May Favourites

e.l.f. 16hr Camo Concealer
Does anyone else remember the early days of blogging when you couldn't look at a single beauty blog without seeing e.l.f. hauls everywhere? They were a bit of a novelty for a while because you could only get their products online in the UK & the prices were absurdly low. I, for one, am so grateful that they now have stands in Superdrug because they have so many new products & it's really helpful to be able to swatch everything in person. One product that immediately caught my eye was their 16hr Camo Concealer. I love anything full coverage & the shade range really impressed me because there's something for everyone whether you have cool, neutral or warm undertones. I picked up Fair Warm which is an extremely pale shade with light yellow undertones. I swatched it next to few other concealers in Superdrug & it's so much lighter than Revolution's Conceal & Define Concealer in C1. This really sold it to me because I've always wanted that highlighted undereye look without having to use a true white concealer. The 16hr Camo Concealer provides full coverage with a matte finish. The formula is quite thick but it applies smoothly & feels lightweight on the skin. It dries down really quickly so you have to work fast, preferably applying it to one area & blending it out before moving on to the next. It covers everything exceptionally well, lasts all day & definitely gives me that brightening effect. In fact it might be a little too light for my skin so I sometimes mix it with something else. I'd say that the only downside is that it can be quite drying & if you have a lot of fine lines under your eyes, this might not be the best option. But if you want something that will cover every single imperfection, this is a great concealer.

Revolution Conceal & Define Foundation
As a huge fan of Revolution's Conceal & Define Concealer, I was really looking forward to trying its foundation counterpart. I bought the shade F1 because I use the concealer in C1 & it's a great match for my skintone. My first impression was that it's basically the same as the concealer, just in a bigger bottle with a even larger doe foot applicator. After using it for the past few weeks, I'd say that's a pretty accurate assessment & I'm okay with that! This foundation provides lightweight but buildable coverage with a satin finish. I absolutely love how it looks on the skin. It hides blemishes & pigmentation whilst giving a smooth flawless finish. You can really layer it up for a truly full coverage base without it looking cakey. The formula feels creamy & comfortable to wear. I've had no issues with creasing & it doesn't emphasise any dry patches. It does last a long time on my skin but my t-zone gets noticeably oilier by the end of the day. Nothing a little powder won't fix but you might want to bear that in mind if you have very oily skin. Overall I'd have to say it's one of the best foundations I've tried in a long time. If you like the concealer, you will love this foundation.

Schwarzkopf got2b Glued Spiking Glue
This little yellow tube of hair gel is a multipurpose marvel. I originally picked this up because I saw some makeup artists using it instead of brow gel. You just get a little mascara wand, add a tiny bit of gel & brush the hairs upwards for natural looking bushy brows. I've tried it a few times now & really love the effect. If you have unruly brow hairs, this stuff will soon whip them into shape! Then I noticed some people on YouTube using it to secure lace front wigs. Now that I've sworn off the bleach I can't dye my hair fun colours anymore so I thought that wigs could be a great alternative & lace fronts give you the most realistic looking hairline. I never thought that hair gel could be used to glue wigs down but this gel is so powerful, it kinda makes sense! I also use it as a traditional hair gel in conjunction with a medium-bristled toothbrush. I mainly use it when I go to the gym because I have loads of annoying short bits near my hairline that always fall down when I put my hair in a ponytail. By brushing those bits of hair with the gel & the toothbrush, you can get really close to the scalp & they'll stay in place through even the most extreme workouts.

Pixi Vitamin-C Tonic
I've really started getting into Pixi skincare lately. I loved their Retinol Tonic so much that I had to go out & get the Vitamin-C Tonic right away. Just like with retinol, it can be difficult to find vitamin C products that are effective without irritating the skin. Pixi's toners aren't the most concentrated products but they still work wonderfully. The mild formulas are suitable for all skin types & are gentle enough to use on a daily basis. Vitamin C is such an important ingredient in skincare because it helps to promote healthy collagen production whilst boosting the skin's luminosity. This toner is a fab way to supercharge your skincare routine with vitamin C. It's made from a blend of citrus extracts & ferulic acid to brighten the complexion and gently exfoliate the skin as well as protecting against free radicals. The probiotics in this brightening toner help to protect & balance the skin's barrier. The toner feels very fresh & hydrating on the skin so it's really lovely to use. It has a gorgeous sweet citrus scent that reminds me of orange sherbet. Over time this toner promises to gradually diminish signs of sun damage, fine lines, scarring & other imperfections. I've been using it every day for a whole month & I've definitely noticed a difference in my complexion. My skin tone looks much more even, my pores are less visible & my face is glowing. This toner hasn't irritated my skin at all, which is something I was slightly worried about when I first bought it. I'd highly recommend this product as a gentle brightening solution & will be repurchasing it when I run out as I love the results!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Dipbrow Gel
ABH brow products are my absolute fave & their Dipbrow Pomade is probably the best thing I've ever put on my eyebrows. So when they announced the arrival of their Dipbrow Gel, I knew I had to get my hands on it. The timing was perfect because every Anastasia brow product I own is in the shade Medium Brown which was looking a little ashy on me with my new hair colour. I went to the ABH counter in The Trafford Centre so that I could try out the other shades in person & ended up coming away with Dark Brown. It's a little bit deeper & warmer than Medium Brown which is exactly what I was looking for. Dipbrow Gel is basically a liquid version of Dipbrow Pomade. It's a highly pigmented brow gel with a long-lasting, waterproof formula so you can rub as much as you like, your brows won't be going anywhere. The unique formula adheres to brow hairs, creating the appearance of fullness & dries down to a seamless matte finish. It has made the process of doing my brows quicker & easier than ever before. One of the things I love most about this product is that you can dip a brow brush into the gel to add more definition or create individual brow hairs for a more realistic, natural look. It's an incredibly versatile gel & I rarely feel the need to use anything else. It might well replace every other brow product in your collection!

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April Favourites

NARS Soft Matte Complete Concealer in Chantilly
When it comes to base products, NARS are my current go-to brand. It mainly comes down to the fact that they really do cater for my exact skintone. I have never found a better foundation match than Siberia & I have never found a better concealer match than Chantilly. I've been a huge fan of their Radiant Creamy Concealer for quite some time now as it works beautifully as a 'no makeup' makeup product. NARS recently came out with their new Soft Matte Complete Concealer & I absolutely love it too. This concealer provides high coverage with a soft-focus blurring effect. It features a special powder complex which helps the concealer to stay in place without settling into fine lines or emphasising skin texture. I think it works a lot better on skin imperfections than it does under the eyes as it can look a little bit dry in that area. I really like to use this concealer on a MAC 242 brush to carve out my eyebrows & for creating a cut crease eye look.

