Five Minute Makeup

I thought i'd do a snappy post about my quick makeup routine when i'm minutes away from running out the door! For my skin I keep it really simple, I don't want to spend 5 minutes buffing in liquid foundation, so I stick to powder foundations when i'm in a rush, with a bit of concealer underneath. Recently i've been using my MAC Studio Fix Powder in NC15 with MAC Studio Finish Concealer  underneath in NC15 to cover blemishes and my under eye circles. And voila! The skin is covered and powdered in two steps.

On the cheeks I like to use a blush that's going to add colour but also a bit of warmth so I don't have to use a separate bronzer, for this the Benefit Rockateur Blush is perfect! It's a rosey, mauve pink with hints of brown in it (think rose gold), making it the perfect blush to wear on it's own! 

For eyes, again I keep it simple with a creme eyeshadow, such as the Rimmel Scandaleyes Eye Paint in 'Rich Russet' which is a beautiful bronze shade, much like the Maybelline ColorTattoo in 'On and On Bronze' (which I also love). I then add a bit of depth to the eye by taking a deeper brown such as the No7 Single Eyeshadow in 'Truffle'. 

I recently purchased the new Maybelline Mascara which is just a spin off of their Colossal mascara, it just adds a nice amount of volume and length, but does get a bit clumpy so I may have to go back to the Falsies once i've finished this mascara up!

Finally for lips i've been layering two lipsticks, the Revlon Lipstick in 'Pink in the Afternoon' and the Revlon Lip Butter in 'Berry Smoothie', which creates a really pretty pink that's perfect for every day! Although if you wanted to make it easier you could just apply a bit of tinted lip balm and bam! You're done.

a little spring/summer clothing/beauty haul! (H&M, Topshop, MAC)

weaved sandals - Topshop // chunky peep toe heels - H&M // suede flip flops - H&M // knitted vest - H&M // patterned 'ombre' trousers - H&M // MAC 217 brush - Revlon BB cream - Collection liquid eyeliner pen - Barry M gelly nail paint in 'Lychee' // 

Yesterday i finally went summer shopping (for holiday as well) and i kind of didn't go as overboard as i thought i would, but i bought a few things that i had been wanting for a while anyway. 

Firstly i purchased the Topshop sandals which i think will be so perfect for summer and for when i go on holiday, they can pretty much be paired with anything and it'll look great! I'm thinking they'll look good with rolled up jeans and a slouchy top for the last few weeks i have left at uni!

I also bought my evening shoes that i'll be wearing a lot on holiday, i was originally planning on getting some shoes from New Look but when i got there they didn't have any in my size! So i ran back to H&M and found these beauty's! I can imagine they'll go great with the two clothing items i bought, to dress up a semi-casual outfit. The heel is quite chunky so they're easier to walk in than you think especially with the added support of the platform as well, and the ankle strap supports my foot very nicely so hopefully i won't have any trip ups!

I managed to find some comfy looking flipflops, as planned from H&M, my previous material flipflops were also from H&M and they lasted me about 4 years so i'm hoping these will last me just as long.

I didn't really buy much in the way of clothing, as i already have A LOT of clothes that'll be suitable for spring/summer and also on holiday. I'm talking about the 7 pairs of shorts hidden in a drawer and the billions of t-shirts i already have stuffed in my wardrobe. So i only resorted in buying this cute almost 'knitted' style vest top that'll be great for casual days with shorts and sandals, or dressed up with a skirt and heels. And the smart looking light weight trousers that'll match well with the top, but can be dressed down with sandals and a baggy t-shirt. I think the 'ombre' edging is kind of surprising and give the trousers an interesting twist.

Lastly i bought a few makeup items, a BB cream to protect my face from the sun when i'm on holiday (which i'd reapply throughout the day) and with the added 'concealing' element adds a bit of coverage to my not so perfect skin! I also finally bought the MAC 217 brush which i've been wanting for absolutely ages, it's a really great brush for anything to do with eyeshadow: application, blending, crease etc. And i can't wait to start using it! I also wanted to try out the 'Gelly' nail polishes by Barry M and i thought this colour was a nice take on the 'nude shade' and it can pretty much match with anything which will be great for spring/summer when i'm feeling lazy. I wanted to finally try one of those felt tip liners as well, and i saw Collection had one that was only £2.99 so i thought that would be a good buy incase it turns out that i don't like it!

I also re-purchased Collection's Lasting Perfection Concealer (as mine has almost run out) and Maybelline the Falsies Flared mascara to save in case it runs out before holiday!

Have you been doing any spring/summer shopping recently?

february favourites

Yes, it's that time at the end of the month where i have to come up with a few favourite products or items that i have been loving for the majority of the month, and fortunately i have been loving a lot of products and various clothing items this month!

1.  Knitted Jumpers - It has been absolutely FREEZING throughout the whole of february, needless to say i am looking forward to summer even more, so i've been reaching towards my various knitted jumpers in my wardrobe. Now, i have a lot of knitted jumpers that i have accumulated over, probably the year (i have left more at home) but as you can see i have picked out a few i've been loving.
2. Real Techniques Blush Brush - As you may know, i do love all of my RT makeup brushes and i do use them on a daily basis, but a few weeks ago i bought another one to add to my Real Techniques family of brushes, and that brush was the blush brush! I've been using it every day since buying it and i can't get enough! It adds the perfect amount of blush to the cheeks and blends it out flawlessly, making it look really natural and not like you've just blobbed some blush on your cheeks.
3. Revlon ColourStay Foundation - I have been using this foundation on and off for just under a year and a half now, about 2 months ago i thought to try something new and bought the 'L'oreal True Match Foundation in Rose Ivory' and let me tell you, it was not a true match at all! It oxidized on the skin making it blotchy and patchy. So i decided to mix it with white foundation (which made it a lot better) and use it as a tinted moisturizer (mix with a light moisturizer) for when i want a lighter coverage! Long story short, i decided to re-buy the colourstay foundation and i have been loving the flawless skin look a lot this month! 
4. Kate Moss Lipstick in Rosetta I think i've talked a lot about this lipstick recently on my blog, but i am loving it! No lie, i've been wearing it pretty much every day, sometimes i mix it on my lips with my Revlon Kissable Balm Stain to add a bit more pinkness to it, but overall i am loving it!