Morning Skincare Routine

Heyy :)

I'm constantly changing my skincare routine but I'm really enjoying using these products at the moment!

I start off using the Pixi Glow Mud Clenser. I bought mine from Marks and Spencer and it retails for £18. You dampen your face, and then rub a small amount into the skin. After rubbing it for around 30 seconds, it starts to thicken up and feel like a face mask. I tend to leave it on for another minute or so to sink into my skin, and then I will wash it off with warm water and a damp muslin cloth. It leaves my skin feeling super soft and leaves a subtle glow.

I follow this with the Pixi Glow Tonic. I also bought this from Marks and Spencer which also retails for £18. It claims to perfect skin tone and texture and leave you with a healthy glow, which I can vouch for. It has a really nice scent, and isn't too drying on the skin. It has really helped with my skin texture and I will definitely be repurchasing this!

After this, I apply the La Roche Posay Effaclar K. I bought this from Escentual and it retails for around £15, but there is almost always an offer on. Although it isn't advertised as a moisturizer, I think it works well for this and provides the perfect amount of moisture for my oily skin. However, I can't say that it's amazing for controlling oil, and I'm yet to find a miracle moisturizer for my skin (any recommendations appreciated!).

Finally, I'll use an eye cream, and at the moment I'm really enjoying using the Benefit It's Potent. It's super moisturizing and it sinks into the skin really nicely so that you can still apply concealer on top without it being oily. 

Thanks for reading!
xo

La Roche Posay Effaclar BB Blur

Hey guys :) 

Today I thought I'd review the La Roche Posay BB Effaclar Blur as I've been using it SO much recently.

I bought mine from Escentual for £14. I got the shade fair/light which is the perfect shade for my skin tone (I use estee lauder double wear in 1w1 bone for reference). It has an SPF of 20 so gives you that extra protection if needed.

It has a light coverage, so you can wear it alone or under a foundation for that extra coverage. The consistency of it is like a mousse, and when blending it it's super smooth and glides along the skin. The thing I love the most about this is it completely fills in your pores and makes your skin look airbrushed, without having a heavy feeling on the skin. I have been using it in place of foundation because it gives me just the right amount of coverage and lasts for around 4-5 hours without me having to powder.

I would recommend this to anyone with oily skin or enlarged pores, as it does a great job of oil control and works amazing at filling in pores and smoothing the skin tone

Thanks for reading :)

Xo

My Fake Tanning Routine

Helloo!

Because I live up North in the UK, fake tanning has become a regular thing for me due to the lack of sun! Everyone has different preferences and products in their fake tanning routine, but here is mine-

I start off by exfoliating in the shower- either using a scrub (like the Garnier Body Tonic), or just soap and an exfoliating glove. This makes the tan go on much smoother as it scrubs away the layer of dead skin which can cause patchiness.

When i get out of the shower, if I have shaved my legs I will moisturize them using a fast-absorbing moisturizer (like the Garnier Intensive 7 Days). If not then I will just moisturize the dry areas of my skin- feet, elbows and knees. This stops the tan clinging to the dryer areas.

My favourite tan at the moment is Xen-Tan- dark lotion. This goes on like a thick lotion, and develops over night to a lovely rich olivey colour. I apply it with my hands, and scrub them afterwards as it leaves them rather dark! You can apply with a mitt or gloves, but I think that hands is the best way. When it comes out, it has a very strong scent of marzipan (which i like), and it the morning it does have a slight biscuit scent, however its not overpowering like other tans can be! 

For my face, I use Xen-Tan Face Tanner. This tan builds up a darker colour than all other face-tanners that i've used, and it goes perfectly with the dark lotion. It doesn't break me out like some tanners can do, which is a bonus!

Thanks for reading!
Bethany
xo

My Vanity and Makeup Storage

Heyy

I don't know about anyone else, but I love looking at other peoples vanities and makeup storage. I'm constantly updating my own and i love to change things around.

I'm always looking for cheaper alternatives, so a lot of my storage is budget-friendly!

I will upload as many links as I can in case anyone is interested. Most of the storage is from Amazon, and the prices always change and at the moment they are a few pounds cheaper!

