Take 3: Highstreet Concealers

Maybelline Eye Eraser in Light £7.99 - Bourjois Healthy Mix Concealer in 52 Medium Radiance £7.99 - L'Oreal Lumi Magique Concealer in 1 Light £8.49

When it comes to drugstore concealers, I find it so hard to find the right shade and texture for my skin type. This means I tend to have to use different concealers for different needs and parts of my face, but I think with this trio I might have cracked it! I know 3 concealers seems a bit excessive but luckily these last for ages and they're all under the £10 mark and all have different uses.

Let's start with under eyes. Maybelline's Instant Anti-Age Eye Eraser in 'Light' totally lives up to the hype for me. Yes I might not need anti-aging underneath my peepers but the consistency, applicator and effect it gives is fabulous. You twist the product up so you can get the exact amount you need out the sponge as well as being able to see how much you have left which is a massive plus for me. The sponge applicator aids to softly pat the concealer into a V shape under my eyes and the texture is creamy yet light so gives great coverage without looking cakey at all. Blended in with a damp beauty blender this stuff looks airbrushed and skin like, whilst still covering dark circles effectively. My only niggle with this product is that I would like the shade 'Light' to be a tad lighter to give a more highlighting effect but in terms of coverage this is great and you could even use it on other parts of your face as a 2 in 1.

For all over concealing I've been using Bourjois Healthy Mix Correcting Concealer in '52 Medium Radiance'. I didn't get on with the foundation as it oxidised badly on me, but I really wanted to give the concealer a go after reading good things. You get so much product in this tube and the dispenser makes it easy to get just the right amount you need in a hygienic way. I tend to squeeze a little out and apply with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush and buff it over blemishes and any redness around my nose. It is relatively thick and quite creamy making it easy to blend and cover well. This lasts all day and I do not have to reapply at any point. I wish I had got a shade lighter as it can be a little dark depending on my base but with proper blending it isn't an issue and it doesn't oxidise like the foundation did.

Lastly the concealer I use for highlighting is L'Oreal's Lumi Magique Correcting Pen in '1 Light', which I have repurchased numerous times. This is basically a dupe for the YSL Touche Eclat, although the texture is more pigmented and thicker. I use this in the inner corners under my eyes most days to brighten the area up and if I'm going for a more sculpted or radiant look I will pat some in down the bridge of my nose, my brow bone, cupids bow and middle of my forehead. It is easily blendable with a light texture and although it is definitley highlighting it isn't stark or unnatural looking for every day.

I still want to try high end concealers but I'm pretty impressed with these 3 from the drugstore. What is your favourite concealer? Have you tried any of these? xxx

Review: The Body Shop | Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream |

The Body Shop - Tea Tree Flawless BB Cream - £8 - 40ml

The Tea Tree BB Cream is the first make up product I've bought from the Body Shop in years. The first BB cream that they bought out just wasn't right for my skin type so it was great when they bought a version out suitable for oily and blemish prone skin, and I decided to give it a go seeing as it was under a tenner.

A lot of high street BB creams are much more like tinted moisturisers and I tend to be a satin finish, medium to high coverage kind of girl. The texture of the product is a lot thicker but not stiff in anyway and blends out to be quite sheer and skin like while still evening out skin tone very well in addition to being buildable. I tend to use my fingers, a buffing or a stippling brush to blend this in depending on how heavy I want the coverage to be. You will need a concealer for extra coverage on blemishes and under eyes.

The shade range is pretty poor with only 3 colours - I picked up the lightest which I was afraid would be a little too pale but once it's blended out it adapts to your skintone, so even when I was more tanned in the summer this still suited me just about! Not only is the coverage impressive for a BB cream, I love that it is really long wearing too and also quite good at oil control without being drying. A lot of BB creams either oxidise or slip and wear unevenly throughout the day but I've never had any problems like that with this product.

I normally tend to mix all my bases with a liquid highlight, purely so my face isn't flat or dull. For the purpose of this picture I didn't do that so you could see the true effect of how it looks on the skin, but you can see this post here where I'm wearing it mixed with Seventeen Skin Wow.

