LA ROCHE POSAY ANTHELIOS XL SPF 50

During the summer and the mini heatwave we recently experienced in he UK, I like to make sure my skin is protected well by using a facial SPF under my makeup. It's often hard to find one in the drugstore for a somewhat affordable price but it seems I have found what I've been looking for with the ever-so-hyped La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Ultra Light SPF 50+. 

This has UVA and UVB protection, something I look for in most SPF's as well as a high factor proction of 50. It's described as an ultra light 'fluid' which I would stand by, as upon first application it feels a little tacky but once having a few seconds to work into the skin has passed, you can't feel a thing.

This works well under makeup too, and doesn't make anything greasy or move around on the skin, which is a massive plus. I haven't given flash photography a go with this one but as it stands with most SPF products flashback is generally expected anyway.

This avoided me getting burnt in Madrid and is often applied daily before running errands outside, it is a real winner from me and for just over the £15 mark (although cheaper on websites such as Escentual and Feelunique a times), I will be likely to repurchase.

SLEEK BLUSH BY 3: LACE

Sleek blushes aren't stocked near me, but they are definitely some of my favourite blushes out there (my Face Form has huge circles gleaming silver in where I have hit pan for the reference), so when I saw the Blush By 3 in Lace for £5 in my local Tesco I nearly wept (with joy).

There are two matte shades, a bright vibrant orange called Chantilly, and a hot red-pink dubbed as Crochet. The formula of these two are nice, not too buttery nor too chalky but the right balance that allows them to really stain the cheeks and create a long lasting colour. The shimmer is called GUiPure or something(?!), but is a stunning colour. Think Sleek Rose Gold but lighter, and I really love the look of it swatched and kind of packed on - it reminds me of a sunset, what more could you want?

These could possibly be some of the brightest powder blushes I now own and I am really inspired to try more from the Sleek blush range now, let's hope Tesco get some more trios into the clearance so I can get a collection going! But, saying that I would definitely pay full price for these, as three blushes in one place for £9.99 is a brilliant deal, and what sounds like a travelling essential...

SUMMER HAIRCARE ADDITIONS

Generally I don't seasonally switch up my hair care, just more so skincare and makeup, but recently I have gained a couple of additions to the stash and so why not share them with you guys and enable you all to buy them too?

I haven't tried much from Aussie but when spotting the limited edition Beach Mate Shampoo and Conditioner I thought they looked (and smelt) pretty good. It's the same formula and scent as the Miracle Moist range just with a different name I guess and they seem to work the same on the hair (I am a touch confused to be fair). But, I really like how these work for my very thick hair and they seem to be doing a good job without me needed to squeeze out half a bottle of conditioner each time.

Another item I got was the Got 2 B Weightless Dry Oil Mist. I had tried the original oil and still love it so this intrigued me a great deal. You spray it on to dry hair and kind of ruffle it in and it seems to nourish things quite well. I'm not 100% how I feel about this one but it's definitely a good addition if you want to nourish your hair but don't want to overload it with product - especially in the current climate.

What have you been adding to your hair care routine this summer?

A SUMMER FAUX GLOW

As much as I would love naturally radiant skin, it is often pretty dull and the only sheen I get is when I haven't powdered my face for hours and things are getting a little oily. That's why I seek the companionship of many products in order to amp up the glow in the summer.

Upon purchase, I was never really a fan of the Rimmel Wake Me Up Instant Shimmer Touches, but occasionally I like Radiant Rose on the cheeks as a pink hint of shimmery tint, or Shimmering Sand mixed in with foundation for some serious glow. These don't get used often, but they definitely don't go unnoticed.

A luminous primer was lacking in my makeup collection until I got the Bourjois Luminous Serum Primer a while back. There is no shimmer in this, but it just seems to add a glow without it, and I had a patch of forgetting about this guy but every time I reach for it again I start to use it again and realise why I loved it to begin with.

It's not just makeup that can help your glow out, it all starts with the skincare you use. I have managed to find a duo that gives me the glow without endless steps and more of an overnight glow-giver. The Balance Me Radiance Face Oil* is one I like to slap on in the evening, leave to soak in and  wake up in the morning with a complexion that looks radiant and blurred in tow and literally took me a minute to achieve.
In the same way the Origins Drink Up Intensive Overnight Mask is another one step overnight fix that leaves you with plumped, glowing skin and the peach/apricot scent makes me literally want to eat it (Don't worry, I won't).

I look forward to finding more radiance enhancing gems in the drugstore in the upcoming months, and leave you recommendations in the comments too...

