Skin care galore!

Hello my lovelies, 

Hope you're all well and enjoying our crazy weather! I am sure nearly 90% of us have the same problem, as the weather changes (rather drastically), our skin tends to react accordingly. 

During this time of the year, I tend to get more breakouts than usual so this is the time I change up my skin care routine. 

Recently, I have been more into skin care than usual. It may be due to some amazing new launches or due to the fact that I have been reading up on skincare in order to fight oily skin with blemishes - which by the way, sums up my skin at the moment. 

I have slowly collected a range of products & have tested them out for quite a while, so I thought I would share them with you :) Enjoy beauties...

First up we have the Sanctuary Spa - 5 Minute Thermal Detox Mask...

To begin with, this just sounded amazing I mean, a detox mask sounded like just what I needed. As I wear makeup to work on a daily basis (5 days a week) and I am out during the weekend, I feel like my face never gets a chance to breathe and get rid of all the impurities and clogged up pores. I wanted something quick and effective. This is a self-heating mask which surprisingly isn't that hot on the skin, I have used self-heat masks in the past and they actually feel like they're burning your skin - this is just perfect. The heat opens up your pores so the charcoal and kaolin clay can draw out the impurities. It also consists of myrrh oils which helps remove excess oils on your face and leaves your skin feeling cleansed and super soft. 

As you can see (below) it is a thick grey consistency but a little really does go a long way - I just use a face mask brush to apply this all over my face but I focus more on my t-zone where I have excess oil. I use this roughly twice a week and I can most definitely say it has helped (along with other products mentioned in this bblog) with mattifying my skin and drawing out impurities. I have had less breakouts since I have been using this. I would definitely give this a try if you have similar skin to mine. I purchased mine here at Boots for £10.00.  

Secondly, we have The Body Shop Oils of Life Intensely Revitalising Facial Oil... 

Now, I know this product has been raved about by youtubers and other bbloggers, but I wanted to join the hype and see what it was all about. I bought a month or two after its release. I have been using it religiously since then. Essentially, I wanted an oil that would give me that natural "healthy glow". This product contains essential seed oils which are absorbed by your skin rather quickly. This oil is made from 99% natural origin oils - impressive. The cold-pressed oils full of nutrients leave your skin feeling plumped and hydrated. I love the fact that it doesn't have a sticky formula and it helps make the skin feel revitalised, more elastic and firm. I personally use it as a night oil, but it can be used before, after or even with moisturiser in the morning. It has been used with foundations to give that dewy finish - but I personally feel like its most effective when left on overnight. I bought mine here at The Body Shop for £28.99. 

Next we have my beloved toners - The Tea Tree Skin Clearing Mattifying Toner and the Seaweed Oil-Balancing Toner from The Body Shop...

These toners may look new but they have just re-packaged the original versions - which, may I say, I LOVE. You get a lot of product, and its worth every penny. So, I originally bought these as both my sister and I have oily skin so I knew these toners would come in handy (plus, I had to make use of the three for two offer on in stores!).

Lets start with the Tea Tree toner - we all know the benefits of Tea Tree so I don't think I need to ramble on about it too much. In essence, its a toner for blemish prone skin which ultimately gives you a matte, shine free finish.  It helps fade any scars left from spots and prevents them from coming back. There are so many benefits of using a toner - you won't even realise how much its helping your skin! This is a personal favourite of mine and as a holy grail, it has become a traditional product in my skin care routine. It can be purchased here from The Body Shop for £5.50 - what a bargain! 

The Seaweed toner is relatively pricey, it is over double the price of the tea tree toner, priced at £13.50, but for someone who wants to balance the oils on their skin, i.e. have an oily t-zone are moderate/dry skin elsewhere for example, this would be the toner for you. Unfortunately, they do not have the new toner online (yet) but I am sure it will be up soon! What drew me to try tis product in the first place was the fact that I have been using the Seaweed Clay Mask from the same collection and that hands down, was and is my favourite deep cleansing mask. The toner has a mild fragrance which I feel people may like or hate. I personally find it quite refreshing. The plus side with this toner (in comparison with the tea tree toner) is that it does not sting or cause any burning sensation on areas where you have open blemishes. It penetrates into the skin straight after application and its a great step to prep your skin before moisturiser. It definitely does not completely mattify the skin (nor does it claim to) but it helps control excess oil where it needs to and equally hydrates the skin where you may have dry/moderate skin. 

