The Drugstore Eyeshadow that Rocks.

First of all, when I use the term 'drugstore', I do so unwillingly, but Boots and Superdrug just don't sound as catchy in the title. I'm not a big fan of that particular term in British English... Grammar nerdiness aside, it's not that often that I find a gem in the aisles of my local stores, if I'm being perfectly honest. Most of the time, I go to Boots, look at the French skincare stand, swatch some lipsticks and walk away. It's mostly where I go if I want to experiment with my look a little bit, without the risk of spending an absolute fortune and being disappointed. This was one of those times.

I'd heard about the Rimmel Glam'eyes HD 5 Colour Eyeshadow in the shade 002 Brixton Brown  on various blogs and thought it looked like a surprisingly nice selection of colours. I wasn't really that interested, however, as I'd just ordered my NARSissist Eyeshadow Palette and, let's face it, the last thing I need is more eyeshadow. But... When I popped into Boots to have a play around and felt the textures of this little palette, I was actually quite impressed. They're certainly not the best shadows I've used, but they're far from the worst. The lightest colour is probably the weakest, as it isn't quite as finely milled as the others, but all five are surprisingly blendable and lend themselves to a very flexible range of looks.

You can go for a straight up, simple, neutral smokey eye, or amp up the drama with the beautiful red shade. It looks incredibly difficult to wear when swatched (one of the reasons as to why I'm not very keen on swatches), but it really vamps everything up to another level, especially on green eyes.

My preferred way of using this palette is over the Rimel Scandaleyes Eyeshadow Sticks in the shades Bulletproof Beige and Bad Girl Bronze, as these have a similar undertone. I then take the cooler toned mid-brown shade and place it all over the lid with a fluffy brush, place the bright red on the centre of my lid, smoke it out with the reddened brown, then finish with the darkest shade as a liner. In the daytime, I use the champagne colour as a brown and inner corner highlight, to add a little bit more brightness. This is great for creating a slightly grunge-y, but also polished look.

It may not be a 'must-have', but it's a welcome addition to my stash. The colours, most notably the red shade, are unique enough to validate this purchase and the textures are really good for a 'drugstore' purchase. 

The 'Until We Meet Again' Line-Up

Products. 90% of the time, I use them, I chuck them, I don't look back. Sometimes, however, something special happens when I slap one on my face (to use the technical term...), and it gets earmarked for a repurchase. Great for the complexion, horrendous for my bank balance. More often than not, such products tend to run out at the exact same time, leading to a rather lengthy payday wish list. Le cry. So, without further ado, here we are: the 'Until We Meet Again' line-up.

Indeed Labs Eysilix Instant Eye Rescue - This is hands down the best eye cream I have used to date. I'm not saying it's HG - puffy eyes were still a big issue around that time of the month - but it was a great product that helped alleviate my under-eye darkness. Apart from my acne and scarring, this is my biggest issue and finding something that actually helps is much easier said than done, in my experience.  I'm not sure I'd pay the full £24.99 for it again, but next time I see it on offer in the aisles of Boots, it's mine.

Lush Mask of Magnaminty - Yes, I'm talking about this mask again, but I'll keep this short and sweet. I've used it, I will repurchase it. Always.

Pixi Glow Tonic - The ultra-hyped toner that actually sort of works. I didn't use this religiously and didn't really see the effects I was hoping for, but this was a pretty decent chemical exfoliant and I definitely saw an improvement in overall skin clarity whilst using it. I won't rush out to buy another bottle, but next time I'm in London town, I'll be sure to pop by the Pixi store...

Moroccanoil Treatment - One of the absolute staples in my routine. I'm not kidding when I say that I don't think I could cope without it. This is great for if your hair is on the ever-so-slightly unruly side and although it will set you £30 down, the big 100ml bottles do last absolutely ages so it's money well spent.

Benefit Hoola Bronzing Powder - A cult classic, and in my opinion, understandably so. On my olive-y skin, this matt bronzer works well to both contour and add warmth to my face. I've got NARS Bronzing Powder in the shade Laguna to keep me going in the mean time, so whilst I won't rush out to repurchase it, it's definitely on the cards.

Laura Mercier Mineral Powder Mineral Powder SPF 15 in the shade Real Sand - For a long time, this was my go-to foundation for a relatively fuss-free base. It's sat unloved for a while, but actually, I've managed to work my way through it over the last couple of years. It's a very fool-proof product that I reach for when I want a touch more coverage/lasting power. At the moment, I'm not desperate as a friend has just given me the MAC Studio Fix Powder, which has a nice amount of coverage, but this will definitely be a repurchase at some point.

Laura Mercier Secret Camoflaugue Concealer in the shade SC4 - This has been my main concealer for a pretty long time now, and even though this was almost unusable on account of being too dark for me, it's safe to say goodbye to this one (even if it's not for long...)

So, in the meantime, I need help... Any budget eye cream or concealer recommendations out there?

