Mini review - Lorac Pocket Pro Palette

When I went to Florida in May this was on my shopping list.. A perfect little palette to give you an easy day to night look.. A great size to pop into your bag or make up bag when travelling.. All the shadows are creamy, pigmented and apply like a dream..I picked it up from Ulta, I really wished Lorac would come to the UK, they used to be sold at Sephora - who now ship to the UK but they stopped selling the brand late last year?!.... In this palette you get three shades Nude, Pewter and Expresso which can all be worn together or indivdually to give you several different looks for a great price of $15 - I'm in love!

What's your go to travel palette? 

My Top Five Highlighters

I love using a highlighter, especially for a night out or when I want to look a little more put together. By using a highlighter you really can make an impact by showing off & 'highlighting' your bone structure in a super flattering way. Highlighters are a very simple, quick way to give your face that ethereal, youthful glow. Especially in the winter, but also in the summer (with a light hand) for a beautiful dewy finish, Anyone can add a bit more life and radiance into their make up routine with a little highlighter, they come in cream, liquid & powder form, I usually opt for the latter as I prefer the results a powder gives me. 

1.Accessorize Baked Bronzer - Golden Sands. - A luminous peachy champagne shade with hints of bronze veining transfers onto the skin as a gorgeous pale champagne-gold, very soft and luminescent. What's best about the product is that there's no noticeable glitter just perfect shimmer which highlights the skin beautifully. 

2.theBalm - Marylou Manizer. - a seemingly innocent honey-hued luminizer that catches everybody’s eye. This highlighter, shadow and shimmer diffuses light so your skin looks softer and younger while adding a subtle glow. A stunning champagne sheen providing a beautifully natural glow.

3.Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector pressed - Opal. - A sequel to the cult favorite liquid Shimmering Skin Perfector, this creamy powder luminizer is like crushed gemstones in a compact. A gorgeous champagne shimmer, feels like butter, long lasting and natural looking.

4.No7 Vital Enlightening Highlighter - A flash of radiance with a super-soft, almost velvety powder gives a luminous, natural wash of colour. The peach undertones add warmth while the pink shimmer gives a youthful glow.

5.Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder. - A gorgeous, elegant shimmer powder for an angelic glow. Pearl powder provides ultra-light shimmer without looking glittery, and the soft, golden-apricot hue adds a whisper of colour. 

Highlighting and contouring your face makes a massive difference to a face you can change the whole shape, It can create perfect looking bone structure and hide or decrease other features - I wrote an easy Contour/Highlighter post HERE .

What's your favourite Highlighter?

Easy Contour & Highlighting

Contouring and Highlighting are one of the many makeup techniques that every makeup addict should have under their belt. They can totally transform your face by improving your features & hiding your flaws. As Darker colours (Bronzer) push back areas while lighter colours (Highlighter) bring them forward!

Things you'll need!

* To contour, you will need a colour that is one to two shades darker than your foundation. The product you use has to be matte it can be a cream or powder bronzer, brown or taupe blusher or brown eye shadow. My current favourites are NYC Sunny Bronzer, Nars multiple in Tuomota, Dainty Doll Blusher in Million Dollar Babies, Chanel Bronze universal.

* To highlight, you will need a colour that is one to two shades lighter than your foundation. You can use a shimmery Cream/beige eyeshadow, a lighter foundation/concealer or a highlighter.My current Favourites are Dior Amber Diamonds, Accesorize Golden sands or Bourjois Beige Rose 08.

* I would highly recommend using pressed powders for Highlighting as they are the easiest to use. Also pick a colour that is neutral not to pink or Yellow for your skin tone.

Places to Contour

* Under your cheekbones

* Along both sides of your nose

* Bottom of your chin

* Jawline

* Creases of your eyes

* Temples

Places to Highlight

* Front of the forehead

* Along the bridge of your nose

* Right above your cheeks

* Inner corner of your eyes

* Browbone

* Center of your chin

* Cupid’s bow (Top lip)

Obviously you don't need to do it in all the above places this is just a guide as where you can do it depending on your features & flaws :)

Simply follow the picture taken from Kevyn Aucoin above, making sure to blend the lines by gently pressing the colour onto your face, I prefer using a Real Techniques Buffing Brush. But you can use your fingers, a brush or a damp make up sponge, Whichever you are most comfortable with, Make sure there are no harsh lines or edges, Also try not to mix the two colours together, it is always easier to add more colour – and experiment to find out what works best for you.

I would also only recommend doing the above on a night out, as it looks best with night lighting, during the day i tend to just lightly Contour under my cheek bones, sides of my forehead & under my chin with powder, If i do highlight in the day i would just add a little on the tops of my cheeks. 

 I don't think contouring and highlighting is necessary for everyone, but it will definitely benefit you having a little contouring and highlighting. You just need lot's of practice and make sure everything is well-blended to make sure all lines disappear to make it look natural. I think it finishes a look making you look naturally gorgeous!!

