Benefit Hello Flawless

When I think of what I want my skin to look like on a daily basis I think radiant, flawless, oil free, and natural looking, and after doing a little research I knew that Benefit's Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation was a must buy, it promises all of the above but how did it deliver?

Well lets start with my chosen shade, I first of all picked up 'I'm so money honey' but the lovely benefit girl recommend 'All the rage beige' I was after a shade that had yellow undertones as opposed to pink. The colour suits my skin tone really well especially if I am a little tanned, the coverage is medium and I like to either apply this with my fingers or my Real Techniques buffing brush depending on how much coverage I want. It blends into the skin really well for a seamless finish, as far as it ticking the luminous/brightening box I would say it definitely does, it makes my skin radiant without looking too oily, the formula is oil free so it stays looking great all day. It also contains SPF 25 which makes it great for staying protected during the day time.

Have you tried Hello Flawless?



Beauty Tools - Brushes


Let's talk basics, the key to good make up application is your beauty tools, sometimes that's your fingers, think cream eyeshadows and light coverage foundation, and sometimes it is a make up brush. My small brush collection contains some real gems that have completely changed the way I apply my beauty products.

The Real Techniques Buffing Brush: When it comes to foundation, this brush is the one. It perfectly distributes your foundation in an absolutely flawless fashion, I find I need less product when using this brush, it blends so seamlessly. A must own I would say.
The Avon Double Ended Shadow Brush: I have had this brush for ages, one end is a flat rounded shadow brush and the other end is a tapered sponge, now I have always discarded this as a pretty poor brush for eyeshadow, I find it far too dense, however recently I have been using this along with my HD Brows palette to fill in my brows and it does a perfect job.
The Real Techniques Contour Brush: This makes contouring super easy, it is the perfect shape for the cheekbone and temple areas, and the brush holds just the right amount of bronzer. I find this brush does a great job at setting under eye concealer also as it is the perfect size.
The Real Techniques Expert Face Brush & Stippling Brush: I have put these two together as I use them both for blush, the Expert Face Brush is perfect for cream blush and the Stippling Brush applies powder blush really well, both deposit just the right amount of product onto the face.

What are your favourite make up brushes?




Sugar Crush - Soap and Glory

Buying your body wash isn't exactly the most exciting purchase you will make this week let's face it but it is an essential. I never give much thought to which body wash to pick but whilst scamming the aisles of boots the other day I couldn't resist smelling every Soap and Glory product on the shelf, the Sugar Crush Fresh and Foamy body wash was just calling to me so of course I made my purchase fast before I was persuaded to buy anything else.

First of all this smells really really good, like good enough to eat, it definitely lives on the 'this is not allowed for nosy husbands shelf ' in the bathroom. It is just too good to share, the scent is really awakening so it is a great product for your morning shower, it contains lime oil and omega rich veggie oil making it really moisturising. Soap and Glory have a whole range of  Sugar Crush products including an amazing body scrub, next purchase maybe?

Maybe body wash isn't so boring after all...

Damage Control

I have gone without a hair cut for ages now, I'm the kind of girl that asks for literally dust off the ends but the other day I decided to bite the bullet and have my hair cut and coloured. I wanted a very multi tonal ombre look with super dark roots gradually fading to a caramel hue. I also wanted a good two inches cut off the ends, brave girl I know. As my sister is a hairdresser I knew I was in safe hands. I am so pleased with the results, my hair was definitely due the chop and it feels so much healthier. Every girl knows a new do' calls for a new hair routine, so off I went to Sally's looking for the perfect shampoo and conditioner, I came away with Schwarzkopf Bonacure Repair Rescue Shampoo and Conditioner.

Now I have been using this duo religiously, my hair was completely re-coloured so it needs a little loving care. The shampoo lathers up nicely and smells delicious, and the conditioner is just what my hair needs at the moment, I was a little worried that it would be too heavy after a few washes but I have been using this every wash, around three to four times a week, and it has left my hair feeling super soft and not at all weighed down or greasy. After blow-drying my hair I feel like I have come right out of the salon - that's how good this stuff smells!

Overhauling my hair routine has never smelt so good! What is your current shampoo and conditioner combo?

Make Your Own: Butterfly Pendant



When it comes to jewellery there is nothing better than something unique and unusual, I love this D.I.Y tutorial for this pretty butterfly pendant, I have been wearing these non stop recently and creating all sorts of looks by wearing these along with the high streets latest accessories. 

To make one pendant you will need:
A small glass vial with a cork lid, the size is really up to you, we prefer a small size approximately 4cm in height.  
Butterfly wings, these can be found on eBay, look for sellers who are conservationists as you can be sure the butterfly died of natural causes.
Metal hook and eye with screw.
Metal jump ring large enough to thread your chain through.
A pair of tweezers.
A small set of pliers.
Glue.
You really don't need to be very creative for this as the wings are already so beautiful, all you need to do is choose your wings and using the tweezers carefully place them inside your glass vial, once you are happy with the look then glue the cork in securely, next screw the hook and eye into the center of the cork. Then using the small pliers take your jump ring and attach it onto the hook and eye, now you are ready to thread your pendant through.  
Don't be afraid to get experimental with this D.I.Y, you could also try dried flowers for a pretty effect. 

