Everyday Makeup Favourites 2018

Current Beauty Favourites

Over the past year, I have been working towards a more minimal lifestyle and have been trying to declutter my life. One area that really overwhelmed me was my beauty stash. So I’ve managed to reduce it quite considerably, I now only have products that I love and use regularly. I don’t hang on to things just in case I might want to use them, or make excuses to buy new products when I clearly do not need them. Today I’m sharing most of the products that are in my everyday makeup bag and I would say it is a third of the makeup I now currently own and that makes me so happy!

Urban Decay Trouble Maker Mascara

Urban Decay Trouble Maker Mascara (gifted)

I’m usually the person who has multiple mascaras on the go at once, forever on the quest for the perfect all-rounder that ticks all the boxes. Well, I am here to tell you, I have found it and it is the Urban Decay Trouble Maker Mascara (please never let them discontinue it). I only have one mascara in my collection and it is this one. It is all I need. First up the packaging is super cool and looks like an oil slick, I love it. The wand has quite short bristles that apply the perfect amount of product to each lash & make them look thick, voluminous and the formula is so black! Zero clumping, no fallout and it doesn’t transfer or smudge. It is a pain to get off but that means it has some serious staying power. This is my number 1, my holy grail the ONLY mascara I need in my life. Oh, & it is Vegan, so that is a big plus.

Rimmel Brow This Way Eyebrow Gel (gifted)

I go between this and the Essence Brow Mascara, they’re almost identical and similar in quality, the Rimmel one I think has slightly better staying power. The Essence one is Vegan and Cruelty-Free but I can only get it in Wilko and that isn’t a shop I have locally so the Rimmel version is a good back up for me. This adds a nice amount of colour and texture to your brows, I like that you can use it alone for an effortless look or on top of your powder to set your brows and add a little more colour. It gives the illusion that I spend more time on my brows that I actually do and that’s what I want. I am all about that simple makeup life.

Current Makeup Favourites 2018

Vichy Dermablend SOS Cover Stick (gifted)

This is the creamiest stick concealer I have ever used. I tend to steer clear of stick foundations & concealers as they’re usually quite dry and hard to apply but this is buttery and blends like a dream. I use it everywhere, under eye bags, blemishes, redness and it covers all my imperfections with ease without looking heavy. I would say this gives very decent medium coverage. I quite often just apply this and feel confident enough to not wear foundation. It has been a lifesaver during the crazy heatwave because its formula is sweat, water and smudge resistant!

Enriched with a careful dose of mineral pigments, beeswax, carnauba wax and a lightweight oil, the formula allows for more spreadable and waterproof coverage that blends in effortlessly. 

Urban Decay Beached Bronzer in Bronzed (gifted)

I do have a couple of other bronzers but I just always go back to this Urban Decay one because it is matte and the colour is perfect for giving the skin a subtle healthy sun-kissed warmth. It is a lovely natural colour (on me) and you can easily build it up without it looking muddy or orange. It has been my goto bronzer this Summer and for £23 I think it is a Summer Holiday must have!

Soap & Glory Radiance Powders 

These two cheek products are stunning – I have used them for years, I wouldn’t be without them in my collection. I like that they both have a highlight, glow feel to them. The blush is a stunning light pink, peach on the cheeks with a gorgeous gold glow running though. It adds a healthy fresh glow to any look. The bronzer is a beautiful golden glow and I often use it as an eyeshadow and brow highlight.

soap and glory makeup

Essence Fresh & Fit Foundation

This creamy foundation gives a nice medium coverage whilst feeling lightweight on the skin, I hate it when your base feels thick and heavy. This foundation is enriched with a complex of vitamin b3, e, pro-vitamin b5 and cranberry water, it is fantastic to see a budget-friendly foundation with such fantastic skincare benefits added to their formula. These ingredients are going to help your skin glow, look refreshed and awake. I use it as my everyday foundation and quite often I don’t even feel the need to powder, it does have a nice glow to it without looking greasy or shiny. For £5 you need to try it!

w7 Mid-Summer Nights Eyeshadow Palette

I always travel with this 9 pan eyeshadow palette. It’s super compact and has 9 wearable, versatile shades. I can create a simple, smokey or even a bold eye look with this palette and it has a really nice mix of matte and shimmer finishes. For under £4 the quality is pretty damn good & I’m here to tell you that you 100% need it in your makeup bag.

