My Five Most Used Makeup Products

Whenever I wear makeup, I always find myself reaching for the same products. I wear very minimal makeup, if any, so I don't use many items - five, to be exact, and I thought I'd share them with you!

Unless I really feel that I need the extra coverage, I never wear foundation, only concealer. The concealer I use is the Collection Lasting Perfection in the shade fair, which has very good coverage for a concealer and is a really nice colour for my skin right now. I just dot this on any blemishes/hyperpigmentation I have and under my eyes, and blend it in well with the Coastal Scents concealer brush.

Next I move on to brows, which I've loved doing ever since I bought the Bobbi Brown eyebrow brush. The bristles are quite coarse and make it much easier to apply the darkest shade from the Lancome eye set, which I've unfortunately hit pan on from using so much!

I have become obsessed with the Naked 2 palette from Urban Decay, that I very kindly got for Christmas this year. The shades are so beautiful and pigmented, and there's such a wide range of colours that it's easy to transition from day to night looks. For everyday makeup I usually take the shade 'Foxy' across my whole lid, and then blend a darker colour like 'Tease' into my crease with the Coastal Scents eye shadow brushes.

My all-time favourite mascara is the YSL Faux Cils mascara, as it never fails to give beautifully long, separated and voluminous eyelashes. The formula isn't at all clumpy, which I love, and makeup never looks complete without mascara, right?

Lastly, I contour, using the Naked Flushed palette. A light sweep of bronzer under the cheekbones and at the temples, some highlighter and then blush, and I'm good to go. I use (again) the Coastal Scents angle and flat buffer brushes.

Thanks for reading!

                                                     Sarah-Rose 

My Skincare Routine

So after a long break from blogging, I'm back with my skin care routine! Skincare is so important, as it sets the base for any makeup you do afterwards, and who doesn't want perfect skin?

Firstly, to cleanse, I use the Bare Minerals Deep Cleansing Foam, which I bought in the airport in London nearly a year ago now, and it has lasted me so long! I love how concentrated this cleanser is - you need less than a pea-sized amount, and once you add water and massage it into your skin, it turns into a creamy foam. It's great for combination to dry skin (which I have) as it isn't oil based, but won't dry out your skin.

Next in my routine I like to use a face oil. I know the thought of putting oil on your skin can be scary for some, as they already try to fight an oily T-zone, but this Trilogy Rosehip Oil calms breakouts, gets rid of dry patches and leaves my skin feeling so much smoother. I've been using it for about three weeks now, and the dry patches I used to have are long gone. I only use a small dot of this as it spreads easily and you don't need too much of it.

The moisturiser I use is the Bare Minerals Purely Nourishing Moisturiser from the same line (and bought at the same time) as my cleanser. This is just a great all round moisturiser that sinks in fast, doesn't leave any residue on my face and again, a little goes a long way.

To fight breakout and blemishes, I find that tea tree oil works best. This bottle is from the Body Shop, but tea tree oil isn't hard to come across and is a must try if you haven't already. It's perfect because it can be worn under makeup as it's clear, and it also reduces redness. 

About once every week or two I love using a face mask, even if it's purely just for the feeling of being pampered! The Lancôme Hydra Intense mask is a gel-like formula that smooths onto the skin and heals dry skin, which is brilliant for cold weather when my skin is like a desert. I actually got this for free in Lancôme when my mum bought other skincare products, so I was surprised by how much I loved using it!

Thanks so much for reading, I have new posts coming soon! Bear in mind that these products work well for my skin (combination-dry) but they might not for yours. But these are all products I love, so I hope you do, too!  

                            Sarah-Rose xx

Autumn/Winter Collective Haul

Over the past few months, I've bought a couple of new things for Autumn/Winter, so I thought I'd show you what I got!

The first thing is this big, chunky grey cardigan from Bershka. It's knitted, so it's really warm, and perfect for over leggings or skirts with just a plain black top on underneath. I love the pleather lining along the neckline and the tops of the pockets.

Next are these highrise black leggings from Abercrombie & Fitch. They're a thick material, and with the detailing along the leg and little zips at the top, they're great to wear as normal pants as well as leggings.

Excuse the creases, but I just love this white blouse from Forever 21. It's simple and neat, with gorgeous embroidery along the top. It hangs beautifully when worn, and I'd pair it with skinny jeans, or tucked into high-waisted shorts.

