Summer skin care

Once again excuse the lack of pics - poor show I know! My camera is well and truely dead and I will have to get a new one. Any recommendations????

Anyway, on with the post.

Usually for the summer months I slap on a nice tinted moisturiser, a touch of mascara and a dab of bronzer and that's me good to go. This year I am taking a different route . . .

My skin has become prone to breakouts again in the last eight months if I am not very very careful with it. So to avoid upsetting it and risking spotty skin for those summer afternoons in the beer garden I am going even more minimal!

My routine is as follows:

I wash my face twice a day with Garnier 3-in-1 wash scrub and mask. I have been using this product for around two and a half months and I have seen a huge improvement in my skin in this time. It is less blotchy, my pores are smaller, I only get the odd zit and it doesn't dry my skin out. However, as soon as I stop using it my skin is horrible. As I said I use it twice a day and I am still on my first bottle since starting using it two months ago. It's only about £4 so it is very good value for money. I also use the Garnier Pure A Daily Treatment Moisturiser. I am on my second tube of this in two and a half months but at only around £4 I think that's fine. It's not an oily moisturiser and it creates a beautiful base for my foundation, when I wear it.

This summer I am not wearing foundation or tinted moisturiser.

I find my normal moisturiser is enough to hydrate my skin so I am ditching Benefit's You Rebel Light. After applying it I put on GOSH primer then Rimmel Match Perfection Concealer under my eyes and on the occasional spot. Then it's time to apply Benefit's Dallas powder all over my face with a very light hand. This just gives me a nice warmth and I can build it up if I get more of a tan. I brush it all over my face with my Benefit Angled Blush Brush then contour my cheeks with it. Next, a dab of NARS Deep Throat on the apples of my cheeks, a cheeky flick of L'Oreal Lineur Intense Felt Tip Liquid Eyeliner (which does get bad reviews but I LOVE it) and shlap on some NO7 mascara and I am done. Oh, a little slick of Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Lipbalm gives shine and moisture - perfect.

The overall effect is natural and bronzed. My freckles shine through and give me that summery look which I tried to hide in teenage years but the intense liquid eyeliner gives definition which is a nice contrast.

What are your summer make-up tips?

Latest Barry M nail paint

While on my lunch break today I popped into Superdrug after seeing a poster offering John Frieda Sheer Blonde shampoo for £3 - bargain!

I am such a sucker for that shop and cannot leave with only one item.

As I walked past the Barry M stand I HAD to stop and look (tut tut) and I am so glad I did.

I spotted a new shade which is just what I've been looking for. The mulchy, dingy brown colour of 'Mushroom' (number 310 or 018) was perfect. They had a 2 for £5 deal on but when I looked more closely I realised I had most of the colours anyway so I stuck with just the one.

I began application as soon as I arrived back at my desk and was initially disappointed. It was quite runny compared to my other Barry M paints. With the first coat it wasn't very opaque but after coat number two my nails were a lovely grey/brown colour.

Excuse the dodgy photo, my camera is still on the blink and I had to rely on someone else's skills. Also excuse the shoddy file-job - no file at work and I was eager to get it on.

In reality the polish is more shiny than it appears in the photo, I had hand cream on which dulled it slightly.

'Mushroom' is a nice, cheap alternative to an Essie polish which I know many people rave about but I have still to try.

NARS Striptease lip gloss

This morning I tried the 'Striptease' part of my freebie NARS lip gloss duo.

In all honesty I am not blown away and I have not fell completely and utterly in love with it.

The first thing I noticed was the smell. It smells kind of dusty and plastic-y, which is not what I want from something I am slathering on my lips.
However, the colour is lovely. Kind of sheer nude. The consistency is also to my liking, not too sticky or greasy. It provides subtle sheen and makes my lips look rather kissable.

I still can't get over that smell though. The other part of the duo (Dolce Vita) doesn't smell like that so I am a bit confused. Has anyone else experienced this?

I probably would repurchase this lippy because the colour is great. But I do prefer my good old Benefit Her Glossiness lip glosses for colour, consistency and smell.

Mini NARS haul

Last week I treated myself to a little NARS!
After browsing their website I settled on Deep Throat blusher. The shimmery pink powder looked perfect for my skin and having read countless reviews I decided to purchase.
To make things better it came with a free lipgloss due - now that is my kind of shopping!

I waited around a week for delivery, but boy was it worth it!

Wrapped in layers of padding and black tissue paper my two little black boxes arrived safe and sound.

This morning I tested the products for the first time. Using my Benefit angled blush brush I applied a small amount of blush to my cheeks. It is very light and subtle but the pigmentation makes it very buildable and easy to control.

I am greatly impressed by my first NARS product and will most certainly be repurchasing.

The lipgloss duo came in Dolce Vita and Striptease. This morning I opted for Dolce Vita which is a berry-red/burgandy and is slightly darker than my own lips. Rather than looking too painted my lips had a subtle sheen and more definition, perfect for work.
Striptease is a more nude shade and I have not yet tried it.

No pics of this just yet, my camera is on the blink.

I used the new products with:

GOSH face primer
MAC studio fix fluid NW25 applied with 187
EYEKO cheek highlighter
NO7 eyeshadows in two shades of brown (can't remember their names but will add them on)
NO7 volumnising mascara
LOREAL liquid eyeliner in stainless steal

Newbie

Oooh, my first blog post!

I hope to bring you news, reviews and tips on all things beauty related.
I have been interested in beauty for a number of years but more recently I have discovered beauty blogging. As a journalist and someone passionate about all things girly I thought this was right up my street.
All products I review and use will be purchased with my own money or given as gifts by family/ friends unless otherwise stated.
I use a huge variety of brands and I'm open to trying new ones.

I hope you enjoy this and feedback is greatly welcomed.

Keep checking my page as I hope to have my first review up soon.