MUA Pixel Perfect Multi-Blush

MUA is one of those incredibly cheap high street/drugstore brands that you probably would never buy anything from because they are never kept clean by any shop. They have been around for ages but disappeared from view almost completely for years - there was one disgusting rotating stand in my local Superdrug that I used to get the odd thing from my I'd hazard a guess and say over 80% of the products have been opened and used or broken.

Quick Affordable School Run Make-up

Some of you will be wondering why you need to wear make-up on school run. I salute you. I need to have mascara and concealer on at the very minimum. I don't need to go in with full face every time but I like to have a bit on. Yes it helps being a make-up artist but what I do most days isn't very technical and I thought I'd re-work it a bit to use my favourite high-street products.

Some of us like to have a bit of make-up on when we do school run - but it doesn't need to be Kim K levels and it certainly doesn't have to cost as much. Here's my current go-to make-up it takes five mins and lasts all day. List of products below. Any questions don't hesitate to ask.

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Products Used:
No 7 Shade and Define in Cool Mink
Eco Tools Eye Shading Brush similar to this
MAC Smoulder Eye pencil 
Max Factor Masterpiece Max mascara
Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer
Clinique Bottom Lash mascara 
Bourjois Bronzing Powder
MUA Pixel Perfect Blush in Coral Spice
Sleek Makeup  Luminous Pressed Powder
Collection Lip Butter in Vintage Rose

Concealers

When I first started wearing make-up concealers came in a lipstick-style bullet. Chalky in texture and very limited in colour they were ok for covering a spot if you had a whopper. They were pretty pigmented and unblendable.

Now a lot of clients I work with, especially those over 35, have not kept up to date with how concealers have evolved. Often using a heavier coverage foundation and skipping the concealer altogether which makes it hard to get a natural finish. I often get asked how to get dewy skin without losing coverage and I always recommend a lighter, dewier foundation and a good concealer. They've come on a long way since the 80s/90s bullet. Now you can get the coverage you need, where you need it whilst still keeping a light coverage everywhere else.

Friday Video - Face of the Day August 6th 2014

One of the reasons I set up my YouTube channel was to create 'Face of the Day' videos so if you were needing inspiration you could click on the relevant date and see what I wore on that day (I love doing that with Nigel Slater's The Kitchen Diaries).

The 6th August 2014 was hot but mostly overcast, I was wrangling the baby all day then a friend came over in the afternoon. The friend I've known since I was 7 but I don't see all that often so I wanted to look nice but not too done; light coverage, nice definition on eyes and lips.

Products used:

Urban Decay Naked palette
Lavera Soft Eye Liner in Black
Yves Rocher Sexy Pulp mascara in Black
NARS Sheer Glow foundation in Santa Fey
MUA Pro Conceal and Brighten in Natural Medium Rose
MAC Eye Kohl in Powersurge
Eyeko Fat Brush mascara in Black
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow
Accesorize Baked Mineral Bronzer in Laguna
Sleek Makeup Luminous Pressed Powder in 01
MAC Lip Pencil in Dynamo (Limited Edition)
Blistex Lip Brilliance

Friday Video - Face of the Day 16th January 2014

Using as many reasonably priced products as I had to hand and a bit of a ramble about DIY, moving house and aggressive babies.

Products Used:
Origins Make A Difference+
Garnier Skin Perfector
Avon True Colour Eye Shadow Quad in Mocca Latte
MUA 3 in 1 Contour Pen
L'Oreal Telescopic False Lash Mascara
MUA Pro-Base Palette in Natural Rose
Sleek Makeup Face Form in Fair
Accessorize Mineral Bronzer in Laguna
Sleek Makeup Luminous Powder in 1
Collection Cream Puff in Fairy Cake

Have You Won?

Have you entered this giveaway? If you have please check back to see if you've won. I have some prizes still unclaimed...

L'Oreal Blockbuster Liner and MeMeMe Nail Varnish - Lynne
Amazing Shine Lashes and Duo Glue - Nikki Pearson
Chloe Sims Instant Tan and Mit - Shelagh Milne
Rituals Shower Gel and MUA Lip Glaze - Helen Gilbert

If you enter a giveaway I will announce the winner the next day in the same post as that days giveaway. So day 4's winner is announced in the same post as day 's prize xx

MUA Mosaic Bronzer

I'm very weary of bronzers, especially ones with a lot of shimmer. I'm quite pale and even the tiniest bit of bronzer makes me look a completely different colour to the rest of me no matter how hard I try to blend it into my neck. I do use matte bronzers for shaping the face and when I am or have been on holiday I'll allow myself a bit of bronzer to bring out my tan. On my recent trip to South Africa, and in fact ever since I got back, I used MUA's Mosaic Bronzer in Natural Glow and have been loving it.

It is shiny but the four different tones are really blendable and give a really natural, slightly highlighted sunkissed look. I've been using it lightly on the cheeks, up to the temples, across the centre of the nose and chin and it's really worked in making me look healthy and post-holiday which is just what I need. I try to wear the highest factor available on my face and wear a hat as often as possible when on holiday so quite often I come home with a face quite a bit paler than the rest of me. This is a very good, amazingly cheap, healthy option to having a suntan on your face and because it's only £2.50 I don't really mind that it's started to break up... my fault for taking it absolutely everywhere with me I suppose! Will be definitely trying their mosaic blushers next xx