My 'Summer Face'

Today I thought I would try a different post as I have been doing a lot of reviews lately and thought it would be nice for you to read something a bit different. Even though the weather this Summer has been quite temperamental, I've shyed away from heavy and time consuming make up and updated my make up regime to easy, quick and lighter make up suitable for warmer weather. The above picture are the products I have been using on a daily basis as a standard summer face. I sometimes switch up my eyes or lipsticks depending on my outfit and mood but overall this is my staple make up at the moment. Sorry in advance about the quality of the picture, the natural lighting isn't great due to gloomy weather and some of my products are a bit battered from traveling and everyday use!

So to begin with, I mix my 17 BB cream in 'Light' mixed with a pump or two of Soap and Glory's Hocus Focus to brighten up my dull complexion and blend all over my face with my fingers to melt it into my skin. The BB cream has relatively good coverage but I cover up my under eye circles and any blemishes with Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. I then dust 17 Miracle Matte pressed powder over my face lightly as I am on the oily side with a large powder brush and then blend Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer all over my face with a MAC blending brush. This powder is great as it gives my face a bit of warmth without dulling down my complexion with a light, silky texture. I dot some extra Hocus Focus on my brow bone and top of cheek bones for a highlighter, a product which I have really grown to love as it is multi purpose and gives a lovely natural glow. I then give a light dusting of Benefit's Thrrrob powder on my cheekbones with a stippling brush to give a flush of colour.

For my eyes I fill in my brows with Bobbi Brown Mahogany eyeshadow (not pictured) then using my finger blend a thin layer of Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' over my lid, which is a great natural colour for blue eyes that is easily buildable into a stronger colour if you so wish. To finish my eyes I put a few layers of my favourite mascara of the moment, Masterpiece Max by Maxfactor.

Finally, a few coats of a Revlon Lip Butter in shade Creme Brulee and I am good to go!

I have done a few reviews of the products mentioned which I have included links for. What do you think of my 'Summer Face'? Do you include any of these products in your every day routine? xxx

Review: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish

£14.25 for a starter pack inc. 100ml bottle of product + 2 muslin cloths.

Before becoming interested in the world of beauty blogging and seeing all the rave reviews about this product, Liz Earle was a brand that had never crossed my radar. However, upon purchasing this I can safely say I'm in love! From the packaging to the product, I havn't been disappointed and think it is worth the money.

Due to my skin type being oily/combination I was worried that this product would make me break out or become more oily due to the thick creamy consistency of the cleanser, however it has actually done the opposite and so I think it would be suitable for all skin types. After using this, I can see that my skin has more of an even skin tone and feels fresh and really soft. It contains rosemary, chamomile, cocoa butter and eucalyptus essential oil, giving the product a herbal scent (a bit like Vicks in my opinion) and also what gives my skin its lovely soft feeling afterwards.

One pump is enough for my whole face, and I massage it in circular motions finishing with my eyes because otherwise make up residue goes everywhere! I love that this cleanser is a multi tasker and cleanses my skin effectively as well as taking off my make up. I was a bit skeptical of this at first but when I used my toner afterwards, which I apply with a cotton wool pad, there was no make up residue on the pad showing the cleanser had done its job well.

As it is a two stage product, with the first being the cleansing when you massage it around your face, the second is the 'polish' with the muslin cloths. These give your skin a deep clean without feeling too rough or harsh and effectively more all signs of make up and daily grime. I usually change my cloth after every few uses otherwise it kinda defeats the point of washing your face if you are doing it with a bacteria ridden cloth! As you get two cloths in the starter pack I would advise buying a couple more - you can get packs of 2 for £4 from John Lewis.

Another plus point for me is the packaging - it has a nice clean and sophisticated feeling and I really like the colours they have chosen, the pump action and the little bag the starter pack came in. The only thing I would change is maybe including a little see through bar so you can see how much product is left because I'm worried I will run out and not realise until I go to use it.

Overall, I think it is pretty obvious I am smitten with this product and it is probably a bit sad to say but I look forward to using this in the evenings! I would definitely repurchase this when I use it up, but I am also interested in comparing it to the Soap and Glory Hot Cloth Cleanser and also their Peaches and Clean. I think Liz Earle deserve the hype and am interested in trying some of their other products, which is made easy as if you go on their website they suggest products suited to your needs.

Have you tried this product and what do you think of it? Do you have any other Liz Earle recommendations? xxx

Wishlist Wednesday #2

Benefit Confessions of a Concealaholic: In my opinion, the beauty kits from Benefit are always the best value for money products that they offer. You always get a good selection of mostly good size products and they are great for when there are things you want to try out without splashing out on a full size. I've been eyeing up this little kit for ages, although I recently purchased the Erasepaste in duty free I have been wanting to try out the other products included, especially the 'That Gal' primer, and it is great for travel. 

Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser in Nude: I don't actually own any products just yet by Laura Mercier as they are a bit on the pricey side, but they have always appealed to me and I have never heard or seen a bad review about any of the products. Recently I've been ditching foundation for BB creams so want to branch out into the field of tinted moisturisers aswell to see if I can find something that suits me. This product really appeals to me because of the packaging, the fact it is oil free and because it has an added SPF. This is really near the top of my wishlist!

My Booky Wook by Russel Brand: This could be considered a bit of a random choice, especially as the book has been out for a while! As it is now summer I have the time to indulge in reading for pleasure rather than for my degree, and I havn't read an autobiography for a while so this would be a good choice for an a relaxing read.

MAC Pro Amplified Creme Lipstick in Show Orchid: This is another product that is really high on my wishlist, although I think it was limited edition and so a bit harder to get hold off. I love all lip products including glosses, lipsticks, balms and butters and have recently been lusting after many different brands and colours! However, this one is really near the top as it is such a 'me' colour and I have seen a few beauty bloggers wearing it and think it is gorgeous! Plus I don't own any MAC lipsticks (I know, it's a bit ridiculous for a beauty blogger to not own any!) so this would be a lovely first purchase. I think I should probably get myself down to a MAC counter and buy some other lipsticks right now after that confession! Any suggestions for some good colours?

Vera Wang Princess Night Perfume: I got the original Vera Wang princess for my birthday 2 years ago after putting it on my list because I liked the bottle! I did however love the scent too so that was a bonus haha. I'm running out of it now though so wanted to try a different variation of the scent and again this bottle looks so pretty and is one of the main factors I picked it! 

What do you think of my wishlist? Are there any suggestions you can give me? xxx