I've used the Tea Tree BB Cream practically every day since the beginning of the year on both weekends and long work days in the office (think bright lights, air con etc) and it's been a really reliable base without being heavy or detrimental to my skin. If anything, the inclusion of tea tree oil has helped keep my skin as blemish free as possible.

It is one of the best BB creams and bases that I have used from the drugstore and I would recommend it to anyone who has the same skin type as me.

What kind of base to you like best - foundation or BB cream? xxx

Review: Real Techniques | Expert Face Brush |

Real Techniques - Expert Face Brush - £9.99 - Available at Boots

Real Techniques brushes are one of the most talked about budget brush brands and for good reason. I have the core collection and starter eye kit and both are of fantastic quality and contain multi-functional brushes. For a really long time I have wanted to add to my collection by purchasing some of the stand alone brushes so I was really pleased when I finally caved and picked up the Expert Face Brush.

I never thought I'd say this but I think it has replaced my beloved Buffing Brush as my favourite base applicator. The synthetic taklon bristles are densely packed and stiff, unlike the buffing brush which is quite flexible so I found it a bit difficult to get used to at the beginning. However, this design delivers a flawless base with minimal effort. Normally I take a long time buffing in my choice of base to make sure it is all blended in but this brush cuts that time in half and basically does all the work for you. I've also found I use a lot less product as the Expert Face Brush works it into the skin so flawlessly you don't need as much to even skin tone or cover redness. It works really well with all cream and liquid bases, from light to high coverage, but my favourite at the moment is with Estee Lauder Double Wear, which I mentioned in this post recently.

The light weight and tapered middle design of the handle is another plus point which makes it easy to maneuver and grip, again aiding application. The brush is also really easy to clean which was a surprise as the bristles are so dense I thought product would get easily trapped in between them.

The Expert Face Brush leaves you looking naturally airbrushed and it just a winner all round - a great value product which you won't regret having in your arsenal.

What is your favourite Real Techniques brush? xxx

Review: Seventeen | Skin Wow! 3 Way Highlighter |

Seventeen // 3 Way Liquid Highlighter // £5.99 // 30ml //

Highlighters are one of my favourite make up items, just second behind lip stick. Due to having oily/combo skin I've normally leaned more towards the powder versions but liquid highlighters are so versatile and a great multi use product, that I incorporated them into my every day routine easily. 

This offering from Seventeen is the second liquid highlighter that I've tried (Soap and Glory's Hocus Focus was the first). Housed in a slim see through bottle with a handy pump it is quite a thick consistency but is easily sheered out once blended in properly or mixed with your base of choice. It is a very pearlescent pink tinged liquid - for reference it is more Benefit 'High Beam' than 'Moon Beam' - and has a high shimmer finish when used alone. The bottle suggests you can use it to prime, add to your foundation or apply onto cheekbones. I find the priming part a bit pointless unless you are wearing a very lightweight base so it can show through, and it is a bit too glittery for every day highlighting on areas such as cheekbones, brow bone and bridge of nose but is perfect for evening looks. My favourite way to apply is to mix it with any base of choice as it works well with both tinted moisturisers through to heavy coverage foundations. It helps to illuminate your face and perk up your complexion in a subtle way and is now used daily for this purpose. 

If you are looking to dabble in the world of liquid highlighters or looking for a cheaper version of the high end picks then I would definitely recommend this product. It is a little more glittery than I would like but for a budget product it is fantastic - Seventeen seem to have really upped their game!

What are your favourite highlighters? Are you more of a powder or liquid girl? xxx

Review: Bourjois | Healthy Mix Foundation |

9.99 // 30ml // Shade 52 (Vanilla)

My box of bases has been steadily growing as I like to have one for every occasion (nights out, sunny days, bad skin days, oily days, dehydrated days....etc etc!) and this foundation is one that I had my eye on for a long time. There are two types of this foundation - this is not the serum version but the original one as based on the reviews I read it was more suitable for my skin type (oily/combo). 

