MAKEUP GEEK HAUL

Makeup Geek has finally launched in the UK and after months of drooling over American makeup tutorials, desperate to get my hands on some, I finally had the chance. Beauty Bay have launched Makeup Geeks eyeshadows (the standard collection, foiled collection and duo-chromes) as well as their pigments and blushes. After missing out twice as due to the high demand and them selling out quite quickly, last week I finally made an order. Here's a low down on what I bought as well as swatches. 

Have you bought anything from Makeup Geek recently?

Lauren 

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FESTIVE MAKEUP ESSENTIALS

With Christmas just around the corner, it's time to dig out the festive party essentials. I'm always rotating my make-up bag, and I don't know about you, but there are some products which scream Christmas to me. Here's a round up of a few of my favourites.

Starting with base, the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation is a high coverage foundation and covers any blemishes or redness without giving the dreaded 'mask effect' to your skin. No matter what occasion, this has recently become my go-to as it's lightweight whether you're dancing, eating lunch/dinner or at a bar this will last on your skin with or without a primer. To read a full review, click here. 

If you can't justify wearing glitter eyeshadow at Christmas, when can you? The Maybelline Colour Show Mono Eyeshadow 'Copper Fizz' makes wearing glitter eyeshadow easy without the fuss of using a pigment and having the glitter fall down your face. The formula has a creamy texture and creates an almost wet look to the eye. If you fancy going for heavy eye-makeup, this will still look great packed on top of any other eyeshadows to give them an extra sparkle. 

MAC's eyeshadow 'Sable' is a great option if you're not too keen on glitter. It is a gorgeous brown shimmer with red/purple undertones and looks amazing washed all over the lid or just in the crease of your eye with a champagne shimmer on the lid. The perfect shade for this time of year.

Although I'm not a huge fan of bold lips, the L'Oreal Colour Riche Lipstick 'Scarlett Creme' is a gorgeous festive red with berry undertones. I'm going to push myself to wear it this Christmas because it is a lovely red lipstick. It has a lightweight formula and gives a satin finish to the lips. Unfortunately, due to the comfortable element of the formula, it does make the possibility of smudging and fading more likely.

I love wearing glitter on my nails in this festive period. Even though it can be a pain to remove, I think it's necessary in order to achieve the full Christmas look. I love the Accessorize Glitter Nail Polish 'Belle' as it contains chunky gold glitter. Another one of my favourites is the Rimmel Glitter Bomb Top Coat 'Midnight Mistletoe', this contains red and green glitter. Both can be applied with one coat for a simple look or you can pack on the glitter by dabbing it on top of the nail. You could do this to all your nails or just one. 

What are your festive make-up picks?

Lauren

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THE L'OREAL INFALLIBLE 24H MATTE FOUNDATION

About couple of months ago, I was in Boots, surrounded by all of the make-up stands and bright lights and the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation ended up in my basket. It has taken the beauty bloggersphere by storm so after reading countless reviews and recommendations, I couldn't wait to try and headed for the tills. I bought it amongst other products which you can see in this haul video here. 

Let's begin with the packaging, the plastic tube makes it lightweight and easy to travel with and it can easily be thrown into your make-up bag to use on the go. I personally love the fact that you squeeze the tube for the correct amount of foundation onto the back of your hand. I much prefer this to a pump which can sometimes give you too little or too much.

The formula is perfect for everyday wear. It's light weight but still gives a good coverage. If you don't have much time to get ready in the mornings, then I would highly recommend using this as the coverage is just enough to hide any redness or spots but still allows your skin to show through. Hooray, no mask effect! 

For a day appropriate coverage, I use the Real Techniques Multi-task brush as the bristles are less dense so it gives a light to medium base. For evening, or on any areas that you would like to cover, I recommend the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush. I've recently added this to my brush collection and I love it. It's perfect for a high coverage, flawless base and I find it much easier to build up the coverage with this brush. 

Have you tried the L'Oreal Infallible Matte Foundation?

Lauren

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NEW IN: MAYBELLINE

Maybelline are one of my favourite makeup brands, I reach for their products on a daily basis as I know the formula of their products are great and will last all day. As usual, I can't keep away from Superdrug for too long, and it just so happened that I bought two new products on my last visit, both of which from Maybelline. 