We now have The Body Shop Seaweed Mattifying Moisutre Lotion...

Can you tell I am slightly obsessed with The Body Shop yet? This lotion claims to combat shine and mattify your skin. Now, to be completely honest - I don't think its as effective as it claims to be. Yes, it helps control the oils on your skin but I did notice oils shining through after about 4 hours at work, therefore, I probably wouldn't just use this to help combat oily skin. However, when used with the seaweed toner, I felt like this was a completely different product. The products work hand in hand to help control oils. For summer, this would be a great moisturiser as it has SPF 15. The lotion has a lovely watery, light consistency and takes about a minute or two to sink into the skin before you then go in and apply your makeup. A huge pro is that it has helped my skin from breaking out and works as a good makeup base! Big tip - use the toner first! :) 

So, here we have another moisturiser, this is the Sephora Instant Moisturiser...

Now, I saw this online when surfing the Sephora website as I was preparing to give my best friend a HUGE list when she went to USA. So, I kind of just "popped it in the bag". When I originally went Sephora myself I was kindly given a tester of this and when I used it, I was impressed. It was super light, had a great consistency and kept my skin hydrated without adding any shine, so I wanted the real thing. I have been using it on a daily basis as a moisturiser and I cannot fault it. The packaging is a huge plus for me, but the product itself is lovely. It can be described as a standard moisturiser but it seems to be working for me - so, until its finished it will be in my skin care routine! 

Okay so, I know I have mentioned (many times) I seem to break out more often that usual. So next we have my miracle discovery, the Mario Bardescu Drying Lotion...

I was fed up of trying everything in the drug store to get rid of spots so I was on the hunt for something EFFECTIVE. I came across this drying lotion from Mario Bardescu (which, by the way I had heard loads about) and was intrigued by what it actually claims to do. The drying lotion is a VERY fast acting acne/spot treatment. It consists of salicylic acid, calamine and other drying ingredients which decrease whiteheads overnight. 

You simply get a cotton bud and dip it into the bottle (do NOT shake the bottle) and apply on the whiteheads. As you can see the pink sediment at the bottom will become diluted if shaken, thus becoming less effective. It helps soothe whiteheads and over 1/2 nights it will be considerably less visible or if your lucky, completely gone. I literally apply this the MINUTE I see a whitehead to prevent it from becoming bigger and painful. I would HIGHLY recommend this to those with acne prone skin (or even if you don't have acne (like I don't) its just a quick and effective product to help remove the whitehead at the first instance). You can get yours here from Beauty Bay for just £12.50 - although its a small bottle, it will last you AGES! 

Last but my no means least, we have the Kiko Night Balm...

I feel like a lot of people forget their lips as part of their skin care routine, but GIRL if you want to apply matte lipstick, broken lips are just not acceptable. Now, I am sure you can tell by the name, this is a night balm which softens and nourishes your lips for the next morning.

The balm is a very light consistency and has active ingredients which work while you sleep to rebalance the level of hydration and promote cell turnover for your lips. When you wake up in the morning, it genuinely feels like you exfoliated your lips the night before and is a great way to help prep your lips before applying any lip product the next morning. I do feel that if you look after your lips, your lipstick/glosses will glide on much easier and your lips will naturally look more plumped. You can grab yours here for £5.90 at Kiko. 

So my lovelies, I hope you enjoyed this updated skin care routine as much as I did. Again, sorry for the lack of posts but I have got A LOT of catching up to do and a basket full of new makeup products that I am dying to review for you all so - watch this space! :)

Lots of love, 

Nouveau Beauty xo xo 

TheBalm Cosmetics - Meet Matt(e) Nude - Review!!

Hello my beauties,

Hope you're all keeping well and enjoying the lovely British weather (which by the way, is horrid!). I am currently sitting in bed, attempting to write this bblog whilst listening to the rain POURING down and the wind just being plain crazy. I don't actually know how people find the sound of rain soothing, I just find it annoying. 

