Summer No-Makeup Makeup Look

                                                                                         

                                                                                  

End of Summer Favourites

 Despite everything going on in the world, isn't it mad how fast the year has gone? I've spent most of the year at home, which has always been a dream of mine but this wasn't quite how I expected it to go...as the summer holidays officially finish for me next week and I go back to work, I thought it would be the perfect time to put together some bits that I have loved over the last few months.                                             

                                                                                            

Summer Essentials with Nivea

 We might be half way through August (crazy right!) but that does mean its the end of the summer yet. I've seen quite a few people online saying they can't wait till the Autumn. I love the autumnal seasons but why wish the summer way - we hardly get a hot one in the UK and I think we've been really lucky this year! 

Whether you're planning an abroad trip or having a stay-cation this year, I have some essential summer products and tips to keep you glowing and fresh all summer! 

Summer Work Makeup

I've gone from wearing a full face of makeup everyday to wearing it once in a while, my skin is loving it but my makeup filled heart is hating it. I have however, started to go into work a lot more now, to get things ready for September and to look after key worker children...its been the perfect excuse to put some on and have a play. This is a post all about my 'summer work makeup', its medium coverage, lightweight and completely sweat proof! 

End of Summer Favourites

My summer officially ended on Monday when I went back to work :( Six glorious weeks off and now back to the grind. Even though I do love the lazy days, hot weather and doing nothing at all - being back at work feels good. I'm slowly getting back into a routine and actually have things to do, which is nice! Over the summer, I have discovered so many new products. From haircare to lip care, there has been lots. So, I thought it would be nice to whittle them down and select a few standouts to share with you today...

Summer Skincare Picks

My very breakout prone skin is loving the weather at the moment, its given it some life. To help with that I've stripped back my routine to keep it simple, hydrating and still targeting my key concerns; breakouts, oiliness and pigmentation. The following 4 products have made a difference to my overall skin. 

Getting Sandal Ready Feet

Personally, I think that it is now appropriate to wear open toed shoes, sandals and wedges. It is nearly July and the weather at the moment is glorious. So you don't need any excuse, get those summer shoes out! Work rules don't permit me to wear open toe/sandals plus I wear tights half the time with my uniform but every other opportunity that I get those summer shoes will be out in full force.

If you are anything like me however, then your toes have been hibernating for the past six months. Layered under socks and stuffed inside boots and wooly tights, safe to say they need some TLC and here are some easy ways to do that. 

Must Have Festival Makeup

When June arrives, so does Festival season. In the UK there are a wide range of festivals happening all over the country, some experience bad weather and others get glorious sunshine. Whatever the weather, your makeup of course needs to be prepared and ready for everything! I’ve selected a few favourites that are available to buy through Cosmetify, a website that makes buying beauty products quick and easy. You can browse over 1000 brands and find the best places to buy the products you are wanting/love.

#1 Long lasting Base



It is very important to make sure that your base is long lasting, not too heavy and will last through rain or shine. A primer is always a must for my oily skin, I love anything that is gripping and pore filling. The Milk Hydro Grip is fabulous and helps any foundation applied on top stay like a dream. Then for foundation, I adore the L’Oreal Infallible 24-Hour Fresh Wear. Its so light on the skin and no matter how many layers you apply, it still feels like skin. The coverage is medium – but enough for everyday and special occasion wear. A little bit of powder and you’re face is good to go.

#2 Golden Shimmer

The best thing about summertime is the glow and golden look you can give to the skin, even if you haven’t seen the sun. Bronzer is a must for this exact reason. Applying a little bit near the hairline, cheeks and jawline will not only sculpt the face but give it some colour. I must apply bronzer because foundation makes me so washed out. Then its time for highlighter – the best part of any makeup look. TheBalm Mary Lou Manizer* is perfect for every skin tone and I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to try it out. It’s a shimmer that diffuses the skin and makes it look softer whilst adding a subtle glow.

#3 Pop of Colour

If a festival isn’t the best time to bring out the colours and glitter. If I’m going very heavy on the eye make-up, then I make sure the face is done quite simple and subtle. If you haven’t got a palette for the summer yet, then you need this Technic Summer Glow Palette*. JUST LOOK AT HOW BEAUTIFUL. This pressed pigment palette, features a range of browns, pinks and shimmers to help create a wide range of looks. Each shadow is named after a place in the world. I love the bright colours and for less than £10 it’s a steal. The shadows are pigmented, very easy to blend and look beautiful. For this festival look, I took a mixture of Mauritius and Bora Bora in the crease. Then packed on Antigua and Bahamas all over the lid, to give a sunset type look. I decided it then needed some glitter, so I mixed all 3 from the palette and applied just to the middle of the lid. I am in love with the overall look – it’s so pretttyyyyy!

