Caroline Burke | Burkatron

it's been a while since i ventured into writing a beauty post but summer make up is my absolute favourite (and there are a few products i'm heart eyed about right now that i wanted to share!)

i tend to completely change my make up in summer, for me liquid foundation is a no go. i want light breathable products and a really fresh faced look! i wanted to tell you about my go to products for a natural 'glowing skin' kinda radiance. 

antipodes mineral foundation. 

this is a lovely mineral foundation with light- medium coverage. i always use concealer to cover any imperfections before applying this with a large brush, you can build it up to even out skin tone and it doesn't have that clogging feel of a liquid foundation which is my pet peeve in summer.

dr paw paw balm for lips and skin. 

a new purchase and one that i'm already 100% into. it's just like tinted vaseline but the packaging is super cute so i'm hooked! when dabbed onto your cheeks it gives a gorgeous dewy highlight and a hint of colour.

origins perfect world skin defence. 

i bought this recently and the feel of this product is bizarre, but in a nice way. it doesn't feel like a serum at all, it's almost like a primer which leaves my skin feeling smoothed out before i apply concealer. i wouldn't use it at night (estee lauder advanced night repair always wins out) but it's a lovely daytime option to give your skin a boost.

estee lauder flash illuminator in morning light* 

i'm forever hunting for my next highlighting product and this cream highlighter from the estee edit is the best replacement for benefit high beam i've ever found! not only is the peachy gold shade perfect for creating a daytime cheekbone highlight the bottle is big enough to last me well into next year. perfect for creating a glowing shine without looking greasy! 

jane iredale D20 hydrating spray. 

i discovered this product through james' sister who works in the beauty industry. it's basically a face mist pumped full of vitamins and goodies. i tend to use it for setting my make up- a few light sprays completely refreshes my face and makes my skin feel even less 'made up' it's also brilliant for taking on flights to keep your skin plumped and refreshed. 

for me summer make up is all about the base, finding the right products is the best feeling (concealer is aways my hero on bad skin days never foundation!) once i've got my skin looking and feeling more radiant i simply finish off with mascara, a little eyeliner and a touch of blush.

what are your summer essentials? i'd love to hear your recommendations!

back soon

caroline x

the tarte collection has had such incredible buzz that I found myself having a. high expectations and b. childlike excitement to test it.

I finally took the plunge and invested in the muji acrylic drawers that are a firm favourite with bloggers and make up addicts!

oh boy.. they're just the handiest thing ever and whats not to love about keeping everything tidy?

I've filled mine with my everyday make up; the top drawer is for my favourite essentials that I always reach for.. foundation, mac skinfinish powder, mascara, blusher and my eyebrow pencils. 

I've filled the second drawer with my most used lip products and some other bits and bobs!

I wish I'd bought one of these earlier; the flip top lid makes life easy when I'm scrabbling around for my concealer in the morning!

I'm definitely going to get some more of these muji wonders for my skincare and nail products... quite possibly the best £11 I've spent this year!

have you got anything similar.. any recommendations?

caroline x

I always get excited by new brands (hmmmm ...did someone say geek?)

red carpet queen is a new brand to me so I wasn't sure what to expect; I was sent these awesome looking nail polishes by the hut to test drive and I'm pretty impressed with them. 

firstly I'll say they're far too much fun, the packaging is a brilliant novelty! (probably the closest I'll get to holding actual bullets- probably a good thing considering the amount of serial killer documentaries I watch!) 

I've been wearing controversy for 4 days now- I'm beginning to see very small chips beginning on my right index finger & thumb but the others and my left hand remains chip free (I have a special skill for chipping polish so I'm always impressed by anything that lasts longer than 3-4 days!) they've been formulated with an extra high dose of nitrocellulose to keep them strong and long lasting so this is probably why!

the colours of the polishes are really something; if you're a fan of neon polish be warned these are pretty damn tempting! 

here are some colour swatches for you:

diva mayday is a shocking neon pink! really bright, fun and perfect summer nail wear! (this is actually just one coat shown swatched here!!)

controversy is a really pretty pastel blue/green (very similar to the popular essie mint candy apple) this is two coats here which is all you need for full coverage.

pow! high energy is a bright neon orange; one that I'll definitely wear on a night out (I used 2 coats here and it's beyond bright, I love it!)

well all in all.. I'm impressed! 

