Products I Can't Live Without | Bronzers

I think I started using bronzer when I was about 15...ish...

Probably ending up with a look that was not becoming, especially teamed with my favourite blue lipstick (it was the fashion then ok...)

In recent years, as contouring has become more and more popular I use mine for various things.

Contouring, Bronzing and even eyeshadow!

Bourjois Chocolate Bronzer

I'm pretty sure this is a staple in most make up lovers make up bags, not just mine. This is the perfect shade for majority of skin tones and looks like a chocolate bar. 

It's matte and slightly smells of chocolate which is obviously a massive plus point!

It's perfect for bronzing when you don't want shimmer, and just as good for contouring too.

I have taken this with me to use as a triple threat before to save space:

• Bronzer
• Contour
• Eyeshadow

To use as eyeshadow I usually just use my finger and then blend with a fluffy brush into the crease. To be honest, I am guilty of using loads of my bronzers for this when I'm short of time or when I'm away from home. 

It retails for £7.99.

No.7 Match Made Bronzer

This was a present from my Auntie last Christmas and I love it!

Again I use this as a Triple Threat. 

It comes with a handy mirror too, which is great when you are out and about. I generally use this more for contouring than bronzing. 

It is also a matte bronzer and is in the shade Maple.

It retails for £12.50

Younique Beachfront Bronzer

This bronzer is great having a matte side as well as a shimmer side so you are able to mix and match as and when you want. 

This is in the shade Sunset, and as you can see, I need to repurchase rather rapidly, especially with summer approaching.

I love to use the matte side to contour and then the shimmer on top of my cheek bones to give that summer shimmery look. 

It retails for £25.

Products I Can't Live Without | Brows

So I'm a massive fan of using pressed powders to do my brows rather than pencils as I prefer the look they give me, plus I find them a lot easier to use!

I thought I'd do a mini review on the products I use now and that I couldn't live without.

I used to use a MAC eyeshadow with a 216 Brush, but that was in my make up bag when I lost it and I haven't got round to replacing them yet! 

MUA Quad: 

At the moment the High Street brow set I've been using is the MUA quad.

I really like this set, it comes with two brow shades, a highlight and a wax to set them. It also comes with a tiny brush which you definitely have to get used to using!

Although it's handy as it is double sided, so I use one side for the shadow and the other for the wax if I use it... Which I rarely do to be honest.

There were some dinky tweezers in this set when I brought it... Where they are now however is another question entirely! They weren't very easy to use and although the idea is great that you have everything in one palette, I think I may have got frustrated with them falling out and chucked them into the depths of my room... Oops!

This set is great especially for the price of £3.50.

The shades are really pigmented, the highlight is a nice matte and the wax is great to set them if you need to. I generally don't need to, and if I do, use my brow gel instead as I feel that it's a more natural look on the brows.

Younique Palette 2:

Although this is not packaged as a brow kit, back when Younique didn't have much in the way of brow products, I used 'Cocky' from Palette 2 and haven't looked back.

It's the perfect colour for my brows, and I use my Real Techniques brow brush. Don't get me wrong, for £38 it's probably rather a lot for a brow shade, however, the rest of the colours in this palette are beautiful so it is well worth it.

The colour is super pigmented and is really easy to use for my brows. I love to take this if I'm staying anywhere overnight or getting ready elsewhere as it means I have something for my brows as well as eyeshadows and highlight.

Benefit Gimme Brow:

I have two colours of this, to get the best colour for my brows.

I prefer using this to go over the top of what I end up creating with my quad or the Younique palette to set them.

I do like using these products, but I think I'm a powder and brush girl when it comes to my brows unfortunately.

For £16.99 it's great for what it is, and It's perfect if you are in a rush and don't have time to take time on your brows with powder as it fills them in and gives them good definition in half the time. 

What are your favourite high street and high end brow products?

Much Love,

T, x

Products I Can't Live Without | Concealers

To celebrate my 100th published post on my blog I have decided to start a series on my blog of 'Products I can't live without'

I will be posting these once a week on a Friday and hope you guys get involved too. Comment and let me know your favourites or products you can't live without.

To start, I'm going to do Concealers as that's what I tend to start with when doing my make up routine, however, my posts may not follow this trend going forward, just to warn you!

First Up...

Collection 2000

This is an oldy but a goody... anyone who loves make up will know about this concealer but I couldn't not include it as it's a product I can't live without.

I tend to use this for under eye circles more than anything else, and this is probably the millionth tube I have repurchased.

Retailing for just £3.99 it's super affordable and easy to pick up at most high street stores, such as Boots and Superdrug.

Younique

I have two of the Mineral Touch Skin Perfecting concealers by Younique. One in the shade Scarlet and the other in Organza. 

