Hello!

Today I am going to share with you my makeup essentials, and all the things I personally think everyone should have/try. Obviously, this is my own opinion, so if you don't agree, then fair enough! Everyone is different.

But that aside, if you would like to read my makeup essentials, keep on reading!

Real Techniques Brushes

First off, is Real Techniques brushes. I just picked a couple of my faves here, which are the contour brush, which I actually use to highlight, and the buffing brush, which is great for blending and brushing away any excess powder.

Sleek Brow Perfecter

Next is the Sleek Brow Perfecter in Clear. I have been using this forever now, and I think it's great to keep any stray eyebrow hairs in place. I too chicken to use a coloured one, so I just pop this on once I've done my usual brow routine.

L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt Foundation

My essential foundation has to be this L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt one. I am the shade Light/Medium, although I think they should extend the shade range as it is just pure luck that this shade happens to suit me. But this makes any cream product I put on top so easy to blend, it's unreal.

Sleek Highlight Palette in Solstice

My favourite highlight has got to be this quad from Sleek. I think this is great for travelling as you have four different options, including a cream highlight, rather than packing four individual highlighter.

Urban Decay Naked Palette

A cult fave, the Naked palette is seriously a must have. I love this palette, as I love warm nude looks. My fave combo is Sin and Sidecar, I think they are just such beautiful colours. Half Baked is just the perfect gold shade too. While this is on the pricier side, there's no denying that the quality is worth it.

Makeup Revolution Ultra Blush Palette in Sugar and Spice

Another great palette for travelling is the Makeup Revolution Blush palette in Sugar and Spice. The orange toned shade in this is my fave, but I have also used the pink shades as eyeshadow, it's very versatile.

L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt Contour Kit

Along with the L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt foundation, I love the contour kit too, as you can see by the usage. This is such an amazing cream contour, and I have tried a few! But this is by far my favourite. It blends out so well and the highlight shade is perfect for defining the sculpt.

Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

If you don't want to splurge on the Naked palette, then the Naked Basics is just as perfect. Smaller and cheaper, this palette has 6 basic shades that everyone needs. As you can see, my palette is well loved! If I'm going for a simple look, I like to take Naked 2 and Faint just in my crease and then I add mascara and go. Faint is also a great brow shade, proving the versatility of this palette.

Zoeva Cocoa Blends Palette

If you've been reading my blog for a while, then you know I am OBSESSED with this Zoeva Cocoa Blends palette. It literally has the capability of creating the perfect warm, smoky eye. I love using Substitute For Love as my transition shade, it's a bit worrying how much I love it, but I know that when I hit pan on this palette, I will be repurchasing.

Posh Spice by Jeffree Star Cosmetics

Nude lips are everything these days, but I couldn't find one that worked on my pale skin. Until I found Posh Spice by Jeffree Star. This liquid lipstick literally gives me life, and I would recommend it to anyone, as I think it is the perfect nude shade. Just don't get ripped off by sellers on eBay and Depop and such, they're £14 on Cocktail Cosmetics, rather than the £25+ people are selling them for elsewhere.

Lush Mint Julips Lip Scrub

Of course something Lush would be on this list! Before I add any lipstick, I like to scrub my lips with Mint Julips Lip Scrub from Lush. I have very dry lips, and I don't know where I'd be without thus as it gets rid of all the dry bits from my lips. And it's edible and it tastes like mint chocolate chip. What more could you ask for?

MUA Hide and Conceal Concealer

This Hide and Conceal concealer from MUA is amazing. Like seriously. I've been using this since I was about 16 and I first discovered MUA. This concealer is £1. Yes £1. It's such great coverage and brightens so well, which you wouldn't expect for something so cheap. I can't even tell you how many times I've repurchased this in the past four years, and my makeup collection just isn't really right without it.

L'Oreal Infallible Fixing Mist

L'Oreal is seriously one of my favourite brands, especially now they've changed their animal testing policies! I bought this Infallible Fixing Mist as I didn't want to splurge on the Urban Decay setting spray, but this seriously does the job! I work in a pub, and it keeps my makeup on all night.

Benefit Lemonaid

Finally, something I haven't been able to live without since I bought it, Lemonaid by Benefit. This covers my dark circles perfectly. I use it before I put my foundation on, and also to prime my eyes ready for shadow. The colour is just perfect for my skin tone, and I reckon if I tried hard enough, I could get away with just wearing this. Maybe.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and maybe got some ideas for yourself, or maybe something on this list is one of your essentials!

I highly recommend everything on here 100%, they are the core to my makeup.

Thanks for reading,

Layla x

Hello!

Last week, my boyfriend and I went to the National Motorcycle Museum, and I thought I would just share with you a few photos I took :)

Entry is £8.95 and you can find the website here: http://www.nationalmotorcyclemuseum.co.uk/

Thanks for reading!

Layla x

Hello!

Today I have a different post to normal, chatting about my new perfume, Ghost Whitelight.

I first came across this when I went to the Bloggers Hangout event, and I saw it on the Perfume Shop's stand. I instantly fell in love with the scent, and I really wanted it!

The perfume comes in this gorgeous crescent moon shaped bottle, that is white, but reflects in the light, almost like an opalescent. 

The lid pops off the top, and there is a spray pump.

