Bronwyn's Beauty Blog

Hello everyone!

Happy Anniversary! I can proudly say that it has been one year since this all began and think it has been the one of the best years of my life. This day one year ago I was just starting out with ten maybe twenty views, smartphone pictures and too many grammatical errors and now there are so many of you supporting my blog (and I hope the content is a bit better too!). I would like to thank you all so much for your support over these short twelve months, without it I may not be writing this post today! I hope that we can continue to grow year by year and maybe we can celebrate our tenth year together (2024 eek!). A few days after scheduling this post I also hit 10K pageviews, you have no idea how much this means to me and how crazy it feels to know that so many people have read the thoughts from my little head! 

Here are my highlights from the past year:

Hello everyone!

I don't think lips get enough loving on the blog so today is the day that they do! 

Rimmel 'Lasting Finish by Kate' are my favourite drugstore lipstick formulations. They're very long-lasting, easy to apply and don't dry out your lips which makes pretty darn good!

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate in 30

Rimmel Lasting Finish By Kate in 01

I have no idea where it's from or when I got it but this little lipstick holder comes in so handy when I just want to chuck a lipstick in my bag. It means that you can find it easily instead of rummaging around like a loon and it stops the cap from falling and spreading all its goo about the place!

Nails are Illamasqua Jo'Mina

Rimmel Lasting Finish 1000 Kisses in Carry On Cherry

Lush, Lush oh how I love Lush and this lip scrub is no exception to the rule! It does a cracking job at scrubbing all the dead skin (that grossed me out just typing it, sorry!) off my lips and leaving then smooth which is especially good if I'm wearing a bold lip. Also, it's completely edible and it tastes just like mint ice cream (pray emoji)!

Nivea Lip Butter in Blueberry Blush

Rimmel Apocalips Lip Velvet Matte in Meteoric Matte

This is bit random but I do love this Soap & Glory lip plumper. It's not something I use very often but when I do it does a great job and leaves a pink tint which I think would suit most skin tones but there are lots of shades to choose from. I'd like to give them title creds too!

Soap & Glory Sexy Mother Pucker in Punch Bowl

Look at this cute little man! I know it's only a sample size but this is my favourite lip gloss formulation of all time; it's not extremely pigmented but I don't really expect that for this kind of thing, it's so long lasting but not sticky which is something of a miracle! 

Smashbox Be Legendary Lipgloss in Rich Rose

Hello Everyone!

We are drawing closer and closer to one year of 'Bronwyn's Beauty Blog'. As time goes by I want to  progress, as anyone would, and make my blog the best it can be. For this, I need your help! (Read to the end for something very exciting!)

Firstly, I want to know what you think of my content. What are your favourite types of post? What do you think of the layout? Etc, etc. Let me know in the comments below or on Facebook.

Although this is a beauty blog I always like to branch out to other areas. I thought, to mix things up a bit and as this is another passion of mine, I would include a new segment called Media Mania where I write about everything from old-school movies to the latest news stories. Is this something you'd be interested in?

Lastly (and most importantly), I have an exciting proposition for my whole audience! Whether you have a blog or not, I am inviting you to write a blog post on any topic you desire and send it to me to be published as a guest post. Use this opportunity to promote yourself, get the ball rolling on your blogging career or just for fun! Message me on my Facebook page, comment on this post or direct message me on Twitter with 'POST OPPORTUNITY' and we can discuss the next steps.

So let me know your thoughts, I am so interested to hear them! I hope you enjoyed this post,
Bronwyn x

Hello everyone,

1 in 3 women wear foundation (if my sources are correct) so I thought it was quite important that I covered it in today's post!

Buying

Personally, buying foundation is a nightmare! I just hate the whole shade matching process, but it is undoubtedly very important. First, make sure you are looking at the right foundation here are key words to look out for and what they mean:

Liquid, Powder and Cream - Three most common forms of foundation
Matte - Oily Skin
Dewy - Dry to Combo Skin
Full/High Coverage - Thicker formulation perfect for covering acne etc.
Light/Low/Sheer Coverage - Thinner formulation perfect for clear or very sensitive skin
BB Cream (Beauty Balm) - Moisturising, sheer coverage and very lightweight
CC Cream - Colour Correcting
Long Lasting - Heavier to last all day
Camera/Photo - Anti-flashback
Colour Match - Adapts to skin tone


As you can see there are so many to choose from so make sure you pick what right for you, if you are unsure ask a shop assistant and they will be willing to help. 

