What's in my Holiday Make Up Bag?

I am off on my happy holidays on Tuesday and I thought I would give you a little peek into what I am planning on taking away with me make up wise. Enjoy!

Base / I go extremely freckly in the sun so for my Holiday base I want to stick to something light so Dr Jarts BB Cream is perfect it gives enough coverage that my freckles can still shine through and when paired with concealer over bad skin bits it gives me a perfect natural glow.
Estée Lauder Illuminating Perfecting Primer, Make Up Forever Full Cover Concealer in colour 4, Dr Jart Water Fuse BB Cream, Mac Mineralize Skin Finish in Lightscapade, Bobbi Brown Corrector in Light Bisque.

Cheeks / On my cheeks I want to have summery shades with a touch of bronze, my Guerlain bronzer is the best thing ever and I can build up colour as the holiday goes on. Topshop Blush in Do it again is my perfect orange shade and NYX Summer Peach is a beautiful pinky coral with a touch of shimmer for evenings. The Topshop Highlighter Palette is great to use for different shades depending on my tanning level.
Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzer in Nude, Topshop Cream Highlighter Palette in Kick Start, Topshop Blusher in Do it Again, NYX Blush in Summer Peach

Eyes / No doubt I will keep my eyes super minimal and neutral with just a slick of mascara in the days but I am taking a couple of palettes and cream shadows just for if I want to add a little bit of jazz in the evenings.
Bare Minerals Ready Eyeshadow Palettes in The Truth and The Soundtrack, L'oréal Color Riche Le Khol in pure espresso, MaxFactor Masterpiece Max Mascara in Black, Lancome Artliner in Black, Mac Pro Longwear Paint Pots in Bare Study and Vintage Selection.   

Lips / Bright lipsticks and light glosses are perfect for holidays, The Clarins Instant Light is a great light go too and Topshop Macaroon will be great for brighter evenings.
Clarins Instant Light Natural Lip Perfector, Topshop lipstick in Macaroon, Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey Douce, Clinique Chubby Stick in Curvy Candy.

What do you think of my holiday picks? What products are in your holiday make up bag?

Home Mani Essentials

As I have already mentioned I love doing my nails...here are my must have picks for the perfect at home mani.

Mavala Scientifique Nail Strengthener - My nails are naturally quite weak and brittle but this little god send from Mavala sorts them out! It is a great product, I just pop some on the top third of my nail before my base coat and voila...perfect nails!

Essie Fill The Gap - I love everything that Essie has to offer, they are definitely one of my favourite nail brands and this has been my go to base coat for ages now, it creates the perfect base for any colour and evens out and bumps from peeling or weak nails.

Gelous - This was a little beauty of a find on ebay that I came across on my never ending quest for super shiny nails. It makes any polish look like salon quality gel. Only problem is sometimes I find the polish doesn't last as long as it may do without gelous added.

Nails Inc Kensington Caviar Top Coat  - My top coat of choice at the moment is a nails inc offering. I do like Seche Vite but find that the bottle dries out really quickly. Kensington Caviar gives the same effect and doesn't dry out so in my book comes out tops!

Sally Hansen Maximum Growth Cuticle Pen - A great choice of cuticle oil to put in your handbag and carry about for tip top cuticle care. This oil is really lightweight and sinks in really quickly...plus it has the bonus of helping nail growth.

Essie Apricot Oil - I love the smell of this oil, it is so divine. I keep it next to my bed or on my desk to (attempt) to love my cuticles a couple of times a day. Its slightly heavier than the Sally Hansen pen making it better for at home application rather than on the go in my book.

Good quality Nail File and Cuticle Trimmers - I can't remember where I got these from but you can get good quality ones from Boots and most beauty retailers. I am super fussy about nail files I hate thin ones, the ones I tend to go for are a bit more cushioned and feel more gentle when I am filing my nails down.

So there you have it, my collection of must have mani items.

What products are in your manicure kit?

The Spring Face Edit

In honor of a sunny week and hopefully a sunny bank holiday here are my favourite product picks for a spring face. Warning this is going to be LONG.

Base // Manuka Doctor Apirefine Flawless, Revlon Photoready Skinlights in Bare Light, Bourjois Happy Light Foundation in Porcelain, Estée Lauder Double Wear Light in Intensity One, and Guerlain Terracotta 4 Seasons Bronzer in Nude.

