Glowy FOTD featuring Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick

Well, well, well...Summer has officially arrived and when it comes to make-up that means a lighter base, an extra dusting of bronzer and anything I can find to give me face that dimensional, glowy effect.

The rise in temperature conveniently coincided with the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Rose landing on my doorstep!  These little shimmer bombs have cult status amongst us beauty geeks and are a cornerstone of the Bobbi Brown brand.

Ain't she a little beauty?  After my initial 'ooohing' and 'ahhhing', I realised that I wasn't actually sure how to use this.  Was it a blush? A highlighter? Or some kind of in-between?  Luckily, a Google image search taught me that it can in fact be a blush or a highlighter.  I did apply it as a blush but unfortunately I think my skin is a bit too dark at the moment and the pink glow doesn't really show enough for me to be satisfied, so if you are NC25 or lighter this might work better for you.  However as a highlighter it gives a smooth, glowing finish.  I used it in all my regular highlighter areas; tops of cheekbones, down centre of nose, cupids bow and centre of my chin and I must say it is really natural and not harsh in the slightest.

Here is a photo of it in action.  I think this really shows how natural and healthy it looks.  Of course, as with any product, if you swirl this on like there's no tomorrow it's going to start to look very obvious, so go easy ladies and build it up.

I also used the Shimmer Brick on my eyes with a little bit of brown in the crease, so this product can be a right little multi-tasker and ideal for holidays.

You can find the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick, along with plenty of other Bobbi Brown products as part of their mahoosive selection of beauty products, on the QVC website.

Fake Tan Essentials

I thought I would share with you my current fake-tanning routine.  I have had my own fair share of disasters in this area, you know the ones..oompa-loompa tan, orange palms - need I go on?  So now that I have found something that works and is relatively inexpensive to boot, I had to tell you about it.

Exfoliation really is key to achieving the best faux-tan result.  I have wasted a lot of money tried many different exfoliators but generally I find them not scrubby enough.  A blob of cream with 2 scrubby beads in it just aint gonna cut it.  So around a year ago I picked up these Soap and Glory Exfoliating Gloves and I have never looked back.  Pop these on whilst in the shower, get them wet, use your shower cream of choice and scrub away.  Now, these kinda remind me of a brillo pad for the body as they are very scrubby, but I am a fan of that as it really seems to boost the circulation and, most importantly, get rid of any flaky skin or dry areas.  Plus, you can just throw these in the washing machine and they'll last for ages.  

Next up I have a self tan mitt.  The person who designed this ingenious bit of kit seriously needs to give themselves a pat on the back.  It is basically a piece of thin foam, backed with plastic, so that when you use this to apply your tan, you don't end up with the dreaded orange palms - genius!  You can pick these up for a couple of pounds in Primark.

My tan of choice recently has been the Karora Self Tan Mist in Dark.  I was sent this to try a while back and I am really enjoying using it.  It has a fine mist spray which doesn't dump all the product in the one area.  I usually spray this on and then buff it in with my mitt, just to make sure it's even and well-blended.  It dries quickly too so that's a bonus - no standing flapping your arms about (just me?).  I usually fake tan before bed, and then shower off any residue in the morning, so I'm not sure how long the tan takes to develop.  However it leaves an even, natural colour on my skin.

Somehow, it looks like my hand is a totally different colour in both the before and after pictures, but I think it's just the angle it's at.

Karora have their own website, however as they are an Irish company I'm not sure if they ship to the UK.  They also have a range of products on the Cloud10 Beauty website.  Karora have produced this handy application video, which you can check out here.

Bronzed Make Up

I have this theory.  My theory is that Scotland is edging ever closer to the North Pole.  Take today as an example  beautiful sunny skies peppered with light fluffy clouds.  I stepped out of the house with short sleeves, not entirely inappropriate given this it's almost June, and almost got frostbite by the time I walked to the care.  Well I say walk, but I was in a fully-blown sprint when I realised how cold it was.  Seriously weather, if you could just crank up the temperature by a few degrees, i'd really appreciate it.
So I have decided that if the actual sun isn't going to actually stick around long enough to give me a bit of colour, then I might as well crack out the fake tan, and give myself a Summer-appropriate face of make-up.

I used the last few drops of my Ideal Flawless foundation by Avon, which feels really lightweight yet gives a decent amount of coverage.  I skipped bronzer, and popped on MAC Mineralise Blush in Warm Soul.  This blush and tanned skin go together beautifully to give a healthy natural flush, plus it has a slightly sheeny finish without being garish (*ahem* Sleek Rose Gold *ahem*).  I dusted a little No 7 Vital Enlightening Highlighting Powder over the tops of my cheekbones, down the bridge of my nose and on my cupid's bow to amp up the glow factor.  This product was limited edition, but it's a pretty standard off-white pearly shade.

I found my MUA Heaven and Earth palette hanging around in the back of my make-up drawer and created a fuss-free bronze-y eye, before lining my eyes with Loreal Perfect Slim Liner and applying lashings (get it??) of Loreal Mega Volume Collagen Mascara.  To finish off I applied Revlon Lip Butter in Crème Brule, which gives a hint of shine and colour, but without being heavy or sticky.
So, if you've got a bit of warm sun where you are; a: get out there and enjoy it and b: I'm totally and unashamedly jealous.
And if I see a polar bear I'll let you know.

Ice Cream Nails

I've never thought of myself as a pastel girl; be that clothes, accessories or indeed nail polish.  However, whilst rummaging through my polish stash I came across this pretty lot!  These are polishes that I reach for often, whatever the season but as they are particularly relevant now as we head towards the warmer weather, I thought i'd share them with you.

Sally Hansen - Mousseline
From her Complete Salon Manicure range, this is the perfect creamy vanilla colour.  The formula here is slightly on the thinner side so it does take 3-4 coats to build an opaque colour.  Once painted though, it gives your nails a fresh, clean look.

Models Own - Lemon Meringue
Such an apt name for this creamy, milky shade.  There is a definite softness in the hue, it's not neon or garish.  I recently bought Essie's matte top coat and, for some reason, I can't wait to pair it with this.  The formula is quite decent too, and 2 coats are plenty.

Barbara Daly - Peach Satin
Unfortunately, this picture is showing this colour much cooler and pinker than it is in real life.  It has a definite apricot-ness while still being soft and pastelly.  This would also need a good 2-3 coats to be fully opaque.

Color Club - Get a Clue (maybe)
Now, I picked this polish up as part of a set from TK Maxx.  None of the colours had names on them so I did a good amount of image searching on Google and I think this is Get a Clue from the Alter Ego Collection, it certainly seems closest.  This colour lies right, slap bang in-between pink and lavender, depending on the light.  It's sheer though, and needs a good 3-4 coats.

NYC - Mint Macaroon
Oh, the name!  Any kind of macaroon is good in my book!  This is one of my most used nail polishes, it just such a flattering, pretty colour.  Plus, it looks amazing with a chunky glitter top coat.  The formula is excellent for the price, 2 coats is enough.

Barry M Gelly - Blueberry
I didn't get sucked into the blogger hype about these at first, I figured that I always use a top coat anyway so didn't have much need for a super shiny finish.  However, it was this particular shade that drew me in; it's a powdery-periwinkle blue and so unlike any other colour I own.  I have found that 2 coats of this is enough.

These are all such cheery colours, you can't fail to feel a little bit happy wearing them!

Take care,

Heather x