The Sunday Triple Threat Facial

Like many a beauty blogger, I just love me a good face mask. There's nothing better than having an excuse to be completely self-indulgent for 10 minutes and knowing that you're doing your skin some favours. Nothing. So the prospect of three consecutive face masks, as proposed by Anna of Vivianna Does Makeup, sounded absolutely dreamy.

Into the bathroom I went, slapped the products on and enjoyed a pretty darn good bath in the process... My masks of choice were three of my current favourites: Lush Mask of Magnaminty, REN Glycolactic Radiance Renewal Mask and Origins Drink Up 10 Minute Mask to Quench the Skin's Thirst. Not only did my face smell amazing for 30 minutes (even the boyfriend agreed...), my skin was actually looking pretty darn good this morning.

I've already raved about the Lush mask as it's one of my all time favourite skin care products, but when used with the REN offering, magic happened. To be perfectly honest, I could have stopped here, but a hit of hydration never goes amiss with my combo complexion. The Origins mask left my skin looking and feeling nicely plumped up and ready for a good night's kip. Now that's what I call a Sunday.

Summer Skin... In February?

After nearly 20 years on this planet, I've come to the conclusion that I am not, in fact, a Winter Person. As much as I love seeing frost on the ground and love a good bit of rain (I am English, after all), there is nothing better than a long sunny day spent lounging around outside, the feel of the warm sun on your shoulders and being able to wear flip flops 24/7. Nothing.

The other best thing about the summer? Summer skin. I've got a Mediterranean-ish complexion (thanks, Mum), so I actually tan pretty easily, but lose this colour come winter. Le cry. My solution? Bring out the summertime big guns and fake it.

First of all, the prep work. After finishing my normal skincare routine, I slap on the SPF to protect my skin from the sun's harmful rays. This is such an important step in my routine and have been using some SPF in some form or another for almost a year now and my skin is so much better for it. Kiehl's Ultra Light Daily UV Defence SPF 50 PA+++ UVA is a great option as it's so darn light for a factor 50 lotion. However, it is on the pricier side so might not be for everyone, so Soap and Glory Feel Good Factor Translucent BB Cream SPF 25 may be something to consider instead for those on a budge because, again, this is so light on my skin and it smells like peaches, score. My other recommendation would be La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Tinted Cream SPF50, which sits somewhere between the two price wise. This is a fantastic product that got me through last summer working outside. It's tinted, meaning you need less foundation, which, let's face it, is always a bonus come summertime. All three protect against UVA and UVB rays and have adequate SPF protection. I'm not going to try and explain why SPF is so important just yet, but you can find Caroline Hiron's reasons here.

Next up, the good stuff: makeup. I've never really been a big lover of fake tan (it always seemed like such a lot of faff for something that never looked natural), so I rely on my maquillage to bronze myself up. As far as I'm concerned, the best brand for feigning a summer glow is Chanel. As expensive as it is, nothing else seems to compare. I first of all use their Soleil Tan de Chanel Sheer Illumination Fluid on the high points of my face, and follow with the oh-so infamous Soleil Tan de Chanel Bronze Universel Bronzing Makeup Base. Not only do these products have incredibly convoluted names and the price tags to match, they are, in effect, summer in a bottle (or two). The former provides a slightly shimmery, bronze-y, gold-y gleam to the skin. This is probably my favourite highlighter of all time as it works wonderfully no matter how I use it. Ironically, I actually bought this by accident, meaning the pick up Bronze Universel, but neither the shop assisstant or myself knew what I was looking for. I use the latter product everywhere else on my face, neck, ears and chest to bring my skin tone down a few shades. I think that this will work best on olive toned skin as it is slightly orange, so pale girls might struggle with  it a bit, but it is amazing if you can get it to work for you. It has a silicone-y slip that makes it an excellent primer for your foundation.

When I'm all bronzed up, I either reach for my concealer or a tinted moisturiser, depending on the state of my skin. At the moment things are still pretty bad (but getting better!), so I'm using a mix. I'd recommend Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB SPF25 as it adapts to suit your skin nicely and has a beautiful sheen on the skin. Add a lick of mascara, brush through those brows and cream eyeshadow - I recommend a mix of MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot in Indianwood (which does not receive nearly enough attention online IMO) and Chanel Illusion d'Ombre Longwear Luminous Eyeshadow in Divine for a golden, shimmering eye.

So there you are, how to feign summer skin in the midst of winter. But in the meantime... Where's the Lemsip?

Keeping Things Base-ic...

Lately I've not really been feeling the heavy bases, shunning them for something a little bit lighter. Now I'm no stranger to the tinted moisturiser. In fact, it was NARS' offering that really got me into high quality makeup in the first place Here, however, I think I'm onto something special...

