BB Dreams

I have to admit that I’ve always tried to play it pretty safe when it comes to makeup on my face. My skin is dry and sensitive, so consequentially it’s always been prone to nasty breakouts. Since a young age I’ve always assumed that my only option has been to slather a heavy Foundation over my blemishes and imperfections to conceal them. Recently, however, I have discovered a marvelous product which has made all the difference to my complexion – leaving me feeling confident, comfortable and actually rather beautiful! I will confess, my dear readers, that I have fallen in love.

If you’ve been keeping up with my posts then you’ll remember that I decided to try out a BB Cream during my trip to Leeds Festival. True to my word, I walked into Boots intent on purchasing the perfect cream for me; I wasn’t prepared, however, for the sheer range of products I had to choose from! It turns out that BB Creams – known mainly as Beauty Balms – are just the start of a whole range of relatively new products called Alphabet Creams which are taking the  European market by storm. Urban Decay, Soap and Glory, Bare Minerals, Garnier, Clarins, Rimmel, MAC Cosmetics and Estee Lauder all have their own versions and so I was spoiled for choice! My budget being tight, I picked up Maybelline New York’s Dream Fresh BB Cream and was simply astounded by the amount of skin benefits it boasted of having. The products insists that it creates a natural glow for the skin, compliments your natural skin tone, hydrates your skin all day, blurs your imperfections, looks visibly smooth on the skin, leaves your face feeling fresh, is oil-free, non-greasy, and also helps to protect the sensitive skin of your face from the sun with an SPF30 UV Protection. Purchasing the product, I must admit I wasn't feeling too optimistic. How could one product possibly be so beneficial to your skin, but also be so light?

Honestly, I have never felt so passionate about a product before. BB Creams are, in my mind, the future of skincare and beauty regimes for young people. I wish that I had discovered these creams when I was much younger. It would have saved me a lot of hassle battling bad breakouts! Whereas Foundation can be quite heavy, encouraging further blocked pores and exacerbating bad skin situations, my BB Cream feels light and fluffy. No, the coverage is not 100% perfect used on its own, however combining the product with Concealer, Bronzer, a sweep of Blush and Loose Powder is enough to make up my face as part of a daily regime without putting my skin under too much strain. Through replacing my Foundation with BB Cream, my face appears youthful and glowing – exactly how it is supposed to look as a Woman in my late teens. Here’s a peek of my ‘natural look’ using BB Cream.

I don't look glamorous to say the least, but I've achieved a day look which is natural looking, covers my imperfections, is quick, easy and good for my skin - all that you really need on a day to day basis.

That doesn’t mean to say that I’ve completely abandoned my Foundation. Sometimes, on special occasions, you simply cannot afford to allow a slight blemish to show when you're expected to look at your utmost best. In that case, I use my BB Cream as a Primer and then apply Foundation on top. Through this method you can actually get away with using much less Foundation than usual, but get the same flawless look. I apply my BB Cream with my fingers as I would an everyday Moisturiser, but then use a combination of Makeup Brushes and Cosmetic Wedges to blend my Foundation over it so that I look picture perfect.

BB Creams sound pretty amazing right? Yes, but apparently there's more: CC Creams are being marketed to shoppers as ‘Colour Control’ Balms; basically these are the new and improved BB Creams, focusing on neutralising red areas of your skin and providing more coverage than your average BB - with all the same skincare benefits. So, what’s next? DD Creams? EE Creams? Alphabet Creams are all the rage, so you never know how far this latest beauty trend will go; all I know is that from now on - and throughout my twenties - I will be predominantly using BB Creams or CC Creams as a more gentle alternative as a makeup base, and I would encourage others with young skin to follow my lead. Heavy products can be harsh on young skin, and I promise that if you make a change to an Alphabet Cream you will see the difference on your skin within a week. Baring that in mind, I would also advise that you purchase a BB Cream of at least SPF 25 so as to protect your skin from sun rays effectively.

Are you a fan of Alphabet Creams? Are there any certain products that you would recommend? I'm always open for comments and discussions so please let me know what you think; you might even be able to inspire me.

Remember that there is no greater beauty a girl can have than a smile. Life can be wondrous, try and think optimistically.

Lots of love, Georgie Rose xoxo

Keeping Busy

Okay, so I will hold my hands up and admit that I have recently committed the ultimate sin of an up-and-coming blogger attempting to get her work out there: I haven’t been posting. It’s not that I haven’t wanted to; life has just continuously and continuously been getting in the way! 

