My Favourite Products from No7

I do love a bargain with makeup as student life is not exactly prosperous but, when I do have a little more money I like to stock up on some more expensive products, especially from No7.

Moisturiser

Protect & Perfect Intense Advanced Serum (£26).

Starting with the base first I use a moisturiser to prep my skin. the moisturiser I use from the No7 range is actually more of a serum. It is in the anti-aging group but dont let that put you off!. Anti ageing moisturisers are great if you have sensitive skin as they are super gentle and with this particular serum it protects the skin from the cold winds and any sun damage meaning you can use it all year around under your makeup. It doesn't have any SPF or UVA protection but its always better if you concentrate this in your foundations as this is your main makeup base.

Primer

Airbrush Away Primer £16.50

Primer is the go to for smooth skin and a makeup look that will last all day/night, it doesn't matter how much you spend on your foundation if your primer isn't good you wont see results. I like to use this primer as it evens out the texture of your skin which is well suited if you have dry/oily skin. I also love this primer as its not too greasy, once it's settled into the skin it wont move your foundation around.

Foundation

I have two foundations that I go to from No7; One for everyday and one for nights out/special occasions. The one I use for the Day is the Stay Perfect Foundation (£15) as it has a nice medium coverage not making it too heavy and it also has SPF 15 and Vitamin E allowing it to protect your skin too. (I wouldn't recommend you use this as a substitute to sun creams while on holiday as it doesn't have the UVA protection which is the main protector from sun damage to the skin.)

The foundation I use for Night time is the Airbrush Away Foundation (£16.50), just like the primer it smooths out pores and any blemishes. The smoothing acts as a great base for a evening makeup as it looks full coverage but has the consistency of a medium coverage foundation; it wont look really caked once you add you highlighter and shimmer.

The main thing I like about No7 foundations is that I know I will have the right shade every time; if you ask, a member of staff can give you a free skin match so that you can find the right shade for your skin - im a warm Beige but before the test I was buying 2 shades lighter oops!

Brows!

I usually use the Soap and Glory Pen however if they've run out of my shade etc. I like to go for this as a substitute - Beautiful Eyebrow Sculpting Pencil (£8) in the shade Blonde. The angled was pen allows you to create natural strokes and lasts for ages...I've been swimming with this and my eyebrows didn't budge. The comb allows your natural hairs to blend with the pen strokes making your eyebrows look super natural.

Mascara's

I love the mascara's from No7, if I have a bit more income I make sure to buy them before anything else. Over the years I've gathered a few favourite ones for different looks

Nights out : Midnight Lash (£13.50). This one is great for nights out as its super buildable without being clumpy and gives you lots of volume if you cant be bothered to do your falsies.

Day to day: Extreme Length Extended (£13). This mascara keeps your eyes looking natural for the day. it enhances the length of your natural lashes giving a simple look that can last throughout the day.

Special Occasions during the day: Lash Impact (£13.50). This one is great for weddings or family events ad its a mixture between the previous mascara's. It gives enough volume to be able to compete with your more enhanced makeup look however it's not too heavy making it blend naturally with no clumps.

My 2018 Night-time Skin Care Routine

Hi guys, just thought I'd let you know what skincare products im using this year - its kind of a New Years resolution. I plan to do this full routine at least once a week and a short version at the end of everyday. Its super important that you don't scrub your face with things like toners or facemarks everyday as their main roles are to remove dirt, excess oils and dry skin - you need a break in between to allow the skin to rejuvenate otherwise your skin may become really sensitive due to the damage of the layers of the skin.

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Step 1. Simple Kind To Skin, Vital Vitamin, Foaming Cleanser 150ml -- £2.95

I use this product every evening whether I have been wearing make-up or not as throughout the day oils and dirt will build up on your skin. The soap foams in your hands and removes makeup really easily without any scrubbing which is great for people with sensitive skin. I spread the soap around my damp face keeping it away from the eyes I then wash it off with a clean damp flannel and then use a soft towel to dry it.

