Right, on to the actual post. I've been wanting to do something like this for quite a while. A majority of my makeup is 'Drugstore', especially things like concealer, foundation and most of my eye makeup, and some of the products I use are, in my opinion, absolutely GOLDEN. Some of these are not only my top 5 drugstore products, but my top 5 of all products, and there is something to be said for that as I do have quite a lot of makeup! I'm the kind of person that gets really quite attached to products once I find I like them, so every one of these is also an absolute staple in my everyday routine. Everything here is also under 10 pounds, which can only be a good thing...
I adore this Foundation. Its just the right amount of dewy and glowing without looking overly shiny or oily, and has the most lovely medium coverage. It is so perfect for everyday use and I don't find it feels heavy on the skin like I do with my MAC foundation or other drugstore ones I have tried! I always apply this with a damp beauty blender and then after that buff it in with a real techniques buffing brush ( Only available in the core collection) and I find that it gives quite a natural finish when you apply it this way!
This foundation does have a slight noticeable shimmer when in the bottle and under very artificial lights, something which I know some people love and others hate. You can't see this shimmer under most natural lights and even when you can, its only ever so slightly, something that I see as more of a positive than a negative anyway. I also find it sets really well with a powder and doesn't crease or 'slide off' as I have found other foundations do, so you can just powder and go.
Also, if you're a fan of a lighter coverage concealer, check out the matching Wake Me Up Concealer. Its great for dark circles!
2. Collection Fast Stroke Liquid Liner- £2.99- Black
Eyeliner is a BIG THING for me. I am rarely seen without my cat eye flicks, and if I am you can almost guarantee that I will have a red lip to make up for it. I struggled to find the right Eyeliner for about a year and kept on flitting between gel liners, pen liners, pencils and liquids until I at last found this liner from Collection.
One problem that I had always found with liners previously is that they wouldn't make a solid, black liner when put over glitter or coloured eye shadows. They never seemed dark or strong enough to make a bold, straight line rather than to just blend in with the shadow and pick up the pigment on the way. This does not happen with the Fast Stroke liner. It really is the deepest black and makes very definite and precise lines. It is really easy (in my opinion anyway!) to get a precise, perfect wing of liner with no annoying smudges or bulky lines. The fine nib of the applicator also allows you to get a thin, delicate point to the end of your liner flicks, and also lets you line super close to the lash line. It also stays on really well, and some days I can get home and see that it looks as though it has been freshly applied. The consistency of the liquid also give the liner the look of being almost tattooed on to the skin as the colour is so deep but the liquid is not claggy, cracked or heavy like so many I have tried before! I have absolutely no complaints about this product yet, and I have been using it a good 6 months now. If you want an easy little liquid liner, give this one a try!
3. Sleek Face Form- £9.99- Light
This Palette is PERFECT for on the go! I am a huge fan of Sleek Makeup in general, but this is my favourite product of theirs yet. I use the shade 'Light', however not only the shades but the actual type of product differs from shade to shade. In this palette you get a Shimmery Highlight ( I would say it was quite a champagne toned highlight), a 'rose gold' blush (pink with little specks of gold in it, supposedly a dupe for Nars 'Orgasm' blush) and a matte brown contour powder/bronzer.
Can we just talk about how well pigmented these things are? A little goes a long way, so you definitely get your moneys worth! Every powder also applies really smoothly onto the skin and blends really well. I am quite pale in the winter months and I am often very conscious of ending up with contour stripes/orange face/'tan lines' but I find I can use the bronzing/contour powder without worrying about this! (If you are pale and worry about these things like me, make sure you check out this post by Zoe London, its really handy!)
My face also now feels naked without this highlight. It is the perfect combination of shine and shimmer. I dust it over my cheekbones, the bridge of my nose, my cupids bow (and a little on my forehead and chin if I'm going all out glowy that day) and I feel it really makes me look far more awake. I am hitting pan on it as you can see, I don't know what i'll do when I run out!
I also really like the packaging of this. My one bugbear with so many drugstore products is that they rarely look 'dressing table worthy' like higher end products often do, but I quite like the smart look of these palettes! The mirror inside is also really useful for on the go applications.
4. Barry M Kohl Eye Pencils- £2.99- White
White eyeliner is something I have been absolutely loving at the minute. Its great when you have tired eyes to just pop in your waterline, instantly making the whites of your eyes look whiter and the rest of your eyes look bigger.
The black pencil is great for touching up your cat eye after a days wear or darkening your bottom waterline with. They also apply incredibly smoothly and stay put without running or smudging. I haven't got too much to say about these to be honest other than that they are absolutely brilliant!
5. Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer- £4.19- No.1, Fair
The one everyone talks about. This collection concealer is my saviour most days, particularly as of late with my skin playing up and breaking out the way it is. I honestly think this covers everything I could want it too, the pigment is incredible. I love how buildable the coverage is too. In fact the only problem I do have with it is that I struggle to find it in my shade (No.1, the lightest shade). Whenever I'm back in England I search high and low for these concealers until I have about 5 to bring back to Denmark and use until my next trip, and this search takes me to just about every Boots and Superdrug in Britain. Worth it for the amazing coverage though! This concealer also works really well with the Rimmel Wake Me Up Foundation, and blends out incredibly.
Phew, so thats everything! Congratulations if you made it to the bottom of this rather lengthy post! Have you used any of these products? What did you think of them? Feel free to chat with me about it in the comments ( as well as to send some recommendations my way!)
I hope you are doing really well at the minute, and that you have an amazing week!
Bethany x
