Tarte Summer Giveaway. Now closed.

Today I'm putting reviews and favourites on the side and instead I want to take this opportunity to show some love to all of you for visiting this little space of mine and taking time to read my rants and share this little passion that we have in common.

I've recently reached 1000 subscribers on Bloglovin and a lot of new faces joined me on the SMB Facebook page in the past few weeks, so I really wanted to take a minute - or twenty - to thank every single one of you. Seriously, thank you so much! Your comments, emails and private messages never fail to make me smile and I'm always grateful for every single one of them.
But enough rambling and on to the giveaway now. We're all here for the beauty stuff after all and what better than some highly coveted makeup bits to show my appreciation to you guys?

As you probably know blushes are one of my many obsessions and I thought I'd give the chance to one lucky reader to share my addiction and win one of my all time favourite shades and then some. The winner will walk away with the beautiful Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hours Blush in Exposed - a nude pink that gives both a gentle flush and soft definition to the cheeks -, a matching Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigment also in Exposed - a long-wearing lip pencil/lipstick hybrid with a fresh mint scent - and finally the Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess, which is a rich tan shade shot through with golden sheen, perfect to fake the summer glow all year around.

The giveaway is open internationally and will run from today till July 15th 2015 midnight GMT+2. To enter simply follow the instructions of the Rafflecopter widget below and good luck! xo

a Rafflecopter giveaway

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Oggi metto da parte recensioni e preferiti, perchè voglio invece approfittare di questo post per mostrare un po' di gratitudine nei confronti di tutti voi che visitate questo mio piccolo spazio e dedicate un pizzico del vostro tempo a leggere i miei sproloqui e condividere questa passione che abbiamo in comune.

Pochi giorni fa ho raggiunto le 1000 iscrizioni su Bloglovin e sulla pagina Facebook del blog nelle ultime settimane sono arrivate un sacco di facce nuove, per cui ci tenevo a prendermi un minuto - oppure venti - per ringraziare ognuno di voi. Sul serio, grazie mille! I vostri commenti, le mail ed i messaggi privati mi strappano ogni volta un gran sorriso e mi fanno sempre tantissimo piacere.
Ma basta chiacchiere, passiamo al giveaway. Siamo tutte qui perchè amiamo il makeup e cosa meglio di un paio di bramatissimi prodotti Tarte per ringraziarvi?

Come probabilmente saprete i blush sono una delle mie molte ossessioni ed ho pensato di dare ad una fortunata lettrice la possibiltà di condividere con me una piccola parte di questa mia mania e vincere uno dei miei blush preferiti di sempre, più un altro paio di chicche. La vincitrice si porterà a casa il bellissimo Tarte Amazonian Clay 12 Hours Blush in Exposed - un rosa nudo che dona contemporaneamente un rossore delicato ed una tenue definizione alle guance -, il matitone rossetto abbinato Tarte LipSurgence Power Pigment  sempre nella colorazione Exposed e per finire il Tarte Amazonian Clay Bronzer in Park Ave Princess, ovvero una terra abbronzante arricchita da una lucentezza dorata, perfetta per portarsi dietro un tocco d'estate tutto l'anno.

Il giveaway è aperto in tutto il mondo ed inizia oggi per terminare il 15 Luglio a mezzanotte. Per partecipare semplicemente seguite le istruzioni del widget Rafflecopter che trovate qui sopra e buona fortuna! xo

May favourites.

I did everything in my power to keep this monthly round-up post from being overflowed with expensive products but it seems the premium category has taken over my routine lately. Usually I try to keep things a little more even in my posts but these are the products I've been using absolutely everyday in May and I promise they are good ones, so bare with me.

My first favourite is a base I've been talking about a lot lately, the BareMinerals Complexion Rescue (£26), which is my-go to sheer base at the minute for fresh and uber natural skin. The gel texture feels lovely on the skin and it provides just the right amount of colour and coverage to even it out without looking like actual makeup. I like to apply it with a beauty blender to really mash the product into the skin and get the most out of the coverage in my most problematic areas and keep it thin and sheer everywhere else.

Another makeup hero is the Vita Liberata Trystal Self-tanning Bronzing Minerals (£35)*, a mineral bronzer that promises instant glow and long-lasting tanning results. This is a rather bittersweet favourite, because this product unfortunately doesn't seem to deliver on the tanning side but it makes for an incredible bronzer, soft and easy to blend, that melts right into the skin for a beautiful and believable bronze glow. Keep an eye out for an upcoming review with my full rumble about it very soon!

