♡ Bourjois Cream Blush

I've never been a massive fan of cream blush, but after falling in love with Stila's Convertable Colour in Gerbera I've been dying to get my hands on more. The release of Bourjois' cream blush arrived in Boots at just the right time, leaving me walking home with not just one, but two of these little pots in order to satisfy my cravings.

There are 4 shades available in the collection, two peach toned and two pink, all of which are pretty natural and flattering. The cream to powder formula is also lovely and easy to work with (using either fingers or a brush), for a really natural finish. They blend into the skin easily and also deliver good pigmentation. The wear time could be improved slightly (by the end of the day I found the colour had faded quite a bit) but for only £7.99 each the quality is really impressive and definitely worth trying. After all, as the pots are so small and light, it's easy to touch up during the day. 

03 Rose Tender - a soft pink with a hint of silver shimmer

01 Nude Velvet - a subtle pale peach that adds a lovely healthy glow

Left : 01 Nude Velvet | Right : 03 Rose Tender

Have you tried Bourjois' Cream Blush yet? What did you think?

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♡ Spring Picks

As the sun has been showing its face a little more regularly recently I've finally started to reach for more colourful and springtime appropriate products. The pastels and corals have started to creep into my everyday makeup and i'm really loving the chance to brave a more natural and fresh face as the temperature heats up. 

Pale pinks and corals have started to grace my cheeks and lips over the past few weeks and I haven't been anywhere without The Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors in either 02 apricot shimmer or 05 candy shimmer. They are the perfect springtime products, giving just a hint of colour and gloss without being too sticky. They also perfect and smooth the appearance of lips whilst moisturising and protecting, which is great when your out and about. YSL's Rouge Volupte lipstick in 26 tender peach is one I reach for every spring and summer as it's just the perfect pale coral shade (and the packaging is pretty amazing too). In terms of blush, I've really started to get into the more natural and dewy finish of cream blushes. Stila's Convertible Colour in Gerbera has become a firm favorite. It's a gorgeous pinky peach shade that adds a natural flush of coral to both cheeks and lips. I've also been loving Bourjois's new cream blushes and the shade 01 nude velvet leaves the cheeks with a lovely pale peach flush. 

As we seem to have just about left winter behind, I've been casting off the heavier bases for a more natural and luminous finish. Revlon's Nearly Naked Foundation gives me just enough coverage to hide redness and small imperfections, yet is barely detectable. With a bit of powder it lasts pretty much all day too. I've also been opting for more natural eye shadow shades. Urban Decay's Naked Basics palette is perfect for days when I want a subtle matte eye shadow look, whilst Chanel's illusion d'ombre eye shadow in Emerveille leaves an effortless peachy champagne shimmer.

It's almost impossible for me to bypass spring without an infusion of pastel on my nails. As a lover of neutral nail polish, I've really been enjoying adding a bit more colour with Essie's Absolutely Shore, a very pale mint green, and Go Ginza, a pastel lilac. Ballet Slippers, one of my all time favorite shades has also been getting a lot of wear recently. It's a really natural, barely there pink, which is the perfect if your trying to achieve a fresh and natural springtime look.

Have you tried any of these products? What are your spring picks?

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♡ Revlon Nearly Naked Foundation

I'm not going to lie, I'm guilty of circling only the higher end options when it comes to foundation, though after trialing Revlon's Nearly Naked foundation for the past couple of weeks, it's convinced me that not all drugstore foundations should be overlooked. 

The real reason I decided to give this foundation a go (besides the endless rave reviews that kept popping up online) was the fact that I managed to find the perfect colour match for my skin tone. Being quite very pale, finding a shade that doesn't look orange on me can be quite a task, though since Revlon offer a generous ten shades I was surprised to find that 120 vanilla matches my skin tone perfectly. (It is probably worth noting that out of the five stores I visited in the hunt for this shade, four of them only stocked 5 of the 10 shades). 

As the name of the foundation suggests, the finish is extremely natural, not looking at all 'cakey' or shiny but somewhere in between dewy and matte that leaves it looking pretty much like skin. As it is quite natural it only provides light to medium coverage, however it easily covers minor imperfections and evens out skin tone. I've found that the finish resembles the quality of higher end foundations rather than what you would expect from a drugstore product. The staying powder for such a light and natural base is also pretty impressive, even lasting longer than some of my more expensive foundations. However, I have found that on my dry-combination skin I do have to top up with a bit of powder a couple of times throughout the day to avoid it looking a little bit too dewy. Other than that though, it pretty much stays in place. 

I should probably point out (as i'm sure every other review has done also) that this foundation doesn't have a pump which inevitably makes the application pretty messy. Although, as frustrating as this can be (especially on mornings when you really shouldn't have stayed in bed for an extra ten minutes), it really is worth persevering with as the finish of this foundation really is lovely and for only £8.99, I think the quality of this foundation definitely exceeds its price point. 

Has anyone else tried the Nearly Naked Foundation? What do you think of it?

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♡ Kevyn Aucoin - The Celestial Powder Candlelight Glow

I never use to bother much with highlighters, though now that i'm craving a natural radiant look i've been reaching for them a lot more. Due to my growing love for these light infusing miracles, I decided to treat myself to a little splurge and finally bought The Celestial Powder in Candlelight by Kevyn Aucoin. Costing a very purse unfriendly £34 this stuff definitely isn't cheap, though after reaching for it everyday for the past 4 weeks I can safely say it has been worth the investment.

Unlike a lot of highlighters out there The Celestial Powder provides a much more subtle shimmer rather than a glittery finish, which is perfect for those aiming for something quite natural. Candlelight is described as a 'soft golden apricot hue' and I find that even on my pale skin it doesn't look at all 'orange' but quite skin-like.

