My Everyday Make Up Routine

I love doing my make up but as I work 9-6 five days a week I soon found that I needed to
 discover a lasting but quick and simple daily make up routine. I like to keep my day to day
 make up routine simple and my face looking natural, so I keep the amount of products I
 use to a minimum. I decided to show you my everyday make up routine, as I am quite
 boring and stick to the same thing every day.

Face: After prepping my skin with a morning cleanse and moisturise routine I apply the Revlon Photoready
 Skinlights Face Illuminator in Pink Light. I use this to brighten up my skin as it leaves a dewy finish.
Then I use my Real Techniques Expert Face brush to buff the Nars Tinted Moisturiser, in Finland,
 into my skin. The Expert Face brush is a bit of a cult classic in the beauty world, and personally
I have never used anything that has left such an even finish with my foundation. As the weather is
 getting warmer I recently switched from foundation to the Nars Tinted Moisturiser as it is lighter
 and has a high SPF. I finish off my my face makeup by lightly dusting on the Illamasqua 
Translucent Loose Powder using the Mac Duo Fibre Face Brush. Then, using the same
brush, I lightly sweep the Illamasqua  Powder Blusher in Naked Rose over the apples of my
cheeks and up along my cheekbones.

Eyes: After finishing my face I then move on to my eyes and usually start with my brows. I use
 the Illamasqua Eyebrow Cake in Thunder and the Benefit Hard Angle Brush to lightly fill in my
eyebrows and give them definition. I find a powder gives more of a natural finish than a pencil
when it comes to perfect brows. Then I apply a very light dusting of Mac Vanilla Pigment
 (this is such a wonder product!) over the top of the eyelid using the Real Techniques Base 
Shadow Brush . I don't like to wear eye shadow every day but I find that the vanilla pigment
opens up the eye and leaves it looking brighter, which I am all for. I finish off my eyes with a
few coats of Loreal Miss Manga Mascara in Black on both my top and bottom lashes.

Lips: On a day to day basis my make up look is very natural, and so I like to choose a lip
 colour to reflect this. I usually opt for the Mac Matte Lipstick in Kinda Sexy as the shade
 is a neutral pinky-rose and blends well with the rest of my daytime make up look. I love
 the matte look of this lipstick but it can sometimes be a little drying so I finish the whole thing
 off with a dab of the Lush Cosmetics Honey Trap lip balm as is is nourishing and hydrating.

What is your daily make up routine like? Do you use any of these products?

Weekend Eats: East Avenue Bakehouse

East Avenue Bakehouse, Bold Street, Liverpool

For me it really wouldn't be the weekend without eating out at least once and this weekend 

was no exception. Today me and Harry decided to head out for lunch and we were both keen 

to try somewhere new. Liverpool seems to be such a hotspot for independent businesses 

at the moment,which means you are never short of new places to eat, drink and shop.

I had heard great things about East Avenue Bakehouse, located on Bold Street, so as we 

were feeling pretty hungry we decided to give it a try. The bakehouse is light, airy and decorated

 to perfection. Although the aesthetics of this eatery are pretty appealing it is clear to see that there 

is so much more going on here. East Avenue Bakehouse are very proud of their locally sourced

 ingredients, friendly staff and changeable, seasonal menu - and quite rightly so. What they

 should be most proud of though is their incredible bread and cake array, all baked fresh in

 store each day.

As I was wanting to try out their homemade bread I went for the pastrami sandwhich with

 mustard mayonaise, and I certainly wasn't dissapointed. Harry went for the eggs benedict and

 he too was pretty impressed - especially with their homemade english muffins! 

We finished the whole thing off with a slice of freshly baked cake each and, after enjoying every

 last mouthful, we both left with full, happy tummies. I can't wait to go back to East Avenue

 Bakehouse and, after seeing some ladies enjoying an afternoon tea, I am hoping to share the 

doughy love and take my friends along too.

I really can't reccomend East Avenue Bakehouse enough, and what makes the whole thing 

sweeter is that there is 10% off available to all Independent Liverpool card holders.

Ingredient Focus: Honey

Years of working for Lush Cosmetics has given me a great in-depth knowledge of natural 

ingredients and the effects they have on the skin and hair. No matter what problem you may

 have with your skin or hair, honey often holds the answer.

When used in cosmetics honey does so much more than provide a sweet smell.

 The nutrients in honey provide many benefits to us when consumed and used externally as part

 of a cosmetic product. I have outlined below the different cosmetic issues we might face and 

how honey can help.

Acne - Honey has been traditionally used as an acne treatment for years as it is

 naturally antibacterial and antiseptic. The antimicrobial effects of honey mean that it kills 

spot causing microbes and stops their growth. Goodbye spots, hello clear skin!

Dry skin - Honey is a natural humectant, which means that it attracts and retains moisture 

in the skin. This means that honey is really moisturising and soothing for both the skin and hair.

Ageing - Packed full of antioxidants, honey is great for skin that is showing signs of ageing.

 Antioxidants help slow down the ageing process, as well as helping protect from the damaging 

sun rays.

Dry, frizzy hair  - Hair will be nourished and enriched by honey. The emollient properties of 

honey make it a natural softener and it improves the condition of the hair follicle. This in turn 

encourages the hair to grow, leaving you with soft, long hair!

As if this wasn't enough honey is also naturally self-preserving, which means that the use of 

nasty chemicals are not needed in honey based cosmetics. There are lots of companies that use

 honey in their products (Lush being the main one), but honey is also great to use at home for 

D.I.Y masks etc. 

