Face of January & shopping my stash

New year often brings new products & a new start. I knew as soon as the little one was back at school i would be straight into my new makeup room reorganising and sorting through everything. I couldn't wait to put my makeup in some kind of order in my new Muji acrylic & Ikea Helmer drawers.

It was at this point that i decided to shop my stash as i had a shed load of products that hadn't seen the light of day since they had been purchased. Below are the products i opted to use throughout the month of January. They were all chosen with the aim of making me look radiant & youthful.......if thats at all possible  at the age of 39!

The only thing that i didn't change up was skincare. Well if it aint broke, don't fix it!
These are the products that i use on a morning for a quick a simple yummy Mummy routine.

Cleanser - Bioderma Crealine H2O Micellere water. This is a holy grail product for me & i couldn't live without it. Amazing at removing all makeup(even eyes) & just an all round fab cleanser that leaves your face squeaky clean and smooth as silk. Simply pop a small amount onto a cotton pad and wipe away your day. I paid around £20 for 2x500ml bottles from here

Toner - Temple Spa Toning Essence. This miracle multi tasker is a toner, a skin refresher(much like the Caudelie one) & a make up setting spray. At £14 for 200ml it is an absolute steal. It contains a multitude of natural mediterranean based ingredients with not a drop of alcohol in sight. Marvelous!

Day moisturiser - Temple Spa Moisture to go. This stuff is just the ticket for my combination skin as it has micro sponges that mop up my oil whilst still moisturising the non oily parts of my skin. I find this also works great as a primer, so although initially £33 for 50ml seemed a little expensive, it actually works out cheaper for me as i no longer buy a primer. As a busy Mum, products like this that multi task are a godsend.

Face base products

Foundation - L'oreal Paris Lumi Magique Light Infusing Foundation(C4 Rose Beige). I have been loving this foundation. I would say it gives light to medium coverage & a lovely healthy glow to the skin which is always welcome at this time of the year. I love the glass packaging & rose gold detailing of the pump. 1 pump does my whole face & evens out my complexion even covering small imperfections on the skin. As this foundation settles into the skin it becomes even more natural looking & used in conjunction with a power it keeps my oily T zone in check as well. BONUS! £10.99 from Boots

Under eye highlighter - Maybeline New York Dream Lumi touch highlighting concealer(02). My new love, this has taken over from my Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer. Great for those of you from across the pond who can't get Collection products. It covers dark circles whilst illuminating under the eyes at the same time & the best thing is that it doesn't crease like the collection one did on me. £6.99 from Boots

Concealer - Soap & Glory Kick Ass Concealer(Medium) You've just got to love the name of this one haven't you! This is a 3 piece camouflage kit with under eye brightening concealer, super wear face concealer & a sealing powder with mini powder puff for setting. This product is very Bobbi Brown esque in that it is a pot of thick concealer. I only use the face concealer for the odd blemish as i don't like to use thick products under my eyes for fear of them creasing into my fine lines. Although i do use the powder & puff to set my Maybeline Lumi under my eyes. Both of these do a fab job. £10.00 from Boots

Powder - Another new discovery for me that has taken over my Mac MSF natural is the Rimmel Stay Matte pressed powder(Translucent). What can i say, it sets my foundation in place & keeps oil at bay. Job done & at only £3.99 from Boots it's another bargain buy.

TOP TIP - Always wait for the Boots 3 for 2 on all cosmetics promotions to save yourself some dosh.

Quick & simple wide awake eyes 

Eye shadow - Maybeline Color Tattoo in On an on Bronze(Bad to the bronze in the U.S) Such a pretty, quick & easy way to look made up for the school run. I just pop it on my ring finger & smooth across my eyelid blending out with a Real Techniques Deluxe crease brush. It stays put all day & doesn't crease. £4.99 from Boots

Eye Liner - Rimmel Scandaleyes Waterproof Kohl Kajal(005 Nude) This is a creamy pencil that is not as harsh as a white pencil but gives the appearance of having larger eyes giving a wide awake look which for me is a must as i am a zombie until my 2nd coffee of the morning & would probably scare the school kids without this! Stays put all day & being waterproof means that the darker shades don't end up running down your face in this horrendous weather we have been having here in the UK Amazing value at £3.99 from Boots

Brows - Rimmel Professional Eyebrow Pencil(001 Dark Brown) Nothing shapes an eye like a good looking brow & this simple brow pencil from Rimmel hits the mark. Stays put all day & has a handy brow brush on the cap to brush through brows after application to give a more natural look. £2.99 from Boots

Mascara - NYC Showtime waterproof(844 Black) I initially discovered this in the original formula & was blown away for the price. This definitely rates as my top drugstore mascara. I picked up this waterproof version to see me through the winter. It can withstand anything the British weather chucks at it so a big thumbs up from me. I am lucky enough to have longish lashes so i can't comment on the lengthening effects of this mascara but it certainly volumises. £1.99 from Superdrug

Finishing touches/Brushes - If like me you want that youthful, bright & bushy tailed look first thing in a morning then your look isn't complete until you've popped that favourite blusher on your cheeks & that winter shade on your lips.

Lipstick - Rimmel by Kate Moss Lasting Finish Lipstick(107) This is a beautiful winter plummy red shade that has good lasting power yet doesn't dry my lips. Super cute packaging too £5.49 from Boots

Blusher - Natural Collection Blushed Cheeks(Rosey glow) I didn't have many blushers and wanted to experiment with some new shades so thought i'd pick up this inexpensive blush from Boots. It's very pigmented for the price & the brush tends to pick up quite a lot of product so a good tap of the brush is required before applying, but the finished result is a lovely frost bitten effect on the cheeks. I love it! £1.99 Exclusive to Boots

Brushes - I find that you can have the best quality products but if you have poor quality brushes you won't get a good result. I'd much rather invest in good brushes & use more budget friendly makeup as the application method makes a huge difference to the finished result.

Real Techniques Brushes - I use 3 brushes for my every day make up.

Expert face brush - for blending liquid foundation

Buffing Brush - for face powder & blush

Deluxe Crease Brush - for blending out cream shadows

I can't rave enough about these brushes, they blend beautifully, feel soft on the skin, are animal cruelty free & dry quickly when washed. Best investment i ever made. Get the sets from Feel Unique to save some serious money over the individual prices.

So, thats my quick and easy day to day makeup routine for January. I may change up just a few items for February but am really happy with how quick & easy this is. 

What products do you use daily. I'd love to read your face of the day posts so leave your links below so we can all have a nosey.