Anyways, back to the reason I am sure you all clicked on this bblog for! I have a new favourite matte eyeshadow palette. Everybody...Meet Matt(e) Nude. Matt has become my new best friend and for those who adore warm neutral shades with a matte finish - this will be your go-to palette! 

Whilst I admit that this palette isn't cheap, for me it is 101% worth every penny. I was lucky enough to snap up a bargain at TK Maxx when this palette was on offer for £25. However, if you type it into Google, there are plenty of places that have this palette on offer. For instance, Beautyspin has this palette on offer for £27.80! You do get value for money with this palette as the pans are very large (as you can see below), and you get close to 3g worth of eyeshadow in each pan (compared to MAC shadow's which typically contains around 1.5g). 

So, this palette consists of 9 shades ranging from dark burgundy to a sandy yellow so you really can create plenty of looks with this palette. 

Let's start with the top three...

Matt Johnson: This is a muted dark grey shade - great for cut crease's and/or a smokey finish. 

Matt Garcia: This is a burgundy red toned brown - great as a transition shade and to give it that "3D look"

Matt Malloy: This is an off white shade - I love using this on a clean fluffy brush to blend out all the harsh lines when creating any look. 

On to the second batch...

Matt Rosen: This is a yellow toned mid brown which is gorgeous all over your base to create a neutral brown eye. 

Matt Wood: This is a warm chocolate brown - again, this could be used as a cut crease shade and/or a smokey finish. 

Matt Singh: This is almost like a coral nude - I love using this all over my eye just to even out my eye tone or for the most natural finish. 

& last but not least, the final three...

Matt Abdul: This is a cool toned purple grey - which I personally think looks lovely in the outer "V" to add some dimension to any subtle look. 

Matt Lombardi: This is a sandy yellow - which can be used all over the base or as a shade to blend out any harsh lines. 

Matt Hung: This is a mid toned purple taupe - although I find this shade slightly harsh and dark, if you like your smokey eyes or just a darker shade in your outer "V" then this could be your shade. 

As you can see, the palette is very versatile and would be great for everyday looks or for a night out. For someone like me, who loves matte shadows - it's a dream! 

All the swatches above were literally with one swipe - I kid you not, you will not be disappointed with the pigmentation and longevity of this palette. 

I used it in my last "get ready with me" bblog edition (which you can check out below) and this was for a very simple minimal look just to add some dimension (snippets are below too). 

Ultimately, the shades are gorgeous, the pigmentation is amazing, it's versatile, it's matte, it's basically one of the best palette's I have come across for matte warm neutral lovers!! 

Have you guys tried it before? What other matte palette's do you recommend? 

I hope you enjoyed the bblog beauties!

Lots of love, 

Nouveau Beauty xo 

Get ready with me ♥

Hello angels,

Today I'm back with a slightly different bblog - its a get ready with me edition...
I'm thinking of doing more of these are they're likely to come in useful for beginners or anyone who just wants to learn how to create simple makeup looks :)

Keep reading if you want to see how I achieved this look below...enjoy! x

Step 1: Prime your face - (this is imperative if you want a flawless base and long lasting makeup). Here, I have used the Lumi Magique primer all over my face for a dewy finish and the NYX Shine Killer on my t-zone to prevent any oil breaking through during the day.

Step 2: Moisturise your lips -  so they're soft and supple for lipstick application later on. Here I have used my new love, the Clarins Honey Lip Oil - its amazing!

Step 3: Fill in your brows -  Eyebrows make the BIGGEST difference to anyones face and makes your entire face look more defined. Here I have used the Kiko Eyebrow Setting Gel and the NYX Eyebrow pencil in Dark Brown.

Step 4: Prime your eyelids - Here I have used my FAVOURITE primer in the entire world. The Urban Decay Primer in "Eden" which is a matte primer and keeps your eyeshadow on all day!

Step 5: Apply the eyeshadow - Here I used the palette "Meet Matt(e) Nude" by the Balm cosmetics. This is my new favourite palette. If you like warm matte neutrals - this is THE one! I decided to keep this look short and sweet by using three shades.

(i) Put Matt Lombardi all over your eyes using a flat brush (to even out your lids as its a very     neutral shade)

(ii) Put Matt Rosen into the outer corners of your eyes and into your crease using a crease brush (slowly build this up) - this adds dimension to the eyes.

