What Is In My Makeup Bag?

I have been clearing out my makeup box recently, getting rid of all the old or half used products that I no longer reach for regularly.  I thought that I would show you the products that is my core kit to use, some expensive, some cheap!

This is my makeup box.  I got it as a gift one Christmas.  If you have read this blog before you will know that I love anything that is Paris, so this makeup box is perfect for me.  It isn't too large which is helpful in that I do not splurge on makeup, but fits everything that I need.

The first photograph contains all the regular things that I use on my face.  I will list them below.

Foundation: Collection Illuminating Touch £5.99 - Superdrug

This is a new foundation for me.  I have been trying out a few, more expensive versions but this one goes on beautiful and has really nice illuminating quality.

Loreal Paris Lumi Magique Primer - £9.99

I really love this primer.  It goes on lightly and again, gives a really nice luminating quality.  If my skin is looking well, sometimes I just use this with a little powder on top and forego the foundation.

Loreal True Match face powder £6.99

This is a great face powder.  I use a huge brush to apply and a little goes a long way.

Benefit Fake Up Concealer - £18.00

This is really nice concealer that is hydrating and goes on really smoothly.  I use this under my eyes and dotted around my face.  I would recommend letting it set for a couple of minutes before you move on with your routine.

MUA Eyeshadow in Chestnut - £1.00

I use this product for my eyebrows.  I simply use a slightly damp small angled brush and use it to lightly fill in my eyebrows and slightly extend the line.  Far, far cheaper solution than the alternatives on the market!

Rimmel London Rock n Roll Nude from Kate Moss - £6.50 

I originally bought this lipstick as I wanted to try out a different colour from my usual red.  I was not happy with the shade on my lips so at first, it was regulated to the bottom of my make up box.  But then, I remembered a trick that I learnt recently when covering up bruises on my legs.

If you apply a pale pink lipstick over the bruise and then concealer, the bruise disappears.  It is like magic.  Remembering this trick, I wondered if I could use it to help with the occasional dark circles I get under my eyes.

I used the makeup hack this weekend when I was going to a class early on Saturday morning.  I had quite a few comments from people saying how alive and alert I looked.  Believe me, it was just the concealing trick.  I felt like a zombie! 

I would highly recommend it if you get dark circles under your eyes.

This second photograph has the more fun items of my makeup collection.

Benefit Dandelion Powder - £20.83 on sale at LookFantastic at the moment

This is a very well known product.  It is a beautiful rose colour with a slight shimmer that looks wonderful when used as a blusher.  Sometimes I sweep a light dusting all over my face.  It looks great when you have a tan and gives a lovely but subtle shimmer.

Loreal Volume Million Lashes £9.99 & Clinique Chubby Mascara £15.75

I love both of these mascaras.  They give great defination and you can achieve a lovely height with your lashes.

Barry M Natural Dazzle Bronzing Powder

I have had this product a while and upon Googling for the price, it appears that this product is now discontinued.  I really like to use it in the summer months for added colour but I think I may need to buy a new one!

Nars Larger Than Life Longwear Eyeliner £19.00

£19.00 is a lot to pay for an eyeliner, but it is the best that I have ever used.  This is a product I will always buy.  It goes on easily, like a small crayon and once applied, it lasts all day and in some cases when I go out and forget to take my makeup off (oops), all night too!

NYX Illuminator - £9.00

I like this product a lot.  A little goes a very, very long way so be careful when you apply it.  I like to sweep it on the top of my cheekbones and just under the eyebrow to highlight.  This is a great product to use for  night out, but I don't generally use it during the week at work.

MUA Eyeshadow Pallette - £4.00

This pallette has some lovely colours in the brown tone.  It also has a lighter colour which is great for highlighting under the brow,  I like the light browns and the gold tones.  I do not use eyeshadow too much, but this pallette is my go to when I go.

So that is it!  I hoped that you enjoyed the tour around my makeup products.  As you can see, I use products from the very cheap, to mid range and then the more expensive products like Nars.  The thing is, is to find the product that works best for you.  More expensive is not always better.

Do you have any beauty hacks that you use?

Lazy Girl Face Mask

Hello all!  I am doing something different on the blog today, something that I do not regularly do but when I find an amazing product, I want to share it!  So today, I am talking face masks.

When it comes to my skincare routine, I have to admit, I am horribly lazy.  I use *whispers* skin wipes.  I know you shouldn't, I know that they are not great for your skin but they are just so damn easy!

I have combination skin.  My nose and chin can get oily, whilst my cheeks and forehead sometimes would not look out of place in the Sahara desert for how dry they get sometimes.  Especially in Winter.  Before I discovered the magic, wonderous thing that is the Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturizing Gel I actually used to get dry flaky patches on my cheeks and forehead.  Irritating and not fun.

I have tried face masks in the past to give my skin a little oomph and a treat, but they have been few and far between.  The reason?  They are a pain!  You buy the leave on version and you practically have to submerge your head underwater to remove them or you apply the peel off, which as anyone knows does not come off in one go, or even five (if you are me).   

What I wanted was a face mask that I could quickly apply, leave on and practically do nothing with.  Then I found the Vitamin E Moisture Mask from +Superdrug which costs a frankly amazing £2.49 for 75ml.  

You apply like you would a moisturiser, but you do not need a huge amount, less is definately more.  Comparing it to my two pump use of Clinique I would say that around a 5-6 pump equivalent is more than adequate.  Here is how it looks when applied. 

So basically not a huge amount.  Just a medium coverage that you leave on for 15-20 minutes.  The mask sinks into your skin, leaving a very, very light residue that you simply dab with a tissue.  Here is how it looks after around 15 minutes.

The mask is meant to be applied 2-3 times per week and I have found that my skin feels wonderfully hydrated afterwards.  It is simple, quick and above all, easy.  It takes no time at all, no fuss, no messing about; no sink fulls of water and it something that I can do first thing in the morning when I am running on auto pilot with only basic brain function.

So my top tip?  Buy it!  Buy it now!  It is the lazy girl's perfect skin mask and does the job.