5 Must have Products

These products are my must have for every day use or when I'm applying makeup. I recommend these products to everyone. Continue reading to find out my Must Have products.

• NYX dewy finish Setting Spray

This brand is new to the UK, therefore not many people may have heard of it. I purchased my NYX setting spray from NEXT clothing store when they were previously stocking them, unfortunately they do not stock this brand anymore, although BOOTS are now stocking them online and in selected stores. I love a dewy finish as I have super dry skin, so I thought id give it a go as I'd heard amazing reviews and its cheap too. When I first used it, it straight away made a difference by giving me a beautiful glow accentuating my highlight, and my makeup lasted all day long. I've worn this through all seasons and it has kept my makeup in place, even through sweating. The product has also lasted me so long, I purchased mine earlier last year and it is still going. Although i only have a tiny bit left. I will be repurchasing this as I found it amazing, they also do a mattifying finish if a dewy look isn't for you. When spraying I go in a downwards motion making sure I've sprayed my entire face, I only spray my face 3-4 times as you don't want to spray too many times and the setting spray ruin your makeup or making your mascara run.

• Original Beauty Blender

I've tried many beauty blenders from the Real techniques beauty sponge, to the W7 beauty sponge. I found that they didn't last as long and started cracking, also when I washed them after using the sponge, the foundation had already stained it. The original beauty blender looks quite small but when it is dispersed into water the sponge expands a lot therefore making it easier to apply foundation as you are covering a larger area, also the sponge is so soft helping the product blend onto the skin and give an even coverage. I also felt that contouring, powder and highlighter went on easier and didn't look cakey due to the foundation evening out my complexion. It is worth the money as I had to keep repurchasing the other beauty blenders whereas with this one it lasts so long, mine is still going strong and I got mine in January. 

• Naked 2 Palette 

I've been wanting to try this palette for so long as I heard great reviews, and it didn't let me down. I received mine as a gift from the Christmas 2014, and all my eye shadow pans are still going. None of them have ran out and i use then daily. The colour is really pigmented therefore you don't need a lot of product on the brush, i like the fact that the packaging is metal so it's prefect for travelling as none of the pans with smash and the mirror won't break. Some people do not get along with the duo sided eye shadow brush that the product comes with and in some ways i agree as you can't blend with this brush, I find it's great for patting on shadow onto the eyelid and under the brow. If you want a more defined brush the BH Cosmetics do an amazing eye brush set that comes with everything you need. 

I've gotten so many different eye looks using this palette and it doubles as a highlighter, using just the blackout colour on your lids then blending it up into the crease creates a gorgeous smoky eye. If you're not sure on what palette to buy I'd recommend to go into a store that has an Urban Decay counter such as Debenhams, so they can provide you with the best palette for your skin tone, undertone, what eye shadow look you usually go for, if you want an everyday look or evening etc. Naked original has quite dark colours, Naked 2 has browns and silvers, Naked 3 has pinks and neutral colours. 

• Gerard Cosmetics Hydra Matte Liquid Lipsticks

I love these Liquid lipsticks so much because they stay on all day, you don't need a lip liner prior to application and the colour range is gorgeous. I have iced mocha, Invasion and Ecstasy. When i first got them I wasn't sure how to use them as I didn't want to apply too much product and the lipstick not dry, therefore I wiped off the excess product on the wand and applied from the bottom centre of my lips outward tilting the wand to define my inner corners. I found the product dried quickly and didn't dry out my lips or fade throughout the day. I've tried LA Splash couture and Jeffree Star velour liquid lipsticks, but I always go back to my GC because I don't have to reapply throughout the day or worry about the colour bleeding or staining my teeth. I have done a review on this product, if you click this link it will take you to it - http://www.beautybloggercharlotte.blogspot.co.uk/2016/03/gerard-cosmetics-lipstick-review.html  

• L'oreal Volume Million Lash

I love this mascara for length and thickening without all the clumpiness which you can get with other mascaras. I find that this is a dupe of the YSL Babydoll mascara as both do exactly the same and give me the same finish on my lashes, although my YSL Babydoll is older therefore it has dried out now. Therefore I'm using this mascara and i can't fault at all, you can build up the layers and it won't go clumpy, they look like false lashes too. I love spikey mascara wands as I find that the mascara doesn't clump up, the hairs are individually coated too. I use mine in a wiggling motion from the root to tip, building it up as I go along the lashes. The only fault i find is that my lashes drop the curl i first get when applying this product throughout the day, even when using my Eyeko Curling wand. 

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Coming up soon I'll be doing a blog on Products I regret purchasing. 

Charlotte x

Beauty Hacks

This is a follow up from my last post about beauty hacks, hope they help you.

