Over the last few months I have added some new beauty products into my summer makeup and skincare routine, some of which I have already mentioned and some I have yet to mention but seeing as I am using them daily I wanted to share them.I don't know about you but I just love to look through other peoples make-up bags, just like looking in other peoples shopping trolleys, to see what they like to use and give you some new ideas. There could be a beauty purchase that we just need to know about and own, right? yes, lets go with that excuse.
Make-Up
YSL, Bourjois, Laura Mercier, Dr Jart
1. YSL Le Teint Touche Éclat Foundation (Spf19) £28/€35 hereThis has been a very recent Sephora purchase of mine as I have heard great things about this foundation. It provides a medium coverage and glides onto the skin effortlessly leaving a gorgeous dewy glow to the skin. Great for summer if you are looking for more coverage than a tinted moisturiser or summer nights out to keep your skin looking glowing and radiant. I have the shade BD10 which is a tad light for summer so I add in a little of the next product.
2. Bourjois Bronzing Primer £9.99/€12 hereThis is a bronzing mousse, almost jelly like in texture that is sold as a primer to use alone or before applying your base make-up to prime the skin and add some color but how you use this is up to you. Its not matte so for more oily skins it may be best to stick to a powder bronzer. I apply this with a buffing brush over my make up base as a contour cream to bronze up my face and give me a sunkissed look. I find what ever way you want to use this works perfectly well. I have always disliked mousse products in the past as they tend to go patchy when blending them out but this one goes on beautifully and blends out very evenly, giving you very natural looking bronzed skin thats not orange. It smells so good, sweet just like chocolate but then fades once applied to the skin. Yummy.
3. Laura Mercier Flawless Fix Pencil (Fair) £15/€19 here This has been a firm favourite of mine for a few years now but has somewhat been neglected due to my love of a black kohl pencil. This flesh coloured pencil, which is available in a variety of flesh shades, is so multi-tasking and can be used to cover lines around the lips that need disguising as it helps to plump them, or use to neaten lips after applying lipstick, use to conceal any small imperfections, or as I like to use this - inside the eyes on the waterline to open up the eye and make them look brighter. I have ditched my black kohl inside the eye for the summer days and use this for a more fresh faced, natural looking eye make-up.
4. Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream Spf25 £18/€22 here & hereI have recently written a blog post all about this product as I was so impressed and loved it so go check that out here. This is the perfect summer base if your looking for a lightweight tint with a whole bunch of other skincare benefits that adapts to all skin tones.
Urban Decay, By Terry, Benefit, MAC
5. Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion £15/€19 hereI could not be without an eyeshadow primer even though I don't have any issues with eyeshadow sliding off my eyes as I find they hold well but this primer potion also enhances the pigment in your shadows and makes the color much more intense instead of a 'not really there' shade. This one from Urban Decay for me is the best with its velvety texture which dries instantly and comes in a choice of different shades. You can wear this alone if you don't fancy wearing a color just to even out any redness on the eyelids.
6. By Terry Rose Macaroon Eyeshadow £24/€30 hereI have always been a fan of By Terry Eyeshadows even though they are a tad pricey being a high end brand, they just feel so luxurious, are so silky, not powdery looking and look super pretty. This rose gold shade has been my favorite so far as it just adds a subtle rose gold shimmer to the eyelids, enhancing that summer glow look that we all strive to achieve and shall compliment all skin tones. Ideal if you just want a little shimmer on the eye without making it look like you have glitter or eyeshadow on and blends well with any other eyeshadows that you own.
7. Benefit They're Real Mascara £19.50/€25 hereNow I have mentioned this product many times on my blog as for me (and many others) this is my mascara of the moment. It without a doubt transforms your lashes making them look like the lashes you always wanted. Lengthens, thickens, separates and with its brilliantly designed brush it gets right into the corners so every lash is brought to life! If you have not tried this, I certainly recommend you do right away.
8. MAC Full Speed Sheen Supreme Lipstick £15.50/€20 hereYou may all know I am a MAC Lipstick addict as they are by far my favourite lipsticks due to the fact that they are available in an array of gorgeous shades, textures and just look amazing on the lips. I wrote a blog post featuring all my favourites right here. This summery coral shade caught my eye as it featured in a recent 'So Supreme' collection and being a Supreme Sheen means it has a light glossy finish which makes it perfect for any summer's day or night.
Face/Body
La Roche Posay, Mixa, Diptique
10. La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo £13.50/€11 hereI have been trying out a few La Roche Posay products over the last few months as the brand is hugely popular here in France & Monaco and very reasonable priced and getting more widely available in all other countries too. The Effaclar Duo is the perfect moisturiser for oily skins that break out and get blocked pores or skins that tend to get more oily & congested during the summer months. Its super lightweight and really does help to clear the skin of break outs. I get an oily t-zone throughout the summer and find that this really helps with keeping my skin clear and moisturised at the same time.
11. Mixa Effect Soleil Body Moisturiser €7 hereI was introduced to this product by a friend of mine whose skin was looking amazing and super tanned so obviously I thought she had been enjoying the lovely Med beaches we have here but no .... it was out of a bottle?! So I instantly rushed out to buy it of course. This is a gradual tanner so use this every 2 days as your body moisturiser and it later develops and gives you the most natural, even looking tan. It comes in two shades but I recommend getting the darker shade as in my experience the light ones make hardly any difference at all if our looking for this to tan you. You do get that 'self tan' scent that all self tans have but this does wear off and its so worth it for the results you get. Only available as far as I know in France and mainly in supermarkets so if you visit, go grab this!
12. Diptique Vetyverio EDT £50/€60 here & hereMy favourite scent this summer has been this Diptique Vetyverio as its simply divine - notes of lemon, mandarin, grapefruit, bergamot, ylang ylang, turkish rose, geranium, vetiver, ambrette, nutmeg, apricot, clove, cedar and musk. As fragrances go I prefer more woody, warm, powdery, spicy scents but do like fresh citrus notes for the scorching summer heat and this one is just magical. Vetiver is usually very citrus but this has been made into 'fresh meets woody' and could be a unisex fragrance as its notes are feminine but would definitely suit some males out there. Makes the perfect everyday scent.
I really am loving using all of these products and I hope that it may have inspired you to try something new out.
If you do, then let me know what product!
