Morning Skincare Routine

Last week I wrote about my daily nighttime skincare routine and thought I'd do my morning routine to finish it off. I do love a good skincare product and I'm always on the hunt for the next best thing to give you that perfect glowing skin. I don't think that will ever happen but there's always hope isn't there?! My morning routine is quite similar to my nighttime routine, with two holy grail products that I use both day and night because I just find them bloomin marvellous. I'm so glad I've gotten into a routine because my skin has benefited so much and as well as this I'm trying to drink more water which I've noticed has made a big difference to my skin.

Step 1: Liz Earle Cleanse & Polish Hot Cloth Cleanser

Oh Liz Earle, you beauty. Every blogger and their grandmother's dog has this product and I totally understand why. Like I said in my nighttime skincare routine, I've started taking care of my skin more meaning that I've created a routine to use day and night and I've really noticed a difference. I have been wanting to try this product for so long now and I was going to go and buy it when my mam popped up and said she had one which she never uses. Not going to lie I got a little bit excited. Is it weird getting excited over a cleanser? I've been using it every morning for a few weeks now and my skin is so clear, bright and soft that I don't think I could go without. I apply it to dry skin and have only recently started using the facial cleansing pad from Primark which has tiny bristles to help cleanse and exfoliate the skin. Then with a muslin cloth, I was off the cleanser with warm water. Oh I bloody love this product (pardon my French).

Step 2: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

This product is a no brainer, I raved about this in my nighttime skincare routine because it is PERFECTION. I use this morning and night after my cleanser to make sure any excess make up or dirt is off my face and to generally cleanse and brighten my skin. I love this product because it isn't irritable to the skin, especially the eyes. I hate using make up remover that irritates my eyes because I prefer to not go out with with bloodshot eyes that make me look like a crazy person. BUY THIS PRODUCT!

Step 3: Nivea Daily Essentials Light Moisturising Day Cream For Normal To Combination Skin

I do love Nivea products and in the past few months I've been really enjoying using them. They're affordable and give amazing results. I wanted a light moisturiser that I could apply for the daytime and inn particular, I wanted a moisturiser that contained SPF as especially since it is coming up to summer, this would be a really important factor. So, to start with, for £3.99 this product didn't exactly break my bank balance (bonus) and plus, it contains SPF 15. What a beauty of a product you have made Nivea, ticks all the boxes for me. As well as this, it is quite a light moisturiser making it quick to dry and helps to apply and set my make up really well. I use the normal to combination skin type as I have pretty normal skin with the odd breakout (which I am extremely grateful about!!) The bottle is only small but you don't need a lot of product on your face making the moisturiser last a long time.

Step 4: Simple Kind To Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On

Again, I could not rave about this product enough. I use this in both my morning and nighttime skincare routines as I've just found that it has completely improved my under eye circles. As I mentioned in my nighttime skincare routine, I tend to suffer from dark circles under my eyes, especially when I first wake up, which is a bloomin nightmare. But, ever since using this roll-on gel they've suddenly (almost) disappeared! I don't tend to rub this in when I apply it, I just leave it to dry as I feel like this is the best way to use it. I would highly recommend this product to anyone who suffers with dark circles and puffiness as it cools the eye area as well as moisturising it and as it contains cucumber extract it soothes the under eye area.

What's in your morning skincare routine? Let me know any skincare recommendations.

Charlotte xxx

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Current Beauty Wishlist

Warning: There's a lot. A girl can dream...

Real Techniques Bold Metals Collection - 100 Arched Powder Brush

Vitamin C Glow Boosting Moisturiser

Real Techniques Collectors Edition Sculpting Set

Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray

Ghost Eclipse Perfume

Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic

MAC Pro Longwear Paint Pot - Soft Ochre

Benefit Roller Lash Mascara

MAC Strobe Cream

Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette

Urban Decay Naked Skin Weightless Complete Coverage Concealer - Fair Neutral

theBalm Mary Lou Manizer Luminizer

Charlotte xxx

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Top 5: Red Lipsticks

Top to Bottom: Mac Vegas Volt, 'In Love With Ginger', Mac
Lady Danger, Mac Russian Red, Rimmel 107

First things first, I apologise for how pale and miserable I look in these photos. I know you can only see my lips but I feel it shows my Wednesday Adams side. I promise I'm not Casper the Ghost either, I'm just not blessed with tanned skin (still dreaming...) I did a post on my blog a couple of weeks about my top 5 nude/pink lipsticks and I thought I'd carry on the little series again of my favourite products. So this week I've decided to do my favourite red lipstick. I do love a red lip and I feel like anyone can pull it off. Red lips are perfect for any season, I don't there's any problem with it...apart from getting it on your teeth and having the embarrassment of someone telling you it's on your teeth then you sit there for ages making funny mouth movements whilst trying to get it off. Yeah, that.