Kevyn Aucoin The Sculpting Powder in Light
For the longest time I have heard nothing but praise for Kevyn Aucoin's Sculpting Powder in Medium as the ultimate contour product. However I was still never convinced that Medium would be a good shade for me personally. The same goes for those with deeper skintones. Last year they finally expanded the range to include two new shades, Light & Deep. I eagerly purchased the Light version of The Sculpting Powder & was blown away by how natural it looked on my skin. The colour is perfect, it's a cool toned matte brown which truly mimics the appearance of a shadow on the face. A little goes a long way as the powder is quite pigmented but it's also soft & finely milled making it very easy to blend out. I like to apply it with a Morphe M530 brush to carve out my cheekbones & jawline. I also use it with a Charlotte Tilbury Eye Blender Brush to contour my nose. I've never found a contour colour that looks as natural on the nose as this does. If you want a slimmer looking nose it's well worth it for that reason alone!

CosRX Low pH Good Morning Gel Cleanser
CosRX are my favourite Korean skincare brand & in my opinion this cleanser is one of their best products. I use this cleanser twice a day, every day with a FOREO Luna Mini 2 & my skin has never been happier. When I started getting into Asian beauty products one thing that often came up was the importance of pH levels. I'm planning on writing a whole post about this subject but basically if a skincare product isn't formulated at the correct pH level, it can have a negative impact on your skin. This cleanser has a pH level of 5.5 which is optimal for cleaning the skin & reducing acne causing bacteria. By lowering the skin's natural pH level, BHA & AHA products will also work better afterwards so it's a win-win situation. The cleanser itself is a lightly foaming clear gel with a tea tree scent. It feels really gentle yet refreshing & doesn't strip my skin of moisture. Another good thing about this cleanser is that it's incredibly inexpensive (I paid £9 for it) & you get tons of product in the tube. I've been using it for an entire year now & only recently had to purchase a new one. It's a brilliant cleanser & a cornerstone of my skincare regimen.

Stila Magnificent Metals Glitter & Glow Liquid Eyeshadow in Kitten Karma
I'm definitely not one to shy away from a bit of glitter. However I'm not really a fan of loose glitters as they can be quite messy & I get a bit paranoid about inadvertently blinding myself! I much prefer to buy products that already have glitter in them as they're infinitely more convenient. For example I love Illamasqua's Broken Gold eye gel & Urban Decay's Heavy Metal Glitter Eyeliners. I recently saw these Stila Liquid Glitter Eyeshadows all over YouTube & instantly fell in love. I wanted to buy every single one but when I saw that they cost £23 each I almost fell off my chair. It took me forever to choose which one to get but seeing as Kitten is Stila's signature shade I decided to start off with this colour. This eyeshadow has a rose gold base with tiny gold & silver glitter particles. It looks absolutely stunning & has a glamourous high shine finish. The formula is amazing, it feels so light & smooth on the eyes with virtually no fallout. It's also very long lasting & doesn't crease at all. This is the best liquid eyeshadow I have ever used. I know I shouldn't but I really don't think I can resist buying a few more of these!

Anastasia Beverly Hills Clear Brow Gel
I have been using MAC's Clear Brow Gel for well over 10 years now but I fancied trying something new as I would often end up with two tails at the end of my eyebrows no matter how much I tried to gel them down. I'm obsessed with Anastasia brow products & rarely use anything other than their Dipbrow Pomade. Having heard so many amazing things about their Clear Brow Gel I decided to give it a go & promptly destashed the MAC version. This gel really does keep every single eyebrow hair in place without looking crispy or feeling crunchy. It's yet another wonderful brow product from Anastasia Beverly Hills & I won't be using anything else for a long time to come.

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October Favourites

Anastasia Beverly Hills Concealer
The Anastasia DipBrow Pomade is my HG brow product. Nothing can compare to it in my opinion. I've recently noticed that a lot of people who use it like to carve out their eyebrows using concealer. This gives you an even cleaner line & highlights the brow bone. It can also hide eyebrow regrowth if you can't be bothered to pluck! Thick full coverage concealers are best for this job so I bought this one which is also from Anastasia. I got it in shade 0.5 which is actually light enough to work as a highlighter on my skin. It's really creamy & blendable but the concealer is solid in the pot so it's still easy to control. I also use it as a normal concealer on any blemishes & it covers everything beautifully. It doesn't work so well under the eyes as it can look a bit cakey in that area but if you want to carve out your brows to perfection then this is a great concealer to go for.

Salcura Bioskin DermaSerum*
As an eczema sufferer the combination of icy winds & central heating can wreak havoc on my skin & cause unsightly flareups. I've always been an advocate of natural solutions for this skin condition. In my experience they are 100% more effective than anything you can get from your GP. I mainly get eczema on my body but as the weather gets colder my face often becomes drier & more sensitive too. Whether you have eczema or not it's important to look after your skin & give it the hydration it needs at this time of year. I've been trying out a couple of products from Salcura's Bioskin range & their DermaSerum has really helped to nourish my dry skin. The gel serum feels very lightweight & has a strong herbal scent as it is packed full of high quality natural ingredients. It quickly targets any dry patches & soothes irritation. Unlike a lot of eczema treatments it isn't greasy or heavy so I feel comfortable using this on my skin every day. Although DermaSerum is aimed towards those with eczema & psoriasis it would also be ideal for anyone with dry or dehydrated skin as it helps to support overall healthy skin growth.

Scott Cornwall Precolour Protein Spray*
Anyone who dyes their hair on a regular basis will have compromised the condition of their locks. It doesn't matter if you have a full head of bleach, a few highlights or just dye it a slightly different shade, any chemical process damages your hair. Once the damage is done there are two things that your hair needs: protein & moisture. The combination of the two will keep your hair strong & soft. Protein is especially important as it can repair weak spots in the hair shaft, reducing the risk of breakage. However too much protein can also cause breakage so it's important to get the balance right! To add more protein to my hair I've been using this Precolour Protein Spray from Scott Cornwall. It's a leave-in conditioning treatment which helps to strengthen & protect damaged hair. You can just use it as a regular hair treatment but it is especially effective before dyeing your hair. It prepares the hair for any chemical treatments, limiting damage whilst giving you longer lasting colour. I used this spray before I dyed my hair grey & it definitely made the colour look more even as the protein filled in the parts that were over-processed. My hair looks much healthier now as the spray makes it feel super soft & gives it a wonderful shine. This product is an absolute must have for anyone who colours their hair!

