Everday Makeup Routine

 I have been wracking my brains for the last day or two, thinking about what should be my next post. I was thinking a reviewing a new foundation but I don't feel like I have used it enough to know how I honestly feel about it. Then after seeing my lovely friend Nikki's Twenty Minute Makeup post on Precious Wonders, I decided to do something along the same lines - Hope you don't mind Nik! Unfortunately I am yet to master the skill of doing it in twenty minutes - well done girl! So I figured I would just show you my everyday simple look that I rely on when I don't have the time or energy to be more creative.

Preparation

 After washing and moisturizing my face, I like to prime my skin so that my foundation doesn't budge throughout the day. I don't have a particular primer that I will always repurchase but at the minute I am using Benefits' The POREfessional - £24.50. I don't suffer with big pores so I couldn't tell you whether it works wonders at filling them in, but I do find it keeps my foundation is place without much need to touch up throughout the day.

 Face

My holy grail foundation is Revlon Colorstay | Buff - £12.49. I love everything about this foundation! The coverage is medium to full which is perfect for me as I like to cover up my freckle infested skin! Also, I am super pale so finding this foundation has been a lifesaver! Most drugstore brands palest shades are either too pink or two orange for my vampire skin tone, where as this one seems too blend flawlessly and also works well when I have a tinsy bit of a tan, as I can just do a bit of extra bronzing. Its also worth noting that I use the formula for combination to oily skin.

For concealer I chop and change between two. My all time favourite is MAC Pro Longwear concealer |NC15 - £17.00. This is the most full coverage concealer I have found and it works wonders for brightening under the eyes. On a day to day basis (and in the photo above) I use Collection Lasting Perfection concealer Fair - £4.19. This is concealer has a really good coverage and doesn't crease under the eyes. I don't get many spots or blemishes, so I tend to use concealer to highlight under the eyes and down the centre of my face, both of these concealers work perfectly for this.

 In order to keep my foundation and concealer in place all day I set them both using MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural | Light - £23.00. Some may say its excessive but I use two different powders to contour and bronze my face. As I am so pale, I find if I contour with out bronzing first it looks too harsh and muddy. So in order to achieve a natural glow I use MAC Mineralize Skinfinish Natural | Medium Deep - £23.00. As it is technically a face powder rather than a bronzer, it creates a natural tan rather than looking orange. For my contour I use Benefit Hoola - £23.50. This is the perfect contour shade as it isn't too red or orange, creating a subtle shadow under the cheekbones. I am all about the contouring life, my makeup wouldn't feel complete without it!

 I have three go to blushes that are all from MAC. Which one I wear depends on what lip colour I am going for that day. For a neutral look I like to wear MAC Powder Blush | Pink Swoon - £18.00. This is the colour I am wearing in the photo. Its a matte blush baby pink colour that gives the cheeks a beautiful naturally flushed look. If I am wearing a bright red or pink lip, I like use MAC Powder Blush | Dolly Mix - £18.00. I find this deeper pink colour co-ordinates well with a brighter lip, tying the whole look together. Finally for a bronzed look I go for MAC Mineralize Blush | Warm Soul - £20.00.

 For my highlight I use MAC MSF | Soft and Gentle - £23.00. I use this on my cheekbones, nose, brow bone, inner corner and cupids bow. It adds the most beautiful glow to the skin perfect for summer.

Oh my word that a hell of a lot of face products! Just writing them has taken me an hour, let alone putting them on!

 Eyes

To prime my eyes I use MAC Pro longwear Paint Pot | Painterly - £15.50, this little gem keeps my shadow in place all day long. I like to keep my eyes fairly neutral on a day to day basis, meaning if I need to take my look from day to night in a hurry (I never do, I literally work and sleep!) I can add winged liner, falsies and jazz it up with a bright lippy! So just in case I get whisked off on a fancy pants date night straight from work (Pah!), I sweep a little bit of Soft and Gentle across my lid and blend Hoola into the crease for a little definition. Simples. To finish the eyes off I curl my lashes and add a coat each of Maybelline Great Lash Mascara - £4.99 and Maybelline The Falsies - £7.99 both in black. A sweep of Rimmel Scandal Eyes Waterproof Khol Liner | Nude - £3.99 across the lower water line and the eyes are done.

Lips

Depending on the day and what I am wearing my lip colour varies. At the moment I am loving MAC Cremesheen Lipstick | Crème Cup - £15.50. It is the perfect pink toned nude. I line my lips using Barry M Lip Liner Pencil | 115 Russet - £2.99.

Finishing Touches

To tame my brows I brush them through with Maybelline Brow Drama Sculpting Mascara | Dark Brown - £4.99. This adds a small amount of colour to my brows, but more importantly it keeps any stray hairs in place. Finally a quick spritz of MAC Fix + - £15.50 to set everything in place and I am good to go! PHEW!

So that right there is my face! And to echo Nikki, its a frikkin expensive face at that! I walk around with a £226 face everyday! - I need a lie down.

Catch up soon.

With Love ...

A x

♥