MAC Vegas Volt

When I first started getting into red lipstick, I didn't want something too bold and out there. I thought I'd play it safe, go with a red but not red lipstick if you know what I mean? No obviously you don't because my brain works completely different to everyone else's. I wanted something that wasn't too bright but something that I could start with so I bought MAC's Vegas Volt and I absolutely fell in love with it and still love it so much. The colour is more coral than red and it is the perfect summer shade which goes beautifully with a tan, I've taken it on holiday every year since I've bought it and will continue this tradition.

Rimmel Moisture Renew - 'In Love With Ginger'

This is more of an orange toned red which I think is one of the most amazing red shades going. I love this for summer too when I'm feeling a lot more bold. The moisture renew lipsticks from Rimmel are beautiful lipsticks, apply so creamy and last a long time. They leave a slight hint of gloss to the lips and are VERY pigmented. This looks better on me when I have a tan as I feel like it brings out my tan more, giving a more sunkissed look. These lipsticks are so affordable and I would highly recommend 'In Love With Ginger' (5 out of 5 for the name!!)

MAC Lady Danger

I bought MAC's Lady Danger last year because I had heard so many good reviews on this lipstick and I went through a stage of constantly wearing matte lipsticks. This, again, is an orange toned red and looks gorge with a tan however, as it is quite warm toned it can make your teeth looked slightly yellow. I love the matte finish of this lipstick, lasts all day without much wear. The colour is beautiful and doesn't look dry on the lips, perfect if you suffer from cracked lips.

MAC Russian Red

I LOVE this colour. I received MAC's Russian Red for Christmas and thought it was amazing and still do. It is also a matte lipstick meaning it lasts all day and when I say it lasts all day, it bloody well lasts all day. I couldn't believe how long this lipstick lasted and my mam was also shocked! It is a berry toned red, perfect for autumn/winter but I think you could wear it all year round and as it is quite a cool, blue-toned red, it makes your teeth look extra white.

Rimmel Kate Moss - 107

The famous Rimmel 107. Known for it's colour, cost and all round beautifulness. I wasn't keen on the berry toned lip colours, well, I say I wasn't keen, I mean I didn't think they'd suit me. But, I thought I'd give this one a try, after all Zoella raves about it and it's safe to say I know why. This is the perfect berry toned red and like Russian Red, it is PERFECT for winter. It lasts all day and finishes matte but does not look drying. I feel like this has more of a purple undertone rather than a red like Russian Red, making it very unique. If you don't have this in your collection I don't know where you've been hiding.

What's your favourite red lipstick?

Charlotte xxx

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My Nighttime Skincare Routine

Okay guys, I've been really proud of myself lately. I've actually made a skincare routine and stuck to it. Yes, pat on the back for Charlotte, thank you everyone. My skin has changed so much recently and I think it's purely because of the products I've been using and how regularly I use them. I've dumped the make up wipes (well I SOMETIMES use them, but only when I'm shattered and can't be bothered, this happens like once every two weeks) and I've bought new products to take my make up off and cleanse my face. My skin has never felt so soft and smooth, I'm buzzing. I've tried drinking more water too which I always find helps my skin a huge amount. I thought I'd show you my nighttime skincare routine, I love reading about which products people use as I'm always on the hunt for an even better skincare product so I thought I'd show you what I love to use. 

Step 1: The Body Shop Camomile Sumptuous Cleansing Butter

Rather than using make up wipes to take my make up I've starting using this cleansing butter. I heard a lot of good things about this product so I thought it might be a good starter product for my skincare routine and when I went to buy it, the shop assistant raved about it so it would be rude not to get it I suppose! It is more like a cleansing balm than a butter, with it being a solid product in the tin. To remove my make up, I take a little bit of the product and rub it in my hands to warm up the product and sort of liquify it before rubbing it all over my face and eyes. Then with a warm cloth, I just wash it all off. Even if I do look like a drunk panda when I'm rubbing the product in, it bloody well does the job. I usually find that if I take my make up off any other way without using a wipe, most of my mascara is still left on but with this, everything completely comes off.

Step 2: Garnier Micellar Cleansing Water

I LOVE THIS PRODUCT. Like seriously, I don't think I could live without it now. This has been raved about all over the blogging and YouTube community and I can totally understand what the hype is all about. It costs around £4 so it's pretty damn good especially for how big the bottle is. I usually apply this to a cotton pad and rub it all over my face just to get any excess dirt that the cleansing balm might have missed as well as soothing and toning my face. You can even use this to remove your make up and I've tried it before and works just as good!