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Step 2. Simple Kind To Skin Dual Effect Eye Make-Up Remover 125ml -- £3.29

Now if you're anything like me you probably look like a panda at this stage as the mascara has rolled down the face. As well as my skin my eyes are also sensitive; I recommend using the micellar oil/water as it makes the eyes nice and soft. Add drops of the solution to cotton wool and softly wipe in a downwards motion on your eyes. (if you use an upwards motion you're more likely to damage the hair follicles and push extra dirt into them.)

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Step 3. BodyShop Himalayan Charcoal Purifying Glow Mask 75ml -- £17

Once my skin is nice and clean I usually go straight to putting toner on my face however once a week I like to use quite a harsh mask to go straight into my pores. I use the Bodyshop's...... . Like I said this mask it quite intense however if you use it now and again your skin will benefit. You want to start applying the mask to the main part of the face that you know gets spots. Once its all gone hard get another clean wet flannel and instead of wiping the mask off massage it into the face - this allows you to get rid of the dirt that the mask had extracted. Then simply wash it off and dab your face with a towel - rubbing would cause to much irritation.

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Step 4.SHILLS Original Peel Off Charcoal Mask 50ml -- £6.49

Now your pores will be nice and open so when I use the bodyshop mask I like to Use my charcoal purifying mask to get rid of the little bits that have been left behind. Spread the mask thickly on places with black heads and wait for it to dry fully. Once its dry peel off slowly as you dont want to irritate the skin .

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Step 5.Garnier Natural Aloe Extract Toner Normal Skin 200ml -- £3.49

I then use a toner to restore to oils into my skin and make sure no firt is left from the masks. All you need to do is put the solution on two cotton buds and gently glide them around the face - again you dont need to rub your skin let the product do the work!

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Step 6. Nip+Fab Dragons Blood Fix Mask 50ml -- £15.49

To close my pores and rejuvenate moisture into the skin I use an over night mask by Nip and Fab. This mask plums the skin to stop any more dirt getting into the pores. I usually spread quite a thin layer if i'm wearing the mask overnight so that it doesn't go everywhere.

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So I hope that gave some advice to you and ill update you guys on whether ive actually stuck to my routine haha. If you have any skin care problems and want to know whats the best thing to use just give me an email on the 'About Me' page and ill be happy to help you find a solution

Hannah xxxx

Make-up - My Favourite Budget Brands

Being a student I quickly realised that I had to Budget and that meant only spending money on the necessities - my nice make-up purchasing went out the window. I've hunted down the best substitutes for expensive products and these are not the products I use which all together cost £58.94 instead of over £100 which I used to. I also dont usually buy it all together so its usually a couple of ponds each month which is in my budget.

Hopefully this will save you from going through the pain of using and trialing cheap products :)

Moisturiser

Primark P.S. Beauty £3.00

Before University I used to use Olay's Sensitive Skin Moisturiser however this seemed to be getting expensive and instead I searched for a bargain replacement. Due to having very sensitive skin gI was very reluctant to try out Primark's new skin care range "Glow" however since using the highlighter my skin has been less oily in my T-zone yet dry patches are cleared up really quickly. It also acts as a really greta primer for this reason as it evens out the completion and the extra shimmer adds a bit of moisture to your foundation.

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Foundation

Bourjois Healthy Mix Shade 52 - Boots - £9.99

The first Foundation I use is the 'Bourjois Health Mix Fond De Taint, Anti-Fatigue Foundation' (what a bloody mouthful). I use shade 52 as it contrasts well with my skin whether im wearing fake tan or not which saves me spending money on two shades. Tip - if you cant afford 2 get a shade in between your fake tan shade and your normal shade as you can always add bronzer when wearing fake tan or concealer to your normal shade). I find that this foundation only gives semi coverage which is what I prefer, and the green pigment gets rid of any red marks on the face which im also prone too. As far as its wearability I could wear this foundation for at least 20 hours its supper strong and is also super buildable and bendable; you can use it as a BB Cream or foundation.

