My top beauty tips - part 1

I've been asked by a couple of people recently for my top beauty tips and wanted to share these with you. some might seem a little tongue in cheek, but trust me, all have worked every single time for me.

1. Always always always (no matter how tired/drunk you are) take your makeup off at night. Sleeping in it will only give you spots and make you look terrible when you wake up. If you really must, use a face wipe, but save these for emergencies.
   
2. Look after your eyebrows - laziness here can make an otherwise perfect face of makeup look shoddy. Mine are so blond they barely exist, but keeping them neat still makes a difference to how my face is framed.
   
3. To see if shades are right for your skin tone when in a shop like Boots or Superdrug, use the underside of your forearm for foundation/concealer and the pads of your fingertips for lipsticks. These are the closet matches to your face/lips.
   
4. Spend as much on your face as you would on a handbag or *insert luxury item of your choice here*. I for one, have been guilty of scrimping on skincare and then blowing loads of money on expensive bags. Swap it around - your face gets seen a lot more often!
   
5. When shopping makeup from higher-end brands, never ever trust a make-up counter assistant with an orange face/obvious foundation line. How are they going to give you perfect skin if they can't do it to themselves?
   
6. Use what suits you - not what's 'hot right now'. Products don't suit everyone and it can get costly keeping up with the latest 'cult' products. Know your skin and buy what works for you. There's nothing wrong with trying new things, just make sure when you read/get recommendations they are from people with a similar skin type/colouring (for makeup) to you.
   
7. Exfoliate at night. Do it after cleansing before you go to bed. Not only does this mean your night-time products will have a lovely soft surface to sink into, but you'll also avoid the risk of giving yourself spots. Exfoliating in the morning and then applying makeup is just an easy way to clog your pores and can cause breakouts, so do it at night to give your skin chance to breath. 

I'll be posting more over time, but for now, I hope these ones are useful! What are your top beauty tips?