The perfume comes in two sizes, 30ml or 50ml. I bought the 30ml bottle, just in case I changed my mind later on, I wouldn't be stuck with a big bottle to get through. But so far, I still love it. The 30ml bottle retails for £25, and the 50ml for £34. And the Perfume shop has a points card system, so every pound you spend is 1 point, and when you reach 100 points, you get £5 off a purchase, so I am a quarter of the way there!

As for the smell, it isn't like anything I have smelt before. I love sweeter smells, and while this isn't overly sweet, it's very nice.

The Perfume Shop website says this about the fragrance: 

Top notes

Peach, Mandarin, Pear

Heart notes

Jasmine, Violet, Rose

Base notes

Patchouli, Vanilla, Amber

I can defintely smell the Mandarin, and the notes of Violet and Vanilla. However, I am no expert in this! And obviously, every perfume smells different on different people. I have received nothing but compliments when I have worn this out!

I definitely recommend this perfume if you enjoy sweeter smells but want something a bit different to the usual flowery scents.

You can find the perfume here: http://www.theperfumeshop.com/Ghost/WHITELIGHT/Eau-de-Toilette-for-her/p/36610EDTJU

I hope you enjoyed this post, thanks for reading!

Layla x

Hello!

Today I have a full face makeup look! That's right, not just the eyes for a change. I've been doing this look quite a bit in the summer, and it's my absolute fave so I wanted to share it with you guys and hopefully inspire your own summer looks!

So let's get started :)

First of all, I moisturise with the Nivea Creme Moisturiser. This is my favourite all year round product, as no matter what the season, I have awfully dry skin. It's a very thick cream, and i usually apply quite a generous amount and just let it soak in.

Then I prime using the Nivea Men Post Shave Balm. This might sound weird, but this has taken over YouTube/blogging since NikkieTutorials discovered it. I just take a small amount and rub it over my face until it gets tacky.

Then I do my brows with the HiBrow 24Hr Eyebrow Colour. I recently got this when I went to the Bloggers hangout and I have been LOVING the dark brown shade on my brows.

I then set my brows with the Sleek Eyebrow gel in clear.

Next I colour correct under my eyes using the Benefit Lemonaid.

I have this on on the left side of this photo, and the right side is just my normal skin. It brightens up my undereye so much, I think it works so well. I also highlighted under my brows with a concealer.

Then I use my holy grail foundation, the L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt Contouring Base. This foundation blends out seamlessly and any cream product I put on it blends out too, it is just a dream.

Then I conceal all the usual areas using the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer in fair.

I also use the NYX Concealer jar in Porcelain on the sides of my nose to give extra coverage over my nose piercing scars.

Then I cream contour with the L'Oreal Infallible Sculpt Contouring Kit in Light/Medium.

I only really contour my cheeks and my forehead, especially my forehead in the hopes of making it look smaller. Then I just blend it all out using a sponge. (I use a "beauty blender" that I actually got from Primark, if you're wondering)

Then I take the lighter shade from the kit, and just put a line under my cheek contour and blend it out to give it some extra definition.

I then lightly powder contour, because although I have heard the L'Oreal kit is cream-powder, I don't always feel like it's a "powder" texture.

To do this, I use the contour shade out of this W7 Shape Your Face Contour Kit. For the price, this is actually a pretty okay contour kit, but I do want a more cool tone shade, so I'm thinking of getting a Makeup Geek one maybe?

Then I bake bake bake using talcum powder (post here) because I'm too pale for ANY translucent powder, it somehow still turns orange on me, and I can't justify forking out on Laura Mercier because what if it did the same??

After I've dusted that off, I bronze up with the Makeup Revolution Bronzer in the shade Kiss. This is something relatively new I've been using, I used to use the MUA on in Shade 3, but it was slightly too orange toned for me.

Then I use the Sleek Blush in Life's A Peach. I LOVE orange shade blushes, as I feel they just suit me better than reds or pinks.

Now onto the eyes. First I use Makeup Geek Peach Smoothie in my crease.

Then I deepen it up with Naked 2 from the Naked Basics Palette.

I add a tiny bit more warmth right through the line of my crease with Faint from the same palette.

Then I take Kaepop Beverly from Colourpop and I run this through, and just under my crease.

I then use Bitter Start from the Zoeva Cocoa Blends Palette all over my lid.

And then I smudge a load of Beans Are White from the same palette in the outer corner. (Check out that weird half open eye. Nice one Layla)

I also smudge a bit of Beans Are White halfway across my lower lash line, fading it as it reaches the middle.

Then I take my L'Oreal Miss Hippie Mascara (I can't get the picture to go the right way up, v. annoying). This mascara has quickly become my favourite as I feel like I don't need falsies all the time with it!

Then I highlight the tip of my nose with Colourpop Stole The Show Highlighter.

Then I take the gold shade from the Sleek Solstice Highlighting palette and highlight everywhere else. I also use the cram shade under my brow, as you can just about see here.

Finally, I use the Mink Julips Lip Scrub by Lush to prep my lips.

And then apply Jeffree Star Velour Liquid Lipstick in Posh Spice.

And there we are. My full summer go to look.

I hope you enjoyed this post, I know it was a bit longer than my usual ones but I wanted to show my full face routine for an change.

Thank you for reading, and hopefully I'll see you next time!

Layla x