My Daily Face Routine

Hi everyone,
I love reading these types of things on other people's blogs, so I thought I should have a go myself.  This really doesn't change much on a day-to-day basis, although I might add in a highlighter or a more shimmery blush if I'm going out, especially at night.

I always start my routine by moisturising.  I'm very pale so I like to use something with SPF to protect myself from the sun.  At the moment I'm using Natio's Daily Protection moisturiser which is SPF 15.  On days when I know I'll be spending a long time out in the sun, I use a 30+ sunscreen as well: Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Sunscreen Lotion.  This gives a nice, matte, non-greasy finish but the formula is quite thick, so I usually mix in some moisturiser to make it blend more easily.

Back: Neutrogena Sunscreen, Natio Moisturiser; Front: Red Earth Primer

Top: Neutrogena Suncreen; Bottom: Natio Moisturiser, Red Earth Primer

Next step is primer, although if I wear sunscreen I don't wear primer as it can get a bit cakey if I layer too many products on.  I usually go for a silicon based primer to help absorb any oiliness throughout the day.  At the moment, I'm using the Red Earth Mattifying Makeup Base (although I think Red Earth has been discontinued from Priceline, so I'll have to try something else once this is finished).  I cut the tube open to get the remaining dregs out of it (this is a great tip for saving on beauty and skincare products and I do this for anything that comes in a tube, including hair conditioner; I can usually get an extra weeks worth of use out of them).  I usually leave around two - three minutes after applying both moisturiser and primer to allow them to soak in.

The next thing I do is colour corrector.  I tend to have very dark under eye circles, so I use yellow and/or orange corrector to correct them.  At the moment, I'm using this corrector palette, also from Red Earth.  I use the pink as a general concealer, mixed with a bit of orange to give a normal skin tone shade and the green if I have any redness from breakouts or around my nose.

Red Earth Colour Corrector Palette

Red Earth Colour Corrector - swatches

For foundation, I use a mixture of Bourjois Healthy Mix in shade 51 and NYX Liquid Foundation in shade 01.  The Bourjois foundation is a bit too sheer in terms of coverage and the shade is a bit dark and yellow toned for me.  The NYX foundation is a bit heavy, too light and too pink, so mixed together, they give quite a good match for my skin, with the amount of coverage I want.  I'm bad and normally just use my (clean) fingers to blend.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation, NYX Liquid Foundation

NYX Liquid Foundation and Bourjois Healthy Mix Foundation - swatches

Then I do a light dusting of loose powder to set (at the moment, I'm using Face of Australia in Outback Translucent) and a bit of blush (I'm working my way through a Maybelline Mineral Power Blush in Soft Maueve currently), concentrated on the apples of my cheeks and blended up just a little towards my temples.

Maybelline Mineral Power Blush, Face of Australia Loose Powder, The Body Shop Cream Blush

Maybelline Mineral Power Blush in Soft Mauve, Face of Australia Loose Powder in Outback Translucent

And that's it!  If I'm going out, I sometimes like to use a Body Shop cream blush in Golden Pink for a bit of a shimmery glow and maybe a bit of a highlight on my cheek bones.

The Body Shop Cream Blush in Golden Pink, unblended on the left, blended on the right

 Hope this was interesting for some of you!

Eyelid Primer Swatches

Hello everyone!
Today, I've swatched a few different eyeshadow bases, including two of the NYX ones (in skin tone and white).

Natural light, no flash

Flash

Left to right (or top to bottom): Almay Bright Eyes Eye Base/Concealer; MAC Shadestick in Beige-ing; NYX Jumbo Pencils in Pots and Pans,Cottage Cheese and Black Bean; Art Deco Eyeshadow Base; NYX Eyeshadow Bases in Skin Tone and  White.

The Almay one is alright as a concealer but I don't really use it as a lid primer.  I'm also not a fan of the applicator (one of those squeezy brush type arrangements), I just find it to be really messy and I always squeeze really hard because nothing's coming out and then you end up squeezing half the tube out at once.  Wouldn't really recommend.

I use the MAC Shadestick a lot, however it does have shimmer so if you are going for a matte look, I wouldn't recommend this one.  I do find this does crease a little as well, towards the end of the day.  I only use this as a base (i.e. set with a powder shadow), not on it's own as on it's own it creases like crazy!

NYX Jumbo pencils - similar to the MAC Shadestick, but a creamier consistency.  These come in a lot of different colours too and are great for putting under coloured shadows if ou want a really intense colour.

I use the Art Deco base a lot as well, however it does have a slight shimmer, as you can see in the photos.  My main criticism of this one is the smell - it's smells like men's perfume (weird!!) but the smell does wear off once you blend it out (i.e. you won't smell like a man all day).  I think it's mainly if you smell it in the little pot.

NYX bases - the skin tone base is VERY dark as you can see, compared to my pale skin, but I think it blends out well and once I put a shadow over the top it doesn't really bother me.  These have a similar consistency to a cream concealer type product.  I find they wear very well and (apart from the Jumbo pencils) are probably the most affordable option.

I purchased all of my NYX things on eBay.  Art Deco is available from some pharmacies and hair/beauty salons in Australia, here is the link to their Australian website: Art Deco Stockists in Australia

Hope this is helpful to some people!