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

You Can't Live A Positive Life With A Negative Mind

Blogging can be so therapeutic sometimes. I wrote this post when I was feeling emotional about something and it really helped. I wasn't sure whether to post it but maybe it will help you if you have been feeling the same way.

For the past two years, a lot went wrong for me - I had a lot of bad news, health issues and seemed to always attract toxic people who made it worse. Over the latter half of last year, I really tried to focus on the positive and start on the right track to a healthier and more positive mind. I know that sounds totally cliche and vom worthy but its true.

Excercise helped when I was feeling low, and sorting out my diet to include lots of healthy clean foods also aided my well being. I read a few self help books, went to some counciling sessions which did the world of good and tried to train my mind to be more positive which was the hardest part. I failed many times, and even sunk lower than I had before but towards the end of last year I was getting the hang of trying to put a positive spin on things.

I got the confidence to cut out negative people, I put more effort into the good and positive people who surrounded me and I made the effort to change jobs when I wasn't happy where I was anymore. Rather than sitting there wallowing which is so tempting to do, I went out and did something about it which made me even more confident and positive. It is a very good cycle which is very hard to build. I also found that quotes really helped too. Again that sounds so Pinterest and cliche but whenever I was feeling low, I could always find a quote that really fitted how I felt and gave me a boost or push to change it.

I guess why I'm writing this all down is because after looking back at the past two years and how far I've come I feel so so proud of myself and I think that positivity and strength is starting to shine through and I;m getting back to me. Unfortunately there seem to be a a few people left in my life who don't seem to like this, maybe its because when someone is worse off than you it makes you feel better but that is such a toxic way to look at things.

I'm not going to lie - I used to feel like that sometimes too but honestly, praising someone for doing well or giving the tiniest of compliments really makes you feel so much better than being bitter about someone else's success. There will always be people who are better at other things than me in so many ways and those who are not but at the end of the day it is only myself who I can compete with.

Now I've finally had the epiphany and I've felt my mindset change, I can finally let myself enjoy my successes and not doubt myself or worry about whether or not I deserve it.

If you have tried your best and you work hard and you are kind and positive you are winning already and I hope no one ever makes you doubt that xxx