My Daily Make Up Routine!

So, this is my make up routine for a typical weekday when I'm working or popping in to town. . .

1/  Every single morning, there is the prising opening of the eyes because let's face it, it will probably help if I can see what I'm doing and I need all the help I can get. A quick shower and an even quicker wipe across the face (with the L'Oreal Paris 3 in 1 Purifying Miscellar Solution) is employed most days for this first mission. I know miscellar solutions are reportedly overused and should not be used in place of a 'proper' morning cleansing routine but hey, it seems to work quite well for me. This step usually finishes with a frown in the mirror as my eyes have very reluctantly opened, only to find my reflection. Damn, I don't particularly care for what I see!

2/ At night, I tend to lather my face in potions and moisturisers but in the morning (I have to be out of the house by 6.40am at the latest), a dollop of the Hydreane Riche moisturiser from La Roche Posay (My absolute favourite moisturiser ever. Totally recommend, I always come back to this stuff. Remember this rave?!)  mixed in to Extra Comfort foundation from Clarins suffices.
I can't really feel this foundation as I rub it in to my face (Yep, I do the finger thing. I can get in to all my little contours etc that way plus is it just me or does it take at least three times longer to apply foundation with a brush?!). It feels and looks quite a lightweight foundation (though many claim it to be of medium coverage) and blends in easily giving my face a nice polish and a flattering glow. I frown as I move a little closer to the mirror though, I can still see a little redness in my cheeks and jeez, those eye bags. Did I honestly just wake up from a good night of sleep?!!

3/ Scramble around in my nice new flowery make up bag from Boots to find my Clarins Instant Light Brush On Perfector concealer thingymajig. I was on a mission last week to become more organised and this bag was to be my new home for my day to day make up. . ! So after 5 minutes of frantic scrambling, I find said concealer lying ever so innocently (ha!) on the floor behind me. Now to twist the pen and tapping concealer with fingers in a large triangle under my eyes. Wow, sigh of relief. A miracle has again taken place, I almost look awake. A quick shake of the pen to determine how much concealer is left but I can't tell. I dread the day that I do the twist and nothing comes out. I really really like this concealer for under the eyes but wish I could see inside the pen and find out when I needed to find the serious cash to stock up.

4/ Using my Sigma angled brush, I apply a little Mystery (MAC) to my brows and raise an eyebrow or two as I fill the gaps in. All the while muttering as to if the threader got a little carried away recently. Argh, I walked out of there feeling so 'fine' too.

5/ A quick swipe of something close to hand (often Seventeen, Phwoarr paint) to prime the eyelids. Then with my Sigma flat shadow brush, I tap my current favourite eyeshadow on to colour block my eyelid. More often then not, this task falls to the Naked eyeshadow from Urban Decay. All That Glitters, Modellette, Buck, Tempting and Satin Taupe have all performed this role at some time but Naked for me, is the ultimate colour blocker. Face on, it gives the wearer a subtle but flattering draw to the eye but when I look down, it makes my eyelids look that much more and really softens my look. A quick swirl or two with the Sigma blending brush to blend out.

Note: After using Sigma for five years, I have recently experimented with the Real Technique  eye brushes but I need further practise and practise needs time so I tend to stick to the Sigma in the mornings as the clock ticks ever closer to 6.40am. Occasionally a little contour to the outer corner or darkness along the eye line is needed but very rare I bother making the extra effort  especially as we get closer to the end of the week. This is where the semi-permanent eyeliner from last year pays off, I can move straight to mascara.

6/ More often then not, I stick with just a few slicks of mascara now my eye line is already so dark. Instant curse as I pull away from the mirror and look at the final result. Cor, I so need the Prestige blackest lashes or some Max Factor, back in my life. This L'Oreal Voluminous isn't half messy and, unlike L'Oreal Million, here smudge galore is served with very little (and quite disappointing) extra oopmh, length or volume. Sigh as I resign myself to the fact that I will need to buy a new mascara this weekend, if I want to go out in to town etc without fussing (unsuccessfully) with falsies.