Do you love to use honey as a cosmetic? How do you use it?

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Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

Micellar Cleansing Water, Garnier, £4.99

Recently I have really been struggling with my skin, it just kept breaking out 

and I couldn't figure out why. I'm drinking more water and I've completely 

upped my skin care game so something just wasn't adding up. The bad skin continued 

until just last week when I switched up my evening cleanser. I was previously using an oil 

based cleanser and I feel like this was causing more problems for my already 

oily complexion.

Micellar cleansing waters have been all over beauty blogs for a while now, 

particularly the ones from Bioderma. When I was in Barcelona last summer I picked up 

the Bioderma Sensibio H2O water but wasn't overly taken by it. Since then I had pretty

 much written off micellar waters thinking that they simply weren't for me.

When browsing the shelves of Superdrug recently I spotted this Garnier Micellar

 Cleansing Water on offer and just couldn't say no to such a bargain. I have started using 

this cleanser every evening to remove my make up and I absolutely love it. The water 

removes all dirt really quickly and leaves the skin feeling completely refreshed. This cleansing 

water is super gentle, even when removing stubborn eye make up.

The micellar waters work by capturing and lifting away from the skin, and the fragrance

 free formula means that it is suitable for even sensitive skin types. I use this cleanser by 

applying a few drops to a cotton pad and wiping over the face. It really is that simple!

Since using this cleanser on a daily basis I have seen a really great improvement in the 

condition of my skin and break outs seem to be much less frequent.

Have you tried any micellar water solutions? What do you think of them?

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Lush Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask Review

Cosmetic Warrior Fresh Face Mask, Lush, £6.25

If your skin is anything like mine you will need this product in your life. Rare is 

the day where my skin is completely spot free, so I usually spend my

 mornings trying to cover the blemishes. That is until recently when I decided 

to up my skincare game in order to prevent the blemishes and allow myself 

to use a lighter base.

I decided to incorporate a regular use of a cleansing face mask into my skincare

 routine. When it comes to face masks, for me only Lush will do. Their face masks are 

completely fresh and are made up of fruit, vegetables and the finest essential oils. The fact 

that these face masks are fresh gives a great excuse for a regular pamper as they need to be

 used up in a 3-4 week period.

Cosmetic Warrior is made up of garlic, fresh grapes and tea tree oil, among

 many other fine ingredients. At first sniff this mask can be quite strong and over

 powering, but once you see the effects it has on the skin you won't even think twice 

about the smell. I apply the mask directly onto clean, fresh skin and then sit back 

and relax for 15 minutes whilst it works its magic. This mask is great for combating spots

 and troublesome skin as it has many anti-bacterial properties including honey and 

organic free range eggs. 

Although this mask might sound like more of a meal than a skin care product it

 really is becoming a holy grail essential for me.

Have you tried any of the fresh face masks from Lush? Which one do you like the best?

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Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser Review

Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser, Nars, £29

With the on set of Spring here in the UK I was keen to switch up my beauty look 

and lighten the load on my skin when it came to coverage. I've never been one for

 tinted moisturisers as my uneven skin tone often demands a heavier coverage. 

However, when I saw my ultimate beauty guru, Kate, raving on about the Nars tinted 

moisturiser on her blog and I decided  to bite the bullet and give it a try.

I made the purchase at Harvey Nichols Beauty Bazaar in Liverpool after 

chatting to the lady on the counter about the product. She colour matched me to 

Finland which is one of their lightest shades. I opted for this tinted moisturiser as the 

coverage can be built up, meaning I can apply more to cover any areas that 

need a little extra love.

I have been using this product on a daily basis for almost two weeks now and I certainly
 do love it. This complexion perfecting fluid has both anti-ageing and skin perfecting
 benefits, and the high SPF is also pretty appealing as it helps to protect against
the elements. Personally I would only use this for day to day use as I would prefer
something a little more matte for an evening look.

I use the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush to apply this base as I love the way it
buffs into the skin. Once I've applied it evenly I'm left with an even skin tone and a
 fresh, healthy glow which is perfect for Spring.As far as tinted moisturisers go this
offering from Nars is the crème de la crème.

Do you opt for a lighter base for spring/summer? What do you use?

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Illamasqua Hyrda Veil

Hydra Veil, Illamasqua, £27

Illamasqua are a company that have a very special place in my heart. They are daring, bold and 

embrace women's flaws and imperfections 

When they released Hyrda Veil back in June, 2013 I was eager to give it a go as the product was unlike 

any I had ever seen before. Illamasqua describe Hydra Veil as being a 'cosmetic-care product'. 

But what is cosmetic care? Well I guess it is a product that helps give both your skin and make up 

a lasting and gorgeous finish.

When you first open a pot of Hyrda Veil it looks completely smooth and almost like a runny liquid,

 but to the touch it has more of a thick, jelly consistency. A 5p sized blob of Hydra Veil is more

 than enough to cover the whole face, which means that this 30ml pot actually lasts for quite a long time. 

For me this re-hydrating gel works great as a base for my foundation, although Illamasqua 

make it clear that this is not a primer. Hydra Veil is not necessarily a skin care product but as it contains 

glycerin it does have some lovely softening properties. The hydrating aspect of this product

 helps to smooth the skins appearance and allows foundation to glide on.

I have had this product for around 6 months now and, although it is not one of my every day

 products, I still have plenty left. When going on a night out or to a special event I always make

sure I pop Hydra Veil on after my moisturiser and before my foundation as it has serious lasting 

power. Will I be repurchasing? Absolutely! But only once the pot has finally ran out.

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