Beauty: Current five face favourites

It feels good to actually be able to sit down and write a blog post. Everyone has those manic weeks where stress takes over and switches the place of any hope of leading a simple life - this week has definitely been one of those weeks for me. Luckily, we have beauty products as our pick me ups and this time I want to talk about my current face favourites which have made their way into my routine. I think it's so important to pamper your face and use the products that make you feel a bit more uplifted than you may feel. When you feel sluggish, your face can mimic, then you feel more run down and the cycle continues...

As far as skincare and cleansing go, there's that "cliche" blogger oil, The Body Shop Camomile Silky Cleansing Oil. I grabbed this when there was a discount code (I'm such a cheap skate, it's ridiculous) and I'm so happy I did. I'd have never thought that putting an oil on top of my already oily skin would do it any justice whatsoever but this has proved me wrong. It's such a lovely, soothing cleanser that not only smells delish (like delicate flowers should I say) but is also effective in doing its job AND it's quite a large bottle so lasts a while (although the fast pump isn't always an advantage). Upon applying it on the skin it's a thin, clear oil but it's not the sort that runs straight off the face, once emulsified it provides a decent texture which is also easy to rinse off when you're done. It's such a light, refreshing formula and leaves my skin feeling super soft and moisturised. It gets down to action and effortlessly melts away and breaks down your makeup as soon as you apply. It doesn't leave behind much residue but I wouldn't say it removes every inch of your makeup. I do have to use a toner on top of this but it does eliminate a good proportion and the feeling it leaves the skin alone makes this a worthy cleansing oil.

Next, there's the Lush Cupcake Face Mask which is a tub of chocolately-goodness. It certainly smells more like a mint chocolate with the peppermint scent but never the less it's such a satisfying and pampering mask. You can definitely feel the grittiness and thickness of the mask when applied but it does act as an exfoliator and it's brilliant for layering the entire face. Despite this, it's so gentle on the skin and leaves it feeling freshly clean with that added zingy touch (even if it does leave you looking like you've fallen face down in some mud). It is quite difficult to remove and takes a good few splashes of water but it's such a luxurious treat and I have seen the difference it's made to my skin. I'm very spot prone but I haven't noticed any major breakouts since using this and it does seem to get rid of any redness and help extinguish blemishes. 

Onto the makeup side of things; the Soap and Glory Solar Powder is something I've been dying to try out for a long time now. I finally got my hands on it and am seriously admiring everything about it. First up is the packaging, it's so pretty and smooth to look at that I didn't want to mess it up with the running of my makeup brushes against it but I gave in to temptation and have been using it non stop for the past few days. It's such a staple bronzing product which you can wear daily due to it's natural finish. The combination of both a bronzer and a highlighter certainly makes a difference to the shine and glow it leaves your cheeks and it is buildable so you can wear it to your desire. It's such a gorgeous, dreamy shade - not too dark and not too light, it gives the right balance between the two which makes it suitable for all types of skin colours and tones. It's not at all drying or cakey on the skin and blends effortlessly. The lasting power is amazing, the subtle, healthy glow it gives lasts all day without need to top up. The MAC Powder Blush in Fleur Power is a product I use on top of the Solar Powder as a finishing touch. I was kindly given this as a hand me down and have been using it to my full extent. It's such a pretty colour, a warm but bright pinky coral. It is highly pigmented so I only use it lightly but a dust of this silky smooth and not at all chalky powder does the trick perfectly. It's very blendable and wearable, the flush of the shade compliments my paleness and I can't help but think it would be just as lovely on a darker toned skin. As it's coming up to winter I will think about changing my blush colour to a more peachy shade but I can't and haven't been able to get enough of this over the past two months or so!

Lastly, it's the L'Oreal Superliner Liquid Eyeliner in Ultra Precision Black. This is a makeup product I seem to always revert back to. I don't always wear liquid eyeliner but when I fancy that darker look and on a occasion, I whip it out. I've currently been reminded how much I love L'Oreal's superliner when I brought it back out from my storage a week or so ago. The application is so simple, with the sponge like brush being thin it allows you to draw on the eyelid how you require. As I'm not the best at application, I end up with a thicker finish but I do think I prefer that heavier, bolder look as it brings out my eyes. As the colour is a stronger black, it doesn't take much effort (but if you're anything like me, you'll just need a bit of practice when attempting to achieve that on point flick!).

Do you have any current go to face products?