I don't want to seem over-eager, but I've been planning to post this for a while and was just so excited to share this topic with you! I didn't want to begin my blog with this post though, I thought I'd ease you in a bit and tell you more about myself before launching into a lengthly explanation of what's in my makeup bag. However, it's post #3, meaning if you've read my previous posts you are well and truly settled in and I can now bore you to pieces! (Joking... I hope? Please let me know if I bore you.)
Makeup has never particularly interested me until recently, and I have a few wonderful women to thank for my burgeoning obsession: Zoella, Louise (of Sprinkle Of Glitter fame), Gabriella (Velvetgh0st), Anna (from ViviannaDoesMakeup), Lily Pebbles, Tanya Burr et al (blog post coming up on them soon!). I think it's safe to say that I've been lusting after many products I cannot afford for at least a month now (grrr). However, I do feel that my makeup collection has recently expanded to a reasonable size - reasonable enough to share with my readers (if I have any). So, here it is: this is my makeup bag!
As you can see, I've been a wee bit OCD and lined up my products by category and in the order I would put them on my face. I'm going to talk about each product left to right, up to down, and try to list their names and shades for you to see so you can purchase any of the items which take your fancy! Righto, let's get cracking!
1. Nivea Light Moisturising Day Cream for Normal and Combination Skin
One of my most recent purchases. I'd known I needed a moisturiser for a long time, to protect my skin before makeup and refresh and hydrate it in the mornings, and I have nothing but good things to say about this one. I picked it up as it was fairly cheap and looked like an ideal beginner's moisturiser, and I noticed a visible improvement in the softness and aesthetics of my skin after use. I love applying this in the mornings and will continue to do so until this runs out.
2. Benefit The Porefessional PRO Balm
I really like this as a primer to use after moisturising and before makeup - it leaves the skin ultra-soft and has a really creamy, light formula that blends nicely. It can be used on top of makeup, too - bonus, as it means I can top the primer up during the day if I notice my pores or I'm having a dreaded Bad Skin Day (dun dun DUN). After use I noticed differences in the appearances of spots (i.e. they were less noticeable) and was very happy with the results. This 'un's a pricey product, but it IS Benefit, and it IS their best-selling product, so it must be good! (If all else fails, do what I do and get your mum to buy it for you.)
3. Benefit Big Easy BB Cream in shade 02 (light)
Yes, I know, a lot of Benefit treats, okay? Disclaimer: MY MUM BOUGHT ME THE EXPENSIVE STUFF. I'm a teenager so I run on a limited budget, therefore most of my makeup is drugstore. The only exceptions are my Benefit products. Right, now the moany bit is out of the way: I LOVE this BB cream. I don't use it every day as a) it's too expensive and b) it works best for spotty days, but when I do I like to mix it with my holy grail of BB creams (see below). It's light enough in colour for my deathly pale skin and it blends so well, leaving no streaky orange marks. It's a light formula so offers light to medium coverage and isn't cakey on the face. I use BB cream over foundation because I'm not a fan of foundation and this is an amazing substitute.
4. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in shade Medium
This is my holy grail. I should set up a shrine to this BB cream because I love it so much. It's my most-used makeup product EVER and makes me feel confident and fresh. I've repurchased this three times (oops). This has a light to medium coverage, so it's enough to banish blemishes and even out my skin tone, but not so much that I'm melting under the layers of makeup. The Medium shade is perfect for my skin and blends well, although I have been known to use the Light shade too. Simply put, I LOVE THIS STUFF. 'Nuff said.
5. No. 7 Mascara (old, I have no idea which one, sorry!)
I've had this donkey's years and it never fails to amaze me. I'm ginger (yep, I know, ew) so I need to use Brown Black mascara and this is perfect. It's not too dark on the lid, it doesn't clump, it separates and lengthens my lashes wonderfully and it's especially good on the bottom lashes. It makes me look like a mascara wiz (it's a miracle worker, basically). I'll usually use this as a base for my (yep, you guessed it) Benefit mascara if I'm going somewhere special, but on an everyday basis, this works just as well alone.
6. Benefit They're Real! Mascara
This stuff is reserved for special occasions only and I'll use it on top of my no-name No. 7 mascara for defined lashes. I have to use this stuff sparingly as it is very black (they don't have a brown black shade) and very thick and gloopy. That said, it does make my lashes look fairly voluptuous (ooh, I used a big word) and I like the effect it gives. I'd recommend this more for dark skin tones and brunettes than blondes and us red-heads, but it is lovely.
7. Body Shop Shimmer Cubes
I really like these as eyeshadows. I use my silvery blue palette the most, and love the silver shades for everyday makeup looks as they go with everything. They're powder shadows but blend really nicely on the eye and add some nice sparkles (and c'mon, who DOESN'T love sparkles?) to the face. I also have a lovely bronze and rose gold shade which I'll use if I fancy getting a bit more glammed up.
