Stereo Rose by Mac. My eye make-up had a thick flick of liquid liner and then I finished off with statement brows.

current make-up #13

Products used: Sleek Brow Kit | Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette | Benefit Hoola Bronzer | Nars Orgasm Blush Multiple | Nars Copacabana Multiple Highlighter | Avon Supershock Mascara | Rituals Liquid Eye liner | Illamasqua Liv Lipstick | Cover Fx Cream Foundation | Benefit Bo-oing Concealer

For anyone that didn't already know, Nars Copacabana is literally my favourite make up product of all time. I've been using it for around 6 years now and every time I try other highlighters I just end up disappointed. The 'multiple' stick is a cream formula meaning that it blends onto the cheeks beautifully and has a slightly silver shimmer, giving your skin a beautiful glow. I really couldn't recommend it enough and would urge every woman up and down the country to have it in their make up bag. For my cheeks I also used the Nars multiple stick in the shade Orgasm as a blush to warm up my complexion. I have been trying out my new Urban Decay Naked 2 palette lately which I really love as there are some amazing neutral eye shadows, but I will review the palette separately shortly. I then applied Illamasqua Liv lipstick which is another of my all time favourites and my new found holy grail product that is Cover Fx Cream foundation.

nars albatross highlighter

For about a year now my favourite highlighter has by far been Nars Albatross as I get compliments on how glowing my skin looks pretty much every time that I wear it. The shade is a creamy white with gold shimmer that is barely noticeable but looks beautiful when the light hits it. It's my go to product when my skin is looking a bit dull as it makes it look instantly radiant with the sweep of a brush, I apply it just above my bronzer on my cheekbones and a little down my nose and also on my eyebrow bone. It's slightly on the expensive side, but so is everything these days, and it will last you at least a couple of years. I can definitely say that it will become a staple in your make up bag!

Nars Albatross Highlighting Blush - £21.00

summer favourites

Over the Summer I've found lots of great products perfect for the hot weather (cough) and I thought I'd share them all with you guys. I've done a fair few mini reviews down below so as not to clog the post up too much I just briefly mentioned most products.

Radox Hand Gel - £1.35, Transformulas Teeth Whitening Pen - £29.99, Environ Mositurising Toner, Sun Shots - £9.95 Ciate Cuticle Oil £10, Acqua D'alfresco Anti-Bug Bite Fragrance - £30 (pack of 4), Muard Pomegranate Lip Protector - £12.00, Optrex Eyedew Dazzling Eye Drops - £4.49, Thalgo Energizing Cream - £33.20, Avene Eau Thermale Protection Spray - £15.98, Liz Earle Foot Spritzer - £7.50.

Summer isn't the same without a bright lipstick or two and over the years I've found a load of favourites that I even wear to the beach on holiday.

Mac Impassioned - Nars Heat Wave - Mac St Germain - Mac Show Orchid - Illamasqua Blaze - Mac Morange
 

Nars multiples are a must have for Summer in my opinion, the give your cheeks a lovely glow that goes perfect with a tan. Given they are a tad pricey but on average a stick will last you about 5 years so definitely a great investment.

Nars Tuomota Multiple and Nars Orgasm Multiple - £29.00

If you aren't a fan of cream blush products then the Rituals Sunglow compacts are a perfect alternative for a hint of shimmer, and the bronze colour will take you through to Autumn with the warm shades of coral.

Sunglow Bronze and Sunglow Pink - £22.90

Tinted moisturisers are also a must as no one wants to be faffing around with foundation in hot weather. If you are after great coverage then the Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer is perfect for that but to give your skin a quick glow then Ahava light foundation or Witch anti-blemish tinted moisturiser are also great options.

Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser - £33, Ahava Light Foundation - £18.75, Witch Tinted Moisturiser - £5.99

I've also been loving the new Nars Illumintaors for the past few months patted onto my cheeks in the daytime. Click here for an in depth review.

Nars Laguna & Copacabana Illuminator - £21.50 each

A good moisturiser is another essential in the Summer months as the sunshine can really dry out your skin but equally you don't want anything too heavy on making it feel greasy. On my holiday in Greece I used the Thalgo Energizing Cream every day and swear by it. The cream is lightweight and sinks straight into the skin and has a lovely refreshing scent. Up to +52% hydration one hour after application, sounds good to me!