After reading countless reviews of the Maybelline Lash Sensational Mascara and all of my friends using and loving it, I had to give it a go. This is one of the best mascaras I have ever tried. I know, I know, if you read back through all of my mascara reviews, then I've probably said that about every single one of them. But, I have never used a mascara before that has completely transformed my eyelashes in 1 coat, and with the Lash Sensational, it does just that. The wand is curved with small bristles on the tip and longer bristles on the outer edge which elongates your outer lashes, opening up your eyes. The formula is the perfect consistency for me and holds my lashes in place all day. 

Another of the Colour Tattoo's has made it into my make-up collection. I now own four... There is no shame in that is there? Creme De Rose has filled a gap in my collection as I've been looking for a neutral eyeshadow base for a long while. When Maybelline recently bought out their two new shades, I originally thought I would pick up Creme De Nude which has a yellow undertone where as Creme De Rose is pink. But after comparing the two, I bought Creme De Rose as it is very neutral and makes a great base for paler eyeshadows, for example, MAC 'All That Glitters' or the Maybelline Colour Show Eyeshadow 'Copper Fizz'. It has a matte formula and cancels out any veins on your eye lid and primes them for eyeshadow. 

I have been wearing both of these products everyday for the past few weeks and I am very glad I now have them in my collection. 

What products from Maybelline have you been loving recently?

Lauren

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THE GLOW GETTERS

Highlighting, for me, is a step I can't miss out in my daily routine. It adds a pretty glow and luminosity to your face. Here are 3 that I regularly switch in and out of my daily make-up routine. 

The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick 'Pink Quartz' £33 is gorgeous. Not only can it be used for a highlighter by gently swirling your brush in all of the colours, but you can also use it as a bronzer or blush by selectively using the 5 shades within the brick. It contains small glitter particles which draws attention to your cheekbones when the light bounces of them. The packaging is luxurious, despite being slightly bulky, it opens by pressing a little button on the side and reveals not only the stunning shimmer brick, but also a large mirror. 

I took my first step into the world of highlighters when I received the MAC Mineralize Skin Finish 'Soft and Gentle' £24 for my birthday and since then, I have collected quite a few. I love the golden glow you can achieve with it and it is what sets it apart from any of the highlighters that I own. It looks amazing in the summer with a tan and lots of bronzer. The formula is very finely milled so it picks up on the brush easily and a little goes a long way. It is also great because it contains more shimmer than glitter so it looks very natural on your cheekbones. 

The Collection Speedy Highlighter £3.99 is the 'budget friendly' option. It is a cream highlighter in chubby stick form that easily competes with the high end highlighters in this post. It is very pigmented and gives a gorgeous glow to your cheekbones. I love how easy and quick it is to apply and I do so by rolling it on straight from the stick and blending the edges with my foundation brush. 

What's your favourite highlighter? 

Lauren

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EVERYDAY EYESHADOWS

Eyeshadows are definitely my favourite make-up product to buy. For some people it's lip products, and although I do love them too, I usually come out of Boots with an hand covered in different neutral swatches. I wear eyeshadow almost everyday and I love doing so, I find it adds so much to a makeup look. All of these shades are neutral, one-wash shades which are easy to apply. 

Every eyeshadow look has to start with a base and in my opinion, cream eyeshadows are the best. The Maybelline Colour Tattoos are a great option. They're affordable, pigmented and there is a vast colour range. My favourite shade for an neutral everyday look is 'On and On Bronze'. It's a gorgeous brown shimmer which can be worn on it's own or as a base for another eyeshadow and it will help to intensify the colour.

The L'oreal Colour Riche L'ombre Pure Eyeshadows are pigmented, creamy and easy to blend. What more can you ask for? I particularly love their formula because it's rich and feels like a cream eyeshadow on application which means it can be applied with either a brush or your finger tip. 'Cafe Saint Germain' is a gorgeous shimmery taupe and to intensify the look I apply some of 'Quartz fume' to the crease.

Maybelline never fails to amaze me with their products and they are definitely one of my favourite drugstore brands. For everyday I love their Colour Show Mono Eyeshadows, which you will have seen me rave about here. Both shades can be swept across your eyelid with no fuss and no time at all. 'Copper Fizz' is a gorgeous copper shimmer where as 'Stripped Nude' is a matte warm brown, great for adding slight definition to the crease.

MAC eyeshadows are my all time favourites. They're expensive but worth every penny. 'All That Glitters' is a gorgeous champagne with a peach hue. I love wearing it on it's own or with a matte brown in the crease. It makes blue eyes pop and gives a 'wet-look' to the lid.

