Summer Simplicity: Makeup Isn't Beauty

Hi everybody!

I like to think that makeup isn't beauty and this is perfectly fine when having an inspirational-thought-to-yourself moment every now and then. But even I can admit, that isn't practical and that is definitely not what we tell ourselves every morning when putting on the layers of our face, if you get where I am coming from. I would say the ultimate "lie" in the beauty world is the NO MAKEUP makeup look. A bit of a tongue twister but let that set in and you will see that I am not very far off what us girls would do on a day to day basis especially in the summer. We are spoilt for choice when it comes to buying products that emphasise our natural beauty from natural looking foundations to cream blushers, the list goes on and the range is endless. Make no mistake, I am positive that no one wants to be standing in the summer heat, sweating their makeup off their faces therefore I have compiled some of my most used and most favourite makeup and beauty products for the summer. These are all fairly natural, light makeup products; nothing to dewey or heavy on the skin that might cause discomfort.


The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream
We have been thought from our schooling days to never judge a book by its cover and this is just one of the everyday situations whereby this principle applies. The Body Shop All-In-One BB Cream does have a shockingly small packaging but great things come in small packages, and when I say this, I do mean it and I am not just following in the words of a mother trying to console her son/daughter on Christmas morning when the wrapped present under the tree is smaller than expected. I would look at it more as a tinted moisturiser than a BB cream in my opinion just because I find the consistency quite thin and runny. Therefore I do recommend using a foundation brush, face sponge or a beauty blender to help achieve a more even looking finish. However, a little goes a long way with this product, hence the small packaging but the coverage is still good and amazing staying power with a lighter feel on the skin, perfect for the summer. It also claims to adapt to your skin tone, which in my opinion has some truth behind it but I think it got a lot more hype than needed. I got this BB cream from a The Body Shop outlet for £12.00.

Bobbi Brown Surf Eye Palette
Lets be honest, when it comes to bright eye shadows shades, I am not exactly the number one follower. This palette is actually one half of the Bobbi Brown Sand & Surf Eye Palette. Visually, I do think that this palette is more attractive and eye catching, it consists of 8 eyeshadows, 2 of which are slightly more bold compared to the rest of the neutral shades. However, if you prefer more all-neutral shades then I recommend you give the Sand Eye Palette a look but I picked up the Surf Eye Palette as I thought it would be slightly more fun for the summer and I wanted to give fun-coloured eyeshadows a go, or a 10th go. This palette is limited edition from the Sand & Surf Collection but I believe it is still available and I got mine from a Bobbi Brown counter for £48.00

Charlotte Tilbury Colour Chameleon
This is basically just really amazing useful eyeshadow crayons and basically they are the most convenient form of eyeshadow ever, in my opinion. This eyeshadow stick is amazingly pigmented and the creamy formula makes it last on the eyes perfectly for a good while. However I find that the shimmer in the eyeshadow really does translate onto the eyes so if you are trying to go for something more matte then this might not be the perfect recommendation for you. The Colour Chameleon is made with an easy-glide formula that stays for up to 10 hours and as promised, it stays very well in place. I got two shades of the Colour Chameleons which are Champagne Diamonds and Bronze Garnet online from Net-A-Porter UK for £19.00. I love these for everyday uses, although the glitter might be slightly overboard, I find that they still look really flattering on the eyes and the way that I do it is just applying it directly and then blending it out with a slightly darker brown/dusky pink in the crease as a transition shade.

Benefit Gimmie Brow
As I am sure countless other beauty bloggers have raved about this for months now, I am about to add to that, I have used this product and loved this product for so long, in fact I have probably re-purchased this three times. I have put off reviewing this product as I assume that so many of you have already taken it upon yourself to give it a go. However, I could not resist the urge to feature this in today's blog post. Basically, it is a brow volumising fibre gel and you build it up for more voluminous brows. I find this product so convenient especially for the summer when you want easy and quick makeup looks. It is also water resistant so that you do not start sweating your brows off in the middle of the day. I apply this simply by stroking the tip of the brush along my brows to get a more defined shape and it fills it in naturally. I got my Gimmie Brow from the Benefit counter for £17.50.

Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner
I love coloured eyeliner for the summer. I think it is an excellent way especially for someone like me, who is not so daring when it comes to bright eye makeup to include some bright and fun colours to my everyday makeup routine. After a little bit of research, I found that Stila does this product in 29 different shades so you can have a right good time choosing which one you like the best for that pop of colour. When using this, I tend to put it either on my bottom waterline mostly or just on my bottom lash line. These eyeliners are so bright and vibrant and they just scream of summer and all things good and fun. They are also fairly long lasting and another well waterproof designed product so that you do not have bright coloured sweat/tears rolling down your face. I have quite a number of these as I have been collecting them for awhile now, but I got mine for £13.00 each. Some of my favourite colours include Cobalt, Deep Fuchsia and Turquoise.

 

Too Faced Perfect Flush Sweetheart Blush
It was the packaging wasn't it ? Yes, it was the packaging that made me absolutely fall in love with this blush because selling blushes in a heart shaped box is the way to a girl's heart and in this case, spendings. I got mine in the shade Candy Glow, and it gives a beautiful natural and glowing look to the face with and undertone of romance. Going with the whole glowing summer makeup look, this blush is not matte. I'll say it again it is NOT MATTE. However, the glitter does make the natural glow part of the natural summer look, in my opinion. I got this product at Debenhams for £24.00.

As skincare for the summer goes, I think the most important thing is SPF so do look fore a nice BB cream, foundation or tinted moisturiser and concealer that has a good amount of SPF to protect from the harsh sun. During the summer, we all would appreciate the ability to put on minimal makeup products therefore, having good skincare is key. I love using a nice face mask about two to three times a week and a face exfoliator regularly on top the routinely cleanse, tone and moisturise. If you find that your skin is a little more on the sensitive side and you have trouble finding skincare products that don't cause breakouts then I recommend using Simple. I have been using Simple skincare products for many years before, and I stuck to it religiously but somehow seem to have fallen out of it slightly. The usual applies of never sleep with a full face of makeup on, you know as well as I do, that never brings any good. Same goes for makeup wipes as well. I like using a face cleanser as I think it does a much better job and is much quicker compared to face wipes. One skincare product that has really stood out for me this summer will be the Clinique Even Better Eyes. I struggle quite a bit with dark circles and I find that this does a good job at lightening it. Miraculous ? Probably not. One step closer ? Definitely!

All good things must come to an end and speaking of which, this is my very last blog post in the Summer Simplicity series. I hope you have enjoyed this blog series as much as I have enjoyed working on them. Although I talk about many materialistic topics, I also would like to point out that summer is a good time to reflect. Therefore, I hope all of you can find happiness and joy within yourself and take a step back to appreciate the good things in life. I don't want to be the party pooping reminder, but if you are starting a new school year very soon, then I would like to wish you the very best of luck. I also hope you guys enjoy the rest of the summer before the colder months starts coming around. It has been one amazing summer for me and I do hope it has been the same for you as well. Lastly, I'd like to thank all of you if you have been updated on my Summer Simplicity series. If you have not, I will leave the links to all the Summer Simplicity blog posts below if you would like to check them out. Don't forget to check out my other social media sites as well and do comment below sharing your favourite day/experience this summer.

