It was 2006 or 2007 and I had marked the date on my calendar the YSL touch éclat was being released and I wanted it. So that day after work I trotted to boots to get myself a tube and was sadly disappointed. They only made it in one shade and it was nowhere close to mine.
The reason I tell that story is to let you know I am a makeup obsessed I have tried and tracked every new release of foundations, eyeshadow palettes and lipsticks. if it was new I wanted in. so that gives you an idea of my qualifications when it comes to critiquing products. That being said these are the products I have come back to time and time again. I have used up the tube and said I want more.
So starting from what I consider the base
Foundation
In this category I have 3 foundations which give me joy, two are considered high end while the other is a drug store product but it certainly holds its own.
Estée Lauder Double wear stay in place foundation
This is a matte luxurious foundation that does exactly what it says it will do. It gives a matte yet somewhat soft finish. In the foundation, my shade is 6W1 sandalwood, it took some time for me to find the right shade after being badly mismatched. The only gripe here is that the foundation does come with a pump which makes it easy to spill and prone to wastage.
Price: $42
Lancôme Teint Idole Ultra 24 hour foundation
This is another high-end matte foundation, which matches my skin perfectly. Although I have not tested its ability to stay in place for the 24 hours as it promises, it stays in place for up to 5 hours on my very oily face before oils start to break through, unlike most other foundations. I love that it matches my yellow undertones exactly and my shade is 470 Suede C.
Price:$47
Black Opal stick foundation
This is the cheapest foundation in the bunch and provides full coverage and matches my skin perfectly. It is fantastic on my oily skin and does not melt with the hot weather. Another plus with this foundation is that because it is in a stick it is extremely easy to transport with no risk of spillage. My shade in this is Nutmeg.
Price: $10.78
Brow’s
There is one undisputed winner in the brow arena and it is the Benefit- Precisely my brow and is the very best brow pencil I have used. I don’t know what they have put in the pencil but it is like a crack in the brows. The brow pencil is thin and retractable and so provides hair-like strokes with the right amount of waxiness. Another benefit of this product is the fact it comes in multiple shades, my shade is NO 5. My only gripe is the packaging, yes I realize that Benefit is known for its quirky packaging but for a brow, pencil sleekness should be the name of the game but this is not it. It has no effect on my love for the product.
Price: $24
Mascara
I must admit I have great lashes and with the right mascara, most people think I am wearing falsies so I may have an advantage.
Mac Zoom Lash
This is one of the blackest mascaras I have ever used that lengthens and fluffs my lashes like you would not believe. Apart from the massive volume and length it also glides on very easily and is not irritating at all to my eyes (which is sometimes an issue). It is one that I have used multiple times and would recommend unreservedly.
Price: £17
Maybelline Great Lash
This one is an oldie and has been a favourite in the makeup sphere for over 40 years. I always have a tube in my makeup bag since the first time I used it. What can I say, it glides on very easily and gives each lashes great separation thus providing a wide-eyed but natural look.
Price: $6.40
Concealer
This is not an item that I have particularly strong feelings about. Most of the products I have used are okay and none has really wowed me. That being said one concealer that seems to be super popular and that has high reviews is the LA girl pro concealer. It is a drug store brand, inexpensive but gets the job done. I use it as my under eye concealer and it is creamy and blends easily. My issue is the nozzle which takes an excessive amount of effort to get the product out, my solution was to unscrew the nozzle.
Price:$4.85
Lip liners
Except for when I wear red lipstick I use brown lip liners and my go-to for over 10 years is MAC cosmetics Cork lip liner or MAC cosmetics Chestnut. Both are perineal favourites and my go-to for daily use. Cork is a lighter brown and I use this for all the pale and nude lipsticks, chestnut, on the other hand, is a much darker brown which I used for darker lipstick shades.
Lipsticks
I love nude lipsticks and love to have few on rotation and there are a few that I have in my rotation and which I have used to the bitter end. Here are my two of my favourites MAC Huge me which is a gloss and Milani 61- Matte Naked which is matte.
MAC Hug me
This is a sheer almost glossy lipstick that is described as a warm pink and matches my natural lip colour. Because of its pearl finish, it tends to wear out pretty early on during the day, however despite this I still reach for this for daily use.
Price:£17.59
Milani –Matte Naked (61)
This is my I want to look rich and expensive lipstick, the mauve shade is just perfection which slides on easily and is not drying. The lipstick also lasts most of the day and when compared to other more expensive lipsticks knocks it out of the park. Apart from MAC hug me this is the lipstick I reach for every single day.
Price: $5.99
Honourable mention
Revlon –Pink Pout
This was my first foray into nude lipsticks. Although I don’t use it as often it deserves a mention because it was the first lipstick I used up. It is Pinkie semi-matte Lipstick which slides on easily and lasts for a while before a reapplication is needed. It can be a bit drying if your lips are not properly prepped.
Price :$5.79
Eyeliner
I am a sucker for a good cat eye and have tried multiple eyeliners to see which has the most consistent results. Two products are a stand out for me the L’oreal Infallible liquid eyeliner and the Inglot AMC gel liner
L’Oréal Infallible Super Slim Liquid Eyeliner
This was my first liquid eyeliner and it is remarkably easy to use. It has an ultra-fine felt tip which gives you control which is important as a beginner. One of the problems with liquid eyeliners, in general, is that they tend to stop and start. Meaning they do not give an uninterrupted line which makes it harder for a beginner, this does not. It glides on smoothly, is dark pitch black and is extremely affordable.
Price: $5.88
INGLOT AMC eyeliner gel 77
Once I felt confident in my skills using liquid liner pencils I decided to ‘’graduate ‘’ to a gel liner. I have tried a bunch of popular brands, however, the Inglot gel liner in 77 is my favourite. The colour is pitch black it glides on easily. The drawback of using a gel liner is finding a brush thin enough. My favourite is the Zoeva angled precision brush or the much cheaper elf angled liner brush.
Price:$17.49
What do you think about my round-up of my best of the best beauty products? Are any of these your favourites? Let me know in the comments below & follow me on social media.