What are your favourite everyday eyeshadows?

Lauren

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UPDATING YOUR MAKEUP BAG FOR AUTUMN

Autumn is upon us and even though I'm sad that Summer has finished, I'm excited to switch around my make-up products and start using some products that I put away last year. I find it can get boring applying the same products everyday, so quite often I switch around a few things in my daily make-up routine and delve around my make-up draws to get inspired. It's time to ditch the coral lips and embrace the berry tones. 

RADIANT BASE: I have been using the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation £7.99 everyday recently and it is the perfect base to buff into your skin for everyday. It has a medium coverage, makes your skin look radiant and has great lasting power. However, now the sun has disappeared and the grey, gloomy days are upon us, I would recommend mixing half a pump of the Seventeen Skin Wow £5.99 in with your foundation. Or, apply it onto your skin before your foundation and it acts as a primer and gives radiance. The Match Perfection does give a gorgeous glow to the skin, but it looks even better mixed with Skin Wow and gives you that lit from within look.

RED TONED EYE-MAKEUP: Eye make-up is pretty much universal all year round but there is something about the Charlotte Tilbury Dolce Vita Eyeshadow Quad £38 that screams Autumn to me. The deep red tones of the enhance shade pair very well with a berry lip. That is the cliché Autumn look after all. To add a little twist, apply the prime shadow (the champagne shade) all over the lid and in the inner corners of the eye, the enhance shade on top, the smoke shade (dark brown) to deepen the crease and then the pop (copper glitter) on top of your look to add some sparkle. The palette is so versatile and can be applied minimally for day time or heavily for a night look. 

PRETTY CHEEKS: The Benefit Rockateur Blush £23.50 pairs well with the rusty tones in your eye makeup and the vampy lips. What I love about it is that it doesn't clash, adds a little somethin' somethin' to the apples of your cheeks and brings the look together. It's a pretty pink shimmer shade which is very wearable for everyday.

BERRY LIPS: You all know how much of a fan I am of my pink-nude lip tones and bronze eyes, well this Autumn I am trying to force myself to step outside of my comfort zone and enjoy wearing a darker lip. After all, it can't do any harm can it? The entry level option is the Rimmel Colour Rush Balm 'Keep Mauving' £5.99, a gorgeous pinky plum shade. The crayon packaging makes it easy to apply and it twists up so you don't have to worrying about sharpening it. If I'm feeling more adventurous, then I'll apply the Charlotte Tilbury Lip Lustre 'Unleash Me' £16.50. This is a gorgeous berry purple with red undertones. The lipgloss formula means it sits nicely on your lips and leaves a pretty stain when the gloss element has faded away.

What products will you be using this Autumn?

Lauren

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5 PRODUCTS UNDER £5

There are so many affordable and amazing products available on the shelves of the High Street beauty shops. Many of which are under £5. Here are 5 of my favourites, but trust me there are plenty more so I can see there being a part two...

It took me a while to give into the hype of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer, but I am so glad I did because it's now a staple in my everyday make-up routine. It's high coverage and lasts well on stubborn spots once set with a powder. For such an inexpensive price tag, I highly recommend that you try it. I apply some of the concealer to the back of my hand and then using my finger, apply the product to any spots or redness and then blend with a brush. I find this concealer quite drying underneath my eyes so I mainly use it for spots or redness.

The Maybelline Colour Tattoos have to be my favourite cream eye shadows. I own three and I am looking into expanding my collection with one of their latest shades. They can be used as a base for eyeshadow or on their own and my favourite shade is On and On Bronze, a gorgeous warm toned brown shimmer, which looks stunning on blue eyes. I love applying a bronze eyeshadow on top to intensify the colour. 

The Seventeen Mirror Shine Lipstick 'Belle'   is a perfect 'my lips but better' pink toned nude. This is one of those products that can be thrown in your handbag and brought out when you need to top up your lipstick on the go. It has a moisturising, sheer formula, so it doesn't fade awkwardly and adds a wash of colour to your lips. The packaging is black and minimal, but contains a slide out mirror in the lid, which comes in very handy when your out and about.

I can't do a top 5 products without mentioning something skincare related. My go-to cleanser is the Simple Purifying Cleansing Lotion and I would highly recommend this. I use it every evening without fail. It's very gentle on the skin and removes the last of your make-up after using a wipe or a micellar water. 

