Daily Makeup #3

In celebration of finally finding a drugstore foundation that not only matches my skin tone but actually looks good on me, I decided to do a makeup look using mainly drugstore products. I say mainly because I had to cheat with my powder but everything else I used can be found in Boots or Superdrug & is very affordable. The foundation I'm referring to is none other than the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation which really illuminates the skin whilst giving medium coverage. I use the shade 010 Light Porcelain which is very pale & pink toned. I applied it using an Illamasqua Highlighter Brush which can make any foundation look amazing. For concealer I went with an old favourite, the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer. This product works brilliantly both under the eyes & on blemishes so it has earned a permanent place in my makeup bag. To set my base I used Illamasqua Translucent Loose Setting Powder. Obviously it's not a drugstore item but for the price you get a ton of product & it gives you a flawless matte finish. I can't really wear the Rimmel foundation without powder because the staying power isn't that great & it transfers like hell!

Sleek do the best drugstore cheek products in my opinion. I used their Face Contour Kit in Light to add some definition to my cheekbones & highlight the high points of my face. I don't really like the highlighter that much because it's practically invisible on the skin but the contour shade is fab. I also used their Rose Gold Blush which is a beautiful peachy pink with golden shimmer. It's basically the same colour as NARS Orgasm. The pigmentation isn't as good but that often works out well for me because I tend to be quite heavy handed with my blusher. Next I moved onto my eye makeup & I started by using the SEVENTEEN Trio Eyeshadow in Enraged. These colours are a lot warmer than they look in the pan so I don't like them as much as I thought I would. The gold works nicely as a pop colour in the middle of the eye but I'll definitely be avoiding the peachy shade in future. I applied a couple of coats of the L'Oreal Miss Manga Mascara to my top & bottom lashes before lining them with the Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner Pen. I use those two on a regular basis & I think they make a great combo. It feels weird now to use anything other than Anastasia DipBrow Pomade on my eyebrows but I filled them in with the Collection Eyebrow Kit. These powders are really good quality & can be mixed to create your own custom brow shade.

The bright red lips are the focal point of this look & I thought I would try one of the Bourjois Rouge Edition Velvet Lipsticks. This is the shade 03 Hot Pepper which is a vibrant orangey red. I've heard so many good things about these matte finish liquid lipsticks so I wanted to see if they lived up to the hype. I love the colour but the formula, not so much. Sure it lasts for hours without requiring reapplication but it was a bit of a faff to apply in the first place. I thought it would be opaque in one swipe but I had to keep layering it up which meant it took forever to dry down. It still feels slightly tacky hours later & transfers if you eat something or kiss someone. I think I just need to be patient & wait for Jeffree Star's Velour Liquid Lipsticks to be restocked. They're completely kissproof & come in some even prettier colours! I do appreciate how long lasting this Bourjois one is though & it's rare for such a bright lipstick to not end up all over my wonky teeth! Are you a fan of any of the products I used?

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Brows On A Budget

Barry M Brow Kit / Collection Eyebrow Kit / Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow in Permanent Taupe

I'm so glad that brows are currently having a bit of a renaissance. I've always had an obsession with them & must have spent loads on tools, regrowth products & cosmetics for those two furry lines. Admittedly I've always been into high-end brow products because drugstore brands never seemed to realise that not everyone has really dark warm toned eyebrows. During my teenage goth phase I used to draw on my eyebrows with a black Rimmel eyeliner. It was not a good look, especially when the pencil started to smudge! There just weren't many other options in Boots at the time. Luckily things have improved a bit these days & most brands have cottoned onto the fact that people want groom their brows to perfection. To be totally honest I don't think I'd ever give up my precious Anastasia products in favour of these but it's good to know that more makeup brands are starting to take brows seriously.