Eucerin AQUAporin Active Revitalising Eye Care*
Eucerin are one of my all time favourite skincare brands. Their DermoPURIFYER & sun protection products are utterly fantastic so I was keen try out some of their other ranges. All skin types can become dehydrated so they created the AQUAporin Active range for anyone with dehydrated, sensitive skin. These products provide intense, long lasting hydration to keep the skin looking & feeling it's best. The most interesting & innovative product in this range has to be the Revitalising Eye Care. This is a moisturising eye cream that helps to reduce puffiness & the appearance of dark circles. The skin around our eyes is particularly thin & therefore more likely to display signs of tiredness. With regular use of a deeply hydrating eye cream like this one it is possible to make your eye area look fresher & by prepping the area properly your concealer will go on better as well. Along with lots of hydrating ingredients the Revitalising Eye Care also contains ginseng which really helps to cool & refresh the eyes, reducing any puffiness. What really makes this eye cream stand out is the cooling applicator tip. It feels incredible on the skin, like a mini massage for the eyes & it helps to distribute the product evenly. I like to keep all of my eye creams in the fridge so they're extra cold but you don't really need to do that with this one. The tip somehow stays cold so it's always ready to go! I think it's a truly brilliant product & it definitely makes me feel more awake first thing in the morning.

Ben Nye Cameo Luxury Powder
No matter how much or how little concealer I use underneath my eyes it always collects in the creases. I don't even have any wrinkles yet, it's just down to the shape of my eyes. After watching several YouTube videos on the subject I decided to try baking my concealer & I bought this Ben Nye powder to do it with. This stuff has the same formula as the infamous Banana Powder but the colour is more appropriate for my skin tone. Instead of using a brush I've been spritzing a triangular makeup sponge with MAC Fix+ & then dipping it into the powder. I can then push the powder into my skin before sweeping away the excess five minutes later. My base is left looking matte & smooth without a crease in sight. I didn't think that baking my makeup would be so effective but the first time I tried it I was completely wowed by how good my face looked. It is slightly more time consuming but if you want your makeup to look flawless all day long then you should really give this process a go. I would highly recommend the Ben Nye Luxury Powders for baking your makeup as they are micro-milled for a superior matte finish.

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September Favourites

Bee Good Raspberry & White Chocolate Lip Balm*
One of Bee Good's latest releases is this delectable lip balm & I can't get enough of it! Raspberry & white chocolate is such a classic flavour combination. The velvety sweetness of white chocolate complements the flavour of fresh fruity raspberries so very well. To me it tastes a bit like artic roll which is one of my favourite desserts! It feels like such an indulgent treat to pop this on my lips. It instantly soothes & hydrates dry chapped lips with a clear glossy finish. The formula includes many natural ingredients along with Bee Good's signature beeswax & honey which are well known for their healing properties. It really is good enough to eat!

Superdrug Simply Pure Hydrating Serum
Superdrug have some amazing own brand skincare products that should not be ignored. You might think that something costing only £2.69 would be a load of rubbish but their Simply Pure Hydrating Serum is one of the best things I have ever put on my face! This silky serum features a wonderful blend of hyaluronic acid, lactic acid, ceramides & Soothex®. Together these ingredients help to nourish, soften, exfoliate & calm the skin. It's very gentle but can make a huge difference to the texture of your skin. Most people suffer from dehydrated skin without realising it so it's important to include something like this in your skincare routine. As long as you know what ingredients to look out for, good skincare products needn't cost you the earth & this serum is a great place to start.

Claudia Louch Mint Exfoliating Facial Polish*
I still maintain that chemical exfoliants are better than physical ones but if your skin is intolerant of acids then you can't go wrong with this lovely facial polish from Claudia Louch. This is a gentle sugar-based scrub with a whole host of plant extracts to nourish your skin naturally. The inclusion of apricot oil allows the scrub to smooth & cleanse the skin without drying it out. It sloughs off any dead skin to create a flawless base for makeup. You can use it directly on dry skin or mixed in with your regular cleanser. I prefer to mix it with my gel cleanser as it gets cleansing & exfoliating out of the way in one fell swoop. It has a gorgeous minty scent & really makes your skin feel tingly fresh. After washing it off my skin is left feeling velvety smooth & my complexion looks much brighter. It's a great way to improve your overall skin texture without the use of acids. The Mint Exfoliating Facial Polish is yet another truly brilliant product from the Claudia Louch Natural Skin Clinic.

Charlotte Tilbury Magic Foundation
Ever since trying her Light Wonder foundation I've been waiting for Charlotte Tilbury to come out with a fuller coverage option. Magic Foundation has been five years in the making & believe me, it was well worth waiting for. First off Magic Foundation comes in many more shades than Light Wonder with lighter lights, darker darks & plenty of others in between. I bought Shade 1 which is a neutral beige for very fair skin with cool undertones. The coverage is very buildable & no matter how much of it I slap on, it never looks cakey. The texture is quite thick but it feels weightless on the skin & perfects my complexion all day long. It immediately gives the appearance of smoother skin & contains several skincare ingredients to improve the condition of your skin in the long run. I much prefer this foundation to Light Wonder so kudos to CT for finally bringing us a high coverage base product. Magic Foundation is a fab addition to Charlotte Tilbury's ever expanding line up. It's not quite 'magic' but it certainly comes very close.

Anastasia Beverly Hills Illuminator in So Hollywood
Highlighters are totally my thing. I'm obsessed with the way they make my skin look & I cannot apply my makeup without sweeping a bit of shimmer across the high points of my face. I just don't feel right without it! Anastasia Beverly Hills is one of my favourite makeup brands so when they recently launched their powder Illuminators, I was all over it. Starlight is the shade recommended for pale skin but for some reason I really dislike white highlighters. I decided to get So Hollywood as the colour looked pretty similar to my bae, theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer. Despite what others have said I think that this shade is perfectly suitable for fair skin. It looks incredible & gives me the most beautiful golden glow without being too yellow toned. I love this product so much! The Illuminators are supposed to be limited edition in the UK so make sure you don't miss out!

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November Favourites

Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown
I love love love the Anastasia Beverly Hills products and her DipBrow Pomades are one of the best things to ever happen to my eyebrows. Now that I have this in Medium Brown instead of Blonde, the colour is spot on for my natural brows. The formula is just incredible. It's very creamy and easy to work with which means that you can sculpt your eyebrows into any shape you desire. You only need a teeny tiny amount as it is super pigmented. I like to use it with the Anastasia #12 brush as it doesn't lay the pomade down as thickly as other brushes. Once applied it won't budge all day long, it is totally waterproof & smudge-proof. I especially like that it adheres to the brow hairs and not just the skin underneath. The result is a very clean & precise yet natural looking pair of brows. This stuff will revolutionise your brow game forever. Read my full review here.

