GRWM: Valentine's Day

 

Happy Valentine's Day or just Happy Wednesday depending on how you're spending today. I for one will be at work and then indulging myself in a good old pamper and a not so romantic new episode of Strike Back. And even though I'm going to be at work, I'm going to make myself look and feel as if I'm spending the day with the man of my dreams instead of asking if people would like to buy a 5p carrier bag.

I may not have an impressive, groundbreaking plans for the day but it doesn't mean I don't want to look good. So I started the day with a little pep, starting with the Rodial Dragon's Blood Under Eye Patches. These work wonders at reducing any signs of puffiness and darkness as well as hydrating and plumping the under eye area. Plus after waking up, these are ultra cooling and really wake you up, something I'm extremely grateful for.

Then I popped on a bit of the GlamGlow ThirstyMud Treatment. This is one of my all time favourite leave on masks and it's one I always break out when I want to look good and feel good about my skin and myself in general. A thin layer of this is all my skin needs to look hydrated and feel soft to the touch. I left this one whilst I enjoyed a cuppa and some breakfast before carrying on with my normal morning routine.

Then it's time for make up. I'd like to say that I'm using a different primer combination today but unfortunately I'm not. And it's not because there isn't other primers I like because there is but I know that this combination keeps my make up locked in place for as long as I want it to be. I go in first with the Barry M Hydro Fix Primer Water. Not only does this help keep my make up in place but it also locks in hydration so my skin doesn't start to feel tight or dry as the day wears on. And then it's the Maybelline SuperStay Primer over top. This is lightweight and skintone in colour but it works really well to even out skintone and blur away any imperfections without that slippy silicone feel that doesn't agree with all skintypes, mine included.

Then because I've been having a couple of skin issues, I'm going in with some colour correctors. I love the Collection Colour Correctors as they're pigmented enough to actually cover and correct what I want but they don't weigh skin down or leave skin looking cakey. The Green corrector is my go to for correcting any redness on my cheeks or redness left behind from blemishes. And whilst the Rodial eye patches reduce the appearance of my dark circles, the Lemon corrector just brightens the area even more and makes concealer apply more evenly and opaquely over top.

For foundation I went in with the Rosie For Autograph Amazing Skin Secret Foundation and my trusty beauty blender. This has a stunning medium coverage that gives skin a beautiful healthy glow but doesn't look to over the top or sweaty. A couple of pumps is enough to o my entire face in a skin like and non cakey way. Once bopped in with a damp beauty blender, this gives skin a flawless, perfected yet natural and skin friendly finish.

After using the Rosie For Autograph foundation, there isn't a lot of need for concealer but I'm still going to go in with a little to perfect a couple of imperfections that the foundation didn't quite cover. The first concealer I went in with is the Maybelline The Eraser Eye Concealer. It's got enough coverage to cover my dark circles but it isn't too heavy or cakey under the eye. I take the edge of my damp beauty blender and bop it into the my under eye area, making sure that it blends in seamlessly with my foundation. Then for a couple of blemishes and along my forehead I went in with the newest shade of the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. They now do it in Extra Fair which matches my skintone perfectly and blends seamlessly into my foundation of choice.

I'm always quick to set everything into place and today is no different. I've run out of pressed powder so today I'm going in with the Barry M Ready Set Smooth Setting Powder. I forgot how good this powder is and how flawlessly it sets my make up. A bit of this dusted under my eyes with the Real Techniques Setting Brush sets everything is place without looking powdery or creasy. Then with my trusted B Powder Brush, I dust a small amount around the edges of my face and down my t-zone, making sure to keep the healthy glow the foundation has given me along my cheekbones.

Then it's lash time and there is only one combination I was going to be reaching for. The Maybelline Total Temptation alone creates the must defined luxurious looking lash look but paired with the Maybelline Lash Sensational Lash Primer it goes out of this world. The pair together give me fanned out, defined, lengthened and volumised lashes that don't droop, fall, flake or crumble. And because there is a primer underneath, if my lashes do droop slightly, it's not hard to get them back into place with a gentle upward push.

I was going to go down the traditional route and go with a red lip like I normally do on Valentine's Day but this year I've found myself reaching and enjoying more pink toned shades so that's what I chose. I started off with the Kiko Intensly Lavish (sadly discontiuned) Lip Liner in 01. It's been my go to lip liner when I've worn a pink a lip recently. Then over the top I used the Milani Amour Matte Lip Cream in Precious. It's not the usual pink tone I'd go for but once it's on the lips and dried down, I really like how it looks. And because it's more of a velvet finish, it means it's going to feel comfortable on the lips for a lot longer than your standard liquid lipstick. I love how it compliments my skin tone even though it's not the usual pink tone I'd go for.

. Now I've gotten my look complete, all that's left to do is give myself a spritz of setting spray. And the best one for keeping my make up in place is the Collection Primed and Ready Fixing Spray. It's lightweight so it doesn't disrupt my make up and sets everything in place with a semi-matte finish that still allows skin to look and feel like skin.

Then the final thing I do is spritz myself with perfume. And the one that's most fitting Valentine's Day/Galentine's Day for me is the Rosie For Autograph Rose Gold. It's got a warmth to it that never fails to make me feel ultra feminine and good about myself. It's centered around the original Rose Centifolia scent that emcompasses all of Rosie's fragrances but this has added notes of musk, sandalwood and vanilla that gives it more depth and warmth that lasts throughout the day. Now I'm ready it's time to go and enjoy my Valentine's, even if it's just a day of work then a pamper.