Top Summer Bronzers - Drugstore and High End

I love a bronze-y look pretty much all year round, but there's something about the Summer months that really make me want to dive head first into my bronzer collection, (obviously fully expecting to look like Beyoncé..). I don't like things too red, too orange or too glittery, so choosing the perfect bronzers can sometimes be struggle, particularly in the drugstore when most of the bronzers tend to be saturated in shimmers. 

I've narrowed it down to my go-tos from both drugstore and high-end, so hopefully you'll find a new bronzer to fall in love with!

e.l.f Blush & Bronzing Powder in St Lucia

Max Factor Creme Bronzer in Bronze 10

The e.l.f bronzer is actually a duo with a blush, so I guess you're really getting bang for your buck with this product! The blush is actually a little bit too light for my skin tone, so I'm just focusing on the bronzer. It's such a beautiful toasty brown that really brings warmth to your complexion. If you're looking for a little on-the-go palette, this is the perfect package as it comes with a sizeable mirror too! I'd say this is great for light-medium/medium skin tones, and they do lots of other duos with different tones, so there'll definitely be a perfect match for you. 

The new Max Factor bronzer has fast become my current favourite! It pretty much goes against everything I like in a face product, yet somehow it's perfect! When I say it goes against everything, I'm talking about the fact that it's visibly loaded with shimmers AND it's baked, (I'm not too fond of baked products). I'd actually been looking at this bronzer for a while, but I was so sure I wouldn't like it when it was on that I'd put off purchasing until the right offer came along, (hello Boots 2 for 3!). It creates the most perfect golden bronze-y glow, and adds just the right amount of shadow on my skin. The shimmer is undetectable, instead creating a super natural glow. If you're looking for a new affordable bronzer for the Summer, this is my top recommendation. 

Sephora Collection Bronzing Powder in Bali

Benefit Hoola Bronzer

Tom Ford Soleil Bronzing Powder in Terra

I've spoken about the Sephora Bali bronzer hundreds of times on my blog, so I won't ramble on too much, but if you're able to get it, it truly is one of the most beautiful bronzers! A perfect mixture of warm and cool tones, and blends like a dream. I'm going to be so sad the day I run out of this little gem! It ain't easy for us UK girls who love Sephora!

One that's definitely not new on the scene, but that's certainly a cult favourite is the Benefit Hoola Bronzer. They've extended the Hoola franchise into creams and liquids, also bringing out a lighter version of everyones favourite bronzer. I'm a true fan of the original Hoola bronzer, and I find it works on my skin tone no matter how it differs throughout the seasons. It's actually pretty similar to the Sephora bronzer in terms of colour, it's the perfect mixture of warm and cool meaning it also provides a subtle contour too. I tend to use bronzing products the same way I would a contour powder, and I love Hoola for this.

Ahhhh, this is the real deal when it comes to 'high-end' products. Tom Ford is the business, and if you're spending some serious money on your make-up, it better be the best thing you ever put on your face. I picked up the Tom Ford 'Terra' bronzer after some serious hype over it, and it truly is worth it. Particularly with the amount of product you get in the pan, it marginally justifies the whopping price-point! It's slightly warmer than the other bronzers, but definitely not orange and there's absolutely zero fall-out. If you're in the market for splashing out on a bronzer or if you're a luxury beauty fanatic, it's definitely one to add to the collection as it will last a life-time.

I hope you enjoyed this post, and maybe discovered some new bronzers to check out! Feel free to suggest some more that I might like too!

Spring Beauty Essentials

Hello! Today I decided to share some of my Spring beauty essentials with you. I guess you can assume from the picture above, I'm all about fresh, glowy skin this time of year, and I'm about to share with you a little collection of products that help me to achieve that!

Clinique Fresh Pressed Vitamin C Powder Cleanser

I guess it's wise of me to begin with the base! You can't build a great house on poor foundations. I take great care of my skin, I'll be sharing some posts based around skincare very soon, but something I've discovered is amazing for a glowing complexion is the new Clinique Fresh Pressed powder cleanser. I've been using this on and off for a little over a month now, I say on and off as it's not necessarily something you need to use everyday, more as something to amp up your current routine. This does what it says on the tin, (or the box), it instantly brightens my face, and smooths out any texture in preparation for make-up. If you're after a new cleanser to give your skin a boost, grab yourself a box asap!

Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream

We often take good care of our skin, but neglect to look after our under eye area, which should be a main focus! The skin under our eyes is 50% thinner than that on our face, and it's always a massive give away of things such as ageing, tiredness, and more. I've been loving using this Bobbi Brown eye cream recently as it's super hydrating, leaving my under eyes looking as radiant as the rest of my skin, and helping to keep dehydration lines at bay!

Estee Lauder Double Wear Nude Cushion Stick

On to the actual make-up, I love a dewy finish this time of year, so I've been reaching for the Double Wear Cushion Stick foundation. If you're super oily, I'd give it a miss as it's only since my skin has balanced out that I'm able to wear this, but for dry/dry combination skin, this is heaven sent. It's not super full coverage like it's sister, the cult classic Double Wear, but a nice medium/buildable foundation. The product is dispensed from a sponge, however I still like to use a blending brush to apply! 

