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. 

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.

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.