Are you a fan of Contouring & Highlighting?

Clarins Extra Comfort Foundation in Ivory 103.

The newest offering from Clarins is part of the Extra Comfort range and is best described as an anti-ageing product that aims to replenish and illuminate the skin in one quick step. The packaging is more luxe than your typical Clarins foundation, and comes presented within a frosted glass screw top jar that looks great on your dressing table but is rather bulky, so not at all ideal for traveling or carrying around on a daily basis. But you could simply put a little scoop in a small plastic jar (with the spatula provided) & popping in your make up bag for when your on the move? I personally am happy with it being a jar you can use every last bit, so none is wasted, you also have more control over the amount of product you use daily. Its exclusive anti-ageing formula plumps, moisturises and nourishes the skin deep down with a combination of organic Argan oil and the Global Age-Defying Complex. The skin instantly feels suppler and more comfortable. Wrinkles and fine lines are smoothed. The complexion is left glowing with youth.

Organic Argan oil: nourishes the skin and leaves it feeling comfortable.Global Age-Defying Complex: leaves skin feeling supple, smoothes fine line and wrinkles.It boosts hydration, increases skin comfort and suppleness.Light Optimising + complex, a Clarins exclusive: instantly captures, diffuses and amplifies light. Fine lines and minor imperfections are visibly reduced. The complexion is left even-looking and radiant.Triple protection: fights free radicals, pollution and UV rays.

It offers up to 14 hours of hydration, The finish of Clarins Extra Comfort Foundation* is dewy with a slight glow that gives the impression of light within skin - much like a skin illuminator without any traces of glitter or shimmer, it really is a beautiful finish. It made my skin feel moisturised and plumped with the light literally bouncing off my skin. Despite being creamy it didn't sink into my fine lines and lasted all day with only a touch up of powder on T-Zone after about 7 hrs & I was good to go! I can see this being my go-to foundation in the colder months.

It is £35.00 available from Clarins.co.uk

What's your favourite foundation for Autumn/Winter?

theBalm Nude tude Palette

This amazing palette consists of 12 beautiful shadows that make wearing nudes sexy! These satiny smooth colors can be applied naturally or beautifully layered. The wide range of shades gives you light highlighters as well as brazen bold shades that work to add definition and emphasis to your lids. 

I have been dying to get my mitts on this palette for well over a year, but kept telling myself I didn't need another neutrals palette, but it was never far from my eye line with reviews and tutorials, It seemed to be everywhere I looked! Then I saw that Birch Box had started to sell it in their online store, I decided to save and use my reward points to get it I had just under 200 points (£20) meaning I could get it for £6.00 delivered! After a month or so I had managed to get to just over 200 points but I soon realised it was OUT OF STOCK! - The three words I hate to hear!! I was gutted... I think I waited 6 weeks before it was back in stock - Woohoo finally mine :)

The palette does not disappoint, It is very pretty, the shadows are creamy making it very easy to blend in, I have been using it for just about two weeks and have been loving the different looks I can create with it. The shades are...

Sassy is a frosted white with good colour payoff and a buttery, smooth texture. It has a metallic finish.

Stubborn is a light-medium peach with a soft frost finish. It has a frosted finish.

Snobby is a gold shimmered medium-dark yellow. This shade is a bit sheer.

Stand-offish is a light-medium bronze-shimmered brown with warm, red undertones and a frost-metallic finish.

Selfish is a frosted taupe–it’s greyish brown,.

Sophisticated is a dark brown with subtle warm undertones and a bronze shimmer.

Sultry is a warmed-up, medium brown with a satiny finish. 

Schitzo is a warm, golden bronze-brown with a soft, pearly finish. 

Sexy is rich burgundy with hints of red and brown and a matte finish. 

Serious is a medium-dark black with a matte finish.

Silly is a red-tinted brown with flecks of copper sparkle. 

Sleek is a dark black-brown with a matte finish.

Some of the shades are a little pale but I use them to neutralise my eyelids or as a transistion shade to blend my look together. Overall this is a great versatile palette, if you are wanting to buy it you can find on most online stores for around £26.00. If you are subscribed to Birch Box use your reward points like me and get yourself a bargain!

What's your favourite neutrals palette?

The Body Shop Mojito shower gel

Lather up skin with our invigorating Limited Edition Virgin Mojito Shower Gel to leave it feeling clean and refreshed. 

• Soap-free, lather rich formula
• Invigorating Virgin Mojito fragrance
• With the extract of Caribbean lime and mint

Virgin Mojito is a very fragrant blend of freshly cut limes with a hint of freshly snipped mint. The fragrance really invigorates the senses with its fresh, strong but not an overpowering scent. This shower gel lathers well and rinses off completely, leaving skin feeling refreshed and nourished. I LOVE this shower gel. This is perfect for citrus lovers!

Have you tried this range yet?