Style Theory: I did a little make up tutorial on Instastories and have been asked to do a quick recap of the products I used.. so here it is, my very basic and easy 5 minute make up routine and all my favourite tried and tested products....

Balance Me Pure Skin Face Wash £12.80

My daughter Jess (10) and I both use this facewash. I am a fan of Balance Me products and love the fact they are 99% natural. This is a really gentle facewash and leaves my face feeling clean but not stripped of all goodness.

Dermalogica Daily Microfoliant £48

This is a product I have rediscovered thanks to my John Lewis beauty advent calendar. I used to use this exfoliator all the time a few years ago then I forgot about it so I was so glad when I refoundit. I use it in the shower after the facewash above pouring a small amount on my hand, mixing it with warm water and massaging it on my face. It leaves my face feeling super clean, glowing and smooth. 

Balance Me Radiance Face Oil £24

This face oil is a new find and I love it, it gives my winter skin the boost it needs. I just use two drops warmed up in my hands then massaged (quickly) into my skin, my skin drinks it up and it makes it feel softer and a little plumper.

Lancome Genifique Day Cream £56.70

I find Lancome moisturisers great for my skin, light, I cannot bare a heavy moisturiser and this one leaves my skin non-greasy but with a glow.

Charlotte Tilbury Unisex Healthy Glow £35

My favourite Charlotte Tilbury product, this is my make up saviour. It has little glowing particles in it, I use it over my moisturiser (not sure if you need to as it is a tinted moisturiser but I like to!) it makes my skin glow, look a little tanned but in a non-orange way. I do not use loads but a small amount over my face and neck, honestly it takes me from looking pasty and grey to slightly more glowing.

Collection Gorgeous Glow £4.19

Super cheapy bronzer but it is soo good, I use a large bronzing brush and brush all over my face, neck and decolletage , it gives me a sparkly glow that is not too dark. I also use it for eyeshadow (using my finger - all the class!) but saves time!

Guerlain Terracotta Summer Bronzing Powder £36.50

I use this bronzer on top of the Collection bronzer, using the same bronzer brush and just around the edges of my face (I have a square face so always say edges!) I guess in a loose way I use it to contour, so along the outside of my face, sweep it in towards my face at my cheekbones and a quick dust down my nose. It gives a matt finish that I love.

Rimmel Exaggerate Eye Liner £3.70

This is the eyeliner I have been using forever..I use it on my eyelid to create a catsflick, I always use it fairly thinly then take the flick up just before I get to the outer edge of my eye to make my eyes look bigger and I take the flick out quite far (within reason) again this makes eyes look bigger.

Max Factor 2000 Calorie Mascara £7.99

Another product I have been using forever!! My fave mascara, never smudges, stays on all day, gives me thick black eyelashes, no clogging!

Mac Cosmetics Beet £13

This lip liner is the perfect match for the lipstick I wear. I always use lipliner, it makes my lips look bigger, keeps my lipstick on longer and stops it bleeding. 

Mac Matte Lipstick All Fired Up £16.50

This is a beautiful shade of pink, for me it suits my colouring and makes my lips look fuller. It is quite dry so I sometimes mix it with a cheaper Rimmel lipstick to make it a little creamier. I always put at least two coats on blotting in between each coat.

Lipcote £4.09

An oldie but a goodie, I love this lipstick sealer and have been using it since I was 16. It keeps my lipstick on all day and ensures it does not end up all over my face!!

So there is my quick 5 minute daily face and make up routine, pretty basic but all my favourite products at the moment. I would love to hear about your favourites products so you have any make items you swear by?! I am always up to try new things, hear about recommendations.

