1. MAYBELLINE FIT ME! CONCEALER NO. 15
Okay, I feel reeeeeally guilty saying this because I am, well was, an Urban Decay Naked Skin concealer girl through and through, BUT, dare I say it, I think this is...equally as good, if not better?! There, I did it, I said it. Seriously though, I had heard amazing reviews about this product, and when I managed to pick it up for only a couple of pounds, I had to try it. I won't continue to compare it to the other product I just mentioned because it is incredible in its own right, but I will tell you why I love this more.
This concealer sits SO smooth on my skin. I always begin my make-up by filling in my brows and carving out around them with concealer, and then taking it further down onto my eyelids to act as a base for my eyeshadow. I use a flat concealer brush to do this and then buff it all out with a blending brush (the Inglot 4SS- you NEED this!). Now, I am still following the same steps with this concealer but I find that I don't need to buff as much as I would with others. I also apply it over the top of my foundation to highlight under my eyes and down the centre of my face, and it blends so flawlessly with a damp beauty sponge. To make it last all day I bake the forenamed areas with a translucent powder and the product doesn't budge all day.
Have I persuaded you already? If not, the price might twist your arm to at least go out and try it. You can pick this up here for only £5.99 - bargain! With four shades to choose from you should hopefully find a shade that's perfect for you.
2. URBAN DECAY 'SIN' HIGHLIGHTER
This product has been out of stock for MONTHS, I couldn't get my hands on it the whole time I was working for the brand. But thankfully, the UD gods sent stock in just before I was leaving so I had to have it, while I had the discount obvs! We all know that highlighter is my favourite make-up product ever and I am always buying more *slaps hand*, but this is without a doubt the most pigmented one I've ever used. It is AMAZING!
It comes in three shades - Aura, Fireball and Sin. Aura is a light pink shimmer, Fireball is almost like a rose gold shimmer, it looks gold in some lights and pink in others, and Sin is a gold shimmer. All three are stunning and your colour choice is merely personal preference. For me, I chose Sin as it is perfect for an everyday look, for example with brown smokes, or with gold glitter when I'm heading out.
No doubt I'll buy all three at some stage though, it is me after all! Just pop it on with your brush of choice, for me it's the Zoeva 129 Luxe Fan Brush, and you're good to go!
This retails at £19 and you can purchase it here or from your local Urban Decay.
3. SUVA BEAUTY 'NEUTRAL NECESSITY' PALETTE
This is a brand that you potentially haven't heard of and I personally hadn't until a few months earlier this year. They are Canadian, and I'm so glad that they've made an appearance here in the UK because their eyeshadows are to DIE FOR. Luckily for me, the salon I'm working in now is stocking the brand so I can play with the colours all I want, EEK!
Perfect for creating a natural daytime look with creams and browns, or a dark smokey eye using plums, browns and black, the possibilities are endless. Having a butter formulation and a built-in primer, the payoff from these eyeshadows is fantastic, and they last me all day when applied on top of the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer.
Another bonus to this palette is that the magnetic pans are replaceable so when your favourite colour runs out you can buy it on its own, or even keep the empty palette and use it to try out some new colours.
The palette costs £45 and you can purchase it either in-store at SK | Makeup Studio, Ballymena, or online at www.skmakeupstudio.com.
4. ILLAMASQUA SKINBASE FOUNDATION
I only purchased this foundation about six weeks ago, admittedly whilst I could get discount on it before leaving my job, and also because I had always heard people saying it was amazing. I got matched up after I came home from Ibiza to an 8.5 but sadly, I need a lighter one as I've lost ALL my tan *sad face*. However, I'm happy to use the same colour and mix it with some sort of other lighter foundation.
This foundation is highly recommended for dry skin, but right now I have combination skin - oily in the T-zone and fairly normal elsewhere, and I find it still works so well for me. It is full coverage, yet doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin and undoubtedly covers any flaws or blemishes I have. Boasting vitamins C and E, it also smooths, softens and conditions the skin. It doesn't budge all day, and I cannot find one fault with this foundation. With 26 shades to choose from, some with pink undertones and others with yellow, and with knowledgeable staff, you can be sure you will be matched up perfectly to your desired shade.
Have you tried any of these products? If you have then be sure to let me know what you think! And if Santa is kind enough to leave any of them for you on Christmas morning, please Snapchat me and show me! I'll leave all my social media details below so you can contact me. Thanks for reading!
3. SUVA BEAUTY 'NEUTRAL NECESSITY' PALETTE
This is a brand that you potentially haven't heard of and I personally hadn't until a few months earlier this year. They are Canadian, and I'm so glad that they've made an appearance here in the UK because their eyeshadows are to DIE FOR. Luckily for me, the salon I'm working in now is stocking the brand so I can play with the colours all I want, EEK!
