Peaches & Cream

I've never done a "Face of the Day" post before but I will admit, since getting my Glossyboxes each month, I've been more and more interested in makeup and playing with different looks. Not that I wasn't interested in makeup before, but I had probably been wearing the same look for about 8 years in various incarnations. It's worryingly easy to get into a rut with makeup; my thinking was that if it wasn't broke there was no need to fix it but I've learnt as I've got older that it's important to try out different looks now and then just to see if you can try any tricks to make your makeup work harder for you.

I'm not a mega high end makeup shopper. I'd love to say I have the money to throw around Mac, Nars and Estee Lauder, but these counters are usually reserved for a special purchase rather than items I would use for an everyday look. I try to combine a few more expensive brands (that come to me via my Glossybox usually!) with high street ones and I hope this combination works well. (I feel that it does although I'd love to hear your feedback on where you tend to stand between high street and high end!)

This face is quite in alignment with my everyday look, it's just a little fresher and more "springlike" in its colours. I started by prepping my face with a moisturiser (I usually use Steamcream or Simple) and an eye cream (Aveno, via TK Maxx; a hotbed of high end products at cheaper prices) and finally I use a primer (at present it is  Nivea Hydrating Primer) as I find this helps product to adhere to my skin and last longer through the day. I would say my skin is combination but it does tend to be quite sensitive so I try not to use products with much alcohol in them.

My foundation is a bit of a moot point at the moment, I'm right at the end of my usual foundation (Estee Lauder Double Wear) which is a full coverage foundation which makes me look airbrushed and which I absolutely adore. I don't adore the price tag so much, it's hovering around the £30 mark which is expensive however I do find a bottle lasts about 6 months so it's a worthy investment. I received this Dr Jart Beauty Balm (BB cream) in a Glossybox a couple of months ago and to begin with, I hated it; well, that might be a little strong but I didn't really feel it did anything for my skin; I was unsure how to apply it properly and wasn't really sure of the point of it; I have to say I've felt this way about most BB cream's I've tried! That was until I stumbled across this YouTube video by Vivianna Does Makeup and she showed how she applied it. Turns out, if you use a brush and then blend with your fingers, and build up the colour where it's needed, rather than slap it on like a cream as I've been doing, the level of coverage is much better and the look is more seamless. I tried applying it as she did and the difference is amazing; I actually really like using this product now and will continue to do so until I've used it up! It's available from Boots and the 50ml size costs £18 which is expensive for a BB cream but more afordable than my foundation, and actually for everyday I don't really need to wear a foundation that heavy so this was a good experiment in re-trying something I had written off!

After applying the base I fixed it with a dusting of Natural Collection powder. This costs £1.99 and was bought to replace a No. 7 product which cost £11 but I had run out of. This powder is fantastic and I can't fault it, I thought it might be a bit talc-y but it comes up a lovely shade and keeps my skin looking matte, which is a look I prefer. You could always skip the powder and add a pop of cream blush to the cheeks if you prefer a dewy skin look. (Something I want to try!)

I swept a Barry M peach blush onto my cheeks as opposed to my usual pink one and it gives a great natural flushed look for everyday. The colour I used is 206, sorry I haven't photographed it very well! I think this cost around the £5 mark.

On my eyes I used a Clinique eyes palette to create a creamy shimmer. The pan I used was I think a highlighter called Sunshimmer and it is really crease resistant so I tried it as a shadow which worked well. I also put a tiny amount on the inner corner of my eyes to open them up. It's rare that I don't line my eyes, I always use a liquid liner but I prefer these to be in felt tip form for control. The one I always go back to is this Collection 2000 extreme felt tip liner; cheap as chips and amazing. I've tried a million different felt tip liners over the years ranging in price from £2.99 to £25 or more but I always go back to this old favourite. Proof that you don't have to pay over the odds to find an amazing product. I would recommend this to anyone; it's easy to use, doesn't budge when on and gives the inkiest black line ever. It's great!

I always pencil in my brows; this is something I never used to do but as I've got older I see what a difference it makes to my face when I have a strong brow. To begin with I got it a bit wrong and was very "scousebrow-esque" but practise makes perfect and I think they look good now (not that you can see them under my fringe!) I use this No. 7 brow pencil to create a precise shape but I will admit this isn't my favourite brow product, it's a little hard. Any recommendations?

Lashings of mememe Fat Cat Mascara in Black finishes my eyes, and to carry on with the peachy theme, I used this lipgloss from Benefit in "Fresh Squeezed" I like this because I usually prefer to wear lipstick but sometimes for an everyday look it's nice to look groomed without appearing overdone, so that's why I chose this.

I hope you like this post! Let me know in the comments what you think and if you'd like to see this sort of thing again?!

XO Amie