The smaller 3 drawer acrylic storage was £9.95 from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B004QFE38A?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00

The larger (A4) acrylic storage was £23.54 from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B003QGFB0O?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o05_s00

The cosmetic organiser (on the left) was £6.43 from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B0019K9YV6?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o03_s00

The lipstick holder (on the right) was £2.19 from Amazon.
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00HE4LCJS?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o06_s00

The two brush holders are £1.99 each from B&M (found in the garden section as they are marketed as plant pots).

The beauty box was £8.99 from Dunelm Mill.
http://www.dunelm.com/product/white-wash-wooden-beauty-box-1000037847

The small glass jar was given to me but can be found from anywhere, or re-used as an old jam jar!

The mirror was from a charity shop, originally brown but painted white.

Thanks for reading
xo

How I clean my brushes

Hello!

Using brushes is great for making your make up look flawless and creating a variety of effects with, but they can be a pain to wash! I've used a variety of things including baby shampoo, olive oil, and soaps. Although baby shampoo and olive oil work great, when you have a lot of brushes to wash it can tend to use half a bottle, and when you wash your brushes once a week, it all adds up! 

I found the best thing to be soap- lmperial Leather being my soap of choice. All I do it rub my brushes around in the soap, swirl them around in my hand and rinse (repeating if necessary). I then squeeze out the excess water, swirl them on a towel, and leave them overnight to dry laying flat on the towel.

There are many specific brush cleaners out there, but I find soap works best as it is inexpensive and makes my brushes squeaky clean!

Thanks for reading
Xo

L'oreal Infallible 24-hour Matte Foundation vs Estee Lauder Double Wear Foundation

Heyy!

After hearing so much hype over the new L'oreal Infaillable matte foundation, I decided to jump on the bandwagon. Having oily skin, this foundation promises to be long-wearing and matte, which is the perfection combination for my skin.

I applied the L'oreal foundation using my Sigma F80 brush and I have to say, it blended like a dream, more so than the Estee Lauder double wear. I would say it gave a medium coverage, and is quite buildable. It left a matte finish on my face and wasn't sticky at all, compared to other foundations. Saying that, it didn't make my face look flat at all. In terms of its staying power, it did start to fade and get shiny after about 4/5 hours, although it didn't make my skin super greasy, it just left a nice glow. 

I have owned the Estee Lauder double wear foundation for a few months now, and its safe to say that it is my current favourite. It is significantly more expensive than the L'oreal foundation (Estee Lauder retails for £30 and L'oreal is £7.99). However, I believe that it is worth the extra cost.

The Estee Lauder has a wider range of colours, and the packaging is more premium (although it's not travel-friendly!). In terms of staying power, I think that the Estee Lauder is much more suited to those with more oily skin as I find that it stays matte for up to 7/8 hours without the need to powder. I also think that the coverage and finish of the Estee Lauder is better than L'oreal.

Saying that, I think that the L'oreal infallible foundation is definitely worth the money, especially when there is a 3 for 2 offer on! It would be great for taking away on holiday as it is plastic packaging (as opposed to glass like Estee Lauder).

I'd love to know what anyone else thinks of these foundations or any others that they would recommend!

Bethany xo

Homemade Facemask- @raychlovesbeauty

Hey guys!

I've finally finished my exams (and my degree) so I can get into regular blogging!

I recently set up a beauty instagram account (@bethanybeautyblogger), and came accross another blogger (@raychlovesbeauty) who made face masks. I was drawn to them because of their natural ingredients, and I love anything home-made! I was very kindly sent a face mask to try out, and I couldn't be happier! It came in a plastic container, and has enough in to make about 7 face masks depending on how much you want to use.

After following the instructions and adding water to the mix, i applied it onto my face and left it for around 10 minutes. It has such a refreshing and cooling effect on the skin, and I lovee the smell! It smells like camomile- kind of like freshly cut grass. After the time was up, i rinsed a flannel in warm water and wiped away the face mask. It left my skin feeling soo soft and refreshed. I have oily skin and it didn't dry out, nor make my skin any more oily, which was perfect.

It was super easy to make, apply and rinse off. I couldn't recommend this face mask enough!

Thank you Raych for sending me this product, I would be more than happy to purchase more when I run out! Make sure you check out her instagram, youtube and blog!

@raychlovesbeauty
http://raychlovesbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCzJyrgW6fXK3e-Uld7uqtqA


Bethany
xo