The Best of Drugstore Beauty

The Best of Drugstore Beauty

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Drugstore products are a huge love in the beauty world - who doesn't love picking up a dupe for the latest high end craze for more than half the price? Over the years of testing and trying many a drugstore product, I have collated a list of my favourite picks from the high street...

FACE

BB Cream : Garnier Miracle Skin Perfector

I always become a fan of light coverage products in the Summer as heavy makeup is a no-go for me in the warmer months. The formula is light and fresh on the face, creating a beautiful dewy look to uplift my dull,dry skin. This product balances out my red complexion and gives a glowing effect. I love how this works with my skin - the smell is heavenly too!!

Foundation : L'Oreal Infallible 24H 

My drugstore foundation go-to alters on a regular basis so you will probably see this for a couple months and something better will arise - I will be sure to let you all know. Anyway, this foundation is currently a saviour in my daily routine; giving me my desired sleek, full coverage winter face and not drying out my skin throughout the wear period. A wonderful addition to my makeup collection.

Concealer : Rimmel Wake Me Up 

Concealer is another area I like to change ever few months just to try something different. However, I always seem to come back to Rimmel. This concealer just has something that brightens, conceals and hides my horrendous under eye bags/blemishes the best. I couldn't recommend this inexpensive product enough!

Powder : Rimmel Stay Matte

A cult favourite. Unless you've been living under a rock your entire beauty life, you will have heard hundred and thousands of people talk about this so I won't bore you to death with the same repetitive comments. Just a powder that compares closely with most high end ones - great for achieving a flawless matte complexion.

Blush : E.L.F Baked Blush in Peachy Cheeky

One of my favourite drugstore blushes has to be one of E.L.F's stunningly formed baked blushes. The formula is incredibly pigmented with glimpses of peach, pink and glitter sparkling on the apples of your cheek. This is a definite product you need to get your hands on this spring/summer!

Bronzer : Seventeen Instant Glow Shimmer Brick

I always tend to purchase high end bronze/contour products as they are the only formulas that seem to work for me. All but this drugstore bronzer have left my cheekbones is a muddy, flaky mess! This shimmer brick has been compared to the infamous Bobbi Brown ones, with multiple glimmering bronze/copper shades perfect for warming/defining those cheeks. 

Highlight : Rimmel Wake Me Up 001 Flush of Pearl

My favourite highlight from the drugstore is this liquid formulated beauty from Rimmel, again. Rimmel seem to have some of the best facial products within the drugstore - shoutout to Rimmel!! These different colored highlights are suited for all skin tones and add a pop of sparkle to the tops of your cheeks and under the brow bone.

EYES

Brows : Beauty UK High Brow Definition Kit

Many people often dimiss Beauty UK, even myself if I'm honest, as I just don't hear anyone talk about their products much/at all. After being given the brow set from a friend, I gave it a try and honestly used it for an entire year. There is a powder, wax, setting powder and black shadow shade in the palette, along with a angled brush applicator. Hands down the best brow product from the drugstore....EVER.

Mascara : Revlon Lash Potion 

Lengthening and giving my lashes heaps of volume are something a mascara has to obtain to win me over completely. This mascara exceeds my expectations immaculately; I would completely compare it to my beloved Smashbox Full Exposure mascara, which is my favourite mascara of all time. It just does my eyelashes wonders without the horrible clumping effect mascaras can sometimes create.

Eyeliner : Rimmel Exaggerate

Eyeliners are always a hit or miss for me; I either 100% rate them or absolutely hate them. Rimmel Exaggerate has a fairly sturdy, nifty nib to create thin, winged liner looks. The liquid formula can sometimes get messy but the opaque, black finish is something you cannot miss out on.

Cream Shadow : Maybelline Color Tattoos

Another huge favourite in the beauty world are the Maybelline Color Tattoos; my favourite shade being 'On and On Bronze'. This sparkling copper eyeshadow base works a treat as a primer, lasting the entire day without any creasing on the lid. Also a fab product if you're in a rush and want to add some quick colour to your lid. 

Eyeshadow Sticks : Kiko and Rimmel Scandal Eyes

Super travel-friendly eye products are the ever growing ranges of shadow sticks drugstore brands are bringing out. I cannot stop raving about the pigmentation of the Kiko and Rimmel shadow sticks; the color payoff is exactly what you see in the tube and the lasting power is as equally impressive.

LIPS

Lip Crayons : Revlon Colorburst in Elusive and Standout

There are only a few drugstore lipsticks that I find moderately okay - they never seem to do me any favours. 1. They dry out my lips. 2. They are usually matte and sink into my lip lines. 3. The formulas are usually horrendous and they last for abuot 10 minutes. Due to my bad experience with drugstore lippies, I can only turn to lip crayons. Revlon have a fab range of matte and glossy crayons to hydrate your lips, making them feel/look gorgeous. Elusive is a pretty, natural pink whereas Stand Out is a bold, striking and deep red shade.

