Face Mists

I use face mists quite a lot (and have a lot of them), but I realized that I don't really talk about the step in my routine very much here! So I thought I'd just do an entire post about them. To me, there are two separate categories of mist: skincare and makeup. Skincare mists are ones I generally use on bare skin, makeup mists are ones I obviously use over makeup! I think mists are great because they can wake you up, or provide a boost of hydration, or tone, all without needing to touch your face!

S  K  I  N

My first mist loves are and always will be the Pixi Skin Mists. These beauts are all targeted for different concerns, and my most used is definitely the Hydrating Milky Mist. This one has hyaluronic acid to attract water, as well as black oat, vitamin A, and linoleic acid. I generally use this as a layer underneath serums and moisturizers. The other from the range that I consider a skin mist is the Vitamin Wakeup Mist. This one is lovely to use in the morning as it's really refreshing and smells delicious. It has an orange-blossom water base and citrus fruit extracts to hydrate and awaken skin. 

At night I really like to use toning mists like the Kani Rose Tonic, Terra Luna Floral Mist, and MUN Anarose Toner. All three are rosewater-based toners that help to balance skins pH after cleansing. I love all three of these equally, but they are slightly different. The Kani contains aloe to calm, MUN's has hyaluronic acid, and Terra Luna's uses ylang ylang and jasmine oils as well as witch hazel. I mainly use the NOTO Basil Yarrow Mist on my body in the summer when it's incredibly hot out as a refresher. It also has a rosewater base, but contains calming basil oil, ylang ylang, and chamomile as well. I've had the Liz Earle Instant Boost Skin Tonic forever, so I don't use it anymore. But it is a really nice mix of cucumber, canlendula, and chamomile that is super refreshing. The Sangre de Fruta Jasmine de Nuit Botanical Tonic has a pretty strong scent, so I generally use this one as a linen spray instead of on my face!

M  A  K  E  U  P

Makeup mists are ones I use to set or refresh my makeup. Most of these you can also use on bare skin, but I just personally prefer they way they work over makeup. I will say first up, the MAYA Water Facial Mists are ones I use allll the time, whether on bare skin or not. I'm including them here because the mist is so incredibly find that it doesn't disturb makeup at all. Maya water mists are spring-sourced thermal water mists that are infused with antioxidants to actually help your skin as well as refresh it. 

Right, onto more makeup-setting type mists! The MAC Fix + is obviously hugely popular and remains one of my favourites. I really can't get on board with those facial sprays that make your makeup not budge even a smidge. I prefer a lived-in look and honestly find that my makeup looks better as the day goes on. So, the Fix + is a staple for me! I think I have three bottles at the moment, and I tend to reach for it pretty often! I love that the mist is really fine, I think it really helps powders to mesh into you skin. I don't know that it specifically prolongs the wear of my makeup, I just like the way my makeup looks after using it. 

My favourite proper setting mist is probably the Pixi Makeup Fixing Mist. I'm currently on my second bottle of the stuff and I really love it. It's a rosewater and aloe base, so I find that it soothes my skin, but I also definitely notice a difference in the longevity of my makeup when using this. It just looks nicer for longer, and it doesn't add too much extra glow like some of my other faves. Speaking of, I think you guys already know of my love for the Pixi Glow Mist. This is probably my third bottle of this magic potion. I get how this makes my skin super glowy, it's full of 13 natural oils, aloe vera, and fruit extracts. What I don't understand is how this also makes my makeup look perfect and glowy all day. You'd think it'd break your makeup down over time, but it just makes you glowwww.

The newest additions to my collection are the Complex Beauty Afterglow Complexion Mist and Lilah B Aglow Face Mist (which I'm now realizing have very similar names lol). I had originally assumed the Complex Beauty mist was only a setting spray, but I'm glad I read the ingredients because it's actually also for your bare skin! It contains oleic and glycolic acid, as well as lavender water and aloe vera to soothe. CB say that you can use this over makeup as well to give you a glow. I haven't used it enough to properly review, but I'm putting it into my routine now so thoughts are to come! I received Lilah B's offering right before I left for England, so I've only used it a few times but it is a really beautiful product. It's full of botanical extracts like lavender, fig, and dandelion (!) which are all soothing and rejuvenating plus have antioxidant properties (my fave). It really hydrates the skin and makes your makeup look lit from within!

Do you guys use face mists in your routine? What are your faves?

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An Everyday Makeup Edit

Have you ever seen products of mine that look so beat up? That poor Boy Brow (lol), and my CT palette could use a good scrub. Not gonna lie, I tried to photoshop all the smudges and scratches off of my mascara. But that just proves that I use the heck out of them! I've been sticking to this makeup for a few weeks now and have had a lot of questions about what I've been using, so here's the low-down.