SIMPLE BASICS, STATEMENT SHIRT

 OVERSIZED SHIRT: PRIMARK £12

SHORTS: H&M £5 (SALE)

VEST TOP: PRIMARK £2

SHOES: NEW LOOK £19.99

WATCH: JULES AND JAMES

SUNGLASSES: PRIMARK £1

I have wanted a kimono for a long time now but since I have been seeing a lot of people wearing them around now I thought I would leave it for a while until I saw a really high fashion looking one. That was until I spotted this oversized shirt in Primark that I thought paired with jeans and a black crop top or as pictured above. I rolled the sleeves up to make it look less like a shirt and more like a layering item.

I genuinely love this shirt and looks like it is worth so much more than I payed and I think styled right you would never guess that it was a Primark purchase. This could be love... and a new wardrobe essential.

BOBBI BROWN TINTED EYE BRIGHTENER

I'm sure I have mentioned more than enough times but I have serious under eye woes, and whether I sleep for 1 hour or 12 hours they are always a bit dark and with puffy bags and I have tried my fair share of concealers, brighteners and more in an attempt to banish them and although I still haven't found the perfect product, this comes pretty close.

I have the shade Porcelain which is actually a bit light for me, but seems to enhance the brightening effect even further. It is quite a light consistency, making it ideal for under the eyes and I have never found this to crease of me at all so huge points there. It blends seamlessly and just seems to lighten up the under eye area with such ease.
I think when buying this you have to bear in mind that this is a 'tinted' product, it isn't designed to work like the heavy duty corrector, but certainly doesn't go unnoticed when you use it - it has become an essential part of my daily makeup routine. Not everything is covered but sometimes using something a little more correcting with this over the top is a nice idea, or just this alone when you are looking for a more fresh faced look.

I picked this up in a CCO for £13.75 which was an amazing price, but I probably wouldn't have an issue with repurchasing at the full price of £20. I do really like the Kiko Natural Concealer but this is a nice high end alternative and if you want to try something without buying the full on corrector if you under eyes aren't such a huge issue (or even if they are, like mine), I really recommend this.

If you have tried any holy grail status under eye products, let me know as I am always open for adding a few more to the makeup bag...

ORIGINS CLEAN ENERGY CLEANSING OIL

I do enjoy a good oil cleanser, there's always something about the whole process of cleansing with them that I really love, and my skin seems to be thankful whenever I use them as well. I've had this for well over a month now and I thought it'd be a good time to write a review now I've gathered my thoughts about it.

The scent isn't brilliant, but nothing I absolutely hate, just quite a natural scent. I use this as my second cleanse after a micellar water/eye makeup remover to remove the majority of makeup, and massaging this onto dry skin seems to be the way to get the best results.

I often find that using cleansing oils helps fade scarring, not this one so much but I have seen a slight difference. This doesn't leave a greasy residue nor does it strip the skin - it genuinely leaves the perfect nourished balance to the skin, which is why I love it so much, and I would say that it could work for pretty much all skin types.

I got this in a CCO so didn't pay full price, but I am fairly tempted to do so when it runs out as I use it morning and night as a staple step of my skincare routine and can't imagine life without it (a bit dramatic perhaps), but I have been really enjoying its stay on my skincare shelf.

Do you have any recommendations for cleansing oils for when this runs out?

 

REVLON COLORBURST BALM STAINS

Since my early days of blogging, the Revlon Colorburst Balm Stains (previously known as the Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stains) were a firm favourite of mine, with Honey even reaching a holy grail status at one point. I treated myself to a trio on my flight home from Madrid for £16 (bargain)  and so thought I would revisit them for a full review.

I have three shades; Sweetheart, Rendezvous and Honey, all of which have become staple colours for me. Sweetheart is a bright pink, one I will be getting a ton of use out of in the summer months, and Rendezvous is a classic orange colour that actually suits me really well and fulfills my wants of an orange lip colour. Honey is a classic neutral mauve pink colour, that if applied too generously can look a bit ancient but with experience you get the right balance.

The formula is what I love, they apply so easily to the lips, and I never have any trouble with bleeding or uneven fading. These really do stain, so when that slight glossiness (which can be blotted down if you aren't feeling the sheen) has faded, you are still left with the strong colour - even my holy grail eye makeup remover struggles to get this off my lips sometimes.

I am looking to get my mitts on the rest of the collection, as well as trying out the Matte and Lacquer offerings which I am leaving too late to purchase (note: must go to Boots), so that I can compare the formulas...