Beauty: Summer makeup with Clinique

Clinique Long Last Lipstick in Matte Crimson* - £17.50, available here

Clinique Cheek Pop in Berry Pop* - £16.50, available here

In the summer I like to switch up my makeup and wear brighter colours. I also like to wear makeup that's going to last throughout the day when it gets hot and sticky outside, so recently I've found myself wearing these two items from Clinique.

Long Last Lipsick in Matte Crimson

This lipstick does exactly as it says on the box - it's has a long lasting formula so it's sticks around for hours and hours. I find that I have to top it up after I've eaten but I expect that with any lipstick.  The formula is lovely and creamy, not like the usual matte lipsticks that you'd find from other brands, there's no problems with application and I don't even need to use a lip scrub beforehand. Matte Crimson is a creamy blue toned red and is perfect for this time of the year.

Cheek Pop in Berry Pop

Clinique has only recently bought out these blushers which are cutely named 'Cheek Pops'. I absolutely love the packaging of them, the flower sculpted into the product itself is so pretty and it's actually a mixture between cream and powder. There's none of that fall out that you get with powder and it blends seamlessly onto the cheeks. Berry Pop is a red toned pink and I've been wearing this constantly to give a natural flushed look. The great thing about these blushers is that you can easily build up the colour.

Fashion: Favourite shoes for Spring

Now it's getting hotter I've found myself stepping away (no pun intended!) from my big clompy boots and Dr Martens and instead opting for more appropriate summery shoes. The weather is a bit iffy at the moment, glorious sunshine one minute and then a torrential downpour the next so I haven't managed to get the sandals out just yet. Here's what I've had on my feet over the past few weeks..

Dr Marten Lester shoes* - Cloggs, available here

I've had these babies since January and I still haven't broken them in. You may have seen my original post on them here where I said I was looking forward to wearing them with a denim dress, well, I haven't managed to do  that yet but I have been wearing them with turned up jeans. Once it's definitely bare leg weather, I'll be wearing these with a dress and a pair of cute frilly socks.

Cut out buckle ankle boots* - Shoe Zone, available here

I've worn these a surprising amount since I got them. They have a heel on them so I didn't expect them to be as comfortable as they are but I can wear them all day without any problems. I've been pairing them with frilly ankle socks and I've had a lot of compliments on them so far.

Floral tapestry pumps - New Look

I got these in the sale after Christmas for just £5 and I've been wearing them for work a lot recently. The dress code at work is black, so these are fine to wear but they also make a boring black outfit look a bit more interesting with the tapestry pattern on them. They've got quite a chunky sole as well which I really like. I wish I'd bought a couple of pairs of these now, I'll be gutted when they eventually die on me.

Now I'm just waiting for the summer weather to actually arrive so I can get the sandals out!

My Summer Face

 My skin has been a lot better recently, so I've been turning down the Double Wear in favour of the Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream. This offers a light coverage but still manages to even out my skin tone. It doesn't cover up any blemishes so this is where the MAC Studio Finish Concealer comes in which honestly covers everything and stays put all day. I use this on my undereyes but then I layer on the L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer Pen to highlight and brighten up my eye area. I also put this down the centre of my nose just to add a bit of highlight. To complete my base, I dust over a bit of my MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural just to set everything and to keep the shine at bay.

For my eyes I've been using my Maybelline Color Tattoo in Pink Gold as a base and then I've been using my MUA Heaven and Earth Palette. I use the first colour as a highlight, the third all over the lid and then the fifth on the bottom row in the crease to add a bit of definition. I then curl my eyelashes and apply Benefit's They're Real mascara*. CONTROVERSIAL OPINION: I know this is highly praised but I'm honestly just using it to use it up, I much prefer my cheaper Maybelline mascaras! I also use a MAC eyeshadow in Espresso to fill in my brows. I don't feel right unless I've done my brows!

On the apple of my cheeks, I've been applying NARS Orgasm for a flush of colour and a bit of a shimmer. Then, if I feel like I need it, I've also been using MAC Mineralize Skin Finish in Soft & Gentle to add a bit of a highlight to my cheekbones, nose and cupid's bow. To finish off the look, I've been going for a more neutral lip shade such as Oriflame's Giordani Gold Voluptous Lipstick in Chiffon Rose*.