GETTING THAT SUMMER GLOW

Considering it's now officially summer, there would be no better way of getting into the swing of things than writing up a post all about getting that healthy summer glow. Unfortunately for us Brits, we don't tend to get much sun during the summer to get that gorgeous natural glow, so of course I was going to write up a post on a few tips and tricks I have found that have helped me a huge amount when it comes to getting a beautiful dewy make up look. Of course staying hydrated and eating healthy plays a huge part in the condition of your skin so ensuring you stick to a good routine will definitely help! A few weeks back I read an article on Glamour which listed a range of foods that naturally help keep skin clear. It states that foods such as peppermint, nuts and dark berries have been proven to help heal and calm the skin. It's safe to say I will definitely be looking to include more of these foods in my daily diet. 

For a while now I've always preferred for my base make up to have a matte and full coverage finish but lately I've been really loving the glowy and more natural make up look. I have tried and tested so many base products this year so far and have found some of my favourite products which help give me a healthy look. I currently have combination to dry skin, where my T zone will get the better of me and get oily now and then, but the majority of the time my skin mainly tends to be dry and constantly feels dehydrated. At the moment I have been using the Superdrug Vitamin E range which is targeted to those with dry skin and have to say I am really enjoying using this range and have found that it really has helped hydrate my skin while also preventing any breakouts. To give my skin a more dewy look I am in love with the Yves Saint Laurent Top Secret Instant Moisture Glow. It does everything it says in the name and it has instantly become one of my favourite products to use on a daily basis. Ensuring that your skin is hydrated with a good skincare regime will also help create this look. 

One of my first favourite products to use as a starting base is the Max Factor Facefinity Primer. Although most primers have mattifying properties this one has smallest gold shimmer particles which help give the illusion of a more dewy base. I also find that this product really helps foundation glide on more smoothly. Two of the foundations that I have been loving which have a dewy finish are the Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat Foundation and a more affordable option, the Bourjois Happy Light Foundation. These both give a gorgeous glow and are perfect for those with normal to dry skin as they give the perfect amount of dewyness. I love to mix these two foundations together as they YSL foundation matches my skin tone better but the Bourjois foundation is slightly more dewy. 

To bronze up a bit I absolutely love to use the Bourjois Bronzing Primer, this is perfect for a subtle contour shade and especially for beginners! I have always had a struggle trying to get contouring right and this product has made it so much easier, it blends so effortlessly and is the perfect shade. I like to apply this before powdering as it is a mousse consistency. After applying this I like to dust a fair amount of the Topshop Bronzer in Mohawk, this is one of the best bronzing powders I have come across due to being the perfect natural contouring shade and also have such a smooth texture making it so easy to apply. 

For powder products I have really been enjoying using the Bourjois Jave Rice Loose Powder. This I would say is a transparent powder with a slight pink undertone with extremely fine shimmer particles. I love to use this on top of matte foundations to brighten up my complexion. Its lasting power is also really impressive and I would highly recommend it to those who like a long lasting make up base. The two last products I really like to use during the summer months are both highlighters which are essential in creating a healthy glow. I really like The Balm's Mary-Lou Manizer and the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder in Iridescent Gold. Both have a gold undertone and are very pgimented however I would say that the Mary-Lou Manizer is slightly more pigmented and has more of a silkier touch but for £3 you can't really go wrong with the MUA Highlighting powder! Lastly I love to use some sort of setting spray to make sure my make up doesn't budge and to set everything, I really love using the Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Mist as it's so light and really does help increase the lasting power of your make up!

I really hope that this post has helped you in creating that gorgeous glow! I have always struggled finding the perfect products to create this look however I definitely couldn't fault any of these!
What products are you favourite when creating a more summer look?

NYX // CREAM LIPSTICKS

When I first saw the opening of a NYX stand in the Boots in Cardiff I spent about half an hour swatching their products and may have got a bit carried away. You probably all know by now but trying to find a store that supplies NYX products in the UK is extremely difficult and I have been trying to get my hands on their lip products for a while now. Lately I have been obsessing over the muted toned matte lipsticks and two of their ranges really caught my eye. First of all I would like to say I was extremely impressed by the colour range NYX had to offer, their lipsticks range from matte to intensely glossy and from vibrant purples to a range of nudes, it is safe to say they have a colour to suit all skin tones and personal preferences!

While at the NYX stand I finally managed to grab some gorgeous colours, 50 swatches later. The first three lip products were from a range called 'Liquid Suede Cream Lipstick' and the three shades I picked up were Vintage LSCL12, Sandstorm LSCL07 and Soft Spoken LSCL04. I also picked up the shade Dubai SMLC34 from their 'Soft Matte Lip Cream' range.

The first shade named Vintage LSCL12 is the perfect dark berry colour that in my opinion would suit all skin tones. I absolutely love to wear this type of colour throughout the year, although I mainly wear this type of colour during the colder months I love to wear it during the summer with a very natural eye. It has the perfect amount of undertones of a pinky purple berry shade but is very intense. This shade looks the exact shade as Anastasia's Beverly Hills 'Liquid Lipstick' in the shade Trust Issues. Both perfect if you are wanting to try out more daring lip colours! Secondly, the shade Sandstorm LSCL07 is an unusual shade that I have grown to love! I currently don't have any lipsticks in my collection similar to this lip cream which gave me all the more reason to buy it. The best way to describe this would be a more darker nude with brown undertones. I am all about the brown shades at the moment and this is a perfect everyday nude but also really stands out as it is such a gorgeous light brown shade. This also looks like the perfect dupe for Kylie Jenner's Lip Kit shade in Dolce K if you are looking for a more cheaper alternative.

The last shade from their 'Liquid Suede Cream' range that I picked up, Soft Spoken LSCL04, is a best described as a dirty rose shade which I wear almost on an every day basis. I love to apply this lip cream when I'm in a rush but wanting to make my make up look as if I spent hours applying it. This is also a perfect dupe for MAC's lipstick in the shade 'Whirl'. All of these lip creams in this range are so easy to apply and I tend to only apply one coat of product as they are immensely pigmented. These lip creams in my opinion from the pigmentation to the finished look are perfect however these do tend to wear off throughout the day and almost crumble due to being quite drying. Because of this I would recommend applying a lip balm of some sort before just to help improve the wear of these!

And finally, the lip cream from their 'Soft Matte Lip Cream' range that caught my attention was their shade in Dubai SMLC34. This is my eyes was a very out there shade and I haven't tried anything like it before so I thought that this would be the perfect opportunity to give it a go. It is a true brown shade which I think would look amazing with a tan and natural eyes and a bronzed make up look. The formula of this product is slightly different compared to the range I previously mentioned due to being more creamier, hydrating and also smelling like chocolate. I did find that this range weren't as pigmented as the 'Liquid Suede Creams', although this may seem as a disadvantage it is perfect to either apply a small amount to give a slight effect or apply two coats to give the colour shown in the tube. The wear of this lip product lasts a good amount of time but like all lipsticks will need reapplying.

Overall I am very impressed with my new NYX products and can say I will be definitely paying another visit to their stand in Boots! NYX is also now available to buy online on of their website! I hope you have enjoyed this post and found it somewhat useful!

Lots of love,