Lush Charity Pot
This moisturiser is called Charity Pot because 100% of the price goes towards a good cause. Each pot comes with a different label on the lid showing who you will be donating to by purchasing this moisturising lotion. I went for the Gloucestershire Against Badger Shooting pot because I think badgers are cute & it's wrong to cull them. It's really great that Lush are doing this & it's a such a lovely moisturiser too. You can use it on both your hands and body. The texture is quite thick & features a plethora of hydrating oils so I mainly use it on my hands or any dry areas like my knees & elbows. It makes my skin feel silky soft & has such a beautiful scent. It's a mix of moringa, geranium, rosewood & ylang ylang oil with a hint of vanilla - so good! They also sell samples of this in their little lip balm tins for £1 so you can just try it out. It's well worth investing in a bigger pot though as this is a brilliant moisturiser for the Winter & you're helping out a good cause at the same time!

Label.m Texturising Volume Spray*
I'm really into these dry texturising sprays. They're like a cross between a dry shampoo and a hairspray but without any gross residue, stickiness or crispy bits. Label.m products are a staple backstage at London Fashion Week and this Texturising Volume Spray is one of their best creations. I like to use this when my hair is looking a bit flat for an instant burst of volume. It feels lightweight yet the hold is impressive, leaving my hair looking big & bouncy all day long. It adds some sexy texture and definition to my locks whilst absorbing any excess oils. It's a great choice if your hair feels too soft after washing & lacks the grit to do anything with it. I'm not too keen on backcombing my hair as it can be quite damaging so I always spritz this in my hair instead when it's needed as visually you get the same effect. The price is very reasonable too in comparison to the Oribe Dry Texturising Spray or the Bumble & Bumble Thickening Dryspun Finish.

The Library Of Fragrance Pistachio Ice Cream*
This new range of single note fragrances is simply amazing. If you've not checked out The Library Of Fragrance yet then you're really missing out. These perfumes are such good quality for the price and along with the regular floral scents they also have some wonderfully strange ones in the collection. I'm really into their foodie scents. Who wouldn't want to smell like fresh waffles, apple pie or marshmallows? The Pistachio Ice Cream perfume smells exactly like real pistachio ice cream - sweet, creamy & nutty. It's utterly delicious & a whole lot cheaper than the Laura Mercier Creme de Pistache perfume. The best part is that you can mix and match these to create your own bespoke scent. Is it bad that I pretty much want to buy every single one? Read my full review here.

MeMeMe Long Wear Satin Lip Cream in China Rose
This beautiful soft pink lipstick is basically a drugstore dupe for MAC Creme Cup. Not just in colour but in texture, scent & finish too. Due to the inclusion of shea butter & vitamin E, this lipstick feels really moisturising on the lips & applies very smoothly. Long Wear is a bit of a misnomer as the texture is too creamy to stay put all day. I'd say it lasts about 2-3 hours before needing a touch up but that's fine by me! The pretty pink colour & glossy finish make this my ideal everyday lipstick. Read my full review here.

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Anastasia Brow Update

Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Medium Brown / Anastasia #12 Large Synthetic Duo Brow Brush

Earlier this year I purchased & reviewed the Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Blonde. I absolutely loved the formula of the product but as I'm obvs not a natural blonde, the colour never looked quite right on me. It was far too light & warm for my cool brown brow hairs. I had to top it up with a brow powder to make it look half decent. Then in July Anastasia added a few new shades to the DipBrow lineup including Medium Brown which is exactly the colour I was hoping for. I was tempted to get Taupe but when swatched it still looked very similar to Blonde just slightly more cool toned. Medium Brown is the perfect match for my natural brow colour as it's a little bit darker too. For reference other Anastasia products that suit my colouring are the Tinted Brow Gel in Granite & Brow Wiz in Medium Ash. Now that I finally have this product in the right colour I am completely enamoured with it. It will totally change your brow game & I can't recommend the DipBrow Pomades enough!

When I ordered the Medium Brown DipBrow Pomade I decided to also get the #12 brush as I've read so many good reviews of it. I was previously using a Laura Mercier angled brow brush and I thought that was amazing at the time but this brush is even better! It only picks up a small amount of product so your brows won't look too heavy or fake. It really helps to sculpt your eyebrows and the spoolie on the other end is excellent quality too. It makes it so easy to feather the start of your brows so there aren't any harsh lines. These two products just work so well together. They're all I've been using to fill in my eyebrows lately & I don't think mine have ever looked better.




Anastasia Brow Scissors
Another Anastasia product that I recently invested in are these adorable brow scissors. Although I would love to go & get HD Brows done someday, I currently always do my own brow maintenance. A pair of tweezers will only get you so far though & sometimes you just need to trim those hairs. I've always had a weird gap in my brows that I could tell was because I was plucking the hairs rather than trimming them. I remember following an eyebrow grooming tutorial a few years ago and I stupidly trimmed them with some kitchen scissors. They looked terrible & took ages to grow back properly! My brow shape had been bugging me lately so I bought these and gave it another go. I no longer have the weird gap as these have properly sorted out my brow arches. They are so sharp & thin that it's easy to cut individual hairs in the exact place you need to. Precision is key when it comes to grooming your own eyebrows so these are must-have if you don't have time to visit a beauty salon.

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Anastasia DipBrow Pomade In Blonde

Anastasia DipBrow Pomade in Blonde - £15

In my opinion Anastasia Soare is the unrivalled queen of eyebrows. I'm obsessed with both her Tinted Brow Gels & the Brow Wiz pencils. Unfortunately we don't have any Anastasia Beverly Hills counters in the UK & therefore the selection of products available is relatively limited. BeautyBay & Cult Beauty are currently the only UK websites you can order them from. Luckily they both stock one of Anastasia's most innovative products - the DipBrow Pomades. MAC, Tarte & Laura Mercier all do similar products but if there's an Anastasia version, that's the one I'm gonna buy. If you like your brows big, bold & beautifully defined then this is the product for you.