Step 3: Daily Essentials Regenerating Night Cream

I got to a point in my life (how dramatic, I'm only 18) where I realised how much I needed to moisturise. My skin became so dry and dull and I moisturised once in a while. Even my mam was shocked when I told her I didn't moisturise as much as I should, she made it very clear I'd get wrinkles when I'm older. Anyway, I thought rather than using the same moisturiser for both my morning and nighttime routine I'd get a specific night cream. I've never really tried Nivea face products so I thought I'd try some and they're so inexpensive too. I bought this night cream and it's quite a thick formula but I always wake up with skin as smooth as a baby's bottom (I don't get why that saying is so positive, I've never wanted my face to feel like a bum?!) 

Step 4: Simple Kind to Eyes Revitalising Eye Roll-On
This product is definitely one of my favourite ever skincare products. I've always loved the Simple range and used to use a lot of their products when I was a bit younger. I suffer from dark circles under my eyes and I used to hate the way they looked when I woke up every morning. Ever since I started using this my circles have looked nearly non-existent and I couldn't be more happier. I just apply this last after my moisturiser but I don't rub it in. I use it morning and nighttime and could not miss it out of my routine!

I'm determined to keep up with this skincare routine because I've seen a huge difference ever since I started! Keep a look out for my morning skincare routine soon...

Charlotte xxx

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My Beauty Confessions.

I've had my blog for three years now and over those three years, blogging has taught me many things. In particular, living with the fact that you'll probably spend the majority of your money on the make up section of boots rather than food, drink and anything thing else that is necessary for you to live. Yay for make up lovers wooo we're in this together! Being a beauty blogger however, comes with many expectations which if I'm honest, don't always happen. I was thinking about this the other day and how much stuff I don't actually do which I probably should as well as things that I do which (shamefully) I probably shouldn't. So I thought I'd create a little list, cause we all love a good list don't we?

1. My make up brushes are usually abandoned until weeks later when I get the motivation to actually clean them. It's just one chore that I do not enjoy doing.

2. I'll put my hands up and say I sometimes use make up wipes and make up wipes only. Yes, I know they're not good for you unless you follow them up with cleanser, toner and blah blah blah but only recently have I stopped using wipes to take my make up off and actually made myself a skincare routine. FOUR FOR YOU GLEN COCO YOU GO GLEN COCO.

3. I have to take wipes out with me anywhere I go just incase I happen to fall into Boots and Superdrug because doesn't that always happen? I always keep them in my bag because without a doubt I will cover my hands in lipstick and eyeshadow swatches and rubbing tissues over them just makes me look like I have a disease.

4. I will buy many lipsticks that are practically the same colour as many of the lipsticks I own because they're new or just look pretty.

5. I don't fill in my eyebrows. Never have done. I only use a brow gel because quite frankly my eyebrows are so thick and dark already that I don't necessarily need to. Sorry eyebrow lovers.

6. On the topic of eyebrows, I never pluck them either! I TRY to when they're getting a bit out of hand but I just can't pluck them right. I always get my eyebrows waxed and that lasts me for a while.

7. I rarely exfoliate before applying fake tan. I know I should but I just forget or generally can't be bothered. To be frank, I'm just lazy!

8. I also don't always use a base coat and top coat. This is really bad, especially not using a base coat, but I am literally the most impatient person when it comes to drying my nails.

9. Haircare is the least of my priorities. A lot of people have a strict haircare routine but I don't really seem to bother. I should get into caring for my hair a lot more but for now I'll stick to whatever shampoo and conditioner smells nice.

10. I keep make up packaging because it's pretty.

11. I may have a continuous list of make up products that I want to buy but know I'll have to wait ages until I have the money to buy them because 1) I love lists and 2) I really love make up...

12. I'm probably known by the security guards in Superdrug and Boots because hanging round the make up counters for an hour is probably seen as slightly suspicious.

Let me know your beauty confessions!

Charlotte xxx

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My Top 5: Nude/Pink Lipsticks

Top to bottom: MAC Hue, MAC Creme Cup, MAC Snob, Revlon Lip
Butter 'Strawberry Shortcake', Tanya Burr Lipgloss 'Afternoon Tea'

I wanted to discuss some of my top 5 favourite make up and beauty items and so to start with, I thought I'd talk about my top 5 favourite Nude/Pink lip colours. I love a nude lip, I think it can really finish off a look and make it look effortless. The majority of nude lipsticks that I own are more pink based shades and therefore the majority of my top 5 contains very pink toned colours. As you can see, not all of them are lipsticks, with only 3 in fact being in lipstick form. I have a bit of an obsession with MAC lipsticks so I do apologise if there is a MAC overload in the next few weeks but they're just too bloody damn good!

