Desires and Deals - Models Own, Benefit, Armani, Elemis and more!

I hope you have all been having a lovely weekend in the sunshine.  It has been gorgeous today and really felt like Summer was on its way when I went for a run through the park.  I hope it stays like this all week as my knee high boots have been firmly packed away until Autumn now!

Desires

Models Own Beetlejuice – Tropical Sun, £5, Models Own

I like Model’s Own polishes as they tend to have some interesting colours at a great price. They have just launched 3 new shades as part of their Beetlejuice Collection and I really like the look of Tropical Sun. It looks like a gorgeous iridescent coral duo-chrome that would be perfect for Spring!

Benefit Hello Flawless! Oxygen Foundation, £24.50 - Benefit

I'm always on the lookout for a new foundation and Benefits latest offering purports to be an oil-free, lightweight formula with SPF 25, and promotes the appearance of healthy, youthful looking skin. With a light-medium coverage this could be exactly what I need for Summer.

Armani - Summer Ecailles Collection - New Eyes to Kill, Ecailles and Obsidian Grey, £26, available soon on counters

I love Armani's Eyes To Kill Shadows as although pricey, they are long-lasting and blend like a dream.  I've got my eye on Obsidian Grey in particular and it is a welcome departure form all the pastels and corals we have been seeing lately.

Deals

Cult Beauty free gift with all offers over £60 while stocks last 

Cult Beauty have a current deal on for this amazing free gift when you spend £60.  The gift contains products from Bliss, Becca and Alpha H amongst others.  I'm off to have a look at their website right now!

Time To Spa - Elemis Shower Duos 2 for 1

Time to Spa have a deal on Elemis Shower Duos including the gorgeous Exotic Fragipani scent for £20.50 for two full-sized bottles.  I particularly have my eye on the set of 6 100ml bottles of scents and fragrances across the whole collection at only £25.  They would be perfect for short weekend breaks away!

Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream, 50ml £17.99 from £25 at Beauty Expert 

This is a classic staple for me and I always have a tube of it on the go.  Its perfect for any scaly knees, elbows or lips - in fact it can be used almost anywhere!  It does smell a little odd the first time you try it but you quickly get used to it and at a 1/3 off the usual price, this is a great deal.

My Cream Blush Collection

I have recently become more interested in cream blushes after years of thinking I couldn’t wear them as I have oily / combination skin. Turns out that I can wear them, I just needed to purchase the correct ones and ensure my skin was prepped correctly before applying.

I currently have 5 cream blushes and they cover a wide spectrum of colours and shades, although I am always looking for more!.

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouges in Tawny, Fresh Melon and Calypso Coral – these blushes are contained within the colour strips palette that I came out last year and although these particular shades are no longer available as they were limited edition, there are many similar colours available on her website. The shades I have here are Tawny, Fresh Melon and Calypso Coral. The coral shade in particular is my favourite.

I love the Pot Rouges as they were the first cream blushes I tried and they showed me that it was possible to wear them. I apply just a tiny dab of these with my fingers and blend them outwards for a healthy flush. They are very pigmented so you only need a tiny amount and therefore they will last ages. They can also be used on the lips but I find them quite drying when used in this way so I prefer to use them only on my cheeks. 

Elizabeth Arden cream blush in Plum – I received this as part of a goody bag at a Britney Spears fragrance launch event some time ago and was really pleased with it, despite it looking quite scarily dark in the pan. I do feel that Elizabeth Arden’s packaging could feel a bit more luxurious for the price though as the product is not cheap and plastic, lightweight packaging is something I would expect from a drugstore brand.

Top Shop cream blush in Neon Rose – When Top Shop’s makeup range was initially launched, this was the blush everyone seemed to be talking about and despite it looking very scary and bright in the pan, it is a lovely wearable coral (can you tell I love coral shades?!). It blends easily to a powder finish and easily lasts as long as my other cream blushes from higher end brands. The finish and consistency of this blush in the pan does seem to be significantly dryer than my other cream blushes but I think that may be due to the fact that it blends to a powder finish unlike the others. I have owned this for over a year though and it has not yet dried out and I am using it on a regular basis. I also have to mention the packaging of this product which is very cute, and the addition of a mirror in the lid is an added bonus.

L to R: Neon Rose, Plum, Tawny, Fresh Melon and Calypso Coral

For me, the key to using cream blushes effectively, without them disappearing within a couple of hours, is to ensure my skin is prepped with primer and that I don’t have too many layers of products underneath the blush. I moisturise first thing in the morning after my shower, then apply my primer and foundation / tinted moisturiser after which my blusher is applied. I take time to do this though and wait for each ‘layer’ to dry fully. I also often use a powder blush in a similar colour to set the cream blush if I want to ensure it stays put all day, otherwise, I need to reapply a little after about 5-6 hours.

What is your favourite cream blush?

Price

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge -£18

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush -£22-23

Top Shop Cream Blush -£6

Where to Buy

Bobbi Brown Pot Rouge -Bobbi Brown

Elizabeth Arden Ceramide Cream Blush -House of Fraser, Debenhams, Boots

Top Shop Cream Blush -Top Shop