DipBrow Pomade is a waterproof, smudgeproof creamy brow colour that offers the ultimate definition for your eyebrows. The product simply glides on and stays put all day along. It does not budge! I find it really easy to apply & it gives such an effortlessly flawless finish. The best method of application is with an angled brush. I use the Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow Brush but any angled brush will do. The flat edge of the brush allows you to get a precise & clean line so your brows look perfectly groomed. I've also used the Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush to fill in any little gaps & it works surprisingly well on my eyebrows. You can use it to get a really finely tapered tail too. Even though the Pomade beefs up my skinny brows quite a bit, they don't look overly drawn on. There's still something natural about them. The product adheres to the brow hairs for optimal definition so it gives the illusion of naturally fuller brows. To further enhance my eyebrows I like to use a bit of concealer above & below them. This makes the shape look even cleaner & is good at hiding anything your tweezers might have missed.

My one gripe about the DipBrow Pomades is that the colour range isn't quite as good as that of the other Anastasia products. The Tinted Brow Gel in Granite & Brow Wiz in Medium Ash couldn't be better matches for my cool toned blonde hair & brown eyebrows but it was much harder to figure out which DipBrow Pomade to go for. The question I see others being asked most about this product is which shade should they buy so it seems I'm not alone in my colour match confusion. After much deliberation I went for Blonde as the three brown colours were horrifically dark. Blonde looked like a transformative taupe that could be built up to suit each person, much like MAC Omega eyeshadow which is one of my favourite brow powders. There are a lot of yellow tones in Blonde though and even when I layer the product on, the colour isn't quite right. It's ever so slightly too light & too yellow when you look up close. The colour is a warm taupe rather than the ashy taupe I was hoping for so it would be better suited to those with natural blonde hair. It's still fairly dark though so I'm glad I didn't go for one of the brown colours. I feel like I would need to mix Blonde & Dark Brown to get my perfect colour. Instead I've been using Blonde as a base & then I go over any lighter bits with a brow powder or pencil. That way I still get the smudgeproof clean finish of the DipBrow Pomade but the colour is slightly improved.

If colour matching isn't an issue for you then I couldn't recommend these enough! No matter how rubbish your natural eyebrows are these creamy gels can sculpt them to perfection. These pots of colour are incredibly pigmented so you only need to use tiny amount each time. I love the luxurious looking glass jar it comes in, Anastasia's packaging always looks gorgeous. They're well worth the £15. If you're after immaculately defined eyebrows without looking like you've gone a bit mad with a Sharpie then look no further - Anastasia's DipBrow Pomades are the one.

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Daily Makeup #2

I really liked how my makeup turned out the other night. The style & colours I used complemented my 60s inspired Urban Outfitters dress beautifully. As I was going to a concert I needed to make sure that my foundation would stick around all night long. I can't get enough of the Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation at the minute. I sandwiched it between a bit of Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer and Illamasqua Translucent Loose Powder. Even after hours of jumping about & dancing my base still looked perfectly matte & in place so I'd recommend getting both of those if your foundation is prone to melting. For concealer I used NARS Radiant Creamy Concealer underneath my eyes & on any blemishes. As always I went for theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer as my highlighter and then applied my favourite ever blusher - NARS Deep Throat - to add a peachy pink glow to my cheeks. Nude lips were all the rage during the 60s but I find it really hard to pull that look off. Pale skin & pale lips just makes you look ill. Instead I went for a lovely peach in the form of MAC Ever Hip Lipstick. I slicked on a bit of Lanolips Lemonaid Lip Aid* beforehand to soften my lips & add a glossy finish. It also helps to sheer out the lipstick & make it look even prettier.

Moving onto my eye makeup I didn't want to do a full on 60s eye look so I went for smokey grey eyeshadow instead. To make my eyeshadow last all night long without creasing I primed my eyelids using MAC Painterly Paint Pot. I used a couple of shades from the Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette - Verve all over my eyelid & then Pistol on the outer corners, blended into the crease & under my bottom lashes. I still really like the Yves Rocher Volume Vertige Mascara* so I layered it up for thick, voluminous lashes. I wanted to do a fairly thin line of liquid eyeliner so I used L'Oreal Superliner Perfect Slim & added a little flick at the ends. My eyes are pretty tiny so I always use a nude eyeliner on my waterline to make them look a bit bigger. MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 is the ultimate. Finally I filled in my eyebrows using Anastasia DipBrow Pomade. This stuff doesn't budge whatsoever & delivers intense definition to your brows. To make them look a bit more natural I used a combo of Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel & MAC Clear Brow Set. These helped to bring out the individual hairs so my brows didn't look completely drawn on. Let me know what you think!

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Daily Makeup #1

Today I'm starting up a new feature as I've never really done face of the day type posts before. It always bugs me when people talk about the makeup products they're using and then they don't follow it up with a picture of how it actually looks on their face. So here's a look with a focus on thick black liner & cherry red lips. I started off with my Giorgio Armani Luminous Silk Foundation in #2 which gives great coverage but also adds a wonderful glow to the skin. I concealed any blemishes & my undereye area with the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer in Fair before setting under my eyes with the Laura Mercier Secret Brightening Powder. I'm always one for a bit of shimmer so I dusted a bit of my Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powder in Luminous Light all over my face & highlighted my cheekbones with theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer. For blush I went for Illamasqua Naked Rose, it gives such a pretty flush to the cheeks. I then filled in my eyebrows using Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash & held my brows in place using MAC Clear Brow Set.

The lovely ladies at Baobella Boutique recently sent me a few new products to try out. Baobella Boutique is a free to join, members only online beauty store. They offer some amazing discounts on well known brands such as Clarins, Chanel, Decleor, L'Oreal, Maybelline & Lee Stafford to name just a few. There's a huge range of high end brands, drugstore brands and some that you might not have come across before. Each item is only available for a limited time period so you have to be quick to make sure you don't miss out on a great deal. If you like buying discounted beauty products (who doesn't?!) then it's well worth signing up for. I received an Yves Rocher duo worth over £40 yet you could buy it on Baobella Boutique for just £10.99! Yves Rocher is the number one makeup brand in France. All of their products are natural so if you're into that kind of thing then they're a great brand to check out. Not only that but their products are very high quality too.

I was extremely impressed by the Volume Vertige mascara. I love the curvy wand applicator. It really sculpts the lashes, giving lots of separation & definition without any clumps. One coat is enough for super long & thick lashes but I always like to add another to pump up the volume. It holds a curl so well & makes my lashes generally look amazing. After applying my mascara I lined my eyes with lots of Soap & Glory Supercat & MAC Chromagraphic Pencil in NC15/NW20 on the waterline. I finished off my look with a slick of Yves Rocher Grand Rouge lipstick in the shade Radiant Red. This lipstick feels really comfortable & moisturising on the lips. It features camellia oil, organic sesame oil & vitamin E to keep your lips in tip top condition. The highly pigmented formula simply glides on & it has a nice glossy finish. The staying powder is incredible, it lasts for hours even after eating & drinking. When it does begin to fade, it leaves a pretty red stain rather than a horrible ring around your lips. I love the packaging & it smells really nice too. Yves Rocher get a big thumbs up from me.

