It's Prime Time

MAC Prep & Prime / MAC Paint Pot  / NARS Eyeshadow Primer / NYX Jumbo Pencil / L'Oreal Lumi Magique Primer

I thought i'd showcase with you some of my favourite primers/bases for the face and eyes, sometimes I won't use a primer before foundation, but I do always use an eyeshadow base/primer as it really does make a difference to how your eyeshadows last and prevents creasing. 

Firstly for the face i've been liking these two primers recently, the MAC Prep & Prime I just use around the centre of the face, which is where my foundation and concealer tends to wear off first. It's a really nice base and I do notice a difference in how long my foundation will last throughout the day. The L'Oreal Lumi Magique foundation primer I like to use on the high points of my face, especially on the cheekbones to add a nice glow to the skin. You can even mix it in with your liquid foundation to be all lovely and glowy all over! You can also use this as a subtle liquid highlighter as well which a nice bonus. 

For eye bases these are the three I always tend to pick up when I want something plain and basic that I can put any eyeshadow over the top. The NYX Jumbo Eyeshadow stick in 'Milk' is a cheaper alternative as an eyeshadow base, it's really creamy and blends like a dream, plus it really makes any eyeshadow pop! You can also use this to highlight your brow bone or use it on your waterline to make your eyes appear more 'awake', although it might look a little intense. If you want just a plain standard clear base with no pigment then NARS is the way to go, once you put eyeshadow over this it will not budge! It's amazing for anyone with oily eyelids too, as it really mattifys the lid and sets in place. Finally the eyeshadow base that everyone and their grandma loves, it's MAC's Painterly Paint Pot, and the crowd goes wild! This paint pot is as good as everyone says it is, whether you get it in Painterly or in Soft Ochre, the nude shades are just perfect for putting eyeshadow over the top or even leaving it on it's own with a bit of liner and mascara! 

Light & Bronzed

MAC Shroom eyeshadow w/ Cork in crease // Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum foundation // NARS Laguna // Chanel Blush in 'Tumulte' // NARS 'Albatross' // Maybelline Babylips in 'Cherry' // Rimmel Lash Accelerator Endless //

Recently as spring has finally sprung i've been liking lightweight makeup that's dewy, radiant and fresh. I've been reaching for the Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation a lot more often now that's a bit milder, as it gives a nice amount of coverage but still looks like skin, not like you've slapped on some foundation (if that makes sense?). I've been using NARS Laguna Bronzer a lot more 'heavier' recently so I don't look so pale, and it gives a really nice natural tanned kinda look, I apply it with a Real Techniques Blush Brush and with circular motions blend it on the tops of the cheek bones and the temples (where the sun would naturally hit). Finishing off the cheeks I use my Chanel Blush to add a pop of colour, and NARS Albatross highlighter on the tops of the cheek bones.

For the eyes I blend a bit of the Bronzer into the crease with a Sigma E45 brush, and then follow up with Shroom by MAC with a 239 brush to pack on the colour over the main part of the lid. To complete the eye I add a bit of definition with Cork by MAC.

For lips you could do something more dramatic, but i've been liking keeping it really subtle and using a tinted lip balm, like the Maybelline Babylips, it gives a really nice amount of colour but is also really moisturising at the same time.

Bronzed Up.

Products used: MAC Prep & Prime / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in 'Soft Ivory' / MAC Studio Finish Concealer in NC15 / Soap & Glory One Heck of A Blot Powder / NARS Laguna / NARS Dolce Vita Blush / MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in 'Soft & Gentle' / Bobbi Brown Cream Eyeshadow in 'Beach Bronze' / NARS 'And God Created the Woman' Palette - Bronze shade / LORAC Pro Palette / Super Cat eyeliner / Chanel Kohl eyeliner / Rimmel Lash Accelerator Mascara / MAC Zoom Lash / MAC Bric-o-la Lipstick / 

Recently i've been loving this makeup look, a simply bronzey smokey eye with perfected glowy skin. For the eyes I use the Bobbi Brown Cream eyeshadow in 'Beach Bronze' as a base and then on top I use the bronzey shade from the NARS eyeshadow palette. To add some definition to they eyes I use the shade Sable in the crease and outer corner, and then follow up with the shade Espresso to darken it even more. To lighten the inner corner I use the shade Lt Bronze. I then add a bit of winged eyeliner and tightline the eyes with the Chanel Kohl Eyeliner to add to the 'smokiness'. I followed it up with some mascara and BAM done!

