Morning Skincare Favourites

I am one of those annoying people that go to the gym every morning before work. Unfortunately, I am not one of those people that look glamorous whilst working out and usually emerge from my post workout shower looking like a red, blotchy mess. Enter, my morning skincare favourites. 

At the recommendation of the skincare guru Caroline Hirons, I purchased the Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel which was a revelation to my morning skincare. A light gel, this cleanser has a bright, uplifting scent and a gel to creme texture that wipes away any morning after makeup or sweat (charming!) and leaves the skin feeling clean, smooth and revitalised. This cleanser is particularly good for dry or sun damaged skin (shout out to any aussies!) as its utilises Vitamin A as well as Vitamin C and E for their soothing and restorative properties. 
Oskia Renaissance Cleansing gel is £32.50 from Cult Beauty

Mario Badescu Facial Spray

At this stage in my routine I am still quite hot, and I do have skin prone to redness. Another Caroline Hirons enabled purchase is the Mario Badescu Facial Spray with Aloe Herbs and Rosewater, which I spritz all over my face as a refreshing and super hydrating toner. I had not used a toner previously in my morning routine and since introducing this spray I have noticed a big change in my skin. My skin is much more hydrated, plumper, dry patches have disappeared and my skin is much smoother- making makeup application a dream. The smell is great too- a definite must have. 
Mario Badescu Facial Spray is £6.98 from BeautyBay.com

Following on to this I use an eye cream (haven't found a favourite yet... suggestions welcome!) and then use my Ren Ever Calm Anti-Redness Serum. This serum is used to reduce redness, boost cell lifesan and hydration levels and keeps skin looking younger. I can't vouch for all those results but I can say it definitely acts as a moisture booster and calms my skin down after a tough workout. 
Ren Ever Calm Anti Redness Serum is £28 from Renskincare.com

What are your skincare favourites? 

YSL Terre Saharienne Bronzing Powder and NARS Blush

NARS Day Dream Blush and YSL Bronzer

Not that anyone needs an excuse to buy makeup, but when an email from Feel Unique  popped into my inbox advertising a YSL sale, well quite frankly it would be rude not too. Annoyingly I had wanted to get my hands on the YSL Touché Éclat foundation and had purchased it the day before at House of Fraser where it was also on sale, but for not as much. Annoying! 

In the interests of trying to save pennies for my holiday, I settled for just the one product, the YSL Terre Saharienne Bronzing powder in 03 Golden Sand. I do have a love for bronzers and in the interest of my upcoming holiday down under I thought it would be prudent to warm up my sunless complexion. As usual from anything YSL, the packaging is beautiful, a deep brown case embossed with gold on the top. The bronzer is embossed with the YSL logo on the top. The bronzer has a slight shimmer to it, which is a shame as I prefer a matte bronzer for contouring. It is not entirely noticeable although I have not examined in direct sunlight. The colour is a soft warm brown, not overly pigmented so it would be difficult to go overboard. Overall its a nice addition to my stash. 

After spotting a fabulously made up Nigella Lawson in Stylist Magazine, I just had to recreate the look. I love 60's makeup and her makeup in this shoot was incredible (link above). The 60's is all about porcelain skin and dramatic eyeliner, complete with nude lips and peachy cheeks. Her contoured cheeks really stood out to me, so I had to go for the blush, which was the NARS blush in Day Dream, part of the Guy Bourdin summer collection- limited edition. Day Dream is a soft pink, slightly peachy blush with a very faint shimmer. After purchasing the NARS One Night Stand palette (review here) I am hooked on NARS blushes, which are super pigmented, long lasting and come in some fantastic flattering colours. This is definitely one of my favourite blushes and really brightens the complexion, and works well with contouring. I purchased this from Space NK but it is no longer in stock, although I found it online at HQ hair here. 

xxx