Current go-to makeup / Whats in my makeup bag?

Personally one of my favourite things is finding and trying new makeup out and finding new gems in the makeup world, whether that be a new foundation, eyeshadow palette or lipstick, or to be fair lets be honest anything makeup related. However I do have my absolute favourites that I would class as my go-to's or what makes up my current makeup bag.

I don't have a preference of makeup in terms of high-end or drugstore, but lets be real, if we can find a product in the drugstore that works well and is half the price of a high end product, I'm pretty sure we all win in that situation. So in this post i am going to talk through my current favourites but considering I have some high-end products within that category I thought I would also add my favourite drugstore products where I can. I will of course also add links to all the products underneath the pictures in case you want to purchase any of them for yourself.

So firstly, for primers my all time favourite is the Too faced 'hangover primer'. This is hands  down my favourite, I think that primer is one of the most important steps of makeup anyway because it determines the overall look of how your makeup turns out but this specific product really does, in my opinion, make your makeup not only look dewy and fresh all day but also makes it last so much longer, and that's not always easy as i personally have really oily skin. This is a high end primer so the price is around £32, which i know it hurts to spend that much on a product that you don't even see but I believe it is important to always have a good base for foundation.



https://www.toofaced.com/face-makeup/primer/hangover-replenishing-face-primer/70155.html?cgid=primer#start=1

In terms of a drugstore alternative to primers, i actually have a really good one that costs much less and its the 'Loreal infallible primer'. I actually do find myself using this just as much as the too faced primer (above) especially on a day-to-day basis for things such as uni or work, however just note that although this primer is a really good product and does help your foundation last, after around 6 hours the oil on my nose does start to show but considering the price difference I think that is a reasonable lasting time. This primer costs around £9 from stores such as Superdrug or Boots.




Foundations are my holy grail, my personal preference of foundation is full coverage and i like to create an even base for the rest of my makeup. Now i understand  that not everyone has the same aim with their foundation and not everyone wants their foundation to be full coverage and some people prefer a more natural approach, however that is without a doubt NOT me, but with these foundations if applied different ways the finishes definitely vary.

The first foundation is Revlon colorstay, i love this foundation and i use it on a daily basis. For a drugstore foundation I think this stands up there in terms of coverage and how it lasts, with the high-end brands at such a cheaper price, and that to me sounds like one of the best bargains. Another great thing about this foundation is that not only is the colour range good but it also takes into account different skin types, meaning that there are two types, normal/dry or combination/oily. As mentioned above i have oily skin so i use the second option but i have also heard great things from people who have dry skin.

https://www.superdrug.com/Revlon/Revlon-Color-Stay-Foundation-Combi-Oily-Buff-30ml/p/645900

Now for the high-end foundation, my favourite at the minute is the 'Nars all day luminous weightless foundation'. This foundation i would say is medium coverage but can easily be built up to full coverage and, like it states in the title, it is very weightless and light on the skin. However I do feel this foundation after having it on the skin for  a while, especially in the summer and hot weather, it sometimes does start to become patchy and wear off the face. This foundation costs around £35 and although it does looks good when first applied i would suggest saving your money and investing in the drugstore option first, which i would say is the best news!!

Onto concealer, i only have one to share with you, but on a good note it is a drugstore product. I'm pretty sure before i even name the product that i am talking about you already have an idea of what it is because it was and still is pretty hyped about. The 'Collection lasting perfection concealer' is all i aim to have in a concealer, it has good coverage, it blends really well and the price is fab for the product you get. This product costs £4 and the brand has recently just released more shades in the range, which was one of the negatives to this product, the shade range but i believe they are working to release a wider range of shades, which is always a positive.

https://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Face/Concealer/Collection-Lasting-Perfection-Concealer-Warm-Medium-3/p/439405

In terms of contouring, I have a couple of favourite products that I use and love. Don't get me wrong, I definitely do not fully contour my face every day, for two main reasons really, the first being i don't have the time or the patience and i am certainly no James Charles in terms of how amazing he is at contouring, However I do like to contour my cheeks and forehead slightly to give my face some sort of dimension, i mean anything that will help give my face some structure is greatly appreciated.

I have two types of contour products to share with you but unfortunately for my bank account they are both high-end but I haven't found any drugstore products that are as good, if you have any PLEASE leave them in the comments and help me out.

