Byoo-tuh-fuhl: Currently on my face

Hello lovelies!

Today's post is a quick snippet into what my summertime beauty regimen has consisted of. As I'm sure my readers know by now, I tend to suffer with an extremely oily t-zone area on my face - and this is particularly annoying in the warmer months! I mean, there's gorgeous goddess does summertime glow then there's the non-practical greaseball. For all you combination-oily skin ladies, I know you understand the struggle of looking overly shiny! The key to getting a gorgeous, dewy glow? Keep the shine in check.

I've been wearing Chanel's Vita Lumiere Aqua on my skin, this skin base is great because it not only contains SPF 15 (one less stage in my beauty routine) but it's also a water based foundation, which believe-it-or-not is what oily skin is lacking! Dermatologists are always raving about dehydrated skin, and although consuming water is the best option for combating that, but by putting a water based product onto your skin, you can retain moisture beneath cells. A good mattifying powder is also crucial. So I've been reaching for Mac's Mineralize Skin Finish - a light dusting of this accross the forehead and nose does a great job. Remember: only powder the areas where you get particularly oily and this is usually the center of the face.

What about radiancy? Although dry skin gals tend to get away with highlighting better than those with oilier skin, strategic highlighting is still an option! I like to gently dab Mac's Lustre drops onto the high points of my face - the tops of my cheekbones, cupid’s bow and a tiny bit on the bridge of my nose. Remember: avoid areas that are overly textured such as skin blemishes or pimples, or have larger pores as highlighting only emphasizes this!

On my lips, I've been rocking the infamous Velvet Teddy pout. If there's one lipstick that made it big at the start of 2015 it was Mac's matte lip in Velvet Teddy - all thanks to someone's (overly) pouty pout, Kylie Jenner. Paired with Mac's 'Whirl' liner, this creates the illusion of plumper lips, and due to my medium-warm skintone this lipstick appears more as a taupy-nude on me.

What have been some of your summer time skin treats?

Saina
xo

My Travel Makeup Bag:

So my sister and me are going to spending the next 5 days in Disneyland Paris, and this is the content of my makeup bag that I will be taking on our travels. I tried (emphasis on tried) to keep my products to a minimum, as our luggage weight allowance is quite low. 

For foundation, I took two products – the Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua for a rather light feel and coverage, and it also has SPF15, which my skin will need during the day. But I have also packed my Estee Lauder Double Wear incase I want a more heavy-duty foundation during the evenings. To ensure my foundation is kept in place during our long hours in the park and with the addition of water rides, I’ve also packed my Benefit Porefessional primer. I have packed two concealers, bareMinerals correcting concealer for under eye areas, and my Collection Lasting Perfection for any blemishes.

  For a natural bronze glow, I’m taking my Dior Amber Bronze, and as for highlighter the Topshop cream blush in Butterscotch. Mac’s Pearlmatte powder, ‘Sunday Afternoon’ is the only cheek colour I’m taking as it has 3 different shades, which I can alternate, or use swirled together throughout my stay. 

Sleek’s Nude collection eyeshaddow palatte should be all I require for my stay; the palatte has 12 neutral shades, some shimmery and some matte. I will also be taking two cream shadows – MAC’s ‘Bare Study’, which is a gorgeous champagne frost, and Stila’s smudge pot in ‘Bronze’, which is a metallic bronze with slight shimmer. These products will work well either on their own, or can be used underneath my powder eyeshaddow to ensure longer lasting results.  I will be taking two eyeliners with me, Collection’s Extreme Felt liner (my favourite liquid liner) which I know will keep my winged liner put for the whole day, and Rimmel’s Scandal Eyes Liner in Nude to brighten my eyes. Two eyebrow products will be traveling with me - Sephora's Waterproof pencil, and my usual Stila eyebrow set in 'dark'. As for mascara, L’oreal’s Telescopic has earned a trip to Paris – this mascara creates long, separated and curled lashes in just two coats. 

I am going to keep things rather minimal when it comes to lip colours, with one bright lip – MAC’s ‘Fusion Pink’, one nude lip - MAC’s Myth, and as an added extra I will be taking L’oreal’s Rouge Caresse in ‘Fashionista Pink’ which is milky baby pink.

The only makeup tools I am taking are the Eco Tools Travel set that includes four brushes for foundation buffing, concealer application, brozer and blusher. These brushes are super soft, dense and apply makeup like a dream! I'm taking one shaddow brush that I've managed to fit inside my sleek palatte. I will also be taking my Eco Tools angled brush (for eyebrows), a spoolie and eyelash curlers.

Let's just hope I haven't missed anything! 

xo

May Beauty Favourites:

This month my skin has witnessed a makeup intervention - a more brush-free makeup routine. I’ve been using the Cosmopolitan Beauty Sponge, and I absolutely love this thing. I achieve such quick and easy natural results, leaving the skin looking rather airbrushed and smooth, without looking like I’ve caked any product on at all. I use this in conjunction with my Chanel Vita Lumiere Aqua, and it leaves a dewy finish with a slight glow, so if you prefer a matte finish, use a powder after to set the foundation. 

Chanel’s Vitalumiere Aqua is my go-to foundation during the warmer months, mainly because it feels really light on the skin. Despite its sheen finish, I find this has buildable coverage – depending on much product you layer on, you can cover almost all blemishes on those bad skin days. The foundation also has SPF 15 (which you can really smell, but I quite like the scent) and that’s an added bonus for those who like myself, are too lazy to apply an SPF. 

The BareMinerals Correcting Concealer has worked amazingly in conjunction with my foundation, covering imperfections and dark circles. I use my fingers to apply this under the eyes, around the nose and onto blemishes. There is no caking or drying out of the skin with this concealer.

This Dior mascara is a new discovery of mine. If you like big, volumized lashes whilst maintaining length and avoiding any product clumping, give ‘Diorshow Extase’ a go! I honestly feel like I’m wearing false lashes when I wear this. 

Stila Convertible Colour in ‘Petunia’ – following the brush-free theme, this cream blusher has earned a well-deserved spot in my favourites this month. I apply this onto my cheekbone using my thumb. It’s definitely a buildable colour, and it leaves a dewy (not oily) finish on the cheeks. 

OCC Lip Tar – I’m someone who wears bright colours on her lips all year round, a self-confessed lipstick junkie! And having recently discovered the OCC Lip Tars, I find that in the warmer months they are so much easier to wear – with all that Frappuccino sippin’ and all. They dry to a matte finish and I don’t have to worry about the colour budging for hours (literally, hours!). This shade ‘Radiate’ is perfect for adding colour to any look, it’s a vibrant orange toned red. 

Seche Vite & Essie polishes - As an attempt to add more colour in my life, I’ve been switching up my nail polish more often than usual. And I only have my Seche Vite to thank for that, this topcoat dries my nail polish in less than a few minutes, and it leaves a shiny, perfected finish. Some nail colours that I’ve loved recently are Essie’s ‘Fear & Desire’ and ‘Fifth Avenue’. 

xo