8. Woodland Eyes Palette
I got this as a gift so I'm not entirely sure where it came from, but it's a set of four eyeshades and two lip-glosses (the lip-glosses aren't featured in the image, sorry). I like the lip-glosses but far prefer the eyshadows, especially the cream shade (you can tell from the image as it's the most used shade). I use this both as a base eyeshadow and a highlighter on my cheekbones. The other three shades I'll use in my crease or on top of other shades to create more dramatic looks.
9. Body Shop Brow Definer in shade 02 (Brunette)
Although this is a brunette shade, it works nicely on my brows, which are so light they're almost invisible (sigh). This pencil gives them the definition they need and actually makes my brows visible to the naked eye! Hurrah!
10. Eyeliners: Body Shop Eye Definer in shade 11 (Vibrant Emerald) and Boots Natural Collection Eye Lines in shade Soft Navy
I am a fan of pencil eyeliners (because liquid eyeliner would look ridiculous on me, let's face it) and I like mine in bright colours to make my eyes pop. I have currently in my collection a purple eyeliner, a bright blue one, and a teal one (pictured) from The Body Shop, and a dark blue one from Natural Collection. I really like the effect these give on my eyes - they're perfect for using along my waterline to give my eyes definition and colour.
Makeup has never particularly interested me until recently, and I have a few wonderful women to thank for my burgeoning obsession: Zoella, Louise (of Sprinkle Of Glitter fame), Gabriella (Velvetgh0st), Anna (from ViviannaDoesMakeup), Lily Pebbles, Tanya Burr et al (blog post coming up on them soon!). I think it's safe to say that I've been lusting after many products I cannot afford for at least a month now (grrr). However, I do feel that my makeup collection has recently expanded to a reasonable size - reasonable enough to share with my readers (if I have any). So, here it is: this is my makeup bag!
As you can see, I've been a wee bit OCD and lined up my products by category and in the order I would put them on my face. I'm going to talk about each product left to right, up to down, and try to list their names and shades for you to see so you can purchase any of the items which take your fancy! Righto, let's get cracking!
1. Nivea Light Moisturising Day Cream for Normal and Combination Skin
One of my most recent purchases. I'd known I needed a moisturiser for a long time, to protect my skin before makeup and refresh and hydrate it in the mornings, and I have nothing but good things to say about this one. I picked it up as it was fairly cheap and looked like an ideal beginner's moisturiser, and I noticed a visible improvement in the softness and aesthetics of my skin after use. I love applying this in the mornings and will continue to do so until this runs out.
2. Benefit The Porefessional PRO Balm
I really like this as a primer to use after moisturising and before makeup - it leaves the skin ultra-soft and has a really creamy, light formula that blends nicely. It can be used on top of makeup, too - bonus, as it means I can top the primer up during the day if I notice my pores or I'm having a dreaded Bad Skin Day (dun dun DUN). After use I noticed differences in the appearances of spots (i.e. they were less noticeable) and was very happy with the results. This 'un's a pricey product, but it IS Benefit, and it IS their best-selling product, so it must be good! (If all else fails, do what I do and get your mum to buy it for you.)
3. Benefit Big Easy BB Cream in shade 02 (light)
Yes, I know, a lot of Benefit treats, okay? Disclaimer: MY MUM BOUGHT ME THE EXPENSIVE STUFF. I'm a teenager so I run on a limited budget, therefore most of my makeup is drugstore. The only exceptions are my Benefit products. Right, now the moany bit is out of the way: I LOVE this BB cream. I don't use it every day as a) it's too expensive and b) it works best for spotty days, but when I do I like to mix it with my holy grail of BB creams (see below). It's light enough in colour for my deathly pale skin and it blends so well, leaving no streaky orange marks. It's a light formula so offers light to medium coverage and isn't cakey on the face. I use BB cream over foundation because I'm not a fan of foundation and this is an amazing substitute.
4. Maybelline Dream Fresh BB Cream in shade Medium
This is my holy grail. I should set up a shrine to this BB cream because I love it so much. It's my most-used makeup product EVER and makes me feel confident and fresh. I've repurchased this three times (oops). This has a light to medium coverage, so it's enough to banish blemishes and even out my skin tone, but not so much that I'm melting under the layers of makeup. The Medium shade is perfect for my skin and blends well, although I have been known to use the Light shade too. Simply put, I LOVE THIS STUFF. 'Nuff said.
5. No. 7 Mascara (old, I have no idea which one, sorry!)
I've had this donkey's years and it never fails to amaze me. I'm ginger (yep, I know, ew) so I need to use Brown Black mascara and this is perfect. It's not too dark on the lid, it doesn't clump, it separates and lengthens my lashes wonderfully and it's especially good on the bottom lashes. It makes me look like a mascara wiz (it's a miracle worker, basically). I'll usually use this as a base for my (yep, you guessed it) Benefit mascara if I'm going somewhere special, but on an everyday basis, this works just as well alone.
