FAKING A BRAVE FACE & A GOOD NIGHT'S SLEEP (for 10+ days)

So my first proper beauty post in what seems like AGES!

EEEP...that's not very good of me :(

Anyway...I've had a LOT on my mind for the last 2 weeks and have really struggled (and still am)at getting a good nights sleep.
It really doesn't help when you've got to wake up, put on a brave face and generally make out everything is A O-K.

BUT! Brave face I had to paint on and I thought I would write a quick blog entry on the products that have been my essential STAPLE requirements these last few days.

1) First and foremost, and my absolute LIFE SAVER has got to be Mac's "Strobe Cream".
I heart this product immensely for it's wonderful "dewy skin" giving powers and in general, making your face look glowy, when really underneath it's comparable to a corpse *nods*
I apply it in the same way as XSparkage does. Check out her fab tutorial here

2) Clarin's Beauty Flash Balm made a good appearance on many days to just perk my skin up and just bring some LIFE to it. Used this under my moisturiser to just wake my skin up and bring life to the old girl yet.

3) MUFE concealer palette for all those horrible dark circles under the eyes...

4) Gosh's eyeliner in Bananas - on my lower inner eye to bright some subtle sparkle to my eyes. I really noticed the difference this made. It's cheap and it's a goody!

5) Benetint by Benefit to give me a natural flush. Powder blushes would only have made my already drab and dull skin worse. I also used this on my lips to give me a natural Jane Austen rosy lips look ;)

6) Anything waterproof! We're talking Mac's impossibly stubborn liquid eyeliner, waterproof mascara...all of it! Thou shall not be beaten by a few spilt tears.

Basically it was zero powder finishes and all liquids and subtle shimmers. I think when your skin is grey and tired looking it's all too easy to slap on the foundation with a trough and over colour your cheeks and lips etc. I prefer a natural look to just even myself out.

It also is all about light reflecting! I would really recommend anyone try Strobe Cream if you haven't already. It's just a fantastic product that can easily be over looked because it is so subtle.

I also adorned my Mac Red lippy war paint too on the occasional day when I was feeling particularly vunerable. There is something so comforting about a good red lippy. It helps re-enhance the stiff upper lip thing us Brits have going. Plus it worked for the wartime lasses so it's definitely going to work for me :)