On to lips, I've had two lipsticks on rotation all month. The first product I swear by is the Charlotte Tilbury Matte Revolution in Red Carpet Red (£23), a fantastic old Hollywood red that leans a little on the cool side, but should easily suit anyone. It might not be the most unique shade but the matte formula is out of this world: it goes on like a dream, it's not drying in the slightest and makes your lips look absolutely divine. One to try for sure!

The peachy-nude lipstick saga continues with Clinique Pop Lip Colour & Primer in Melon Pop (£16), which is just as comfortable as the matte offering but falls more on the glossy side of things. Clinique really hit the nail on the head with this formula, that somehow combines a serious pop of colour, comfort and an impressive wear time for something so moisturizing. Melon - a muted coral - is the first on I've picked but I can tell you already it won't be the last. I want them all!

It's a recent find but with the Pixi Glow Tonic (£18) it was love at first use. I'm normally not a toner person - they rarely do anything for me other than irritate my skin - but I've heard so many good things about this particular one I had to give it a whirl for sure. It's a lovely exfoliating toner that is effective yet delicate enough that it can be used everyday, and it's definitely a great solution for anyone that is looking for gentle exfoliation but suffers from sensitive skin. The floral scent reminds me of some kind of a bathroom detergent - in a good way, I promise - but the product itself is truly amazing, even just one use makes my skin look more radiant and even.

Lastly, I have to mention my absolute adoration for my new Suqqu Eyeshadow Brush M (£48) and Eyeshadow Bush L (£48), which are just dreamy and oh so soft! M is the pencil brush I've always wished for, perfect to blend liners and shadows along the lash line without tugging at the delicate skin, and L is the ultimate blender, as it diffuses any colour in just a couple of swipes and it's also excellent to place powders in small areas of the face. Every time I use them I feel as I'm channelling my inner Lisa Edridge and that just doubles the fun of doing my makeup.

That's a wrap for today's post. Now excuse me while I go grab some food and catch up with the latest Masterchef Australia season 7 ep. I'm obsessed!
What have you been loving lately?

*Press Sample

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Minimal morning skincare routine.

 

If at night I don't mind the extra time to take good care of my skin - you can take a look at my evening skincare line-up here -, in the morning I like to keep things easy and quick, for it's really hard for me to get going before breakfast and I can only do so much on autopilot with little to no thinking involved.

I start off by cleansing with the REN Evercalm Gentle Cleansing Milk (£16), a creamy offering that feels moisturizing and soothing and doesn't leave my skin feeling stripped at all, which is the main issue I've had with a lot of cleansers I've tried in the past. The Evercalm range is aimed at sensitive and redness-prone complexions like mine and this cleanser is excellent to get rid of any residue from my overnight treatments in the morning and refresh the skin, keeping it balanced as well.

For serum, I'm currently giving a whirl to the Resultime Skin Perfecting Serum Vitamin C (£46)*, a smoothing serum that addresses uneven skin tone and enlarged pores and improves the production of collagen and hyaluronic acid for healthier skin. It's lightweight and sinks in right away leaving the skin plump and firm and it's almost like using a primer that feels really silky and soft. My skin just loves this stuff and I feel as though it's been behaving so much better since I started using this.

All the angels in the high heavens are singing right now because I've finally been reunited with my favourite eye cream of all time, the Filorga Time-filler Eyes Absolute Eye Correction Cream (£44). This gorgeous balm has a lovely texture, really rich but not heavy, that doesn't make your makeup slide around - in fact, I find my concealer sits so much better on top of it and lasts much longer without looking cakey or dry -. Cooling and seriously moisturizing, it gets rid of those annoying dehydration lines in a matter of seconds and is a true must-try for anyone with dry or aging skin, trust me.

I'm a massive fan of everything customized - don't even get me started on monogrammed mugs - so every time I look at my little bottle of Ioma Ma Crème Jour (£110)* I get insanely excited. It's the result of a thorough skincare consultation that comes in the shape of a lightweight base for the day, enriched with serums and active ingredients and it's exactly what my skin needs, nothing more, nothing less - this one, uniquely formulated for me, tackles redness, clogged pores, dullness and loss of elasticity and I'm glad to report it checks all the boxes -. It costs an absolute bomb but it's an amazing treat and there's something oddly satisfying in knowing that I own something that nobody else can have and it's only and truly mine.

What are your morning skincare essentials?

*Press Samples

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