My Favourite Foundations

MAC Pro Longwear in NC15 // NARS Sheer Glow in Deauville // Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua in B10 // Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation in Soft Ivory //

My Top 5 Blushes

// L to R: MAC Fleur Power, Chanel 70 Tumulte, Bobbi Brown Apricot, Dior Rosy Glow, NARS Dolce Vita //

My High End Lipstick Collection

Current makeup favourites

FOTD: #1

No7 Beautifully Matte foundation in shade 'Calico'// Maybelline ColorTattoo in 'On & On Bronze//  MAC eyeshadows: 'All That Glitters' 'Tempting' 'Cork' 'Brun'// L'Oreal Super Liner// MAC Pencil Eyeliner in 'Teddy"// Chanel Eye Kohl Pencil in Black// Benefit 'They're Real' Mascara // NARS 'Dolce Vita' Blush// MAC Lipstick in 'Plumful' // 

I'd thought i'd share my makeup for the day for this post, as i'm going out for dinner tonight as it's mine and Elliott's three year anniversary woohoo! I went for for simple face makeup and lips paired with strong eye makeup.

My favourite blushes for autumn: Sleek & NARS

 Sleek Blush in 'Flushed' // NARS Blush in 'Dolce Vita'

Here are two blushes i've been loving recently, the Sleek blush doesn't come up in the photo like it is really but it's basically a deep pink - almost red shade with slight shimmer but barely noticeable. It's highly pigmented so you only really need to lightly tap your brush into the pan to pick up just about the right amount! The same goes with the NARS blush, it's more of a rose-mauve shade that's completely matte and really flattering on pale skin. Again the NARS blush is also extremely pigmented so you don't need much on the brush to get the right amount of flush to your cheeks!

Haul: Topshop, NARS, ASOS, New Look.

Dr Martens Heeled Chelsea Boots // ASOS £110

I got paid for all the crazy amount of extra hours i've been doing at work last week, so I splurged a bit on a few items, with one of them being a pair of docs! I've been wanting a pair for quite a few years now, and I've also been wanting a nice pair of chelsea boots as well, so I put two and two together and bought these! I think they're the perfect shoes for Autumn and Winter, I can imagine i'll probably be wearing them almost every day as they'll match with pretty much anything. As for comfort they're god damn comfortable! Most people say that docs are hard to break in but i've had no problem so far, they're really comfy, look great and will probably last for years, yay!

NARS Blush in 'Dolce Vita' // ASOS £21.50

I've been wanting to try something from NARS for quite a while but just never had the money to spend over £20 on a blush, but I thought why not with the 20% student discount I got off ASOS which kinda made my mind up for me! The blush is a beautiful deep rose shade that's matte (which I prefer when it comes to blushes) and will be perfect for pretty much any season and matches really nicely with my ghostly complexion. It blends really well and you can apply it lightly for a soft natural blush or build it up to be slightly more dramatic, but you only need to tap the brush lightly into the pan which is great!

Tan Satchel // Topshop £34

I needed to get a new bag for university as I start back in a few weeks and I need something of a decent size and of decent quality. I thought Topshop bags might be fairly good and I'll only be carrying around at the most my macbook, a notebook, lunch and purse etc. as I carry around my sketchbooks in bigger bag as they get very heavy! It's the perfect size for uni and will hopefully last me through the year nicely!

Boyfriend Style Winter Coat // Topshop £58

Again as with all the other things, i've been on the lookout for a new winter coat for the season ahead and I loved the look of the boyfriend style coat and saw that Topshop had a few in stock. This one has cute little poppers on the front which make it easy to do up with no fiddling around with buttons or toggles, I also love the small lapels on the coat which I think completes the coat, I can just see myself putting a broach on it! I bought it in a size 8 so it didn't come up so oversized on me, and it's the perfect size, definitely if you're thinking about getting a 'boyfriend style' coat this season get it in the size down that you would normally go for in coats, unless you're going for the oversized look then go you!

Paisley A-line Skirt // New Look £19.99

Ah I do love this skirt! It's a beautiful pattern that I think would look sweet with a plain white t-shirt, thick tights, my new docs and accented with silver jewellery. I'll probably now wear this skirt a lot over the next few weeks and end up getting sick of it (I won't).

This isn't really a part of the 'haul' but I thought i'd mention it, we got a new pooch!!!! She's a chihuahua crossed with a Jack Russell and she's the cutest thing ever! We've only had her a day and she's already snuggling up to my leg on the sofa whilst I type this now, we've taken her on a few walks and she's a bit timid when we take her out but she's just getting used to the area and being around us aw!

*thinking about life*