6. Benefit They're Real! Mascara
This stuff is reserved for special occasions only and I'll use it on top of my no-name No. 7 mascara for defined lashes. I have to use this stuff sparingly as it is very black (they don't have a brown black shade) and very thick and gloopy. That said, it does make my lashes look fairly voluptuous (ooh, I used a big word) and I like the effect it gives. I'd recommend this more for dark skin tones and brunettes than blondes and us red-heads, but it is lovely.
7. Body Shop Shimmer Cubes
I really like these as eyeshadows. I use my silvery blue palette the most, and love the silver shades for everyday makeup looks as they go with everything. They're powder shadows but blend really nicely on the eye and add some nice sparkles (and c'mon, who DOESN'T love sparkles?) to the face. I also have a lovely bronze and rose gold shade which I'll use if I fancy getting a bit more glammed up.
8. Woodland Eyes Palette
I got this as a gift so I'm not entirely sure where it came from, but it's a set of four eyeshades and two lip-glosses (the lip-glosses aren't featured in the image, sorry). I like the lip-glosses but far prefer the eyshadows, especially the cream shade (you can tell from the image as it's the most used shade). I use this both as a base eyeshadow and a highlighter on my cheekbones. The other three shades I'll use in my crease or on top of other shades to create more dramatic looks.
9. Body Shop Brow Definer in shade 02 (Brunette)
Although this is a brunette shade, it works nicely on my brows, which are so light they're almost invisible (sigh). This pencil gives them the definition they need and actually makes my brows visible to the naked eye! Hurrah!
10. Eyeliners: Body Shop Eye Definer in shade 11 (Vibrant Emerald) and Boots Natural Collection Eye Lines in shade Soft Navy
I am a fan of pencil eyeliners (because liquid eyeliner would look ridiculous on me, let's face it) and I like mine in bright colours to make my eyes pop. I have currently in my collection a purple eyeliner, a bright blue one, and a teal one (pictured) from The Body Shop, and a dark blue one from Natural Collection. I really like the effect these give on my eyes - they're perfect for using along my waterline to give my eyes definition and colour.
11. Benefit Dandelion Brightening Face Powder
Again, I reserve this for special occasions only. This is a lovely light pink colour and gives me a subtle flush and shimmer, making me look more alive on the days when I roll out of bed resembling a zombie.
12. Bourjois Blush in shade 33, "Lilas D'or" (Golden Lilac)
Another recent purchase - I'm in LOVE with this blusher. It is the prettiest colour I have ever seen on a blusher, and is a lovely pink shade with undertones of gold that make it stunning and unlike any other blusher I've ever seen before (Bourjois have lots of other lovely shades if this one isn't your favourite, don't worry) and creates a lovely sparkle effect whilst giving your cheeks a healthy glow. Officially OBSESSED!
13. Neal's Yard Bee Lovely Busy Bee Balm
This was the first ever balm I bought and I've been hooked ever since. This balm is bee-autiful. (See what I did there?) It creates a lovely sheen on the lips and is hydrating without being sticky. It's easy to apply and smells like honey. Happiness in a pot.
14. Revlon Colourburst Lip Butters in shades 027 (left) and 025 (right), "Juicy Papaya" and "Peach Parfait" respectively
I bought these lip butters because I thought they looked lovely. It was only on returning home from Boots that I found out that Zoella, Lily Pebbles and VivannaDoesMakeup had all recommended them in various videos, which made me love these products more than I already did! These are shiny and hydrating without being sticky like lip-glosses and aren't too pigmented. This means they provide a hint of colour without being overly bright. If you're a colour nut, I'd suggest going for shades like "Wild Watermelon" (another thing: all the butters have the CUTEST names!) which will give you a more vibrant colour on the lips, but I'm happy with my coral and nude shades. (HINT: "Peach Parfait" has gold undertones which match the Bourjois Blush I have to a tee if you're looking to match products together.)
15. Benefit "Posie" Balm
This is very similar to the Revlon Lip Butters, so not much to say about this balm. It's lovely, but could do with being more pigmented like the Revlon ones. It does provide the prettiest effect on the lips, though, and I do enjoy using this balm for special occasions. However, since it's Benefit, it's expensive (and dare I say, probably overpriced?), so if you're on a budget definitely stick to the Revlon Butters.
16. Rimmel Vinyl Glosses in shades "Be Famous" and "Keep A Secret"
I bought these a long while ago, and I'm not a huge fan. I find lip-glosses as a rule too sticky, and these were no exception. I do enjoy the colours of the glosses, but find them too sticky to wear for too long. However, Rimmel have since re-vamped their line of Vinyl Glosses, so maybe their formula has improved. Who knows?
So, there you have it! That is my mammoth post on what's in my makeup bag. I really hope you enjoyed seeing what goes on my face to make me look halfway decent every day (har har) and maybe you'll want to purchase some of my most-loved products. I congratulate you for reading all the way through!
Until next time,
Olivia x
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