Manuka Doctore Apirefine Flawless - This is a great base. It is a very light cream with a slight tint which evens the skin tone out. It is made with Manuka Honey (shock) and Bee venom and does have a slightly weird sweet smell when you put it on but it fades almost instantly. Oh and apparently I Millie Macintosh uses it (enough said.)

Revlon Skinlights -  Such a great multi-tasking product. I either use it mixed into my foundation or as a light layer between my primer and foundation to add some extra oomph.

Bourjois Happy Light Foundation - I am usually a full coverage girl but thanks to some TLC my skin has cleared up a little bit and I felt confident enough to go for this medium coverage foundation. The colour isn't perfect on me but hopefully with a little bit of sun it will be. It doesn't dry my skin out and has pretty good staying power with a light natural slightly dewy finish.

Estée Lauder Double Wear Light - Double wear is my all time favourite foundation, it really suits my skin and gives me the build-able coverage that I need on not so great skin days. The colour is perfect for my pale post winter skin and I just LOVE it, I have no doubt I will be repurchasing this for the rest of my days.

Guerlain Terracotta 4 seasons Bronzer - I bought this during a Selfridges make up splurge last summer and although the price tag is super high it is so worth it in my eyes. Thanks to my pale skin I find it difficult to find bronzers that look natural on me but this does it all, I can use it all year round by using different blends of the four shades and it is just BEAUTIFUL. I just hope it never runs out because I will have to get drunk before spending the money on it again.

Cheeks // Tarte Amazonian Clay 12-hour Blush in Fearless, Topshop Blush in Do It Again, NYX Powder Blush in Angel, Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade and MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter

Tarte Blush in Fearless - This is a total tease as I have linked the US site BUT fear not this is one of the shades available through QVC they just don't have it on there at the moment...my guess is everyone went Tarte crazy (myself included) and they have sold out for now. Anyway I LOVE THIS BLUSHER. I can totally see why everyone raves about them, they are so beautiful. The pigmentation is lovely and build-able and the texture...just wow. On top of that the packaging is just beaut as well. Fearless is such a great spring/summer colour a pinky coral (my fave!) which you can just add a little of for a slight flush or build up for a more powerful look. Needless to say this is one of my favourite products ever and I have asked my friend who is in the States to get me two more.....

Topshop Blush in Do It Again - A beautiful peachy coral this blush is perfect for summery days it has a slight shimmer in it which is so so pretty, definitely a go to for garden BBQ season and great quality for the price too.

NYX Blush in Angel - This is my go to blush for my barely there make up days when I just want a touch of natural colour in my cheeks. It is such a pretty warm pink that would suit everyone.

Mac Mineralize Skinfinish in Lightscapade - I wear a really light dusting of this all over my face after my bronzer and blush just to add some illuminating particles to my face, it makes my skin look super healthy and glowy without the disco ball look that we all want to acvoid.

MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighter - Since I picked this up a few months ago I cannot get enough of it. For three pounds this highlighter is incredible, I wear it on the top of my cheek bones, down my nose and cupids bow and it stays put all day long. Such a great budget product. My only whinge about it is I wish they would bring out different tones, this is a very cool pink which is nice but I would love a peachy tone too :)

Eyes and Lips // Bourjois Color Edition 24H Cream Eyeshadow in Oh Desir, L'oréal Color Riche Le Khol in Pure Espresso, Clarins Instant Light Perfector in Apricot Shimmer, Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey Douce, Topshop Lipstick in Macaroon, and Topshop Lipstick in Innocent

Bourjois Cream Eyeshadow in Oh Desir - This is my first ever cream shadow (whaaaaaa?!) and I love it! It is such a great neutral colour and perfect for the days when I don't have the time/can't be bothered to faff about with eyeshadows. I just use my fingers to pop a bit on a VOILA its done.

L'oréal Color Riche Le Khol in Pure Espresso - Up until recently I have been a die hard black liquid liner fan but I have been trying a more muted soft look recently and this eyeliner is doing me well. It is smudgey enough to blend when you put it on but not too smudgey that you look like a panda an hour later. Plus Pure Epresso and Oh Desir go together like strawberries and cream....perfectly.