I tend to use Scarlet for under my eye to brighten and Organza for any blemishes. It is super thick and has insanely good coverage.

Retailing for £23, it may seem expensive, but it is sooo worth it and lasts forever! This can be purchased here. 

Benefit 

I have been using Erase Paste for as long as I have been using concealer. It is a great concealer for pretty much every use you could wish for. 

This isn't as thick as the Younique one but I still like to warm it up a bit on my hand before applying to ensure I get the most from it and don't waste any product.

This retails for £17.50 and can be found online and in stores. 

What I've been loving recently.

Hi guys,

The last month or so I've been putting by some of my favourite products to share with you all. It's a bit of a mixture of products and brands, so... enjoy!

First things first... They are all minis which makes my heart happy! I fricking love minis, as many people do, so they kind of end up being favourites with that reason alone. 

This micellar water is hugely popular, Garnier have made an awesome product right here. The fact that it is so easily accessible in this mini version is amazing, especially for travel. I picked this one up for £1 in the poundshop which is even better. 

I find this the best high street make up remover at the moment instead of using wipes that are not good for my skin. 

For Primer, my Aunty got me this as a present and I'm loving it. It's the No.7 Instant Illusions Airbrush Away Primer. It is a creamy texture and smells lovely, it soaks into your skin really well too. I usually moisturise and then pop this on and let it all sink in before putting my make up on. Plus it's super affordable. 

Next up is the POP palette which I received in a Birchbox a few months back I believe. I was skeptical as I am with most eye shadows, but I really liked the colour choice and so I gave it a go. Now, all three are surprisingly pigmented and easy to blend too. I would definitely recommend it and it's small enough that it is perfect for your handbag too. 

These next two products are both Benefit products, and having been a previous Benebabe, I do like most of their stuff.
I was super impressed with this lash primer when I first got it and I still am, in fact I now need to purchase a new one as this has almost run out which makes me sad. I have the shortest eyelashes known to women! This gives my lashes a boost, a helping hand if you will, and helps me get the length and volume I want. I then put whichever mascara I'm currently using over the top and voila!

Lastly is Benefit's Gimme Brow which I received in a goodie bag of theirs at some point. I'm skeptical of brow products as we already know, so wasn't 100% sure about this to start with. However, I now use it alongside my current powder/brush combo and it really helps to set the powder without making it look caked on and to give that extra depth and dimension also. The tiny brush is perfect for the job!

What have you all been loving recently? I'd love to know and get some more recommendations. 

Feel free to comment on here or tweet me: @Tklou 

Much Love,

T xx

High Street vs High End Primer

Now I can be a bit naughty and forget steps like Primer... However when I do remember I just grab whatever's in my drawer. I do need to try some more out so I have a better knowledge really. If anyone has any favourites let me know!

High Street: Rimmel-Stay Matte Primer

This was a great purchase and lasted for ages. It feels really nice on your face and definitely kept my make up on longer than it would have done without it on.

You only need a little bit, I generally use about a pea sized amount on the back of my hand and apply with my fingers. 

It glides across your face really easily and sinks in really well. 

I will definitely be repurchasing this especially as it's so reasonably priced.

High End: Benefit - That Gal

Now I'm a lover of all things Benefit anyway, especially as I used to work for them. 

This is one of my faves and was the first primer I came across. I don't think I'd even heard of primer before then. 

Firstly, it smells amazing! Like strawberry's! Who wouldn't want to put something that smells that good on your face? 

I also love the packaging, it's in a kind of dispensary tube... (No idea how else to describe it!)

You twist it from the bottom and the product comes up through the holes in the top. I believe that this is to give you the amount you should need without having to guess. 

Again, this glides on really easily and sinks in nicely. 

Afterthoughts: 

I do feel That Gal gives me a nicer base to then apply my foundation on than the Rimmel primer and smells delicious! 

Other than that, there aren't any major differences except the price tag of course! 

So if you're looking for a primer but don't want to spend a bomb, try out the Rimmel one as it's just as good. 

However, if you're like me and love the benefit packaging and the way this smells, then That Gal is a great primer to use. It just goes to show you don't have to pay for the High End stuff all the time. 

Much Love,

Tklou x

Travel Make Up Bag!

My Travel Make-Up Bag - Australia!

Hi Guys,

So I have been in Australia since August 2012, and have minimal make up for the purpose of travelling light... this makes me very sad.

But I thought I'd show you it is easy to only take the essentials with you in this circumstance.

Firstly, I had to decide which eyeshadow palette to bring with me as I did not have much room for anything! 

I decided to bring my Urban Decay Vol. ll palette, I brought this on a flight back from Turkey last year and I love it.

Its a bit battered as you can see! Getting bashed about in my backpack hasn't done it much good, but luckily the eye shadows have not broken at all.

