Beauty Essentials

Although many might think that an essential beauty product would be concealer (me included), there are many things that people forget about, that we really need!

Cotton Pads - These are always an essential to anyone, they're very versatile, you can use them for anything. I tend to use them to apply my micellar water, toner, remove my nail polish and sometimes even to clean my mirrors, but you can also use cotton pads to press loose powder onto your face (t-zone especially) to help mattify. They're not expensive either, I get mine from Wilkinsons for 70p a packet.

Cotton Buds - Cotton buds are always a saviour when doing a heavy eye make-up. If you get fall out from your eyeshadows, you can roll a cotton bud over the eyeshadow and it picks it up, without ruining your base make-up. They're also great for applying spot treatments, just put a little on the bud and dab it onto the affected area. 

Moisturiser - If for any reason you don't have much money lying around to spend on skincare, but you want healthier skin, just buy a moisturiser! It's the most important, moisturisers re-hydrate your skin, making it feel softer and look brighter. When I started doing my Beauty Therapy course in September, the first thing I was taught was that moisturiser is the most important, and it's always stuck in my mind.

SPF - This is definitely something everyone should have, not just beauty fiends! No one likes to get burnt, red, flaky skin is just not something we want. Wearing an SPF everyday, even on no make-up days, will benefit your skin. I use a moisturiser with SPF in to make sure my face is protected everyday. 

Hand/Foot Cream - Moisturising your hands and feet are pretty important, no one wants to be able to see cracked feet or have dry tight feeling hands all the time. 

Lip Balm - Well, no one likes to have chapped lips, not only is it uncomfortable, lip products never look right! Keeping our lips hydrated with a lip balm will keep them soft and supple, lip products will go on smoother, and everyone will want a kiss from your smooth lips, haha!

Base/Top Coat - Out of these I think a base coat is the most important, it prevents your nails from staining when you're wearing polish and can also help strengthen them. A top coat helps to prevent chipping and lets you get your wear out of that nail polish you're addicted to!

Heat Protection Spray - If you use a lot of heat on your hair like I do, a good heat protection spray is a must. It helps to prevent your hair drying out and getting premature split ends. It doesn't need to be expensive, you can get one in Boots now on 3 for 2. 

Flat Shader Brush - A flat shader brush is essential for eye make-up, they're great for applying an eyeshadow all over the lid. You can always use your finger but I think as brush is a lot more hygienic and gives a better coverage. You can also use a clean flat shader brush to blend eyeshadows and even darken up your crease. 

I hope this helped anyone wanting to start a beauty collection or a starter beauty kit.
Thanks for reading!
Love, Jasmine x

Be sure to follow me on Twitter @andallthingsb and Bloglovin'

Neutral Eyeshadow Picks

I very rarely stray from neutral eyeshadows, I've no idea why it's just what I feel most comfortable wearing. They're easy to pull off and suit just about everybody. So I've decided to share with you some of my favourite neutral eyeshadows, to suit all budgets. 

L-R MAC Vanilla, Cork, Woodwinked and Carbon. Miss Sporty Studio Colour Mono in Classy. Naked Basics Palette. Maybelline Eyestudio Mono in Iced Fudge.

I made up this MAC palette when I went to New York last March, I think it's quite an expensive preference for eyeshadows but the quality is excellent. I picked Vanilla, a creamy off-white, to use as an inner corner and brow bone highlight, Cork, a warm light brown, to use as an all-over lid colour, Woodwinked, a darker brown with shimmer, to use in the crease, and Carbon, a matte black, to use as a liner. 

Next up I have the Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette, less expensive than making up a MAC quad but still a little overpriced I think at £22. My favourite shades are Venus, a milky white, and Faint, a matte mid-toned brown. All the shades in this palette are matte so it's perfect for those days when you want a wash of colour or a matte crease. The only thing about this palette I don't like is the fact that I can never get it open! Please say it's not just me!

Next up are my two favourites from the drugstore! On the left is Miss Sporty Mono Eyeshadow in Classy, and on the right is Maybelline Eyestudio Mono in Iced Fudge (or Fudged as the label typo says). These two are both perfect for a wash of colour on the lids, a fuss free go to look for me. Both are shimmery shadows, with Classy being slightly darker than Iced Fudge. I'm definitely off to buy some more Maybelline eyeshadows after trying this one, it's amazing! It's very pigmented and has no fallout.

What are your favourite neutral eyeshadows?
Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed.
Love, Jasmine x

p.s. This post is not sponsored, all products were purchased with my own money.

Spring Nails Edit

Now we've finally entered Spring, it's time for some brighter nail polishes! It feels like Winter has been so long, I'm fed up of dark colours for now. I like pastels for Spring and it seems like they're going to be right on trend again. 

L-R Barry M Mint Green, Berry Ice Cream, Blueberry Ice Cream, Seventeen Pretty in Peach, Rimmel Little Bo Peep, Miss Sporty 544, 330

Most of these polishes are pastel colours, the Barry M polishes are from last years Spring collection, and pastels never really go out of trend so I thought they'd be good again for this Spring. 

I swatched all these nail polishes with 2 coats but I think on the nail, the Rimmel polish would need 3-4 depending on the strength of colour you want. I'm currently wearing Miss Sporty 330, I used 3 coats as it goes a bit streaky. If you couldn't tell, I'm a fan of mint green colours, but my favourite of these three is the Miss Sporty 544, it's a minty green with a hint of blue, just perfect!

What are your favourite polishes for Spring?
Thanks for reading, hope you enjoyed!
Love, Jasmine x

Follow me on Twitter @andallthingsb

Review: Montagne Jeunesse Face Mask

This is by far my favourite face mask ever! The Montagne Jeunesse White Chocolate Ultra Deep Cleansing Masque. There are so many good things about this mask, the smell being one! It smells like melted white chocolate, but be warned it doesn't taste like it! Obviously this is not an edible mask but I had to try. 

The mask claims to 'leave your skin deep cleansed and as smooth as the softest cream', and to be honest, they're right. My skin feels a lot cleaner and smooth. It's a clay mask so it draws out the impurities in your skin, leaving pores looking smaller and unblocked!

I've been using this mask every Sunday for the past few weeks and I have seen a difference in my skin, the pores on my nose are less noticeable, and my skin feels more soft and supple. If you're ever looking for a deep cleansing mask I really recommend this one, and it's only £1! It's great value for money, I normally get 2 uses out of one sachet.

What's your favourite face mask?
Love, Jasmine x

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored, I purchased the face mask with my own money.