Clarins Instant Light Perfector in Apricot Shimmer - I am a balm girl more than a lipgloss girl (I find them too sticky) and this product is perfect the comfort of a balm but the kissable look of a gloss.

Revlon Colorburst Balm Stain in Honey Douce - This is my 'my lips but better' shade, its so moisturising and the perfect nudey pink for me. Plus it smells minty. Score.

Topshop Lipstick in Macaroon - This was such a whim buy for me, by the time I got it home I was convinced I would never wear it but lo and behold a few days later I had it on to go to a BBQ and I really loved it, I paired it with a balm so it had more of a stain look instead of a velvet lipstick but it was great - definitely a great spring evening shade.

Topshop Lipstick in Innocent - This is another 'my lips but better' shade for me (infact the colour is super similar to honey douce from revlon) a super easy shade to slap on to make my lips that little bit more kissable.... :)

So, there you have it my top picks for the next few months super easy shades to wear in the warm days and balmy evenings. Lets just hope this weather is here to stay!

What do you think of my Spring Picks? Do you see anything you have on my list?

PS/ Apologies my photos are a bit weird there was some weird lighting going on when I was taking them....

The Wishlist #1

Here are some of the products I have recently been crushing over :)

Le Blanc De Chanel / Glam Glow Super Mud / Nars Tinted Moisturiser / Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer / Kevyn Aucoin Celestial Powder / Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder / Elemis Papaya Enzyme Peel / Jouer Cosmetics Bag / Origins Clean Energy Cleansing Oil / Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess Eye Palette / Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit / Marc Jacobs Lolita Eye Palette / Tarte Amazonian Butter Lipstick / Nars Narsissist Eyeshadow Palette / Bobbi Brown Nectar and Nude Eye Palette

Do you have any items that are on my wish list? What do you think of them?

Mani Monday - Barry M Gelly Prickly Pear

Mani Monday is going to be a regular weekly post that I do, if you read my Barry M Gelly Polish Haul post on Friday you will already be aware of my nail polish addiction and my love for Barry M polishes.

As you can see I chose the lilac shade Prickly Pear to wear and I love it, its such a nice colour and really complements my skin tone (I am super super pale). This will definitely be a shade that gets a lot of wear this Spring and Summer.

I am going to do a post on my essential at home manicure items later this week so make sure you check back for that if your nail obsessed like me.

Do you like the shade Prickly Pear on me? What colour will you be painting your nails this Mani Monday?

Barry M Gelly Nail Polish Haul

It is no secret that I have a slight/major obsession with nail polishes. I own ALOT and they all live on salon style shelves in my wardrobe. They used to be on my wall but now I live with my boyfriend they had to be put away (boo). I can happily spend days without make up on but if my nails are unpainted I just feel incomplete. Looking at my collection (which is now too big for my shelves) it is insane to think that I could possibly need anymore however on a quick trip to Boots and Superdrug I was quickly taken in by the vibrant shades and bright pastels and just HAD to grab a few to bring my nails out of my dark greys and purples faze and head into spring/summer happy nails.

Barry M are by far my favourite high street polish brand, in fact it was them that started my obsession with nail polish. I love everything about them. The colour range, price point and formula are impossible to fault and when they bought their Gelly range out my nails were happy happy happy. I love gel nails but I tend to change my colour too often to warrant getting them done in a salon. This gel formula is such a great alternative. Shiny salon looking nails that I can change whenever I want without feeling guilty that I spent money on a manicure and whipped them off a few days later.

The colours I picked up are Prickly Pear a beautiful lilac shade, Grapefruit a coral pink (my favourite colour for sunny holidays), Passionfruit a warm bright red, Papaya a bright pastel peach, Sugar Apple a stunning pastel mint and Green Berry a brighter mint shade.

Not only are the colours amazing but the names are great too, I just can't help feeling summery! There is no doubt a couple (or all) of these polishes will be in my holiday bag at the end of this month!

And just to make things better in Superdrug Barry M cosmetics are buy 2 get one free at the moment...even more of an excuse to stock up.

Look out for my Mani Monday post on Monday (shock!) to see which shade I chose first!

Do you like Barry M polishes? What's your favourite shade?

Boots Haul

A couple of days ago I made a quick stop by my big local(ish) Boots. There seems to be absolutely no correlation between the amount of time I have to spend in there and how much I buy. Yesterday was a prime example of a 'I have five minutes I'll just pop in for one thing' and coming out with six new products. Oops. A third off of skincare is just too big of a temptation.

