Festival Beauty Essentials

Woohoo I did it! Survived my first festival since my teenage years (they feel terribly long ago), and, well, it really wasn't too hard. Despite absolutely loving my home comforts - electricity, warm showers, beauty products - you know, the essentials, I really don't mind camping. Having spent a month in a tent in Tanzania when I was 17, just one night in a field doesn't really phase my any more. Plus, I chose my beauty essentials wisely which definitely makes things a lot easier!

The first think I popped in my Festival Beauty bag is my By Terry Sheer Expert Foundation. No matter how neglected my skin feels (and after a night in a tent it's going to be pretty darn neglected), this incredibly moisturising foundation gives my skin that 'apr�s facial' glow, making it appear as though I've had 8 hours sleep when really I was tossing and turning on a camping matt all night. I buffed it in with my Real Techniques buffing brush, then applied a lot of under eye concealer to mask the dark circles. The By Terry Terribly Densilis ( does anyone even know what this name means?!) concealer did the trick, it has anti-aging and skin loving ingredients but I love it for its super long lasting coverage on days when I really need it.

For other areas that need coverage I relied on Benefit's Boi Ing concealer - this also came with me in my handbag for midday touch ups. This stuff doesn't budge or fade, so you can rely on it for looking flawless all day long.

I packed the Too Faced Natural Eyes palette for creating both everyday subtle looks, with shades to build up a deeper brown smoky eye in the evenings. Nudie, Honey Pot and Push Up were used to create a lightly shimmering look for the day time, but then I added some Erotica to the crease and Sexpresso to build up a dramatic evening look.

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Too Faced

BY TERRY

SELFRIDGES

feelunique.com

feelunique.com

Space NK UK

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For my brows, my new Tweezerman tweezers came in surprisingly handy - why is it that my brows decide to grow out of control when I just have a handheld mirror to rely on?! I'll never know, but there was no chance of me mixing up my tweezers with anyone elses thanks to the personalisation - I got my new pair engraved with my name at Selfridges and this pleases me probably far more than it should!
I used the shade Sexpresso from the Too Faced palette again to build in some colour to the brows, before setting with my new Clinique Just Browsing gel, which has a coloured formula so for an even more natural look you could get away with using the gel by itself.

My lashes were curled with my Tweezerman Rose Gold Lash curlers before I coated them with my Estee Lauder Waterproof mascara. This stuff seriously doesn't budge, and once lashes are curled - the mascara holds the curl all day, all night. It's perfect for long-use wear like at a festival!

I couldn't have survived the festival without my anti-perspirant, and I took the new Sure Compressed Shower Fresh deodorant. Not just because I knew I'd be craving that squeaky clean, freshly showered feeling, but also because of it's fancy new motion sense technology which active with movement - so the more dancing, the better!

I was also thankful for my Venus Snap which I keep in my travel bag - with temperatures were up to 29 degrees my legs were out, and thankfully my pins were silky smooth thanks to this nifty number!

What are your Festival Beauty Essentials?

xoxo

Dare to Wear Colour // Too Faced Sugar Pop

Let's be honest, it was the pastel pretty Macarons on the packaging of the Too Faced Sugar Pop Palette that ignited my lust for it, and I was in fact a little nervous about all the colourful shadows that lurked within. We all know that nudes and mattes are always going to be the safe option, and yep, I'm guilty of reaching for my Too Faced Natural Eyes palette (which I used in my Everyday Makeup Routine here) on an all-too-regular basis. 

Truth is, I haven't really played around with colour on my eyes since the 90s (WOW I feel old.) but after writing this post about why we should all inject some more colour into our daily routines and wardrobes, I began to wonder about adding it into my makeup routine too.

The palette, like the other Too Faced palettes that I've tried is very compact, in secure metal casing so perfect for travelling or keeping in your handbag. You get 9 shades, 3 big, 6 small, and they  are separated out into 'looks' so that you get an idea of which colours to use together.

It's a surprisingly versatile palette, as the colours apply very softly, and you can create a toned down look by using just a swipe of the shades, or build up for a stronger 80s style bold eye look! And everything in between of course...

As I predicted from Too Faced, the shadows are all absolutely powder perfection. Incredibly blendable, pigmented and long lasting, what more could you want?!

My favourite combination is Macaron and Blackberry, with a pop of Malted Milk Ball in the centre of my lid, and again I vary the intensity depending on the look I am trying to achieve.

So what do you think? Will you dare play with a bit of colour, or will you be sticking to nudes?

Carry-On Beauty Essentials!

When you go away for a long weekend, taking only a carry on suitcase, you are pretty restricted when it comes to how many beauty products you can take! No more than ten bottles of 100ml (including suncream, conditioner and after sun!) and space is very limited (especially when most of your tiny case is filled with shoes, like mine!). So, it was pretty tough making the shortlist for beauty products that I'd take away to Seville, #firstworldproblems, but here are the beauty products that made the cut for my Holiday Beauty Bag!

Firstly, to cleanse skin and remove makeup, I packed some Simple Face Wipes (not pictured) as well as my trusty Clarins Water Comfort One Step Cleanser. With space at a premium, it's all about the multi takers and this cleanser really does the trick at removing all my makeup (including the worlds most waterproof mascara, more on that later!) without the need for water. This means you can pop it in your beach bag along with some cotton pads if you do have any poolside panda eye emergencies, or just want to freshen up before heading to lunch. I popped a mini Caudalie Polyphenol Serum in my beauty bag too, which helps skin protect itself from environmental aggressors, as well as plumping and moisturising.

I like to keep my base quite light while on holiday, and needing something hydrating, with some sun protection and some lovely coverage, there was only one option; the bareMinerals Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream (SPF 30). I have been wearing this lots on good skin days in the UK, and it was the ideal multi tasking product to give me a fresh, flawless and protected complexion while away. I used the Zoeva 102 Silk Finish brush to buff it in, and in the evenings added a touch of the bareMinerals powder foundation to keep the shine at bay without caking the skin. In the evenings I added a little more colour in the evenings I used the Too Faced Dark Chocolate Soleil bronzer. It has a light chocolate scent and is perfectly matte - they call it tan without the twinkle which is perfect if you want to use it as a contour or all over colour like I did.

For contour and blush I used the Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick in Bronze - one of my my all time favourite multi tasking products. While away I used it to create a little contour shadow, but it can also be used to highlight, or even as eyeshadows. I used my Bobbi Brown blusher brush to apply the powder, and then added a very subtle pop of the Bobbi Brown blush on my cheeks.

An eyeshadow palette which can create the perfect dress up or dress down eye look is Charlotte Tilbury's Sophisticate palette. The smooth shades can be used to create a subtle wash of colour for a day time look, or built up to create a smokey look for evenings - plus it's tiny so ideal for popping in my carry one! To really make my eyes pop, I also took the Charlotte Tilbury Rock n Kohl Liquid Eye Pencil in a nude hue which makes eyes look bigger and brighter.

There was no other option than the Clarins Truly Waterproof mascara - this mascara will not budge! Since discovering it, I've never suffered panda eyes on the beach or by the pool, plus the formula coats lashes and protects them from chlorine and salt water.

Finally lips! As well as a nourishing balm (I took the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour lip balm) I took just two lip products away with me; both coral! For the daytime I chose the Too Faced Melted Lipstick which has ultra long lasting power, and I love the creamy formula which I apply over a balm. In the evenings, my favourite lipstick at the moment (and one which looks beautiful on lightly tanned skin), Charlotte Tilbury's Sexy Sienna. It protects, smooths, hydrates, and the colour is stunning!

What are your holiday beauty essentials?