5 PRODUCT FACE

Although I love having my me time and applying makeup in the morning, sometimes I want a more minimal look that doesn't call for a lot of products or time. On a day where I'm rushing, don't feel like having stuff on my face, this is what I usually go for:

1. Undereye concealer

I'm not the kind of person that stays up late at all. I'm usually in bed by 10/11 and asleep by 12. For some reason though, I have really dark under eyes that no amount of sleep or hydration can fix. This can easily make me look tired/sick when I'm not so i usually like to cover those babies up. My current favorite product for this is the Maybelline Eraser Eye Concealer (£7.99). It's light, doesn't crease, and has good coverage - all the things I look for. I also dot it between/around my eyebrows and down my nose as that's where I get redness. Another favorite of mine is the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer (£22.00), but I've run out and I'm trying to use up other ones I have around to justify my repurchase.

2. Brows

I feel (as a lot of people do) that my face looks odd if I have any kind of makeup on with no brows. Mine aren't super sparse or thin or anything, but they're quite patchy so when I'm going for a natural look I like to fill them in with a light powder to make them full but natural. This means I go for non other than my Anastasia Brow Duo (£17.00). I find a powder to work best for this as pencils or pomades can look too strong and drawn on.

3. Mascara

I love me some mascara. After lipstick, this is probably my favorite makeup product. It can seriously make you look a lot more awake and alert than you really are - something we all need in the morning. I don't have any I'm really loving right now, just alternating between what I have open to finish them up.

4. Blush

I never thought this would be in my minimal look, as although it's something I use everyday, I didn't think it essential. However, I find that a nice blush can really perk up your skin and add diminution, especially if you're looking a bit tired. With a minimal look I like to use a one with a shimmer running through it to add a nice glow to the cheeks. My go-to is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush Palette (£56.00) as the three colors are all lovely, easy to blend and stay put.

5. Tinted balm/Sheer Lipstick/Lipgloss

My final step is always lips. No matter how minimal the look I like to have a sheer color on my lips be it from a gloss, balm or lipstick. Nothing too bright or bold though, as it can look imbalanced if the look is very minimal. Something like the Fresh Sugar Lip Treatments ($22.50), Jouer Sheer Lipsticks (£18.00), or Maybelline Color Elixirs (£6.99) are great for this, but the options are endless really.

I also usually do a quick translucent powder down my T-zone to decrease oiliness throughout the day, but that's totally optional if you don't usually powder, or don't live in a super hot country like me. Let me know what some of your 5 product face essentials are, I'd love to hear.

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.

FIRST IMPRESSION: HOURGLASS AMBIENT BLUSH PALETTE

When the Hourglass Ambient Lighting powders were released I wasn't too excited to run out and try them. I've never been big on highlight-y products because of my combo-oily skin, and so I never gave in to that hype. My sister does swear by them though, so I can always borrow hers to try out. Anyway that's not what i'm getting at today. When Hourglass started releasing their Ambient Lighting Blushes is when I got excited, as blushes are definitely more up my street. I'd go into Space NK to swatch them, but I found the lighting made the colors look weird and I couldn't decide if I really loved them or not. Fast forward a few months and people start talking about a limited edition Ambient Lighting Blush Palette and I think yes, this is it, this is what I need *cough*want*cough*. So of course to feed my online shopping addiction, I pre-order the palette on Space NK the moment it's available, and it finally arrived on my doorstep this week. 

Hourglass Ambient Blush Palette, £56.00

I've only used it a couple of times so far, but I'm pretty impressed. First of all the packaging is so cute. I love that you get three different shades, one of which is exclusive to the palette, and each color is mixed with a different traditional Ambient Lighting powder. I don't mind the fact that you don't get the full sized amount of each product, as I personally have yet to hit pan on a blush. There's Luminous Flush, a gorgeous rose color; Incandescent Electra, a glowy peach (exclusive); and Mood Exposure, a soft plum. I can't decide on which is my favorite, or if I even have one, but I'm pretty sure I'll be leaning toward Mood Exposure the most these next few months. This palette is also great for traveling as the three shades have you set for any kind of look, and the mixture of the Ambient Lighting powders within them means you don't really need a highlighter.

I'd love to know if you've tried any of the Ambient Lighting powders or blushes and what you think of them, or if you recommend I try any other Hourglass products.

SLEEK BLUSH IN POMEGRANATE

I am generally a big blush fan. After evening my skin out with a good foundation and concealer, i always feel like a little more color needs to be brought back into the face, and more often than not I go for a blush over a bronzer. I never thought i would  be too picky on which color i use since i apply it with a light hand, but i found that i actually switch it up quite a lot depending on what i'm doing with the rest of my makeup. My favorite blush for autumn/winter time in general is Sleek's Pomegranate. 

Sleek Blush in Pomegranate, £4.49

Although we don't get a lot of cooler weather here in Dubai, i still like to imagine it's autumn right now. Sleek in general do the best blushes on the high street. You get quite a lot of product, and they're so pigmented you only ever need the slightest amount. They also do some great trios with a variety of shades, very compact and perfect for traveling. 

Back to Pomegranate though. I got this blush a little over year ago, and i remember being pretty much obsessed with it last autumn/winter too. It's a deep raspberry color with a bit of shimmer running through it, and it blends like a dream. I think this color will work great with all skin tones, but it really packs a punch, so if you're on the lighter side make sure to use a VERY light hand when applying it. 

The shimmer in it helps perk up the complexion, and i think the color looks amazing with a bold berry or red lip - I love pairing it with Mac's Rebel. I'm also very impressed that this color doesn't fade away throughout the day like most blushes. I wore it for a whole day (almost 12 hours) this week, and it was still visibly there come night time; there was no fading or weird patching . All in all, i really have nothing bad to say about this baby.

What are some of your favorite all time blushes? I'd love to know x