A couple of the products I got were things I have seen online and been wanting to try out (I have a LONG wish list on my phone) and then a couple were just…you know….things that look nice.

First up, The Sanctuary 5 minute Thermal Mask.
I LOVE this mask, I bought it for my sister for christmas and used it when I was at my parents in January. Its such a nice feeling when it warms up and my skin looked vibrant and clearer after. A five minute mask is a must have for those times when you just need a quick fix. With a third off it was just too good of an offer to not pick one up to add to my own pamper routine.

Secondly, the first of two exfoliators. The Sanctuary Radiance Exfoliator.The Thermal Mask mentioned above is actually the only product I have used from The Sanctuary before and after just one use I was sold so as I was in the market for a new exfoliator (as part of my never ending search for the perfect one) I picked up this one to try. I am also totally sold on any product with the word Radiance in it (I am so desperate to be Radiant).

And then onto another exfoliator. The Superfacialist Rose Brighten & Refine Facial Scrub.
Superfacialist is not a brand that I have used before but I have read good reviews of their products, I was particularly drawn towards the Vitamin C range but it smells of oranges and I have a citric acid allergy and I always worry about putting products like this on my skin. So I went for the Rose facial scrub, again sucked in by the 'Brighten & Refine' label. I love rose skin care, I use rose water as a toner on my face daily and find it so soothing so I have high expectations for this scrub.

Next I thought it was about time to dabble in the oil cleansing world so I grabbed the L'Oréal Paris Skin Perfection 15 Second Miracle Cleansing Oil.I haven't tried cleansing oil before and although I have my eye on the Origins one but thought to start I would go for the L'oreal one which I have read great things about. I have really congested skin and lots of stubborn blackheads on my nose and I am hoping that using an oil with give me a deeper cleanse. Fingers crossed!

After all the love I was planning on giving my face it seemed unfair to leave my hair out of the love in so I grabbed the Charles Worthington Volume & Bounce Texturising Spray.
I have read about this on various blogs and thought it was about time I gave it a try. My hair is pretty flat at times so hopefully this will give it a boost on those flat hair days.

Annnnnnd last but not least I grabbed the Collection work the colour nude eyeshadow.I have seen this budget palette on a few different blogs and for less than four pounds I just had to throw it in my basket. I am not keen on the packaging but for the price you really cant ask for much. I have read that the formulas are good so I cant wait to try these out!

So thats the ins and outs of my boots haul. I am looking forward to trying all these new products, and will hopefully be back with rave reviews soon!

What do you think of my purchases? Have you tried any of these things?

Hello!

Hello and welcome to my beauty and lifestyle blog Honey and Blush.

My name is Lauren and welcome to my blog! I am a graphic designer in my mid twenties living just outside London with a MAJOR love for all things beauty and lifestyle related. My best friend is a make up artist and my mum used to be one too so there has always been a bit of a buzz about beauty around me, but my craziness for products has quadrupled recently and I thought that seeing as I have a fashion journalism degree (which I don't use at all) this would be a great way to excersise my typing fingers again and a place where I can waffle on about different products and ideas (I live with two boys who do not care for my waffle AT ALL). So this will be a place to find beauty gossip and products along with general chit chat and lifestyle posts. I have, in the last couple of months, started enjoying cooking/discovering new foodie things so there will probably be a sprinkling of foodie fun at times.

Here are 10 random facts about me, so you can get to know me...

• I am 26 and still suck my thumb….I also have no qualms with doing it in public.
• I am a freelance graphic designer and a wannabe calligrapher.
• I have a younger sister who is AMAZING the strongest and weirdest person you will ever meet.
• I have a little miniature daxie called Lincoln, he's tiny and naughty and the most wonderful creature ever.
• I have 7 tattoos.
• I have 2 huge rabbits called Ted and Norman, they are bigger than my dog.
• I own hundreds of magazines. I look at them like they are my children.
• I own over 100 nail varnishes yet never seem to have the 'perfect colour' (or know what the perfect colour is)
• Otters are my favourite animal.
• I am OBSESSED with the Kardashians.

So there we go, thats me in a few sentences...I hope you enjoy reading honey and blush. Please comment with your opinions and what you would like to see more/less of.