7/ Oh, the clock says 6.35am already. Deep breath before I grit my teeth and (fake) smile anyway as straighteners are switched on (ready for the hair prep which needs to swiftly follow) before a final swipe just above my cheekbones with NARS, Deep Throat blush.

8/ A little Lush lip scrub applied before picking up straighteners. Mmm, extra dip in to the pot, just a little taste. After all, I'm not sure there will be much time for breakfast this morning. As I lick my lips, I make a mental note to add Rimmel Stay Matte Powder to my shopping list. I keep meaning to buy it with my points, it definitely helps my make up pull through a double shift. Ooh and as Harmony from MAC catches my eye, it passes through my mind that maybe I should try again tomorrow to set my alarm five minutes earlier for some contouring action. When I do bother to use Harmony, it rewards me.

........FAST FAST FAST FAST FORWARD AND THE OCCASIONAL TRIP OVER MY OWN FEET OR ABANDONED TOP ON THE FLOOR AS I RACE AROUND THE FLAT AND COMPLETE THE REMAINING STAGES OF MY DAILY PREP (HAIR, TEETH ETC)...........

9/ Before finding myself in the car, scrambling around my Miu Miu Bow for a lip product. Shoot, I thought I had promised myself I would keep them in the inner zip pocket but no, only an electric key there. Oh and is that a perfume bottle, a quick overly generous spritz of that before lip product search resumes. Finally, I find a Sleek Pout Polish in Peach Perfection but a bit fed up of that and then, oh, there is the Benefit gloss but that feels almost too much for work. Another scramble until I find MAC Underage (a bit drying) and Lanolips or even better, a Maybelline Baby Lips. The Peach Kiss is my favourite. Remind myself to check lips later, my favourite daily lip products never last. Well all, except the totally fabulous Lanolips.

10/ Another smile crosses my face. A genuine one this time as the first of my daily major tasks has been completed. Yep, my make up is in place!!!! Well, sort of, except that bloody  L'Oreal Voluminous mascara which smudges again as I put my driving glasses on. Oh well, 6.50am, must wipe smudges away at the other end. Start ignition, lights on and off I go or well, that was my plan but darn, I need to de-ice. Resume scrambling action ... just know there is a couple of deicers in here somewhere. . !

So that is how each day starts for my face and I? What about you? Do you have a signature make up look? What make up products do you recommend?

Thanks for all your comments and support this week, it means such a lot and gives an excuse for that genuine(!) smile to cross my face again. I hope you are all well. Two days until the weekend . . . woo!!!

La Roche Posay and skincare update!

I haven't done a skincare post in a while as to be honest, I've kept it simple and stuck to a routine very similar to the one I posted last November. However, one of my product changes has made such a difference and I need to tell you about it (hence the post) but more about that in a moment!

First to the routine . . .

I'm still using the No 7 Hot Cloth cleanser as it continues to cleanse my skin well and leave it feeling a little polished. It is also of great value. I swap between the Tea Tree water and products from the Botanics range (I tend to use the Skin brightening or Rosewater ones) to tone merely because sometimes I find it difficult to get to a Lush and Botanics, as a Boots brand is often more accessible and on some kind of offer.

As for moisturiser,I was using Oilatum back in November. At the time, I felt that Oilatum was a great product. It seemed to moisturise my skin gently without breaking me out and compared to many moisturisers out there was great value. It is of no surprise that I actually repurchased Oilatum a few times and considered remaining loyal to it.

Talk about tempting fate!

I should have known better, around Christmas I started to notice my skin feeling dry and no matter how much Oilatum, I whacked on (honestly, I was whizzing through the tubes), my skin continued to feel a bit parched in places.

It was at this point that I turned to moisturisers from La Roche Posay. I had used the Mattifying one before and really rated it so thought that more La Roche Posay action might be just what was required.

And yes, thank goodness, that seemed to be the right call!

