Hello! Today I am going to share my go-to makeup routine for early autumn mornings when I've only got 5 minutes to spare!

My overall makeup looks remains pretty simple and similar throughout the school year however items such as foundation are constantly on rotation as I can't help but try new ones! My foundation of choice at the minute is the Rimmel Match Perfection foundation (or more recently Revlon Colorstay! ) which is really affordable and often of offfer for £5 in Boots. The great thing about this is that it actually does match my skin and doesn't leave me with mask lines ( not a good look!). I then use a combination of my Collection lasting perfection concealer for my blemishes and currently the Rimmel Wake Me Up concealer as a lighter alternative under my eyes. Often, however, I do just reach for the collection for both to save time. I then set this with my trusty Stay Matte powder from Rimmel to keep my makeup in place through long school days.

For my eyes I like to keep a very neutral eye look. I am a sucker for MAC eyeshadows so have loved using Naked Lunch and All that Glitters in the past however I currently love using my MUA undressed palette over the top of my Bare Study paint pot ( MAC)  as I can just use a wash of the lighter shades all over my lid then use a light flesh coloured shadow, or my stay matte powder, under my brow bone. I then just use one coat of mascara on my top lashes and recently have loved using my Bourjois 1 Second Mascara.

If I fancy some colour to my cheeks I often just reach for my MAC Soft and Gentle MSF as a simple wash of this can be used in place of bronzer, blush and highlight. If I fancy a little more colour, however, I have recently loved using my £2 bargain Natural Collection blusher in 'Peach Melba'  which I love using in the hollows of my cheeks.

For my lips I often just reach for a clear gloss or lip-balm, my favourite for this being the Balmi Square Lip Balms.

What makeup routine do you follow when you're in a rush?

Beth xx

 
Make-Up:

Seventeen Wow 3 Way Highlighter
I bought this in hope that it would be a more affordable dupe of the MAC strobe cream/liquid, a light iridescent highlighter that I could use before, after or with my foundation. In reality, I couldn't get this to work on top of my foundation without it taking my foundation off with it or when using prior to foundation, looking like a glittery hot mess. Instead, I used this with some of my darker foundations in hope that it would lighten then and make then more wearable. This worked to an extent however because I wasn't completely satisfied with the outcome of using it this way, I won't be repurchasing.

Derma V10 Light Tinted Eye Roll On
I posted my before and after results after using this and for such an affordable dupe the the garnier tinted eye roll on, this did such a great job at helping to cool and brighten dark circles. If I were to stumble across this in Home Bargains, I would definitely repurchase.

Philosophy BB Cream
My thoughts on this are ever changing. Aside from the fact this is far too dark for my skintone, despite being 'light', this leaves your skin looking naturally even as for a BB cream this has great coverage but doesn't look at all cakey. The lasting power, day to day, is also excellent and matches that of my foundations. That being said, this CANNOT handle water. If you even think of having watery eyes with this, or heaven forbid you have a full on cry. This runs off like nobodies business and you find yourself with alternating stripes on your face where your makeup just seems to lift away and the BB cream is gone. Being the emotional teary seventeen year old that I am, I need a face base/bb cream/foundation to not lift away at the smallest sight of water and for that, and because of the higher end price tag, I won't be repurchasing.
 
 
2True Twist and Line Eye Definer
I bought this on a halloween whim to be a cat, (oh how original), and since then I have hardly touched this aside from fancy dress purposes. In my eye this just tugs too much and the retractable design just doesn't get the precision that I am after. I shan't be repurchasing.

MAC Phloof! Eyeshadow
I really liked this shade, a light sheeny flesh coloured pink that worked great as a base all over the lid, highlight or inner corner shade. Versatile and long lasting, I think I am going to miss the creamy shadow. I would definitely repurchase.
 
Skincare
 
Klorane Floral Eye Makeup Remover
 This is the most scented eye makeup I have tried and if i'm honest, I don't know how I feel about this. It didn't irritate my eyes, however, I found I had to use a couple of cotton pads, at least, to remove my eye makeup and I still found myself with mascara left on my lashes. Unfortunately I shall not be repurchasing.
 
Avene Cleanance Cleansing Water
The first thing I noticed about this, like the Klorane, was how scented it was. This initially panicked me as I thought the sun-cream-esque scent would agrivate my skin but it surprisingly didn't. Compared to the garnier water, this took more cotton pads to take my makeup off but neverthess did leave my face feeling clean and didn't break me out. This, however, is more expensive than the garnier and didn't overly impress me to justify a repurchase of this over my garnier favourite.
 
E45
Unfortunately I just did not get along with this. It felt greasy and oily on my skin and actually irritated it rather than relieving the symptoms. I shall not be repurchasing.

