Daily Make-Up for the Week!

Hello!

So I quite like looking at other peoples "FOTD" posts, so I decided to do my daily make-up for the week. This shows the mix of things I used to make myself feel a bit prettier for things like days out with friends and also for my Benefit store approval/induction! (I would like to point out that I don't put this amount of make-up on just for days round the house where I'm only popping out to post eBay stuff! Only the moisturiser for that...maybe some mascara too...)

So the first thing I pop on after I've showered (other than clothes of course! SO chilly at the moment!!) is moisturiser. I think this is the most important step in my daily face routine. My skin can feel really tight and dry after a shower and I've not had much luck with moisturisers until I found these Body Shop beauties! I have combination skin so using the right skin care is super important for me otherwise I'll end up with flaky dry skin or super shiny skin. Either way it's gross and annoying!

• Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Day Cream - This is quite a light formula that is for combination/oily skin. I really like how quickly this absorbs into my skin and how it doesn't feel like I've got a moisturiser on (except for the fact that my skin doesn't feel so tight) A little of this goes a very long way so it's really good value for money...plus, as I have a Love Your Body card, I brought this on one of their 30% off days, even better value for money!
• Body Shop Vitamin C Skin Reviver - So my combination skin definitely gets worse during Winter and this little beauty is just the best! It gives added moisture to the dry skin on my cheekbones and can also be used as a base for make-up. Plus it smells lovely too!
• Colbert M.D. Nourish Eye Cream -  This came in one of my Boudoir Prive (now Joliebox) boxes and I really like using this under my eyes but also on my cheekbones. It's really gentle but really is very nourishing too. It's another product where a little goes a long way. I'll be honest, the herbal smell isn't great but it leaves my skin feeling really soft and I think it also does wonders for the bags under my eyes too...

Next up....

• ELF's Complexion Perfection - Love this palette! Really does even out my skin tone and calms mt red cheeks down. You can see how much I've used it as I've hit pan! I would definitely replace this once I run out.
• 17 Hide and Chic Eye Brightening Concealer in Light Rose - I got this for free with my Boots card (it was from a voucher at the little kiosk thingy) and I'm so glad I did! It's got a twist bottom and a brush that the product comes through so it's really easy to apply. The shade is perfect and it sorts my eyes right out for those days when the dark circles are making me look a little...serial killer mugshost-esque....
• ELF's Pressed Powder in Sand - I don't use liquid foundation because I found it made my skin breakout and haven't bothered since I first tried it (about 6 years ago!) But I decided to go for the powder when ELF had their last 50% off sale. It stops my face from getting quite so shiny throughout the day but also evens it out too. Very handy tool in my make-up box! (Plus I love the fact that the sponge is housed under the powder, which flips up so you can get to it!)

Eyebrows!

• I start with the MUA Eyebrow Pencil in Brunette - An absolute bargain at a pound! So easy to use and the little brush at the other end is great for smoothing my eyebrows before filling them in. The formula is quite creamy so it doesn't take too long to fill my brows in, very handy for the morning!
• ELF's Eyebrow Kit in Medium - This kit includes gel, powder and a double ended brush. The gel is handy for taming my brows and the powder is great for making my eyebrows look less filled in (if that makes sense?)
• Natural Collection Mascara in Clear - I use this to set my eyebrows so that I don't end up smudging them hideously. I find that it also takes any excess product so my eyebrows don't look too hardcore...I mean I like having distinct eyebrows but I'd look a bit ridiculous with really heavy eyebrows.

Eyeshadow - I've included two as I go between them depending on the occasion.

• Urban Decay Naked Palette - So pretty much everyone has this palette by now I think! It's my go to palette for everything at the moment! I just love it! It's got a lovely mix of colour and the pay off is amazing! The shadows are really smooth and velvety and glide on so well. I've been using the brush included in the palette as my go to eyeshadow brush too because I always know where it is...plus I get to look at the pretty colours if I decide not to use it that day..
• ELF's Beauty School Eyeshadow Palette in Natural - This is a lovely little 6 piece collection that is so handy for a quick neutral look without using up my Naked palette. I find the shadows a little chalky and the pay off isn't amazing but I really love it for a quick fix. My go to palette for friends popping over and me wanting to make a little effort! (The palette really is filthy though! Might spend tomorrow cleaning my stuff up!)

• ELF's Mechanical Eyelash Curlers - These are AMAZING! Even the briefest of clamps makes my eyelashes look amazing! If these ever break and I can't get a new pair I may actually cry a little...

Mascaras!

So my 17 Wild Curls mascara is almost dead and, although I'll be getting a "They're Real" from Benefit soon (one of my choices for my starter kit!) I needed something quick so that I didn't feel naked! I picked these up at the 99p store and frankly, I''ve never been so impressed with something that cost me 99p (Or £1.98) in all my life!

