LET'S TALK PRIMERS

There are so many different primers on the market at the minute that all do different things for different skin types. As i've mentioned before my skin is combination/oily so I thought i'd share with you the primers i've found to be the best and the worst for my skin!

A primer is vital in my makeup routine to ensure that my makeup stays in place all day without shifting or going shiny.

From left to right:

Benefit Porefessional, Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot, The Body Shop Wonderblur, Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

Benefit Porefessional

This primer is my all time favourite primer! It claims to minimise the appearance of pores and it does just that, it is the perfect base for when you want a flawless face. This primer is literally as soft as silk to apply and really makes makeup cling to the face, however it doesn't cure going shiny so I can imagine it works just as well on dry skin. It's best used on the T zone as thats where pores are usually more visible. It retails at £24.50 but its honestly worth every penny and it lasts a very long time! You can get your hands on it here.

Soap & Glory One Heck Of A Blot

This is the newest primer in my makeup collection after seeing a bunch of positive reviews about it and I must say I LOVE this primer! "With Shine-Bloc 12HR Matte Spheres & Pore Shrink Technology." This primer is fabulous for keeping my skin matte for the longest amount of time! You only need a tiny amount of this and it still manages to shrink the appearance of pores. It is available here and only costs £10.00, DEFINITELY WORTH IT.

Now onto the primers that don't work as well for my skin:

The Body Shop Wonderblur

This primer is the strangest texture and I think that is what put me off it first. It supposed to smooth the skins texture by reducing the appearance of pores and fine lines, which it does to a certain extent. Don't get me wrong it does make them less visible however with this primer it tends to feel like its actually blocking my pores slightly so it makes my makeup feel a lot heavier than it is! It retails at £17.00 and is available here.

Nivea Men Sensitive Post Shave Balm

You're probably wondering why this product is on a blog post about primers but truth is it makes your makeup last a VERY long time. A lot of people absolutely love this product as a primer but unfortunately I'm not one of them. It acts as a glue to foundation which is fab and the scent isn't too overpowering either! I did however found after using this product a couple of days in a row it actually made me break out so it's a no from me. It is only cheap so I'd definitely recommend giving it a go as it literally makes your makeup last forever, you can pick it up in boots for just £5.35.

Hope this helps!

What's your all time FAVE primer?

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CHRISTMAS BEAUTY IDEAS AT SELFRIDGES

Choosing the perfect gift for someone can be a challenge! Whilst browsing the internet I went onto Selfridges to get some inspiration and I must say there are some gorgeous gifts on there and they're not too badly priced either. I've gathered a collection of the ones I thought were mega cute, so hopefully this will help some of you buy your friends/families gifts this year!

MAC - Irresistibly Charming 

 Lip Gloss £26.00   

CHARLOTTE TILBURY - Six

 Shades Of Love £49.00

CLINIQUE - Shining Stars Beauty 

Box £25.00

LANCOME - La Vie Est Belle Gift Set

 £62.00

CLARINS - Body Care Collection 

£30.00

ORIGINS - Moisture and Be Merry

 £45.00

CLINIQUE - High On Lashes 

£17.50

NAILS INC - Gel Effect Duo 

£22.50

CHARLOTTE TILBURY - The Gift of 

Goddess Skin £39.00

Hope this helps, there are LOADS more gifts online here. 

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PERFECT YOUR POUT

When in doubt, POUT. Over the past few months pouts have become much more of a focus across social media, For example 'The Kylie Jenner Challenge', this is where girls suck their lips into a small cup or lid and actually causing themselves more damage than good, purely just to get a plumper pout. 

As the party season is just round the corner and mistletoe is coming your way I thought I would show you an easier/less painful alternative to plump up your pout in just 5 steps.

Heres what you're gunna need:

1. First off SCRUB, in the cold weather my lips get really dry and this Lush Bubblegum Lip Scrub is perfect when it comes to getting super soft lips. I'm not sure that you're supposed to but this smells and tastes good enough to eat. The caster sugar and Jojoba oil in this lip scrub makes sure my lips stay in top condition.

2. PEPPERMINT OIL, you're probably thinking Aimee what........? but peppermint oil is an effective natural remedy that actually plumps your lips. I usually dilute it slightly by mixing it with my lip balm as it makes your lips tingle and if its not diluted the sensation can be a bit too much. Please be careful when applying this to the lips - DO NOT EAT.

3. Lip Liner. If you overdraw too much you will look like a bit of a clown, However this is a great way to give the illusion that your lips are bigger than they are. My current favourite is Rimmel Lasting Finish in Cappuccino and it's available from Boots or Lloyds Pharmacy.

4. Lipstick, like a lot of girls lipstick is my favourite part of my makeup collection! I find by applying my base colour all over, in this case Mac Viva Glam 2, then applying a slightly lighter lipstick to the centre of my lips, in this case Mac Pure Pout, to create a slight ombre which again is great at giving you a plumper looking pout.

5. Finally Highlight, by applying highlighter to your cupids bow this really finishes off any lip look, my current favourite is Mary-Lou Manizer.

Whats your favourite lip combination? Let me know.

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HANDBAG ESSENTIALS

What's in my bag changes a lot but these products have managed to stick around for a long time so I thought i'd show you the few things I always keep in my bag!

Lets get started;

The first thing is my mini Georgio Armani Si perfume, it's a tiny 7ml version so it's perfect for travelling! I got given this as a gift alongside the 30ml so i'm not entirely sure where you can get this baby one from, however if you want to know what kind of scent this is I did mention it in my October Favourites.

Next up is this Sure Maximum Protection Anti-Perspirant Cream Stress Control Deodorant, the name is as long lasting as this deodorant. This deodorant I honestly couldn't live without it's so long-lasting, it doesn't have a strong scent but it also smells really fresh and it keeps underarms completely dry yet moisturised throughout the day. It retails for £4.99 and is available here. HACK: I can't remember where I saw this hack and I definitely would NOT recommend this for  everyday use - however it's helped me on the odd occasion! So you know the days when you're in such a rush you completely forget to apply any deodorant, stress no more, its not you that smells its actually the bacteria which gathers under your arms when you sweat so if you apply a small amount of hand sanitiser to your underarms it's going to prevent that bacteria from growing and you won't smell!

I honestly don't know what I would do if I hadn't discovered Mac's Blot Powder, any one with even slightly oily skin this powder will change your life! It retails at £20.50 and is available here. This powder comes with a small pad and a mirror so it saves you carrying them round separately. It somehow managed to keep me matte throughout the day and it is an absolute MUST HAVE. It is available in different colours for different skin tones so I would definitely have a look in store for the correct colour, for those of you interested I was recommended Medium/Dark, even though i'm super pale.

EOS Smooth Sphere Lip Balm in Summer Fruit - the condition of my lips has completely changed since I got this for christmas last year, its an absolute saviour in the cold weather. It's full of Vitamin E and Shea Butter so you really can feel a difference and it tastes good too. It retails at £6.50 and is available here.

Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution Lipstick - Bond Girl. This lipstick is fairly new to my collection but I can't stress to you enough how pretty this lip colour is! I first saw it on Samantha Maria's Youtube channel and instantly fell in love. It says it's a matte lipstick but its honestly not drying at all it feels so lovely on the lips!

Finally, who doesn't keep a hand cream in their bag?! This L'Occitane hand cream is a gorgeous vanilla sent and I just love how moisturised my hands feel after using it! I find their regular hand creams way to big to be kept in my handbag however this one is the perfect size! It retails at £8.00 and is available here.

I hope you enjoyed this post, let me know of any products you can't leave the house without!

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