#4 Glossy Lips and Coral Tips

The lip gloss trend has got me going crazy. Never thought that I would be someone who loves a gloss over a traditional matte lipstick but I’m loving it so much more. I recently discovered the Bobbi Brown Crushed Liquid Lip in Juicy Date* and it’s a hybrid product. The look of a liquid lipstick but feels like a balm that leaves a glossy look. It smells like berries and just glides on to the lips. It is also a great shade and product to keep in your bag when at the festival top up without worrying about not being able to see what you’re doing/when in a hurry. Your fingers and toes are going to be out for a festival so make sure there is some colour on them. Essie’s Resort Romanza* is a stunning summer shade suitable for all skin tones. It’s a coral with more of a red undertone and looks amazing with sandals and lots of jewellery.

#5 As You Go

I think its important to take a bag with only the essentials. Don’t be carrying around things ‘just in case you need them’. Be strict. The essentials are of course; phone, charger, money ect. One essential I can’t anywhere without is Blotting Paper*. It not only helps keep your makeup in check, but it also controls oil, shine but also helps with sweat control.


Festivals are so much fun, as are outdoor concerts which are common now too. If you are going to anything this year or in the future, then I do hope this helps in some way.                                                                                             
*post in collaboration with Cosmetify

Summer Staples: SPF

Caudalie are one of the many skincare brands that I adore. Their products are kind to the skin, target specific concerns and do the job on the tin - to put it lightly. Their newest venture is in sun care and it couldn't be timed better. With the sunshine out in the UK and my summer holiday paid for, the SPF is sorted thanks to Caudalie. 

The new sun care range offers a high factor protection from harmful rays, protect the skin against ageing and smells amazing. The line has 5 products to offer; SPF 30 face sun care, SPF 50 sun care, Milky sun spray SPF 30, Milky sun spray SPF 50, Sun care oil.  The range is for everyone and there are two stand outs for me..

Summer Staples: Fashion

The weather has been glorious in the UK at the moment, its the hot topic of conversation for everyone. I'm still trying to find my summer style, not sure if I want to get the legs out just yet. Instead, I've been going for floral tops, light coats and sandals to complement whatever bottoms I wear. This post is all about my current go to staples, the items that are going to see me straight through, come rain or shine! 

Special Occasion Makeup Must Haves

My calendar is currently filled with so many different events! In two weeks is my graduation, then I have lots of birthdays, a wedding or two and then we're going away on holiday which is a whole other occasion in itself. When packing my makeup for any of these events, there are things that I always take with me no matter what, the ride of die products that work so well they can't be missed out of my bag. 

                                             

The ultimate style-guide for summer

Summer is just around the corner and there’s no doubt that instagram is soon to be flooded with pitcures of cocktails, beach pictures and days outs.

Whateever your style is at the moment, this is the perfect time to upgrade your wardrobe, and hopefully this will help you with that, I have teamed up with Dimensions, who offer a tailored workwear service, to bring you the ultimate style-guide that narrows down the best materials for the summer heat. The guide will also give you top advice on how to dress your best for all types of escapades — from crazy festivals to lavish pool parties. 

Celebrate in Style with Elvi

This might just be the most exciting weekend of the year so far. Its the ROYAL WEDDING. I am someone that loves and I mean loves the royal family and the wedding has got me super excited. I am working through the wedding but will be live streaming it on my phone no matter what people say. This post is in collaboration with Elvi, who have kitted me out with some amazing goodies to celebrate the wedding in style. 

Beach Essentials

It is starting to become that time of year again where people are jetting off on their holidays, whether it be to another part of the country you live in or somewhere else. A getaway is a getaway and everyone needs time out to relax, eat lots of food and spend some time on the beach. I usually leave all my holiday posts for August, but this is probably the best time to publish as the holiday season has pretty much started. Today's post is all about my beach essentials, I love spending time by the sea and when you're armed with these essentials you will not want to leave. 

Summer Dress Wishlist

We have officially booked our summer holidays, so the countdown is on! As a family we are going to the gorgeous island of Oahu, which is in Hawaii!! The four of us are obsessed with the show Hawaii Five 0 and we have always wanted to visit, so after saving up for months and months we're actually going this summer. I could not be more excited to spend some time in the sun! With the holiday booked, its time to start buying and getting the wardrobe ready - I find that this time of year is the best time to buy things after July everything seems to go pretty downhill.

The amazing site that is Quiz had just extended to now be available in the USA! Here in the UK, Quiz is an amazing place to buy all kinds of clothes from casual to formal and they have a gorgeous range of summer dresses too, that are perfect for any trips away and any occasion you have coming up. There are so many on the site that are gorgeous but these are my top picks:

> Blue and Red Floral Dress (Top Left) = I love the print on this dress, its advertised as purple but to me it looks more blue. It has a tie knot front which makes a little different from your usual summer dress. This would look amazing paired with sandals and a straw bag (which I really need to get!).