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February Favourites

Illamasqua Hydra Veil
My current primer of choice is Hourglass Veil Mineral Primer & normally that is the perfect primer for me. My skincare routine normally ensures that I have no weird dry or flaky patches on my face but sometimes it can be unavoidable. I recently had a bad cold and that always results in bad skin for me. My nose gets really dry, red & sore when I'm poorly so I needed something extra to calm that down. Illamasqua Hydra Veil is a temporary quick fix for any dry or dehydrated areas. This clear gel will instantly cool & soothe your skin leaving it feeling plump & incredibly hydrated. You only need a tiny bit to sort out your entire face. After applying it you'll be able to get a completely smooth & flawless base whatever the condition of your skin. No dry flaky patches in sight!

Bumble & Bumble Thickening Creme Contour
I got my hair did a few weeks ago & I decided to go for a centre parting again. I had my hairdresser cut in some long fringey bits so I could flick them out to the sides. I wasn't too sure what kind of product to use to keep them in place. I'm generally not a fan of crispy hairspray & didn't want anything that would dry hard like a gel. Instead I've been using this Bumble & Bumble Thickening Creme Contour. This styling cream adds shape, texture & definition to my hair without weighing it down. It's lightweight yet offers a good enough hold to keep my style in place. It also makes my hair feel thicker & more voluminous. If you like really biiiig hair, combine it with their Dryspun Finish spray. You'll get some full, volumised locks with plenty of style.

Barry M Lip Gloss in Toffee
I always think of Barry M as a nail polish brand but there are a few gems to be found in the rest of their product range. I'm especially fond of their lip glosses. Toffee (#2) is my favourite shade. It adds a beautiful nude sheen to your lips when used alone & looks lovely on top of any pink lipstick. It smells delicious too! These glosses don't last too long on the lips but they feel really comfortable to wear without any horrible stickiness. It's a must-have for fuss-free nude lips.

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash
I absolutely love Anastasia products. If you need a new eyebrow product then Anastasia should be your first port of call. This pencil is really great because it provides the convenience of pencil application with the natural finish of a powder. The nib is retractable & very fine so you can actually draw on individual hairs with it. It's just makes it so easy to get the exact brow shape you want without looking harsh at all. It even has a spoolie on the other end to groom your brow hairs & blend the product. The colour range is one of the best I've come across. I highly recommend buying this product!

Real Techniques Silicone Liner Brush
This brush is nothing new because Japonesque have made a silicone liner brush for quite some time. Real Techniques win though because theirs is cheaper, more readily available & works in exactly the same way. The easy to clean silicone tip allows me to get the perfect cat flick every time. It doesn't drag along the eyelid like some brushes or liquid liners can do. You can get such a smooth line with it & it's so easy to vary the shape of your flick or thickness of line. Obviously as it's not an actual brush, the tip won't hold much product. You do have to keep dipping it into your gel liner pot but I don't think that affects the application process at all. It's much more hygienic than a brush & should last for years to come.

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Anastasia Brow Wiz In Medium Ash

Anastasia Brow Wiz in Medium Ash - £15.50

Anastasia Brow Wiz is a product that has been on my wishlist for the longest time. I've heard nothing but good things about it for quite a few years now. With the launch of the new Anastasia DipBrow Pomade (review coming soon!) I decided to save on shipping & order both products together. Eyebrow product overkill? Not at all if you're a curious brow lover like me. Anastasia Soare is the queen of eyebrows & her products truly are the crème de la crème. I love her Tinted Brow Gel for some quick & easy definition when I'm short on time. However in my opinion a pair of beautifully groomed brows can make or break your face so it is important to fill them in properly.

Having plucked my eyebrows into oblivion as a teenager I've tried a fair few eyebrow pencils over the years. They're a quicker option than brow powders & a lot more portable making them better for touch ups. Pencils can look a lot harsher than powders though so it's important to fill in your brows with light feathery strokes rather than like you're colouring something in with a Sharpie. One of the reasons why I like Brow Wiz so much is because the results are very natural looking. The nib is incredibly fine allowing you to draw on tiny individual hairs. It makes it so easy to achieve the exact shape you want without any harsh lines. The colour intensity is buildable so you can create a more dramatic eyebrow if you so wish. The formula of the pencil is so smooth & extremely long lasting. This stuff will not smudge or fade whatsoever. Plus the tip is retractable which saves product & means you never have to sharpen it. On the other end there's a great little spoolie to brush through your eyebrows with. It helps to neaten up the hairs before filling them in & then blends the pencil perfectly through your brows. Just finish it all off with some clear brow gel for some immaculate looking eyebrows that will last all day long.

One part of filling in your eyebrows that is often overlooked is colour choice. It's so important to get it right or you can end up looking really weird, as I've had to learn the hard way! A lot of drugstore brow pencils have a lot of red in them or are just way too dark. Anastasia Brow Wiz comes in six different colours & shade selection is a breeze because they offer suggestions for every hair colour. Obviously my hair is bleached blonde but I keep my eyebrows au natural colour-wise. Bleached brows are never a good look! I prefer to stick to light ashy brown shades & then I can build them up to match the natural colour. Medium Ash is suggested for anyone with light to medium brown or silver hair. It's absolutely perfect for me. The only downside to this pencil is that you get less than 1g of product. You only need to wind up the nib a tiny bit though so it should last quite a while. Honestly this eyebrow pencil is worth every penny & it's easy to see why it's such a cult product. If you're in need of better brows, then Anastasia is definitely the way to go.

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What's In My Makeup Bag?

I store all of my makeup collection in some acrylic drawers from Homebase but I keep the stuff I tend to wear on a daily basis inside my makeup bag. I bought this from MAC a few years ago & it's still going strong. It is the signature medium rectangle bag. It's a good size as it can hold a lot of stuff and has a separate pocket to keep my brushes in. I tend to keep far too many things in here as I like to have a little bit of choice when it comes to what I'm gonna use that day. I would clear some of the products out but I just like too many things! Anyway here's a little peak at some of my most used makeup products.

