Best Contour Shade For Pale Skin

If you're more on the pale side, like me, you may find it difficult to achieve a good contour with a bronzer. Most people do use a matte bronzer to contour their face, however if you're pale this can look too dark, too orangey or be hard to blend into a more subtle look. I have found a product that's absolutely perfect for getting that contoured look on pale skin, let me introduce you to NYX Blush in Taupe. 

Yes, this shade is marketed as a blush, but it's quite a cool toned, matte, ashy brown with slight hints of an almost purply colour - which is actually much better to contour with than most bronzers as it will help you achieve that shadow effect much more successfully.
I'm a big fan of the formulation of NYX blushes, they're soft, easy to blend, well pigmented, long lasting and very inexpensive. This shade didn't disappoint at all, and lived up to my expectations.
Since getting this product I haven't used anything else to contour with! I just find that Taupe gives me the most natural shadow under my cheekbone, creating the illusion of more defined features and slimming my face - I use the Real Techniques Blush brush to apply it in the hollows of my cheeks, or the contour brush for a more defined look. The shade doesn't look at look orange, it's not too dark, it can be sheered out or build up so if you want it for a daytime look or you're going all out for a night look then it'll work brilliantly and it lasts a long time. Another thing that I give a massive thumbs up to is the fact is fades so evenly, some bronzers I used to use for contouring faded quite patchy or moved around on the skin - very annoying! This blush shade doesn't do that at all, the colour will just naturally fade away.
The packaging isn't my favourite…I always wish they had little mirrors in, or weren't that quite cheap feeling plastic, however at the price of £6 (NYX website, not including shipping - or try Amazon) I don't expect the packaging to be really fancy, especially since the product inside is of such a high quality.

So, if you're a pale skinned girl I'd definitely recommend trying this product. You'll never have to worry about being too heavy handed, looking too orange or like you have a massive streak down your face.

Real Techniques Role Reversal

The Real Techniques range is my favourite brand of makeup brushes. There are so many to choose from, they're affordable, they look pretty, they're easy to clean, they dry quickly and I love the way they make my makeup look.

Two of the brushes I own are the Brush Blush and the Contour Brush which is part of the Core Collections kit. I adore both of these brushes and use them daily, however I do use them for different things. The blush brush I find is best for contouring, and the contour brush is brilliant for applying blush, so there's a role reversal going on!

The blush brush is practically just a larger version of the contour brush. They both have those tapered bristles which make them great for blending in your product. You apply the powder to the top bristles and then the bristles on the outer part of the brush will help to blend it all in, so you're not left with an awful harsh line.
The reason I prefer to use the blush brush to contour is because it is larger and has more bristles to help blend my bronzer. Although the contour brush is perfectly great at doing it's job I found I was sometimes left with too harsh a line, it was too precise for a daytime look, so I'd always go in afterwards trying to blend it out…but I don't need to do that with the blush brush!
The contour brush is amazing for applying blush though, it's the perfect size! It's also a dream to apply highlighter with and even help to blend in concealer.

If you have both of these brushes I suggest swapping the uses around and seeing how you get on!
If you don't have these brushes I highly recommend them…and any of the others from the Real Techniques range!

Today's Makeup!

Today's Makeup

I'm one of those people who likes to change around what makeup they wear daily, I don't have a staple daily makeup routine or anything - however the past couple of weeks I have stuck to practically the same things, and I thought I'd share it with you!

I use my RImmel Wake Me Up Foundation, I know so many love this and I'm one of them. Best high street/drugstore foundation. 

My Fashionista Brow Kit, I got this from Superdrug for about £4, so cheap and works so well.

Collection Lasting Perfection concealer

Sleek Face Form palette in Light - I love this so much, £10 for an amazing bronzer, highlighter and blush - bargain.

Sleek Storm Eyeshadow palette I love Sleek a lot, these eyeshadows are great! I've been using a shimmery one (second along, top row) and a medium brown for the outer corner and crease (second from last, bottom row).

Stila Smudge Stick waterproof eyeliner in Damsel I got this free with a Stila eyeshadow palette and I really like it, it's a dark brown so it's more subtle than black, I like to blend it in to the eyeshadow at the lash line so it's not a harsh line.

Maybelline Falsies Mascara - love it. 

Revlon Lip Butter in Juicy Papaya I featured this in my May Favourites which you can read and see swatches of here, I love it a lot. Such a pretty colour.

What makeup have you been wearing daily recently?

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