March Favourites

March has been a month of some serious make up lovin' for me, I've been pretty happy with my current skin care routine so I've not really been trying new products or rediscovering old ones (apart from one that made the cut of course).

I've become such a huge fan of the incredible Estée Lauder Double Wear Stay-in Place Makeup (£28.50). For so long I've thought about purchasing this but I assumed that it would look really heavy and cakey on my skin - I guess the fact that it's called Double Wear made me come to that conclusion. I couldn't have been more wrong though, it blends beautifully and looks so natural, giving my skin a lovely matte finish that lasts amazingly well. I'm planning on doing a full review on this foundation very soon!

As for skincare, the Origins Clear Improvement  (£22) has been my face mask of choice. I'm surprised at how long it has taken me to love this mask as it's been in my face mask stash for forever, but it's definitely become a staple now in my skin care routine. It's really great at unclogging my pores and leaving my skin feeling and looking so purified after use. I have so much love for Origins, their products never fail to impress me.

I've completely fallen for my Benefit Hervana Blusher (£23.50) all over again this month, the colour is so pretty and subtle which is perfect for spring. It looks super dreamy and lovely against my fair skin, it's the only blush I've been wearing lately. I've been teaming this with one of my favourite Topshop lipsticks, Topshop Lips in Beehive (£8.00). It's such a lovely pink that's so understated and wearable, it can be a little drying on the lips so I tend to apply it over lip balm to get a better finish. 

Lastly is the Laura Mercier Secret Concealer  (£19.50) which has been specifically designed for use around the under eye area, but I find that it does such a good job at covering up spots and scars. My skin has been pretty rubbish lately and I've had a bit of a break out which is unusual for me as I rarely ever get blemishes. This little wonder blends beautifully and covers all my imperfections without looking obvious. It has great staying power too.  

What do you think of these products?

A Beautiful, Matte Complexion

For as long as I can remember, I have always preferred an all matte finish to my base. As a make up obsessive, I'm always on the look out for new products that will control shine and give my skin a natural looking matte appearance, and lately I've discovered a handful of products that work incredibly well together to give me the complexion I've always wanted. 

I heavily rely on primers to stop my make up sliding off my face throughout the day and achieve a more balanced looking complexion. Not only do they increase the longevity of make up, they really help to correct any problem areas and minimise imperfections, especially if your skin is far from perfect. My main issues with my skin are oil control and visible pores, so I have a few primers on hand to correct these. 

To perfect my shine free base, I start with the Smashbox Photo Finish Foundation Primer Light (£25). This stuff is truly amazing, it's incredibly smoothing and really helps to even out my skin before I apply my make up, leaving my skin with a silky, smooth matte finish that lasts all days and keeps my make up looking fresher for longer. I'm on my fourth tube of this stuff and I have to say it's one of the best primers I've tried for oil control. 

Another primer I just love for controlling shine is the Essential Matte Touch by Jouer Cosmetics (£20), a colourless balm- like skin perfector that works to degrease the skin and reduce the appearance of visible pores.  I found this quite difficult to work with at first as it’s the first mattifying balm that I’ve tried, but all you need to do is rub a small amount onto your finger and dab onto any problem areas. It’s a great little product to carry around for touch ups, and a great alternative to powder if you rely on that to keep your skin shine free throughout the day.

I follow this with the Benefit Porefessional (£24.50), my favourite primer for minimising the appearance of pores. The pores on my nose are one of my biggest skin complaints, and this stuff works like a dream to diminish their appearance, whilst controlling oil making my skin look flawless. It works wonders, and feels so velvety smooth on application. 

My foundation of choice has to be the Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Make Up (£22), as it's incredible for achieving flawless skin and controlling oil breakthrough throughout the day. This has a semi-matte finish that looks lovely and natural, it blends beautifully and effortlessly to conceal all imperfections and keeps my complexion shine free. The formula is light and creamy, so it's really easy to work with and always makes my skin look so clear and beautiful. The coverage is pretty impressive too. 