1. Baking is a complete new concept to all makeup lovers, Kim kardashian's makeup artist Mario Dedivanovic introduced us all to this new technique he had been doing for years to give Kim that photo ready, flawless finish makeup look. Now all you need to do is to dip your damp beauty blender into a loose powder and dab onto the face to set the foundation underneath the eyes to the cheekbones, nose, center forehead and chin. This is to be done before contouring and highlighting but after foundation and concealer application. To allow the product to 'bake' on your skin leave it for 5-10 mins, in the mean time you could fill in your brows or do your lips etc. Once the product has finished 'Baking' brush off the excess powder with a fluffy powder brush, I use Crown brushes Powder Brush its so soft and only brushes off the unwanted product left on the skin. The powders that are best for doing this technique are RMCA no Colour powder, Laura Mercier loose setting powder, and Ben NYE banana powder. I recommend them all they all have really different coverage, but baking generally gives a full coverage.
2. Sun cream. This is an essential product for everyday use, as sun damaging is a big factor to premature ageing to the skin. No matter what the weather is like outside or if you're staying in all day, harmful UV rays get through the clouds and through the windows onto your delicate skin and mutate the cells, damaging them, drying out your skin and causing premature wrinkling. In the worst case scenario, being over exposed to the sun can cause skin cancer which is life threatening if not diagnosed quickly. Also wearing sunglasses when driving or when you're going for a walk etc. will also protect your eyes, which are extremely sensitive to the sun. 
3. Coconut oil is a huge hype at the moment, and i can really see why as this natural source has so many beneficial factors such as, eye makeup remover, Hair conditioner, body moisturiser, lip balm, conditioner for eyelashes and brows to help the growth, and many more. Buying a big tub of this golden wonder will change your skin care and hair care routine. It is also super cheap too. The Tiana Extra Virgin Coconut Oil   as this coconut oil is not cold pressed therefore contains all the important nutrients for your health, skin care and haircare. 
4. Serums are important to everyone's skin care no matter what skin type you are. It is to be dabbed onto the skin prior to moisturiser, it is a lot more thinner and less creamy than most other moisturisers, as this product is to be for hydrating the new skin cells deep down in the epidermis therefore when the dead skin cells on the surface of the skin are exfoliated off you have beautiful radiant healthy skin. Many people see a different straight away from using a serum weather that be the texture of their skin softening or the way there makeup looks glowing. I find it makes my makeup easier to remove as your skin isn't trying to absorb the foundation as it is already hydrated by the serum. This product is to be used all year round, it is a myth to only use this in the summer. This serum Manuka Doctor ApiClear skin treatment is great for your skin and contains many beneficial properties for your skin. 
5. Priming the face for foundation is very important, it will change the way your foundation will go on, how long your makeup will stay and how the overall finish of your makeup will look. Wash your face using either an exfoliator or foam wash, Check out my previous Beauty hacks blog post if you're unsure on how many times to exfoliate. After tone your face, and moisturise with the appropriate cream prior to makeup application. You will need a lightweight and brightening moisturiser before foundation. Do not use a night cream or a thick heavy cream as your makeup will not stay on your skin and will slip and slid all over the place. I highly recommend the Aloe Vera day cream from The Body Shop, at first I had a tester of this product and loved the way it gave my makeup a glowing finish, therefore I purchased the full size, also this product has a lot if vitamins and great ingredients which is going to benefit your skin. No matter what skin type you are, it is also suitable for sensitive skin. Also the Benefit Triple Performing Facial Emulsion is amazing, it is also lightweight and smells amazing, it makes it really easy to apply foundation too, this product contains SPF 15 and is oil free. Therefore if you feel your skin becomes oily throughout the day this product many prevent the sebum going to the surface of the skin. 

I have gone a little bit into skin care although I will be posting a blog soon of a more in depth skin care routine for each skin type. Starting with the most common Combination which is well known as an oily T-Zone and normal/dry cheeks. Although combination could be any skin type combined. Example oily cheeks, and eyelids although dry forehead and nose. 

Charlotte x 

Lip voltage review

I wasn't sure if this lip plumper worked but after looking at reviews and seeing results I thought I'd give it a go as I love to have plump lips. I've previously tried the soap and glory lip plumper although I felt tingling, it didn't plump my lips at all. Just stung a bit. So I thought I'd try a really strong plumper that had great results. I purchased mine from Dollywoodboutique  It was quick delivery and kept me up to date with emails and I could track my package too.
It came in a jiffy bag, sealed and secure. The boxes looked like they had been previously opened which made me wonder if i bought it second hand, when I asked around with a couple of other people that had also purchased this product their box looked the same as mine. I came to the conclusion that the company may be a small business and they package the products by hand.
Also, I've seen a few girls receive their HOT plumper containing a red like substance floating in the liquid, the customer queried the business and they explained that it isn't anything to worry about and to use it as normal. As it isn't contaminated or anything dangerous for the skin.
I was so eager to try this product out, I wanted the fullest lips and the best results. Therefore I unscrewed the lip gloss which is included in the kit, and release the HOT collagen into the gloss. I wanted the maximum effect so i put in 0.3ml into the gloss. I screwed the lid back on and left it to 'mix' for 30 seconds. I then shook it prior to application. TIP; when applying to lips, do not let the wand drag always have a good amount of product on the wand as you want the plumper all over the lips. Make sure to coat a thick layer onto your lips not missing the corners or cupids bow.

