Lighten Up

As the weather gets warmer and the sun starts to make an appearance, I tend to switch things up makeup wise. I opt for lighter bases, warmer skin and try to include more colours into my routine. 

One of my favourite products to use for warming up my skin and taking the edge off my paleness is the Bourjois Bronzing Primer. Often compared to the Soleil Tan De Chanel, launched last year this is a makeup base designed to be used under foundation which I like to apply onto bare skin using my Real Techniques buffing brush. The consistency is a light mousse, which leaves my skin feeling velvety soft with a hint of colour; oh and it smells amazing too!

For a lighter base I have a few options I like to use. If I’m having a really good skin day I can get away with a tinted moisturiser, for this I like to use my Nars Pure Radiant Tinted Moisturiser. I have this in 2 shades; Alaska and St.Moritz. Initially I bought St.Moritz and realised it was a tad too dark so went back and purchased Alaska which is the perfect colour for me in spring. I took St.Mortiz away with me on holiday last year and it turned out to work perfectly when I had a bit more of a tan. This stuff gives your skin a light luminous finish, perfect for spring or lazy makeup days.

If my skin isn’t so great or I’m going to work I’ll go for something with slightly more coverage. My 2 favourites are the Bourjois 123 Perfect Colour Correcting Cream and Benefits Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow Foundation. Both offer sheer to medium coverage. Benefits shade range is a lot more extensive than Bourjois so you’re guaranteed a better match, especially if you have darker skin as the Bourjois CC Cream currently only comes in 3 shades. Luckily being a pale girl the lightest one is a good match for me.

For colour depending on where I’m going I’ll either add subtle hints into my makeup routine or go all out. One of the best ways to do this subtly is coloured eyeliner. I love using this technique as it gives your makeup a pop of colour but it’s not always something people can put their finger on, plus I can get away with this in the office. My favourite brands to use are Urban Decay and MAC (especially the green and blue shades.) I’ll either use it on my waterline or smudge the eyeliner down a bit onto my lower lash line.

For going all out, nothing beats my Urban Decay Vice 2 Palette. This palette has everything I could ever need. Pretty pastels through to summery brights , soft neutrals with a mixture of matte and shimmer shadows this palette is perfect. Don’t get me wrong I still have other palette loves in my life, such as the Naked 3 palette and my MAC custom palette but if I was going to take one thing away with me it would be this. I could use the Vice 2 palette for near enough everything, however my obsession with makeup and my continual search for ‘the next best thing’ will not allow me to be fully content with just this. I create subtle daytime looks using either of the pinks all over the lid with a flash of colour on the bottom lash line. My favourites are the electric blue (madness) and the vibrant purple (betrayal.) If I’m going out I’ll create a smoky eye using the gold (strike) in the inner corner and a mix of the greens (stash, poisoned, damaged) on the outer corners and lower lash line.

On the topic of lightening up, I purchased some spring knitwear the other day which I'm excited to wear.  In the picture below I have a few jumpers from Topshop, a New Look skirt and some pretty New Look flower earrings.

These are just some of my favourite products to use in the spring, what are yours?

Yours truly




xx