I finish my base with another Clinique favourite of mine, the Stay-Matte Sheer Pressed Powder (£23). I use this to both set my make up and ensure my skin looks balanced and matte. This is a wonderful powder for controlling oil and shine, I use a fluffy powder brush to sweep this over my face and it instantly leaves my complexion looking fresh and flawless.

Have you tried any of these products? What products do you love to use to create a matte complexion?

Skin Care For Oily Skin

Ever since my obsession with skin care began, I've tried and tested my fair share of products to help my oily skin and keep it looking balanced and healthy.  Oily skin can be a bit of a nightmare to deal with, but with the right products you can gain control of it and achieve a lovely, shine free complexion. I have a few trusty products in my skin care stash that I can always rely on to keep my skin looking flawless. 

My favourite cleanser for keeping my skin in check is the Origins Checks and Balances Facial Cleanser (£18). It works by gently cleansing both dry and oily areas without cancelling each other out, which is perfect for my combination skin. This frothy cleanser is packed to the punch with skin friendly ingredients that not only work to break down dirt and discourage oil production, they unclog my pores of debris and grime leaving my complexion brighter and more balanced looking. My skin loves this stuff, it always feels so refreshed and clean after every use - I can't recommend it enough. 

To ensure my skin is moisturised and hydrated, I use the REN T-Zone Balancing Day Fluid (£21), a mattifying fluid that leaves my complexion looking more balanced and clear. This product feels so lovely and light on application and works to purify the skin while helping to control excess oil production. I find it a challenge to find moisturisers that don't just 'sit' on my face and feel greasy, but this one absorbs into the skin quickly and feels so soothing. It really helps to keep my complexion shine free and is one of the best mattifying skin products I've tried. 

Once a week, I use the Elemental Herbology Facial Detox Purifying Face Mask (£28) which is an incredible deep cleansing mask for decongesting the skin. This has worked wonders for my oily skin, it does an amazing job at detoxifying and unclogging my pores, leaving my skin feeling less oily and looking beautifully refined. My complexion has been looking so much clearer and smoother since introducing this mask into my routine. I make sure I use it regularly as I find that it's so effective for congested skin. 

Lastly, nothing refreshes my skin like the Lush Tea Tree Water (£3.95). I use this toner every morning and night after cleansing to ensure my skin is free of cleanser and any remaining traces of dirt and oil. It's a great product for instantly freshening up my skin throughout the day too and it doesn't disturb my make up. I love how clean and comfortable my skin feels after I use this, plus it's super affordable and lasts ages. 

Have you tried any of these products? 

Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Makeup

I've mentioned this foundation a few times in several posts but I've never actually done a full review on it, which is surprising as I would say it's one of my favourite and most used foundations. I can be pretty picky when it comes to choosing a foundation, so much so that I rarely ever repurchase the same one again. I feel like I bang on about my love for Clinique make up constantly, but they have quickly become one of my favourite brands and their products always leave me so impressed. 

The Clinique Stay-Matte Oil Free Makeup (£22) is an oil controlling foundation which provides all day coverage with a mattifying finish. Mainly aimed at oily and combination skin types, it contains shine absorbers which work to refine the look of problem areas and control oil breakthrough throughout the day, keeping skin shine free and looking balanced.
This does everything that I look for in a foundation, it has a light and creamy formula that is so easy to apply, blending beautifully into my skin giving sheer but buildable coverage that covers imperfections so well. I find that I rarely need concealer when I wear this, my complexion looks flawless and oh so natural. I am so pleased with this foundations ability to keep oil and shine under control, I've tried so many foundations that claim to do this but none compare to this one. It feels lovely and comfortable on my skin too, almost as if I'm not wearing any make up at all. 
I don't have a bad thing to say about this foundation - it's perfect for my skin type and has been my daily go to for quite some time now. I can't see myself changing anytime soon, I absolutely adore it.

If you're looking for a foundation that gives beautiful, flawless coverage while controlling shine, this is the one for you. I get a lot of compliments on my complexion and questions about what foundation I'm wearing when I use this, it truly is a wonderful product and I highly recommend it if your skin is on the oilier side. 

Have you tried this foundation? What do you think of Clinique make up?