5 things: favourite blushes for summer.

I know everybody is going to roll their eyes at me now because duh, not really a secret, but I'm a complete blush junkie. Along with mascara and under-eye concealer, blushes are at the top of my never-without list, as they make a huge difference with just about any look and can take you from drab to fab in seconds, even when you can't bother with a full face of makeup.

Despite a quite alarming and ever-growing collection that has taken over a whole drawer of my IKEA Alex and threatens to spill out any minute now, I seem to gravitate toward the same suspects lately and today I'm sharing my five current favourites for the warm weather.

Hourglass Ambient Lighting Blush in Diffused Heat (£28) is a stunner to say the least. This radiant peachy pink is technically the kind of shade that works well in every season - it's beautiful in winter for a been-out-in-the-wind kind of flush - but I especially adore it for this time of the year, 'cause it looks gorgeous paired with bronzy skin. Thanks to those accents of Diffused Light Ambient Lighting powder, the formula is really perfecting and gives the most amazing smooth and flawless finish to the cheeks. Absolutely smashing!
If the lovely flower shape is not a good enough reason to pick the Clinique Cheek Pop Blush in Berry (£17) up, then I'm sure the gorgeous bright fuchsia will win you over. The satin finish makes my choppers look fresh and glowy, and the extra finely milled powder is super easy to blend, which is essential since the colour is so intense. It's quite the scene stealer and I love to wear this as the focus of my makeup with sheer lips and a tiny flick of eyeliner.

For a creamy offering, the Stila Covertible Color Lip & Cheek in Lilium (£16) is a firm favourite. This nude pink is super pigmented but somehow still really easy to sheer out and buildable at the same time. The formula is a bit tacky and stays dewy on the cheeks which might not be for everyone, especially those whose skin tends to get oily throughout the day, but I love it when my skin feels a bit dry and I long for the extra glow. I own a few of these and Lilium is my most used as it's such a versatile shade, but I also really love Gladiola for a perky orange flush and Rose for a sheer berry rosiness, both on lips and cheeks.
For a cream to powder option, I love the Clarins Multi-blush Cream Blush in 02 Candy (£16.25), a bon bon pink with a soft velvet texture and a demi-matte finish. Because the payoff is quite sheer, it's almost impossible to go overboard with this blush, but on the other hand is the perfect product to complement a minimal, no-makeup makeup look or even a bold lip - when a little hint of colour is all you need not to look too washed-out -. Recommended especially to fair ladies.

My fifth and final pick is a high-street gem. Milani Baked Blush in Luminoso (£4.49) is the little black dress of blushes, a golden apricot pink that looks good with absolutely everything. Unlike some other baked blushes that are often loaded with chunky glitters, Luminoso gives a beautiful sheen to the cheeks, like a highlighter and blusher in one, and blends like a dream. It's pure perfection, I'm totally obsessed with it!

Have you tried any of these? What's your must-have blush for the warmer months?

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Get the glow with vita liberata.

Pale girl problem number one: I never, ever tan. I burst into flames. Trust me, it's not pretty.
The transition from lobster to golden goddess takes literally eons for me and usually involves a lot of gross peeling and many, many painful sunburns. Hence why I gave up on tanning like normal people do ages ago and whenever I'm in need of a little healthy colour on my face and body, I turn my attention toward wash-off self tanners and tons and tons of bronzer instead.

When it comes to fake tanning Vita Liberata clearly know a thing or two on the matter and a product I was really excited to try is the Vita Liberata Trystal Self Tanning Bronzing Minerals (£35)*, a loose powder bronzer that promises a gorgeous instant glow and long term fake-tan effects in one convenient pot. Say what?! You guys already know how much I love my double duty products and the idea of tanning my face by simply wearing makeup, was definitely intriguing.
The mineral powder is ultra fine and easy to blend with the included kitten-soft kabuki brush, perfect to take a little product at a time and create a soft gradient on my fair skin. As for the colour, forget those awful orange bronzers that look so obvious on the skin. I have this in Sunkissed, which is recommended for fair and light complexions, and I'm obsessed with the olive tint, it looks absolutely magnificent on the skin and above all, believable. The application is completely fool-proof, simply buff it around the hairline and temples for subtle definition and then dust it anywhere the sun would naturally hit - over the top of the cheeks, the forehead and across the bridge of the nose, making sure to drag what's left on the brush down the neck as well -, either on top of your regular foundation or over clean, moisturized skin.
As far as bronzers go, this is one of the best I've found and I can't really fault it. Unfortunately, Trystal is also marketed as a fake tanner and that's where I find it lacking. The colour washes off in the evening, along with the rest of the makeup, and there's no sign of the promised lasting glow, not even after a few days of consistent application. A bit disappointing, yes, but it's still a great bronzer and definitely worth checking out if it falls within your budget range.

I'm going for a little confession here: I love a bit of sunkissed glow on the body but fake tanning requires a continuous up-keep and I'm not even remotely diligent enough to commit to the task on the long run. Luckily, Vita Liberata have got me covered. Enter Capture The Light in Latte Light (£29.95), a true godsend for us lazy girls and last minute events. This is such a dreamy product, a mix of a light moisturizer and a luminous pigment that gives a gorgeous café au lait tint to the skin. The colour is incredibly flattering and it also has some subtle shimmer that makes your limbs look longer and leaner - who doesn't love a good ol' light trick, right? -. Super easy to apply, it washes off at the end of the night and it doesn't stain hands and clothes. Thumbs up!

What are your go-to products to fake the summer glow all year around?

*Press Sample

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july favourites.

