SUNGLASSES OF THE YEAR

Topshop Waverly Wayfairer Sunglasses - £14

Usually, Primark sunglasses get me through the summer months mainly because I can't bare to spend more than £3 on a pair of sunnies that I'll probably leave in my bag to get scratched, lose, or even sit on and crush (talking from actual experience for that one). But, this year I happened to be looking in Topshop and fell in love with a frame I couldn't leave behind. 

I can't find the exact pair online but they are the Waverly Wayfairer frame style and there's a couple of other 'prints' if you will. I didn't think £14 was bad at all, and the fit of these is perfect. I have quite a slim face so I tend to get swamped by glasses but these are perfect. I had a pair similar last year but all black - this time I opted for still a black pair but they have a faint floral/palm print within the frame too which just adds an extra touch. 

To be quite honest, I've even been eyeing up another pair in this style online but I'm not sure I can allow myself to make the purchase, considering these are so loved anyway. I genuinely don't think it is possible for me to fall out of love with these, because they literally work with every item of clothing in my wardrobe. Never a complaint. 

I've found a similar pair here, just with a thinner frame, but to be honest I prefer these. Have a browse of the Waverly Wayfairer style and let me know your opinion. 

L'OREAL INFALLIBLE MATTIFYING PRIMER

I never used to make the extra step of using a priming base for my makeup, until a few Chirstmas' ago I received a sample of a Smashbox primer, and I've never looked back. I've tried my fair share of high end and drugstore, with my favourite being the Benefit Porefessional, but last time it came to restocking my primer it was a while off payday and I couldn't justify the price so I settled for the L'Oreal Infallible Mattifying Base. 

One thing I praise this primer for is its ability to smooth the skin - it pretty much perfects the skin for foundation and helps product to settle really flawlessly into the skin. In terms of the mattifying claims, it does reduce the shine initially, however isn't something that lasts all day as I do tend to have to touch up my shine. Despite this, it does make my makeup last far longer in the day.

One gripe I do have about this is that if you apply too much and straight after moisturising it tends to form into little pieces (I'm sure you know the ones I mean although I can't quite explain it) so bear that in mind. For £7.99 though, this is a pretty impressive primer and is rather similar to other formulas I have tried from higher end brands, and is really worth the try.

I've heard great things about the matte foundation too, and I'm kind of eager to try that out too - does it live up to the hype?

TODAY'S FACE #3 - A SWITCH UP

Dr Lewinns Anti Ageing Primer / Dr Lewinns Illuminator / Rimmel Matte BB Cream / Rimmel Wake Me Up Concealer / Rimmel Stay Matte Powder / ELF Pebble Eyeshadow / Soap and Glory Archery / Avon Eye Primer / Nars Laguna Bronzer (all over lids) / Milani Glimmer Stripes Honey Shimmer (inner lid) / Urban Decay Half Baked (lower lashline) / Stila Smudge Stick in Moray / Benefit They're Real / Sleek Face Form / Gosh Soft n Shine Lip Balm in Barbie

Last weekend I was certainly feeling experimental in the makeup department as I found myself applying a look I'd never tried nor considered in the past, after a root around in my Ikea Alex drawers and discovered a couple of disregarded products.

I actually really liked the khaki liner alongside the strong gold on the lower lashline. The skin was left pretty natural and I tried the Rimmel Matte BB Cream as I had a mini from somewhere lying around but it was actually rather nice, and wasn't what I would call 'matte' just less dewy than other BB Creams that tend to slide off my face anyway.

I'm rather glad I've been a bit more inventive with my makeup recently and I definitely will be trialling a few more looks that if they fit the standard will probably be making an appearance in this 'today's face' series.

REAL TECHNIQUES NIC'S PICKS

Real Techniques have ruled by brush collection for more than enough time for me to know I love their range, and when this set dubbed Nic's Picks came out I knew I would be getting my hands on it, a range of brushes chosen into a set by a professional herself, in stunning silver packaging - I was sold. Each brush holds a different purpose for me, and I love every single one.

The Duo Fibre Brush is the one I use daily for powdering my base, as it offers a light dusting and does not overpower any of my makeup. This is not dense at all, so you won't be looking flat faced at all, and this brush is a staple from me, and it's also brilliant if you are a bit scared of blush like myself, as it offers just a light sweep of colour.

The Cheek Brush is exclusive to the collection, and from looking at pictures I imagined it to be like the Expert Face Brush, but it is rather different, as it is larger, with longer bristles yet still rather dense (although not quite as much). This is also good for blush, especially cream products and bronzer too as it seems to get the same perfect for my face.