W7 Mid Summer Nights Eyeshadow Palette

w7 The Naughty Nine Eyeshadow Palette

NIOD Photography Fluid Opacity 12% (gifted)

This is nothing short of liquid magic, It’s flipping amazing. This is a highlighter, primer and serum in one (love a multi-use product) it instantly blurs imperfections and gives a healthy dewy, even-toned radiance. Designed to create a photo-ready finish on all skin types, this complexion perfector creates a lit-from-within glow in seconds with a wide variety of light-refracting prisms, tone and hue correctors, and photo-finishing technologies.

So you can apply to your skin alone or wear it under your favourite foundation to add a beautiful radiance and correct discolouration. It can also be mixed with other products for subtle radiance. It’s such an easy product to incorporate into your makeup routine. I haven’t ever used a product quite like this & I just can’t get across to you just how incredible it is and how radiant and glowing my skin looks when I wear it.

Dermablend Covermatte Compact Powder Foundation (gifted)

I am a loyal user of the Vichy Dermablend 3d Liquid Foundation and I am so pleased to have discovered this high coverage compact powder option. This is a really lovely foundation that has buildable coverage. The lightweight powder sits nicely in the skin giving you a velvety matte finish and it covers imperfections with ease. I wear shade 25 Nude and it’s a good all year round shade for me. When I want to achieve that full coverage, makeup last all day look I often set my liquid foundation with this powder simply because it makes my skin look incredible (flawless) and everything is locked in place all day! It is a great foundation if you have redness, acne scarring or just want a more full coverage look without your makeup looking heavy or dusty.

Imperfections are decreased by up to 60% day after day with active dermatological ingredients including sebum-regulating zinc gluconate and anti-imperfection salicylic acid and vitamin E. The appearance of pores is reduced and skin texture looks improved.

Everyday Makeup

Charlotte Tilbury Penelope Pink Lipstick

I must confess that I rarely wear lipstick or anything on my lips for that matter. I have a very small collection of lip products now and they’re all pretty much nude shades apart from a couple of more deep Autumnal colours. I like to wear quite a basic lip colour and go bolder on my eye look and I find Charlotte Tilbury lipsticks to be some of the most comfortable and long-wearing. This pinky nude shade freshens up any makeup look as works day to night. I love it and the packaging feels super luxe and special.

What makeup is in your everyday makeup bag?

February 2018 Beauty Favourites

February Beauty Favourites

February Beauty Favourites

INGLOT 10 Pan Freedom System Palette

I have spoken about my love of INGLOT quite a few times and featured this palette a lot on my blog over the past couple of years, I really do use it all the time so it is only right that I keep putting it in my favourites. The shadows are fantastic quality and the range of colours and finishes is almost overwhelming, it took me ages to finally decide on the 10 shadows to put into my palette but the process was a lot of fun.

I love the palette itself, the magnetic lid which does not budge or come off in your makeup bag, and it is also actually quite slim. The pans are a very decent size and I pretty much have all of my favourite shadows with me in one cute palette. Let me know if you have tried INGLOT eyeshadows & if you have built your own palette too.

Essence Fresh & Fit Foundation

I can’t believe I haven’t spoken about this foundation sooner, I bought it whilst in Amsterdam last September (you can get it in the UK) and it has become one of my most used foundations. It’s a nice creamy consistency, it’s easy to blend and buff into your skin. I’d say it gives a nice even medium coverage, it covers imperfections and blemishes but still feels lightweight on my skin. Which is everything I look for in a base – decent coverage but that feeling that my skin can still breath!

This foundation is enriched with a complex of vitamin b3, e, pro-vitamin b5 and cranberry water, it is fantastic to see a budget-friendly foundation with such fantastic skincare benefits added to their formula. These ingredients are going to help your skin glow, look refreshed and awake.

The staying power of this foundation was for sure better when I used a primer but that is true for most foundations on my skin as I tend to get an oily t-zone. I would say this gave my skin a natural radiance and didn’t settle into my pores. It looks fresh, as the name would suggest and it’s just am easy to wear medium coverage base! I love it.