Sephora Bronzer in Bali

An obvious one I suppose, but who doesn't need a bronzer, especially in the warmer months?! I love a naturally bronzed complexion, and this one from Sephora ticks all the boxes for me. I don't contour specifically, I rather use my bronzer to warm up those areas. With that being said, I wouldn't want a super warm toned bronzer for that purpose, and this one is a perfect mix of warm and cool! It's even lovely thrown in the crease of your eye!

Benefit Cheek Parade Palette

It's time to add a little flush of colour to the cheeks, and I personally love a pop of peach on mine, so the new Benefit Galifornia blush is a dream. It's a super barbie-style peach. Of course, this is a whole palette, but I like having options, okay! It also includes some of my favourite bronzers, so I love having this palette on hand to complete most of my look. 

Anastasia Beverly Hills X Nicole Guerriero Glow Kit

What would a glowy make-up look be with out the ULTIMATE glow? I've been a huge fan of the ABH glow kits since 'gleam' and 'that glow' hit the scene, and have since collected four more, including the killer collaboration which is with beauty guru Nicole Guerriero. I'm not massively familiar with Nicole, but the palette called my name, (quite literally). The variety of shades is gorgeous, and definitely something different which is proving hard these days with the amount of new released we're being hit with! The shades melt into your skin like butter, and provide you with a seriously enviable glow. 

Estee Lauder Bronze Goddess Fragrance

Last but not least, you just have to have your staple spring/summer fragrance on deck before you leave the door! Mine is the classic Bronze Goddess by Estee Lauder. It instantly takes me to a tropical island, (okay, in my head), but it just gets those good vibes flowing. If you haven't tried this fragrance, give it a smell when it hits the stores again! 

What are your Spring beauty essentials?! 

Sephora Shopping In Paris

I've just got back from a beautiful weekend in Paris with my boyfriend, and of course, it was incredible in every way, with the most beautiful buildings, and even better pizza, but me being me, I had to take a trip to Sephora! Us beauty-obsessed British guys and gals have a huge Sephora shaped hole in our hearts, and I feel like I've returned to the mother-ship everytime I visit one! Have a look at what I picked up on this trip!

Marc Jacobs Air Blush in Lines and Last Night

This was my splurge item, the item I almost left the store without but quickly made a mad dash back to the counter to grab it! I didn't realise it, but I'm actually a bit of a blusher collector. I can't resist a peachy glow on the apples of my cheeks, and this has been so highly spoken about that I wanted it in my collection! It looks so beautiful, and if like me, you love a peachy blush, I'd say it's worth the dollar bills!

Sephora Collection Bronzing Powder in Bali

This isn't something I intended on purchasing as I'm not really looking for a new bronzer, but the colour was gorgeous, and the price was right! I kept swatching it and it was so soft and buttery, and upon application on my face, it blended out beautifully. I've actually not stopped using this since I purchased it, and I even use it in the crease of my eye for a warm bronzed everyday eye look!

Sephora Orchid Sheek Mask

Sephora Avocado Sheet Mask

A classic Sephora purchase, whether you're a regular shopper there, or just visiting, you just have to pick up a sheet mask or two! I'm not convinced they're life-changing, but they're definitely fun! At just under 4 euros, they don't break the bank either. I decided to pick up two new ones, the orchid mask and the avocado mask! I haven't tried these yet, but if they do blow my mind, then I'll pop up a review!

(From L to R - Dusty Rose, Ashton & Coral Sunset)

Anastasia Beverly Hills Liquid Lipsticks in Ashton and Dusty Rose

Sephora Cream Lip Stain in Coral Sunset

Probably the most exciting purchases! I'll start with the Sephora cream lip stain. I picked another one up last month in Rome, and I fell in love with the formula, so I knew I wanted to expand my collection asap. I picked up the shade 'Coral Sunset', which is a beautiful burnt orange, my favourite! I probably should delve into the brighter oranges now we're nearing Summer, but I can't help loving this autumnal hue! The Sephora make-up range is pretty well priced in general, so I didn't think twice about picking another one of these up, and I'm sure it'll become tradition to keep adding them to my collection!

Now, the babies. I see ABH liquid lipsticks to be the first on the market, correct me if I'm wrong, but they're the first ones I ever saw a few years back! Because of this, I've always dreamt of owning my own, but they're so ridiculously hard to get a hold of in the UK for some reason?! I didn't even know they had an ABH counter in the Paris Sephora, so I made a bee-line for it when I spotted it! It took me no time at all to pick up the highly coveted shades, 'Ashton', a warm brown, and the self explanatory 'Dusty Rose'. The formula of these is actually lovely, and I'm definitely going to need a few more!

Huda Beauty Harmony Lashes

Huda Beauty Samantha Lashes

I am a huge Huda Beauty fan, even huge is an understatement. Of both the family, and the brand, I'm inspired by them daily, their work ethic, the love they have for eachother, and everything they've achieved together, it's beautiful. Despite not being big on spending a lot of money on my lashes, I will always support Huda and her brand, so I picked up my favourite pairs! I bought my first pair of Huda Beauty lashes a few years ago in Dubai, and they remain untouched as they're almost like a little souvenir for me! Obviously I'm going to use these ones, I'm particularly excited about the Harmony lashes!! 

I hope you've enjoyed this haul-style post! I love reading these myself, and I wanted to share my purchases! You may see one or two things crop up in a favourites post! Have any of you been to a Sephora? And are you as crazy as me in there?! To be fair, this was pretty well restrained. Let's just say, let me loose on those US brands and me and my bank will have a problem! Haha!