My 3 Minute, affordable Make Up Essentials

Style Theory: As make up goes I am fairly low maintenance and certainly no expert but I have my trusty 8 make up items I literally cannot live without and take me from looking awful in the morning to just about passable... They are my tried and tested face-savers and all fairly inexpensive so I thought I would share them with you... 

The Much Needed Morning Mini Face Lift

After cleansing and moisturising I use Clarins Beauty Flash Balm, a classic that has been a bestseller for 20 years. I like to think of this a mini face lift in a tube. It makes my skin feel a little tighter, brighter and gives it a glow. It is a great base for bronzer as it makes your skin smooth so bronzer glides on.

Clarins Beauty Flash Balm @John Lewis £29

I always make sure the beauty balm is completely absorbed into my skin before I use my next must have product Bobbi Brown Bronzing Brick.

The Bronzer

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick Bronze @John Lewis £33

The bronze version of this shimmer brick is my fave colour but I have to make sure I keep it light (I have a tendency to over bronze..not a good look). I always buy a huge blusher brush to keep the coverage fine as possible and even over my face. I have this cheap blusher brush from Boots . I use the mid browns as eyeshadow (using an eyeshadow applicator) and the white shimmer colour to highlight the top of my cheekbones.

The Eyeliner

Another item I have used nearly for as long as I can remember, my fail-safe liquid eye liner, Rimmel London Exaggerate Eye Liner. I apply this in a line on my eyelids close to the lashes with a little flick at the outer corner of my eye to make my eyes look bigger and wider.

Rimmel London Exaggerate Eye Liner £5.29

I buy the brown version of this liquid eye liner as it is softer looking and not as harsh looking on my eyes as the black. It doesn't smudge or run and stays on all day.

The Mascara

After trying a million and one mascaras I always come back to this one, I love it, like the eye liner it does not smudge or run and gives my eyelashes the volume they need.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara @Boots £7.99

I find the brush is good on this mascara, it evenly coats every lash and it keeps my eyelashes separate..non clumping.

The Lipliner

Rimmel 1000 Kisses Lipliner £2.99 (Indian pink)

This is the lipliner I have been buying recently, I prefer the Clarins lipliner (which is a creamier, softer pencil) but this one is cheaper and is a good match to the bright pink lipstick I wear. I always, always wear lipliner, it stops my lipstick bleeding, makes my lips look fuller and gives them a more defined shape. I always makes sure my pencil is fairly sharp but rounded so I can line exactly on my lips and avoid a patomime dame look. After applying the lipliner I blot it so it is not too harsh and blends seemlessly in with my lipstick.

The Lipstick

I use two lipsticks at the moment one layered on top of the other, I love a bright pink, it looks great against a tan and in the winter I may move to amore plum pink colour but for now these are my two faves..

MAC All Fired Lipstick £15.50

This is rich lipstick but I find it a little dry after a while so I mix it with a creamy Rimmel Lipstick to off set the dryness and make the perfect texture that stays on my lips all day with the help of Lipcote.

Rimmel London Kate Lasting Finish Lipstick £5.49

This is my favourite shade at the moment it is quite a vibrant pink but mix it with the Mac lipstick and the colour is toned down a shade or two. I put the Mac lipstick on first as a base, blot it then this one on top and a pink/red shade.

Finally my one item I always always buy - The Lipstick Sealant 

Lipcote £3.99

This is my lipstick saviour, it keeps my lipstick in place all day, stops it coming off on anything and stops it bleeding outside my lips. I have been using it since I was 16 so I guess I am quite used to it as I have heard people saying it dries your lips but I do not find it drying at all, it just keeps my lipstick in place and ensures it doesn't smudge..

So there is my 3 minute make up look..genuinely does take 3 mins!

** The two photos on the left are filtered by Instagram...the Clarins Beauty Balm is not a miracle worker although it does help!!

No major revolutionary products here but products I have been using for years and years and for me are fail safe and make my make up routine in the morning super quick.

I would love to hear what you make-up 'must haves' are, do you have any beauty buys you cannot love without, I am up for trying new products so would love to here what your are?

Until next time, Frances xxxx

My 5 Minute Make Up Essentials

Style Theory: I have a super quick 5 minute make up routine, it is really basic but after years of trying different products I always return to these ones. I am no expert and really not great at applying make up (although I could do my liquid eyeliner on a roller coaster - have had 26 years of practice!) but I do have a few fail save products that I swear by and here they are..