> Navy and White Bardot Dress (Bottom Left) and Striped Bardot Dress (Bottom Right)  = Bardot dresses are going to be so popular this season and rightly so, not only are they comfortable to wear but they look stunning both in the day and during the evening when paired with some heels and a nice throw over. 

> Red Dress (Middle) = There are a couple of reasons why this dress stood out to me, firstly the high neck. I love how formal this makes it look and it adds some length to the whole dress. The other reason is the sleeves! Just look at them, so frilly and perfect to wear in the evening. Red is also such a pretty colour to wear when you have a tan. 

>Floral Print Skater Dress (Top Right) = This dress is perfect to wear either on holiday or for a summer party, even weddings! Its a off white, almost cream and features a gorgeous floral print. The off the shoulder style dress will look beautiful with a pair of tassel earrings and some wedges. I think I might just have to hunt this one down, slightly in love with the colour combination. 

> Polka Dot Dress (Middle) = Is this not the most gorgeous dress? Polka dots are such a classic print to wear and if floral isn't your cup of tea then this is a great alternative. It has frill sleeves similar to the red one which adds some jazz and would look perfect in the evening. 

I am ever so slightly in love with all of these! Which is your favourite?

*collaboration post with Quiz

                

Making the Most of Summer

Even though I love everything that comes with Autumn, nothing can beat the clothes in summer. Floral prints, dresses and skirts - it is all my favourite and even now as we come into September I am still living and breathing in my summer wardrobe and hope to drag it out as long as possible. Last bank holiday weekend, I went to Germany for a short city break. Packing for this was really difficult as I don't know what quite to expect, but one fail safe option that came with me was a maxi dress.

Maxi dresses have become popular to wear not only in the evenings but also everyday too. From a night out in the city to the beach as a cover up, they are so easy to wear and style. The main benefit of this trend is that a max dress, without a doubt looks very feminine and classy. Take this maxi dress from Very for example, it couldn't be anymore perfect. 

The dress has a chevron pattern going all the way down and this is a creative pattern that can spice up any summer look. The widening of the stripes might seem daunting at first as it is quite eye catching but it means you don't have to put much effort into styling it up. I've kept it very simple as the dress is the main attraction. Majority of my wardrobe is monochrome and no matter how hard I try to adjust, I always come back to it and this is the main reason why I love this dress. The chevron is monochrome, but then you have a pop of orange going through that just makes the dress stand out even more. It isn't a neon orange either, so very flattering on everyone. 

The tan wedges are actually from George at Asda a few years back, they lace up and work perfectly with this maxi and so many more outfits in my wardrobe. They are also very, very comfortable to wear even after walking around for the whole day. I wish that I had a denim jacket to pair with it as that would look perfect, but a leather jacket looks just as good and is the perfect way to style the dress up for the evening. Adding a jacket and some boots would also work really well in the winter, making sure the dress isn't hung up and worn well! 

I haven't stopped wearing this dress since having it in my wardrobe and so many compliments on it too! 

 
*in collaboration with Very

Dressing For In-between Weather

Guess who finally has an outfit post, this girl!!! I have loved doing these more often, they really allow me to put together some outfits that represent me and what I'm all about. Each post I put up has been carefully thought out and planned so that it what I wear all the time, rather than something random. This time round, I shot with the lovely Laura from Laura Haley Photographer. Being a blogger herself, Laura knew exactly what I wanted and made me feel so comfortable. We had the perfect weather and some gorgeous locations, I can't wait for you to see the rest and for me to work with her again! You can follow her on facebook, twitter and instagram via the following links.
In today's post we are talking all about ways to dress in this awful inbetween weather, by this I mean when its sunny one minute and raining the next. Its hard to know what to wear in the morning because you can't judge anything!                  

The Ultimate Summer Party

 This year, I really want to have a garden party! Decorate the back garden all fancy with fairy lights and flowers, a nice array of food, music and of course people. This is of course all in my head because British weather is never something you can guarantee, so I could plan everything and then it would rain on the day and everything would be over. Instead, I've planned everything in my head and on pinterest so that I can be prepared for when I can rely on the weather and throw this summer party - everything from makeup and outfit to decorations and food. You are all, also invited. 

Summer Staples from The Body Shop

Summer, summer, summer! SUMMER! After what seems like forever, it is officially summer time and for me it starts this week. I finished placement last week, two months of planning, stress and long days all paid off because I passed with flying colours and could not be more proud of myself. In that time, I have not been online very much, very sorry but I had no time but I am back and kicking it off with some gorgeous pieces from The Body Shop. The Virgin Mojito and Pinita Colada range both scream summer and make you smell amazing.      

The Pre-Summer Edit

It seems a bit silly doing a post called the pre-summer edit, but at the moment we aren't really in full summer mode. It is still miserable, I have no holidays planned and I am working! So, the aim of this post is to get us all in the mood for the summer and brighten up a gloomy weekend. There is a whole mix of beauty in this post and I tend to go for the same products for a few months and then rotate everything around, expect an actual summer edit in a few months time!