It comes packaged in a lovely glass bottle with a handy pump, the only drawback is the shade range, although I managed to find a good match for my skin tone this foundation only comes in 4 shades which isn’t so great. I hope they add more options in the future. Overall if you’re looking for a new cruelty-free, vegan foundation then I highly recommend checking out this Essence offering and it is only £5!

Essence Cosmetics Fresh and Fit Foundation

NIOD Photography Fluid Opacity 12%*

This is nothing short of liquid magic! It has been dubbed airbrush in a bottle – so what is it I hear you cry? It is a skin perfecting serum which uses refracting prism technology to even out all skin tone and gives you the most amazing natural healthy glow. It is flipping amazing.

This is a highlighter, primer and serum in one, it instantly blurs imperfections and gives a healthy dewy, even-toned radiance. Designed to create a photo-ready finish on all skin types, this complexion perfector creates a lit-from-within glow in seconds with a wide variety of light-refracting prisms, tone and hue correctors, and photo-finishing technologies.

Apply to your skin alone or under foundation to add sheer radiance and correct discolouration. It can also be mixed with other products for subtle radiance. Used under, over, or mixed with liquid foundation if you prefer more coverage.  It’s such an easy product to incorporate into your makeup routine. I haven’t ever used a product quite like this & I just can’t get across to you just how incredible it is, although I am trying.  I should do a whole post on this one product!

It is also vegan, cruelty-free and alcohol-free.

INGLOT Eyeshadow Palette Makeup

Benefit Dandelion Shy Beam Liquid Highlight

If you’re looking for a subtle more natural highlight then this is the one. It is a nude, pink semi-matte liquid highlight that gives your skin a refreshed, healthy radiance. It is easy to apply, I just use the brush to place the product on the tops of my cheeks and down the centre of my nose – it also looks pretty on your brow bones and I blend it is either with my beauty blender or just my finger. It looks pretty when the light hits it and what I really like is the fact there is no glitter or shimmer. It is a great everyday radiance booster and also looks pretty mixed with your foundation. These little Benefit liquid products last forever and are so easy to throw in your handbag, I often like to reapply throughout the day to refresh my makeup.

MUA LUXE Glow Beam Cushion Highlighter

Not quite as subtle as the Benefit highlighter, this MUA Cushion highlight offers more of a peachy – golden, warm-toned glow. The packaging is pretty although a little bulky and the puff is handy, but I just don’t reach for it. I prefer to use my beauty blender to ensure I apply it evenly. It is a liquid cushion product and I am waiting to see just how long it stays moist as I have a feeling it will dry out pretty quickly, that being said I do love using this as an evening highlight and it can look quite subtle or if you want more on an intense look you can build up the colour & effect to be more intense.

It is always nice to see affordable brands releasing on-trend products so we can all try them and Cushion makeup was certainly popular last year. Have you tried any cushion products, if so are you sold on them or think they’re too much faff.

MUA LUXE Glow Beam Liquid Highlighter

Benefit Dandelion Shy Beam Liquid Highlighter

Soap & Glory Supercat Eyeliner

When it comes to drugstore liquid liner Soap & Glory take the top prize, their Supercat liner ticks all of the boxes. It’s pigmented, sets down the perfect amount of product, doesn’t drag and the fine nib allows you to apply either a neat line or build it up to be more bold and thick.

This is a liner that would allow even the most self-confessed eyeliner novice to create the perfect winged liner. The nib gives you full control and isn’t too firm so you can create smooth lines without having to keep going over the same spot which often leads to the product bleeding into fine lines and getting very messy. This is one product everyone needs in their makeup bag (although I am sure most of you already own it). It’s pigmented, easy to use and long wearing.

Soap & Glory Gloss Stick in Nudist

Lip crayons are my goto lip product of choice, I find them so easy to use and this Soap and Glory one is a stunning everyday shade. It is in the colour Nudist and it enhances your lip colour giving them a pretty glossy finish. It’s a natural, subtle shade which has been living in my handbag – I apply it even when I’m wearing no other makeup, it makes me feel somewhat put together. Not only do they give your lips a subtle wash of colour but the formula is also very moisturising, oh & they smell so good too – I think it is a vanilla scent.