The Angled Shadow Brush is another exclusive to the set, and this is a good one for crease work, especially if you want to define with a matte shadow, as it fits right into the socket. I didn't think I would like this one so much, but I've got quite a lot of use from it and it is super handy for a range of eye looks, from everyday neutral to an intense smokey eye.

The Base Shadow Brush was the one I was really looking forward to trying, as I'd heard so much praise about it, and boy is it good. It applies colour and blends colour seamlessly and honestly if you only had to get one brush, make it this. It's slightly tapered making for easy blending and I use this no matter what look I am going for. It's a winner.

Finally, another exclusive in the form of the Eyeliner Brush, a short, firm angled brush which is superb for a strong gel liner wing, or even for pressing a dark brown or black shadow into the lashline for some less intense definition. I also like this for a strong brow with an eyeshadow, as you can be really precise with your application and with a little extra time you can almost mimic some hair strands as it is such a fine brush.

I certainly have me eye on the bold metals collection too, though I'm not sure my budget will allow for it, but the Flat Contour brush from that range is most certainly on my wishlist.

TODAY'S FACE #1

Smashbox Undereye Primer // Bourjois Luminous Primer // Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum // Elf Pebble Eyeshadow // Soap and Glory Archery Pencil // Avon Eye Primer // Rimmel Scandaleyes Liquid Shadow Paint (Golden Bronze) // Urban Decay Half Baked & Tease // NYC Sunny Bronzer (in the crease) // Milani Eye Tech Liner // Benefit They're Real // Bobbi Brown Tinted Eye Brightener // Collection Lasting Perfection // Rimmel Stay Matte Powder // Nars Laguna // Sleek Contour Kit // Benefit High Beam // Rimmel Kate Lipstick (16)

So I don't tend to do these 'face of the day/FOTD' posts regularly here, but I thought after seeing Megan post some stunning looks I would go for it myself. I did my makeup at the weekend as I went along with no plan of what I wanted to see, but I got this golden bronze eyes, bronzed skin, peachy coral lips look which I really love and I think it'll be one I'll look back in the archives for when summer comes around. 

If you would like to see this more regularly do let me know and I will sort out a schedule or something because I really enjoyed photographing this look!

BORN PRETTY STORE BRUSHES

Recently I had some brushes sent to me from Born Pretty Store, in the form of this 5pc face kit*. I wasn't expecting much as they were extremely budget priced, but I'm actually a huge fan and have been getting a fair amount of use out of the collection. If you use the code EVANH10 you can also get 10% off the store.

My favourite brush is the one pictured in the first demo picture, and the one on the far right on the top picture. It's quite a dense, tall pointed yet round foundation brush, and one I imagine to be quite similar to the currently hyped Louise Young LY34 brush, making it perfect for a quick foundation application. The second demo shows the round buffer brush, which is slightly smaller than the rest. I like to use this for cream/liquid highlighters, especially Benefit High Beam.

The flat top brush is quite a nice one for concealer, and I also like the angled slightly rounded top pne for cream blush, especially the more natural colours as it is the perfect shape for focusing the colour along the cheekbone and up onto the temples for that cold flushed look. I assume the flat top angled brush would be rather good for this purpose too.

All the brushes aren't too dense that they are unworkable, so they aren't stiff when blending, but they are just the right density to get a flawless finish. I've really been enjoying the multi-use aspect of this brush set, not to mention I quite like the sleek monochrome look of them.

DR LEWINN'S BASE ADDITIONS

I was a little skeptical when a package containing 2 Dr Lewinn's products dropped through my door as I'd never really heard a great deal about the brand, other than their nail products which have been hyped by the likes of Lily Pebbles, but I hadn't seen any raves about their skin products, so obviously I thought I'd give them a go and share the feedback.

They are both anti-ageing products, and this isn't something that really bothers me nor interests me, I just use the products for their other purposes other than diminishing the appearance of wrinkles etc. which I'm not really sure I show any of being the age of 15 going on 16.

The first product is the Skin Perfect Anti-Ageing Illuminiser*, which is basically a liquid highlighter. It's a stunning pale champagne colour, which adds a hint of candlelight sheen to the sheekbones, nose and brow bones (and wherever else applied). I tend to use this on these targeted areas using a contour brush or bigger eyeshadow brush, and buff it in, and I will tell you now, it the right light you get some serious glow. I'm yet to try mixing it in with foundation but that does interest me quite a lot so I'll report back on that one.

The second product is the Skin Perfect Anti-Ageing Primer*, which comes in luxurious frosted glass type packaging. It doesn't carry the silicon texture that a lot of my primers have in common, so it's a nice addition to my collection. Although I can't entirely nail what this does specifically for my skin, it makes my base apply far more evenly and it also fades slightly lower, at a more even rate too.

