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

I thought I'd share some of my tips and tricks with you about nails, hair, makeup and skincare. Enjoy reading.

1. When painting your nails weather it be base coat or a colour coat always 'Cap' your nail varnish, this is done a lot when applying gel polish but doing this with regular varnish prevents chipping and peeling, also giving your polish a professional finish.
2. If you want a crisp defined eyeshadow look or would love to get a flawless contour, taping underneath your eye will give you an amazing line, lining the tape up with the arch of your brow angling it up the side. So the tape will go up along the end of the brow and onto the temple. Also this can be used to get a perfect symmetrical eyeliner wing. Contouring tape will aid not going outside of where you want to highlight/contour. Hudabeauty has an amazing video about contouring using tape. 
3. Cleaning up the brow after finishing filling them in will give a gorgeous shape and a beautiful finish, get s concealer brush preferably small and dab a bit of foundation into it, start at the front of underneath the brow and glide toward the tail of the brow lining the eyebrow as you go. Doing this will make a world of difference and if you go wrong filling in your eyebrows this will correct it making it the shape you desire.
4. If your unsure on how to apply Matte Lipstick, start by wiping off the excess product leaving you with enough product for the bottom lip. Deposit most of the product onto the largest area e.g. Lower centre lip. After press your lips together then if you need to get more product to apply onto the upper lip, over lining if you need to. Which I find really easy with Matte lipsticks. 
5. Not really a tip or trick but, exfoliating 2 a week brightens the skin, gives a deep cleanse of the pores and stimulates grow of new skin cells, also removing the dead cells from the top layer of the skin. Giving you that radiant glow. 
6. Double cleansing is super important as it makes sure that all your makeup is removed and not clogging up the pores. Toning the face doesn't remove your makeup as most people think it does, it removes the excess cleanser and impurities still on the skin also closing the pores, so when it comes to applying your moisturiser the skin is hydrated rather than the pores becoming clogged from the cream. 
7. Many combination/oily skin types feel that using any skincare products that contain oils is a big no, but cleansers containing oils draws out the excess oils from your skin. Therefore toning the skin removes the dirt and sebum that is sitting on the skin. Clarins do an amazing cleansing oil, you can double cleanse with this as I said previously or you can use it as a pre cleanser then afterward use a different cleanser. If your not sure on how to apply a cleanser put a pea size amount onto the palm of your hand then apply onto the face massaging it in, after get a warm cloth or flannel to remove the product along with the makeup. 
8. Always damped your beauty blender before using therefore it won't soak up the makeup it will apply the makeup, also wash it after every use and be careful to let it dry in a cool dry place, not in your makeup bag as it will get mouldy as it won't be able to dry out fully. 
9. When having a manicure you may notice that they apply nail varnish remover onto the nail plate prior to putting the base coat on, which is called 'Squeaking' it removes any dirt, oils and nail varnish. It also prevents bubbling/peeling/chipping. 
10. If you feel your creamy product has dried out then apply one to two drops of beauty oil to soften the product, restoring it to its creamy self. - I've heard dipbrow pomade does this after a while, I haven't experienced it though. 

That's all my tips for today, thank you for reading. Look out for another 10 beauty hacks that I'll be posting later this month.
 Charlotte x 

Anastasia Beverly Hills cream contour kit review

Contouring is really popular at the moment, Kim kardashian showing her makeup secrets like 'baking' threw all the rules we knew about makeup out the window and into question. I first found out about this particular contouring kit by watching YouTube tutorials on how to contour, many people had this kit and they're makeup was flawless and beautifully contoured. So I thought I would give this product a try as its different from all my other makeup products.
I bought mine from Beauty Bay  and the delivery was super quick. The packaging of the kit is beautiful with golden writing of Anastasia Beverly Hills with a sleeve to protect the case from opening which is handy if your travelling and are cautious about the palette opening as the sleeve will prevent it from doing so. The top of the lid is clear allowing you to see the colours, once opening the lid they're is a plastic sheet to protect the palette from being smudged which I like as it another protection the colours.
At first I was confused as to know whether to put it on before foundation or after, so I gave both of them a try.

Applying after foundation

I contoured using the palette firstly applying the banana shade in a triangle shape below my eyes and above my cheekbones, along the bridge of my nose, on my Cupid's bow and my chin using my finger for application as it deposits more pigment onto the skin, rather than using a foundation/concealer brush. After I applied cinnamon using my damp beauty blender by dapping it into the colour first then under my cheekbones, either side of my nose and my temples. I feel that dabbing the beauty blender into the darker colours first then onto the skin makes it so much easier to blend especially on dry skin. After I have applied my highlighter and contour colour I blend the dark colour into the lighter colour by feathering upwards. I blend my nose using my fingers as its a smaller area and may need more defining depending on how small you want to contour your nose.
I also felt it was so much easier to blend after foundation as the creaminess of your foundation really helps blend the colours together and blend away any harsh lines too. I feel it's a more defined contour look if you do it after foundation but you can apply as much or as less product as you want, I tend to build it up so if I don't apply enough I can just re apply rather than blending the colour into the lighter shade. If you go too far down with your dark I always clean up using the banana shade underneath the dark colour as this really gives you a clean crisp cut of contouring.

Applying before foundation

You I did this a lot when I first got the product as I wasn't sure if I'd be able to blend the colours together on top of the foundation - I was very wrong. I felt like doing this made it safer in a way because if I applied too much of a dark shade then I knew I could apply my foundation on top and it would mostly blend away. Although that was also a down side as I found myself having to apply the darker shade again on top of my foundation so that it was more noticeable. The good side of applying before foundation is that if you want a natural look but still contoured, this is a perfect technique as it is subtle and not too defining. ( If you read above I tell you how I apply each shade onto my face after foundation, I also use the same application before foundation)  if your wondering if you apply colour corrector before or after contouring, the way I found best was before contouring. So apply the green concealer to any red areas and orange to dark areas on the skin, then apply your contour then foundation.
I've been using this product for about three months now and used it roughly 2-3 times a week and I haven't gotten to the bottom of the pan yet as you do not need much product at all. A little really does go a long way, as its a thick, highly pigmented contouring product.
Many people have struggled with this palette as they don't find it very creamy, that's why having a creamy foundation is important. I find contouring works best with Esteé Lauder Double Wear or if your on a budget as the Esteé Lauder can be out of people's price range when it comes to makeup, I found a dupe of this it is revlon ColorStay It has a similar consistency and gives great coverage. If you can't get your hand on either of these particular foundations try finding one that is thick and build able. I've tried Fit Me by maybeline foundation with this palette and the consistency is too thin and doesn't allow that beautiful blend like the thick foundations.
Another tip for contouring is to always use a damp beauty blender to blend! As it gives a flawless finish to the makeup leaving no traces of unwanted lines between the lighter shade and darker shaxde. I have a W7 beauty blender and it has last me 4 months until I need to buy a new one, it is cheap and great if your starting off contouring and not sure what to buy.
The down side to this palette is it is pricey for many people especially for beginners just getting into contouring, there is another contouring palette that is creamier and cheaper, the brand is called Contour Cosmetics.
If your still unsure or just need to watch a video I have demonstrated how I contour on my Facebook page on a video. Facebook - beauty blogger Charlotte 
Thank you for reading, look out for my blog about Dupes of high end makeup.
Charlotte x