A PERFECTED COMPLEXION

I talk about my bad skin quite frequently on my blog, but all seems to be getting a little better, and hopefully after a recent prescription of some antibiotic treatments, things are looking good, which I thought was the perfect time to be showing what I use when my skin is looking better and how I achieve the perfect base.

Starting on the skincare front, I have started to branch out to more expensive brands because I feel like if your skin looks good, your makeup is almost guaranteed to look good as well. The Origins Clear Improvement Mask gets a use almost every Sunday, and although some people find it tight and drying, I love the effect it gives the next day when I wake up. The La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo [+] has been getting a lot of use from me as a corrective serum product and I have been seeing improvements.

A new love for me is the Rimmel Match Perfection Foundation, and although the colour is a touch too dark for me, I think with blending it looks pretty good because of its natural finish. Blended with the Real Techniques Buffing Brush, it gives such a lovely finish - somewhat dewy without the shine.

I have indeed rekindled my love with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. In the winter this is a little drying but now the weather is slightly improving I am in love all over again. I think I could do with repurchasing this again, I'm struggling to get any product out. A slightly less heavy offering (but one that still brings coverage to the table) is the Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer, which has a satin finish and looks really natural on the skin.

For powder, I'm sure most of us hate the stuff because no-one likes a cake face, but I have discovered that using a light dusting of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder with a the Contour Brush in precise areas just banishes the shine without looking flat.

What are your secrets to the perfect complexion?

POST-SPENDING BAN BUYS

As my spending ban came to a close, I was browsing the aisles like no other. Luckily my ban ended just before the Boots 3 for 2 came to an end so I managed to get in on the deals, which I can't complain about. I definitely enjoyed spending some money on what I love after having such a break.

In the clearance of my local Boots, I spotted the Maybelline Color Tattoo in Timeless Black for £2 and I thought it would be a good choice for a gel liner-esque product. For another small £2 I found the Revlon Colorburst Lip Gloss in Bellini which is a milky peach-nude. The other 2 items on the makeup front were a repurchase of the Rimmel Stay Matte Powder, and a Rimmel Lasting Finish Blush in Santa Rose as a lot of people rave about this guy, and the colour is stunning and natural, perhaps a new everyday favourite?

Onto skincare, I got another Superdrug Naturally Radiant Brightening Hot Cloth Cleanser as it was on offer for £2.98 and I love this as my go-to cleanser. To prove my love for it, how about I tell you that this is my third bottle of the stuff. On the radiance path, I got 2 items from the Boots Botanics All Bright range. The first was the Cleansing Toner, as the whole 'chemical exfoliant' thang interested me and I thought I would start at the budget side of things. As well as this I got the Night Cream, and on first impressions this looks to me really hydrating as it is so thick, so I cannot wait to incorporate this into my routine properly.

Finally, I got the L'Oréal Studio Line #TXT Volume Supersizing Spray, as I am practically begging for some texture and volume in my hair, and from the first use I really like this, and for a budget price of £3.79 I don't think I could choose any better way to start getting into these products.

It's typical for me to have only just gotten off my spending ban and have a nice shop/splurge in Boots. Well... there isn't much that can separate a blogger from buying products...

OIL FREE SKIN WITH PROACTIV

Having an oily/combo skin type isn't all about being matte, more so just preventing shine. That doesn't mean you can't go for a dewy look, it is simply a trial of testing out what looks best. Proactiv's makeup range, is said to allow us to do just that.

The Oil Free Smoothing Primer*, smooths the skin, and preps for the next step, whether you want to go in with Tinted Moisturiser, BB Cream, Foundation or Concealer. I am not one for primer, as most of the ones I try, like this one, is silicone based, and with a collection of water based products, they don't mix. If this is the case, you canwear it alone on no makeup, or light makeup days, and it will slightly perfect the skin. I like this, but I never wear it, as explained above.

Then we have the Sheer Finish Mineral Pressed Foundation Powder*,  a mattifying pressed powder, but wears off to a really nice gentle dewyness throughout the day. I am not sure why this is called 'foundation' and then 'sheer'... as it definitely drifts more towards the latter - not much coverage is involved with this. Another thing...it smells a bit like sherbet, and I am not sure how I feel about that.

I could imagine that this would be a great duo for those with extremely oily skin, or even combination skin, to banish any excess shine on the face all day.