MAC Honeylove

I've written a blog post about this lipstick before (which you can read here) and I've had it since Christmas and still love it. It's more of a brown toned nude, a very Kylie Jenner shade, and is a matte finish meaning it lasts all day. I think this colour works with all skin tones, it suits me when I'm pale and when I have tan on so it is a perfect, all round colour. It is such a great shade to throw on when you're going for a natural and subtle look.

MAC Creme Cup

A very much loved lipstick amongst the blogging and YouTube community, I think I bought this a while before I got into blogging so I feel like I knew about this way before many people. You know when you hear a song ages before it goes into the charts and feel a little bit of you die inside when everyone knows it and it's no longer your song anymore? That's how I felt about this lipstick. But anyway, I love this shade. It is the perfect baby pink shade and as it is a cremesheen finish it gives a subtle gloss too. It has blue undertones to it, making your teeth look whiter than they may be and is just a perfect natural, girly lipstick.

MAC Snob

This is my most recent MAC purchase and what a good purchase it is. I've heard a lot of mixed reviews about Snob, many saying it doesn't suit their skin tone. For me, it is a purple toned pink which suits me better when I have a tan. However, it doesn't look too bad when I'm pale either making it perfect for everyday wear. It is a satin finish, meaning it has a slight gloss to it, similar to Creme Cup. It's great for all seasons and I can see myself getting a lot of use out of this!

Revlon Lip Butter - 'Strawberry Shortcake'

I remember last year these lip butters became a huge craze over the blogosphere. I actually own three shades (and you can read about two of them here) but I have to admit, Strawberry Shortcake is my favourite. As a pink lipstick lover, this is the perfect pink shade, not to soft and not too bright if you get me? It glides on like a dream and is moisturising just like a lip butter (hence the name obvs Charlotte), giving a subtle gloss. This is perfect for just whipping on if you're in a hurry!

Tanya Burr Lipgloss - 'Afternoon Tea'

Believe it or not, I only own one Tanya Burr lipgloss. I know right, shocking. I do love Tanya Burr. Everything about her is just too hard not to love. When she brought out her own makeup line everyone went crazy. I'm one of those people who doesn't really jump on the bandwaggon until the craze dies down so then I will give in to the hype. I bought one of her lipglosses in the shade 'Afternoon Tea' and oh my days I was not disappointed. The lipgloss is unbelievably creamy and gives gorgeous glossy lips. I've never been that into lipglosses but this has changed me. The colour is a very baby pink type of pink and is such a girly shade. Also, I have to mention the smell of these lipglosses. Just think sweets, and if you're a lover of sweets like me you'll be very excited.

So there you have my top 5 favourite nude/pink lipsticks. I'm thinking about doing a continuous top 5 themed post every week or every other week to share with you my favourite products. Let me know what you think!

Charlotte xxx

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Maybelline's Colour Drama Lipstick in 'Fuchsia Desire'

I've never been the best at using lip liners. I always make my lips look totally different (in a bad way, that is) and end up looking like the joker on a bad day. Recently, Maybelline have released their Colour Drama Lipsticks in a range of shades and I thought, this could be my shot at perfecting the art of lip linery (is that even a thing?!) So I wandered down, as you do, to my local Boots and picked up my first shade. I had saw many YouTubers use the shade 'Fuchsia Desire' and it looked amazing so I thought I'd choose that as my first purchase and it's safe to say I was not disappointed even if I do struggle to spell fuchsia...is that even right??

'Fuchsia Desire' is a beautiful blue toned hot pink shade which is perfect for summer especially when you have a tan. It makes your teeth look white, mainly due to the blue undertones in the colour giving this lipstick extra brownie points. Another bonus from this product is that it is so long lasting, it dries matte and lasts all day. I love matte lipsticks but hate it when they look and feel dry and cling to the dry parts of your lips. This, however, does not do any of them and the colour does not wear off. I've worn this all day, eaten a heck load of food and drank a lot and the lipstick had not budged. I even had a curry once and it still stayed on, I always find my lipstick comes off when I eat a curry, is that just me?

This product is not in your typical lipstick form. It comes in the form of a lip pencil, which you could use it as but I use it as an all over lip colour. The pencil itself is quite thick, not like a normal lip liner, which I find makes it easier to apply. Like I said, I'm useless at applying lip liner so this really does help. 

There are so many different colours which I need to get my hands on! They only cost £4.99 which is just the right price and you can buy them from any drugstore or even supermarket!

Charlotte xxx

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