Summer favourites

 

 

Sadly I think that we may be getting near the end of summer so I thought it was time to round up a few products that I've been really enjoying using throughout the (sort of) warmer months. PS. the fact that the products are all bright and colourful makes me happy!

 

The weather tends to go a bit crazy in the summer months and that causes my skin to do the same so I've been using a few things to add a healthy summer glow. The Elemis pro-radiance illuminating flash balm is just a wonder product and I've been using it every day since I got it. It gives the nicest sheen to my skin and I feel like it evens out my complexion too. It makes a brilliant primer for under my make up but also looks nice just on it's own for more relaxed days.

I purchased the Body shop vitamin E over night serum in oil (why do products have such long names) after getting my mum one for her birthday and deciding I needed one for myself too. I know not everyone liked the feel of oil on there skin but I don't mind especially as it's an over night product. I find my skin often gets dehydrated and with that comes dehydration lines (eeek) I find that if I'm strict about using this every night they go away.

 

 

The Body Shop virgin mojito body splash, believe it or not, smells just like a virgin mojito and that, my friends, is a very good thing! It is delicious! In fact the whole range is! I used the shower gel up very quickly. Only risk is people thinking you've been on the cocktails first thing on a morning.

The Tropic instant glow tan is a relatively new discovery. I used to be a big fan of the Rimmel instant tan but haven't used it for a while. One of my friends works with Tropic and when she mentioned this new product I was really keen to give it a go. For a bit of extra glow when you haven't got a lot of spare time it's brilliant. There's absolutely no nasty fake tan, it actually smells really nice and isn't at all stickly or gloopy. A little goes a really long way, I can't imagine getting to the end of this bottle.

 

The Maybelline colour tattoo in on and on bronze has been raved about time and time again by just about every beauty blogger. I know I have definitely mentioned it on here on more than one occasion. It's brilliant for summer because it won't sweat off on the (rare) warmer days and gives a really pretty sheen to the eyes. I've been wearing this most days recently. The Bourjois healthy mix gel foundation has recently come back in to my life and I remembered how much I used to love it. I have this in dark beige which is way too dark for my natural skin tone but I've had a couple of spray tans recently and had to reach for a darker foundation from my collection and this was the perfect match. I love how easy it glides on to the skin and looks really fresh and dewy while still covering everything I want it to. It smells very fruity too which I know not everyone would like but I don't find it irritates my skin at all.   I hope you enjoyed today's post. Remember to keep checking back for more and follow me on facebook and instagram for more updates!

Contouring: The Kimmy K Way

Hello!!   My sister asked me to do a post on contouring a little while ago, even though she was blessed with much better bone structure than me. I thought I would split this into two posts starting with the very sculpted method, ala Kim Kardashian. Prepare for some pictures of my face looking a little bit weird.  

   

 

To create strange picture number 1, I used the Maxfactor yellow CC stick and the Loreal lumi magique stylo touche de lumiere (these products have very long names). I used these on all of the high points of my face and the areas that I wanted to catch the light.

 

 

I then used the Bourjois bronzing primer on all the areas where I wanted to create shadow. I applied this with the Real techniques contour brush. At this point you look like an extra from the Lion King but it's all starting to come together.

 

I then applied a small amount of my YSL touch eclait foundation to even everything out which I applied using the real techniques miracle complexion sponge.

And taa daa you have a more sculpted face! It's not showing up as well as I would have liked in the picture but it does create a really nice effect. I think this would work best on darker skin, paler skins have to go a little bit more delicately or risk looking like they've been tangoed. You could also go over this and add some more highlighter to make it extra glowy.

 

I hope this was helpful. I'll have a second contouring post up soon to show a slightly different technique so remember to keep popping back.

 

 

 

Autumn Palettes

 

Hello!!

 

This time of year the department stores start to fill up with beautiful high end Autumn/Winter palettes with shades so beautiful I could weep! Sadly, the prices bring a tear to my eye too, which leaves me and many other people popping them on our Christmas list in the hopes that Santa will fill our stockings with them but just in case our hints get ignored, I decided to have a little look at what the high street had to offer and I must say I've been more than impressed with what I found.

 

 

First up is the MUA undressed palette. This is only £4, for 12 beautiful shades, what a bargain!! With a lovely range of matte and shimmer bronze shades and a couple of darker grey shades you could really create some lovely Autumnal looks with this palette. I've always found MUA to be brilliant quality with excellent colour pay off. I definitely think this one is worth picking up if your after something new for this season.

 

 

This is the Bourjois smoky stories palette in the shade rock this khaki. I think palettes like this make it so easy to create a look as all the shades compliment each other perfectly. I don't normally wear green eyeshadow but I really liked the look of these and thought I'd step out of my comfort zone a bit. I think it would be nice for creating an  Autumnal twist on a smokey eye. This one was £7.99 which I don't think is too bad at all.

 

 

Next is the Rimmel glam eyes palette in Brixton brown. I'm really excited about this one as I know it's been compared to the Charlotte Tilburry Dolce Vita palette several times and at £6.99 is obviously a fraction of the price. Similar to the Bourjois palette this is nice and easy for creating a full look. I don't know how often I'll be using the rusty colour but think this adds something a little bit different for getting into the festive season so I'm excited to see what I can come up with.