Collection Illuminating Touch foundation - Boots - £5.99

Due to going on night out the Bourgois Foundation it quite temperamental when it comes to lasting in the heat of sweaty clubs (vile I know). I decided to invest in a full coverage foundation but I didn't want to spend to much; I found the Illuminating Touch Foundation by collection after many recommendations by friends. I use the shade Cool Beige and this is darker than the other foundation however I only use it when I put fake tan on. For a full coverage foundation It is really buildable and considering its on the cheaper side it doesn't go orange when it sets it keeps its luminosity.

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Concealer

Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer - Boots - £3.99

As well as the foundation the concealer was highly recommended too. Its has really great coverage and doesn't cake especially under the eyes which is my pet hate when it comes to cheap concealer. Its also my army paint when it comes to spots too.

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Setting Powder

Collection Primed and Ready - Boots - £3.99

During the first year of university I was introduce to 'baking' by one of my flatmates but I could never understand the purpose of it, like what does it even do. Seeing how popular this method was becoming I decided to give it ago and use the invisible setting powder by Collection as I had tried the 'Banana Powder' and it just didn't work. Its easier using a pressed powder as its less messy and the fact that it has no pigment is even better so you dont have giant white marks on your face. It makes my makeup stay on for so much longer and allows my skin to look so much smoother so its highly recommended

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Bronzer

MUA Bronzed Perfection Matte Sunset Tan - Superdrug - £4

With this bronzer you definitely get a lot for your money, as its about the size of my face. Not only is this good value but it also allows you to apply it to your brush evenly as I hate little pallets where you get one solid circle in the middle of your cheek creating a bruise like mark (not fancy). To save money I also double this up as a contour palette as its super easy to blend.

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Highlighter

MUA Undress Your Skin Iridescent Gold

I took ages to found a highlighter I like; most of the powder ones were too heavy and would have stacks of glitter in them or the liquid ones would pull of my foundation leaving a smudgy texture on my skin. This was recommended to me by a friend last summer and ive been using it ever since. I use the colour Iridescent gold as I feel as though the gold pigment suits me more as im blonde and pale; silver undertones tend to wash out fair skin types. It blends nicely along your foundation and existing powder and catches the light weather then being a giant strobe on your face.

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Eyeshadow

Make-up Obsession x6 shades - Boots - £2 each

These eyeshadows were a complete find! Usually you will buy a palette and use only one colour in each and the rest are left as a symbol of how much money you wasted. These eyeshadows however allow you to create your own palatte which means you're guaranteed to use them all. They are £2 each or you can get 6 and automatically get a free palette to place them into. Bargain!!

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Brows Brows Brows

Soap and Glory 2in1 Archery Brow - Boots - £10

I do kinda spend a little more than I would like on this pen however my brows are worth it as otherwise they would be non existent. Pretty much everyone of my friends use this now as we have one friend who's eyebrows are insanely good and we asked her what she used. The crayon is really great for giving your eyebrows a natural colour but the pen allows you to fill in hair by hair and make your brows the perfect shape.

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Mascara

Maybelline Lash Sensational Black - Boots - £8.99

Best Mascara ever is this one! I know you can get cheaper however id rather spend a few more pounds to ensure my lashes dont look like clumpy spiders. This mascara is super buildable and gives my lashes so much length, Its also really good when using falsies as it knits the natural lash the false lash without having any clumps .

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Lipstick

MUA LUXE Velvet Lip Laquer Halycon - Superdrug - £3

This is by far the nicest matte gloss I've had for texture. I hate it when they dry out and you get solid lumps forming on your lips (rank). The clue is in the name and the velvety texture stops the lipstick from drying out when it matifies.

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Lip-Balm

Nivea Fruity Shine Peach - Boots - £1.99

You know those days when you cannot be bothered with your make-up and lipstick seems to me an unecessary effort...yeah same. But its crucial you use something on your lips, whether the weather is hot or cold your lips will dry out easily. This is my favourite lip balm as it doesn't only smell like peach (amaze) but it gives your lips a slightly orange/

pink tinge.

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I hope thats helped everyone who was looking for the best bargain makeup brands and if you enjoyed my post/blog id really appreciate it if you subscribe to me at the bottom of the home page so you an get notifications when I post next. Also if you have and ideas or questions you're more than welcome to email me on my 'about me' page and I will get back to you as soon as you can

Hannah xx