Barry M's nail polishes are my favourites. I don't paint my nails very often, but when I do, I usually reach for their Gelly Hi-Shine Nail Paint in the shade "Rose Hip". It's a very pretty pale pink which lasts a good week on my nails usually. I love the fact that there is such a huge range of shades available so there is something for everyone. 

What are your favourite products under £5? 

Lauren

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MOST USED MAKE-UP BRUSHES

I think that if you have the right tools for applying make-up you are halfway there, then it's down to your technique and the quality of the make-up your using to achieve your desired look. Obviously you can apply make-up with your hands but I don't always find that it works so I rely heavily on brushes. I apologise that the brushes in this photo are no where near clean, I guess it shows how much I love them. There are 4 main brushes that I reach for on a daily basis...

The Real Techniques Multi-Task Brush-£20.99 lives up to its name as you can use it for applying so many different products and comes in a set of three travel friendly brushes. If you're thinking of buying your first make-up brushes or have never tried Real Techniques brushes before, than this is certainly the set to buy. Recently I have been using this brush to apply foundation and it gives a light base which is what I have needed for back to school. 

The Real Techniques Stippling Brush-£10.99 is great for blending your foundation or concealer into the skin without leaving any harsh lines and can give you a very minimal look.  If you're heavy handed when applying blush or bronzer, it can easily be fixed by some blending with this Stippling Brush. Besides using it to apply foundation or blend makeup mistakes, it also makes applying cream blush easy and fuss free. 

I'm obsessed with the Bobbi Brown Sheer Powder Brush-£31.00 at the moment, I love how soft it is, it's size and how easy it makes applying products. I'm usually quite lazy when it comes to applying blush and I have found myself applying it just so I can use this, and that's saying something. Despite the fact that you do get the odd hair shed onto your face, it does the job pretty well. It makes applying bronzer, highlight and blush a dream, and applies a thin layer of powder to set your foundation. The price tag is another downside but it makes a great investment and will last for years. 

Another member of the Real Techniques Travel Collection is the domed shadow brush. It applies and blends eyeshadows effortlessly and is super soft and fluffy on the delicate eye area. 

What are your favourite make-up brushes?

Lauren

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I'M LOVING: THE SEVENTEEN SKIN WOW HIGHLIGHTER

Seeing as strobing or highlighting is a very popular beauty trend at the moment, I bought myself a new highlighter (as if I don't own 4 already...) and I have been using it almost everyday since.The Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter is a gorgeous champagne highlighter with peach undertones. Strobing involves applying highlighter to the high points of your face which hit the light and this technique effectively defines your face without you having to contour.

The Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter can be used in three ways, as a primer, mixed with foundation or as a highlighter. My favourite way is to use it as a highlighter.The packaging is very sleek and the pump allows you to easily dispense product without it becoming messy. 

The formula has a liquid/cream consistency with no glitter particles, just subtle shimmer which allow you to look natural and healthy.

FOR PRIMING: For a daytime appropriate glow from within apply one pump to your fingers and massage into the skin on your face. Then apply your normal base.

WHEN MIXING WITH YOUR FOUNDATION: Apply some foundation onto the back of your hand and add a pump of the Seventeen Skin Wow. Mix together either using your fingers or a brush and apply to your face. I would recommend mixing it with a matte or semi radiant foundation for a base that is appropriate all year round. 

FOR HIGHLIGHTING: Apply half a pump onto the back of your hand and using your finger dab a small amount onto your cheekbones and blend initially using your fingers and then a brush to avoid any harsh edges. The highlighter also looks great in the inner corners of your eyes (to make them pop), on the bridge of the nose, temples, brow bone and cupids bow. 

I love how healthy it makes you look and it is visible when you walk past a mirror (particularly on the tops of your cheekbones) and in photos. 

Have you tried the Seventeen Skin Wow Highlighter? 

Lauren

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FOUNDATION FINDS

Foundation when applied right can make your skin look flawless and transform your whole make-up look. I'm not saying that we all need to wear or buy foundation, but recently I have found that a high coverage concealer applied pretty much everywhere on a bad skin day doesn't quite cut it. 

When I first started blogging the one make-up purchase I used to put off the most was foundation. I was always told 'you're skin is wonderful, you don't need it' or 'it's a waste of money at your age' but I eventually gave in and asked for my first foundation last Christmas, the L'Oreal True Match Foundation. 