Thanks so much for reading, until next time Fran xx

The Colour Lift - #theOliaEffect

Garnier Olia 112 Super Light Beige Blonde

Style Theory: I am a highlight devotee, ever since I used sun-in and it went wrong when I was 18, I have been having highlights at my hairdresser's and have never waivered. However, it is an expensive business having highlights and is super time consuming, I tend to only ever have half a head of highlights (reason being lack of money and time) leaving my hair with a slightly skunk-like appearance (see my 'before' photo below)

'BEFORE'

I was asked recently by Garnier to try their new Olia hair dye naturally I had major reservations, I had never ever used a home dye (since that fateful sun-in summer) and was quite frankly terrified. Yes, a hair dye I could do myself at home was appealing but what if it goes wrong, what if my hair falls out, or goes a weird colour?! To put my mind at rest I was invited to meet with Garnier Olia's ambassador Fearne Cotton and chat to her about the colour, check it out on her hair and also have a consultation with her personal hairdresser who suggested the Olia colour that would most suit my hair - she suggested Garnier Olia 112 - Super Light Beige Blonde - Fearne uses 9.3 Golden Light Blonde

Fearne's hair looked amazing (as did she and she was absolutely lovely too, I sat across from her at dinner and we talked fashion and kids, super down to earth but almost impossibly beautiful!) However the main thing that swayed me was the fact that Garnier is powered by oils, that are actually good for your hair, it rejuvenates your hair making it look shinier and feeling softer. It does not contain ammonia so does not strip your hair of goodness, it makes it look and feel so much better - that sold the dye to me, I soo need my hair to look healthier. 

After a lot, and I mean a lot of research (ie. reading every single thing I could read about Garnier Olia - every single review) I decided to take the plunge..

Attractive photo!!

I used Olia 112 Super Light Blonde the dye was easy to mix and apply, had a velvety consistency (I did the 48 hour allergy test first - this is so important to do), it has clear instructions so it is hard to go wrong. It smells lovely and after applying it (I avoided applying it the very blonde ends of the top of my hair) I went outside to dismantle the Little Tikes playhouse! There were no drips down my head and it didn't sting at all, in fact I forgot I had it on.

After 30 mins I washed it off, as soon as I started brushing my hair it felt incredibly soft and when I blow dried it, it looked shinier, softer and had more body than ever. The oils have made my hair feel incredible, I have really fine hair and it has made it feel thicker, glossier but not heavy. It feels swishy, when I wash it and leave it to dry naturally it still looks like it has been blow dried due to the intense oils and the fab conditioner your get in the pack. I should imagine if you were to use the red or brown colour tone your hair would look amazing, really glossy and soft, blonde always does not reflect the light as well.

I already had blonde highlights in my hair so the colour lifted to a very light blonde. On the darker underneath part of my hair it was lifted to a more strawberry blonde so would not lift dark blonde or brown hair to a white blonde. If you are considering going lightening blonde hair go for as light an Olia product as you can, go one lighter than you think for a good lift to your hair, it will not make it white blonde unless you already have bleached hair. If you are going brown or red the product is amazing and it will definitely make your hair feel luxuriously soft and shiny! If you are in any doubt about which colour your should go for you can chat to the Garnier experts online, they know their stuff and can help you decide.

There is fab Olia competition where you can win a £5000 shopping spree with Fearne, if you do fancy colouring your hair with Olia, all your need to do is take a photo of your hair before and after and then enter on the Garnier Website - Good Luck!!

**This blog post was written in collaboration with Garnier Olia but all thoughts and opinions are my own - and I did dye my hair - no filters were used on these photos.

My 5 Minute Make Up Essentials

Style Theory: I have a super quick 5 minute make up routine, it is really basic but after years of trying different products I always return to these ones. I am no expert and really not great at applying make up (although I could do my liquid eyeliner on a roller coaster - have had 26 years of practice!) but I do have a few fail save products that I swear by and here they are..

Cleansing..

Liz Earle Cleanse and Polish £15.50

I love this cleanser, such an easy quick way to give your face a good cleanse and exfoliate at the same time. A couple of minutes and your face feels fresh and thoroughly clean. The only pain is washing the muslins but I guess you feel like you are getting your money's worth as you can use them again and again. I have combination skin and have without a doubt found this to be the kindest and most effective cleanser.

