We all have those beauty product that have a special place in our collection. The ones that we just clicked with, ones that sneak into our lives time and time again, and when they do it just feels like greeting an old friend.
I have to admit I haven't been a beauty enthusiast for a long time, I spent most of my teen years and early twenties bare faced. When I look back at the pictures from those times I wonder how I never realised that the bags under my eyes were darker than the night sky and at the same time my eyebrows were pretty much non-existent. Not that I needed it in my life, but I never realised how much more confident you feel and how much fun you can have with it! So really, when I say "all time favourites" I mean "did not disappoint me in the last three years".
I should also mention that I have very dry and eczema prone skin. It is very difficult to work with, especially in the winter and that certain time of the month. The eczema mostly affects my jawline, my eyelids and under-eyes and sometimes the skin around my eyebrows. I can't use any heavily fragranced products as they often worsen my skin condition, and I tend to keep away from matte foundations or cakey powders.
Complexion
Nars Sheer Glow
I know, I know... it's almost boring to hear how many people like this, but if you prefer a dewy complexion and you had the chance to try it, you know it's a winner. It has a decent amount of coverage without looking cakey on the skin, it doesn't accentuate my dry patches and it looks fab in pictures. Another bonus is that they have quite a lot of colour choices! I use Mont Blanc in the winter because I'm quite pale and I really appreciate the "not too pinky, not too orangy" tone. It's also very easily blendable and stays in place for a decent amount of time.
One huge downside to it is that they couldn't include a pump for the fairly painful price, and if you decide to buy yourself one separately you can't use the lid anymore. Absolute nightmare to travel with!
Despite all of this, the product in the unfortunate packaging is a dream! Definitely one I keep coming back to.
Charlotte Tilbury Filmstar Bronze and Glow
Unfortunately I'm a major Charlotte Tilbury fan. Unfortunately, because her products are definitely not drugstore price. I did however justify buying the Filmstar Bronze & Glow sculpt and highlight palette. If you are a little bit like me and have your face is rounder like a football, you know the importance of contouring. I don't like to go overboard and I'm not a huge fan of the Kim Kardashian style contouring technique, but it is nice to put a subtle shadow on my face to pretend that I have cheekbones. And this palette is so easy to work with! The sculpt shade has an ashier, cooler tone to it than a normal bronzer, so it's perfect for contouring, it's very pigmented and it doesn't go patchy! I love that it looks quite natural on the cheeks and adds more of a barely there effect.
The highlighter in the palette is mostly shimmer-less and has a beautiful golden sheen to it. I like to use it on the top of my cheeks for an everyday highlight that gives a healthy, glowy appearance to my skin. When I have a particularly dull looking skin day, I use it as a illuminating powder all over my face, just to put some life back to the skin.
As mentioned, the price of this beauty is quite steep, but even the packaging is worth it. Of course this is one of Charlotte's trademark rosegold product that I would wear as jewellery if I could. As an added extra, it has quite a big mirror included so it comes very handy when travelling.
Eyes
Bobbi Brown eyeshadow
I got this handy little travel palette as a Christmas present in 2014 and unfortunately I don't think it's available in stores anymore. However they have small sized palettes with very similar (if not the same!) shades in new packaging. The lightest shade in the palette is a very creamy off-white colour, perfect for all over the lid. The medium one is a light, soft grey, I normally use this either in the crease of all over if I want to go for a heavier look. The last shade in the palette is a darker brown colour, perfec for a soft eyeliner look or a smokier crease.
This is an amazing palette if you travel a lot! You can use it for a very simple and classic day look with the lighter shades on the lid and the dark brown as eyeliner, or you could smoke it up for more of a dramatic look. As you can see, I use this a lot, it's the perfect natural combination and doesn't require too much time, which is a bonus in the morning. I also like the lip colours that are very handy if you forgot your lipstick at home. Definitely will be repurchasing something similar when this one is completely used up.
Charlotte Tilbury Eyes to Mesmerise cream eyeshadow in 'Verushka'
This one is more of an occasion eye shadow. I adore all the shades from the Eyes to Mesmerise collection, the texture is heavenly, it blends easily but doesn't crease and lasts a very long time on the lids. The Verushka shade is something different though. I couldn't really describe the colour of it, it is something very special I haven't seen before. It's sort of a grey-green colour with golden-silver shimmer going through it, giving you a very smokey eye, without making the look harsh. The one word I would use to describe it is mesmerising. See what I did there?
This is definitely the shade I turn to when I want to look special, it could be a heavier smokey-sparkly look for Christmas, or a subtle, but mysterious look for a wedding. Definitely worth the splurge!
Lips
For lips, I really had to categorise my favourits... I decided to go with a nude matte, nude moisturising, wintery red and summery red. There is kind of a theme going on here though, I definitely prefer a matte lip, and on an everyday basis, I wear mostly nudes or subtle colours, or sometimes just throw on some lip balm when I don't have a lot of time (about 90% of my mornings...).
The lip colour that's always in my bag is definitely the Laura Mercie Creme Smooth Lip Colour in Spiced Rose. It's so easy to put on, even without a mirror and it gives you a very natural, "your lips but better" look. The formula is very moisturising too and very easy to wear.
My favourite nude matte look comes from another Charlotte Tilbury product ('m a bit obsessed, can you tell?). The Lip Cheat Lip Liner Pencil in Pillow Talk gives a very natural, browny-pinky nude finish, and because it's matte, it's very long-lasting. Definitely one I reach for a lot, and it actually works very well with Laura Mercier's Spiced Rose.
When it comes to bold lip colours I'm definitely a huge fan of classic reds. But for me, the orange-y tones only really come in, when the sun comes out! In the wintertime, especially during holiday season, I love to wear Mac's Ruby Woo. This is actually the perfect red in my opinion, it's not too cold, not too warm and very veeeery matte! I love pairing it with shimmery eyeshadows for Christmas.
In the summer, especially when I have a bit of a tan, I love a good orange-y red shade. My favourite has been the Revlon Colorburst Matte Balm in Audacious. This has a really easy to put on and easy to wear matte formula, a very bright, orange-y red colour and it smells like mint. Bonus! The very affordable price is an added extra!
You may have noticed that I haven't included any concealers, setting powders, blushes, mascaras or brow products. This is simply because I haven't found the one. So if you have any recommendations, anything you liked or you think I should try, please do write it in the comments, let's have a conversation started! What are your favourites?
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