This week has been the long awaited half term which has allowed me a little more time in the mornings to carry out my beauty regime as well as giving me an opportunity to try out a few new products.
The first product I've been using this week is Topshop's cream blush in Head over Heels. I picked this product up about a month ago as an impulse buy but due to the fact i have a slight blush obsession (and a collection that could give most girls a run for their money) I hadn't had a chance to use it until this week. It was well worth the wait - this product is fantastic. I was worried that this would look orange on the skin but it is a light coral that gives cheeks a really healthy glow. The creamy formula glides onto the skin and can easily be blended without the need for a brush. I am always dubious about using non-powder blushes as they don't always last the day but this lasted without me having to reapply. The look was very fresh and pretty - perfect for spring days, and at the small cost of £6 it's an absolute bargain.
My second product that I've fallen for this week is the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. I've been trying to get my hands on this for a while but it always seems to be sold out! However my sister managed to pick some up for me on a recent trip to New York and it's very quickly become one of my favourite concealers. I am a big fan of MAC products and it's where most of my regular bases and powders come from, even so this surpasses many of the MAC products i own as it delivers in all areas. As someone who suffers from blemishes and dark circles (mainly from teaching small children!) I wear concealer on a daily basis. This means i need something that gives me coverage yet still looks natural This product is perfect for this as it is very lightweight and almost dewy in it's appearance. It covers even the darkest of circles with it's creamy texture without becoming blotchy and has definitely made my eyes look brighter. The other impressive factor is this concealers staying power. In my experience it's lasted all day and partway into the evening without showing any signs of wear. This product definitely gets my seal of approval and I have no doubt it's going to be part of my everyday beauty routine for a long while yet. What's your favourite MAC product?
When it comes to hair care I am very lazy and if the choice is an extra 15 minutes in bed or a session with the curling tongs I'll choose bed every time. Because of this my morning hair routine is military, which means i stick to the same faithful products that i know won't let me down! However last month i discovered a completely new product which i decided to take for a whirl and I am officially addicted.
Milkshake conditioning whipped cream is a product in a huge range that aims to be healthy food for your hair. The products contain milk protein (hence the name) and the desired effect is to help give your hair a healthy boost leaving it soft and shiny, which this product definitely does. The first thing that hits you about this product is the smell, it is absolutely heavenly! This smell lasts all day and has certainly resulted in me receiving a lot of compliments. Surprisingly this conditioning cream comes in the form of a moose, which i must admit i was slightly dubious about. Having used moose before and been left with crispy, wet-look locks i was concerned this would result in me looking (and smelling) like i'd dipped my hair in candyfloss. However the texture is so light it soaks right into the hair leaving nothing but a whiff of milkshake behind it. I found the end result of this product to be fantastic, leaving me with extremely soft hair which seemed to be easier to style. I also discovered this product to be a excellent way of adding texture to my hair. My hair isn't flyaway but it's not as thick as it once was, and a little bit of this moose helps to boost it straight from the roots giving a much fuller effect. This product is definitely a firm favourite and something that will be staying in my morning hair routine. I also like the look of the other Milkshake hair products, which would you try first?
As a busy Primary School teacher who has little time during the week to spend on applying make up, i find that using good quality and reliable products is the only answer. In order to get a fresh faced look every day without spending a long time applying make up i believe a good primer and mascara are essential. I spend a great chunk of my time testing and changing my beauty products (in fact this is where i spend most of my wages!) and in the last two weeks I've discovered a primer and mascara that i absolutely love.
Clarins Instant smooth perfecting touch make up base has been an essential in my make up routine for the last month or so and since discovering it i have not been able to stop using it. It's definitely going to become a permanent fixture in my make up bag. I find some primers to be quite greasy and heavy, but this is absolutely fantastic. It has a very smooth texture which feels very light when applied to the skin. A little bit goes a long way and the small spatula that comes with this product gives you the perfect amount to use on your skin. I use a small amount of this underneath my foundation, and i find it really brightens my skin. It helps my make up to glide on without clogging up my pores. I have also found on days where i'm in a real rush (after snoozing the alarm several times) or i'm feeling lazy i can wear this product without any other make up and my skin looks instantly fresher. I'm a big fan of Clarins products but this is one i would definitely say is an essential to any girl with little time on her hands.
Chanel Inimitable Mascara is my next beauty love, and this was definitely my big purchase of last week! At £23 for this product i was expecting big things and i was not disappointed. With most mascaras i find that it takes me a little while to get used to them and i spend the first few days pining for my old mascara. However as soon as this product touched my eyelashes i forgot all about my other mascaras. Rather than concentrating on one aspect as most mascaras do, this product promises 'Volume, length, curl and separation' and it delivers all four. I only need to apply one layer of this mascara for it to do it's job and the effect is dramatic. I prefer a slightly thicker lash as i don't wear any other eye make up but this often means i end up with clumpy lashes. However the very thin bristles on the brush means there's no chance of that happening. This product stays on all day without flaking or fading away, and it doesn't give me panda eyes!