Current Makeup Favourites

Real Techniques PowderBleu Soft Complexion Brush*

I mostly use this brush for applying powder foundation but it also works well for blush too. This Soft Complexion Brush has a small, dense head which makes buffing in the powder so much more effective. I also love the long slim handle which feels nice in your hand makes applying my makeup really easy. This collection is stunning and incredible quality, it looks and feels luxurious and that deep blue colour is gorgeous and makes me want to use them all the time.

Let me know what you have been loving this past month & if you’ve discovered anything new that I need to try. I am on the hunt for a new mascara, I’d love it if you’d leave me suggestions in the comments.

NIOD Dermal Science Radiance Set on QVC

NIOD Dermal Science Radiance Set

NIOD QVC TSV

I’m here with a HEADS UP! One of my favourite skincare brands, NIOD have a cracking deal for you. The Dermal Science Radiance Set is going on pre-sale on the QVC website from 10 am TODAY & then it will go live on the QVC shopping channel at midnight on July 19th.

In true QVC style, they have an incredible deal for you! This set has an RRP of £110 and it will be available on QVC for just £40!! So you can have all 4 products and save yourself a massive £70. Be aware that this offer is available for 24 hours. So mark your calendars people.

NIOD Dermal Science Radiance Set

The NIOD Dermal Science Radiance Set includes: 
  • NIOD Copper Amino Isolate Serum – (15ml; full size) – designed to help reduce the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles and give a firmer, plumped up appearance to your skin 15ml
  • NIOD Multi-Molecular Hyaluronic Complex – 15m – this treatment offers visible hydration, plumping, comfort and uniformity to the upper level of the skin, combining 12 forms of hyaluronic compounds in a peptide-charged delivery system
  • NIOD Photography Fluid Opacity 12%, (30ml; full size) – the reflecting serum-textured formula contains light-reflecting prisms and helps to correct the look of uneven skin tone and colours, helping to give a radiance photo-finish. Designed to hydrate your skin for up to 48 hours after application, and formulated with Nano-Prismatic Yellow-Red Hue Corrector, patented Dragon Fruit Chromatic Refractor and bio-sugar complex
  • NIOD Mastic Must, (90ml full size) – this NIOD treatment has been specifically designed to help treat and improve oily complexion, as well as skin types that have noticed an increase in pore size due to their age or environmental factors.

NIOD Skincare Set QVC TSV

A complete package – this kit offers treatments you can easily slot into your skincare routine, with a clarifying face mask that can be used two to three times a week, two lightweight serums for everyday use, and a lightly tinted fluid to help create a sheer veil of colour – perfect for those no-makeup days.

NIOD Dermal Science Radiance Set Review

This set includes two hero products (and two of my absolute favourites) Copper Amino Isolate Serum and Multi Molecular Hyaluronic Complex, both designed to reduce the signs of ageing while hydrating your complexion. These are two products I use daily and are a must-have if you are worried about the early signs of ageing or want to visibly reduce the appearance of fine lines.

Also included in this set are two products I haven’t tried before, so I’m thrilled to see them included in this Skincare Set. I have heard so many positive reviews of the Photography Fluid Opacity 12% which sounds and looks like a wonderfully radiant serum which helps even out your skin tone. Very much looking forward to trying this out. The final product in this set is the Mastic Must which I haven’t heard of before but it sounds ideal for my oily t zone and for tackling congested skin. I can feel a pamper evening coming on.

NIOD Deciem QVC TSV

I just adore DECIEM and their scientific, no-nonsense approach. Using their skincare makes me feel like a badass scientist, what with all the cool brown glass bottles, pipets and interesting product names. I love it. I also can’t recommend them enough in terms of the results, they produce affordable skincare without compromising on quality and I have seen my skin become more radiant, feel extremely hydrated and be less blemish prone since I discovered Deciem almost a year ago. So if you have wanted to try NIOD for yourself now is the perfect time to snap up some of their best selling products!

Click here to shop Deciem brands on QVC

So why not help to reduce the signs of ageing and discover this science-driven cult skincare brand.

*PR Sample