I ordered this dress off Missguided for a night with my friends a few weeks ago, and I wish I had more places to wear it! It's a bodycon style (it doesn't look like it in the picture) with a slightly cinched waist to give shape. I especially love this because you can always dress it down with black tights, chelsea boots and an over-sized cardigan.

Next is this adorable lace dress from Forever 21 that I'm planning on wearing on Christmas day. It has a high neckline and a little cut-out at the back, and the skater style suits the dress perfectly.

The last clothing item is a cable knit cream jumper from Jack Wills. I had been searching for a nice cream/beige sweater for so long, and I can't stop wearing this one. It was quite expensive, but luckily I was returning another item, so it was just an exchange!

River Island always have the best accessories, and I adore this houndstooth print headband. The wire inside allows you to turn it into any shape, so there's not fear of it being too big or too small.

Onto makeup, this next purchase is actually a Christmas present bought early, but I thought I'd show you it because I can't wait to use it! It's MAC's Amber Lights eyeshadow, which is brilliant for bringing out blue eyes, as the orange undertones contrast with blue. This is also the beginning of my first MAC palette, which I'm so excited to fill up.

Last is this purple/berry toned lipstick from NYX. I always find it hard to find a nice lipstick shade that suits me, as most pinks are too light or too bright, and a lot of reds I've tried just don't work. However, I'm obsessed with this! Berry tones are everywhere this time of year, and this lipstick in Violet Ray is really moisturizing, and can be worn sheer or built up into full-on purple.

 Thanks so much for reading!

                                                                       Sarah-Rose xx

Autumn/Winter Makeup Tutorial

  Hey guys! Today I though I'd show you how I like to do my makeup for Autumn/Winter. I never wear makeup to school, and only sometimes on weekends, but I love this look for when I'm trying to make more of an effort. It's very simple, and takes barely any time, so I hope you enjoy!

I start off by applying my foundation using the Sarah Ashton foundation brush. The foundation is Naked Skin by Urban Decay, which I love for a slightly dewy look. I just apply this to my T-zone, as that's where I need the most coverage.

I then blend some of the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer underneath my eyes and on any blemishes I have using my ring finger, as it's the most gentle.

       

Next I do brows, and fill them in using short strokes with the Real Techniques eyebrow brush and the Lancôme eyebrow kit.

 I like to wear quite natural makeup, so, using the Uran Decay Rollergirl Palette, I take the pearly                                                        shade 'Verve' and cover my whole eyelid.

I then buff the shade 'Suspect' through my crease, and put 'Dark Horse' onto my outer corner.

 After that, I just add mascara, a swipe of the NYX butter gloss in Tiramisu, and I'm finished!

Products from left to right: Sarah Ashton foundation brush, Urban Decay Naked Skin foundation, Collection Lasting Perfection concealer, Real Techniques Brow Brush, Lancome brow set, Urban Decay Roller Girl palette, Real Techniques Base Shadow brush, Real Techniques Deluxe Crease brush (unpictured), YSL Volume Effet Faux Cils and NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu.

Bath Essentials

I'm back posting again, and I'm going to share with you my bath essentials. Baths are such a great way to relieve stress, relax, maybe read a book and I always feel so refreshed after one!

The fist thing I do when I run the bath is get into a dressing gown. The dressing gown I have is a plain white one from Penneys (Primark) that I haven't had very long.

The next thing I do is wash my face. I'm using this Lancôme cleanser, which is very gentle and great for your skin. It's not a very deep cleanse, but it does the job!

  I love Lush products, and the Karma bubble bar is no exception. It smells warm and fruity, and gives the best bubbles and colour to my bath. It's really relaxing, and I might just have to repurchase it!

I light Yankee Candle's Fluffy Towels, which is my favourite of their candles, as smells fresh, clean and crisp.

While in the bath, I used the Boots extracts Brazil Nut Body Wash, which I absolutely love! It smells so delicious and the smell lasts after you wash, which is a huge bonus.

After the bath, I like to use this Argan Oil Body Lotion, as it leaves my skin feeling super soft.

While the body lotion dries, it's nice to use a face mask, and the Soap&Glory No Clogs Allowed mask is brilliant for getting rid of black heads and clearing pores. This is a self heating mask, which feels so nice and you can really know that your face has had a good cleanse after using it! 

Next I brush out my hair with this orange Tangle Teezer that I'm in love with for my tangled hair, and apply some of the Percy & Reed Wonder Balm, which helps make your hair silky and smooth.

