Showing posts with label top5. Show all posts
Showing posts with label top5. Show all posts

Tuesday, 21 July 2015

Top 5 foundations... And my favourite brushes to apply them with...

Today I will be talking about foundation.
Now, for me, when it comes to foundation, I prefer full coverage, something that will make my skin look as flawless as possible. I hate light coverage foundations, probably because I have so many blemishes, redness and uneven skin tone that I want to cover, so light coverage foundations do not work well for me.
As well as my top 5 foundations I have also included my top 3 brushes for applying foundation, as it really makes a difference to how it looks depending on how you apply it, and I am personally not a fan of using my fingers to apply foundation.



Firstly I will talk about the most expensive one, Smashbox Studio Skin foundation which retails at £29.
It is a lot of money, and I wouldn't usually spend so much on a foundation, I actually got this for free when Smashbox was doing one of their events in which the first 20 customers at certain Boots stores across the UK got a certain free product.
But this foundation, I would say, is worth the money, it is a full coverage foundation, yes it is quite thick and I did think it felt a little cakey on the skin at first, but I think it was more due to my application than the foundation itself. It is very long lasting, and gives you a flawless complexion. Overall though, this would probably be more suited for evening wear, or special occasion wear, even though I do wear this in the day because I like full coverage, it could be too much for some people to be an everyday kind of foundation.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Smashbox-Studio-Skin-15-Hour-Wear-Hydrating-Foundation_1272577/

Next, is Max Factors Miracle Touch Liquid Illusion foundation, retailing at £12.99.
I won't say too much about this product, as I have spoke about it in my Current Favourites post, but generally this foundation is so nice.
I didn't mention it in my previous post, but it feels so hydrating on the skin, probably due to the 'liquid illusion' so it feels lovely, and not at all cakey.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Miracle-Touch-Foundation_125268/

Next, Max Factors Lasting Performance foundation, which retails at £9.99.
For £9.99 this foundation is a steal, it really does feel like a more expensive foundation. It is a full coverage foundation that lasts all day! It is probably very comparable to the Smashbox Studio Skin actually. Yes the packaging isn't too great, but the product is what we use at the end of the day!
It does feel a little cakey sometimes, but as long as you buff it into the skin really well, it shouldn't be a problem.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Max-Factor-Lasting-Performance-Foundation_5882/

Next, is L'oreal True Match foundation, which retails at £9.99.
This will probably be no surprise to some of you, as it seems all bloggers and you tubers love this foundation, well the vast majority anyway, and that is because it is actually an amazing foundation. It is a build able coverage but even with one layer it still covers a lot of imperfections. It feels light on the skin, and the shade range is incredible! It blends into the skin perfectly also! Whenever anyone asks me what foundation I'd recommend I always say L'oreal true match instantly! It's a no brainer really!
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-True-Match-Foundation_16049/

Finally, is the L'oreal Infallible 24hour Matte foundation, which retails at £7.99!!
Again, this will probably be no surprise, as everyone seems to raving about this foundation really, but I really do love it!
It is one of my most reached for foundations, it lasts all day, as you'd expect from the name, and it makes your skin look flawless, I always love my makeup when I use this product. It doesn't feel cakey on the skin, it isn't too thick or too thin, the packing despite being slightly basic, is still nice, and it blends really nicely.
It also, being matte, doesn't need setting with a powder, unlike the other 4 foundations I have spoke about, which I like, because despite the fact I usually always set my foundation, it is nice to know that with this one I don't have to! As in the summer months I don't always want to set my foundation.
It really is worth so much more than £7.99, so given the price and the performance of the foundation this would probably be my all time favourite! As it is cheaper than the True Match foundation.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/LOreal-Paris-Infallible-Matte-Foundation_1655157/

Next, the makeup brushes, like I said, I don't like applying foundation with my fingers, so I always use a brush! I also don't like applying foundation with a beauty blender either, and tend to stick to applying concealer with that, but that's probably for another blog post, haha.

The first brush I love applying foundation with is the Real Techniques Bold Metals Triangle Foundation brush. retailing at £22.
The brush itself is beautiful, and the shape of the brush is so unique, which made me want it so badly, but the triangle shape really does offer more than the fact it makes it looks nice. Being triangle in shape means you can use the same brush to get into each little bit of the face like around the eyes, nose and mouth. It is a weighted brush too so it is lovely to use.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Bold-Metals-Collection-by-Real-Techniques-101-Triangle-Foundation_1645013/

Another, more affordable brush I love though is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush, which retails at £9.99.
This brush is super dense, so applies foundation flawlessly, and doesn't product brush stroke marks in the foundation as you apply it. It really buffs the product into the skin too which makes it blend into the skin more seamlessly, and makes it feel less cakey and more natural. The only thing I dislike about this brush is how hard it is to clean, the product gets right inside the brush, no matter how often you wash it, which makes washing really difficult given how dense the brush it. I use this brush less often now because of how hard it is to wash, which is a shame because it gives a lovely finish.
You can buy it here:
http://www.boots.com/en/Real-Techniques-Expert-Face-Brush_1277695/

Finally, probably my favourite brush, is Primark's own brand, PS Love's Stippling Brush, retailing at around £1.50!
It is just a small stippling brush, but I like this as you can reach every little bit of the face, that might be more difficult with big brushes. I find that when applying foundation with this and dotting it on the face then blending it into the skin in circular motions leaves an airbrushed like finish. I really didn't expect to love this brush so much, but it is one of the best brushes I have ever bought, and next time I have the money and I am near a Primark I will be stocking up on these brushes because I love them! I highly recommend this brush!