(iii) Put Matt Malloy onto a blending brush and blend any harsh lines out.

Step 6: Apply your eyeliner - I personally love a winged liner look so that is exactly what I opted for here using the love of my life the Artist of Makeup Eyeliner Pen (Yes, I am still obsessed over it).

Step 7: Begin to apply your base (foundation) - Take a beauty blender (I am using the Artist of Makeup Beauty Blender here) and put some foundation onto the damp blender (I am using the Nars Sheer Glow Foundation). Tap the foundation over your face and then slowly begin to buff it in (DO NOT rub it in).

Step 8: Conceal any blemishes - We all have those odd blemishes that we need extra coverage on and those dark eyes won't disappear themselves! Here, I am using the Maybelline Eraser Eye concealer in the shade Nude.

Step 9: Set the base and concealer - We need the base and concealer to stay put and to not crease. So, apply a pressed or loose powder (whichever you prefer) onto your face. I use the Sephora Smoothing and brightening powder under my eyes to brighten them up and then I use my MAC Skinfinish to set the rest of my face.

Step 10: Contouring your face - Here I have used the KIKO Contour pencil in dark to lightly contour my face in order to make it look more defined and slimmer. I applied the contour to the hollows of my cheeks, the bridge of my nose, my jawline, and just below my hairline.
Step 11: Highlight your face - Apply a creamy highlighter (or concealer) under your eyes, on the bridge of your nose (between your contour lines), your forehead (in a tree shape, as you can see below). Also, apply the highlight under the the contour you applied to the hollows of your cheeks and around the mouth area to brighten it up. Here I am using the Collection concealer in the shade Cool.
Step 13: Set your contour and highlight - You don't want all that hard work to go to waste, set your highlight with a yellow'ish powder (if you're of a similar skin tone). I am using the Anastasia Beverly Hills Contour kit and the shade Banana to do this. Then do the same thing with your contour but use a bronzer. Here, I am using my new favourite, the Bahama Mama bronzer by the Balm cosmetics - its a perfect cool toned bronzer!

Step 12: Blend steps 10 & 11 together - A beauty blender will be your best friend, use it! First blend your highlight in by gently tapping on the areas and blending them in. Then repeat those steps with the contour.

Step 14: Apply some blusher - We need to add some colour to our face to brighten it up and to look alive! Apply this to the apples of your cheeks (pull the silly face I am pulling below for your cheeks to pop up, making application easier). I am using the By Terry blusher in pink here.

Step 15: Highlighting galore - Lets face it, no look is complete without some highlight! I am using my Mary Lou Manizer by the Balm cosmetics and I applied this above the blusher (on my cheekbones) and used any excess on the bridge of my nose.

Step 16: Curl your lashes - You need to prep your lashes before applying Mascara so it makes application easier and your lashes will instantly be lifted. Here, I am using my gorgeous rose gold lash curlers from vintage cosmetics.

Step 17: Apply mascara - I ALWAYS prime my lashes first and recently I have reaching for my "they're real - tinted primer" as it gives a gorgeous natural look.

Step 18: Apply liner under your eyes - this is completely optional, but I love adding a pop of colour under my eyes. Here, I used the Urban Decay 24hr pencil in the shade "Mars" which is a beautiful deep green (which matched my top).

Step 19: Line your lips and apply your lipstick - Next, you want to add some colour to your lips. I opted for very natural lips. First, I lined them using the Max Factor lipliner in "Brown n Nude" and then used the NYX soft matte lips in "Abu Dhabi".

Step 20: Set your makeup - After all that work you DO not want your makeup slipping and sliding or wearing off. So, I highly recommend giving it that extra seal of protection and applying a setting spray. I LOVE using the Urban decay de slick setting spray. Spray it in a "Z" shape and then again in a "backwards Z shape" - if you get what I mean? That way it covers all areas of your face.

20 steps later, this is the final look!

I hope you all enjoyed this little "get ready with me" bblog! Let me know if you think I should do more of these?

I hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year too! Speak in 2016 my lovelies!

Lots of love,

Nouveau Beauty xoxo