When you find the foundation that's right for you make sure you test the shades on your skin, dab a bit on your neck and don't just check inside, check out side in natural lighting too. Also, I suggest walking around the store for a bit too to make sure your skin doesn't react and the foundation doesn't change colour as it sets.

Applying

To apply my foundation I either use my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush or Beauty Blender (as I'm sure you've seen previously). I find that these two methods give an even coverage and make blending easy. When applying foundation start where you need most coverage, for me it's generally the centre of my face, and work you way outwards/inwards. Use dabbing or circular motions rather then strokes so you don't end up with streaks, this also gives the best coverage. Finally, remember to blend along your jaw and hair line, you know what I mean ladies!

Setting

To avoid looking shiny throughout the day I always set my foundation with powder. This, however, may not be an option for those with dry skin so for you I suggest using a setting spray instead, they work in the same way but in a liquid formulation! I like to use the Rimmel Stay Matte powder because at £3.99 it does a cracking job.

I hope this helped you out and you enjoyed this post! Maybe there will be more to this '101' series in the future? If you have any questions let me know in the comments below,
Bronwyn x

Hello everyone!

I must say this every month but hasn't April just flown by! I've discovered a lot of products this month because of the transition from Winter to Spring and can I just say that the transition was pretty amazing from woolly hats to shorts in the blink of an eye! Saying that though, as I write this it's drizzling and grey skies so that didn't last long did it? Without further ado, my favourites Ladies and Gentlemen!

Makeup

I picked up the Estee Lauder Double-Wear Eyeliner in Onyx the other day and it is the perfect 'stay-all-day' liner. Once you've applied it you have about 30 seconds or so to smudge it out a bit or correct it and then you are left with bullet-proof makeup!

As it's Spring now I have amped up my colour game and this blush, Lancome has helped along the way. It's quite a vibrant, candy pink and it does pack a punch but if you apply it with a soft hand it looks really pretty. Also it doesn't have any shimmer in it which, personally, is a bonus.  


Fashion

Spring is here, do you know what that means? The floral Dr. Marten's come out! I love my DM's but you can only really wear them in Spring/Summer so it's always a bit of an event when you can get them out for the first time. 



Skincare

I have been absolutely in love with this GlamGlow Mask! I think it's one of the only masks that you can see an instant effect with, it leaves soft, clear complexion with such a radiant glow. Actually, this was in my You Discovery Advent Calendar so it's only a diddy one but I think I'll be repurchasing it once it runs out!

Music

If you're new here it's important that you know that I have a bit of an obsession with John Mayer, I say a bit but really it's a big! This month I have been listening/watching his Pinkpop 2014 Concert and I think it's the best one I have listened to. It's absolutely seamless and I really recommend it, seriously if you've never listened to him you should (blues-y/rock-y/pop-y kinda vibes).

Random

I started watching the YouTube channel Think Tank a few months ago now but I am seriously loving it right now! To break it down, they take news stories, big and small, and help us make sense of them. They are funny, intelligent and just so good at what they do!

I hope you enjoyed this post, what were your favourites last month? Let me know in the comments!
Bronwyn x

Hello everyone!

Nails. I can never get them quite right and yet I always do what the tutorials tell me! Here are my struggles and ways I try to prevent them.

Dry and Brittle

Particularly over the Winter months my nails always seem to be breaking, peeling and just not looking good. I've never found a product that completely fixes this but I do think Botanics Hand and Nails Cream does a pretty good job in that department. I also love Sally Hansen's Nail Rehab and a bog-standard nourishing nail-polish remover, they add that little bit more hydration when you need it most.   



Vile Cuticles

There's nothing love-hate about my relationship with my cuticles, I hate them, they're thick and dry and just urgh! Burt's Bees Cuticle Cream is the only thing that has ever worked for me and I seriously swear by it. It leaves them feeling nourished and soft, it smells like lemons too which is always a bonus!



Varnish Application

Simple for some but not for me! I must be either really cack-handed or OCD because I can never seem to get them quite right. One nail is always a tad too thick, another you can see the layers separately and one may aswell be a mucky child's finger painting session. These three things tend to help me out:

1. Always dab the excess off your brush
2. Slow and steady wins the race
3. 3 swipes - Left, Right and Centre