Dr Jart+ Water Fuse BB Cream / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation / Laura Mercier Foundation Primer
By Terry Touche Veloutee / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector
Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer

I keep a couple of different base products in my bag to use depending on how my skin is behaving & how much time I have to get ready. If I have time I prefer to use the Laura Mercier Silk Creme applied with a Beautyblender. If I'm running late a blob of the Dr Jart BB cream mixed with a tiny dot of the Kevyn Aucoin Sensual Skin Enhancer helps to even out my skin and hide some of my blemishes & scarring. The BB cream alone is far too dark & sheer for me so adding the Sensual Skin Enhancer lightens it up & adds a bit more coverage. I use a few different concealers but tend to just go for some of the Bobbi Brown Creamy Corrector under my eyes most days.

Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer / Illamasqua Naked Rose Blusher / NARS Deep Throat Blusher / theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / MAC Omega Eyeshadow / Urban Decay Naked Basics Palette

As well as the Laura Mercier Foundation Primer I also keep the Clarins Instant Smooth one in my bag. The Clarins primer is better if I want to hide my pores & smooth over my skin so I use this one more often. I love blushers & have tons in my collection but the ones I've been using most are NARS Deep Throat & Illamasqua Naked Rose. They're both nice peachy pinks that add a much needed burst of colour to my complexion. My go-to highlighter is theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer, I recommend this product for anyone who wants a highly metallic sheen to their skin. It's one of the most pigmented I've tried & really makes my skin glow. I use the Urban Decay Naked Basics palette every day as it's a great selection of neutral colours that are ideal for day or night. If I fancy using a powder to fill in my eyebrows I opt between the shade Naked2 from this palette and MAC's Omega eyeshadow.

Givenchy Noir Couture Mascara* / MAC Clear Brow Set / NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm / Lancome Hypnose Doll Eyes Mascara / Benefit They're Real Mascara / MAC Fling Eye Brow Pencil / Anastasia Granite Tinted Brow Gel / Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara / Beaute Girlina Weightless Lip Creme / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter / Urban Decay Eyeshadow Primer Potion / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
LORAC Front Of The Line Pro Eyeliner / SUQQU Eyebrow Liquid Pen

I have four mascaras in here which is probably overkill! At the minute I like to layer the last dregs of my Lancome Doll Eyes mascara with Benefit They're Real mascara and then use the Clinique mascara on my bottom lashes to stop them smudging. I didn't really like They're Real to begin with but it's starting to get better as it dries out a bit. Still clinging on to the Lancome one though! There's some more eye brow products here depending on how I want them to look. I love brushing on some of the Anastasia Tinted Brow Gel when I don't have time to fill them in properly. I have lip products galore but I tend to go for the Beaute Lip Creme or Revlon Lip Butter as I do love a nice pink lip. I use the L'Oreal Superliner to do my regular cat flick but the LORAC one is amazing for really thin lines. I use this to fill in any tiny gaps, neaten the end of the flick & sometimes I draw on bottom lashes with it a la Twiggy. And I can't go a day without using my MAC NC15/NW20 pencil on my lower lash line to brighten up my eyes.

Real Techniques Buffing Brush / Real Techniques Contour Brush x2 / Real Techniques Setting Brush / Sigma Tapered Highlighter Brush / Real Techniques Brow Brush / Laura Mercier Double Ended Eye Brow Brush / MAC 239 Brush / MAC 222 Brush / MAC 219 Brush / MAC 227 Brush / Tweezerman Tweezers / Shu Uemura Eyelash Curler

I keep a few essential brushes in here but often dip into my brush pots when I'm getting ready. I typically apply foundation with a Beautyblender (but I keep that in a separate jar) or the Real Techniques Buffing Brush. I always keep two of the Contour Brushes in here - one for blending concealer & one for applying blusher. I use the setting brush with some loose powder to set under my eyes and the Sigma brush to apply highlighter. There's two angled brushes in here but they're quite different, the Real Techniques one is better for lining my eyes with black eyeshadow & the Laura Mercier one is my favourite eye brow brush. The bristles are a lot stiffer so it works a lot better. I also keep several eyeshadow brushes in here but I probably use the MAC 219 the most as I like to apply some brown eyeshadow under my eyes with it. Finally I have my tweezers & eyelash curlers, total essentials for me & you can't get better than Tweezerman & Shu Uemura.

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Favourite Products Of 2012

My monthly favourite posts are probably the ones I enjoy writing the most. Lots of you have told me that they're the ones you enjoy reading the most too. So today I bring you my yearly roundup of the products that I've loved using. It was really difficult to narrow the list down this year. There were so many new things that I tried & that have quickly become an essential part of my beauty regime. I'm surprised to see what things have changed & whats stayed the same from my last yearly favourites post. One thing's for sure, 2012 was a very expensive year in beauty!

Skincare
Emma Hardie Amazing Face Natural Lift & Sculpt Moringa Cleansing Balm / Alpha-H Liquid Gold
REN Invisible Pores Detox Mask / Hydraluron / Caudalie Beauty Elixir / Bioderma Créaline H2O

I definitely spent the most amount of money on new skincare products. I fell in love with this Emma Hardie cleanser from the moment I tried it. It removes makeup like nothing else & leaves your skin feeling so soft. I'm sure you could tell that Liquid Gold would be on my list. This glycolic acid based chemical exfoliant is something of a miracle potion for me. It resurfaces your skin getting rid of blemishes, fine lines & reducing scarring. Hands down, it is my favourite product of the year. The REN Invisible Pores is such a wonderful clay face mask. It draws out all the impurities in my skin & tightens every pore. Hydraluron is my favourite product for injecting a quick hit of moisture to the skin as its basically a super power up serum for your moisturiser. It rehydrates skin & helps keep spots at bay. I still love the Caudalie Beauty Elixir and spray it on my face twice a day. Its just so refreshing on the skin & I couldn't go without it now. Bioderma is the best thing you can use if you're feeling too lazy to actually wash your face. It just dissolves makeup so well & doesn't irritate my skin or eyes whatsoever.

Haircare
Moroccanoil / Percy & Reed Finishing Polish / Kerastase Ciment Thermique / Redken Real Control Overnight Treat
Bumble & Bumble Texture Hair (Un) Dressing Creme / Denman Dressing Out Hairbrush

I use Moroccanoil every time I wash my hair & it has definitely helped with its overall condition. I really like the Percy & Reed Finishing Polish as it gives my hairstyle great hold & successfully tames my frizz without weighing down my hair. Nothing beats Ciment Thermique when it comes to heat protection. It also makes your hair softer & has a lovely grapefruit scent. The Redken Overnight Treat is my favourite leave in product as you really do wake up with better looking hair. Bumble & Bumble products are amazing, I only wish they weren't quite so expensive. One thing from them that you should definitely splurge on is this Hair (Un) Dressing Creme. A tiny blob of this stuff ran through your roots before blow drying will give you just the right amount of texture & volume. To give my roots even more volume I use this Dressing Out brush. It is the best backcombing brush ever & can even be used to brush through wigs & hair extensions.