I've been applying this every morning to my cheekbones with the Real Techniques contour brush for a truly beautiful highlight (the camera really doesn't do it justice!) that packs just enough punch without overdoing it.

Has anyone else tried the Celestial Powder? What's your favorite highlighter?

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♡ April Favorites

April has been such a wonderful month. It was my birthday on the 1st and then a week later I went to Edinburgh with the boyfriend for a few nights as a bit of a belated birthday treat. With the sun also making a bit of an appearance recently it's really started to feel like summer is finally on its way...yay!

 1. Nars Alhambra Eyeshadow Duo

I just love everything about this duo. The colours look stunning on the eyes and compliment each other really well, whilst the texture is amazingly buttery and pigmented. I've been using it daily to create a neutral eye that  is perfect for both day and night. Full review here. 

 2. Nivea Pure and Natural Milk and Honey Lip Balm

Despite been quite sunny in Edinburgh it was also really cold and due to the long hours spent outdoors shopping and sight seeing my lips were really dry and chapped. I admit that I already own more lip balms than necessary, however, i forgot to throw some in my bag so ended up purchasing this. Considering the price (I believe it was around the £2 mark) I wasn't expecting miracles but was surprised to find that this really helped to hydrate my lips without drying them out more like many cheap balms do. As it's in a tube it's perfect for on the go as you don't have to worry about how unhygienic dipping your fingers into a tub is when your out and about. It has definitely earned its place as an everyday staple in my handbag. 

 3. Essie Absolutely Shore

As the weather has been improving over the past couple of weeks I've started to break out the pastel nail polishes. Essie's Absolutely shore is one of my favorite polishes for spring and summer and definitely my favorite mint toned polish. 

4. Seche Vite Top Coat

This has become one of those products that I can't live without. It makes painting my nails so much easier - they dry quicker, last longer and look glossy. Full review here. 

5. Phyto Clarifying Detox Shampoo

I've wanted a clarifying shampoo for quite a while now but never seemed to get round to buying the much loved Bumble and Bumble Sunday Shampoo. So, when i spotted this in the John Lewis in Edinburgh I decided to give it a whirl. I love the smell of this, it kind of reminds me of vapor rub but i find it really refreshing. I've been using it around once a week to remove any product buildup and dirt in my hair. It leaves my hair really soft and shiny without drying it out, though I would recommend using a deep or rich conditioner in the ends of your hair afterwards. 

6. Edinburgh
My trip to Edinburgh (despite containing a ridiculous amount of walking!) was a really relaxing escape from normality. It was actually the second time I've been in the last twelve months but i find it's the type of city where you discover new things each time you visit. On the last day we went to the Zoo which I would really recommend if your in the area. The city as a whole is beautiful and great for those interested in a bit of history as well as shopping!

Has anyone else been to Edinburgh? What do you think of the city?

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♡ The Best Gloss - Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors

02 Apricot Shimmer | 05 Candy Shimmer | 06 Rosewood Shimmer

Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfectors have been my favorite gloss for quite a while now, even making it into my Best of 2012 post. Unlike other lip glosses the lip perfectors lack the sticky texture that make the combination of wind and hair your worst nightmare. They are also a bit of a lip gloss/ lip balm  hybrid, (with a little bit of added goodness), which is great for people like me who have constantly dry lips yet cant be bothered to apply both balm and gloss. Oh, and they smell amazing...

Though the new shades haven't officially been released yet (I believe they will start popping up in the next couple of days), thanks to the really lovely sales adviser at my local counter I was able to get my (very eager) hands on these a little bit early. The first shade, 02 Apricot Shimmer is actually one of the original colours that I've had for quite a while now but 05 Candy Shimmer and 06 Rosewood Shimmer are two of the new shades (along with 04 Petal Shimmer, a lovely baby pink colour), being launched in the next few days. All of the colours add a subtle wash of colour to the lips which is perfect for a natural day time look and makes topping up on the go effortless as you don't even need a mirror to apply.

The Clarins Lip Perfectors are definitely my 'go to' lip product at the moment, and honestly, i just can't seem to get enough! Has any one else tried these? What do you think of them?

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♡ Nail Basics

I'm not really sure why its taken me so long to invest in a good nail base and top coat, (i'm desperately searching for an answer that isn't laziness...), but now that I have there's definitely no going back.

 Most of the brands i've tried before have been so bad that I often skipped wearing any base or top coat at all. As a result I would find that my nail varnish would only last two days (maximum) before looking pretty darn awful. That's where the CND stickey anchoring base coat and Seche Vite top coat have become life (or perhaps more appropriately, nail polish) saviors.


The CND base coat is designed to anchor colour to the nail which not only prevents nail polish from chipping, but has also helped to improve the condition of my nails as i've noticed they have been peeling and splitting less. As the Seche Vite top coat is fast drying this has also made painting my nails a much less stressful experience as i'm rather impatient and always manage to smudge at least two nails before it's dry. The glossy finish of the top coat is also something that i've longed for, for a very long time.


When used together I find these two little products really work wonders. My nail varnish now lasts around 4 days before the chipping gets noticeably bad. Compared to 1 or 2 days wear without these polishes, 4 days is a huge improvement and makes painting my nails a much more enjoyable experience as I know it will last longer than 24 hours! (It's probably best to mention that I am particularly 'hard' on my nails so wear time may be even longer on others).

The CND stickey base coat is available from cult beauty for £8.95 and Seche Vite top coat for £9.00 from Boots.


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