illuminating

Current Favourite Bronzers

- Vicki 1 Comment

Current Favourte Powder Bronzers

MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Soft & Gentle

Such a cult favourite and I never once regret purchasing this, I have used it so many times over the past few years & it still looks like new. Its such a pretty highlighter that can be used for a subtle glow or built up to be more intense. Its a peachy, warm tone with gorgeous champaign shimmery sheen and it reflects the light to give you that healthy look. Its not subtle so don’t get this if you don’t like shimmer, you can use a light hand but the shimmer is still going to show up.

Laura Mercier Shimmer Bloc in Starlet Mosaic

This baked highlighter is very shimmery, so no muted glow here! I love the four individual colours and have often used them as eyeshadows but they’re great to swirl your brush through all of them and it gives the most pretty peachy, bronze glow. I use this on my cheekbones for a beautiful highlight and it brings warmth and glow to my complexion.

MeMeMe Shimmer Brick Bronze

MeMeMe Shimmer Stack in Bronze

This isn’t as finely milled as the other products in this post but the colours and pigmentation are beautiful and intense. This gives the cheeks a bronze glow that instantly warms up your look. You get 5 colours in the stack and they can be used individually as eyeshadows and I think they work very well like that but I do prefer to sweep my brush across them all and use it as a glowing bronzer. It does have a metallic finish so you are not going to get a subtle finish with this but its such a good way at warming up a look and making your skin look fresh, healthy and glowing. This is like a holiday in a bronzer. Oh & this product has a really big mirror which is very handy, but I have so say the packaging feels quite bulky and I tend not to travel with it. I need that extra space for lipsticks.

Current Bronzers

Soap & Glory Wonderbronze

This is a very pretty multi shade bronzing highlighter, its great at giving your skin that sun kissed look without having been in the sunshine. I just swirl my brush round all the colours and apply it with my duo fibre brush, using this type of brush I find I don’t pick up too much product on my brush as I like to use this product more in the day time so I try to keep it quite subtle. Its lovely and lightweight and I find this lasts a really long time on my skin. When the colours are mixed its very similar to the MeMeMe offering but just slightly more peachy.

Essence Sun Club all in one Bronzing Highlighter in Sunglow

Without a doubt Essence is my favourite budget beauty brand, their product selection and quality is incredible and they always bring out the cutest limited edition ranges throughout the year. I have quite a few cheek products from them but I just love this bronzing highlighter, its so compact and easy to travel with. I like the see through packaging and you get 9g of product for only £3.50, total bargain. This has a slight coconut scent which always reminds me of holidays and it gives you a gorgeous sun kissed glow. Its a lovely copper with a little pink in there too. I am obsessed with this & Its always in my current makeup stash!Favourite Powder Bronzers

Primark PS Love Bronzer 

This Primark offering was also a complete bargain & its not bad at all, I wouldn’t say it has the best staying power but I use this when I am only going out for a couple of hours & generally during the day. It hasn’t got enough of a glow for me to use at night but as a budget friendly offering its quite good. Although if you can get hold of any of the Essence bronzers then I would recommend those first. This PS Love bronzer gives a touch of warmth to the skin as well as a slight highlight, its quite subtle compared to the rest of the ones I have mentioned but I think thats because the pigmentation isn’t as good.

Bronzer Swatches

Laura Mercier / Soap & Glory / MeMeMe / MAC

Have you tried any of the bronzers I have mentioned and what bronzer do you reach for most often?

Favourite Liquid Illuminating Products

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Favourite Liquid Highlighter Products

Clarins Instant Light Radiance Boosting Complexion Base

This is a great product for giving my skin a little extra radiance (always needed in the Winter), I have the shade champaign which is a pretty apricot shade. This is a great colour for warming up my complexion and is great at combating redness and uneven skin tone. This has a light creamy texture and it sits well under my makeup, I think it makes a great primer.

Revlon Photoready Skinlights Face Illuminator

I like to use this as a highlighter & I put it on my cheekbones & down my nose. I have the shade pink light and its a pretty iridescent pink. The formula of these is quite watery but its so easy to blend and the colour also reminds me of Benefit High Beam, I use this instead of a powder highlighter & its so pretty at reflecting the light and adding a little glow to my skin.

GOSH Primer Plus Illuminating

This is the newest addition to the selection and Its such a great budget friendly makeup primer and illuminator in one. If you have dull or sallow skin then this kind of product is a great way of adding brightness to your complexion without looking glittery. Pearl pigments and the right mix of colour pigments deliver the supple dewy base that keeps skin looking fresh all day. Its has pretty peachy tint and it looks lovely mixed with foundation or worn under for a radiant finish.

Five Highlighting Beauty Favourites

B. Prepared Illuminating Makeup Primer

This is such a lightweight non greasy primer, it leaves the skin feeling silky smooth and doesn’t add any slip or shine to the skin but instead it adds a beautiful luminous glow to the skin without any shimmer or glitter. It is a really nice smooth base for my foundation to sit on top of & it helps my makeup last all day whilst adding a healthy glow to my skin. It also has Hyaluronic acid and vitamin E which are great at hydrating skin and helping reduce the signs of fatigue.