The Barry M Brow Kit comes complete with everything you need to groom & define your eyebrows. It contains a creamy brown wax, a dark brown powder, a highlighter, tweezers & a double ended applicator. It reminds me of Benefit Brow Zings with the added bonus of a highlight powder. The tweezers are okay for plucking one or two strays but I wouldn't shape your whole eyebrow with them. The brush is surprisingly good. Normally I automatically dismiss brushes in makeup kits but the angled side is perfect for shaping your brows with the tinted wax. After applying the wax you then use the blending brush to build up your brows with the dark powder. Both the wax & powder are very easy to work with. The trouble is this kit only comes in one shade which is horrendously dark & warm toned. I tried using the wax & powder alone as well as together but either way they look horrible on me. The highlight shade is incredibly subtle & I found it hard to get it show up on my skin. I wish there were a few other colours available as this has the potential to be a truly fantastic kit. Hopefully Barry M will bring out a few more versions soon.






I much prefer the Collection Eyebrow Kit. Instead of a wax & a highlight, it comes with three brow powders. Used alone none of the colours suit me but they can easily be mixed & matched to create your own custom brow shade. The colours lean slightly warm but they're nowhere near as red toned as the Barry M colours. The dark brown powder is extremely dark but the texture is creamy with absolutely no fallout. It's easy to achieve whatever eyebrow shape you desire with this kit as the formula of the powders is really lovely. I find that a mix of the light brown with a little bit of the medium brown shade works well for me. The angled brush is exactly the same as the one in the Barry M kit & applies the powders well. I love that the kit comes with it's own mini brow gel. The formula isn't the best at keeping stray hairs in place but the plastic brush helps to neaten up your brows by pushing everything in the right direction. It also includes a fab little mirror which is the exactly the right size for doing your brows.




If you've ever wanted to try the Anastasia DipBrow Pomades but don't want to shell out £15 when you have no idea which colour to get, then give the Maybelline Color Tattoo 24hr Cream Eyeshadow in Permanent Taupe a go. Everyone went mental for these last year so chances are you probably already have this in your stash. Not only is it a wonderful cream eyeshadow but applied with an angled brush it's a decent drugstore dupe for Anastasia Beverly Hills' most innovative product. The formula isn't quite as creamy or natural looking so a very light hand is needed here but otherwise it works in a fairly similar way. You can really sculpt your brows with this, creating a clean but bold look. The taupe colour is buildable & would work well for anyone with cool-toned medium or dark brown eyebrows.

What's your favourite budget brow product?

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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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Favourite Products Of 2011

I have probably spent more on makeup in the last 12 months than in any other year of my life. It sure is expensive work being a beauty blogger! Luckily it means that I've found some products that I really love and can see myself using for a long time to come. Here are some of my favourite things that I used last year. I liked a lot more stuff than what I've listed here but these are the products that really stood out to me.


Skincare
Clarisonic Mia / Liz Earle Eyebright / Dermalogica Active Moist
The best thing that I invested in last year was my Clarisonic Mia. There is no other skincare product or treatment out there that compares to what this will do for your skin. I love how it makes my skin look, almost like I've had a spa facial every time I wash my face. I love all the Liz Earle products that I've tried so far. I use Cleanse & Polish with my Clarisonic & follow up with their Skin Tonic too. Eyebright is a bit of a wonder product as it instantly cools & refreshes your eyes. Its brilliant if you've had too many late nights or need to look & feel more awake. Active Moist has been my favourite moisturiser for a while now. Its perfect on my normal/combination skin type. I haven't really liked any of the moisturisers I tried last year so I'll be sticking with this one for the foreseeable future.


Haircare
Tangle Teezer / Kerastase Ciment Thermique / Batiste XXL Volume Dry Shampoo / Frédéric Fekkai Brilliant Glossing Cream
For anyone still wondering if Tangle Teezers work, yes they do & mine has saved me from some pretty horrific knots. I still really like the Kerastase Ciment Thermique & I don't think that any other heat protection product compares to this one. The grapefruit scent lingers on your hair & its absolutely beautiful. I only recently managed to purchase the XXL Volume Batiste as its been really hard to track it down. Its literally always sold out. I'm so glad I got this as although it does make your hair feel like utter crap, it does give you lots of volume. Just whack some serum on afterwards and you're good to go. The Brilliant Glossing Cream is kinda like a cream version of Moroccanoil so it helps to weigh down your hair more. Some people won't like that but I do as it means less flyaways & a more polished looking hairdo.