The After picture was taken 45mins later.

My lips stung for over 45 mins, I've recently found out that I'm not too bad with pain, I'd say it hurt a 2/10 for me the second time i applied it - the day after - it hurt a lot more I'd say a 4/10. A lot of girls have said the pain hurt too much therefore I recommend if your not too good with pain, to start with 0.1ml then if you feel like you can take more pain increase to 0.2 an so on. The largest amount you can put in at one time is 0.3ml. When i re used it the next day i put in 0.3 again and the day after that to see if it changes the results if you use it more often.
I felt like the last time I used it didn't plump my lips as much as i wanted to because I only put in 0.2ml in. Although the time before that I put in 0.3ml in and it lasted me 4+ hours which really impressed me. I was getting so many compliments on my lip and how plumped they looked.
I love wearing liquid lipsticks and my favourite at the moment is LA Splash Couture in Ghoulish. I only way i can fault this product is that it goes into the cracks and lines of your lips which doesn't look nice at all. But applying this product prior to application, I found it went on seamlessly, and looked gorgeous. I have a picture below of me wearing Ghoulish with lip plumper underneath.

TIP: to apply liquid lipstick on over the lip plumper, leave the product on until you cannot feel it tingling any more - I apply mine before I do my make-up therefore giving it time to plump - I then dab off the excess gloss on my lips using a tissue, then apply my desired liquid lipstick. This works the same for lipsticks too.
If you'd like to have a glossy finish then by all means apply this over your lipstick to give you the gloss finish, this product will not dissolve your existing product on the lips, although it may not work to its optimum results as it is not going on bare lips.
Another tip to know before buying this product is to know that this will not give you the exact result of lip fillers as lip fillers will work on small lips, depending on the area and how much ml that is inserted. I've seen results with this lip plumper on thin lips and, the results are not as noticeable as mine as it will not change the shape of your lips.
Overall I love this product the only thing I do not like is that it came with the ICE lip plumper which doesn't work for me as the coldness of it doesn't give the same results as the HOT one.
Thank you for reading, stay up to date with my blogs by liking my facebook page - beautybloggercharlotte. Coming up will be a review on AVON nail polishes.
Charlotte x

Anastasia Beverly Hills Glow Kit

I saw many pictures of beautiful people trying out this highlighting palette and knew I needed to try it as I've never really had an amazing highlighter that's really made me glow. They have two different palettes and they are so different from each other, I found it quite difficult to decide and checked out some swatches of both the palettes prior to purchasing them, and found that the Gleam kit was more for people with fair skin or wanted blushes as well as highlighters which wasn't what I was looking for. I love the bronzed goddess glow and saw the colours are varied in my opinion such as, the stardust has a yellow undertone to it therefore perfect for tanned or highlighting nose, under eyebrows or Cupid's bow. Bubbly is gorgeous for highlighting cheekbones as it has a beautiful shimmer, Dripping in Gold is great if you want to look more bronzed but not too dark, I normally use the stardust colour then dripping in gold over the top if I feel it's too yellow. Golden Bronze is what I use to get a sun kissed look, I apply this before contouring as sometimes when I want a natural look I may not need to contour over the top. I contour using Hoola by Benefit.
The feel of this product is so silky and can be applied using a fan or tapered highlighting brush depending on how much product you want to deposit onto the skin. And the palette is so pigmented, a little really does go a long way, I usually build this product up as its easier to apply more rather than remove if you've applied too much.
Another tip to apply bronzer first then highlight after as its easier to blend the two colours together that way. This palette looks great on all skin types and all skin colours, I love how it's got different colours so you can create different looks using it. I also use this as an eyeshadow by applying Golden Bronze in the crease and Dripping in gold on my lid, after I apply Star dust onto my brow bone, it is a beautiful simple eye look and can be for an everyday glam.
The packaging of this product is very simple, it has a light pink frosting on the lid which is a cute touch to the chic ABH palette. Opening it you'll find that it has a clear sheet to protect the pans from being damaged, also it has a sleeve to prevent the palette from opening when travelling which is what most ABH palettes include.
This is the best highlighter I've ever used and I always use it whenever I wear makeup. I highly recommend for anyone that wants a healthy glow.
Coming up will be a follow up post on beauty hacks.
Charlotte x