GLOW YOUR OWN WAY

      If asked about my favorite beauty slogan, I'd probably say "skin first, makeup second, smile always"; good job on that Glossier. Just like them, I believe that skincare should always come first, and you'll always be beautiful if you're rocking a smile. If you're using makeup to hide your imperfections rather than enhance your beauty, something is going wrong there. I understand that almost no one has perfect skin, I'm definitely far from it, but here are some of the ways I try to keep my skin healthy and glowing, and some sheer makeup products I use on the daily.

PREP

Glow Mud Cleanser (£18.00), Elizabeth Arden 8 Hour Cream (£26.00), First Aid Beauty Eye Duty Triple Remedy (£22.10), Makeup Fixing Mist (£16.00)

      It's no secret that if you don't take care of your skin and prep it well, then makeup won't sit right. One of the first steps to taking care of yourself and your skin is to drink lots of water. Cliche? Maybe. But it's so so true. If your skin looks tired and sallow, or you're having more breakouts than usual, it could just be a case of dehydration. I feel like people in general are good at remembering to drink water when it's warm outside, but forget to in the colder months. Just get into the habit of taking a bottle with you everywhere you go; if it's constantly in front of you, you are much more likely to rehydrate more often.

      When it comes to skincare, when I think of glow enhancing products I immediately think of Pixi. I think that they do an amazing job with their skintreats range, and as you saw from my previous haul I picked up many things to try. I have been using their mud cleanser since that day and my skin loves it, as well as (of course) their Glow Tonic that I can't go without. I'm also really enjoying their makeup fixing mist either before and/or after I apply my makeup, as it sets everything in place while still leaving my skin looking hydrated.

      Other areas I like to prep are my lips with the Elizabeth Arden 8 hour cream, both before bed and in the mornings. My lips chap like no other, so this heavy duty lip balm is fantastic. I also like to keep an eye cream at the ready incase I didn't get enough sleep, or I'm having particularly puffy under-eyes. This one by FAB is indeed fab as it decreases puffiness and it's color adds a brightening effect under the eyes.

CREAMS

Bare Minerals Complexion Rescue™ Tinted Hydrating Gel Cream (£26.00), Laura Mercier Oil-Free Tinted Moisturizer (£34.00), Josie Maran Argan Infinity Lip and Cheek Creamy Oil Duo ($16.00), & Other Stories' True Bias Fuschia (£12.00), Kiko Contouring Pencil Set (£9.90)

      I have been going baseless a lot lately as I find my skin has been quite good, and having a tan blurs imperfections quite well. Little things that are always there, like acne scars, don't bother me too much. However, on days when I want some more evenness to my skin, I've been opting for the sheerest of the lot. My Laura Mercier tinted moisturizer in Fawn is a good color for when I'm tanned, so it's my go-to at the moment. Despite having the oil-free version, my oily skin can still look a bit greasy a few hours into the day. For that reason, I don't think I would repurchase this, but if you are someone who has drier skin I'd recommend checking it out. I've also been loving the Complexion Rescue by Bare Minerals in 06 Ginger, as the shade has the perfect amount of yellowness for my skin, and the texture is great. I do find it can sometimes cling to dry patches around my hairline though, so a good moisturizer is always needed underneath.

      Regardless of whether I wear a base or not, I also like to add color to my face to enhance the healthy glow. & Other Stories do fantastic blushes in general, and this cream one I have blends beautifully without any effort. I've also been experimenting with this Josie Maran lip and cheek oil, and I'm not sure how I feel about it yet as it's not so easy to work with. It can be a bit sticky at first, but once it dries down a bit it looks lovely, so I'll keep using it and see.

      I've also been pretty obsessed with this stick contour and highlight duo from KIKO. I have the lighter set of the two, and they blend into the skin so well. I was a bit scared to use a non-powder contour at first, but now that I have I might even prefer it. It gives the most natural shadow as long as you don't over draw it in, and even then you can blend it out so easily. I am definitely a fan.

POWDERS

Charlotte Tilbury Airbrush Flawless Finish (£33.00), Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze & Glow (£49.00), Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette (£56.00) 

      Now I know what you're thinking, powders and glowing skin don't usually go together, but that's not always the case. Here are some of my favorites for when I'm not feeling the fuss of cream products. Firstly, this Charlotte Tilbury setting powder is basically magic. It's great with or without anything underneath, and removes the grease without taking away the glow. I don't know what magic is in it, but I swear it's like airbrush in a compact. As with every other beauty blogger, I also adore the filmstar bronze and glow. Even though the bronzer is a bit on the warmer side, it still looks great as a contour for me, and since it's a bit shimmery it gives an inner glow and definition all at once. The highlighter in the set is also one of my favorites.

