MY CURRENT GO-TO BEAUTY PIECES | SKINCARE, MAKE UP & BODY

Let's talk all things beauty shall we!
Not something that crops up all too often around here but something I'm passionate about all the same. I recently shared my everyday summer make up favourites with you that you all seemed to really like hearing about, and whilst many of the products I loved back then are still some of my faves today, I've been trying and loving some newer bits (and some old favourites too) that I wanted to talk about with you today.

I shot these whilst in New York in the amazing Ludlow Hotel; the bathrooms were utterly sensational and I just had to make the most of being in such a fancy bathroom and thought it was the perfect opportunity to chat about the things I'm loving using on my face and body! Once again, these shots were taken on my film camera and I thought it would be fun to experiment with taking the same shot twice- Once with the flash and one without. These shots are by no means perfect but I still thought they were something a little different to the norm here on meganellaby.com and wanted to share them regardless. So, without further ado, lets crack on with what I am loving using shall we.

So first things first lets talk skincare.
I've had extremely troublesome skin for the past year or so and whilst I'm desperately trying to get to the bottom of what it is that is breaking me out I have found a few little gems that have at least steadied the amount of breakouts and worked to clear them up quicker than ANYTHING I have ever used before.

Murad skincare isn't something I was all too familiar with until I received the AMAZING Nutrient Charged Water Gel in a goodie bag at a recent event. It was love at first sight as the formula is oil free, something I'm trying (and admittedly failing at) to encourage with my skincare and make up. It's a seriously hydrating moisturiser and REALLY makes my skin feel so plump and just gorgeous. It's a really great base for make up too so I would highly recommend that you give it a go too!

After falling in love with the water gel I headed onto their website to see what other skincare goodies they had to offer and came across the Blemish Control 30 Day Kit. I am absolutely in need of someone or something to take control of my blemishes once and for all so quickly added it to my basket before another spot had the chance to appear on my chin...
And ladies and gentlemen, this stuff works better than anything else I've used so far, and trust me I've used A LOT! The foam based cleanser tingles in a way that you know is working, the solution isn't drying like most blemish control solutions and treatments and the spot cream, well the spot cream is the holy grail piece from this kit as it quite frankly makes me spots very almost disappear over night!
It's a cracking little kit and definitely something to try out if you're having trouble with your skin. Granted, the spot cream is drying to the skin so I do have a rather unsightly dry patch a few days after the spot has gone, but hey, the spot has gone and that is music to my ears!

Next up we have my trusty Origins Ginzing Eye Cream- this is an old favourite and one I go back to time and time again as I know it works and that my skin LOVES it. It's a really refreshing and zesty eye cream that works to reduce how puffy my eyes are in a morning, something I get in a BIG BIG WAY! Whilst I'm lucky enough not to suffer from dark circles this baby is apparently awesome for reducing them too. It also offers a slight glow and radiance to my under eyes which is always nice, especially on those no make up days.

Serum's are something I play around with a lot as I don't feel I'm yet to find "the one", however the Lumene Arctic Dew is pretty close as it is just so damn refreshing on my skin. Hydrating the deepest surface layers of the skin it plumps, it smooths and it revitalises my skin adding a really gorgeous dewy and healthy glow.

I'm also partial to a drop or two of the Oskia Get Up And Glow Serum when having a no make up or barely there make up day as it adds the most amazing highlight and glow to my skin, brightening both the look and the feel of my skin.

We also have some trusty Glossier pieces here too with the Milk Jelly Cleanser, usually my first cleanse before going in with the Murad Blemish Control Clarifying Cleanser or something I use when my skin is just that little bit too dry and flaky for any more spot preventing products.
And then the Glossier Invisible Shield SPF, I really love how this looks on the skin as it's completely transparent and a great base for make up, giving a lovely natural glow. I'm yet to find an oil-free transparent SPF so if you do have any goodens, please do let me know.

Now recently, and for the past 4 months or so I've not been wearing foundation all that much. I've had the odd day here and there when I want to look that little more "flawless" (if I could ever be such a word) or when I've been testing out a new release, but all in all I've just been rocking my failsafe Glossier Stretch Concealer (in shade medium) over blemishes and then lashings of the AMAZING Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer in shade Luminous Bronze. This combo gives me the most radiant complexion ever whilst keeping my skin feeling hydrated and like I'm wearing absolutely no make up at all, a feel I am rather partial to I must admit. Those two, combined with either the Hourglass Flash Highlight Stick in shade Champagne Flash or my all time fave Marc Jacobs Glow Stick Illuminator and my skin looks dewy, fresh and seriously youthful, three adjectives I am ALL about when it comes to my skin.

For a flush of pink I'm still loving the Bare Minerals Generation Nude blush in the shade Bellini Brunch and for those days that I want a long-lasting and flawless look I'm opting for the utterly gorgeous Dior Backstage foundation which is pretty much my perfect foundation. It's super buildable and easy to work with and can create both a super natural glow to the skin or a high-coverage perfected look- I always look for a foundation that is customisable and this one is just that!

When it comes to eye make up, I feel like I have my holy grail products nailed!
I'm still suitably obsessed and probably always will be with the Urban Decay Naked Heat palette; it is simply perfect for me and offers ALL of my most favourite eyeshadow shades in one handy palette, I never, ever travel without it. The all new Hourglass Caution Extreme Lash Mascara has gone straight into my top three mascaras of all time (along with the YSL mascara from this post and a since discontinued Marc Jacobs baby) it gives the blackest, thickest and fullest of lashes with literally just one coat. I ADORE how fast it is at creating my most perfect of eyelash looks and of course is customisable too so that sixties spider lash is only two more coats away!

Since getting my eyebrows micro-bladed (read more on that here) I simply brush over Glossier's Boy Brow super speedily in a morning to add further depth and texture to my brows and I am good to go.

As I'm sure you can tell from this shot I'm not all that experimental these days when it comes to the colours I wear on my lips. I absolutely ADORE my trusty Lolita II by Kat Von D- a super wearable warm nude shade that dries SUPER matte but with touch of lip balm creates the most delicious of lip looks and one I rock almost every single day.

I'm BIG into the Kiehls Butterstick lip balms; the one I'm loving right now is Simply Rose as it gives the most luscious and natural rose tint to my lips whilst leaving them feeling hydrated and plump. I have a few shades or the Buttersticks and whilst this is my absolute favourite, I truly adore Naturally Nude and the non-tinted balm for bed time too.

I'm also MAD about the Glossier Generation G Lipsticks, I love literally every single shade and how natural looking they are on the lips but particularly shade Cake and shade Leo. They don't add any sheen, just a flush of colour to the lips to create a really undone and cool girl lip look.

But for days or mostly evenings, when I fancy looking a little more "done" I am lurrrving the Chanel Rouge Allure Ink Liquid Lipstick in shade 170 Euphorie. Again super buildable to add just a touch of red to the lips or a full on show stopping red lip look.