Its a great price for what you get, I think my Grandma paid about $25 (Australian keyboard means no Pound signs... I apologise...)

As you can see, there are 16 shades to choose from, and there is a good range of neutrals and bright colours. This is the reason I chose this one, as most of my other palette's are either one or the other.

You also get a brown and black eyeliner along with a mini size primer potion.

I love this palette! The colours are extremely pigmented and are really easy to blend if required. The eyeliners are really smooth and don't drag your eyes, which is a massive pet peeve of mine. So I was very impressed with them. 

I had used Primer Potion before I got this and as many make-up lovers use this regularly as I do really like it.

Here's a close up of the colours for you all. My fave colour is 'Sellout' which is a creamy nude and is really nice on its own or blended with any of the other neutral colours.

I also like 'Midnight Cowboy Rides Again' for in the corner of my eye or a highlighter for under my brow... although it is slightly glittery, I have to use what I have! 

I am a Massive MAC fan, and therefore the majority of my make up bag is MAC.

OK... So I did also bring a couple of MAC eye shadows too... ooops! 

I brought one of my pigments in 'Violet' as I love this colour, it really brings the colour of my eyes out I think, plus you use the tiniest amount to get the effect you want. (I wasn't impressed though...When I was taking these pictures... I knocked the little stopper off and it went EVERYWHERE! but you still wouldn't know!)

The other two I brought are 'Carbon' which is a black matte shadow, and 'Surf USA' that my friend who works at MAC convinced me to buy last year. It was from a collection, but I don't know which one it was- Sorry! 

I generally use the black to blend into the crease when I'm doing a smoky eye, its my go to black shadow.

'Surf USA' is a really nice turquoisey colour and I haven't actually ever worn this on my eyelid! I always wear it under my bottom lashes with very minimal nude shadow on my lids to make my eyes pop.

I also have my Fluidline in Blacktrack which I am a little obsessed with I have to say! I use it all the time. I find it really easy to use and find its staying power is really good.

Above are the swatches for the above mentioned MAC shadows. I haven't done swatches for my palette as there are loads! But will do one if anyone wants me to.

The only brushes I brought with me... 

I have the 190 Foundation brush and the 212SE. 

I generally use the 212SE to do my eyebrows and to also put colour under my bottom lashes as described above.

I also have a no.17 Kabuki brush for my bronzer and a Ruby and Millie eye shadow brush.

Also in this pic is my eyebrow pencil in Lingering which has run out now... this makes me sad... and I have had to resort to using my 212SE brush and the 'Twice Baked' shadow from my palette to do my eyebrows.

More MAC! I have my NW20 Studio Fix Foundation with me, although I haven't been wearing it that much as my skin is very dry here due to the heat and this just makes me face patchy unfortunately.

Generally, when in the UK, I love this foundation and done use anything else! It gives me really good coverage which I like to have, although my skin isn't dreadful, It makes me feel better to have good coverage.

I also have the Select Cover up cream concealer which is in NC20. I'm not sure why I brought this with me to be honest, as I much prefer my Benefit Erase Paste, but I have recently been using them together for the circles under my eyes and been getting quite good results.

I am also loving my Eye Prep and Prime in Medium, it has a creamy texture but then when you apply it, it almost drys to a powdery type finish. 

Lastly in this picture is my Bronzing Powder which I have just a small ring left of... my friend gave this to me as a gift, and the label has rubbed off a lot so am unable to advise which shade this is in.

As mentioned above, I love my Erase Paste from Benefit in shade No.1. I have been using this and re buying for about 3-4 years now because I love it so much! Its just a really good concealer and really easy to use. I find it very effective with my coverage needs, especially around my eyes.

I also love the That Gal primer. This smells of Strawberries...yum! I honestly haven't tried that many Primers but plan to when I return to the UK in order to do a review on the best ones on the high street. I have never had any problems with this as a product and think it is really easy to apply and like I said, smells really good!

Lastly, I have my two Maybelline products!

My Line definer in Black is nearly run out so as I managed to lose my brush for my Fluidline I have been using this to apply it. It works really well!

My Great Lash Mascara is in Blackest Black. I was pleasantly surprised with this product. I generally use Benefit's Bad Gal Lash, but someone stole this from me in a Hostel here, nice huh! 

I generally don't get on with drug store Mascaras for some reason, as my lashes are quite short I find it makes them quite clumpy and gives them no length.

This one however, was really good, It doesn't clump at all and gives them a nice curl and a little more length, which I need!

I am really missing my eyelash extensions here, and will definitely be getting them when I get home!

That's it for my make up bag in Oz!

I apologise for the length of this blog but I really enjoyed writing it and got a bit carried away! 

Hope you all enjoyed it. :) x