Cleansing..

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish £15.50

I love this cleanser, such an easy quick way to give your face a good cleanse and exfoliate at the same time. A couple of minutes and your face feels fresh and thoroughly clean. The only pain is washing the muslins but I guess you feel like you are getting your money's worth as you can use them again and again. I have combination skin and have without a doubt found this to be the kindest and most effective cleanser.

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator £15.75

I use this exfoliator a couple of times a week, it is really gentle on my skin, gives it a really good cleanse and leaves it looking brighter. It smells pretty good too, really clean and fresh, I have not got super sensitive skin so I would be cautious if your skin is really sensitive. The exfoliating jojoba beads are soft and gentle, they do not scrape your skin as I have found other exfoliators to be too harsh.

Clinique Moisture Surge £34

I love this, make sure you buy the gel version, it is light as a cloud and absorbs into the skin in seconds. I have quite greasy skin over my nose and chin so this is perfect as it is not heavy and does not give me spots (so many moisturisers do) It does not have an spf in it which is the one thing I would really like them to add as I should be wearing an spf every day.

Now for my make up, I do not wear any foundation, I really really should but have not found one that I love so I just go straight from moisturiser to Clarins flash balm then bronzer, I feel my skin can breathe more without foundation but as I am getting older I feel I really do need a good one so any suggestions would be welcome.

First..

Clarins Flash Balm £29

My mini facelift in a bottle, I use this when I am off out somewhere and need to look less than 100 years old (ie I dont bother with any make up for the school run etc) I use the tiniest amount over my face to make it look smoother and less tired. It makes bronzer go on flawlessly and evenly.

Concealer

Rimmel Hide the Blemish £3.99

Basic but effective. This does a great job covering my spots etc.

Bronzer

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick £33

Love this bronzer, this takes me from looking grey and washed out to alive and glowing (but not a sweaty glow) I always use with a huge bronzing brush and sweep along my cheeks, over my eyes and a little across my nose and forehead and down onto my chest. I also use it as eye shadow, the colour second from top all over my eyelids and colour strip at the bottom in my eye socket for definition (just use an eyeshadow brush)

Eyeliner

Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner £5.29

I find this the best eyeliner, it goes on smoothly, creates a great thickness of line and never smudges, cheap and cheerful!

The Mascara

Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara £7.99

I have tried so many mascaras and this one is the one that never runs, smudges or ends halfway down my face. It creates thick eyelashes - I use only on my top eyelashes never on my bottom eyelashes as they are quite long and I end up looking like Aunt Sally!

Lipliner

Rimmel Lipliner £3.99

I used to always use the Clarins lipliner but have now just started using this cheaper Rimmel one in 'Indian Pink'. It matches my lipstick well and as long as I keep the liner sharp it does a pretty good job. I always, always use a lipliner, it stops my lipstick bleeding and keeps everything in place. I apply it pretty heavily and blot a few times on tissue.

Mac All Fired Up Lipstick £17

This is a deep shade of pink (more on the purply pink side than orange pink) It is a super matte lipstick so I always put this on after my lipliner, two applications (blot on tissue after each application) then a layer of the Rimmel lipstick below to stop my lips feeling dry and adds another dimension of creamy pink which makes my lips look fuller.

Rimmel Kate Long Lasting Lipstick 020 £5.49

This is the lighter pink lipstick, it is really creamy and glides on perfectly over the matte Mac colour. 

Lipcote £3.69

I am a hardcore fan of Lipcote, I have been using it since I was 16. I love it and use it every time I wear lipstick, it keeps my lipstick in place through multiple glasses of wine and dinner. I know lots of people find it dries their lips out, I think the formula is kinder now than it has been in the past and to be honest I have been wearing it so long I think my lips are used to it!

Dior Nail Glow £19.50

I bought this after Susie SoSo featured it on her Instagram, it is such a easy nail polish to wear and makes your nails look like they have had a very light french manicure, easy, simple and effective, completely up my street!

So there is my very cheap and basic make up routine, I do definitely need to find a really great foundation or tinted moisturiser so any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. What are your favourite products, which ones can you not live without? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxx

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