The Contents of my Face: My Daily Makeup Routine (Or 'Dash Out the Door' Look!)

So, you go to bed with good intentions; you will wake up early, so you can spend more time on your makeup, right?  And what happens?  You either oversleep or spend too much time checking the internet or eating breakfast!

I seem to do all of the above!  Therefore, I thought I would share my makeup routine if I'm dashing off to work.  I must say it varies slightly depending on what products I use, but I've managed to get it down to 11 minutes - & that is quick for me! 

So, here goes...

After my skincare, I apply my base.  Currently its a BB cream instead of foundation, as for day to day & for work I generally prefer a lighter base during these summer months.  So, at the moment I'm using Dead Sea Spa Magik Diamond Range Beauty Balm in Natural with an SPF of 15.  I apply this with my Real Techniques stippling brush & buff it in. 

Then, I apply & blend in my NYX dark circle concealer (sometimes I do this before my base) with my fingers under my eyes to hide my horrendous dark circles & scar by my left eye.  I sometimes also add & blend in some of my Maybelline Eraser Eye concealer too. 

I then run some mineral powder under my eyes to set my concealer in place.  My current fave is by Primark! (see why here)

Next, I mattify my face with good old Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder in 001 Transparent (have used this since forever!) with my Real Techniques powder brush.

To brighten up my face a bit, I use various bronzers, but my current favourite is Bourjois bronzing powder in 51.  Perfect for contouring my cheeks & giving me a general glow.  I use, of course, (you guessed!) a fabulous Real Techniques brush to apply this.

For adding a bit of colour to my cheeks I apply a lovely blusher with (currently!) a different brush other than the wonderful Real Techniques - a very pretty brush by Spectrum!  My favourite blush (& now of all time!) & the one I tend to use more often than not is by NARS.  I received it in a beauty box & absolutely loved it, so I will definitely be purchasing a full size version.  I honestly think I won't ever need another blush....ever!!   And I'm sure you have guessed which one!!   

For highlight, I tend to use Golden Lights by Makeup Revolution, which I pop on the top of my cheekbones & under my brow bone. (see my review of this product here)  

Now, as I say, this is a 'dash out the door' look, so I don't spend much time on my eyes, but to make them look alive (other than concealer!), I firstly apply my Hi-Impact Brows brow powder to my eyebrows (I use the lighter shade), then set them with my clear Rimmel Brow This Way brow gel (which is looking truly disgusting right now!).

After that, I skip eyeshadow (no time!) & apply black eyeliner to my inner waterline & smudge.  I usually use Barry M's kohl liner.  My eyeliner I guess, is my signature look & my security blanket - I'm not 'me' if I'm not wearing it!

In the inner corner of my eyes I apply a little white eyeliner by Rimmel.  This is a trick I learnt years ago (you can use nude if you prefer) - it makes you look wide awake! And it definitely does! 

I then add a quick sweep of mascara.  At the moment I'm using a sample of Givenchy's  Noir Couture Volume Mascara in Black Taffeta (it's lovely by the way!).

Last, but by no means least, I grab a tinted lip balm or lipstick.  It could be anything!  Today, it was 'Modesty' by MAC.

And that's it!   

It may sound a lot, but it honestly takes me just a few minutes.

What do you use to make yourself look presentable if you only have minutes to spare?  I'd love to know! 

Bee x 

Trying out some Aloe Vera Treats!

So recently, I was gifted some 'Forever Living' products.  These contain Aloe Vera which are great for all kinds of problems - dry skin, digestion, etc.

I was given two items.  They are Forever Bright Sparkling Aloe Vera Toothgel

& Forever Aloe Lips lip balm.

The toothgel, as well as containing Aloe Vera, also contain bee propolis.  I have read that this has many health benefits too, so I knew straight away I was getting good, natural stuff! 

My teeth are a tad on the sensitive side, so I can be a bit choosy with what toothpaste I use.  After the first use of this toothgel, I was pleasantly surprised!  It tasted really nice, kept my breath fresh & my teeth looked a lot whiter. 

After the next couple of uses, my teeth did feel a bit sensitive but I wasn't totally sure if this was down to the toothgel or something else. (Please don't let this put you off - it probably is just my teeth, as they have always been sensitive!)  So, since then, I have alternated between this & my regular toothpaste. 

As regards to the whitening of my teeth, it did start to make them look a lot whiter, so I think that if you just used this & nothing else, you would have a lot whiter teeth.  

Overall, I'm really pleased with this toothgel & knowing that it's full of natural healthy ingredients, is great with me!   