 

 

Last up today is the L'oreal la palette nude in Rose. This is a new release and what I would describe as L'oreal's take on the Naked palette. This is the most expensive of the bunch but at £14.99 is still massively cheaper than most of the high end palettes that are on the go. This has a mixture of shimmer and matte shades and a bigger variety of shades than the naked palette does. I'm especially intrigued by the berry shade at the end as I think this will be something a little different without being too crazy. I think this is rather beautiful and think it makes a good replacement for the naked palette if you don't fancy paying as much.

 

So there's my little round up pf high street palettes. Of course we can all still secretly hope for some Tom Ford or Charlotte Tilburry treasures under our Christmas trees this year but if you aren't lucky enough then definitely check some of these out because I really do think they are just as good.

 

Hope you enjoyed today's post. I'm going to try and upload more regularly so watch this space!!

 

Robyn  xx

Top 5 foundations

Hello!!!

Next in the series today is my top 5 foundations. I've tried to keep it mostly high street/drugstore but their is a cheeky high end mention in there too. Hope you all enjoy!

5. So first today we have the Rimmel perfect match foundation. This is quite a new purchase for me but I've worn it every day since getting it and have really been enjoying it. It's a very liquidey formula which I'm not always great with but I've found this one easy to work with. It blends easily into the skin and is pretty undetectable as it isn't overly duey or matte.

 

4. Nest is the Loreal lumi magique foundation. This one is very light weight and makes the skin look very luminous and dewey. I would say it has a medium coverage but could be built up nicely without looking cakey on the skin. It doesn't have an SPF so it's ideal if you know your gonna be having pictures taken as you shouldn't get any flash back!

 

 

 

 



3.Next is the Bourjois healthy mix serum. This one holds a special place in my heart as I first tried it when I was in Paris for my 21st. The serum formula means it glides onto the skin and blends perfectly, I normally just use my fingers to do this and find that this works best for me. It has a faint fruity scent which I know isn't for everyone but I don't find it offensive and it hasn't ever broken me out.

 

2. Next is the YSL le teint touche eclat. I have to say that this one is very similar to the loreal lumi magique as the companies are owned by the same people this happens quite often with products. Obviously the YSL version is pricier but I do prefer it. It has a slightly better coverage and whilst it is still glowey I would say it is more of a "lit from within" type of glow. I do find that I get compliments on my skin when I wear this one and that's always nice!

1. Today's big winner is the Rimmel wake me up foundation. This is definitely my most re-purchased item of all time and I absolutely love it. I know this has been raved about for a long time but it's easy to see why. It has excellent coverage without feeling too heavy, blends really well and is dewey without looking too shimmery. I know someone people have complained about this having obvious glitter in it but I van honestly say I have never found this. I like to apply this using the real techniques buffing brush so that its really worked into the skin and find that it lasts really well on the skin after this. I really can't recommend this enough, especially for Spring/Summer. Give it a go!!

Ok so that's foundations covered. I hope you enjoyed this one. I only have a couple of posts left for this little series so let me know how you've found it and if I should think about doing something similar in the future. Thanks for reading.

Robyn xx

Top 5 blushes/bronzers

Hello!!

Continuing with my top 5 series today with my top 5 blushes and bronzers. I've combined these 2 together as I tend to avoid bronzers in the colder months and blushes are something I've only just began to experiment with recently. I'm gonna share with you the few that have really caught my eye and may have managed to convert me into a blush/bronzer fanatic!!

5. First up is the sleek blush in rose gold. This looks so beautiful in the pan and even nicer on the skin. A little definitely goes a long way with this but if applied right it gives just the right amount of shimmer and golden glow that looks amazing!

4. Next is the natural collection blush in pink cloud. This is a lovely soft pink shade which I think is lovely for spring and summer time. The consistency of the natural collection blushes are very soft which makes them very easy to blend. There are quite a few other shades from this line which I fancy trying as well, they all look very natural and wearable and at just £1.99 each I might just have to do this.

 

3. Next is the first bronzer on the list. This is the Bourjois Maxi Delight bronzer. I've found it hard to find bronzers that aren't too shimmery or orange on the skin. I know there's plenty of high end ones that meet this criteria but as I mentioned earlier, I just don't use bronzer enough to justify splurging. I purchased this one a few weeks ago and have really been enjoying using it. The colour pay off is really good without causing an accidental oompa-loompa face! There is a slight shimmer in this one but it's very subtle and just gives a nice glow to the skin. Like most bourjois products it smells really yummy too, just in case any one happens to be sniffing your face!

2. Next is the Collection shimmer shades, way to glow. This is a blush, bronzer, highlighter combo. I really enjoy using this product and love how multi-purpose it is. You can either pick out individual shades or swirl the brush through all of them and dust it over the face. I think it works really well for both.

  1. And the big winner today is.......the Revlon cream blush in Pinched!! This is such a lovely product. It goes on as a cream but sets as a powder while still giving the glow of a cream. I absolutely love this shade and think it looks very natural on the skin.

Ok, so that's that for my favourite blushes and bronzers. As always I hope this has given you some ideas if your looking to purchase some new ones any time soon. They're all really reasonably priced too so if you fancied treating yourself you could always try them all!! Wahey!!

Robyn xx