Face of the Day- Bronzed Illumination

I was sent the No7 Skin Illuminator a couple of months ago and after trying it once I was excited to use it for a glowing Summer skin look. Summer is almost over (at least in Ireland anyway) but I'll be going on holiday in a couple of weeks so until I come back I'm still in Summer mode and using my favourite hot weather make up products. I've written about most of the products below already and they're all still firm favourites. 

I wanted to use only cream or liquid products to achieve as natural a finish as possible. I started with YSL Top Secrets Instant Moisture Glow, it's a lightweight moisturiser that works as the perfect hydrating primer to any foundation. I was sent this last year and have been using it sparingly because I never want it to end. This stuff feels incredible and instantly makes my skin look better. I tend to save it for days when my skin is feeling dehydrated but I need it to look good quickly. At €40 for 40ml, it's not cheap but if you suffer from dehydration and find it hard to get foundation to look good on your skin, I recommend getting a little sample of this because it really does make a huge difference to the appearance and texture of my skin.

I then applied the Bourjois BB Bronzing Cream that I reviewed last year. This stuff smells incredible, I used it lots on holiday last year and plan on bringing it with me this year too. I don't think it's still in stores but you can still get it online. It even works well on my fair skin, however it doesn't have the best coverage so I applied a small amount of Lancôme Miracle Air de Teint foundation on top because it's a matte glow foundation so it gives my skin luminosity but controls oil, the perfect combination and it meant I didn't have to apply powder on top. 

I didn't feel like I needed much concealer as my skin was free from blemishes and breakouts so I just applied Kiehls Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector under my eyes, this is another product I reviewed last year and is still a staple in my everyday make up routine. It also contains SPF 30 which is essential for protecting the eye area in the hot weather. I wear this every single day and I can see such a difference under my eyes since I started using it last Summer. I then put some Clarins Instant Concealer on top to give an extra brightening effect and because it's so light but with great coverage, it works really well under the eyes. 

I wanted to keep the eye make up quick, easy and long-wearing, perfect for warmer weather. I used my Armani Eye Tint in Cold Copper which is a pale gold shade that lasts all day without creasing. I love this kind of product because you can apply it straight onto the lid from the doe foot applicator and use a blending brush to buff it out, it literally takes a minute. I then added some definition to both the upper and lower lash line using this gorgeous KIKO Glamorous Eye Pencil in 401 (Golden Hazelnut) which appears to be discontinued (but NYX have one that's very similar). 

I used Lancôme Grandiôse Extrême mascara to finish off the eyes and ran Lancôme Sourcils Styler through my brows to keep them very natural. 

To warm up my skin I used YSL Les Sahariennes in Épice. I was sent this last Summer and I honestly didn't think I'd like it because bronzers and I don't usually get along. Épice is the third lightest shade in the range which I was sure would be too dark on me when I first saw it but once I got the hang of it and used it in the right places on my face and blended it well, it gave me such a natural "sun-kissed" glow. 

Les Sahariennes is the first of it's kind, a powder-in-balm formula that applies so smoothly to the skin but transforms into a powder finish leaving the skin with a healthy bronzed glow. I never enjoyed using bronzers because they were always too dark or too sparkly for me. This is perfect for me, because of it's unique formula it looks so natural. I used it on the high points of my face, anywhere the sun would naturally hit and as you can see from the photos it doesn't look like too much at all. If you have fair skin and constantly struggle to get a natural looking bronzer to suit your skin tone, I would highly recommend having a look at this, there are two shades lighter than the one I have which could work really well on fairer skin tones.

The No7 Skin Illuminator is one of those products that I love for achieving a natural highlighted effect to the skin. I didn't want to disturb my foundation and bronzer too much so I patted this onto my skin, on the tops of my cheekbones, on my brow bone, down my nose and on my cupid's bow. As you can see the finished effect is incredibly natural looking and so pretty. I'm a big fan of highlighter and I use theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer most days (with a very light hand), but there's something about a liquid highlighter that I've loved ever since I first tried Benefit High Beam. I've also tried this mixed in with my foundation and again it gives a very subtle glow effect. 

I added a small amount of Bourjois Aqua Blush in Pink Twice to my cheeks and blended it out with my foundation brush. I have three shades of the Aqua blushes and I love them, especially for Summer because they look natural, last very long in hot weather and the gel/mousse texture has a cooling effect on the skin. 

To finish off the whole look is a lip product unlike any other I've ever tried. We all know lip oils have been big over the past couple of years and now Lancôme have incorporated it into a lip colour. The Lancôme Juicy Shaker is a bi-phase hybrid of pigment and oil encased in some of the cutest packaging I've ever seen. The Juicy Shaker is based on a combination of the 1945 Cocktail Shaker lipstick and the iconic Juicy Tubes from the nineties. Packaging aside, I absolutely adore this product. Sure, it has the novelty factor, but I'm fine with that as long as the product inside delivers and this really does.

The applicator is unique too, it's a cone shaped cushion that feels so soft on my lips. You have to shake up the bottle before you apply it because it's bi-phase so it separates when it's kept still. The scent is unbelievable too, it's a fruity sweet scent so give it a whiff before buying it because I know a lot of people don't long strongly scented products but I'm addicted to it. I'm constantly reapplying this because it's so fun to use and smells amazing, it also contains almond oil, omega three and cranberry oil to nourish your lips.

This is definitely not the most pigmented of lip products, I was sent Berry Tale (there are 14 shades altogether including a clear mint scented one) but it does give a nice wash of colour for a more pared down look and it make my lips feel amazing all day. The texture is nothing like the original Juicy Tubes (which were like wearing honey on your lips they were so sticky!) it feels so smooth but not oily.

For a lipstick lover like me it takes a lot for me to forgo wearing lipstick, but I have found myself putting this in my bag a lot more often than I would have thought, especially on days when my lips are feeling dry and just need some nourishment.

What do you think of this look? It's quite different for me and a lot more toned down than I would usually prefer but I think a look like this is beautiful in the Summer or if you're just looking to give your skin that healthy glow effect. 

Have you tried any of these products before? What are your go-to products for glowing, healthy looking skin?

Emma x