Beauty Edit: Get Glowing Skin for the New Year



Most people tend to overindulge at Christmas, which is great at the time, but can result is dull, dehydrated and unhealthy looking skin. I've put together a few products which can most definitely give tired skin a boost in the first few weeks of the New Year.

Body: Exfoliate|Moisturise|Tan
Buffing away dead skin and exfoliating using Cliniques Sparkle Skin Exfoliator has been leaving my skin feeling clean and fresh, and it's minty scent adds extra bonus freshness points! Usually I exfoliate twice a week or prior to tanning, and I really like this product when I want that minty feeling. The Clinique Deep Comfort Body Butter is another great Clinique product which makes my skin feel very smooth and moisturised. Winter weather usually plays havoc with my combination skin, but this creamy formula gets rid of dry patches leaving it feeling lovely and looked after. Most people associate tanning with summer, but the St. Tropez Gradual Tan Everyday Moisturiser is a very sheer and light moisturiser that builds up a very subtle and natural glow, which I generally favour in the colder months.

Face: Cleanse|Balm|Serum
Cleansing is an important step of any skincare routine, regardless of the season! I like using the Clarins Water Comfort One Step Cleanser , it's light formula contains Peach Essential Water, and it's so easy to use, wipe on and off using a cotton pad, and that's it. Trilogy's Everything Balm will be on nearly every skincare list I have, it's such an amazing product! It's a multi purpose balm which softens, smoothes, nourishes, brightens.. the list goes on! I love using this as a mask at night, and my skin always feels so soft and fresh in the morning. I also love using a serum for an extra skin boost. In the Winter I like the Yes to Blueberries Intensive Skin Repair Serum, which is an extra little addition I add to my night time skincare routine, especially in the colder months.

Makeup: BB Cream|Powder Usually I am all for going for full coverage on the face, but for days when you want to keep it minimal and fresh, the Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector is a nice little BB cream that gives a little bit of sheer coverage when you don't want to go naked. It also brightens up the skin and leaves a nice little glow. Another nice addition to the face is a healthy glow sheer powder, Chanel Les Beiges in particular. Need I say more.

Extras: Illuminate|Highlight
A few little extras I like to add to the face to ensure a healthy glow is a highlighter or illuminator. A few I like are the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder, MAC Soft and Gentle or Lightscapade, MAC Strobe Cream or the Tom Ford Shade and Illuminate Intensity Palette.

Obviously, a healthy diet and drinking loads of water can majorly contribute to healthy skin, but that's another post entirely!
 What are your favourite products for healthy glowing skin? x

MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation



MAC Mineralize Moisture Foundation - €37.50/£27

I to-and-fro when it comes to dedicating myself to one particular foundation or brand. I can genuinely say that I have no favourite makeup brand, although some rank higher on the scale than others. MAC is one of those brands that for me, has never really disappointed. Across the board, their blushes, lipsticks, shadows and foundations have always impressed me, and I do tend to reach for their blushes and lipsticks the most when deciding what to wear on my face for the day.

Quite spontaneously, I wanted to try a new foundation. I love Studio Fix Fluid for going out, it's full coverage consistency, beautiful texture and brilliant longevity has made it a personal favourite in the foundation holy grail stakes. However, I wanted to opt for something a bit more dewy, a tiny bit lighter in viscosity, and I ended up with samples of both Pro Longwear and the Mineralize Moisture foundations to try before committing myself to one foundation.

I ended up going back the next day to purchase the full size of Mineralize Moisture. Pro Longwear seemed a tad bit too sheer for me, as when I'm whacking on a full face, I like it to be quite full coverage.

This foundation is more dewy on the skin, and my skin looks fresher and more awake once I apply. I really like the finish, and although it doesn't cover quite every imperfection, the coverage is quite satisfactory, and sure that's what concealer is for. Unfortunately it's more expensive than Studio Fix, which is surprising, but it comes with pump attached, so it's an added bonus.

The only major qualm I have with this foundation is that it isn't available in my shade, NW15. It starts at NW20, even though NC15 is available to purchase. This frustrates me a little as it is a smidge too dark for my ever pale complexion. And I mean just a smidge; so it appears to be a foundation mostly reserved for nights out or for days when I feel like lightly tanning. Not too bad overall!

Foundation aside, I've had a lovely few days off the past week, and I hope you all had a nice Christmas and happy new year! I received some gorgeous beauty goodies over Christmas and I am very much looking forward to posting about them!
 :) x