Estee Lauder Idealist Even Skintone Illuminator

This is one of my favourites out of the line up – I tend to add a couple of drops to my foundation for a more radiant healthy finish. This does have a yellow tone with a gold iridescence, it doesn’t have glitter in but it does have a slight shimmer to it and it looks very subtle and pretty once under or added to your foundation. Its also good at helping cover redness and give the complexion a more even finish. This is an oil free serum and it just looks so pretty when the light hits your skin. I think this has been discontinued which always seems to be the case with products I fall in love with.

Liquid Highlighter Swatches

B. Prepared / Estee Lauder / GOSH / Revlon / Clarins

What are your favourite liquid highlighters?

Rediscovered Products

- Vicki 6 Comments

Rediscovered Products

Merumaya Skin Brightening Exfoliating Peel £19.50 – I like to use this in the morning as it really leaves your skin smooth & looking bright. A great way to start the day. It has a combination of Glycolic Acid and Pomegranate Enzymes to help break down dead skin and re texturize it revealing vibrant, healthy smooth skin. It has a thick consistency & I like to apply a generous layer all over my face, leaving it for about 5 minutes. Its gentle but effective & a great weekly treatment to help revive dull lack lustre skin.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector £19.00 – This little product always gets lost in my stash & I forget I have it but after having a clear out & have fewer concealers and so this has found pride of place in my current daily routine. Its a peachy pink corrector that helps counteract dark circles & make the under eye area appear brighter, you layer this under your concealer and it works a treat. This does crease on me after a couple of hours but thats because it is quite thick & creamy but i just pat it back into place and it looks good to go.

Soap & Glory Hocus Focus £11.00 – This gives the skin a lovely pearlescent illuminating glow and it looks beautiful worn under makeup or I have mixed it with my moisturiser / foundation for more of a subtle effect. Its not a primer, more of a glow enhancer & I think it does a great job at helping smooth imperfections. It is quite a runny milky formula, so don’t pump out too much & I find one pump is enough for my whole face. Its a product that just makes your skin look healthier, brighter & more awake. I have had this bottle for a while now & S&G have since changed the packaging. This is a product that will last you so very long & so is worth adding to your stash.

What products have you rediscovered from your stash?

A few February Purchases

- Vicki 25 Comments

Beauty Treats

Deliciously Ella – I saw this in Waterstones for half price & thought it sounded like a lovely healthy cookbook. There are so many Vegan friendly recipes & I can’t wait to try making something from it. I want to cook from scratch more & this book is the perfect place for me to start & find my feet. Its all about healthy but delicious food, nothing too difficult as I am the worlds worst cook. Also I failed at eating well in January so Im hoping this book helps kick start a more healthy eating 2015.

I will let you know what I pick first & also do a proper review of the book once I have used it for a while. I had never heard of Ella before this book, let me know if you own it and also what recipes you recommend from it.

Benefit Roller Lash – This cute deluxe sample came free with this months Elle magazine, so if you haven’t already picked up a copy you need to ASAP! Its not out to buy in shops / counters until March. I have been using this mascara for just over a week & I love it. I did a full review last week & to read it click here.

GOSH Prime & Refresh Illuminating Eye Roll On £7.99 – My under eye area is my more problematic – not with blemishes but its so dry and my makeup settles in to my fine lines. Often the makeup on that area looks terrible after a couple of hours so I thought this GOSH offering might be the answer to my prayers. Its illuminating, something my under eye area needs – refreshing, which will keep the skin looking fresh and feeling soothed and its also a primer so my makeup should stick around longer & not sink into my fine lines. I can’t wait to use this some more & let you know what I think. The dispenser is so neat & the metal balls feel cooling on the skin.

Revlon Highlighter

Revlon Rose Glow Highlighting Palette £8.99 – This is so pretty and I thought it would be perfect for creating that Spring fresh faced look. I love highlighters but don’t own many that are pink and I like how this has 5 shades. It is quite shimmery but if you use a light hand its not too OTT & looks very brightening on the cheeks. I love the packaging, the clear lid means I can see it in my collection & it feels sturdy. So far I really like it.

Collection Work The Colour Lip Butter in Vintage Rose £2.99 – This is a gorgeous soft peachy pink, its quite a subtle colour but you can build up the colour. It makes my lips look healthy and brightens up my face. It is the perfect everyday shade and the formula is creamy and glossy on the lips. I am going to go back and get the plum shade too. You can’t go wrong with a lip crayon & these Collection ones are budget friendly too.

Bourjois Colorbrand Eye Crayon in Brun dadaiste £5.99 – I love eyeshadow sticks and I have been seeing these everywhere. I couldn’t resist buying this brown shade. Its so pigmented and lasts all day on my eyes. I like to sweep the colour across my lids then blend it out with my fingers, its so easy & quick. I love low maintenance eye makeup for everyday & this is doing the job. I want the Rose & the Mauve shades too.

What have you treated yourself too lately, do you have any new discoveries or recommendations for me.