In recent weeks I have accumulated 3 new foundations to try which filled me with excitement as each formula is very different...

THE GLOW GETTER : The Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation-£8.99* is definitely the most dewy foundation out of the three. It contains tiny gold glitter flecks which once applied to the face give your skin a healthy radiant glow. If your skin is dry and lacks lustre then this is certainly one for you. Even though my skin verges on oily sometimes I haven't found that this foundation makes me look sweaty. I think that this foundation during Summer should be applied sparingly to give a light coverage which isn't too heavy on the skin and apply a light dusting of bronzer to give a bronzed goddess effect, great if you're on holiday. 

THE LIGHT-MEDIUM COVERAGE: Enter the Maybelline Dream Flawless Nude Foundation-£5.99, a light but buildable coverage foundation with a watery consistency. I bought this foundation for prom as I was looking for a foundation with no SPF which wouldn't cause any awkward flashback in photos. I loved wearing it that night, it was weightless on my skin and lasted well without fading or melting off during the evening. The applicator is slightly strange as there is no pump, you have to drop the foundation onto the back of your hand using a pipette. I have found that shaking the bottle before use combines the formula as the formula is very runny and can separate easily. 

THE RADIANT SKIN PERFECTER: I have to say, my favourite of the three has to be the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation-£6.99*. It sits on top of my skin nicely, doesn't fade awkwardly and gives coverage in the places I need it without forming a mask on top of my skin. I like wearing this foundation for work and apply half a pump onto the back of my hand and apply to the areas of my face that need the coverage, at the moment that is my forehead and chin, and then blend to make sure it sits on my skin seamlessly. 

What's your favourite foundation?

Lauren

*This post contains products sent to me for review purposes, to view my full disclaimer, click here.

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LIPSTICK VS LIPGLOSS TAG

I don't know what it is, but recently I have been struggling to come up with original ideas for blogposts which I think you will enjoy reading, hence the reason my blogposts haven't been very frequent. That aside, what better way to get back into the swing of things, than with a post about lip products.

If you have been reading my blog for a while then you will know that I play it safe with lip products and stick to neutral, my lips but better shades, but if I do feel slightly daring I will use a bright lipgloss or lipstick and blot off the excess colour to be left with a muted stain.

That brings us to the debate, which do you prefer, lipsticks or lip glosses? I was in two minds about it but when going through my makeup collection finding the products to take photos for this post, there my decision was made. I own more lip glosses than I do lipsticks. 

I find it very exciting going into Boots or Superdrug and gazing at their array of lip products from the lit up stands. There is so much choice which is probably why I always end up coming home with one or two products and a hand full of swatches.

As I prefer minimal lip colours, that's what attracts me to buying a lipgloss than a lipstick as with lip glosses you can sheer out the colour more easily than you can with a lipstick. I also love the fact that most lip gloss formulas don't fade awkwardly like some lipsticks do, although you do have to top up your lipgloss more frequently throughout the day to keep the colour.

Some of my favourite lipgloss formulas:

The Accessorize Light Up Glosses* have been my go to lip product recently, my favourite shade from the range is 'Fuchsia' a pretty bright pink which I like to apply and then dab off the excess with a tissue so I am left with a stain, which I find easier to wear. The packaging is very innovative as it contains little LED lights in the lid which turn on when you unscrew the lid. 

I have been using the Rimmel Oh My Gloss Lipgloss 'Snog' for years, even before I started getting into blogging and makeup. This is my mums favourite lipgloss and she wears it daily. When I was younger she passed down the remains of them for me to use. Back then they were called the Rimmel Vinyl Gloss. The formula is quite thick and very pigmented, 'Snog' is another my lips but better shade (the love for neutral lip shades runs in my family...).

Finally, I adore the formula of the Tanya Burr lip gloss line, my favourite shade is 'Picnic In The Park' a gorgeous peach/pink which pairs well with any nude lipstick and adds a pop of colour. 

This post is in collaboration with Ciara from the blog An English Rose-link who came up with the idea for this post whilst we were brainstorming, personally I think it's a great idea. You can find Ciara's post here. I tag Emma from the blog Have a Cup Of Tea, Chloe from My Beauty Haven and Beth from Miss Beauty Obsession to share their version of this post. 

Which do you prefer, lipgloss or lipstick?

Lauren 

*This post contains products which were sent to me for review purposes, to view my full disclaimer, click here.

