Bedside Beauty

I do the majority of my makeup removal in my bathroom or at my vanity/desk, but there are a few essentials I like to keep on my bedside table in case I'm feeling especially lazy. I always always remove my makeup and wash my face at least once, but some nights I'm too tired to use serums and lotions and potions so it's nice to have these at hand!

The Origins Make A Difference Night is a gorgeous night (gel)cream that I've been using for quite a long time. It's a really rich night moisturizer that my skin gets along with no matter what state it's in. Usually I'll use a specific moisturizer to help with my skin, ie if it's extra dry or oily etc, but this one is always great! I'm also absolutely in love with the Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream. I'm going to do a more comprehensive skincare routine post soon, but this is the bomb so I keep a mini one next to my bed. Glossier's Balm Dot Com is a staple in my purse, my makeup drawers, and scattered around my house, so it's not really a surprise that I keep one next to my bed. Absolutely adore this stuff.

I'm pretty big into taking care of my nails, so I generally have some nail care products on my night stand as well. I usually have a nail treatment of sorts, and right now I've been using the Essie Fill the Gap, which I've talked about here. It's a nice matte treatment as well so it's not all shiny when you wear it alone! I'm a cuticle oil freak, I'm pretty much always rubbing something into them. I've been using the Butter London Handbag Holiday Oil which is great, but really hard to get ahold of (try Marshall's or TJ Maxx). I also really like Essie's Apricot Oil. Both smell dreaaaaamy. I usually have a hand cream here as well, but I need to pick a new one up! Any recommendations?

What do you keep on your bedside table? Also, as I write this I'm having to wipe and restart my beloved laptop from scratch (tear). I'm pottering away on my old circa 2008 white MacBook which is very funny. Bear with me as far as posting goes, sorry!
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Under Eye Saviours

Being back in class means I'm getting very, very little sleep. So my undereyes are obviously looking pretty rough. Concealer is absolutely my BFF because I am not a morning person (as much as I wish I were). I'm also talking about a few of my fave eye creams cause you know I'm a skincare freak. 

The Bobbi Brown Hydrating Eye Cream has been a favourite of mine for quite some time. This is a super moisturizing, really rich eye cream that actually absorbs fairly quickly. It's awesome because it actually works really well under makeup, which is where I generally have a problem with eye creams. Bobbi describes it as being perfect under concealer and she wasn't kidding! I'm also loving the Fresh Lotus Youth Preserve Eye Cream which I mostly use at night. It feels amazing when applying and I have actually noticed a difference (shocker) in the texture of my under eyes since using this. I used to have those weird almost scaly looking bumps (ew) around the corner of my eye but now it's all smooth! I know you're eyeing the Glossier Balm Dot Com and thinking, "what the actual hell, Amelia?" But seriously, in the winter when my eyes get super dry this is a godsend. I obviously wouldn't put it really close to your actual eyeball, but the lower part of my under eye thanks me for it. 

As far as actual concealing goes, nothing will ever beat the Urban Decay Naked Skin Concealer for me. I'm pretty sure it's the only makeup product I've purchased over 5 times and that because it is good shit. It's super full coverage and incredibly lightweight (how do they do it??). The applicator is also a dream. The shade I use is fairly highlighting, but I'm generally trying to look brighter under the eyes anyway, so I love it (probably one of the only concealers that is actually fair enough for me to highlight with). The Sephora Bright Future Gel Serum Concealer is a great, slightly less covering alternative to this. It still is super brightening, and has a decent amount of coverage, but I find that it's easier to make look natural. If I'm needing some full coverage, but don't want to look too highlighted, I reach for the MAC Pro Longwear Concealer. This one is still super full coverage, and actually works really well to cover blemishes too as its really long wearing. It's a bit heavier than the Naked, which is why I fully converted, but still great for covering dark circles. 

If my eyes are particularly dry and need something creamier I go for the Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, which I'm pretty sure I've been using for an eternity. It's extremely full coverage, but also pretty thick so I generally use it in the winter and make sure to set it. Creasing, unfortunately, is still pretty unavoidable. Last but not least is my beloved Glossier Stretch Concealer which I generally use on minimal makeup days. However, I've definitely been reaching for this on a regular basis when doing a full face as well because it's so dreamy. The emollient formula really blends into the skin beautifully, leaving a really natural finish. It also has a surprising amount of coverage and stays put really well. I'm really excited to see how this fares with my dry under-eyes in the winter. 

What are your favourite under-eye products? Anything I need to add?

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8 Autumn Bases

My line of thinking regarding Autumn is as follows; the sooner it comes, the better. It may still be 80 degrees at midday, but September means fall. And I am thoroughly excited. This means winter is coming, and winter is by far my favourite season. So, since it's "Autumn" I'm finally pulling out the bases that would usually just sweat off of my face!