Base
Illamasqua Skin Base Foundation / Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer / Bobbi Brown Corrector / MAC Pearl Cream Colour Base / Illamasqua Hollow Cream Pigment / MAC Mineralize Skin Finish Natural / Dior Amber Diamond
Last year I became obsessed with finding the perfect base products. I bought a ton of different products but these are my favourites and I use all of these every day. Illamasqua's Skin Base Foundation has been a revelation. I finally have a foundation that matches my exact skintone and has no SPF in which stops the 'ghost face' that Estee Lauder Double Wear used to inflict upon me. Like everyone else I love that Collection 2000 concealer. Its practically opaque & covers pretty much everything. I couldn't live without my Bobbi Brown Corrector as although the Collection 2000 concealer is really good, this product colour corrects my dark circles making me look really awake & like I've slept for 12 hours each night. MAC MSF Natural has been my fave powder for ages, I just wear this with some concealer if I have no time at all to get ready. When I use the Illamasqua foundation I just use this to powder under my eyes because otherwise my mascara ends up all over my face. Pearl Cream Colour Base & Amber Diamond are the perfect highlighting duo. I've bought more highlighters than I can count in 2011 and these are the best of the best. I like a lot of glow so using a cream under the powder makes my cheeks look super shiny & it lasts all day. Hollow Cream Pigment is something I only bought recently but it is the best contour product ever.


Eyes
Lancome Doll Eyes Mascara / L'Oreal Carbon Gloss Superliner / HD Brows Palette / MAC Shroom & Patina Eyeshadows / MAC NC15/NW20 Pencil
The mascara that I've most recently fallen in love with is the Lancome Doll Eyes one. When I first got it the formula was a lot more fluid and didn't really give me the volume I wanted. But as it dried up a bit it got thicker and it is everything I could want in a mascara. It makes my lashes super long, thick & black. I use the L'Oreal eyeliner on a daily basis as I think I look weird without it. This one is really black, long lasting and pretty cheap too which makes it the best eyeliner I've bought this year. I love the eyebrow powders in the HD Brows Palette, they're so pigmented and just brilliant. I only use the one in the bottom right corner as the others don't suit me but I use the others as eyeshadows so its a fab product. The eyeshadows I've reached for most are Shroom & Patina by MAC. I don't really wear eyeshadow much but these are subtle enough for everyday wear. I love this MAC eyeliner pencil as it makes my eyes look bigger & brighter without being a really obvious white line.


Blusher
Illamasqua Katie / Illamasqua Thrust / NARS Deep Throat / Topshop Head Over Heels
I like to wear a lot of blush as it adds some pretty colour to my deathly pallor which saves me from bronzing my whole face to an unnatural colour. My fave blusher at the moment is NARS Deep Throat, I think its the perfect colour for me with just the right amount of sparkle. I adore Illamasqua's powder blushers. Katie is a lovely pastel pink & Thrust is a bright magenta. It looks so scary in the pan but its a gorgeous colour if you apply it with a light hand & blend it properly. I want to try some of Illamasqua's cream blushers next as they seem really good too. The only cream blushers I own are from Topshop but they are great quality for the price. I like the shade Head Over Heels best as its a very pretty peachy colour thats perfect for Summer.


Lip Products
Philosophy Kiss Me Tonight / Beaute Wanted Weightless Lip Creme / MAC Hue Lipstick / MAC Enchantée Kissable Lip Colour
I bought a lot of lipsticks this year. In order to keep my lips lovely & smooth I use Philosophy's Kiss Me Tonight lip treatment. Its a balm that you put on before you go to bed and you wake up with beautifully soft lips. I also put some on before I do my makeup then blot it off when I'm ready to apply my lipstick. I bought the Beaute Weightless Lip Creme in Wanted after I heard that Kristen Stewart loves it. Its a lovely nude thats halfway between a lipstick and gloss. The MAC Kissable Lip Colours from their Peacocky collection use a similar formula. I love the colour Enchantée which is a cool toned bright pink. My fave everyday lipstick is MAC Hue. Its the most perfect pinky nude that looks brilliant on everyone.


