I’m so late with this post! But I think it still applies, and this time of year I think we can all do with as  many skincare and makeup ideas as possible!  So Happy New Year! 

I love all these makeup tips and tricks that you see all over Instagram and TikTok to name just two sources. 

Yup! That time of year again! Got the heating on yet? Have you lit the log burner? Skin feeling a little tight, hands feeling dryish?  (that’s the first sign for me that things are getting colder!) the tan has completely faded and you’re wearing autumn colours?

So this was a complete surprise as to how many great makeup products Poundland has! It’s not your immediate thought is it? Ooh Poundland! Makeup! But look a little bit more closely and you’ll be delighted and very surprised. I have to say I went in there for something completely different, I think it was something for my dog, Torre, probably another treat!🤣 I ended up by browsing the makeup section and came away with a haul! 

Summer, summer, summer! Where is it? What happened to it? Did it ever arrive? And as the Autumn begins to creep on, and the nights start to draw in just a little, I think we all just want to prolong the sunny, shimmering effects of the glorious summer (or the idea of it at least!). How can we do that though! I thought I would group together all those lovely products that have made it into a Shimmering Summer for me! 

I love to have a good look around the marvellous French pharmacies and shops, Monoprix is a particularly good one! I didn’t have that much opportunity this time as it was a family holiday. It’s much easier when l’m away with my sister or a friend! But I did find a few opportunities! 

It’s always so difficult isn’t it to take the makeup you need or dare I say it want on holiday! I’m no different! I tend to start off with the very best intentions, but somehow fall fowl! We went on a week’s touring trip around Brittany a week or so ago, and it was lovely! My husband is the first to admit that he has no patience to stay in one place for too long! This was his idea, and it was a good one! But with the maximum of 2 nights in one place, I had to be pretty clever with my makeup bag. My advice is, stick to your favourites, the ones you know will work, even though it all changes when you go away, and call it a woman’s prerogative, you’ll always want something you haven’t got ! 🤣

France is famous for their skincare, wherever you go in France there are pharmacies and perfumeries everywhere with every conceivable product from the most expensive to budget. But, I bet you didn’t think that Spain was the same! I discovered this when (before Brexit) we used to drive down and spend our summers by Valencia with our little dog. The fantastic, cool supermarkets are full of great makeup and skincare, beautifully displayed, clean (!) and easily accessible. The face creams are particularly excellent. Often for about €5.

This Solait Mattifying Face Fluid SPF30 High has advanced UVA/UVB protection, is water resistant, and has 24 hour hydration. It is specially formulated with a combination of broad spectrum sunscreens to help protect the face, hands and chest area against UVA (ageing) and UVB (burning) rays. With five star UVA protection it helps to defend against sun damage and pigmentation. What more can you ask of an SPF that you wear daily? It needs to be soft, smooth, lightly fragranced, not sticky, and most of all easy to plonk on! That’s why I always end up by using this one, there are plenty of other good ones on the market, but this one is only about £3.50, easy to buy in Superdrug, and is just really a super little SPF, comes in travel size too!

We all love new stuff, don’t we? It’s a thrill to find something new , to try it and see how it looks. It definitely gives you a lift, remember when you bought that lovely little lipstick that you didn’t need! I have a drawer full of those, all the same kind of shade, the same goes for nail varnishes! So these a some of my new finds! New stuff!

I’ve had a lot of fun this last month as always, with some new finds and some old favourites! 

What a wonderland of products to see, feel and find! Of course I was in my element seeing what there was, and what I could try! The first thing  I saw was this mascara, I had heard so much about and I wanted to see what all the fuss was about! wow! I couldn't believe this mascara! Could this be the mascara of my dreams?  Oh I think so!  

I went back to New York last week! I haven't

It's fair to say that I love makeup! I sneekily started wearing it when I was about 12 or 13, of course I wasn't allowed to, and never went out of the house with it on! I seem to remember a love of turquoise eyeshadow, I think I had more under the eye than on the top! Ha! 

So another month has passed, and I've been using all kinds of products as the weather has gone from Spring to Winter all in one day! so starting with skincare that really doesn't change that much! I take my eye makeup off with the Beauty Pie Eye makeup Remover (members price £9). I really like this one as it's an bi-phase one that you shake up to disperse. It really takes all my makeup off with a few glides, it's great for my sensitive eyes too. A fraction of the price compared to all the equivalents like Lancôme and Clarins. 

Sunset blending - from dark to light with my favourite DollFace palette (Primark £3.50)!

We all need Euphoric Lilac in our lives! This is a super soft, creamy eye shadow stick, looks a little like a lipstick tube! and its so easy to use! It just glides over your lash line or eye lid. I paired it with my current favourite Dollface eyeshadow palette from a Primark which has bronzey and tan eyeshadows which really do make the most of this glorious colour! It's by By Revolution, there were a few other colours too, so I will definitely be trying those! All at only £5!   

Try a Kiko Matte Lip Crayon in no 06, perfect for Spring Lips, to use as a pencil or fill or use as a lipstick. Vibrant colours, easy to use crayon, so soft. I added a bit of H & M lipstick in Cerise -ly Metallic for a little bit more pink! Spring Lips for £5.99Subscribe at www.shoestringbeauty.com for all the latest blogs, offers and advice straight to your In box

What's new? Dollface! A super eyeshadow palette from Primark, 9 great eyeshadows for £3.50! Wow!  I love their kits, with usable, fun, easy to blend eyeshadows. I put the palest on my lid, with a little of the light tan above my socket to open my eyes. Then using a Maybelline Tattoo Ink crayon, lined the top of my lid next to my lashes. A little of the denim blue in the outer corners going over the pencil line, to anchor and soften it, followed by the deeper tan in the socket to give my eyes more definition. Then I took a fluffy brush to just help blend the colours together. All brushes were from Primark. Great Spring look!

What's New? Don’t be frightened of colour! Especially going into Spring & Summer. This Revolution Mousse Eyeshadow is a fabulous colour called Lilac. At £3.99 it’s really good value. Soft and easy to use, with a brush or fingertip. Added some pencil in Twilight, which was actually a very old Cosmetics a la Carte one and finished off with Telescopic black mascara. So don’t let colour put you off or frighten you as it will give you that new look you want! 

A gradual tan to give you that healthy look without the mess and worry of being too dark and it all looking a disaster! I’ve used the new Dove Summer Revived Gradual Tan from Superdrug. £2.79. Good texture, easy to apply, not sticky and nice smell! Definitely one of the better options. What's not to like! Really it’s foolproof! Www.shoestringbeauty.com

What's out there? Trying to combat slight dodgy Winter hands? My go to hand cream is always the soft and creamy Lacura Hand Cream by Aldi £3.99, hits the spot every time! I’ve fallen in love with the Rubarb & Rose hand cream by Molten Brown, oh the smell! But if you want the ultimate in hand care with 1% retinol, to help fade those dark age spots (what an awful word) aka sun damage, then look no further! It comes from Beauty Pie £12.50 for members otherwise £40. This is the stuff of miracles! I’ve used it for a week, day and night and all I can say is, wow, what a difference! If you want results, get it! Super Retinol Anti Ageing Hand Cream.    

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