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SUMMER ESSENTIALS

Summer has to be one of my favourite times of the year, the warmer weather, sunshine and longer days all help to uplift my mood, particularly the longer days which means there is more time to take blogpost photos. During the Summer I tend to stick to light products that don't feel too heavy on my skin, the same way you opt for lighter clothes and generally I change up my routine, so I thought this called for a blogpost, I warn you, it's a lengthy one!

SKIN PREPARATION:

During the warmer months I much prefer having showers over baths and I like to use the oh so famous Soap and Glory Sugar Crush Body Wash. I adore the scent, a sugary sweet lime aroma fills the bathroom and makes me feel refreshed and ready to start my day. 

As we start to reveal more skin at this time of year therefore having a good exfoliate helps to remove any dead skin cells and will make your skin nice and smooth for the gorgeous weather. One of my current favourites is The Body Shop Honeymania Body Scrub as it is very gentle on the skin and doesn't leave behind any residue. I love the scent too, it's subtle and sweet but not too overpowering. I aim to use this once or twice a week and follow up by moisturising with the Vaseline Cocoa Butter Moisture Spray. This is a great alternative thick body moisturiser for example the Soap and Glory Righteous Butter which has a very rich consistency and takes a while to sink into the skin, and as much as I enjoy using the Righteous Butter, the Vaseline Spray is much better for this time of year. The 'Spray and Go' element makes the product simple and easy to use, spray it on dry skin, rub in with your hands and it sinks in easily with no fuss.

MAKE-UP PRODUCTS:

When it's humid there is nothing worse than the feeling of your foundation melting off your face, particularly when you're not at home and forgot to bring make-up wipes with you to work... If like me you are close to giving up on wearing foundation at this time of year, then look no further, meet the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation*. A medium coverage foundation which feels lightweight and looks effortless on the skin. I apply half a pump onto the back of my hand and blend using my Real Techniques Buffing Brush. If you're not in the market for a new foundation, I would recommend halving the amount you use on a daily basis and although the coverage may not be as good, it may not feel as heavy on the skin.

The Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Pink Quartz is my new favourite highlighter. One of the reasons I love it is because of the gorgeous glow it creates on the cheekbones, but also due to how versatile it is. In the pan there are strips of both pink and bronze, that can be used as blush, bronzer, highlighter or eyeshadows.  

One of my all time favourite products is the Soap and Glory Solar Powder and you can tell by looking at it, a huge dip in the middle of the pan. I love the glow and warmth it gives to my pale complexion and for just over a ten pounds you can't go wrong. I swirl my brush in both sides and apply it just under my cheekbones, around my hairline and under my jawbone. 

You've got to have a peach lipgloss by your side at this time of year and mine will be the Accessorize Light Me Up Lipgloss in the shade 'Nude'. If you missed it, a few weeks ago Accessorize launched their new cosmetics collection and in my opinion, it rocks. You can find a blogpost all about the launch here. What I love about their new Lipgloss range is not only the gorgeous shades, but the packaging. Each lipgloss has a screw able lid and when opened lights up. Perfect if you're in a night club and can't see what you're doing as there is a mirror on the side of the lipgloss too, bonus! 

ON THE NAILS:

It's safe to say I own way too many nail polishes thanks to a phase I went through last summer when I got into nail art, most of which now never get used and I should probably re-home. I do have a few favourites though that sit on my windowsill, from Barry M, Essie and Accessorize*. Barry M's Gelly High Shine Nail Polishes have great longevity on the nails, I absolutely despise painting my toe nails, so anything that lasts longer on my nails than a week is a winner in my eyes. My favourite shade is 'Rosehip' a muted pink. 

Another nail polish I will be rotating this Summer is 'Bikini So Teeny' by Essie, a gorgeous blue shade with purple undertones and who can forget about the slight shimmer in the formula. 

Last but not least, if you read my Accessorize launch blogpost you will know that I came home with many products to try, including a handful of their nail polishes, two of which I adore. The shades 'In the Nude' a pretty pale peach and a blue, green and orange glitter 'Mermaid'. When paired together they look stunning and I have never seen a glitter like that before!

This post is a collaboration with my good friend Emma who has also written a post outlining her Summer Essentials-link over on her blog, Have a Cup Of Tea. I adore her blog as it is a place where you can find advice, beauty posts, music features and so much more!

What are your Summer Essentials?

Lauren

*This post contains products that were given to me for review purposes, to view my full disclaimer, click here.

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