My Gym Face.

Ok so I am bracing myself for a slap on the wrist for writing this post but I know from going to the gym that I am not the only girl that puts a little something on her face before working out so I figured I would do a post about what I use and what I have found to not cause any breakouts or look like a hot mess (quite literally) when I leave. 

So the main thing I will always wear is a tinted moisturiser, I either use the YSL Skintone Perfector or the Estee Lauder Sheer Tint as they provide light coverage that looks after my skin but evens it out at the same time. I use this as it doesnt really feel like makeup and isn't like wearing Double Wear for instance - it lets the skin breathe while giving that extra bit of confidence. 

Concealer is not something I will always wear, but if I'm having a particularly rough patch with my skin and either have some blemishes that are crazy obvious or dark circles that make me look like I haven't slept in 10 years then I will reach for my Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, this one is lightweight but great coverage and doesn't look cakey or thick. 

Staying with Bourjois and their Healthy Mix range, their powder is a staple for me everyday no matter what makeup look I am wearing, however all I do when I go to the gym is dust a little over my T-Zone just to keep the base from sliding around and it just keeps it looking fresh. 

This next step is super optional and definitely depends on how good the shape of your brows are but mine are just loving making my life difficult right now so I pretty much rely on the L'Oreal Brow Artiste to keep them looking somewhat reasonable, however if I was blessed with good brows I would skip this step. 

I pretty much always wear mascara, I'm not particularly faithful to just one, I do really love Lancome Hypnose but will try others and at the moment I'm giving the new Maybelline Lash Sensational a go and I do actually really like it, its not my absolute favourite but does lengthen my lashes quite abit which is nice when you want a more natural look - I'm pretty sure you could add a couple of coats for more vampy looks but I haven't tried that yet. 

Lastly is a lip balm of some sort, I've put my Dior Lip Maximiser is the picture as its the one I use pretty much constantly right now. I do however use anything that I know will keep my lips moisturised and comfortable for a decent amount of time without being greasy or sticky. 

So that's it for my 'gym face' products, I know that you really shouldn't wear any make-up when working out and embrace the naked face but if you're not feeling quite so confident I think finding products that will let your skin breathe, keep it moisturised and aren't pore blocking are the best way to go. 

Let me know if you have any products you would recommend, I read every comment and will reply to any questions

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Spring Releases.

As the whole festive season is well and truly over, all the new Spring collections have overtaken the make-up stands and I have to say there are some pretty beautiful collections going around. The Maybelline new releases though really caught my eye, I dont normally buy much from Maybelline but they have released some really lovely products for the new season. 

Other than Maybelline I spotted the Makeup Revolution 'The One Matte Stick' in the shade Malibu which is a matte cream bronzer. In appearance these are a dupe for the Nars Multiple and consistency is quite similar aswell; I picked this shade as I wanted to give it a go for contouring. However these are SUPER pigmented and this shade is quite dark so a light hand is necessary, these do blend really nicely so with abit of work it even worked on my ghostly skintone!

Now from Maybelline I picked up their new mascara, 'Lash Sensational' I have tried this and it is good but not my favourite, I really had high hopes for this as I had seen such great reviews but I think it is such an individual thing and this just wasn't quite right.

Secondly I had to pick up one of the new lipsticks to feed my obsession with all things lips. The shade I got was '168 Petal Pink' which is pretty much what it says on the tin, just a really pretty light pink, very summery and bright. 

Lastly I reached for one of the new Colour Show polishes and was not dissapointed! The shade is 'Bouquet' and put over a light pink/lilac is just super pretty and very seasonal, it applies pink and white with rose gold to create a floral effect. I can see me using this alot of the upcoming months!

Let me know if you have picked anyrhing up from the new releases for Spring! I read all the comments and will reply to any questions. 

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2014 Favourites

Where has this year gone? I cant quite believe its time to write this post, but here we are days before we enter 2015 and start a whole new year! I decided that instead of doing a December favourites I would do a 2014 favourites, as there is quite a few things that I have really loved this year and think they are worth a mention. I have got a few beauty products first (obviously!) and then just a couple of random ones that I've just really enjoyed. 

First off I'll start with the base products that I have found this year and are now complete staples in my everyday routine. L'Oreal's True Match was blogger influenced by reading such amazing things and needing a cheaper alternative to my YSL bases I chose to give this a go and I LOVE it! The finish is so lovely and is buildable without going cakey, it doesn't move all day and the shade match is just amazing. Secondly I picked up The Time Balm Concealer by TheBalm, this is a high cover concealer in a pot and literally covers everything, I use this everyday even if I dont wear base. Finally I started using the Maybelline Eraser Eye in the clear and red packaging about 2 years ago and loved it, I had hear about the lightening one but it was impossible to find in the UK until earlier this year a guy who runs a make-up stall in a market near me had a full basket of them so I had to pick one up (or 3...) the finish of this is so beautiful, and gives a really awakened look under the eyes. 