The Neutral Necessity palette is stunning, and absolutely perfect for this time of year. With 7 matte shades and 1 satin shade (Prohibition Pub, Turkish Bath, Lock Bridge, Shanghai Nights, Night Market, Islander, Hookah, Madrid), this is a staple product for all you make-up junkies out there.
Perfect for creating a natural daytime look with creams and browns, or a dark smokey eye using plums, browns and black, the possibilities are endless. Having a butter formulation and a built-in primer, the payoff from these eyeshadows is fantastic, and they last me all day when applied on top of the Maybelline Fit Me Concealer.
Another bonus to this palette is that the magnetic pans are replaceable so when your favourite colour runs out you can buy it on its own, or even keep the empty palette and use it to try out some new colours.
The palette costs £45 and you can purchase it either in-store at SK | Makeup Studio, Ballymena, or online at www.skmakeupstudio.com.
4. ILLAMASQUA SKINBASE FOUNDATION
I only purchased this foundation about six weeks ago, admittedly whilst I could get discount on it before leaving my job, and also because I had always heard people saying it was amazing. I got matched up after I came home from Ibiza to an 8.5 but sadly, I need a lighter one as I've lost ALL my tan *sad face*. However, I'm happy to use the same colour and mix it with some sort of other lighter foundation.
This foundation is highly recommended for dry skin, but right now I have combination skin - oily in the T-zone and fairly normal elsewhere, and I find it still works so well for me. It is full coverage, yet doesn't feel heavy or cakey on the skin and undoubtedly covers any flaws or blemishes I have. Boasting vitamins C and E, it also smooths, softens and conditions the skin. It doesn't budge all day, and I cannot find one fault with this foundation. With 26 shades to choose from, some with pink undertones and others with yellow, and with knowledgeable staff, you can be sure you will be matched up perfectly to your desired shade.
To make it even better, Illamasqua are British and are recognised by PETA as a cruelty-free brand. I'm finding more and more people are on the search for products which are not tested on animals, and if you are among those people, I cannot recommend Illamasqua enough. This particular product retails at £32.50 and you can purchase it here or at your local Illamasqua counter.
5. MINK'D BY SK 'SPACED OUT' LASHES
I have gotten so used to wearing lashes that I feel naked without them and subsequently wear them on a daily basis. I have naturally long lashes and don't particularly need them, but I find that they really complete the dramatic eye looks that I wear to work every day.
Financially it makes more sense for me to purchase mink lashes, as the cost per wear is less than that of normal false lashes. The longevity of a pair of lashes really boils down to how well you treat them, but roughly speaking, false lashes will last about seven wears and cost on average £1 per wear. Although mink lashes are more expensive, the cost per wear comes in around 66p and you can wear them approximately thirty times! Saying that, if you are really careful with them you can get much longer out of them, sometimes up to sixty wears! Be sure to use Duo glue with them to make them last as long as possible.
These particular lashes have been chosen by my friend Shawna and come in four different styles. 'Spaced Out' are my favourites because they are full but not too thick, have different lengths of hair which blend better with my own lashes, and funnily enough, are perfectly spaced out!
5. MINK'D BY SK 'SPACED OUT' LASHES
I have gotten so used to wearing lashes that I feel naked without them and subsequently wear them on a daily basis. I have naturally long lashes and don't particularly need them, but I find that they really complete the dramatic eye looks that I wear to work every day.
Financially it makes more sense for me to purchase mink lashes, as the cost per wear is less than that of normal false lashes. The longevity of a pair of lashes really boils down to how well you treat them, but roughly speaking, false lashes will last about seven wears and cost on average £1 per wear. Although mink lashes are more expensive, the cost per wear comes in around 66p and you can wear them approximately thirty times! Saying that, if you are really careful with them you can get much longer out of them, sometimes up to sixty wears! Be sure to use Duo glue with them to make them last as long as possible.
These particular lashes have been chosen by my friend Shawna and come in four different styles. 'Spaced Out' are my favourites because they are full but not too thick, have different lengths of hair which blend better with my own lashes, and funnily enough, are perfectly spaced out!
These mink lashes are cruelty-free and are ethically sourced, and can be purchased through Facebook or in-store at SK | Makeup Studio, Ballymena for £20.
Have you tried any of these products? If you have then be sure to let me know what you think! And if Santa is kind enough to leave any of them for you on Christmas morning, please Snapchat me and show me! I'll leave all my social media details below so you can contact me. Thanks for reading!
Friday’s Giirl
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