There's nothing quite like a bit of so-called 'foundation mixology' to create your perfect base. My skin's quite combo at the moment so I've been opting for a mix of two slightly lighter, fuller coverage TMs: Laura Mercier Oil Free Tinted Moisturiser SPF 20 in Porcelain and the Garner BB Cream Miracle Skin Perfecter for Combination to Oily Skin in Light. The former is slightly too light, the latter slightly too dark, they have very complimentary textures and blend into the skin beautifully. I've got a feeling that this will be my go-to mix for Spring...

Next up on my line up is concealer. For about a year now my pick of the crop has been Laura Mercier Secret Camoflaugue. This lazy blend is excellent for covering blemishes and hyper pigmentation. I've not had the best luck with colour matches in the past, ranging from SC1 (way too pale!) to SC4 (way too dark!), but it is still an excellent and very usable concealer.

Lastly, I use Soap and Glory One Heck of a Blot to set my base in place. Not only is the name absolutely punderful (yes I just said punderful), it's a lovely fine-milled translucent powder that definitely helps my makeup to last through the day.

So there we are... A base-centric mix that can be added-to or taken-away from to keep you going until Spring.

Short Hair, Don't Care

Having had short hair in one form or another for the last few years, I consider myself to be something of an expert when it comes to hair products. I've gone from bobs to a pixie cut and everywhere in-between and these are the products that have got me through it...

First of all, the basics. For me, this means a hair oil and heat protectant. When it comes to oil, my pick would be Moroccanoil. It's been a staple products for me since 2011 and I've never looked back. My hair isn't unruly by any means as it's naturally quite fine, but it's so much sleeker when I use this. I'm also heavily reliant on heat to style my hair, as I can never be bothered to wait for it to dry naturally but never manage to blow dry it straight or curly, so a heat protectant is essential. I'm currently using L'Oréal Elnett Heat Styling Spray, but if I'm being honest, I don't really have a preference. This is great because it definitely plumps the hair up and adds volume without any fuss. From here on, it's time to get creative.

Next up, I'm talking volume. Much as I love the look of a sleek shoulder length 'do, it just doesn't do it for me. There ain't nothing wrong with a little bit of oomph. My go-to option comes in the form of Percy & Reed Finishing Polish. Strictly speaking, this is meant to be used on dry hair, but I slap some in when my hair still pretty wet as it thickens my hair up and gives it some texture and grip. A newer addition to my haircare stash that has become a new fave is the L'Oréal Elvive Fibrology Thickening Double Serum. Not so catchy name, but an incredibly effective product nonetheless. I've been using this in conjunction with the shampoo and conditioner from the Fibrology range and have found all of them to be great for adding volume and thickness. Big fan. When it comes to adding a bit of texture, I give you two options. On a budget, look for L'Oréal Studio Matt & Messy Shine-Free Salt Spray Tousled Look (what is it with L'Oréal and the crazy long names?!). This was my go-to product during the summer to create an après-beach look and adding some grip to my locks, plus it's a great 'dupe' for Bumble and Bumble Surf Spray. Win. If you're looking to spend a bit more, I'd recommend Bumble and Bumble Dryspun Finish Spray. This is great for a short-term quick fix if your hair is looking particularly flat, but the effects don't last that long. Blasted into the roots, however, this is fab for plumping things up a bit. Aaaand finally, hairspray. Again, I don't have much of a preference, but I do love L'Oréal Elnett Supreme Hold Hairspray purely because the smell reminds me of my childhood. Judge me not. 

La Roche Posay Effaclar Duo+

When in doubt and my skin is kicking up a storm, I tend to reach for products I know my skin can trust. Nothing too fancy, nothing too simple and nothing I haven't used before. The new Effaclar Duo+ from La Roche Posay seems to fit the bill nicely, then. It's a re-formulation of the cult classic that ran like wildfire through the blogosphere last year. I've ended up with two tubes of the good stuff to my name, partly because I got lucky and won one from Ruth's (A Model Recommends) blog, and partly because I'm impatient and couldn't wait any longer for it to be shipped out!

I've been using this for a few days and have noticed two main things. First, it works. Second, there are definitely differences between the old formula and the new. Personally, I much prefer the new. I always found the original Duo to be a bit too drying and that I needed another layer of moisturiser on top of it. Ain't nobody got time for that. It's still fantastic at clearing up blemishes, and my patch of acne on my left cheek is looking considerably calmer already. The new Duo promises to help with the reduction of dark marks too, but I can't really comment on that as of yet. The most notable difference would have to be the texture. I don't actually have any of the old formula to hand, but I remember it feeling much more like a gel than the Duo+, which is a lot creamier. Again, I'm a fan of this change as it's more moisturising but still comfortable and effective.

I'm actually really impressed with this product and would definitely recommend it as a 'I've-tried-everything-and-my-skin-is-still-driving-me-up-the-wall' sort of product.

Following on from yesterday on another social media-note, I'm now on Instagram with the blog! Find me @sophiemakesup

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