Have you ever tried making your own jewellery?




The Bold Lip Everyday Face

When it comes to a bold bright red lip for the daytime I like to keep the rest of my make up minimal, for this look the red lip in question is none other than Rimmel Moisture Renew in Mayfair Red Lady, the formula of these lipsticks are great for daytime, they are bold and creamy and keep your lips looking hydrated as well as being incredibly pigmented. I am definitely going to be picking up a few more shades from this range.

For my base I stuck to my current favourite foundation Bourjois Happy Light in shade 53, the coverage is medium, I apply this with my Real Techniques Buffing Brush for a flawless finish and then complete my base with Rimmel's Wake Me Up Concealer, I am currently on the hunt for a new concealer for under the eyes so let me know in the comments if you have any recommendations. To contour I used my old friend Nars Laguna Bronzer, the colour of this bronzer really suits my skin tone and gives me a natural warm shadow in the hollows of my cheeks, I pair this with M.A.C's Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft and Gentle, this is the prettiest powder I own and when applied to the cheekbones it gives the most gorgeous glow.

For my eyes I kept it simple with the Bourjois 24 hour Colour Eyeshadow in Or Desir on my lids, this cream to powder finish lasts all day even without primer, and it has a lovely metallic finish which you can build up to be as bold as you like, for this look I also used Bourjois' Liquid Eyeliner in Brown as I find it looks better than black for daytime. To frame my face I used my HD Brows Palette along with a new brow product I am currently testing, the Maybelline Brow Drama in Dark Brown, I haven't quite made my mind up about this yet, it is very subtle so I do find myself still using powder but the brush does help to create a very natural look. 

Have you tried any of the Rimmel Moisture Renew Lipsticks yet? Do you have a favourite shade?




The Velvet Smock Dress


This ASOS smock dress has to be a combination of all the trends I am currently loving, I love the paisley pattern on the velvet fabric, on paper it sounds hideous but in reality it is such a beautiful design. This is a real statement piece so I have been keeping the rest of my ensembles featuring this dress fairly minimal, think classic blazer and ballerina pumps. I wasn't sure about the smock dress shape at first, I was a little worried it would sit kinda tent shape on the body but it is actually very flattering, I can see this working on lots of different body shapes.

ASOS have lots of different designs too if you are after something a little plainer. The great thing about these type of dresses is that they are so comfortable to wear, throw on your leather jacket and Chelsea boots for the daytime and dress it up with heels and bracelets for the evening.

What do you think of the Smock dress?


The Weekend Post: Night Out Essentials


When you are getting ready for a night out you always have those few essentials that go un-changed when it comes to your routine, and rightly so, you need products that you can rely on, enter my trio of night out essentials, first up is the prep, John Frieda Luxurious Volume hair mouse, I like my hair to have a little oomph especially on nights out, I apply this to the roots mainly and then blow dry my hair upside down for mega volume. If you've not got time for the full blow dry works then I would recommend Batiste XXL Volume dry shampoo, I love this product, it has saved me from many a hair disaster, it really freshens up your locks and gives your hair the much needed volume and texture.  

My last essential I would recommend is the Nivea Double Effect Eye Make Up Remover, lets face it we all have that moment of weakness at the end of the night when all you want to do is crawl into bed and although I know it is a little much to expect us girls to carry out the full facial cleanser/toner/moisturiser routine we should at least be removing our make up so our skin can breathe, for something quick and tough enough to remove even the most intense smokey eye I turn to Nivea's eye make up remover, this applied to a cotton pad makes for really easy removal of even waterproof mascara. Pop it on the bedside table pre night out for minimal effort.

What are you essentials for a night out?



Winter Lip Care


I don't know about you but winter really seems to play havoc with the condition of my lips, the combination of the cold and central heating really takes the moisture out of my lips so I have been on operation renew recently and for that I have been using the Lush Bubblegum lip scrub religiously, this smells divine and it has been helping the give my lips a new lease of life, to help keep them moisturised I have been using Maybelline's Baby Lips, I love the Intense Care one as it really does make my lips feel brand new.

Does the weather effect your lips? What are your go to products?


The Pull & Bear Jacket

I have been looking for a nice jacket for a while now, I wanted something that would easily work for winter and summer, I also wanted it to be something a little interesting whether that be in colour or texture. I came across this Pull and Bear jacket whilst shopping in Brighton some time ago, it is the perfect cross between a blazer and a jacket, it has that over sized boyfriend fit about it and the colour and texture is just what I had been searching for. This looks great layered over dresses and worn with my vintage fur. Although it is lightweight it is surprisingly warm making it perfect for nights out.

What looks have you been loving recently?



© W.M.C
Design:Maira Gall.