The NARS Velvet Matte Skin Tint is one that I do use in the Summer, but it performs so so beautifully in the fall. My skin isn't dry enough to make this look patchy, but it also doesn't come off if I'm outside for the majority of the day. It's one of those foundations that just looks like beautiful skin. MUFE's Mat Velvet + was one of the first high-end foundations I ever bought, and I still adore it. Nowadays, I prefer to mix this is with a lighter coverage base but it's still lovely. It's obviously super duper matte and has great coverage. If you have dry skin, definitely mix with a moisturizer or a dewier foundation. If your skin is quite dry, but you'd still like a matte-ish finish with good coverage, you'll love the Maybelline FitMe Matte and Poreless. My favourite thing about this foundation is that the lightest shade, 110, has yellow undertones. This is fairly difficult to find, especially in drugstore foundations, so I was quite excited when I picked this up! The formula itself also didn't disappoint, it's a lovely natural looking matte finish with a medium coverage. It looks flawless, but not like your wearing a face full of makeup.

Another winner from Maybelline is the Dream Wonder Fluid Touch Foundation which seems to only be available online now (wah). This is one of those dry-oil Armani Maestro-esque foundations that was all the rage maybe last year? I fell in love with this one because it gives a lot of coverage without feeling heavy. This is another one that I really like mixing, especially with the Matte and Poreless. It does set down to a powdery finish, being a dry-oil so if you have particularly dry skin (sorry dry-skinned girls) I would recommend mixing. The Bobbi Brown Foundation Stick is something that I generally use as a concealer, but I can get away with it all over my face in the fall if I want something really full coverage. It's beautiful with Bobbi's Vitamin Enriched Face Base underneath. An oldie but goodie is the L'Oreal True Match Foundation. I definitely prefer this in the European bottle, as it has a pump, but that poor thing is a dirty mess so I've put this much prettier bottle in the photo (hehe). This one comes in over 30 (!!!) shades and is a gorgeous natural finish. I prefer to wear this quite sheer, but it is somewhat buildable.

Bobbi Brown is (as I'm sure you know) one of my absolute favourite brands, and I adore her bases. My favourite though is the Skin Foundation. It's the perfect 'my-skin-but-better' foundation and has a gorgeous satiny finish to boot. Dry-skinned ladies listen up! This doesn't cling to dry patches on my face at all, it's a bloody miracle. It's definitely not a full coverage, but it evens out my skin beautifully and I can spot conceal on top. Last but not least is the Chanel Perfection Lumiere Velvet, this is one that I love year round but is particularly nice when the weather starts to cool down. It's another lightweight medium coverage (trends?) that looks like skin with a satiny finish. The 'velvet' description is definitely accurate here.

That's it (well, there are a ton) for my favourite Autumn bases! What products do you switch to in the cooler months?
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Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel

EDIT 02: Okay, so it totally wasn't this, started using again last week and have had no trouble! I guess my skin just randomly had a meltdown! Haven't had any trouble this time around, but I shall let you know if anything occurs!

EDIT: I unfortunately think this has been breaking me out! I stopped using it and stopped getting new breakouts, and at the time this was the only new addition to my routine. Such a shame as the first few weeks my skin looked gorgeous! Will maybe try again in a few months and make sure it was this (fingers crossed my skin won't freak out again)

I finally, FINALLY got my hands on the raved about Oskia Renaissance Cleansing Gel and it does not disappoint! I will say before I get started that I'm not quite sure how to explain this magic, because it has to be magic, but I will try my best.

This is one of those products that people say works the first time you use it, I was skeptical. But my first night using it my skin was brighter and so, so soft. It's a non-foaming gel to oil cleanser that gives a really deep cleanse without feeling like it's stripping your skin (at all). It's also marketed to work as a makeup remover, but I'm a freak that cleanses like three times so I haven't tested that out yet. The texture is sort of like a light balm, and I loooove my balm cleansers. The great thing about this one though is that it isn't too heavy, and the oil doesn't dry out your skin. As far as the brightening aspect you'll have to try it to believe me. I really don't know it does it (pumpkin enzymes apparently), but my skin is no longer dull and looks brand new (baby's butt new, people)!

This is for all skin types, but if you have quite a dry and dull complexion you will definitely love it! Especially with the fall and winter months finally coming. The packaging is also gorg (minimalism is my fave) and super functional. It's got one of those awesome pumps that actually lets you choose how much you pump out. I do wish it had a little clear window so that you knew when it's about to run out. It's also kind of a pain in the ass to get a hold of in the US. I ordered it from BeautyBay because they had a coupon, but of course it took an age to get here. But, it definitely was worth the wait!

I'm thinking this is going to be a permanant addition to my skincare routine, have you guys tried it yet?
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