I hope this post was useful for some of you, and let me know what you thought :)

Tomorrow I will be doing a makeup look inspired by my favourite youtuber, and if all goes well I will doing a blog post about it tomorrow, or Thursday :)



Monday, 13 July 2015

My top 5 affordable/drugstore lipsticks...

Okay, admittedly this is probably going to be one of my favourite blog posts as it is about lipstick, but I also have to admit that picking just 5 of my favourite drugstore lipsticks was a lot harder than I thought it would be! But, obviously, I managed in the end :)

First of all,
Revlon Colour Burst Matte Balm
Shade: Shameless

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash
This lipstick is AMAZING, you do not need to keep reapplying to get a good pigmentation of colour on the lips, it is already super pigmented! It also has a nice mint smell to it, which although is sort of irrelevant to how the lipstick performs, it is still a nice touch. I like applying this with and without a brush.
It is a matte lipstick too, but it does not dry the lips at all, unlike some matte lipsticks. It also lasts most of the day without urgent need for reapplying.
It is also super cheap consider the quality too, it retails at £7.99, but Boots currently have a 3 for 2 offer on Revlon too! 
http://www.boots.com/en/Revlon-ColorBurst-Matte-Lip-Balm_1416281/

MUA cosmetics matte lipstick
Shade: peachy keen

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash
This is MUA cosmetic's matte lipstick in the shade Peachy Keen. It is slight drying, being a matte lipstick, but with a tiny bit of vaseline on the lips underneath it is perfect!
It is the perfect spring/summer shade, and a perfect colour for in the day.
This lipstick doesn't last as long as some more expensive drugstore lipsticks, but I still only need to reapply once or twice throughout the day, it also needs a little layer to build up a nice pigmented colour on the lips, and given the price I don't even mind that!
MUA is definitely one of my all time favourite brands because they offer (mostly) amazing quality products at such a small price.
This lipstick retails at just £1!! Yes, that is not a typo, it really is just £1. It is definitely worth more than £1 and has always and will always been a firm favourite of mine, regardless of it's price.


Soap & Glory's Sexy Mother Pucker
Shade: Blush Pink

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash
This is the only Soap & Glory lipstick I own, unfortunately :(. But I wear it A LOT!
It is a gorgeous matte pinky nude colour, that is very wearable day or night, and it lasts all day!
The packaging is also cute, but the smell of this lipstick is to die for! It has this gorgeous vanilla smell, which makes it so much nicer to wear because I could just sit and smell this lipstick all day, it seriously does smell so good, haha!
It is supposed to be one of their plumping lipsticks too, although I do not think it makes my lips appear bigger, but this doesn't bother me.
This lipstick is also super pigmented so no need to layer up the colour to get it too look nice.
This lipstick retails at£9, but again Boots have a 3 for 2 offer on Soap & Glory cosmetics at the moment too!



Makeup Revolution Atomic Lipstick
Shade: Make it Right

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash
This is my all time favourite Makeup Revolution lipstick! I love the vast majority of their lipsticks, as I own almost all of them, but this stands out from them all! Not only because of its bright colour but mainly because of it's amazing pigmentation and longevity!
This is the most gorgeous purple shade with a very very slight shimmer to it! It is the perfect autumn/winter shade, but I still wear it in the summer too!
It lasts all day, you might only need to reapply once, if that! It doesn't dry out the lips either. This is probably my absolute favourite lipstick, if I had to only pick one! It is one of my most worn lipsticks, and I would wear it day and night, but it is probably more suited for use for a night out as it is such a bold colour.
This lipstick retails at £1, and yes, again, no type, it is just £1!!




L'oreal Colour Riche Lipstick
Shade: JLo's red

swatch: no flash

swatch: with flash
Last, but at no means least, is L'oreal's Colour Riche lipstick in the shade JLo's red.
OMG this the most gorgeous red lipstick! And what is a lipstick favourites post without a red?!
This lipstick too is amazingly pigmented, and does last all day!
When I wear this lipstick I always feel more confident, because it's such a gorgeous red, and it looks flawless on the lips, no streaks, just a gorgeous pigmented red!
And the packaging is also beautiful, yes we don't actually need amazing packaging, we only use the lipstick after all, but it sure does look nice on my desk! I actually prefer this packaging to MAC!
I absolutely love L'oreal makeup as a whole because all of it's makeup they offer are of outstanding quality!
This lipstick retails at £6.99, which for this quality and pigmentation and, basically, perfection is just amazing! Superdrug also have a buy one get one half price offer too.

I hope you liked this post, these are truly my 5 favourite affordable lipsticks!
Next in my top 5 series I will be doing a post on my top 5 foundations, featuring L'oreal and Maxfactor, so look out for that!

Remember to vote in the poll guys! If you are viewing on a mobile device you will need to view the desktop/web version to see it :)