I don't really do much as far as skincare goes in the morning. I'll usually just use a bit of Pixi Glow Tonic and of course my Glossier Invisible Shield. But I've been using the Charlotte Tilbury Wonder Glow under my makeup every day for several months now. It's basically glowing skin in a bottle. The 'soft-focus' claim is pretty accurate, I feel like it blurs and evens the skin and perfectly primes it for makeup. My foundation of choice lately has been the matching Charlotte Tilbury Light Wonder Foundation. This stuff might actually be magic. It covers my redness and any imperfections I need, looks super skin like and dewy, but actually lasts really well. The liquidy formula I find works best with a brush or my fingers, a beauty blender sheers it out too much. I just actually can't explain how smoothing this is though, I feel like it makes my skin look silky. Absolute love.

For any additional concealing I'm forever using my Glossier Stretch Concealer. This stuff is the love of my life and I'm very nearly at the end of my pot. I obviously already have a backup, but this is the first time I've finished a makeup product completely in a long time so that's saying something. To keep it all locked in during the hellish summer weather, I've been using the new Glossier Wowder. I kind of love/am annoyed by this. It really blurs the skin, cuts shine, and doesn't look at all like powder. Which is incredible. But the trampoline mesh is a pain in my butt. I think it's genius because powder doesn't spill everywhere, but I do have to work a little too hard to get product out. Obviously I'm willing to do this because I really like the product, but just a lil heads up!

On my cheeks, I cannot be without the Glossier Cloud Paints. I honestly love all of the shades, but my pick of the moment is Beam. This just looks so fresh and summery and kinda sunburn-y. I love it. The formula of these is almost gel-stain like. They blend effortlessly and do not look like makeup at all. Almost like a watercolour paint, and they last all day on my skin (which is some kinda miracle). I'm skipping the icy highlights at the moment and am favoring more of a bronzey glow. MAC's Hush Cream Colour Base has been my recent go-to. It's kind of like a peachy-gold sheen that pairs perfectly with Beam. I'll probably never stop using the Charlotte Tilbury Bronze & Glow palette. This bronzer is literally my perfect shade. The formula is so dreamy, it sort of creates a bronzed veil that still lets your skin show through. So beautiful. For my lips I'm a little too lazy to wear anything most days, so the Birthday Balm Dot Com is perfect for a little added shimmer.

I'll obviously always be into brows, but lately I'm leaving them a bit wilder. Instead of properly filling them in, I just use Boy Brow to shape and thicken them up a bit. And then this Kat von D Tattoo Brow. I never thought I'd like something like this, but the tip is so so fine that I can literally draw individual brow hairs on. So the still look full, but fluffy and natural instead of filled in. I found this one at TJ Maxx so definitely be on the lookout! For lashes I've switched back over to the L'Oreal Lash Paradise most days. This one has taken the internet by storm, and for good reason. I'm seeing a lot of people out there applying this really heavily and comparing it to the Too Faced Better Than Sex, but I find that makes it super clumpy. I hated BTS because it flaked so badly on my, but the L'Oreal doesn't budge at all. I apply a light layer which volumizes the lashes and makes them look suuuuuuuper long.

And that's about it! I haven't really worn eyeshadow in a while, I've just been very skin-focused which I love. What have you guys been reaching for lately?
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Click here to see the video I filmed of this look!

A Wardrobe Wishlist

the rue collective 

 I recently donated probably 75 percent of my clothes. And honestly I could probably do more. I've found that I don't wear most of my clothes any more and instead stick to key pieces. Obviously I'm a girl on a budget and don't buy the best quality clothes, so they wear out a little too quickly. So this time around I'm really trying to focus on getting high quality pieces that I'll wear forever and get a lot of use out of.

vanja milicevic

the 5th // death by elocution // vanessa jackaman

unknown 

On my list for the next few months of wardrobe building are:

01 A grey coat. This is somehow missing from my collection of coats currently. And I need one (right?). I'm basically planning on replacing a lot of my coats anyway because they're getting a bit old, but this grey twill looks beautiful.
02 Oversized scarves. I love oversized scarves, but for some reason all of mine are patterned? Which is absolutely not my style, so I'm on the lookout for some more basic options!
03 The perfect oversized blazer. This is the most elusive item. It's so hard to find a boyfriend blazer that doesn't look like it's swallowing you whole. I'm on the lookout for something in a lighter material that isn't too stiff.
04 The perfect white shirt. Another elusive item. White shirts are always either too stuffy or too casual. My eye is on this one from J Crew, but I'll have to try it on before I decide.
05 A pop of red. I've noticed a lot of people wearing monochromatic outfits with a pop of red in their bag or shoes which I think is so fun! I'd love to find a deep red pair of pointed flats, super chic.
06 An oversized coat. I love my structured coats and trenches, but sometimes I think in the depths of winter I'd like to have a super cozy oversized camel coat. That still looks chic of course. I do have one sort of similar to this though, so maybe I can make it work.

Do you guys keep wardrobe wish lists? A bit of a different post for me, but I thought it'd be nice to keep it documented here with pictures instead of just in my notebook!
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The England Haul

Right. So I bought a lot of shit. Although honestly not as much as I though I would (shockingly). I mostly stuck to my list and bought things that I can't buy in the state (or were cheaper in the UK). I'm also definitely on a spending ban for a while lol. So without further ado, the post you've all been waiting for, the England Haul.

