Face of the Month

Hello beauties. I've been really switching up my makeup base lately between mineral foundations and mixing my own tinted moisturisers but I think I've finally settled on my everyday face for this time of year.

I wanted to keep things as sheer as possible because the sun has been out and the 'melted cake face look' isn't a good one! No matter what base I've worn, my trusty Lily Lolo Mineral Concealer is the perfect partner in crime. (read my review of the concealer here) 

Step 1 // Moisturise
To create a dewy base I've been moisturising with Jojaba Oil, this was too heavy for my skin at first and made me oily but using a couple of drops, rubbing it in my hands then gently patting it on seems to do the trick.

Step 2 // Prime
Priming with Aloe Vera Gel is so easy, it minimises pores and absorbs into the skin so quickly which makes a perfect smooth base.

Step 3 // Base
I've fallen back in love with my Body Shop Tea Tree BB Cream. The coverage is better than most and it benefits the skin whilst it's on.

Step 4 // Conceal
A mineral concealer gives great coverage and lasts all day, it saves having to use powder to set makeup and is great for a 'soft focus' look, especially under the eyes. I find Lily Lolo has slightly more coverage and better shade choices than Bare Minerals, it's also much cheaper! I apply it with the Eco Tools Concealer Brush.

Step 5 // Minimal eye makeup
For my spring/summer eyes I have been saving a lot of time by just using my FAVOURITE ever mascara, Maybeline The Great Lash in Very Black on the top lashes only, with a clear mascara on the bottom to separate. Sometimes I leave it at that but might add a small line of eyeliner on the outer corner to create the illusion of thicker lashes. The Collection Extreme 24 Hour Felt Liner is my current favourite.

Step 6 // Bold lips 
Because there is no colour on the eyes or cheeks this is the perfect time to whip out those bold lippies. Although Rimmel Lasting Finish by Kate in 08 is quite safe I am totally in love with it. I wanted a Kylie Jenner colour without going to Mac (as they test on animals.) The lipstick really does last and seems to leave a slight stain on my lips without wearing off completely until I take my makeup off.

The look is so quick and simple, just what I need in the mornings before a full day in the office. All the products are fairly natural and allow my skin to breath during the day.

A selfie of the finished look

Leave a comment with your favourite look.

Little Lottie

XO

My Secret Skincare Weapon

Natural skincare is the best. I can't even fathom to think of the crap I put on my skin. I've definitely learnt my lesson and switched things up over the years including vital ingredients like Aloe Vera!

Aloe Vera gel comes from a plant, when you peel an aloe leaf apart you will find the pure gel inside. It is an incredible at healing and soothing. I discovered it after a bad case of sunburn and the redness turned to tan overnight, I couldn't believe it, no peeling or soreness. The cold gel felt lush, so I thought hey, I'm going to slap this on my face and I have been doing it ever since.

If you don't have an aloe plant hanging about then you can pick up the gels pretty cheap, just make sure there aren't many added ingredients to the gel. I use the Aloe Pura range which is 99.9% pure aloe! You can pick it up for around £5 in Superdrug and Holland and Barrett.

The gel dries very quickly on the skin and I usually pop some moisturiser over the top but stick to a routine of using the plain aloe during the day and the gel with added tea tree at night. You can also use it in your hair for a mask or on any burn to cool and heal it.

I love budget beauty treasures. Share yours in the comments.

Happy Friday beauties.

Little Lottie

XO

Less or More

I did an experiment recently after being inspired by a girl who went to school with 3 different looks; natural, made up and fake. The look with the most heavy make up attracted attention from boys and the natural look achieved compliments from girls. It's a controversial subject at the minute with more and more people going makeup free for selfies and inspirational YouTubers like Zoella spreading the bare face message. I personally love the fact that woman and girls are able to feel more comfortable in their own skin even if they do have acne or other insecurities.

To test this further I posted the following picture on my Facebook page to get reactions. Have a look at the results and post your opinion using the Facebook icon at the top of my blog! 

I asked Facebook to comment the picture they preferred, left being me only wearing mascara and being bare skinned - all insecurities on show. Right being me in a lot more makeup than I would usually wear, I felt completely out of my comfort zone with all of this on my face!

• Maybeline - The Great Lash mascara in very black
• No7 - eyelash curlers
• Bare Minerals - multi tasking mineral concealer in Bisque
• Bare Minerals - Original foundation in Light
• No7 - Translucent loose powder
• Rimmel - Sun Shimmer Bronzer in Light Matte 
• Maybeline - Eye Studio in Sparkling Gold
• Revelon - ColorStay pallet in Coffee Bean
• Collection - Extreme felt liner
• NYC - Eye brow/liner pencil
• Maybeline - Color Sensational Lipstick in Hollywood Red 540

I must admit I could have carried on with highlighter, blusher, lip liner and brow gel. The list is endless and I am impressed with girls that put all of this on in the mornings because it was very time consuming, not to mention the brushes and tools involved. Here are the results of the long list of products.

The look wasn't too over the top and the eye makeup was popular on Facebook, I think the gold kept it neutral.

The left photo shows me in just mascara as I had gone for a lovely vegetarian breakfast that morning at the Lounge, I hadn't wanted to make much effort early in the morning. 

It was a big step for me to go out on a sunny day to the middle of town with all flaws showing, deep down I know I shouldn't care and it felt good not to! 

So Facebook choose left, but not necessarily because I looked more natural, it was because I was smiling. I picked the selfies I did because I thought they showed the most dramatic change in looks comparatively, Facebook even requested me to tag 2 different people rather than use its face recognition! 

I know I'm most comfortable when I'm at home, no makeup, hair pulled back and wearing something fluffy so to go out bare faced was really nice for me and it did make me happy which reflected a lot in my picture. The best part was there was nothing to remove when I got home, unlike the aftermath of the other photo...

If you feel the same, try going out with friends or just to run errands for the day, after you do it once it will empower you to do it more. Wear just a smile on your face and see how you feel afterwards. 

Good luck and join me by sharing your smile selfie.

Little Lottie xo