Make-Up Essentials





 As our first beauty related post, we thought that it would be a nice idea to start off by discussing our make-up essentials. This was no easy job: between the two of us, we probably have enough make-up to stock Boots, but we raided our make-up bags and finally, managed to limit our essentials to about ten items each. The result? Our absolute, cannot live without, must-by items condensed into one post. We have separated it out into skin, eyes and lips and we hope that this is enjoyable and/or useful.


Skin


Eliza: My first skin essential is Rimmel’s ‘Wake Me Up’ foundation in shade 200 True Nude. I remember two summers ago when every single beauty blogger was raving about this and to this day, it is still my number one favourite foundation. I suffer from really dry skin, so I generally need very light coverage and this is perfect for anyone looking for a more delicate cover-up. Being cursed with hereditary heavy under-eye circles, I generally try to use heavy duty concealer and so, my second essential is Benefit’s ‘Boi-ing’ concealer in shade 01 Light.  This is definitely the best concealer I have used: its coverage is excellent, it really makes me look awake and it’s also a really handy size. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who is looking for an industrial-strength concealer. My third included essential is Benefit's ‘Porefessional Pro Balm Primer’. I tend to only use primer if I’m wearing serious amounts of make-up, but this made my list just due to its sheer brilliance. Unlike other primers which tend to make my face feel sticky and caked, this makes your face feel far smoother, whilst noticeably minimising the appearance of pores. Finally, I had to mention Soap and Glory’s ‘Solar Powder’ bronzer, which is something that I adore. This is the first bronzer that I have found that doesn’t make me look orange, which is difficult when you’re incredibly pale like I am. It also has a hint of shimmer in it without being too over the top, which gives you a natural glow.

Jade: Revlon’s ‘PhotoReady BB Cream’ is the first item I’ll be talking about, as it’s great for a number of reasons. Firstly, it’s SPF 30, which means that it gives you a lot of protection from the sun which is an added bonus. Secondly, the coverage is really great, because it’s never too cakey or too thin - I think it’s just right. Being incredibly pale, I often find it hard to find products that don’t make me look orange so I’d definitely recommend this. The second product I’m going to talk about is my Collection 2000’s ‘Lasting Perfection Concealer’ which has to be one of my all-time favourite make-up buys (I have repurchased this again and again). The coverage is really really great and it definitely eradicates the bags around your eyes and any imperfections, it’s also a great shade for pale skin! Next, my Rimmel ‘Stay Matte’ transparent powder is another one of my favourites, as it’s quite cheap, and it also is not too thick. I often find that powders can make your skin look very dry, yet this one really does not. And finally, is my Benefit ‘Rock-itude’ kit, containing a highlighter, a lip and cheek tint, a blusher and a lip-gloss. I really love this set because it’s great for a more polished, yet natural make-up look. I must confess that I do not wear blusher every day, but when I want a fancier look, I’ll use this. The highlighter is also an excellent illuminator, yet is not too over the top – I use it in the corner of my eye if I’ve had no sleep to make me look more awake.

Eyes


Eliza: Before I begin, I must confess that I am a bit of a mascara whore. I am constantly buying new ones and trying them out, so I really couldn’t narrow down my essentials beyond three. The three that made the list were Benefit’s ‘They’re Real’, No7’s ‘Exceptional Definition’ and Collection 2000’s ‘Longer Lash’, all in black. ‘They’re Real’ is genuinely the best mascara I have ever used – before use, I was a bit apprehensive about the plastic brush, yet I was pleasantly surprised. It gives my eyelashes an unbelievable lift, making them both longer and thicker, without any clumps. It is also incredibly long lasting. The other two I use when I want a less dramatic, more subtle look. ‘Exceptional Definition’ is very good for lengthening and ‘Longer Lash’ is on my list for its sheer cost-effectiveness: £3.99! I never really use the latter two by themselves, as they’re far better for layering up, but they are two I would definitely recommend, if you wish to create a more natural, daytime look. I also decided to include Collection 2000’s ‘Extreme 24 Hour Felt Tip Eyeliner’. I think it’s completely personal preference, but I find felt-tip eyeliners far easier to apply – I also generally prefer thicker applicators, so if you want a very thin line, I would go for something else. This is also unbelievably long-lasting: I wore this to a Sixth Form formal and went on a night out afterwards and after fourteen hours, it was still as good as new. To top it off, it’s only £2.99. Incredible.

Jade: The Benefit ‘Goodies a Go-Go’ set is totally amazing. It contains four different colours of eyeshadow, which can be bought separately (‘Thanks A Latte’, ‘Gilt-y Pleasure’, ‘Kiss Me I’m Tipsy’ and ‘Call My Buff’). These eyeshadows are so versatile: in combination, they can create a great smoky look, or can also be used sparingly for an everyday look. They also have a touch of glitter and shimmer in them, which is just enough to create a really lovely sheen without being too over the top. This palette also came with a ‘Stay Don’t Stray’ eye primer, which is really good, as it keeps your eye make-up looking fresh throughout the day. A mini ‘They’re Real!’ mascara also comes with this set, but Eliza has gone into that in more detail (basically, it’s fab).

Lips


Eliza: My first essential is something I swear by: Nivea’s ‘Hydro Care’ lip balm. After trying it for the first time, I went out and bought three more of these to put in every single bag I use. It is one of the most moisturising lip balms I have ever tried and is also SPF 15, which is an added bonus. I would go as far to say that I would probably find it difficult to live my life without this, I’ve become so dependent on it. Literally. You probably can’t tell what it is as the lettering is so worn down, but my second and final lip favourite is Revlon’s ‘Colour Burst Matte Balm’ in shade Striking. I’m very unadventurous when it comes to lip colour and I tend to just stick to daytime pinks or the classic red, but this is definitely my favourite I’ve found. The colour is a very bright, warm-toned red and it’s also something that doesn’t require a lot of touching up, which means it’s a perfect low-maintenance lipstick alternative. I just think that adding red lipstick to pretty much any outfit makes it look immediately ten times more put together, which is why I love this product so much.

Jade: I use Carmex lip balm pretty much every day, which is a definite essential as the thick formula means that I find that it really softens your lips. I also use Rimmel’s ‘Baby Lips’ in Peach Kiss, which has a really nice natural colour, and also a softening formula. For a less natural look, I like to use Rimmel’s ‘1000 Kisses’ lip pencil in Indian Pink, as well as this Technic pink-gold lipstick. My purchase oftThis lipstick is quite a funny story actually, as one day I went into Bodycare, wanting a new lip colour. I grabbed the cheapest one I could find (£1.99) and bought it. When I got home and put it on, I realised I actually really liked the colour, and have been using it ever since - a complete bargain!

Those were our make-up essentials; we hope that this was useful! What're your beauty essentials? Is there anything that you would recommend us trying? Thank you for reading!


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