Amie Morning Dew Matte-Finish Moisturiser
For a matte-finish moisturiser, I can't say my skin was overly matte. That being said, this did give a helping hand to my somewhat combination skin and helped my makeup stay for longer without going shiny. This wasn't a bad moisturiser and for the price I can hardly complain however I just got bored using this and will be glad to dry an alternative now that this has run out.

Superdrug Coconut Oil
I'm a huge lover of coconut oil for removing the bulk of my makeup in the shower ( much like a cleansing balm) and for £2.29, this coconut oil from Superdrug is a great multitasking product, I also use it as a shaving balm, that lasts for ages and is a must have in my beauty stash.
 
 
Haircare
Neal&Wolf Ritual Daily Cleansing Shampoo and Daily Conditioner
Giovanni Ultra Sleek Shampoo, Conditioner, Leave in Conditioning & Styling Elixir

I took a couple of samples in my check in luggage on my recent holiday and finally got round to trying The Neal & Wolf Daily Shampoo and Conditioner which I believe I got in my FABB goody bag last year and the Giovanni Ultra Sleek range. Unfortunately, I couldn't stand the scent of the giovanni products so wouldn't repurchase those. The Neal&Wolf shampoo and conditioner had a much more pleasant scent but for me didn't do anything majorly impressive for me to go out and splurge on the full size.


Boots Expert Build Up Removal Shampoo
For such an affordable price, this does a great job as a weekly shampoo to remove the build up of any other shampoo or conditioner or other styling products. My hair feels throughly cleansed after using this and I would definitely buy this again.

Herbal Essences Beautiful Ends Split End Protection Cream
Like other Herbal Essences products I've tried, this smelt amazing and the scent really lingered in your hair. The problem was I found this too heavy for my hair and while it looked full of product and sometimes greasy, I didn't find it doing much for my split ends. Using as a conditioner in the shower, however, I found that the excess residue was washed out and my hair felt more moisturised. Unfortunately I have found other products that are much more effective than this so I won't be repurchasing.


Ojon Damage Reverse Restorative Conditioner
Don't get me wrong, I love Ojon and I loved the other products in this range but unfortunately the conditioner was just unsuitable for my hair type. My hair is thin and therefore was far too easily weighed down by the Buriti Oil and Murumuru Butter in this. You need a very minimal amount of this to condition and soften your hair and I definitely feel that this is more geared towards thicker and more unruly hair. Because of this, I won't be repurchasing.



Charles Worthington Salon at Home Overnight Ultimate Hair Healer
This is great as an overnight hair treatment, from root to tip, if you want soft and silky hair without leaving you pillow covered in a hair mask frenzy. This was good but wasn't great. I much prefer my John Freida leave in conditioner if I want softer hair and I'm unsure as to what extent my hair was strengthened with this so I probably won't be

Batiste Dry Shampoo - Brunette
I'll be honest and say that my love for dry shampoo is most definitely dwindling. The texture in my hair seems to irritate my hair, as of late, and it hardly seems worth using a dry shampoo for it to just irritate my scalp. Nevertheless, when I do decide that washing my hair is just not an option, this is my go to dry shampoo and one that just seems to slip its way back into my shopping basket.


 
Body Care:
Avon Senses Violet,Vanilla & Musk
Radox 2 in 1 Shower and Shampoo with Lemongrass & Sea Salt
Radox Uplifting Pink Grapefuit & Basil Shower Gel
Morgan Vanilla Shower Gel

The Radox Shower Gels are clears winner here. The avon shower gels just don't leave me feeling clean and have a very poor scent pay off, the same went for the Morgan offering. The radox, on the other hand, both gave a rich foamy lather and a refreshing and strong scent that meant I actually felt cleaner after using this in the shower. I didn't try the Lemongrass one in my hair but the versatility of this product makes it even more of a winner.

Roberto Cavalli Body Lotion
The Roberto Cavalli perfume is one that I always buy for my mum for her birthday or christmas and when I saw that she had a body lotion of the same scent lying around, I was prompt to swipe this from her dressing table. The lotion has great scent pay off - is that a thing? - which meant that the same scent of the perfume lasted all day and also moisturised my body at the same time - a definite winner.

Mitchum Advanced Control Powder Fresh Roll On Deodorant
Fairly recently I made a raving blogpost about this deodorant as I really couldn't believe how good it was and surprisingly, how long this has lasted me! I soon realised, however, that the powder fresh scent wasn't for me and I wouldn't recommend it as the smell really does linger, however if you find a scent that works for you, you won't be disappointed! I have already repurchased a mitchum roll on. 

So thats all for my Summer Empties! Quite a hefty post to say the least and a relief to finally get these in the recycling!

What have you used up recently?

Back in August 2013 I was delighted to find that I'd gained 6 A*s 5 As and 2 Bs (damn you English) in my GCSEs, I couldn't have been happier. Since then, things for me academically fell dramatically downhill.

