Please tell me I'm not the only one who has had deliveries coming to the door most days during the last three months!?
I don't know if it's the fact that I've been consuming a lot more fashion and beauty content online or simply because I've had nothing else to do with my money! Either way, the Online Shopping Fairies have obviously considered me a very good girl, as the packages have been arriving thick and fast!
But along with the usual Zara, ASOS and H&M parcels that grace my doorstep, I've recently found myself frequently browsing my favourite beauty destinations such as Cult Beauty and Look Fantastic, to get my hands on those products that I need to make me feel like I've got a little bit of sparkle...
So here we have; my first beauty post on the blog.
I've never considered myself a beauty guru - literally everything I know, I've learned from other beauty bloggers, make-up counter girls or magazines - and I'm pretty easily influenced, hence several of the products in this post! But I've found some great products and they need to be shared.
So if, unlike me, you haven't been treating yourself to some new beauty bits over the last few months, then I am here to try and influence you to do so. Let's be honest, has there ever been a year where we've needed fake tan, hydrating moisturiser and durable concealer more!?
Fake it, til you make it
For most of us a holiday abroad this year seems like a distant dream, and until my powers of persuasion eventually pay off and I manage to get one booked myself, like many of us, I'll be opting for a tan of convenience... straight out of the bottle. Not that I actually tan whilst on holiday, mind you, a subtle glow and some additional freckles is about as good as it gets!
Fake tan, or sunless tanner if you want to be posh, gets a bit of a bad rep, doesn't it? Its a nightmare to put on, it leaves stains, it smells bad, I could go on... But I think like with most things; you get what you pay for. So, with that in mind, if you're looking for a hassle-free, mess-free, biscuit-smell-free and orange-stained-hands-free tan to add to your Summer beauty essentials then look no further than the St. Tropez Purity Water Body Mist and Face Serum.
My new favourites in the tanning game, getting that sun-kissed glow has never been so easy. All you need to do is rub on the Vitamin C enhanced serum on your face and spray a few pumps of the mist onto your body, blend in with a tanning mitt and you're good to go. Its fast drying formula means that you're not left with that sticky residue feeling and its colourlessness means you can put on your best Summer whites without the fear of stains. Win win all round, wouldn't you say?
The full St. Tropez Purity range is a must have in my opinion, so if you're not one for spritzing, then be sure to try out the Purity Body Mousse... it's your classic fake tan mousse, just better!
make up and glow
I'll admit it... I've never been a make-up fanatic.
Don't get me wrong, I love getting my glam on as much as the next person, but I'm just not completely clued up on whether concealer should go on before foundation or after, I'm useless at applying false lashes, and I have literally no idea how to bake my face... Honestly, the Laura Mercier loose powder you see in the pic below is the first of its kind to ever live in my make up bag... and I'm 26-years-old. Beauty blogger of the year, right?!
What I have learnt over the years however, is that it's important to find the products that work for your skin's texture, most importantly work for your complexion and ultimately just make you feel good. Right now, during the Summer, I'm all about the GLOW! And I've added some great products to my make-up bag recently especially for that.
Let's start with the basics, and no, these products aren't technically for the glow but no make-up bag is complete without a great concealer! I've tried many over the years and now think I'm set for life with these offerings from NARS. I've got both the Radient Creamy Concealer and the Soft Matte Complete Concealer in mine (I wear shade Cannelle in both) as I find the liquid formula better suited for my under eyes, but nothing hides those blemishes around my chin - you know the ones, right?! - quite like the mattifying little pot of wonder. Now, that translucent powder, I'll be honest, this is one of said influenced purchases. I couldn't count on both hands the amount of people I've heard raving about the Laura Mercier Translucent Powder, so it got to the point where I just had to try it for myself. And the result? I love it. I can't totally see why everyone goes on about it so much and although I don't like to fully mattify my face, a little dab of this power under the eyes and around those laughter lines makes a huge difference!
Next up on my list of new favourites is ByTerry. If you haven't checked out this brand, then I recommend you do so immediately. Their packaging is next level and all of the products have a beautiful rose scent, just amazing! If this blog piece highlights one game changing product, then it has to be the ByTerry Brightening CC Serum. Yes, I did initially purchase it (at the airport I must add, as this is a pricey little number) on the recommendation of Lydia Elise Millen - Queen of all things fab, check her out if you haven't already - but I've since bought my second and third bottles of this liquid gold and it's now firmly part of my daily make up routine. Depending on whether I'm tanned or not, I alternate between both number 3. Apricot Glow and number 4. Sunny Flash, but even when I'm not at optimal tanning level, I'll sometimes mix one pump of the Sunny Flash with my moisturiser to make the perfect colour match. Wear it on its own or as a base for your foundation, buy this once and I'd be very surprised if you regret it!
Finally, on the make-up front, the boujee-ist of bronzers; the Chanel Tan de Soleil. Another purchase influenced by rave reviews on social media and bloody fabulous packaging! I almost didn't want to start using it in the fear of damaging its beautiful appearance but once I did, it soon lived up to its slightly steep price tag. No make-up bag is ever complete without really good brushes and over lockdown I was introduced to Zoeva brushes (shout out to Jodie MUA) and its safe to say I am now saving my pennies to purchase the complete set!
beauty is skin deep
If anything from the beauty world is going to drain your purse, arguably for worthy reasons, it's skincare. There is no end to the money that you can spend on the hundreds and thousands of lotions, potions and serums advertised to make your skin look fresher, wrinkles less visible and eye bags vanish. But after one too many ads popping up on my social feeds promoting the skincare range, The Ordinary, I figured why not try this bargain priced skincare brand claiming to specialise in pioneering products with honesty and integrity.
Well, wow! They must have a silent 'extra' in front of their brand name because this stuff is anything but ordinary and with most of their products retailing for under £10, I am sold.
It's never too early to start preparing your skin for aging and their Hyaluronic Acid is now my go to, to prevent any serious laughter lines setting in too deep. I'd advise anyone who intends to keep reading these posts to invest in some too... Since I'm such a comedian after all, its for your own good. Thank me later!
Someone said to me once on a night out, whilst discussing chipped nail polish, that;
if someone doesn't take care of the things that people do see, then don't begin to think about how they look after the things that people don't see
Of all the things I've forgotten on nights out over the years, that is one of the few things I've learned on a night out that's actually stuck with me.
I know that most people actually go and get their nails done professionally, it's a treat, a bit of TLC, but if you're old school and prefer to do your own, then there is no nail polish I can recommend more than Nails Inc.
The biggest step back in doing a home mani... they chip within 5 minutes, right?! ...Wrong! Doing your nails is just like doing your make-up. You wouldn't put foundation on your face without using a primer or moisturiser first, so don't put polish on your nails without base coat! Finished your make-up... Then it's time for setting spray. Finished your nail polish... Then it's time for top coat. It's easy!
The Nails Inc. Caviar Base and Top coat set is my all time favourite and I've just renewed my supply. Trust me, if you've been telling yourself throughout lockdown that you no longer need to be shedding out the cash to get your nails done every 4 weeks, then this is the way to go.
I hope you've made it this far through to read all the details, unless you've called it quits early to get yourself straight over to one of the websites and purchase some of these goodies, then I don't blame you!
A x
This post contains affiliate links
All thoughts and opinions in this post are my own