The first product is the 'Benefit hoola quickie contour stick', i was never really a fan of cream contouring until i found this product. It is SO easy to use and it blends like a dream. Another thing to also note it that the product is very buildable in terms of the intensity of contour you want. This product costs £24 which actually isn't to bad considering how long this product has lasted me, I use it most days and you don't need much product at all, therefore it doesn't run out quickly.


https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/benefit-hoola-quickie-contour-stick.html

In terms of powder contouring, my favourite product to use is the all famous and talked about 'Anastasia Beverly Hills contour kit'. This product is one of my all time holy grails, have you ever bought a product and the first time you used it you knew its going to be near impossible to replace? that is this product for me. I know that sounds so dramatic but honestly since it made its way into my makeup collection like 2 years ago I haven't found  a powder contour product that i prefer. This product costs £42, and hold on, i know that's expensive and there are like 100 cheaper contour palettes out there, but in this case i will have to side with the high-end option, even though it kills me!! but like i mentioned above if you know any amazing cheaper alternatives i will be forever grateful.

https://www.cultbeauty.co.uk/anastasia-beverly-hills-pro-series-contour-kit.html

In terms of setting powders, i do have two options but i am only actually going to fully discuss one, because who wants to spend so much more money than they have to? lets face it we want to know about a bargain. So my holy grail powder previously was the Laura Mercier powder, which is great, and if you want to spend a good amount i would without a doubt recommend this, however i then switched up my makeup bag when i came across this gem of a product, 'RCMA no-colour powder', can we just take a second to discuss that this product is £13 for 3oz!! ok lets just take a second to let that sink in!! the Laura Mercier powder costs £29 for 29 grams which works out at like 1oz!! so yeah this powder is definitely a bargain. I honestly cant reccomend this powder enough, it sets the skin really nice and leaves a nice finish, it doesn't flash back on photos (one thing i just cant deal with, I hate it) and it doesn't leave any type of white cast on your foundation.

https://www.beautybay.com/makeup/rcma/nocolourpowder/

Now for bronzer, I do switch up my bronzers quite regularly so i cant suggest a 'current favourite' but if i was to recommend one it would probably be 'Benefit hoola' which I know is a typical choice for a bronzer but this is the bronzer that never lets me down. I do find myself reaching for this, i would say, more than other products in my collection. This bronzer costs £25.

https://www.benefitcosmetics.com/uk/en-gb/product/hoola-matte-bronzer?istCompanyId=d1d83419-e1bc-42e0-acc0-1666c82543d8&istItemId=wxirmtxqri&istBid=t&gclid=Cj0KCQjwpcLZBRCnARIsAMPBgF39K8FCiFVtPtthEo96Q_CadSEb8GCHvsHsbqRlKhz99RQamMbwWc4aAtKOEALw_wcB

Now onto my absolute favourite part of makeup... HIGHLIGHTER. When it comes to highlighter i am not very easily pleased. When I buy a highlighter I am definitely not looking for a subtle glow, i like my highlighter to be the definition of 'glowing', like you would probably be able to see it from the moon... ok slightly extra but we will go with it. I actually found it hard to choose my favourite highlighter but i actually narrowed it down to two (one more affordable, one high-end).

Firstly I will start with the high-end option, and to be fair this isn't one particular highlighter, i am just going to put forward the brand, which is Becca. Let me just tell you, if you have never tried  a Becca highlighter and 'the glow' is your thing, you are missing out. my first highlighter from this brand was the all famous 'champagne pop' and it definitely did not disappoint, i have actually repurchased this highlighter multiple times and it never lets me down, but also the other highlighters from the brand are not exception to the fact that this brand knows how to highlight a makeup look. I would highly recommend these highlighters to anyone but they are on the more expensive side, they cost £30 each. But before you either spend that much money or give up on the idea of a blinding glow i have an amazing and CHEAP alternative from Primark. Yes Primark!!

Now primark is a place that I'm pretty sure everyone loves, it's inexpensive and it never fails with the clothes and accessories side, but have you been to the beauty section of primark recently? they have stepped up and they are not playing around. I have heard good things and tried multiple products from the primark collection and to be honest I don't think i have ever been fully disappointed, and this product i am going to talk about it certainly not an exception to that statement.

When i recently went into primark, these highlighters caught my eye because they look similar to the Kylie cosmetics highlighters (which i already have and love) and decided to just pick one up and see what i thought, when i opened and swatched this highlighter, oh my god, they swatch and look so pretty and expensive, when in reality they cosy £3!!I went to primark again a few days later to pick up a different shade but they had all gone, so just be aware that they are selling quite fast at the minute so if you see any in store i would definitely advise you pick one up while you can, they are amazing!!

https://www.primark.com/en/product/brunch-club-highlighter,n35397153888889

Now onto brows, I  only have one product that I use every single day and that is (probably to no-ones surprise) it is the 'Anastasia Beverly hills dip brow'. This product is still no less amazing as it was when I first tried it, and no matter how many different products i try nothing lives up to the result i get with this product. In terms of price, it costs £19 which actually isn't bad at all in my opinion, because although the actual product looks tiny, you literally need the tiniest bit so it lasts sooo long.

https://www.beautybay.com/makeup/anastasiabeverlyhills/dipbrowpomade/?gclid=Cj0KCQjwpcLZBRCnARIsAMPBgF1EeVTBFo8oIsqgIg6McOErSwgKekpYb9_Ah9Kv4NDGtAzBIbX0RVoaAnNLEALw_wcB

in terms of eyeshadow, I can not choose one particular palette that it my favourite so I think i will do a separate post on all my favourite palettes if that's something you would want to read, please let me know.
However I do have a favourite eyeliner that i will share with you.

