Bigger, Brighter Eyes

Because our eyes are often the first feature that people notice about us, perfecting that 'big and bright' makeup look is a seriously handy skill! Using the right makeup and skincare products, you can make it look as though you've had 8 hours of sleep, even when you only got a fraction of that! Gone are the days where we like to plaster our lids in dark kohl liner, now it's all about going bigger and brighter.

Of course, long term it's crucial to get a good night's sleep (8 hours) and stay hydrated. Especially during winter when our skin gets dry, we need to make sure we are drinking enough water to keep our eyes looking dazzling white. Eye drops can help, but hydration and plenty of rest and sleep are by far the most effective way of having naturally bright eyes.

Choosing a brilliant eye cream will brighten, hydrate, and work to decrease the appearance of wrinkles and fatigue - the best way to start your bigger and brighter eye routine. I may only be 23 but my eye area is already an area of concern and I've recently become addicted to the Estee Lauder Advanced Night Repair Eye cream. It's a rich gel-like texture which you apply the smallest amount of to the eye area, with short term and long term benefits it fights signs of fatigue, puffiness and dark circles, as well as fine lines and pollution. The difference is noticeable within just a few days of using this cream, I'm already noticing a brighter and more vibrant eye area!

A bright creamy shadow can make your eyes look bigger and brighter, one of my favourites is the Benefit Creaseless cream eyeshadow in the shade Bikini Tini. Bringing the cream into the inner corner of your eyes will make the whites look brighter, and open up your eyes giving you an instant doe eyed appearance. To create more definition, using a slightly darker (but not dark!) eye crayon such as the Elizabeth Arden Eyeshadow Stylo in Sunkissed Pearl over the crease to extend the illusion of bigger eyes.

If you want to give the illusion of larger eyes, apply mascara to upper lashes only. Application on the lower lashes can close the eye area, but using a volumising mascara such as the Pixi Lengthy Fibre mascara (which has silk filaments which add to the volume of your lashes) and curled lashes can make your eyes look bigger in seconds!

Under eye concealer can hide any discolouration as well as illuminating the under eye area. My favourite is the By Terry Terrybly Densilis concealer - it's a fair shade but without being too light, it brightens and conceals, is lightweight and doesn't crease (never a good look!). Unlike other concealers that I've tried, the By Terry concealer not only covers darkness in the short term, but also contains ingredients which work to age-correct and firm your under eye area!

While white eyeliner in the waterline used to be the trend, it always looks a little stark and obvious! Only recently have I discovered flesh coloured pencils, and the Charlotte Tilbury Nude Eye Cheat is universal nude tone which instantly gives the illusion of wider, fuller eyes. It's the smoothest liner I've ever applied with a soft waxy texture, and unlike budget alternatives it stays put for hours and hours and contains ingredients which stimulate collagen production! Oh, and it's waterproof too!

How do you make your eyes look bigger and brighter?

xoxo

How to look after your skin in your Twenties

Hiding the signs of a late night on Tinder, or an even later night with Netflix, wondering when you need to start using anti-agin skincare but still not wanting to fork out on super pricey lotions and potions - skincare in your 20s is a bit of a nomads land. What are our skins needs, and how should you fulfil them?

Well, it's never too early to look after your skin and it's important that you tailor your approach to your skin's needs. In your 20s, your skincare should work to keep your complexion clear while preventing premature aging, and here are my favourite products which do just that.

If you don't cleanse your face at night, start. As in, tonight. That gorgeous mask of makeup, skin oils and dirt (gross, sorry) that end up on your face at the end of a long day lead to far more than just the odd spot - but also premature lines, wrinkles and creepiness due to the free radicals that float in the air ( all those bus exhausts etc ). To get rid of the grime, I love the Clinique Take The Day Off cleansing oil which melts makeup, oil and impurities, and is such a dreamy soft consistency that it's a pleasure to use in the evenings, meaning I'm never tempted to skip my cleanse.

If you're battling with dull skin, enlarged pores and you're noticing that the texture of your skin isn't quite as perky as it used to be, don't panic. You're not alone. These may be the  first signs that your skin isn't going to be as forgiving as it used to be, but don't worry, Origins have got us covered. Their new range is designed for your skin's 'quarter life crisis' and my favourite product is the Original Skin Renewal Serum with willow herb, which helps bring the vibrancy back to your complexion with ingredients such as Persian Silk Tree (to help skin rebound), Chestnut seed extract (to smooth roughness), Willowherb (to bring back the glow) and Algae (to shrink pores). While it doesn't have powerful anti aging properties, the serum is your best bet for keeping skin looking its best while you're skin is not quite ready for anti-aging, but you're already thinking about the future of your skin.

Now this applies to all ages, but by using an SPF every day, your skin can be better protected from aging caused by the sun's UV rays, which can lead to anything from wrinkles to sun spots. The Estee Lauder DayWear Advanced Multi-Protection Anti-Oxident & UV Defence SPF 50 not only has the longest name known in the entire history of skincare products, but works wonders on your skin too. The broad spectrum high SPF protects the skin, keeping it looking younger for longer, but it also contains an effective antioxidant which is proven to fight the apprearance of free radical damage - so an essential if you live in a city. It's a gorgeous lightweight formula that you can apply over the top of your moisturiser as the final step in your skincare routine, and it leaves skin feeling smooth and comfortable, and not clogged up like so many SPF lotions can do.

And finally, learn from the mistakes of previous generations and make sure you wear an eye cream every.single.day. The skin around your eyes is incredibly thin and delicate, and even just a few minutes of sun exposure here and there can add up to wrinkles, but so many eye creams mess up your makeup, and we use them for a week, then decide we prefer having concealer under our eyes any way. Enter Bobbi Brown's Hydrating Eye Cream. A lightweight eye cream which plumps and moisturises the under eye area, but it's also super fast absorbing and leaves the skin perfectly prepped for applying concealer. Apply daily with your fingers and gently pat around the eye area , and let Bobbi's blend of Enriched Mineral Water, and Aloe Vera and Witch Hazel hydrate and comfort the eye area.

How do you look after your skin in your twenties?

First Impressions : Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy

It's about time I switched up my usual Coral lips and neutral eyes combo, and I'd recently been on the  hunt for a new Summer lip when I discovered the Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy Sculpting Lipsticks. Taking the highly coveted position as my 'everyday go-to lipstick' is their 'Daring' shade (top photo) - a wearable red shade with warm orange tones which make this the most perfect lipstick for a daytime look.

They're ultra hydrating and don't settle onto the dry areas of my lips, and the colour stays put for hours so constant top ups are a thing of the past. As for the pigment, for a lipstick that has a more glossy finish, the colour payoff is seriously intense, so in short, there's nothing I don't love about these lipsticks.

In the middle image, from right, Tumultuous Pink (a slightly dusky pink), Defiant Coral (a pinky coral), Confident (a surprisingly wearable purple shade) and Daring (my fave).

Daring is the one I've been reaching for, and the one which seems to add instant luxe appeal to every look that I pull together,  you only need to take one look at my recent Instagram Selfies to see how it's been the colour-du-jour for most of my recent snaps! It's so much more than a standard coral shade, with the Poison Apple red hue to it, it's somehow more grown up than the corals that I previously coveted as my go-to lip shades.

Have you tried any Estee Lauder Pure Colour Envy lip shades?