Onto the second Aloe Vera item - the lip balm....

This is in a stick formulation & contains jojoba - another great natural ingredient. 

I remember getting sunburnt in Spain a few years ago & I had booked a massage at the hotel.  The therapist noticed my bright red back & said that jojoba would help calm it down.  And she was right!   Instantly, the stinging went away & my back was completely soothed.  The redness more or less disappeared!

So, like my back, as soon as I applied this lip balm to my lips, they were instantly soothed & moisturised.

Now, as I have mentioned before on my blog, my lips are so dry & I absolutely love a good lip balm.  I have many that I rave about & this is no exception!  I really do love this!   It tastes amazing & really makes my lips soft & supple & feels great.  Another great Aloe Vera product.

All in all, I think if I had to repurchase only one of the items, I'd definitely go for the Aloe lips.  A brilliant product!  

Have you used Aloe Vera?  What do you think?  Let me know!

Bee x  

MAY FAVOURITES!

After a bit of a break, I'm back to blogging & even though we are well into June, I thought I'd share last month's favourites with you all!

So first up...

Soft skin in seconds...

I've used this product for ages now, but since the weather has been turning a bit warmer & I've been getting my legs out a bit more, I've needed my skin to look healthy & moisturised & not drier than the sahara desert! So, I've been reaching for this - Spray & Go body moisturiser by Vaseline.  I have it in the scent Cocoa Radiant.  I absolutely love the smell as it reminds me of chocolate! 

It's super light & not greasy at all. You literally spray it on, give it a quick rub & you are good to go! (Great for people like me, who haven't got the time to spend rubbing thick lotions into our limbs!)

What's not to love?!



Makeup that's cheap as chips!...

Now, I love a good bargain in Primark, but I've never been one for their makeup....until now.

I'm always a bit obsessed with hiding the shadows under my eyes & use various concealers (see my concealer post here) & powders.  So, when I came across a small pot of powder in my local Primark, I thought I'd give it a try.  It's the mineral loose face powder in the shade light.

I must say, I was really impressed.  Its a nice light tone (not orange like some cheap products can be!) & it sets perfectly under my eyes when applied with a small brush.  There is only 8g of product but I'm sure, as I don't use that much, will last for ages & its at the bargain price of £2! Wow!

I may just have to venture into their makeup department a bit more now! 

And while we are on the subject of makeup...

Hiding the shadows...

As I've mentioned, my under aye area is a problem! So, I've recently discovered NYX (see a recent post) & one product I love is their dark circle concealer correcteur.  A lot of beauty manufacturers seem to be cottoning on to the idea of colour correctors & they do work a treat, provided you know how to use them of course!

This corrector by NYX is a lovely peachy tone. Ideal for lightening up & hiding those pesky shadows under your eyes.  You only need to apply a little (or sometimes a lot!!) with your finger in small patting motions & instantly you can fake that perfect night sleep & hide the fact that you are no longer in your 20's!! 

It's another bargain too, so it's definitely one to repurchase!



Keeping your brows in place!...

You know when you have filled in your eyebrows with that perfectly complimentary colour & they look so neat & tidy? Then, at some point in the day, you might get a bit hot, scratch your forehead or flick that overgrown fringe out of the way, & then, yep, your once neat eyebrows, aren't so neat any more!

Well, this won't always be a problem if you buy this stuff - Brow This Way by Rimmel.  I always purchase this in the colour clear, hence why mine looks slightly mucky & beige now from brow product!

This gel sets your brows perfectly, doesn't budge & you don't end up with brow powder all over your forehead!

A great product & one to never go without!

A yummy treat for people like me!...

As you probably know if you regularly read my blog, I'm one of those.  One of those 'awkward people' with food intolerances!

Well, I'm so glad I've discovered these - a sweet treat that I can have without fear of at least one of the ingredients hating me!

It's the range of 'Perkier bars' & they are heaven in a bar!
The flavours are (& I think this is the whole range - correct me if I'm wrong)-
Cacao & Cashew (the BEST flavour in my opinion! Divine!)
Cashew, Chia & Pumpkin Seed
Cranberry & Cashew
Goji & Cranberry 

They are all high in fibre, protein, vitamin & minerals & are gluten, wheat & dairy free - perfect for me!

The bars seem to always be on offer in my local Morrisons too (I must stock up!!), so its a win win for me!
I love them! 

So, thats my May favourites done & I'm off to have another Perkier bar....

What did you love last month?

Bee x