Back-To-Basics : Makeup Starter Kit

Starting up your making kit can be a challenging and confusing experience.

'Which one will match my skin type?'

'Which brands are worth the money?'

'How do I know what products to buy?'

So today I decided to show you a 'Drugstore Makeup Starter Kit' (with a few cheaper High End products thrown in there). I hope this helps you slowly build up your collection or gives you a few ideas on what to buy when you go to Boots. Enjoy!

For base you want to go for something quite light and something that doesn't make such a dramatic change to your skin. When I first started out with makeup I wore 4 things on my face.

~Concealer. BB Cream. Powder. Blush.

You obviously don't have to use 4 products on your face if you don't want to, but some people to want a higher coverage.

For BB Cream I would recommend the Maybelline Dream Pure or Dream Fresh BB Cream. Dream Fresh is perfect for dry/dehydrated skin and Dream Pure is great for oily/greasy skin. These BB Creams give a slight glow and  a bit of coverage but nothing to much.

Concealer-wise, I think everyone knows what's coming, The Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. 

This concealer has had great reviews from many beauty bloggers such as ViviannaDoesMakeup and Zoella (links will be below) and I can completely see why. It has great coverage and is perfect for under eyes and blemishes.

Powder is an essential when starting with makeup as it sets it and keeps your makeup long lasting. I chose to talk about the Rimmel Stay Matte powder. Again is a massive hit in the beauty industry, and for the right reasons. It mattifies your face and sets your makeup for the day ahead.

Blush definetley isn't something I wore everyday when beginning with makeup, so I just chose a natural bronzey toned blush as it is quite natural and gives you a healthy glow. The NYC cheek glow in Outside Cafe is a great choice, as not only is it a gorgreous colour, it is good for the pocket at a bargain price of £1/2.

For eyes you don't want to go for something to 'out there', as you want your makeup to look as minimal as possible. For this I recommend an MUA Eyeshadow Trio in a natural brown colour. These colours are so pigmented and give a great colour pay off. But if you are willing to pay a bit more money you could always go for an Urban Decay Naked Basics palette. These come with 6 eyeshadows in gorgeous neutral colours. Althought It costs £22 it is 100% worth it. 

Adding a bit of mascara always make your eyes look more awake and widened. I would start of with a brown mascara because that is more natural, but if you are looking for a black one I would always recommend Maybelline's The Rocket Volume Express. It can give your lashes a false, dramatic look, or a soft natural look.

Finally for lips, I think it is best to start of with a balm or gloss. I have been loving the Collection Cream Puff in Cotton Candy lately. It gives a matte finish and lasts all day. If you don't want a matte finish and want something a bit more glossy, I would definetley recommend a Tanya Burr lipgloss. My favourite is Chic, as it is a classic nude. The lipglosses also smell like strawberry laces, but it does fade once applied.

And that is it for today's post! I really hope you enjoy and will see you next week!

ViviannaDoesMakeup Blog: http://www.viviannadoesmakeup.com

Zoella Blog: http://www.zoella.co.uk

Thanks,

alittlebeautyblog. 

Skincare routine - Morning

                                        

This week I'm going to be sharing my morning skincare routine and favourite products. For a good six months I have stuck with the same products in  my skincare routine and have been really pleased with the improvement I have seen in my skin. I don't think it's necessary to change every product in your your routine for the evening and in the morning, so as you will see in my evening skincare post that will be uploaded in a couple of weeks, I like to keep some of the products I use the same.

First and foremost, I like to start by cleansing my skin with the La Roche Posay Purifying Foaming Gel. It's a great one to use if you have sensitive skin as it's very gentle and not at all stripping. I like to use a face cloth soaked in warm water to remove the product from my skin.

Next, I use the Body Shop Vitamin E Moisturising Serum because it really brightens up my skin and makes it look plumper. The cold gel really helps to wake you up if you're feeling rather sleepy that particular morning.

After that I use the La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo + as a moisturiser and blemish buster in one. It really helps to keep the redness in my skin at bay so I'm not wondering around looking the a tomato half way throughout the day. I wouldn't recommend  this product to anybody that has really dry skin because its not the most hydrating thing in the world but I find that using this with the serum underneath really works well for my skin.

Lastly, I use the No7 dark circle eraser. I wouldn't say I was over the moon with the actual formula of this eye cream but the roller ball applicator just makes me feel so much more awake after I've used it. It's just so cooling and it works wonders at reducing puffiness around your eyes.

That's it for my morning skincare routine. I like to keep things really simple when it comes to the morning because I do a pretty good job at cleansing my face at night. I think it's really important  to have a skincare routine that works for your skin and you know you can stick too. If you don't have a proper skincare routine already I would recommend doing a bit of research because a good skincare routine plays a major role in having beautiful skin.

I'll be back in a few weeks to show your my evening skincare routine.

Thanks,

alittlebeautyblog.

Top 10 High-Street Favourites!