Thalgo Energizing Cream - £33.20

Obviously you can't go on holiday without sun cream and I personally never go lower than a factor 20 to protect my skin properly. Sun shots are a great idea if you are going away on any trips while abroad or to pop in your handbag on a hot day in England, a lot easier than carrying a big bottle around with you.

Sun shots - £9.95

Hair wise I always find my hair goes frizzy and can be such a pain to maintain in the hot months, Fekkai Silky Straight Serum is absolutely amazing for that problem and doesn't feel like the usual sticky serums as it's high quality it sinks straight into my hair. The Beach Waves spray also by Fekkai creates beautiful beachy waves, but unfortunately they both come with a hefty price tag. At the other end of the price scale there is Batiste Dry Shampoo which I'm sure you've all tried and know about but I found it great after a day at the beach to refresh my hair.

Fekkai Beach Waves - £20, Fekkai Silky Straight Serum - £20, Batiste Mini Dry Shampoo - £1.25

While keeping my suitcase weight in mind I decided to take the Orly mini polishes with me as the size makes them ideal for travelling. They launched in larger Boots stores not long ago now and come in loads of different shades including bright Summer colours.

Orly Mini Polishes - £5 from Boots

And finally after that essay of a blog post last but not least is Strobe Cream by Mac. If I could recommend that you get one thing for beautiful glowing skin then it would definitely be this product. You can either mix it with foundation to create a tinted moisturiser or just apply it straight to your cheek bones. The forumla also comes in a liquid version if you like to steer away from cream products.

Mac Strobe Cream - £12

Hope you're all loving the gorgeous weather xo

pre-release review: nars blush/bronzer trio

Hi dolls, just a quick post on the new 'Orgasm, Albatross, Laguna Blush/Bronzer Trio' today. It will be available along with some other great limited edition pieces in May. I love the packaging, the design reminds me of a tiny clutch, has a zip to open and a large mirror inside. It's perfect for when you are on the go as you get blush, bronzer and highlighter in one handy compact. All of the shades included happen to be my three favourite cheek products by Nars so I definitely recommend getting hold of one. I reckon it will be a really popular product and as it's limited edition start saving your pennies now. It also makes a great purchase if you have yet to try the three shades. The compact costs £39 but it's a unique item by Nars and as you get 15g of product that compares almost the same as gram per pound as a Mac blusher!

''Three iconic NARS products, one portable zip-around compact. With Orgasm Blush, Albatross Highlighting Powder and Laguna Bronzing Powder, this limited-edition trio makes a flawless complexion more attainable than ever.''

nars laguna illuminator

Lately I've been loving the fake tanned and beautifully bronzed look. With summer around the corner I figured it was time to ditch the pale foundation and go for a sun kissed complexion. I know that a lot of people avoid highlighters or any cheek products with shimmer in fear of looking like a disco ball or don't like the look of a silver/cool toned highlight, which is why this warm toned bronzer is the perfect option. I still like to use a powder bronzer underneath as a contour but this adds just the right amount of shimmer to make my skin look beautifully dewy as if I have caught the sun. The great thing about the product is that you only need a tiny amount so I'm hopeful that the tube will last quite a while. There is no doubt that it's a pricey purchase but I reckon it's a must for summer.

Price: £21.50 available on the Nars website

the nars press event

Yesterday I was lucky enough to be invited to the Nars press event to preview some of the latest collections. It was a great event where you could have a play with the make up, chat with the make up artists and there was even a blogging station with iPads one of which I sent a tweet from last night. The compact in the picture below and the liquid illuminators are definitely my favourites from Nars at the moment; I really need to get my hands on them! Thankfully I was given an illuminator in 'Laguna' which I will be reviewing soon. I really love Nars as a make up brand and in terms of price I do believe that you get what you pay for! I pretty much spent the whole time whizzing around the venue taking pictures with Katie and snacking on the yummy nibbles.

After the event I clearly decided I wanted to pretend I was Japanese and bought a load of dumplings and noodles. I swear the dumplings are one of the nicest things I've ever eaten and then I had this strange bubble tea with green tea, lychee juice and tapioca bubbles which I couldn't work out if I liked or not. Deffinitely pop in to 'Now' Japanese fast food shop right next to Liverpool St station when you have a chance!

Thanks again to the lovely ladies at Beauty Seen PR for inviting me along!