The No Makeup Makeup Look

I don't know about you, but I sure as hell don't wake up looking every bit of perfection in the morning! There are many mornings, however, that I would like to look as though I'm not wearing much makeup and have a natural glow to the skin. It takes a good few products, but the end result is something natural and absolutely suitable for everyday wear. It is quick and easy and leaves you looking put together and fabulous.

 The Products

1. Blend a small amount of your favourite foundation from the centre of the face outwards. This is the area that requires the most coverage generally...I find my cheeks and forehead hardly need anything. I use the Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum and Real Techniques Buffing Brush. 

2. Blend some concealer under the eyes, across eyelids and onto any blemishes. My weapon of choice is the Collection Lasting Perfection in Medium. 

3. Fill in eyebrows. I use a mix of MAC's Corduroy and Copperplate. Seal with a gel if you've got unruly brows like me! I use Miss Sporty Clear Mascara.

4. Blend a cream blush across the cheeks. I use MAC's Blushcreme in Ladyblush with a Real Techniques Contour Brush. 

5. Blend a cream highlighter across the cheekbones, down the nose and on cupid's bow. My choice is MAC's Cream Colour Base in Pearl. I apply this with an Ecotools Shadow Brush. 

6. Curl eyelashes and apply mascara of choice. I use my Tweezerman curlers and No7 Exceptional Definition. This mascara focuses on seperation and length rather than clumpy volume - great for a more natural look.

7. Apply a little powder across the T-zone if you feel you need it. I use Sleek MakeUP's ONE Finishing Powder and any small fluffy powder brush.
8. I use whatever lipbalm I've got to hand for the final touch.

Bourjois Healthy Mix Serum Foundation

Now if I'm having a relatively good skin day, I simply choose to slap on the Origins Vita-zing as my single form of 'coverage', perhaps with a tad of concealer under the eyes if its been a late night. But there are times when I want that extra boost, that extra-perfect look to my skin, so liquid foundation comes into play. For about a year now I have been using the Bourjois 10-Hour Sleep Effect, and it has been fantastic, but I thought as my bottle had emptied I would try one of the other raved-about Bourjois foundations: Healthy Mix Serum. This is a new, alternative version of the original Healthy Mix, and is more of a gel-like formula, claiming to boost radiance for up to 16hrs, and creating an 'even, revived complexion' and contains vitamin-rich lychee, goji berries and pomegranate.

At £10.99, this isn't the cheapest highstreet/drugstore foundation, but considering I would have placed the last Bourjois foundation I used on a par with all the high end counterparts out there, I thought that this would be worth the dosh. And boy was I not wrong! This foundation applies like a dream, the pigmentation is light-medium but buildable, has a slightly dewy finish, would work on skin types ranging from oily to dry, and the colour pulls neither too pink or yellow - perfection?! My one complaint applies to all the Bourjois foundations unfortunately, and that is that although the shades they do sell are neutral, the range is rather limited and many skintones must surely have to go without.

Below are photos of me without any foundation, with just foundation, and then the entire look:

(I think its rather funny how I smile a little bit more in each photo haha!)

Overall the wear is amazing! I haven't yet had to wear it for the full 16 hours, but after 12 it still looks and feels great; no grease, no caking or creasing, and my skin still looks glowing. Definitely worth it!

Mega Love xx