On results day I signed up for 4 subjects that were not only my strongest but the four subjects I then loved and felt I'd be willing to the extra hours in - 10 subject hours a fortnight - to get the A2 grades I'd be happiest with - Geography, History, Maths and French. The latter, was a decision that ended up being a rushed one amidst the madness of getting my results and one, unlike the other three, that I hadn't properly thought through. Prior to getting my results, my fourth AS was going to be dependent on my French grade and that of Additional science, as at the time Chemistry was a possibility.

Having got a very secure A* in French versus a mid A in Science, I opted for a language at A Level. The biggest challenge I'd faced academically. Without going into too much detail on this, I could write a whole blogpost if you wanted?, I stuck it through Year 12 due to not having a back up subject to swap it for in the first few weeks and undergoing frequent breakdowns and general trauma through studying a language I thought I loved. At the soonest opportunity after trialing A2 French, I dropped French early and was left with Geography, History and Maths and a huge sigh of relief.

On reflection from this, I am still uncertain as to whether I will live to regret this next year however only time will tell.

I've been well overdue a Daily Makeup post so what better time than now to share with you the makeup that made the cut on my recent trip to Mallorca, a what's in my makeup bag, summer holiday edition if you will...

When packing I tried to be very selective with the products I was going to pack in my case with the mindset that this would allow for more outfit and toiletry options. For my base I went for a lightweight option from Philosophy, their Be Your Best BB cream (review). This evened out my skintone and provided me with a light dewy base. For extra blemish coverage, and under my eyes, I used my trusty Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in the darker shade of Medium 3. I then used a combination of my two favourite face powders; Rimmel Stay Matte and MAC MSF Natural 'Light' to keep me matte and my makeup in place. To add to my summer 'glow', I packed my MAC Soft and Gentle MSF to use as a blusher/bronzer duo and applied this using my RT Contour Brush on the tops of my cheeks.

For my eyes I decided to pack the MUA Undressed Palette in hope that I would experiment with different shades and get more use out of the palette. To keep these shadows in place I also packed my MAC Bare Study Paint Pot which didn't disappoint. I also, because the MUA palette didn't have a matte flesh coloured shadow, packed my Estee Lauder Eyeshadow quad for using on my brow bone and finished my eye look with my current favourite Bourjois 1 Second Mascara.

My lips I kept surprisingly low maintenance while on holiday by just packing my BALMI lip balm in the mint flavour which worked great in the day too due to containing SPF15.

For brushes, again, I was very selective and limited it to my 4 favourites; my Real Techniques Multi Task Brush, Buffing Brush and Contour Brush for my face and my MAC 217 for my eyeshadow.

I am very proud of myself for my capsule makeup bag and found myself reaching for everything that I had packed and not needing anything else!

Are you an overpacker? What do you pack in your holiday makeup bag?

Beth xx

P.S Keep an eye out for more shopping the stash posts as I hope that this series can make a come-back!

You may have seen me ramble on about the infamous Real Techniques brushes, namely their face brushes, however there has now been a now-not-so-new foundation tool in town, the RT Miracle Complexion Sponge and this really is a miracle worker.

Where you thought your foundation looked amazing before, you NEED to try this. When held under running water, and the excess rung out, this sponge expands to over twice its original size and makes your foundation much more flawless yet natural looking.

If you have trouble with a certain foundation caking when you apply it, as I did with the apparently cake free Rimmel Stay Matte, this helps to significantly reduce this while also allowing you to build up the coverage.

The sponge has a wide flat side, a rounded pointed end and and a more precise pointed edge. This combination of the three means that you can apply your foundation in layers, and over a large area, but blend in precise areas of your face, such as under your eyes and around your nose, and at ease.

For £5.99 there is no need to splurge £20ish on the beauty blender as, for me, this does all that I would want the beauty blender to do without the hassle of ordering online and wasting extra cash.

It is also worth saying that this was surpisingly easy to clean versus other foundation sponges I have tried - I run it under the hot jet of my shower and lather clean using baby shampoo and the sponge is returned to its original bright orange coloured glory.

If you want a change from your usual foundation application then I would highly urge you to pop to Boots, or online, and buy this as this multi-tasking beauty is an essential in my opinion. 

Have you tried the RT Miracle Complexion sponge?

Beth xx

I'll admit, MAC MSF in Soft and Gentle shall always have a place in my heart, however,  when I spotted a shiny new Sleek stand in Boots I couldn't say no to this contour kit that has always been on my wish list and much hyped about.

These are best eaten on the same day, especially as we used fresh strawberries, or kept in a cool dry place outside of the fridge to prevent them from turning soggy!

Have you made Macaroons before?

Beth 

Disclaimer: This recipe was sourced from BBC GoodFood but tasted too good not to share!