Have a great day ! Xx

-Summer'14

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy
Instagram: @fashion_jessie
Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

To check out my Summer Simplicity blog posts,
Part 1 - Sun, Sea and Sand, click here
Part 2 - Casual Is The Way To Go, click here
Part 3 - Dress It Up, click here
Part 4 - Summertime Snacks, click here
Part 5 - Flowers vs Diamonds, click here

Song Of The Week #6

Hi everybody!
This song is one that I discovered recently and I just thought it has such an amazing message and I do think that it is so important to get this through to so many people out there, including myself so for this week's Song Of The Week, I have chosen

Try- Colbie Caillat

I think this song is brilliant and very relatable to me, and I am sure, to so many other girls out there. We all have our insecurities and parts of ourselves that we would change in a heartbeat given the opportunity. In this song, it is said that we do not always have to be the person everyone else wants us tone, but be 100% genuinely true to ourselves. The somewhat harsh reality is put in a sweet and delicate way through the beautiful grace of the song. I was already way into the song, but having watched the video, I was completely sold. Give the song a listen if you have not already and remember to check out my other social media sites. Have a great day! Xx

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy

Instagram: @fashion_jessie

Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

Summer Simplicity: Flowers vs Diamonds

Hi everybody!

"I would rather wear flowers around my head than diamonds around my neck"

I absolutely love this quote and I tend to live by it everyday. In fact, I have a poster of this quote hung above my bed and I remember buying from those little art shops in one Christmas market during the winter of '09 if I am not mistaken. I think this quote has a deeper meaning behind it especially in the summer where people tend to appreciate the natural things in life and everyone forgets about the materialistics for a little while. If a dress is £25 or £2500, a dress is still just a dress until you bring it to life with accessories. My style is very casual and my staples are blacks and whites. About 70% of my wardrobe is filled with monochrome coloured pieces of clothing therefore I rely a lot on accessories to bring some vibrance to my outfits . In the summer, there is no time for black and whites, its all about the beach blonde hair, the neon swimsuits, the bejewelled sandals and the multi-coloured manicures. I try to be more adventurous during this time of the year and go slightly out of my comfort zone and incorporate more vibrant pieces that are maybe just a little controversial and brightly eye-catching. The majority of that effort goes towards accessories as clothing wise, I am mainly a solid coloured crop top and denim shorts kind of girl. However, this blog series is calles Summer Simplicity, and it is all about the simple things about the summer so I picked out some quite fun, easy to put on, but still lovely pieces of accessories including necklaces, handbags and hair ties.

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and don't forget to check out my next Summer Simplicity blog post which will be uploaded next Thursday (14/8) which will also be my final blog post on this series. I will also leave the links to all of my previous Summer Simplicity blog posts so do check it out if you have not already. Comment below sharing your favourite accessories this summer and like always, don't forget to check out my other social media sites as well.

Have a great day! Xx

-Summer'14

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy
Instagram: @fashion_jessie
Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

To check out my previous Summer Simplicity series:-
Beach outfits, click here
Casual outfits, click here
Formal outfits, click here
Snack ideas, click here

Product Of The Month

Hi everybody !
It is the 1st of August !!!!!!!!

WARNING: I go on a little ramble so feel free to skip the orange parts and go straight to the core of the blog post if you would like to

I would assume that to many people, choosing ONE product to feature as your most favourite product comes very easy and naturally (at least that is what I thought it would be like) as, like me, I wear a full face of make up a good 28 out of 30 days. However, when actually having to share your "most favourite" product on the Internet, there is a thought process behind it that even I myself, never considered before starting the Product Of The Month blog series. Some of the factors that I do take into consideration are the price range of the products, the time when the products are released, I try to have a wide range of brands and I also like to make sure that they actually catch the attention of my audience, in this case, you guys as readers. As far as research is concerned, it may take up to about 3 or 4 days, and sometimes it takes a few hours to collect all the information that I need, depending on my level of distraction at the time. In some cases, I have to really think about how I phrase my words to put on my blog and that takes a good while but other times I can be done with a blog post in just a day. To clarify, I actually do love doing these blog posts and I am by no means complaining at all.

*I am sorry I went on a little ramble as it is past midnight as I am writing this, just a disclaimer, this is not me complaining, I do these blog posts because I actually want to do them and not because I am made to do them. I just thought I would let you in on my thought process and just a little inside on what I think about when choosing my Product Of The Month.