I've used a few of the blue La Roche Posay products lately, Hydraphase Rich; Effaclar Duo;Mattifying Moisturiser; Effaclar Clarifying Lotion and I can tell you, I really like the brand!

Some of you early followers may remember the horrible trouble I had with my skin a couple of years ago and I think, that my skin only really started to get better after I'd exhausted all the high tech/big name regimes and slimmed my skincare routine down to more gentle basics. I've heard that the La Roche Posay products use the smallest number of ingredients possible. I can only think this is good. The less ingredients there are in a product, the less chance there is of encountering something that irritates your skin.

The Hydreane Riche Moisturising Cream . . .

The La Roche Posay product that has really, really impressed me recently is the Hydreane Riche Moisturising Cream For Sensitive Skin, a moisturiser I've repurchased three times in a row. Given my fickle nature, those stats leave no doubt that I am totally sold on this gem!

The Hydreane Riche is a rich moisturiser designed to moisturise sensitive skin without irritation.

As with all La Roche Posay products, La Roche Posay spa water is one of the main ingredients in the product. La Roche Posay is a spa resort in France which specialises in skincare and apparently is renowned for its success in helping so many skin conditions. The thermal spa water used is rich in the anti-oxidant, Selenium. The Hydreane Riche contains Hydrolipids which carries this magic water and the Selenium deeper in to the skin.

Now, all of this could just be clever marketing.  I'm a bit skeptical as to a 'magical' water being the only ingredient needed to make a skincare product work but what can I say?!

My current skin condition suggests that maybe this time there really is a little more to all the scientific babble then just words. La Roche Posay products and particularly the Hydreane Riche moisturiser seem to work fantastically for me

As far as the Hydreane Riche goes, from day one, I would say my skin 'instantly' looked a little more radiant and not long after that, it also carried a more polished and refined air. It now constantly feels well moisturised and is 'easy to wear'. What I mean by that is that it does not feel tight, parched or itchy. Also, it is pretty much blemish-free (yay!!!) and soo smooothhh. Honestly, the lack of little bumps when I use my fingers to apply products is probably the skin change that has struck me the most and I can't help but wonder if there really is a link between my new smooth skin and the La Roche Posay water, aptly nicknamed by many as the 'velvet' water.

The Hydreane Riche currently costs £14.30 in Boots and I use it both day and night. I am as happy to use this as a night cream as I am to use the Mega Mushroom from Origins or Embryollisse. In fact, I would say this is probably a little gentlier then the Mega Mushroom and a little more moisturising then the Embryollisse. Personally, I prefer it to the Clinique or No 7 moisturisers I have used in the past.

The only thing I would say is that I tend to mix the Hydreane Riche in with my foundation for day application (or on lazy make up free days, I use a very small amount) as it doesn't seem to sink in to my skin that quickly and can leave me with shiny patches for half an hour or so. Used twice a day in this way five days a week(ish!), I would say one tube is lasting me just under a month.

A word of warning though, this is a product I love and am happy to remain loyal to but when I have swapped it up for a day or two, my skin quickly seems to feel parched again (unless I use a damn good subsitutue such as the Skin Brightening Moisture Boosting mask from The Sanctuary) which makes me wonder how much the Hydreane Riche is actually doing for my skin in the long term. It seems my skin is only as good as long as I'm using it. The Hydreane does not seem to be doing anything to help my skin develop in a way to become less dependant on good quality skincare but then again, I don't see myself giving up on this moisturiser any time soon so I'm not going to stress too much about the consequences of discontinuing it.

Off I go, tempting fate again . . !

As much as I rate it, given the heightened nature of the Hydrane Riche, I am reluctant to recommend it to all of you especially if you have oily skin. Skin is very individual and we all have different needs. However, I do believe in the La Roche Posay brand and reckon that most of the products (especially the blue less fragranced, more sensitive line) do exactly what they say they are going to do, to the skins they say they can help so all you need to do is check out all the amazing products that the brand offers, find the one for you and give it a go. Don't forget to tell me how you get on!

Have any of you used La Roche Posay? What beauty brands do you have complete faith in?

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