     The final product I have is the Hourglass blush trio which I have been addicted to since it's purchase. I definitely reach for it more than any of my other blushes, and the swirl of their ambient lighting powders with the blush pigment means it's give you healthy looking cheeks all day long. I love all the colors equally, and if you haven't tried out any hourglass products before, I'd definitely recommend a look at this one.

So those are all my tips, tricks and recommendations for healthy glowing skin on the daily, and I'd love to hear what your thoughts and recommendations are. 

SUMMER DAYTIME MOISTURIZERS

After an impromptu 2-month hiatus, I'm back! I was so busy with my last semester of Uni that I needed a little break from blogging to focus on work. Hopefully no unplanned disappearances will happen again, at least not anytime soon.

Whenever the seasons change, I have to adjust my skincare a teeny bit to account for the changes in weather. Granted, the weather in Dubai is almost always summer, with a week of 'winter' sometimes in January. Two weeks if we're lucky. But jokes aside, once June hits, it's scorching hot and beauty products have to be adjusted accordingly. Today's post features two daily moisturizers that I found are super lightweight, but still moisturizing enough for the hotter months.

The first of the two is & Other Stories' Tulle Day Cream (£15 £7). It's called a gel cream, and is targeted toward combination-oily skin, which is what I have. I don't particularly love this product, but there's nothing I hate about it either. It has a light powdery scent that I'm not a fan of but it's hardly noticeable, and a little definitely goes a long way (which I learned the hard way as it's very easy to squeeze out too much). It's lightweight enough to wear under makeup, and it doesn't bother me that it has no SPF as I like to use a separate product for that, or just get it from my makeup. I don't find that it helps reduce the shine on my T-zone at all, but it definitely doesn't increase my oiliness in any way. I definitely don't recommend this for anyone who has slightly dry skin as I don't think it will bw moisturizing enough for them. Overall, I think this is a good inexpensive product, but not a great one.

The second product I've been testing out is Kiko's Mat Fluid (£11.90). I picked this up on a whim when I was in Spain in January because I tested it out on the back of my hand and it felt amazing. I'm glad to say that after proper use this didn't disappoint me in any way. It has a fragrant scent which I love, and is so smooth to apply on the skin without being too heavy. I find it a bit more moisturizing than the & Other Stories one, while still being nice and lightweight, and giving my skin the perfect amount of moisture with or without makeup. I also like the packaging, and find that one pump gives me the exact amount I need for my whole face, so I never use too much product by mistake. Although I don't find it ultra-matifying, I do think it helps prolong the inevitable appearance of shine on my nose a little. 

Out of the two, I definitely think the Kiko moisturizer is the winner, and will probably repurchase it when I run out.

Let me know what some of your summertime skincare essentials are, I'd love to read!

CREAM ON

I'm not usually one to go for glow enhancing products, as I have combo skin and things can sometimes look a bit TOO shiny. However, I do have a few cream products that I love but don't get enough use out of, so I thought I'd share them with you as I try to include them into my makeup routine more.

1. Cream Blushes

To be honest, before trying out cream blushes, I thought I'd HATE them. In my mind they were these slippery products that wouldn't last more than an hour or two on my skin. However, after making my first purchase I'm glad to say that I was pleasantly surprised. The two I love are: Topshop's Head Over Heels (£7.00), a lovely coral color that has a cream to powder finish (I know that can sound like a weird concept, but believe me if you swatch this you'll understand; and & Other Stories' True Bias Fuschia (£12.00), a gorgeous bright pink that instantly wakes up your face without having any glitter in it - although this one is definitely more of a true cream finish. Both are swatched below, both full on and blended out.

Left to Right: Watt's Up, Head Over Heels, True Bias Fuschia 

2. Cream Highlighters

I never used any kind of highlighters before this past year, let alone CREAM highlighters. However, ever since getting into them I often find that my makeup look is missing that last step without some sheen on my (non existent) cheekbones. While I was in the US I used some Sephora points on a mini sample size of Benefit's Watt's Up (£24.50) to see what all the hype is about, and I'm am so glad that i did. It blends out beautifully and gives such a glow to the face, i caught myself doing a double take at the mirror to admire the effect it gave. If you haven't tried any cream highlighters before, i'd definitely recommend checking this out, and since you only need a tiny bit at a time it's well worth the price.

I'd love to hear what are some of your favorite glow enhancing products for your skin types, and whether you think I should check anything out.