As mentioned above, primark have been pulling it out the bag in terms of their makeup range recently however the first product that ever made me want to try more primark beauty was their eyeliner. Now I have tried all types of eyeliner, from Maybelline, loreal, kat von D, urban decay... however primark liner honestly for the price beats them all. Firstly i would just like to stress that this liner costs £1!! like £1 for an eyeliner, i think for that price you wouldn't expect anything special, but this product is actually amazing. I wear winged liner everyday and it never ever fails, it doesn't crack or split, it doesn't wear off and its not patchy at all. I honestly wouldn't recommend any other liner.

https://www.primark.com/en/product/black-liquid-eyeliner,R1732971120150104

Now onto lip products!! I think lips are one of the main parts of a makeup look, they have the power to make or break a look, for example you could do a really simple eye with a bold lip and it looks like you have put in so much time and effort, however if you do a really dramatic eye and a dramatic lip it can look too much, so having that good balance has always got to be considered.

I personally always opt for a matte lip, honestly just because I'm lazy if I'm being honest. I think a gloss is just too much hard work, it gets stuck in your hair, it wares off easily, you have to always re apply, and lets face it, it always ends up either bleeding out of my lip line or on my teeth, and that's just not what anyone wants to see.

I have way too many favourite lip products to pick one specifically, however i do love the Kylie Cosmetics Lip kits. There is quite a bit of controversy surrounding these lip kits, i feel like they are 'love it or hate it' products. I have heard so many mixed reviews on these things that i just don't understand, I fully understand that its down to personal preference but i also think these lipsticks were put under pressure straight away because of the name that they are associated with, because lets face it the kardashians/Jenners are much like the lipsticks, you either love them or hate them. I personally really like these lipkits, i think they are good quality and the price, in my opinion, isn't too bad either (the shipping on the other hand is a different story). I actually have quite a few of the lipkits and i would personally recommend them for the quality, pigmentation and lasting power. These lipkits retail for $29 and you receive a lip liner and liquid lipstick (you definitely already knew that though, but you know just in case).

https://www.kyliecosmetics.com/collections/matte-lip-kits

But hold on!! before you set your heart on a Kylie lipkit and spend so much money on shipping, maybe you want to try this product that i recently tried and fell in love with every aspect of, the colour range, the packaging, the pigmentation and most importantly the price. These lipsticks are actually amazing, like honestly I put one on at 2 in the afternoon, went out shopping and then went to work and got home at around 12 midnight and this lipstick was still exactly the same as when I first applied it. In terms of quality I think these are just as good as most high-end lipsticks and the shade range is also amazing, I believe at the moment there are around 18 shades available but considering these are still new to stores, I am guessing there will be more released. These lipsticks cost £10 each I believe, meaning you can actually get three lipsticks for the price of one Kylie lipkit... bargain!

https://www.superdrug.com/Make-Up/Lips/Lipstick/Maybelline-Superstay-Matte-Ink-Liquid-35-Creator/p/739775

Now lastly, no makeup look is finished without drowning yourself in setting spray... right? or is that just me? Setting spray for me is one of the most important products. If i have gotten up an hour earlier to do my makeup and spent all that time evening out my eyeliner I want it to stay in place and there is only really one product I trust to do that, and that's the 'urban decay all nighter setting spray'. This product is an actual lifesaver, I have heard so many people say that setting spray doesn't actually do anything and it doesn't make a different to how long your makeup lasts, and I was fully on board with that until I used this product. I honestly think this setting spray could help my makeup withstand anything. But just a side note, Urban Decay have a couple of setting sprays that are aimed at different skin types, considering I have oily skin I tried the one aimed at that, and personally I don't think that is as good so I would definitely just stick with the original version :). This product costs £24 and I think that is actually an ok price considering it would probably last a long time if you don't use as much as I do on a day-to-day basis (you definitely don't need that much).

https://www.urbandecay.co.uk/en_GB/face/makeup-setting-spray/all-nighter/ud803.html

so that's everything for this post. I hope you enjoyed reading it and it may have helped you in either wanting to buy new makeup, giving you some cheaper alternatives or helping you make your mind up on whats worth spending your money on, or maybe it just made you hate me for making you buy more makeup you don't need or your bank account won't appreciate, and if so i'm sorry!!

If you have any posts you want me to write please let me know, or if you have tried any of these products or have any questions about any of them feel free to let me know in the comments.

xx