I'm going to start July favourites off with a base I adore, the MAC Face & Body Foundation (£22). I know I've talked to death about it but when the thermometer hits 35°C and above, this is the only foundation I rely on completely, cause I know it won't slide around or budge no matter how sweaty it gets. My skin has been doing so well lately and I'm really happy with its light coverage, but in case I needed a more flawless base, this foundation can also be layered or even mixed with something more pigmented and won't loose its light texture. Holy grail stuff right here.

I'm clearly having a moment with Charlotte Tilbury's makeup range but I surely can't be blamed. It took all my will power not to buy the whole Norman Parkinson collection but I still managed to pick up a lot of it. A favourite has to be the Filmstar Bronze & Glow in Sun tan and Sun light (£55), the creamy sculpt and highlight duo that is just as amazing as its powder counterpart. On the skin the contour shade doesn't come out as dark and scary as it looks in the pan, as it's quite sheer, easy to blend and build if needed, and looks uber natural. The highlighter is also really pretty, a golden champagne that would suit many skin tones and looks really soft at first but can be built for an intense metallic effect. It's my go-to product to give subtle definition to the face while keeping my skin looking fresh and dewy.
I also became a little obsessed with the Matte Revolution Lipstick in 1975 Red (£23), a head-turning orange-y red that is so perfect for summery statement lips. Unlike some soul-sucking dry matte offerings out there, the Matte revolution lipsticks are hydrating and super comfortable but somehow long-lasting at the same time. I love the square tip, I think it makes application much easier, and the colour is so saturated it's completely opaque in just one swipe. Definitely one to check out.

Another CT product I've been loving is the Eyes to Mesmerize in Marie Antoinette (£22), a long lasting cream offering in a bronzey antique gold shade that looks beautiful on its own, but I also love it paired with rich brown shadows for a sultry smokey look. The formula of this product reminds me a lot the Tom Ford cream shadows, but I actually prefer this one because it's a bit more mousse-y and easier to built to full opacity, and it's cheaper of course, so I won't feel too guilty when I pick up a few more shades.

Nails wise, I couldn't stop reaching for the sadly limited edition Nails Inc. x Victoria Beckam in Bamboo White, a super chic bone shade that leans slightly on the pale pink side. I'm a huge fan of the new Nails Inc. formula, it's self-leveling so, no matter how rushed the application, you still get a pretty perfect manicure without too much effort and it lasts forever on my nails. I really hope I'll be able to get my hands on a back up, cause the day I'll run out of this shade will be a very sad one.

There're two skincare items that I briefly want to mention. I have tried a fair amount of thermal waters over the years but La Roche Posay Serozinc (£8.50) is hands down the best for summertime. It's moisturizing and refreshing but also targets enlarged pores and blemishes, and has a slight mattifying effect. The soothing mix is also perfect to calm and treat sweat rashes and irritated skin. Love it!
At last, I've already shared my love for the Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster (£19), which is just fantastic to give a gentle golden tan to my porcelain complexion. It's subtle but buildable and doesn't leave me looking like I've applied fake tan, and above all it's quick and super easy to apply.

What have you been loving in July?

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A midsummer wishlist.

001 I have to take a temporary step back from my endless Jo Malone fragrance wishlist to lust after the Aerin perfume range and Aerin Gardenia Rattan Eau de Parfum (£88) in particular. The packaging is a tiny work of art, with that beautiful semiprecious stone-like cap and an elegant thick glass bottle, but the true scene stealer is the fragrance itself, a lovely mix of white flowers and a hint of sea foam, warmed by a touch of amber in the background. Might have to add it to my stash for those colder days ahead.

002 I've been itching to get my greedy paws on one of the Becca Shimmering Skin Perfector Pressed (£30) for quite some time - the only thing holding me back being my utter inability to decide between Moonstone and Opal -, but the beauty gods came to the rescue with the perfect in-between shade, the stunning Champagne Pop by Jaclyn Hill, which sadly seems almost impossible to find at the minute. I'm currently stalking my trusty makeup dealers to see if I can grab one, otherwise I think I'll settle with Opal, seeing that I absolutely adore the liquid version.

003 I've sung my love for the Ambient Lighting formula over and over again here on the blog and another long coveted item I can't wait to try is the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Bronzer (£42) in Luminous Bronze, which is already sitting patiently inside my SpaceNk basket. Coming in at 42£ it's a pricey little number, considering that is just a bronzer, but I suspect the Hourglass range might be infused with unicorn tears or something magical like that, for their powder products make the skin look absolutely fab, like real life photoshop, and I'm always ready to splurge for that kind of flawless finish.

004 I may not be the biggest fake tan person - I quite like my fair skin, I feel that it suits me perfectly, and I'm way too lazy to seriously commit to the hard work a streak-free tan requires - but after falling hard for the face version of this product, I had to put the Clarins Radiance Plus Golden Glow Booster for Body (£26) at the top of my shopping list. Hopefully, the lovely golden glow it delivers when added to body lotions and oils will be the perfect incentive to be a little less lazy with my body moisturizer this summer.

005 How could I not include the latest installment to the marvelous Laura Mercier makeup range? I may have accidentally spent a whole afternoon browsing for swatches of the Laura Mercier Lip Parfait Creamy Colourbalm (£19.50) and swooning over these plumping, hyaluronic infused sheer lipsticks the whole time. Raspberry Ripple and Amaretto Swirl have my heart singing already but I'm sure those gorgeous deep berry shades are going to be really hard to ignore once I see these in real life.

What have you been lusting for lately?

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