Liz Earle Gentle Face Exfoliator £15.75

I use this exfoliator a couple of times a week, it is really gentle on my skin, gives it a really good cleanse and leaves it looking brighter. It smells pretty good too, really clean and fresh, I have not got super sensitive skin so I would be cautious if your skin is really sensitive. The exfoliating jojoba beads are soft and gentle, they do not scrape your skin as I have found other exfoliators to be too harsh.

Clinique Moisture Surge £34

I love this, make sure you buy the gel version, it is light as a cloud and absorbs into the skin in seconds. I have quite greasy skin over my nose and chin so this is perfect as it is not heavy and does not give me spots (so many moisturisers do) It does not have an spf in it which is the one thing I would really like them to add as I should be wearing an spf every day.

Now for my make up, I do not wear any foundation, I really really should but have not found one that I love so I just go straight from moisturiser to Clarins flash balm then bronzer, I feel my skin can breathe more without foundation but as I am getting older I feel I really do need a good one so any suggestions would be welcome.

First..

Clarins Flash Balm £29

My mini facelift in a bottle, I use this when I am off out somewhere and need to look less than 100 years old (ie I dont bother with any make up for the school run etc) I use the tiniest amount over my face to make it look smoother and less tired. It makes bronzer go on flawlessly and evenly.

Concealer

Rimmel Hide the Blemish £3.99

Basic but effective. This does a great job covering my spots etc.

Bronzer

Bobbi Brown Shimmer Brick £33

Love this bronzer, this takes me from looking grey and washed out to alive and glowing (but not a sweaty glow) I always use with a huge bronzing brush and sweep along my cheeks, over my eyes and a little across my nose and forehead and down onto my chest. I also use it as eye shadow, the colour second from top all over my eyelids and colour strip at the bottom in my eye socket for definition (just use an eyeshadow brush)

Eyeliner

Rimmel Exaggerate Eyeliner £5.29

I find this the best eyeliner, it goes on smoothly, creates a great thickness of line and never smudges, cheap and cheerful!

The Mascara

Max Factor 2000 calorie mascara £7.99

I have tried so many mascaras and this one is the one that never runs, smudges or ends halfway down my face. It creates thick eyelashes - I use only on my top eyelashes never on my bottom eyelashes as they are quite long and I end up looking like Aunt Sally!

Lipliner

Rimmel Lipliner £3.99

I used to always use the Clarins lipliner but have now just started using this cheaper Rimmel one in 'Indian Pink'. It matches my lipstick well and as long as I keep the liner sharp it does a pretty good job. I always, always use a lipliner, it stops my lipstick bleeding and keeps everything in place. I apply it pretty heavily and blot a few times on tissue.

Mac All Fired Up Lipstick £17

This is a deep shade of pink (more on the purply pink side than orange pink) It is a super matte lipstick so I always put this on after my lipliner, two applications (blot on tissue after each application) then a layer of the Rimmel lipstick below to stop my lips feeling dry and adds another dimension of creamy pink which makes my lips look fuller.

Rimmel Kate Long Lasting Lipstick 020 £5.49

This is the lighter pink lipstick, it is really creamy and glides on perfectly over the matte Mac colour. 

Lipcote £3.69

I am a hardcore fan of Lipcote, I have been using it since I was 16. I love it and use it every time I wear lipstick, it keeps my lipstick in place through multiple glasses of wine and dinner. I know lots of people find it dries their lips out, I think the formula is kinder now than it has been in the past and to be honest I have been wearing it so long I think my lips are used to it!

Dior Nail Glow £19.50

I bought this after Susie SoSo featured it on her Instagram, it is such a easy nail polish to wear and makes your nails look like they have had a very light french manicure, easy, simple and effective, completely up my street!

So there is my very cheap and basic make up routine, I do definitely need to find a really great foundation or tinted moisturiser so any recommendations will be greatly appreciated. What are your favourite products, which ones can you not live without? As always I would love to hear your thoughts and comments, until next time Fran xxx

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