I'm never really sure how to write these posts because I haven't tried these products long enough to review properly and I don't want to give the wrong impression. So I figured I'd just waffle on until I get tired. The place I was most excited to visit (shopping-wise) was the Burberry Flagship Store. It is so so so beautiful. I obviously couldn't afford anything, but after a wander around I made my way to the beauty section. I'm super excited about these products, but I had one of the worst customer service experiences ever here. I know we're young, but we walked around the different floors for about 20 minutes and encountered probably 30 employees and only received one stiff hello after I smiled at a girl. So weird to me. The girl helping us at the beauty counter was pleasant, but after selecting our items (Elle bought some things too) she disappeared for 15 minutes! We had a train to catch, and I was honestly really disappointed with what's supposed to be a luxury experience. If I hadn't been set on buying these I probably would have just left. 

Okay rant over, on to the beautiful products. I had gone in expecting to get some of the Liquid Lip Velvets, but they were out of stock of the colours I wanted so I ended up getting the original Lip Velvet in Oxblood. This ended up being a blessing in disguise because the classic colour is so so beautiful. It isn't as dark as I was expecting so I'd say it's a more wearable dark in a super comfortable, velvety finish. They were also out of the Ivory shade of the Cashmere Concealer (not a happy camper). I ended up getting the Porcelain, which is a bit too yellow for me. Kind of a bummer, because I have to make it work but the formula is really lovely! The one thing I got that worked out is the Fresh Glow Highlighting Luminous Pen, a beautiful champagne highlighter housed in a slim, shiny, graphite pen. Love. Definitely sour about my experience, but the products are lovely and I'm glad I got them!

While waiting for our bus, we wandered down to the Jo Malone Flagship just to have a nose. And the lovely sale associate there talked me into getting Blackberry and Bay. I'm super happy I ended up with this because while I know it's popular, it's really unique especially to my fragrance collection. I picked up several things from Charlotte Tilbury. Including a full-size of my beloved Wonder Glow, and new favourite aka the Light Wonder Foundation, and the Airbrush Flawless Finishing Powder (which is just alright in my opinion). I'd planned on grabbing a bunch of things from Boots and Superdrug and only ended up with three (plus some nail polishes). The Bourgois Healthy Mix Concealer gets rave reviews, but on first application I found it preeeeetty yellow. Like almost pastel? Will be giving it another try as I did like the finish! Kate has always raved about the La Roche Posay Toleraine Ultra line, so I grabbed the Toleraine Ultra Nuit which is a divine soothing, moisturizing overnight serum. And then on the last day I picked up the Tanya Burr Contour Stick because I saw a few of my blogger friends talking about it! So far it seems nice, pretty sheer and a little too orange to be contour but it makes for a nice cream bronzer.

All of the Topshop beauty sections I went to were pretty picked over, so I ended up just getting the famous Topshop Glow and their Magic Liner as I was in need of a liner! Both seem pretty nice, but nothing earth-shattering. The Cambridge KIKO store nearly saw me faint, as they were having an incredible sale. I picked up five of the Long Lasting Stick Eyeshadows because they were only £4 (!!!!) each. Violette has used these in her videos a few times which is why I got that crazy ass-blue (and rocked it in a small beach town on the coast lol think I gave some people a shock), but the formula is absolutely incredible. I forgot to put these in the photo but I also picked up one of their Single Shadows and a Water Shadow which I'm sure you'll see on Instagram soon. 

I went a liiiil crazy in duty free, but all on things I'd been wanting for a while so it was justified. The ByTerry Clarifying Comfort Toner was basically a requirement as it was $20 cheaper in duty free. I mean. It'd be silly not to right? Verdicts still out if it's worth a $65 repurchase but we shall see. I had my mind set on Chanel Adrienne, but decided it was a bit too orangey for me so I ended up with Madamoiselle instead. The rosy brown is perfect for every day and I really love the hydrating formula. I also managed to find the Ted Baker Mihai bag I had been eyeing the entire trip for 50% off at our gate. Can you say fate? So with one last swipe of my card she was mine. I love my Rebecca Minkoff, but sometimes the all black seems a bit much and the size makes it annoying for everyday use. This one is still small but it's a straight up Hermione Granger bag because I swear the inside expands into nowhere. I was hoping to be able to wear it as a cross body, but the chain isn't quiiiite long enough. Anyone know of a good way to extend the chain?

As far as clothes go, I got a loot of basics from Zara as I love the way their clothes fit (the Trafaluc line especially). I got maybe four or five t-shirts in the sale that ended up being £3 a piece (thank you), and a thin grey turtleneck to wear under coats in the fall. I also got two pairs of their TRF High Waisted denim because they're £19 a piece come on. Easily the best thing I found on the entire trip is this beaaaaautiful TRF leather jacket that was reduced from £100 to £40. They had one left, it fit me, I bought it. End of. I'm super duper happy with it and I can't wait to wear it every day this fall.

And that is my not-as-crazy-as-I-thought-it-would-be haul! Are any of these products must-haves for you guys? Or anything specific you want reviewed? Let me know!
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