Then, finally, my favourite part - nails! I filed my nails, used a Lush Charity Pot sample and painted my nails with Rimmel's Professional Finish in Celebrity Bash. What I love about this nail polish is its brush, which is rounded at the top for an easy and sleek application.

Thank you so much for reading my bath essentials, hope you enjoyed!

                                                                                       
                                                                                                   Sarah-Rose xx

Where I've Been/Life Update

   Soo, it's been a while...

 Sorry that I haven't posted in about five weeks, but I have a very good excuse (trust me). The laptop that I usually blog on has broken, and it's taken longer than it should have to get set up with blogging on mobile. I do, though, have some interesting life updates!

  On the week of the 11th of August, I attended Westend Stage, a summer stage school in Central London, held in Guildhall. Musical theatre is my biggest passion in life, so getting to go to something like this for a week was the most incredible experience I could have asked for!
  I stayed in the school's accommodation, and was in a flat with four other girls, Imi, Kat, Corina and Megan.
  On Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday we had classes; drama, dance, singing and a masterclass. Our masterclasses included working with Jo Hawes, leading child casting director in London, Rob Houchen, currently playing Marius in Les Mis, and Wendy Ferguson, playing Madame Thenardier in Les Mis. On Wednesday we went to see Les Mis in the Queen's Theatre, and it was absolutely stunning. If you're in London and want to see a show, I strongly suggest you see it.
  On the Friday night, there was a cabaret competition between all of the flats. Our flat teamed up with a flat of five guys to perform 'Les Mis in 120 Seconds' and we ended up winning!  A video of our performance can be found here. These guys are all so talented and it was great getting to perform with them and become such good friends.
  On the Saturday we were in Covent Garden, and had a disco that night, as it was our last night in the accommodation. On Sunday we got to Her Majesty's Theatre early in the morning for our showcase that night.
  Her Majesty's is home to Phantom of the Opera, my favourite musical, so I was kind of freaking out when we saw some of the costumes and set backstage! The showcase went really well, and then it was time to say goodbye and back to reality. I have to say it was the best week of my life, and the friends I made and lessons I learned I'll carry with me forever, as cheesy as it sounds!
 
   I'm now back to school and things are getting busy with studying for Junior Cert and all of that, but I have some blog posts that I can't wait to put up (if I can get it working properly, that is) so I'll be posting again soon!
                                    Thanks for reading,
                                                                      Sarah-Rose xx

July Favourites

July has come and gone so fast it's insane! But I'm excited to be doing my first ever favourites, so lets start.

First off, beauty. This month I've been loving BB cream, as it's light weight and much easier to wear than foundation in hot weather. I'm trying out Benefit's Big Easy BB, and so far so good! It feels like a foundation when applying it, but it sets with a powder finish, and has good coverage for something so light.

  My next favourite is also from Benefit, and it's the They're Real mascara. I bought this a while ago, and didn't love it, as I've never been a fan of plastic mascara brushes, but lately I've been using it almost everyday! It separates my lashes so well, and gives both length and volume.

  As for skincare, I've been using the Catastrophe Cosmetic face mask from Lush. It's packed with blueberries, chamomile and calamine to soothe blemishes and moisturise the skin. Well worth taking a look at if you're having a bad skin day!

  Another favourite of mine has been floral shorts. I've seen them in so many shops and had to buy a pair, and I'm so glad I did because I've been wearing them non stop!(Well, when it's warm enough to...) I bought these black floral drawstring shorts from Forever 21, which were featured in my summer outfits post.

 Now random favourites! One of my favourite musicals of all time is Wicked, which I saw in London last year and immediately loved. So, of course, I had to read the book. It's basically the story of the Wicked Witch of the West before Dorothy and her gang came to Oz, and so far I'm addicted! It's very different to the show, but it's equally as brilliant, and it's great for a summertime read by the pool or in the garden.

  I'm forever losing hair bands, but these cute bands that I found in Topshop are perfect, as they double as a cute wrist band/bracelet! This pack of 5 has really pretty bands, some with lace detailing, some shimmery, and they don't damage your hair, either.

  And my last favourite is this cute notebook from Cath Kidston. I'll be going away to a stage school in London in just over a week, for which I need to bring a notebook to take notes in. This is perfect as it's not too big, but has enough room to be able to write properly. I love the pastel floral cover, too!

  So they're my monthly favourites! Thanks so much for reading,
                                                                                                            Sarah xx