Seaside makeup: 2014 vs. 2015

 

It's been a year since my last 'seaside makeup' post, so I thought I'd have a bit of fun and compare the two. If you haven't seen it here's the 2015 edition of seaside makeup and here's the 2014 edition.

Seaside makeup, 2015 edition

Another year, another trip to the charming town of Southwold. And another opportunity to test my makeup against blustery sea winds!

An old favourite eyeliner

I've tried a fair few liquid liners, but I always go budget - I'm loathe to spend more than £10 on them because 1) I don't wear them every day and 2) like mascara, they cover such  a small area of my face. Pretty much the only thing I'll spend a good chunk of cash on is foundation - I wear it most days, over my whole face, and I've found the shades and formulas of the cheaper versions can't compare to the likes of Nars and Bobbi Brown. Oh, and I like fancy lipstick. MAC, Chanel, Nars... but the less said about that the better, or I'll be itching for another. 

But I digress.

Rimmel Glam'Eyes Professional Liquid Liner (£5.29)

My most loved products of summer 2015

I am so glad it's autumn. I love the colours, the weather, being finally able to wear scarves and jumpers and tights and boots again. I love the new makeup collections with their dark plums and browns. 
But before I fully embrace autumn I want to acknowledge the products that have seen me through summer.

My favourites from Autumn's new makeup collections

Chanel, Nars, YSL, Bobbi Brown, Charlotte Tilbury... just a bit of a drool-fest, really.

A new favourite mascara

Remember my odyssey to find a primer? I picked up two other gems on Boots' 3 for 2 offer that I've been wanting to share.

First up:

Rimmel Wonder'full waterproof mascara with argan oil (£7.99) 

Rimmel Fix and Perfect Pro Primer review

Taking advantage of the offers in Boots...

An Autumn Look

Happy September, everyone! It's my favourite month of the year. Here's a little makeup look I tried last week. It's soft and coppery and pinky and all round lovely and flattering and seasonal. 

My foundation is Nars Radiant Tinted Moisturiser in Finland. It's become my go-to summer base - it feels, smells and looks wonderful, it blends so easily, and as a bonus it contains SPF 30. I've used Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in Vanilla under my eyes and a little on my nose and chin to minimise redness.

I've used Bourjois Colorband crayon in Brun Dadaiste with Rimmel Exaggerate Liner in Rich Brown for a soft smoky eye, topped off with Rimmel Wonder'full black waterproof mascara. I love the colour of the Bourjois crayon but I find it could benefit from a primer underneath. The eyeliner is excellent and performs well above its budget price - everyone should have one! I particularly like the Rich Brown because it's exactly what it says - rich, dense colour that doesn't fade. The mascara is simply my usual mascara at the moment and it's really good for those of us who have sensitive eyes but find non-waterproof mascara smudges too much.

Cheeks are Guipre from Sleek's excellent Blush By 3 palette in Lace. It's a fantastic palette for summer and, although this is a budget palette, the blushes blend beautifully and don't irritate my sensitive skin. Guipre is a warm pink with gold shimmer to rival the best Nars blushes. The shimmer gives a lovely warm glow to the skin. I've used l'Oreal Glam Bronze bronzer in Sun Bronze on the high points of the face and under my cheekbones for a little more warmth, although this step is optional because the highlight from the blush adds contour to the face. 

Lips are my favourite shade - Nars Sheer Lipstick in Mayflower. It's a gorgeous shimmery peachy pink that lives permanently in my bag because it's my 'my lips but better' shade. 

Brows are Rimmel Professional Brow Pencil in Black Brown. This is the only brow product I've used for a while because it's incredibly long lasting and it's a nice soft ashy dark brown.

Hmm what else? I topped everything off with a swoosh of Bobbi Brown Sheer Finish Powder in Pale Yellow. This powder has lasted an incredibly long time and as you can see from it's been well loved!

Thanks for reading!

The 3-Product Glam Look

The inspiration behind this look was simply, 'how can I transform my face using the minimum number of products?' 

Hiding Tiredness

AKA 'the hangover face'. This is the failsafe makeup look I use when I look and feel awful, but can't lie around in bed binge-watching cartoons and drowning my sorrows in Ben and Jerry's.

Due to a combination of less sleep than usual and not enough water, I look and feel like a decrepit crone today. Happy Monday, everyone! 

Optional accompaniments to this post: a cooked breakfast, a coffee the size of your head, about five chocolate croissants. 

Rediscovering old favourites: MAC Quarry and Plumful

I really love this combination of MAC's Quarry eyeshadow and Plumful lipstick. I went through phases of wearing both shades individually - goodness knows why I didn't put them together until now!

Soft smoky eyes and plummy lips

Who invented the rule that you need to choose between your eyes and your lips when doing your makeup? How boring is that? 

Birthday wishlist

As you can guess from the title, I have a birthday coming up!

This is my real wishlist - I thought you'd like to see what's on my wishlist and I thought that it could be a source of inspiration for gift-giving. 

Oh, you pretty things!

*Drools*

Friday Favourites

This week's Friday Favourites: nail polish, nail polish remover, and a bronzer for the palest of skins.

Friday Favourites

A few of my beauty favourites to brighten up your Friday!

Superdrug haul

Spring Wishlist

I've been thinking about fashion and beauty staples to see me into the summer months. Here are my favourites:

Clockwise from top left: H&M cardigan Nars Dolce Vita People Tree Vanessa skirt Vans ASPCA Authentic shoes Essie Tart Deco Urban Decay Naked 2 Basics Topshop Moto shirt dress

Cheap as Chips - bargain beauty buys under £5

I've spent many an hour lusting over high-end beauty products. The number of MAC lipsticks I own is well into double figures. While I don't think this is necessarily a bad thing (MAC lipsticks are gorgeous, after all), there are loads of really great low-cost products out there. While they may not be as heart-poundingly, moan-inducingly beautiful, they get the job done without needing to survive on baked beans for a fortnight. 

Travel part 2: makeup

These clear bags from M&S are so useful for travelling. It's easy to see where everything is and they're easily wiped clean if anything leaks.

Muji travel bottles 

I discovered these the other day and they're brilliant. The flip tops make them much more shower-friendly (no trying in vain to open twist-off caps with slippery hands) and no separate cap means there's nothing to lose (literally).

Anything over 50ml I decant into the Muji bottles. I use one each for cleanser, shampoo, shower gel, and body lotion, plus a little pot filled with makeup remover-soaked cotton pads.