So here we go...
Base (foundation, concealer etc)...
To be honest, I've loved the Lily Lolo Mineral Foundation and Concealer for years now. It was the first base product range I found that actually matched my skintone (the shades Porcelain and Blondie respectively), and although I've strayed for a month here and there it's the one I always come back to. Sometimes though, with those super dark or red areas I need more coverage - and the Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer in the shade Chantilly does the job brilliantly. I use it under the eyes and pat a tiny amount into blemishes, the coverage is great but not drying. My only gripe would be that it can be a little too yellow-toned, but blended out it's perfectly fine.
I also use a green colour corrector on a daily basis, even if I'm just using concealer and don't need the coverage but just want to even out any redder areas (cheeks, chin, marks from spots). It also blends out seamlessly, and I swear by it now! Seriously, if you're super pale go give one a go!! My most used one has been the Max Factor CC Stick, but there's a great cheaper alternative from Natural Collection - and I recently picked up a cream version from Kiko which I'm trying out now.
Finally, powder-wise it's not much of a surprise that I'm mentioning Soap and Glory's One Heck of a Blot powder. The only way I can describe it is that it fixes things - your skin looks ever so slightly smoother and you can use as much as you like throughout the day without things looking cakey. I've almost run out, so it's almost time for a trip to Boots! At the end of the summer, I also fell for the hype around the Hourglass Ambient Lighting Powders and decided to splurge when Space.nk had one of their £10 off promotions on. Was it worth the money...? As a highlighter, probably not. But Ethereal Light is so light and finely milled that it makes your skin look incredible dusted over as a finishing powder. I use it on days (read: everyday at the moment) when my skin looks a bit grey and lacklustre, but I can't be bothered with a lot of foundation. Also, a perfect colour match!
Cheeks and Eyes...
With cheek products and eyeshadow, I tend to be a little flighty. I usually use something for a month or so on a daily basis, and then totally forget about it. One thing I've stuck to all year long though is the Body Shop's Honey Bronzer - the lightest shade works great on my skin at either creating a bit of shadow under the cheekbones or adding some warmth all over - I can't really fault it!
I've also used (but they're not in the massive heap in the picture *oops*) a couple of Sleek blushers off and on all year. My local Boots doesn't stock them - which is a bit of a pain - but I'd love to try out a few more shades. The two I've got (Rose Gold and Life's a Peach) are quite sheer, but they're great value for money.
And the cream of the crop - the Laura Mercier Palette I nabbed in the summer sales this year. Eyeshadow-wise, I adore the formulation and pigmentation (I've used the shades Crystal Beige and Sable constantly, and Coffee Ground as a liner almost daily), and the blush in the shade Barely Pink is the perfect not-too-pink, natural, matte blush. The mini Pony Tail blending brush is fab too, and I've actually been reaching for it more than my Real Techniques Base Shadow Brush (although I still love the latter for a wash of colour on the lids!)
(Nars Pro Prime also needs an honourable mention, despite it being a beginning-of-December purchase. No jokes - it increases eyeshadow wear time from about half an hour to 12 - absolutely amazed!!)
Lips...
As I said earlier, I was well behaved and managed to narrow it all down to a couple of favourites. First up is the Dior Lip Glow Colour Reviver Balm - okay, technically this is two in itself as I have both the original and the coral shades - but I love them both equally! The minty, vanilla scent and the smooth-but-not-too-sticky texture make it a winner. And the colour changing feature is just plain awesome.
Then there's a Mac Lipstick in Plumful - which everyone loves - and quite rightly so! It's such a lovely pop of colour that's not too pink or berry toned, doesn't highlight any dry areas and smells divine. I've also been using Patisserie, which is the same formulation - and although I love the colour the glitter tends to emphasise chapped lips a lot. I'm hoping that I'll get better results with it in the warmer months though, when the weather isn't so harsh!
Brushes and tools...
Brush-wise, this year's winner is the Real Techniques range. I use the Blush Brush every day - pinched together for bronzer and dusted along the cheekbones for blush. The Starter Set is great - I especially love the Accent Brush for smudging out shadow as a liner, and the Liner brush for applying cream concealer to areas that you don't want to be heavy handed. To apply mineral concealer I also use the No 7 Smokey Eye Brush - which is the perfect size - to pat and work it in until I've got the desired coverage. My favourite though, has to be the Setting Brush, it's fluffy and so so soft so I can use it for blending concealer under the eyes and even for buffing in mineral powder (to the hard-to-get-to areas that most need the coverage)!
(Also) not pictured, but deserving of a mention are the Anastasia Beverly Hills Brow Scissors...these took a while to get the knack of - but now I can shape my brows beautifully without worrying about irritating my skin by plucking them like crazy!
And last of all - eyelash curlers! Up until about this time last year, I'd been using a cheap pair I'd gotten as a part of a gift set yonks ago. In hindsight, they must've been decent - as they did the job for a long time! But when I was in London, around my birthday time, I decided to treat myself to a brand-spanking-new pair from Shu Uemura. And they're pretty darn great. They fit snugly into my smallish eye socket, and despite daily use (and abuse) they're just as solid as the day I bought them!
Happy 2015 everyone!!!
xxx
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