• Astor Volume Definer in Brown - I like using this for days when I'm hanging out with friends as it gives lovely volume but isn't really harsh like some black mascaras can be. It looks amazing on and for 99p I am so impressed!
• Miss Sporty Studio Lash in Carbon Black - This is an amazing mascara! The wand is quite similar to the "They're Real" wand (except the TR one has a nodule on the end so you can separate your lashes properly) This one gives the most amazingly black lashes that really do make your eyes look really wide and defined. Love it!

Blushers!

I've been using these two mostly this week, the pink for more extreme looks and the coral for more subtle looks.

• 17 Blusher in China Pink - This is a repurchase and I still really love it. It gives great colour pay off and gives me a really nice flushed look. You do have to go careful not be too heavy handed with this as you can get a bit of an extreme flush of pink.
• ELF's Blush in Candid Coral - I've really fallen in love with this blusher over the last few weeks. I love to use it for a more natural look and think that the colour it give is just beautiful. It's really subtle but also really effective. Just beautiful.

• ELF's Lip Primer and Plumper - I use this before putting on my lipstick as it makes it last much longer and helps stop it from bleeding too. I haven't really used the plumper part of this as I don't really feel the need to plump my lips at all. I find this best to dot it onto my lips and then blend it with my finger so that it isn't too extreme.

Lipsticks! (The swatches below are in the same order)

• ELF's Mineral Lipstick in Rich Raspberry - Lovely colour pay off but goes on a it matte. I tend to put lip balm over the top to make it a bit more glossy. I also find that this one can be a bit drying sometimes but I love the colour enough to risk the dry lips!
• Natural Collection Moisture Shine in Raspberry - Ok so I have a little bit of a thing for the colour of raspberries apparently! This one is a slightly lighter pink than the ELF one and is glossier too.
• ELF's Mineral Lipstick in Barely Bitten - This is a lovely shade for a subtle look. It's got a slight gold shimmer to it but is enough to just give my lips a little bit of colour without being too intense.
• Natural Collection Moisture Shine in Coral Shimmer - This is a nice one for my more natural days. It gives a hint of colour but nothing too intense. It does have a frost finish though so it may not be for everyone.

Swatches as above.

• Rose Petal Salve - Another Joliebox product! I love how this one can be used as an all over balm and I've used it for dry skin before which it has worked wonders on! (Esp when I had a stuffed up nose and had to keep blowing it, thus giving me that horrible dryness.) It's really nice to pop this on before doing the rest of my make-up so that my lips are nice and smooth for when I pop my lipstick on or just after so my lip stick is lovely and glossy. Just an all round great product!
• ELF's Lip Definer and Shaper - I don't really use the definer on here because the shade doesn't suit me but the shaper bit? Oh. My. God! Love it!! I just put a tiny bit in my cupid's bow area, blend it and it just makes my top lip look stunning! It almost makes me look a bit pouty and I love that! May not be for everyone but I'm so impressed! Really makes my lip colour stand out too. Love love love it!

The final fixes for my face!

• ELF's Mist and Set - This contains Aloe, Green Tea, Cucumber and Vitamins A, C and E....so it has to be good for your skin right??? I don't know if it's psychological or not but I always think my face doesn't feel as make-up heavy after I've had this on all day (as in, it feels less greasy and I don't feel like I should try and touch my make-up up) It has a really subtle smell to it and I've not had any problem with make-up running or anything like that (except when my mascara has just gone on, but I'd get that anyway if I closed my eyes tight enough!) My only issue is...well....spraying yourself in the face is somewhat unnatural and always makes me jump! I must look ridiculous when I put this on! But it's so worth it!
• ELF's High Definiton Powder - This one I wasn't convinced with at first, but then I noticed how flawless my skin looked at the end of the day and realised that t was all down to this baby! It basically gives you a "soft focus" effect and I've been pretty impressed so far. I haven't used the powder puff that comes with it because I don't like the idea of smearing it over my make-up, but I've been using my face brush and it's working well I think. My only issue is the packaging. I tend to end up with it puffing out everywhere when  undo to the lid or do it back up again. Bit annoying to lose product/get it all over everything!

These are the two main brushes I use for everyday make-up (plus the UD Naked eye one) I've got ELF's Total Face Brush and their Bronzing Brush. I got a set of 12 brushes from them for £6 in the sale and I'm really impressed with the quality really. I've not had a shedding problem but I do find the face brush a little irritating but only when it needs a proper clean. Some people don't like the bronzing brush but I love the shape of it! Perfect for contouring (I use my face brush to blend it) and also really god for dramatic sweeps of blushers. Both great value as far as I'm concerned!

So that's my daily make-up for the week. Any favourites of anyones in there? Any products you don't like? Any you'd like me to review properly for you? As always, comments are always appreciated :)

Until next time,
xoxo