Last weekend I was at Leeds Festival, which was amazing - if freezing cold and slightly damp. In preparation for the Festival I went shopping with my best friend, which was probably half the fun in itself! We went for a nice lunch at Pret a Manger which has turned out to be my new favourite place. The staff seemed so relaxed and friendly and the food was absolutely divine – and cheap too. It made me wonder why so many people go to McDonalds thinking it’s their only cheap option, when they can get gorgeous, wholesome, healthier food at Pret a Manger for exactly the same price.

My first experience at Pret A Manger, with my best friend - and definitely not my last.

If you can’t tell already, I adore shopping – but it can get slightly depressing when you don’t have the cash flow for everything that you want. Walking through town was like walking through a Heaven which I didn’t have full access to yet. I had to walk straight past some of my favourite brands without being able to buy a single product; it was genuinely heartbreaking.

In the end we managed to get everything that we needed though; and I managed to only have one splurge on a want and not a need. I purchased a gorgeous pastel blue kimono from Primark for only £15 - a bargain really when you think of how much you can pay for them at places like Topshop and New Look: £25, which I think is a bit overboard! The kimono is beautiful though, so I couldn't resist buying it and I haven't taken it off since.

So the weekend arrived and we headed off to Leeds. We arrived in one piece, but could barely put up a tent and didn't manage to keep up with our 'glamping' for very long. I'll just say that my ugly sweatpants did not remain in the tent for the entire weekend, which I had previously insisted would be the case. Whilst at the Festival though I stumbled upon a glamorous looking fake fur jacket from an Oxfam outlet for £15, which I originally put on as a joke but ended up falling in love with and purchasing.

The bands we managed to see at Leeds were phenomenal. We managed to get great places for each of the headliners, and although they all put on a great show I have to be biased and say that my favorite band Arctic Monkeys put on the best performance of the weekend. Once they had finally (and reluctantly) left the stage, Ella and I packed up our things and headed to a night of disaster which ended in us sleeping in a train station for four hours and finally getting to Peterborough at 7:45 the next morning. My Mum, charmingly, commented that I looked like Pennsatucky from Orange is The New Black - my attempt to look 'non-stop fabulous' throughout the weekend had obviously gone downhill.

So what's been going on since then? Well, as many of you know I am starting University in September - teacher training, if you're interested - and my moving in date is looming closer and closer.  I went for a proper look around my campus at the University of East Anglia a few days ago with my Mum, and was really impressed. Norwich seems like such a peaceful place and the campus was wonderful, I honestly feel like I will thrive in the environment and can't wait to begin. I found a beautiful shop in the Norwich Castle Mall which contained the Bomb Cosmetics line and my favorite Yankee Candles, even though sadly I'm not allowed to burn Candles in my flat.

If you're a University student you can sympathise with the sheer amount of things that are on my list to do. I have bits and pieces to buy for my room, I have pre-reading and pre-course tasks to do, I have to organize important documents, sort out what to bring with me to my flat and what to leave at home, collect medical records, try and find a part-time job - the list seems to be endless! It's also making me stress out majorly, but I guess that's normal. I'm coming up to a big change in my life after all, so it's only natural to feel a bit nervous. With everything I have to do, it's a wonder that I've been able to find time for the special people in my life. My boyfriend Tom has been a massive support to me through both the good times and the bad, and spending time with him has really helped me to take a step back and look at the bigger picture so I can worry less about the future.

He's back on tour now (like his facebook page and follow him on twitter, if you haven't already) and so I'm going to miss him like mad, but when he gets back we're going to take a trip to Ikea so I can sort out last minute things that I need for University life. I guess life can't always be about intense romance, eh? ;)

Now that I've got you up to date, beauty blogging will commence as usual! I can't wait to share my thoughts on some of the products I've been trying lately with you all. Thank you for your patience and your support!

Keep breathing and keep smiling, life is a beautiful thing :)

Lots of love, Georgie Rose xoxo

Beauty In A Rush! (Well, Kind Of...)

This weekend my Mum went away to Manchester, leaving me with a free house. I know what you’re thinking – time for a wild house party and no end of drunken debauchery! But no, instead of hosting a party I decided to have my boyfriend over, and we stayed up stupidly late watching films. This was, admittedly, a bad decision; we had planned to be up at 8am the next day to travel to a Motorbike Festival with a friend of his. Now, I’m not a morning person by all means. Anyone who tries to drag me out of bed before 11am without a cup of tea is just looking to be attacked by a small, angry ginger mouse. By the time I managed to fall out of bed the next day, it was a quarter to 9 already and Tom was not impressed. “I won’t be long,” I insisted, gulping down a mug of hot tea in a solid attempt to wake myself up enough to at least keep my eyes open for longer than five minutes. On the outside I seemed perfectly composed about the whole situation, but internally I was freaking out. How on Earth could I make myself look presentable enough to be seen in public when we were supposed to be leaving in fifteen minutes? It seemed impossible, and when you’re in the early stages of a relationship you constantly feel as if you have to look your best. I was definitely feeling the pressure. 