I like these bright shades and the bullet proof branding is fantastic, the bottles feel heavy, luxurious and expensive. my only dislike; they seem to take a little longer to dry than some of my other polishes (a pet hate because I paint my nails so often I get impatient! grrrr) 

if you want to have a look at some of the other colours on offer you can see the whole range here!

rather depressing but I think these hot neon's are the closest I'll get to any warmth this week... damn you snow, damn you!!

what so you think of these? do you like the design too?

caroline xx

wow.

that was my initial reaction when I opened these nail polishes for the first time.

illamasqua seem to have finely tuned the knack of creating shades more unique than others out there on the market (and almost always better quality too) 

I wanted to review these separately but they're so damn good I had to do them all together because I'm so impatient to show you them on! 

if you're looking for the perfect spring/summer nail colours these may just be for you:

superstition is a knockout hot pink coming soon to their collection!! (I'm super excited to swatch this one for you!) this is one crazy, vibrant, beautiful shade! 

this is how it looks on:

the varnish is rich, bright and long lasting. I find it really hard to critise the formula of illamasqua polishes because all the ones I've used have been pretty darn perfect. 

for full intensity I'd apply two coats (it's almost a one coat polish because the pigment is so good)

next up is my favourite out of the three harem

this is such a stunning shade. imagine if pink and lilac had a baby.. well this is what they'd create! a pink mauve colour that's so pretty it's almost edible!

I've been wearing this for four days with no chips and the formula is great! the pigment is rich but it's really light to apply; two coats feel like one. 

venous is a cool polish; much edgier than the other two I've swatched above! a bold blue/green shade that really stands out (although one I'd probably one I'd wear less on a daily basis) however if I wanted to have a statement manicure this would be high on my list.

 again the formula is great, two coats for full coverage and hard wearing. 

harem and venous are part of the broken heart range that also includes the famous raindrops nail polish (did you know raindrops is now available in pink!!!) I recently wore the original raindrops and had lots of good feedback so I'd be tempted to buy the pink version.. have you tried it?

so what do you guys think; do you like these shades too? which one is your favourite?? I'd love to know!

back soon!

caroline x

as you may or not know I'm on holiday this week (it's my birthday trip to new york hurrah!!) it feels really strange scheduling a post in advance as I usually write them on the day but here I am (...sort of!)

I love packing for holiday; I'm always torn at what to bring with me but I'm being pretty strict this time (must. not. go. over. luggage. allowance. caroline!) I wanted to bring my everyday make up with a few extras to ramp up my look in the evening! I love peeking into my friends make up bags so I hope you guys enjoy this post!

so here's a little run down of the contents of my travel make up bag!

1. mac lady danger lipstick: this is my all time go-to red lipstick for nights out & cocktails!

2. illamasqua precision ink in havoc: this is my current most used ink eyeliner and lasts through the day without smudging!

3. maybelline dream touch concealer: this is my favourite concealer for touching up dark circles. perfect for early morning flights...zzzzz

4. revlon just bitten stain in lovesick: this is my daytime lip colour, it's a lovely cool tone pink for chilly afternoons!

5. benefit they're real mascara: this is a handy travel size of the full version; a great mascara that makes my lashes huuuuge! the down side; it feels quite sticky even after using eye make up remover.

6. urban decay basics: literally my day to night eyeshadow covered in one handy little compact! love it!

7. illamasqua skin base: I raved about this recently, it's the only foundation that's made the cut!

8. brushes: I've taken a little supply I buy mine from models own and (elf) eyes lips face I'm yet to try the real techniques brushes but I will splash out soon hopefully!

9. mac mineralize skinfinish natural powder: this is my all time hero, I use it to set my foundation and keep the dreaded shine at bay! (mine is the light plus shade)

10. topshop cresent moon highlighter: I bought this as soon as it was released and have abandoned my benefit moonbeam since, I think it's my favourite make up from the topshop range!

11. fashionista custom palette: I love this! you can pick out your own blushers/eyeshadow to create your own custom palette in superdrug, they were on offer when I purchased mine and the whole palette came in for around £10!

I hope you liked poking about in my bag you little rascals.. do you use any of these products? what do you think of them?

if you want to catch up on what I'm doing whilst I'm away you can follow my tweets  | facebook | instagram for all the latest! (I'll also be doing some shopping for you guys for my 800 follower giveaway whilst I'm away, so keep an eye out for some nyc goodies soon!)

big love

caroline x