Over all, two pretty good products. In my opinion, I recommend the Illuminiser over the Primer if I were to pick one for you to pick up, but definitely look into it if you are tempted. Have you tried anything from this range before?

THE BODY SHOP CAMOMILE CLEANSERS

A few weeks back I started to run low of my Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil I was on the hunt for a replacement, as the price tag just wasn't selling a repurchase to me. Mum whipped out a £10 off body shop voucher so immediately I went and picked up two of their highly raved cleansing products.

The first was the Sumptuous Cleansing Butter, sort of like a balm. This one was £12 (but I only paid £2 and then the full price of the oil), for 90ml of product. I take this on dry skin and massage it in - it takes a matter of seconds to melt into an oil and then can take off all makeup (even waterproof) or just cleanses the skin really nicely if your makeup has already been removed. It's nourishing and just leaves my skin feeling clean, but by no means stripped.

The second offering is that of the Silky Cleansing Oil. This is quite a light consistency for an oil, not thick at all and one pump or so can cleanse my whole face - I did use waaaay to much the first use, but you get used to using the correct amount. This can remove all traces of waterproof makeup too, and seems to leave my skin feeling plumped and nourished too. This costs £10 for 200ml so is realy quite a good value product.

I was wary these would break me out as lots of new cleansers I try seem to do, but these actually have left me with no problems as it stands. I'm impressed, and could see these being repurchased in the future...

URBANVEDA SOOTHING FACIAL POLISH

I don't tend to use physical scrubs very regularly since the likes of Caroline Hirons steered us blemish-prone folk away from them, but every now and then I need a little something something to leave my skin polished, which is where the UrbanVeda Soothing Exfoliating Facial Polish* comes in.

It's a natural brand I believe, and the scent definitely smells quite herbal which I always think is nice in a face product. Whilst claiming to exfoliate it definitely isn't harsh product, its more of a creamy cleanser with some fine sand like grains put it, really nothing vigorous.

Although a short but sweet review, there's not a great deal more to this cleanser, and to be fair, I think simple is the best way forward with a scrub, and I look forward to using this more in the future, and perhaps even trying more from the range.

QUICK-FIXES FROM ANATOMICALS

Sometimes, you need a quick fix for your face. I for one am a sufferer of big under-eye bags and circles and occasionally some rather groggy looking pores (nice). When these sachets came in my letterbox, you can imagine I was pretty excited to give them a go.

One evening last week left me with a few less hours of sleep I would normally get which left me with dramatic puffy under-eyes and I seriously needed something to sort them out. I immediately cracked out the Puffy the Eye Bag Slayer* (love the play on words there), and slapped them on under my eyes. These are pretty strange to get used to; thick gel pads that stick on your under-eyes that are somehow cold and cooling even though they have been sitting in room temperature – as I said, strange. They definitely did wake me up and reduce some of the puffiness, but I will say the effect wasn’t as incredible as I was expecting, although I will use the rest of the pack.

The World Pore 3* pore strips came into use when I wanted to get a bit of a clarifying thing going on around the nose. These are different from pore strips I have used in the past, as they aren’t sticky so you have to put some water on your nose (I like to make it quite hot to open up the pores even more), then put the strip on as it adheres this way. After about 10-15 minutes, I peeled it off to be left with a rather interesting looking pore strip and a much smoother feeling nose (I’ll spare you the details).

If you want to try out these kinds of products, I definitely would recommend Anatomicals. They are pretty budget friendly, with good advertising and witty slogans, and is a brand that always leaves me wondering what else is in the range. 

GARNIER MICELLAR CLEANSING WATER

After a long day, most of the time all I want to do is get my makeup off, and as quickly as possible. I’m not exactly a face-wipe fan, so generally I go for micellar water for the face followed by a separate eye makeup remover. I finally got my hands on the Garnier Micellar Water and I have been using it nearly daily since I bought it so I thought it was the prime time to give you the low-down.

It definitely does the whole speedy removal thing well, I soak a cotton pad, and within a couple of swipes over the face, the bulk of my makeup is gone. I have tried this on my eyes too, and it doesn’t do too badly of a job on waterproof makeup on the eyes, but it takes a couple more swipes than your general bi-phase remover.

It claims for no rinsing afterwards, but I am one for a second cleanse with my Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil, so I haven’t tried it out on that aspect, but I will say you don’t have too much of a sticky residue after, but for me it’d feel odd to just go straight in with my night cream afterwards. If you are really desperate to jump into bed however, this would be a good option to go for if you can’t be dealing with the full on cleansing routine.

For something short of a fiver for what claims to be 200 uses, this really isn’t a bad product, and if you haven’t tried it out I would definitely give it a shot in your skincare routine.

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...