Base
Clarins Instant Smooth Perfecting Touch Primer / Bobbi Brown Corrector / Laura Mercier Silk Creme Foundation
Urban Decay All Nighter Setting Spray / theBalm Mary-Lou Manizer / Laura Mercier Mineral Powder
Illamasqua Translucent Loose Setting Powder

Clarins Instant Smooth is my new favourite primer. It gives you such a flawless base & basically airbrushes out your pores. Nothing manages to cover my hideous dark circles quite like my Bobbi Brown Corrector. It really brightens up the under eye area and makes you look a lot more awake. For most of 2012 I stuck with Estee Lauder Double Wear because I do love the coverage & staying power. Then Estee Lauder did something stupid & got rid of their palest shade. Enter Laura Mercier Silk Creme foundation. Soft Ivory is such a perfect colour for me. You only need the tiniest blob for flawless skin and I find I don't need to use concealer on my blemishes when I use this foundation. I love the Urban Decay Setting Spray as it keeps your face in place all day & stops powder from looking powdery. I have a ridiculous obsession with highlighters and I couldn't stop myself from buying new ones in my search for the perfect glow. Look no further, theBalm's Mary-Lou Manizer is the ultimate highlighter! I bought this back in May and haven't used or purchased another one since. I use this every single day as nothing else can deliver such a powerful shine. For days when I'm running late I go for a quick bit of concealer under my eyes and a good dusting of this Laura Mercier Mineral Powder. It has great coverage & gives a natural glow. I'd recommend this one over the pressed mineral powder as the pressed ones give a more matte finish. My favourite product for setting my makeup & taking away shine from my t-zone is this Illamasqua powder. I'm paranoid about my mascara running & concealer creasing under my eyes. This powder sets them perfectly & doesn't look cakey at all.

Eyes
Lancome Doll Eyes Mascara / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / Anastasia Granite Tinted Brow Gel
Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara / Urban Decay Naked 2 Palette / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
Maybelline On And On Bronze Colour Tattoo 24hr Eyeshadow / MAC Omega Eyeshadow

My mascara & eyeliner choices are the same as last year. I just love this combo for long, thick, voluminous lashes & that perfect black flick. Anastasia are a brand I've been excited to try for a while & their Tinted Brow Gel certainly didn't disappoint. This is such a great product for when you need your brows done fast. Something I've used for a long time is the Clinique Bottom Lash Mascara. The tiny brush is fab for getting all those little bottom lashes & as it is a tubing mascara you don't have to worry about it running. The Naked 2 palette really is the best eyeshadow palette I own with shades & textures for all occasions. My eyes don't look right if I forget to use my MAC NC15/NW20 eye pencil. It really opens them up and takes away any redness. I've bought quite a few cream eyeshadows this year but Maybelline's On And On Bronze tops the list. Its such a nice colour & works well on its own as well as under other eye shadows without any creasing. At the beginning of last year I was using the HD Brows palette but I found the shades were just too dark & it was easy to overdo it. Omega is the perfect eyebrow colour. Its dark enough to match my eyebrow hairs & cool enough to look right with my blonde hair.

Blusher
Stila Petunia Convertible Colour / Illamasqua Sophie / NARS Deep Throat

I adore the Stila Convertible Colours! I used to be quite wary of cream blushers but the formula of these is just spot on. All the colours are gorgeous but Petunia is the one I reach for most. Its a bright rosy pink & looks fab on both cheeks & lips. I love love love Illamasqua's blushers & this is one of their newer shimmer blushers. Sophie is such a gorgeous bright golden coral colour and adds a nice bit of warmth to my complexion. NARS Deep Throat is a colour I reach for on an everyday basis. Its just the perfect colour for me & I can't get enough of it. This is actually the only NARS blusher I own, I'd love to get my hands on Douceur next.

Lip Products
NUXE Reve De Miel Lip Balm / Revlon Strawberry Shortcake Lip Butter
Revlon Rendezvous Just Bitten Kissable Balm Stain / Look Beauty Citrus Kick Double Hit Lip
MAC Subculture Lip Pencil

The only lip balm capable of saving my lips from death this year has been this lovely NUXE one. I really like the pot & the stick but the pot definitely wins when you need an intense hit of moisture as its a bit thicker. I'd never tried any Revlon products before this year & I truly loved their two very hyped products - the Lip Butters & Balm Stains. Strawberry Shortcake is a lovely everyday pink whereas Rendezvous is sexy orange number. I also really like the Look Beauty Double Hit Lips. One end is a lipstick & the other is a lipgloss. Citrus Kick is another orange but it turns into a very pretty coral when it combines with the natural pink of my lips. The scent is absolutely delicious too. MAC's Subculture lip pencil is great nudey pink shade for emphasising the shape of your lips. It works well under a variety of lip colours & gives you super pouty lips.

Nail Polishes
Essie Cute As A Button / Essie Lilacism / Essie Fiji / Models Own Disco Inferno / Louise Gray For Topshop Junk Yard

I've been loving Essie polishes this year. The new brush makes them so easy to apply & they dry fairly quickly. They don't chip much either with a good coat of Seche Vite on top. Lilacism is probably my favourite one as I just love purple colours! I've also gotten into glitter polishes this year. The whole Models Own Mirrorball collection was amazing but as a gold lover Disco Inferno is the one I reach for most often. This Louise Gray for Topshop glitter nail polish is so stunning & I can't stop staring at my nails whenever I wear it.

Tools
Real Techniques Brushes / Shu Uemura Eyelash Curlers / Tweezerman Tweezers

Most of my makeup brush collection has been replaced with Real Techniques brushes since they launched in the UK. I think they're amazing quality with super soft bristles that dry quickly after washing & don't shed at all. My makeup looks so much better since I invested in some of these. I use these three on a daily basis. I apply my foundation using the Buffing Brush, my blusher using the Contour Brush and loose powder with the setting brush. I can't recommend these enough and wish these were around before I wasted loads of money on overhyped MAC brushes which used to just shed all over my face. I use these Shu Uemura eyelash curlers every day without fail. They make my lashes look so much better & open up my eyes. They make such a difference. I've used these tweezers for years as you can pluck out the tiniest hairs with them. They last forever so they're definitely worth the investment.