Most of the reviews I have seen of this are very complimentary so I had high hopes. Although I think it has been rebranded and packaged since I bought it, it still features a see through body which I really like so you can see how much you've got left, has a decent pump and is lightweight for travel. I have the shade 52 (second lightest) which is too dark for me but a good match for a tan and is ok as long as I buff it in fully and blend. As you can see I've used it quite a lot before writing up this post as for a long time I was really on the fence about it.

On first application it is fantastic. It buffs in flawlessly to your skin (I use the RT buffing brush or fingers) with a very natural coverage which is buildable to medium and blurs pores and imperfections wonderfully. The foundation delivers a satin finish which I love as its not too dewy or flat looking. This is great for perking up your skin and definitely delivers radiance and hydration so no need to add liquid highlighter in with it like I normally do. On first impressions I thought this was HG ground!

But unfortunately things go down hill from there. After around 4 hours my skin is very greasy - and not just in the t zone which I'm used to. I also found it oxidises really badly which is terrible for oily girls like myself as it makes the foundation go quite orange and patchy - so in reference to its 16 hour claim it falls dramatically short! 

It is such a shame and I have really tried to persevere with it as on first application it is wonderful! I think it is better suited to dry/normal skin and is great for photos or a short amount of time. However, for long busy days which I normally have it falls short.

 Have you tried this foundation? What is your HG base? xxx

Review: Estée Lauder Double Wear Foundation

30ml // £27.50

I seem to be on a bit of a role with Estée Lauder recently. Having previously owned nothing from the brand, in the last few months I acquired Advanced Night Repair and then this foundation. Both things are pretty pricey for a student budget but so far Estée Lauder has not disappointed me and definitely lives up to my expectations as a premium brand.

On my first trip to Bicester Village a month or so ago, I picked up a MAC MSF and this foundation in the shade 'IC1 Shell' (although I think it's now called Cool Bone) from The Cosmetics Company Store, which turned out to be a perfect colour match for my pale skin. This particular foundation had been on my wishlist for a while even though it is full coverage, as it is nice to have a range of bases in your stash for different occasions. Upon looking at reviews, I've seen nothing but positive things and I'm going to have to jump on the positive band wagon and warn you now that this is going to be a rave review!

The packaging is made of heavy glass which oozes luxury, although may not be best for travel (I've kept the box for this). The only gripe I have with this is that there is no pump dispenser so getting the right amount of product can sometimes be a bit tricky, although it isn't the end of the world for me. The formula is quite thick but also nice and fluid so easily blended into the skin. For this I use a small amount of product and my buffing brush and really work it in seamlessly for fuller coverage, or with a stippling brush or blend perfection for more of a medium coverage. I've seen others mention they find it difficult to blend as it dries quickly but I've had no problem with this. I find this gives a lovely satin finish to the skin, and if blended in well it doesn't look cakey or obvious at all, instead it leaves your skin looking perfected. I also like that it doesn't oxidise and so stays the same colour all day.

I was surprised that it was so natural looking considering it is a matte, full coverage foundation and although I like to pump some Hocus Focus to inject some radiance, this isn't always necessary and just somewhat a habit now. The time this foundation lasts is amazing and I can be safe in the knowledge it will last for around 6 hours before needing to touch up with powder, if at all. It is oil and fragrance free so great for oily skinned girls like me, who want fuller coverage for a special occasion, need their base to last a long day or just prefer that kind of finish. Even though it is expensive, I only need to use a little for my whole face so think this will last me a really long time and is cost effective. It's also useful to note you can buy Double Wear in a light version or maximum cover.

I really recommend this for oily/combination skins who want a medium-full coverage foundation. It has great staying power, helps with oil control and didn't break me out. As long as you take the time to blend it in well this will leave a lovely satin finish without looking cakey. A great purchase and new holy grail for me.

Have you tried this before? What else would you suggest from Estée Lauder? xxx