My New Favourite Bronzer by The Body Shop

Are you enjoying the heatwave we have been having in the UK lately?  I do feel that I should be making the most of it & sunbathing in my garden but I just can't.  I'm not going away on a summer holiday this year, so I should be getting a British tan but as I don't have a swimming pool nearby to stop myself combusting in the heat, I'm retreating inside & grabbing my Palmers Natural Bronze body lotion (see post here) & my new bronzing powder to give me a summer glow!

I've been very faithful to the Bourjois chocolate scented bronzer for a few years now, but I decided to branch out recently & I tried out the Body Shop's Honey Bronzing Powder.  Having heard good things about this bronzer, I was keen to try it out.

I went for the 01 light matte shade, as I'm naturally pretty fair.

On first glance the product looks great.  The packaging has a honeycomb pattern on the lid (a great mirror inside too!), with this pattern continuing on the actual bronzer.  The bronzer comes in 5 shades & contains community trade honey.  In fact, The Body Shop have a whole 'honey bronze' range.  Must check it out.

I was really pleased straight away with the colour payoff - the shade was perfect for me & gave a really nice matte glow.  Not at all glittery.  Perfect for either contouring or an all over bronze-y look! (Great if you are in a rush & want to look 'put together' quick!)

It costs £14, which is more than my Bourjois bronzer but I must say....I think I slightly prefer this Body Shop one!  Sorry Bourjois! It's very close.  I love both!  

So, I definitely think that once I come to the end of this product, I will be repurchasing.  

A great glow without having to sweat it out in the sun!  

(Although, if anyone does want me to come on holiday with them, I won't say no!!)

Bee x 

MY JUNE FAVOURITES!

June has disappeared & we are into July!  But, before last month becomes a distant memory, I will share with you my 'June Joys'! 

Here goes!

Summer MAC Lippie...

Since 2016 has been the year of purchasing MAC products for me, of course, I must mention a new favourite lippie.  It's the shade Flamingo!  

It's a lustre finish so quite sheer when applied, (don't be put off by how bright it looks in the bullet) but you can build it up.  It's a true summery shade, a lovely corally pink & feels very comfortable on the lips. 

Bronzing Goodness from Bourjois...

I've used this bronzer for quite a while now, but I'd given it a bit of a break & tried other brands.  But, of course, I've eventually succumbed & repurchased this.  It's perfect!  It's the Bourjois Delice de Poudre Bronzing Powder.  My shade is no. 51 & is perfect for my skin tone.  I love the chocolate bar packaging & obviously the gorgeous chocolate smell! Delicious!! 

In my opinion, it is one of the best bronzers on the market.  Definitely check it out & the other varieties in the range.  It's affordable & one you will be reaching for all this summer! 


Mermaid Brushes...

As you will probably know, I am a huge fan of the Real Techniques brushes, but there is another brand that has caught my eye!  Spectrum!   They are beautiful! 

I received a blusher brush in a beauty box, started using it & absolutely loved it.  A perfect shape to add a pop of colour to your cheeks & super soft.

I recently went to the Beauty UK show (I'm a mobile beauty therapist by day!) & Spectrum had a stand there.  So, I thought I'd try out their eyeshadow brushes & wasn't disappointed. They are so soft, perfect for applying & blending & just so pretty in perfect mermaid colours! (If you buy a set of brushes, they come in a cute seashell bag!) 

I have A06, A08 & A18 (so far!)

They are just really lovely brushes & a great price too. Great value for money.  

Kipling Bags...

So, over recent years, I've built up a bit of a collection of Kipling bags.  Not many purchased by me though!   Most have been given to me by my auntie & my mum!  The latest one was again given to me by my wonderful mum & I adore it! (Thanks again mum if you are reading!)

I love the practicality of Kipling bags.  They have really wearable fabric, so I never have to worry about getting my bag wet or dirty, as you can wash them.  Kipling always have lots of pockets for all your essentials, come in a range of colours, have sturdy zips (they originally did luggage, & still do, so the zips are brilliant!) & are just excellent! 

The bag my mum gifted me is the 'Deena' & perfect for everyday.  It's in black, so goes with everything & again has lots of pockets for your phone, purse, sunglasses & makeup.  It's a cross-body style too, so very comfortable to wear. Great for travelling.

If you have never tried Kipling bags before, definitely check them out.  There is a style for everyone's taste - find them on their website (kipling.com), QVC or their own store & some independent stores stock them too. 


New coffee...

I was after a new coffee for my cafetiere, so in my local Morrisons I spied some Taylors of Harrogate coffee.  I was sure I'd tried theirs before but I'd never purchased it myself.  

I decided to go for their Brasilia version.  It's a 'lively' flavour (as it says on the packaging!), a medium to rich roast with a slight chocolatey flavour & is delicious!

 

Definitely one to repurchase. 

Right, that's my favourites for the month of June - so I'm off to grab another cuppa! 

Bee x 

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