11/05/2015

My Top 10 Favourite Beauty Products Tag

I love buying makeup and beauty products to experiment with. Having built up a list as long as my arm that I’ve been wanting to share with you but hadn’t quite gotten around to, I was recently nominated to complete the ‘My Top 10 Favourite Beauty Products’ tag.

My favourites tend to change with the season, my mood and what suits my skin at a given time so I’m going to share what I’m loving right now.

Without further ado, let’s get started:

Foundation

I’ve mentioned Benefit Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow before (here) which is lovely but I honestly don’t have any others to compare it to as I only wear foundation very occasionally. I much prefer to let my skin ‘breathe’ by keeping it free of foundation whenever possible and am more focused on keeping my skin hydrated and nourished.

Concealer

Nothing has beaten my Benefit Erase Paste. I reviewed this in my post here all the way back in January and the same pot is still going strong. I think the expiry date will run out long before the actual concealer. I use it in the dark corners of my eyes as I suffer from dark shadows and the yellow undertones help to neutralise this.

Powder

I don’t wear powder! I know I probably should, but…

Blush

Here’s where I start gushing like a total fangirl – sorry!

I went to the launch of MooGoo’s new beauty line Dusty Girls in January (read about this here!) and it was love at first sight when I came across their Pink Ladies Natural Mineral Blush*. They kindly sent me one to try and the love affair has continued ever since.

It’s a dusky pink tone which translates on your cheeks into a soft rosy glow. There is the tiniest hint of shimmer to it in the pan but once on it is matte which I think works really well with pinker blushes.

Other bonuses?

The packaging is gorgeous.
All of the products in the Dusty Girls beauty range are formulated with completely natural ingredients; they are free of harsh chemicals or any hidden nasties.
It works with, rather than against, my pale skin.
I feel like Snow White when I wear it!

Bronzer

I have stuck with the same bronzing pearls for about 5 years (sod expiry dates, the same pot is still going strong!). However it has since been discontinued.

The only problem with my bronzer is that it’s quite shimmery, so recently I got brave and bought myself the Barry M Chisel Cheeks Contour Kit which is only £6.49 and is completely matte.

I certainly don’t look like a Kardashian after I’ve applied it (goals!) but I’ve learned that using the right size and shape of makeup brush does give me a more defined look and sculpted cheekbones.

Don’t be put off if you have pale skin like me. If you are careful with the darker shade then it’s fine for you to use it. Here’s me wearing it so you can see what I mean!

As a starter kit I recommend it.

Highlighter

For a night out I use Benefit High Beam. It costs £19.50 and honestly I wouldn’t pay that much for it on it’s own, but I got this as part of a gift set which makes it more affordable. A little goes a long way and gives you a satiny sheen on your brow and cheekbones.

Mascara

Instead of relying on mascara itself (I haven’t found my perfect one yet), I now get an LVL lash treatment every six weeks. This is basically a perm for your eyelashes and is increasingly becoming available at salons. My eyelashes are quite long but dead straight and naturally seem to grow slightly ‘downwards’. This treatment lifts them into a perfect C curve which instantly opens up my eyes. It’s far more effective than eyelash curlers and means that I don’t have to fiddle around in the morning.

I still use mascara over the top and the resulting look is the perfect balance between ‘natural’ and ‘false effect’ eyelashes.

Eyeshadow

I did a review of the Charlotte Tilbury Golden Goddess palette a while back and my conclusion at the time was that it was ‘good but not great’. However I’ve since ended up using it every single day.

At first I felt like I had to since I’d spent a fortune on it but it has steadily grown on me. It’s a very versatile the palette which you can build up for day or night time looks.

I have now reached a state of panic as I’ve started to see the pan at the bottom of shade no.1 (the above picture was taken when I first bought it!). Despite my earlier reservations, I’ll be putting in a repeat order (and maybe trying out a new palette too…!)

To Charlotte Tilbury: We had a rocky start but you’ve finally won me over! I still refuse to spend £99 on your contour kit though, no matter how amazing the reviews!! xoxo Laura

Eyebrow

If I’m in a total rush (which is every working day!) then Benefit Gimme Brow is a godsend: 3 quick brushes through each brow and you’ve got yourself a full, groomed look.

BUT

For when you have more than 30 seconds, I adore Soap and Glory Brow Archery (£8).

It’s the first eyebrow pencil that I’ve used that perfectly blends with my eyebrow colour. The shade (hot chocolate) is cool rather than that weird reddish tint that the others I’ve bought have had and you can make the subtlest little strokes with it to give a natural looking but perfectly defined brow. I can’t recommend this one highly enough.

Lip Product

I have quite a few that I like but not any that I would urge you to go out and buy right this second. Instead I’ll just tell you what I’m currently using.

Bourjois Rouge Edition Aqua Laque and Velvet editions (currently £8.99 or 2 for £14 at Boots). I bought these to experiment with bolder lip colours without spending a fortune.

The lacquers look fantastic once on, but I find that due to the glossy consistency and the very strong colour, the first coat creates a line around your lips rather than giving an even coating. To get around this I apply a base coat and remove the excess by running my finger around my lip line. Then I wait a few minutes for it to settle before applying a second layer which fills in the gaps.

It’s lovely consistency once on and not at all sticky but doesn’t have any lasting power. Eating or drinking anything will remove most of it.

I have been using colours 06 (an orangey red) and 07 (a bright fuscia which you can see me wearing here …you’ll need to scroll down to the end of the post!).

I much prefer the Velvet edition. These are matte and so much easier to apply. I’ve been on a few nights out wearing colour 11 and it’s stayed put although a quick touch up now and again doesn’t hurt!

Bonus Product!

I can’t do this tag without mentioning my Stila Smudge Stick Waterproof Eyeliner, £13.

I absolutely LOVE it and have been asked about it numerous times since I started wearing it.

Whilst it’s suitable for day time, my chosen shade Lionfish has a gorgeous shimmer which means that you can kick it up a notch at night for a more dramatic effect. This little beauty doesn’t smudge even though I rub my eyes a fair bit which is great because I have always ended up with smudges or patches of eyeliner missing when I used pencils or liquid liner!

The only downside is that you can’t sharpen it as it’s a ‘twist stick’ so the precise line that I got the first couple of times I used it are harder to achieve now that the tip has been blunted. It’s still pretty damn special though, I’m waiting until payday to buy another shade!

A Confession

I was nominated on Twitter for the Top 10 Favourite Makeup Products tag but despite my best efforts I can’t seem to locate who it was! If you’re reading this lovely tagger, then please do get in touch so that I can credit you properly! In the meantime thanks so much for nominating me.

If you would like to do this tag then please go ahead – I nominate anyone who wants to have a go and share their own favourites. I can’t wait to read yours and perhaps discover some new items for my wishlist!

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My Top 10 Favourite Beauty Products Tag

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