If you read my blog, you would probably realise that I delay my Product Of The Month blog posts quite a lot. This is because I either am lost choosing the best, or my most favourite product for that month or because it completely slips my mind that I do have a blog post to work on, or I am just swamped with work. However, this month I was really focused on sharing this particular product with you guys. I don't think I have ever featured or shared much about lip products on my blog, which is why this blog post is about the Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Colour. I think I spend a big chunk of time and money on mainly eye products and I must say that as of now, the eye products section of my makeup collection is by far the biggest compared to things like my blushers, bronzers or face products. Even though I am 100% sure I am an eye-makeup junky, I do love my lipsticks and lip crayons and lip liners as well. I just do not seem to rave about them as much as compared to eye shadow palettes and liquid liners.

The thing about these lipsticks that really intrigued me is the quality of the formula. I know that Bobbi Brown is not the most affordable brand of makeup out there but if you are looking for a really good quality lipstick then I definitely recommend these ones as they are very long lasting, perfectly creamy, hence the name Creamy Lip Colour and you can choose from a good range of 13 nudes, pinks and and corals which is perfect for the summer. My suggestion would be to pick up one of these in a shade that you really love first, and then buy more as you go instead of purchasing 5 or 6 in one go, just so we save ourselves from a heart attack later when we receive our bank balance. 

"Creamy Lip Colour combines rich colour with comfortable, long-lasting wear and a soft, creamy shine. with emollient shea butter and plant-derived skin conditioners, this amazing formula glides on smooth, wears all day, and leaves lips soft and moisturised." - Bobbi Brown

Bobbi Brown Creamy Lip Colour

• Blue Raspberry- a blue raspberry pink
• Coral Pink- a bright warm pink
• Hibiscus - a bright candy pink
• Honeysuckle- a yellow beige
• Italian Rose- a medium rose
• Nectar- a soft peach shimmer
• Pale Mauve- a sheer pink mauve
• Pale Petal- a medium tone blue pink
• Raisin Berry- a brown red
• Rose Petal- a neutral rose shimmer
• Tiger Lily- a shimmering medium tone coral
• Uber Pink- a medium true pink
• Washed Seashell- a shimmering nude pink

Personally, my favourite shade for the summer specifically is Washed Seashell. I think it is perfect for everyday in summer and really just a wearable shade for any occasion. I also really love Raisin Berry, which is a little on the darker side so I tend to wear that more in the evening or on nights out. I got my Bobbi Brown lipsticks from Selfridges at the price of £19.50 but you can get them online as well if that is more convenient. Bobbi Brown also does a Sheer Lip Colour range which I love as well so check that out if you are interested. 

I hope you have enjoyed this blog post and let me know if you would like me to do another blog post on the Sheer Lip Colour as I am planning on trying a few more shades from that range. As this blog post is being uploaded, I am currently on holiday so if you would like to know what beauty products I have brought with me on holiday whether it be makeup, brushes, skincare, body care or hair care then do let me know in the comments or you can always contact me through my other social media sites which I will list below. I am also currently in the middle of another blog series called Summer Simplicity, which I upload every Thursday and so far I have done 4 parts so if you have not done so then check that out, I will link those below as well. Last month, I featured the Soap & Glory Supercat Carbon Black Eyeliner Pen as my Product Of The Month for June so again I will link that below and I would love to know your favourite product(s) for July/the summer, do feel free to share that in the comments. Have a great day! Xx

Twitter: @jessieashleyyy

Instagram: @fashion_jessie

Email: jessicashleyyy@gmail.com

To check out my previous Product Of The Month blog post, click here

To check out my Summer Simplicity Part 1, click here

To check out my Summer Simplicity Part 2, click here

To check out my Summer Simplicity Part 3, click here

To check out my Summer Simplicity Part 4, click here

To purchase the Creamy Lip Colour online from Bobbi Brown, click here

To purchase the Creamy Lip Colour online from Selfriges, click here

To check out the Bobbi Brown Sheer Lip Colour, click here