It normally takes me around 25 minutes to apply my makeup properly, with the appropriate care and precision – and that’s just my everyday natural look. However, at this point I had far too much to do to even think about pulling it all off in time. I had dogs to look after, an outfit to pick out, breakfast to eat and a bag to pack. I obviously had to cut down on the amount of products I used, and the time I took to apply them. All in all, I managed to complete my regime in under 10 minutes.

Here’s my Beauty ‘Quick Fix’ Regime:

1.     Concealer.
This is obviously an essential product to use when you're in a hurry, and provided the largest amount of coverage for me from dark spots and imperfections. I rubbed the concealer under my eyes with my fingers in an attempt to disguise the huge dark circles I had accumulated from lack of sleep, and then patted some of the product onto my blemishes using a cosmetic wedge.

2.      Powder.
A powder may provide merely the bare minimum coverage, but it is quick to apply and also stops your face from getting shiny throughout the day. I rubbed it all over my face using the cosmetic sponge, paying particular care to my T-Zone as this is the most greasy area of your face.

3.      Bronzer.
 I have such pale skin that if I don’t apply a Bronzer I end up looking washed out and ill - never an attractive look! Using a large blush brush, I spread the Bronzer around the outline of my face, not forgetting underneath my chin, and then in a ‘3’ motion brushed the product onto my cheeks. This gave my skin a quick, healthy glow and a solid base for the rest of my makeup.

4.      Blusher.
 Okay, perhaps I went a bit overboard here. Blusher is by no means an essential product to use in a hurry, especially if you’re wearing Bronzer, but I just couldn't resist. The bright pink shade of my favourite Blusher perfectly accentuates my red hair colour, and works well with my – admittedly large - naturally rosy cheeks. I swept the Blusher up my cheekbones using a smaller Blush brush kept separate to my Bronzing brush. If you don’t have time to Blush however, then I read about a quick trick to feign it online – even though it does seem rather painful! Pinching your cheeks will give you that rosy glow if you need it in a rush.

5.      Eyeshadow.
What I was looking for was a quick, natural shade to put onto my eyes to balance the colour of my skin. I used a light pink, and quickly rubbed the colour onto my lids using a large cosmetic wedge. Using the edge of a small eyeshadow brush, I also swept some white eyeshadow underneath my eyes; this trick widens your eyes, making you look more awake even if you don't feel it!

6.      Liquid Eyeliner.
I didn’t have the time or the energy to even attempt my slick black cat-eyed makeup, and so instead turned to a thin, natural looking brown line of liquid eyeliner above my lashes purely to help accentuate the eyes slightly. I’m a self-confessed pro at liquid eyeliner after using it for so long, but if you don’t have the time to work with the tricky product then a quick line of kohl eyeliner underneath your eyes could be easier for some.

7.      Mascara.
I normally use two different Mascaras to both lengthen and thicken my lashes to my desired level. However, I had to just settle for two coats of one Mascara that morning in my rush. With a light, natural look it’s important not to go overboard anyway. A few coats will be enough to open up your eyes, anymore would be too dramatic and contrast the rest of the look.

8.      Lip Balm.
 Lip Balm has more benefits than lipgloss; it protects your lips from the weather, and gives you a natural look. Besides, there are so many gorgeous flavors to choose from to resist! One of my personal favorites is The Body Shop’s line, but I also adore Lip Smacker products which come in a range of fun flavours including Fanta and Skittles!

9.      Messy Bun.
 My hair is so difficult to tame. Sometimes, no matter how much Dry Shampoo and Humidity Gel I use, or how often I brush and detangle it, my only solution is to shove my locks up into a messy bun and pull pieces out around my face to give it a more elegant appeal – or at least, that’s what I hope it looked like!

Little over an hour after waking up, I was – miraculously, in my opinion – ready to face the world, even though my boyfriend still complained that I had taken too long. Luckily he was in my good books for buying me some gorgeous roses, and generally just being the best, and we ended up having a great day out.

Brackley, where we went for the Motorbike Festival. Motorbikes aren't my thing really, but the scenery was so beautiful.

The roses Tom got me, my favorite flowers - and not just because I share their name!

Ever been in that situation before? How did you survive your last minute beauty rush and leave the door looking calm and collected? I think I just about managed it.

Be sure to think positively and take care of yourself readers.

Lots of love, Georgie Rose xx