Nail Polishes
Illamasqua Jo'Mina / Models Own Utopia / Models Own Pink Punch / Barry M Peach Melba
This was such a hard decision as I adore all the nail polishes I bought last year and believe me, I bought a lot! These ones stood out to me as unique colours that I always get complimented on. They all apply really well and don't chip too badly with some Seche Vite on top.

May Favourites

Bobbi Brown Corrector
Sometimes when I apply concealer I notice that my dark circles are still really noticeable. This is because concealers tend to cover up just one colour shade. In order to really eradicate dark circles you need a different coloured corrector underneath. This product is the perfect dark circle corrector. It blends easily, doesn't cake under the eyes and it really does help to brighten your whole face. I would suggest getting matched at a counter as the colour of your dark circles will define whether you need a bisque or peach shade rather than your skin tone. I use Light Bisque and find that it is the perfect colour for me. You only need the tiniest amount too as you pat it directly onto the discolouration rather than underneath your whole eye. It works amazingly well with the Collection 2000 concealer.

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer
I had to see for myself why this concealer was getting so much hype. It really does its job well. The quality of this product is pretty much on par with the Estee Lauder Doublewear Concealer so its definitely worth the miniscule price tag. I prefer this to the Doublewear one as the Fair shade I use is actually a bit lighter, meaning that my under eye circles are barely visible & any imperfections are pretty much eradicated from sight. I like to use my Bobbi Brown corrector, apply my Chanel Vitalumiere Aqua with a MAC 187 brush and then blend this into my skin with the same brush. Flawless skin in a flash.

Liz Earle Eyebright Soothing Eye Lotion
Although every Liz Earle product is perfectly lovely, my favourite would have to be Eyebright. This was especially welcome on my eyes this morning after getting drunk last night. Its so cooling and refreshing on my skin. This is the perfect cure for tired, puffy eyes and it really helps to wake me up in the morning. It works even better if you keep it in the fridge.

L'Oreal Renewal Lash Serum
I posted about it when I first bought this product and now I've had a chance to trial it properly I can safely say its worked wonders for my lashes. All the gaps in my eyelashes have filled in and its helped my eyebrows to grow a lot too. I still don't like the applicator as I don't think it fits around my lashes properly making it really cumbersome to actually put on. The actual serum however works really well and is a lot cheaper than the likes of RapidLash.

Beaute Luminous Volume Gloss
I have a lot of Beaute lip products as I love the colours, the application, the feel and the longevity. The only thing I dislike about them is the price tag which is quite frankly ludicrous. This lipgloss cost a whopping £21! If you're willing to pay that however you're left with a magical product. It plumps up your lips slightly giving you really lovely kissable lips. The formula is a bit on the sticky side but I think that helps the lipgloss to last. This shade is called Medusa and its a gorgeous creamy pink beige. Its all I've worn on my lips lately. It photographs beautifully which I think is probably why all the Beaute lip products are favourites of many celebrities. I also love love love the Weightless Lip Cremes.



Ben & Jerry's Fairly Nuts Ice Cream
Mmm this is the best ice cream I've tasted in ages. Got this by accident as Asda didn't have any Cookie Dough left. Its caramel ice cream with praline almond clusters & caramel swirls. I could sit here right now and eat a whole tub. Yum.



Bones
I harp on a lot about how much I love Bones on Twitter but this show has been my life for the past month. Every night before bed I watch a couple of episodes and have almost made my way through the whole box set. I'm halfway through season 5 at the moment. Seriously its so good. If you like crime solving shows with amazing character development & interaction then you need to watch Bones. Apparently the 6th season isn't as good but I'll still download it. Dreading the inevitable drain that will be on my bandwidth allowance! Now that I've nearly finished watching this, I'm looking for some new TV shows to watch. Any recommendations? Pretty much all the good shows have finished for the Summer and the only thing to look forward to now is True Blood. Tell me your faves!