                                           

                                                     

The month of January is soon coming to a close and January favourites will be in everybody's subscription box. So I though I'd change it up abit and show you my Top 10 Favourites from the drugstore (or High Street, as we call it in the UK). Be warned, it's quite a long one!:)

1. Base :

Drugstore foundations are definitely my favourite. They come in such a wide range of shades and finishes. Whether it be matte or dewy. I, myself, have combination skin so I tend to sway towards the more matte finishes, as I don't want my face to look any oilier than it is. That's why I stick to the L'Oreal 'True Match Foundation'. I am in the shade D1-W1 Golden Ivory and it is the perfect colour match for me (as we don't want a bright orange foundation line). It gives an even coverage but isn't to thick and cakey. It also has an SPF of 17, so protects my skin from the little sun there is in the UK.

2. Enhancement :

As said previously I have quite oily skin, so when it comes to highlighter, I always seemed to shy away. Until I found this product. It is the Soap and Glory 'Love at First Blush' blusher and highlighter. This is the perfect product for everyday use, it gives a bit of glow but doesn't make it look like you've been rolling in glitter. I take a fluffy blusher brush and swirl it round all of the colours. I sweep it across the apples of my cheeks for a flushed look.

3. Eye Base :

When it comes to eyeshadow, I tend not to use a primer as I feel it takes to long to blend and doesn't always make a difference to my shadow. But then one day while prancing around Boots, I came a cross the Maybelline 24 Hour Colour Tattoo Cream Eyeshaows (well that's a mouthful). The first one I picked up was in the shade 'Pink Gold' and I have to say it didn't live up to my expectations. I just feel like pink doesn't suit my eyes, as I have quite a red face as it is. So I went back and picked up another in a bronzey shade called 'On and On Bronze (aka Bad To The Bronze)', and I fell in love. The pigmentation was amazing and the shadow was so creamy. At first I thought they would be quite dry and hard to apply, but after a few uses the shadow gets smoother and creamier. There is a great selection of colours from your bright turquoise blue, to your shimmery golds.

4. Eyeshadow :

I have to say I am not a great lover of the Drugstore palettes that are available. I am definetley more fond of my higher end palettes, such as my Naked Palettes from Urban Decay. So when it came down to choosing my favourite drugstore palette, it was a bit more difficult. So I decided to talk about the MUA 'Undressed Palette'. This is an amazing dupe for the original Naked Palette. The colours are so pigmented and have a great colour payoff. There isn't really anymore to say about this palette, except I am really pleased with the quality of the shadows, considering it only cost me around £4. 

P.S. I have also heard that Sleek do amazing eyeshadow palettes (which I have never tried), so definetley check them out!

5. Eyeliner :

This one was a toughy. I only own Drugstore eyeliners, so I had quite a challenge when it came down to picking my favourite. So I have settled for 2, the Soap and Glory Supercat, which is a thick felt tip pen and the L'Oreal SuperLiner Perfect slim which is what it says on the tin. Perfect and Slim.

Both of these eyeliners can create very versatile looks, from a thin line to a thick Cateye. They are both around £6/7 so it so just really up to personal preference.

6. Lips :

When it comes to lips I almost have a routine.

Balm. Line. Lipstick.

For a lip balm I tend to use the Blistex Lip Relief Cream or EOS. They both have such an amazing formula and leave your lips feeling so smooth. My favourite EOS's are Summer Fruits and Strawberry Sorbet.

To line my lips I have been loving the Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lip liners in Indian Pink and East End Snob. Indian Pink is a dark berry colour and East End Snob is a browny-toned nude.

Now onto lipsticks.

My favourites at the moment match my lip liners. Firstly there is my Rimmel Kate Koss Lipstick in 107 which is a plummy-red and secondly there is my L'Oreal Collection Privee in Eva's nude which is a dark-toned nude. Both perfect colours to wear all year round.

7. Tools :

For brushes I always use the Real Techniques by Pixiwoo (Sam and Nic Chapman). The brushes are amazing quality and cost from between £6-£11, which is an absolute bargain for brushes of this quality.

8,9 and 10. Random Bits and Bobs:

Shower Cream :

Lately I have been loving Soap and Glorys Clean On Me Shower Gel/Cream. It is so moisturising and makes my skin feel awake.

Dry Shampoo :

When using dry shampoo, I always look for something that will make my hair feel fresh and won't leave a horrible white line along my hair. So I have been using the Batiste Dry Shampoo in Floral and Flirty Blush. It has a gorgeous floral scent but isn't to 'In-Your-Face'. It leaves my hair smelling lovely and feeling clean.

Makeup Remover :

For a while I was using coconut oil to remove my makeup, as it was natural and made my skin feel silky smooth. But upon running out of it, I stumbled across the No7 Beautiful Skin Cleansing Oil and fell in love. Put a few pumps onto your hands and gently massage your face, disolving your makeup. Then rinse and pat your face dry with a fresh towel. This made my skin feel so clean and makeup-free!

That's it for today's post. I hope you enjoyed hearing about some of my favourites at the moment! Be sure to leave your favourites in the comments below!

Thanks,

alittlebeautyblog.