BEAUTY // Current beauty faves

Hello!

Since working, I find I have a lot more time to spend on my face. I have gotten back into my skincare regieme, spend more time on my make up in the morning and find it impossible to leave the house without a spritz of perfume. It doesn't help that the general public will see me for 4 hours or so a day and I wouldn't mind showing a nice face. I'm not in 8 am lectures anymore!

Following on, I have found I am almost dependent on a few new products that I am not leaving the house without. Me, the girl who leaves the house for lectures at 7:30 with nothing but mascara on so I can get Starbucks, spending a good hour of the day on beauty products. Who'd have thought?

First up is my new Holy Grail cleanser. I have never spent a lot of money on skincare. My mother would spend £60 on a set from QVC whereas I'm fine with my Nivea face wipes when they are on offer. However, I came back from my trip around the states with the most horrific skin. I was using awful cleansing wipes (my usual ones were $15 so perhaps they aren't so bad after all) and even my Dad commented on how my skin was the worst he'd ever seen. I know - thanks Dad. Anyway, I managed to get it under some sort of control but then my mum surprised me with Liz Earle's Cleanse and Polish. After just one use my skin was significantly softer and I am just in love. It is a really simple cleanser with a gorgeous smell and - to be frank - I find myself wanting to get home so I can cleanse. I know, it's that good.

Another QVC must have for me is this Mally Beauty foundation. I have gone on an extensive search and cannot find it anywhere but, pretty much, it's foundation in a sponge. It just applies so quickly and easily and doesn't look at all cakey because you don't put on much at all. It may not quite be my colour but it's so quick and simple, I'm actually okay with that. You just use either the foundation brush or sponge, pat it on the sponge and put it on your face. Brill!

Please don't get excited but I don't have a MAC eyeshadow palette. It's actually some Benefit eyeshadows that I got in a Christmas gift set (see review here). I loved the colours but got a Naked 2 palette for my Birthday so didn't bring the bulky set to Van with me. I got back, realized how amazing the shadows were and wanted to make them portable so I popped into my local MAC store and got one of their eyeshadow quads. If I'm honest, I actually prefer these to my Naked eyeshadows. They are even more buttery and pigmented and I am shocked.

There's no point in doing a fancy eyeshadow if it's not going to stay so, of course, I'm now using the sample Stay Don't Stray I got with the eyeshadows. It makes sure my eyeshadow stays put during an 8 hour shift and really helps my eyeliner stay put. I'm also finishing off my eye looks with the Clinique High Impact Mascara which is just fantastic. It has a nice big brush which doesn't clump my lashes and gives me a full, voluminous but quite natural look. I love it.

Lastly, I am utterly obsessed with Armani's new perfume Si. I was obsessed with Valentino's Rock and Rose Couture until it was discontinued and this perfume is about 75 times better. It smells sweet and musky and stays for absolutely ages. My Mum got it really cheap on a Ryanair flight but it's so expensive generally that I'm worried I'll never get it again but I'm enjoying it whilst I can. It is definitely love.

So those are my current beauty favourites. Have you used any of these? Let me know!