L-R: Chic, Aurora, Exotic Island, Heart Skips a Beat, Misltoe Kisses, Enchanted Forest. 

Now this represents a whole brand, the Tanya Burr Cosmetics collection has to be my favourite releases of 2014; From the nail varnishes to lipglosses to eyelashes, I love them all. The lipglosses do have an edge for me though, as I'm not the biggest fan of the whole hair stuck to face effect I tend to give them a miss, but these are so lovely and feel really moisturising. My favourite shade is definitely Enchanted Forest, this over Mac's Rebel has been my most used lip combination in December. 

My last beauty favourite is this perfume from Next called Gold. I picked this up at the start of December just looking for one I can wear everyday and not worry about the price tag as this 75ml set was £14! 

Top Notes: Grapefruit, Mandarin

Heart: Ylang Ylang, Muguet

Base: Musk, Amber

As soon as I saw the notes of this perfume I had to give it a go it just sounded like a fragrance I would love, and I wasn't wrong. this goes to a really warm sweet scent on me without going down the candy scent route. The amber is probably the most prominent note on me and lasts for such a long time. I would recommend Next scents to anyone, their range is great and for such an affordable price. 

For my first non-beauty product I had to feature this Yankee Candle scent. Candy Cane Lane has to be my all time favourite candle scent ever! And that is saying alot, I have already burnt 2 of the Votive versions of this and have a back up plus these two jars (yes im obsessed) I just cant get enough of the sweet mint scent that it gives, really festive and also quite fresh. The best way for me to describe this is probably the smell of an After Eight chocolate, just that subtle mint wrapped in a real sweetness, just lovely. 

Finally is Ed Sheeran's album X, this album is always on repeat, no matter what mood I'm in I just find this so relaxing and uplifting. My favourite songs off the album would probably be, Thinking Out Loud, Tenerife Sea and Afire Love, all beautiful and just lovely songs. 

So thats it for my 2014 favourites, I have loved loads of things this year but didnt want to make this post so long to read you would be here till 2016! I hope you've had a great Christmas and have a fantastic New Year, let me know any of your 2014 favourites in the comments below, I read every one and reply to any questions. 

See you next year! 

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A Bit Of Sparkle.

Okay so abit of a confession, I am quite a bit of a magpie and love anything with glitter, sparkle or shine so this time of year when it becomes abit more acceptable to go full glitter I always go full force, so when I saw these little treasures I had to pick a couple up. I have always liked the Colour Show collection from Maybelline as they are super affordable and have a really great selection of colours and finishes. 

The Be Brilliant selection are limited edition for the festive season and are £3.99 apposed to the usual £2.99 of their regular shades. My only let down was there wasnt a rose gold or light gold shade which is my favourite however the two I chose are super pretty and look amazing over lots of different colours. 

The silver/multi - coloured shade is called Light It Up and has small silver glitter pieces with larger multi - coloured sparkles aswell, I'm currently loving this one over black as it really stands out. The purple one is called Purple Dazzle and has the purple glitter with large sparkles in blue, green and pink this one looks great over obviously purple but also white or blue-grey. 

My favourite thing about these is the consistency, it is so hard to find a decent glitter nail varnish that applies an even coat across your nails, these do a great job and dry quickly aswell. If you wanted a bit of sparkle this year or even just for one day and didnt want to break the bank these are a great choice and in my opinion better than alot of the more expensive brands. 

So whats your favourite sparkley nail polish? Please leave any comments below, I read every one and will reply to any questions. 

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Latest In Beauty Box; Glamour Power List

I've really got into beauty boxes this year and have used You Beauty Discovery boxes since February and really love it. However I had seen this box on blogs and Youtube and had looked at a different box earlier this year but never actually purchased it as with P&P on top this box can be nearly £20 which does put me off a bit, but then I had an email about there being free postage and thought I may aswell give it a go for what is inside. I must say it has not been a dissapointment! 

The box itself is very well presented and I really like that all the products are of a decent size so you can give them a more realistic test before buying the actual thing. The box also comes with an information card with a little introduction to each item so if you are unfamiliar with something it tells you enough for you to get the most out of what you're using. 

Inside the box there is a James Read Sleep Mask Tan, which works as both a facial moisturiser and gradual tanner for your face. It has a Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser, this is something I've wanted to try for a while and is a cult favourite skincare brand. The Philip Kingsley Daily Damage Defence Conditioning Spray is another item I'm interested in as I love to test anything that may improve the condition of my hair. There is three make up products in the box which are a Maybelline Colour Sensational Nude, a Bourjois Volume 1 Second Mascara which is fast becoming my favourite mascara, and the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer which I haven't yet tried but have heard some really great reviews. Finally some Eyeko Mascara Off Eye Makeup Remover Wipes, these are supposed to make getting eye make up off easier which is a plus for me with sensitive eyes. 

I am really pleased with this box and will definitely buy others from Latest In Beauty in the future as it is really good value for money and has a nice variation of products to try. 

Let me know if you tried this box and what you thought, I read and reply to all comments

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