With all this hot weather it finally feels like summer – woohoo! Time to have a little makeup bag change up and ditch the heavy powders and eyeliners and embrace my natural skintone and slightly sun-blushed skin. At this time of year I like to stop wearing foundation completely and just go for light BB creams and cream blushes to stop that cakey-matte look that is oh so obvious in the bright summer light. I also love to let my freckles shine through. I don’t understand why people would try and hide their freckles, but I love the natural look and think people should be proud of their unique skin tone and marks. Plus, freckles are cute!
Here is what is gracing my makeup bag this season:
I’m in LOVE with Bare Minerals at the moment. I recently went to a blog event at their Brighton store where we watched (and participated in) a tutorial on putting together the perfect summer make-up look and I just wanted to buy everything. We were kindly gifted one of their brand new ‘Pop of Passion’ Blush Balms (£20.00*) in our goodybags and it’s SO great, my blush is in shade ‘Posy’ and is such a gorgeous peachy pink, giving a lovely sweep of warmth over the cheekbones. The balm is perfect for building colour and blending, plus cream blushes are ideal for hot weather to avoid that streaky look.
The second brand new product to hit the shelves at Bare Minerals is the Complexion Rescue Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream (£26.00*). A lightweight product that feels like a BB cream but gives coverage like a light foundation, this is such a dream product for summer skin! It’s super hydrating to the skin, boosting hydration by 215% in a week, plus it contains SPF30 too. I wore this every day in France in 30 degree heat and the coverage lasted all day, it wasn’t greasy at all and it kept my pale skin from burning all day long. Impressed!
As I don’t wear much in the way of eyeliner and eyeshadow in the summer, having a great mascara is a must. My new favourite is the Clinique High Lengths Mascara (£17.00). I originally got this in tester size within a giftbag but loved it so much I had to go back and buy a full sized tube. The curved brush shape is unique and took a bit of getting used to but this product gives such an even, thick coverage and makes my lashes look the longest they’ve ever looked! I think this is a favourite I’ll buy time and time again.
I’d seen the Maybelline SuperStay 24 hour Concealer (£7.99) on so many blogs, I just had to see what all the fuss was about. It’s actually the cheapest concealer I’ve used in a long time (I’ve always thought concealers worth investing in) but, I’ll admit it – it’s also one of the best. It gives such great coverage, absorbs into the skin well and covers a multitude of dark circles, red patches and blemishes. I’m so impressed with it for the price, it’ll make me think twice about spending more next time!
The last in my little summer make-up collection is the Ultra Blush and Contour Palette in Golden Sugar from Makeup Revolution (£6.00). Again, another beauty blog-inspired buy – I couldn’t wait to try the shimmery tones of this bargain price palette. It’s perfect for finishing sunkissed makeup looks with a sweep of bronze shimmer across the cheekbones. The contouring and highlighter shades are great too for a slightly more dramatic look. Such a great price for a high quality product – I’m a bit late to the party, but I can see why all the bloggers were raving about Makeup Revolution!