My Beauty Heroes
Happy Sunday fellow beauty lovers. With a recent skincare/makeup switch around (read more in my Bathroom Shelfie post) and a mini clear-out/organisation I thought it was the perfect time to sit down with a coffee and round up all of my "beauty heroes". Featuring the products I can't be without, staples in my collection for day to day use, little luxurious for the pamper evenings and generally the bunch that I use time and time again. Make yourself a cup of tea and get comfy, it's a long one!
Skincare
I bloody love skincare. Out of all things beauty, skincare is my absolute favourite and I am a firm believer that getting your skincare right is key and really is the best and only way to achieving that glowy and glossy or satin makeup look you're after.
If you're a long standing reader of my blog then you will know that radiant, glossy skin is what I aim for everyday through my makeup and to get this, I ensure my skin has been looked after and prepped through masks, exfoliators, oils, moisturisers and serums so without further a do, here are my skincare greats.
Face Masks
My favourite way to treat my skin in the morning, mid-week or Sunday evenings is with a face mask. They really are the luxury step in a routine that can make all the difference in skins appearance, texture and overall health. Masks for me have to be hydrating, rich, soothing, glow-boosting and perfecting and over time, I've found my firm favourite mask brands that deliver the best products over and over again; radiance and glow boosting, soothing, exfoliating, hydrating, brightening and protecting are all things I look for in masks and the below, go above and beyond.
HEROES: Fresh Brightening Peony*, Fresh Black Tea Instant Perfecting*, Darphin Vetiver Oil Mask*, Kiehl's Cranberry Seed Radiance Mask and Antipodes Manuka Honey*
Cleansers and Scrubs
Cleansing is another of my favourite steps in my routine as afterwards, my skin always feels super clean, soft and fresh. I find my favourites always hold quite a thick texture and are either a gel or oil consistency to best remove makeup but also not strip my skin of hydration. I exfoliate around once a week to maintain a healthy complexion and tend to use something that has quite a good amount of 'scrub' to it without being scratchy on the skin - the Goldfaden MD Doctors Scrub is rather scrubby but always leaves my skin looking and feeling amazing.
HEROES: Glossier Milky Jelly Cleanser, Darpin Cleansing Oil* and Goldfaden MD Doctors Scrub*.
Serums
I switch my serums around the most in my routine as this is where I tailor products to my current skin situation (dryness, redness, blemishes or dullness) but serums that hydrate, protect and improve skins texture are generally what I reach for on a day to day basis.
HEROES: Fresh Rose Deep Hydration Serum*, Medik8 C-Tetra Serum*, Medik8 B5 Hydr8 Serum* and Pai Copaiba and Zinc Serum*
Oils & Moisturisers
Oils will forever be a product in my collection and are my absolute favourite to apply in my morning and evening routine. There are so many oils around and so many that I love; each with different benefits, ingredients, blends and results and each working at treating different skin concerns. Usually, oils that promise to nourish, hydrate, balance and protect from external aggressors will sit on my bathroom shelf and the ones featured here perform like magic on my skin. Moisturiser wise, if it hydrates, boosts radiance and doesn't sit on top of my skin, it's a winner. Avène Emulsions are truly wonderful and a great staple that gets the job done.
HEROES: Pai Rosehip Oil*, Darphin Oil Elixirs*, Avène Emulsions* and Origins Ginzing Energising Cream*
Extras
Face mists are one of my most used beauty products and the Caudalie Beauty Elixir to me, is the best on the market. It instantly refreshes, keeps makeup on for longer, adds a lovely dewy look to the skin and is incredibly comforting. The Lanolips Everywhere Cream* is another hero for getting rid of any dry patches and lip balm wise, Avène and Burts Bees are winners to me.
Beauty
Makeup for me is all about enhancing and not masking my complexion. I mainly work with cream and liquid products that create a lit from within glow all over, use cheek products that are going to add a glossy, bronzed flushed finish and cream shadow sticks for a seamless eye tint. From bases and blush to brows and lips, here are my makeup heroes.
Base & Cheeks
Each of my skincare looks start with a tinted moisturiser or foundation (see my favourites here) that's going to add a tint of colour and coverage, even out my complexion and most importantly enhance and add to my glow. I mostly always use creams for blush and highlight (with an exception for Hourglass) as I find these work best with my skin-type and give me that healthy, glossy, and balmy look.
HEROES: Laura Mercier Tinted Moisturiser, Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush, Kevyn Aucoin Sculpting Powder, BECCA Beach Tints, NARS Multiple Sticks, Glossier Haloscope
Eyes & Brows /
Miniaml and easy are the two words I live by in the eye department. Shadow wise, neutral shades are my most used and anything in cream stick form can always be found in my stash - these Chanel and Laura Mercier sticks are incredibly creamy, blend-able and super quick to apply. Tinted gels are my really the only products I use on my brows these days - something to keep them in place, add a smidge of colour and definition.
HEROES: NARS Eyeshadow Duos, Suqqu Brow Gel, Charlotte Tilbury Cream Shadow Pot, Chanel EyeShadow Stick, Laura Mercier Caviar Stick
Lips
Day to day - lip balms are the only thing that go on my lips but when lipstick is thrown into the mix I have some firm favourites; NARS being my top preference. Long lasting, highly pigmented with an intense colour, easy to apply and comfortable they are the ultimate lip product that tick all the boxes due to the extensive shade and finish range.
What are your beauty heroes?