Liquid Lipstick : Revlon Colorstay Moisture Stain in Parisian Passion and Rio Rush

Revlon have it in the bag from lip products. They also have these liquid lippies, which I must say have very mixed opinions, but nonetheless I absolutely adore these. The deep purple, Parisian Passion, is my favourite and complements Mac's Rebel a treat. I love glossy, non-sticky feeling it has on my lips, as well as a bold colour finish. 

PALETTES

Blush Palette : Makeup Revolution

Makeup Revolution have some incredibly cheap but good quality blush palettes. Some of the shades may seem slightly chalky but with a little bit of blending they create a pretty flush in no time. I love this palette as it holds the exact array of summer shades you could wish for. It also had two shimmer shades at the end, one being a fabulous cool-toned highlighter.

Eyeshadow Palette : Sleek Au Naturel

Sleek are definitely the best place to purchase drugstore shadow palettes. They have an insane amount of different palettes to chose from, covering absolutely anyone's taste. My favourite is the Au Naturel palette because it has gorgeous cool-toned, dark shades for the Winter months just passed. I will be planning to pick up a more summer-themed palette from Sleek for the upcoming seasons. Does anyone have any recommendations?

What are your favourite drugstore products? Have you found any dupes for your high end faves?!

Lots of love

Why I'm Obsessed Makeup Palettes...

Why I'm Obsessed Makeup Palettes...

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When admiring my new dressing table and makeup collection the other day, I suddenly acknowledged the ridiculous amount of palettes I've gathered throughout my years of makeup hoarding. Thus, I've brought a post to you today dedicated to my beloved compacts and why they are such an important part of my makeup-revolved world...

Urban Decay Naked Smoky Palette

Urban Decay Gwen Stefani Palette

High end up eyeshadow palettes have invaded my entire makeup collection over the past two year, and has been ever-growing since. Through experience, I have personally found Urban Decay to hold the best high end shadows - great pigmentation, incredible colour range, multiple palettes, fab lasting power and overall look. I cannot get enough of UD's shadows and will continue to repurchase. 

Nars Steven Klein One Shocking Moment Cheek Studio Palette, Makeup Revolution Blushes & Urban Decay Naked Flushed (STREAK)

Post-eyeshadow-palette-craziness, I became introduced to the wondrous face/blush palettes in both the drugstore and highend brands. I'm in love with my Nars Steven Klein palette - the contour shade is an absolute DREAAAAAM to blend and the multiple blush shades are perfect for travelling. I also love the affordable palettes - e.g. Makeup Revolution have some fab palettes you should try if you haven't already. Their blushes are super pretty but insanely pigmented - so watch out when applying!!

Dior Sundeck , Bobbi Brown Pink Opal and L'Oreal Marron Glace

The smaller compact must no go a-miss. I love the little eyeshadow palettes you can get, both luxury and affordable. These three lil palettes completely summarise my eyeshadow go-to's; I'm a sucker for bronze/browns all year round, pinks in the spring/summer and orange tones in the winter. 

Why do I love all these palettes so much, do you ask? Well, they are simply four main reasons. 1 - I adore how versatile they are, they can hold an endless array of colours perfect for any occasion. 2 - If you are indecisive, like myself, you can just take 12423423 blushes with you in case you can't decide spontaneously. 3 - Cosmetic palettes inspire me to change my daily makeup routine - the variety of shades you can get in one palette allows me to alternate my looks on a regular basis so I'm getting full use of my makeup collection. 4 - Like the majority of beauty lovers, compacts are travel friendly so you can't have enough. They can really save so much space in your bag, a definite beauty need.

What's your favourite beauty palette? 

Lots of love

5 Beauty Products You Need This A/W

5 Beauty Products You Need This A/W

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If you are living in the northern hemisphere, you will know that it is time to hide away those vibrant corals and replace them with those ravising reds and berries. 

Welcome to Autumn everyone! Autumn is my favourite time of year due to so many reasons: the nights get darker (not great for taking photos with the poor lighting - but I love it!), the temperature becomes cooler, the knitted jumpers come out along with all the gorgeous autumnal colours. I'm a huge fan of all the autumn trends both in the fashion and makeup industry; so today, I would like to cover my top 5 things I love and you NEED this A/W on the beauty side of things.

During the cooler months, my skin always thinks it would be funnier to go VERY dry and make my makeup cling to patches on my face - FAB!!! To try and avoid this in 2015, I've prepared myself by keeping my moisturizers, primers and radiant illuminating creams at the ready. Garnier and Simple do some great skin goodies for an affordable price!

Another way I like to stay radiant and glowing is using golden toned highlighters. I feel these work best in the winter months as it brightens paler skin. These two high end must-haves are probably the most talked about highlighter and I completely understand why so many people talk about them. Even better, these two products work incredibly together; layer MAC's soft and gentle over Benefit's Watts Up and you're good to go!

Warm, plum blush shades are what you need this Autumn/Winter. They compliment golden highlight and deepen the cheek colour to make you have a flawless complexion. I'm not usually a fan of loose powder products but this E.L.F Blusher in PLUM really does me wonders at this time of year.

Eyeshadows are my favourite to change up seasonally, especially when Autumn comes around. Taupes, maroons, cranberries, coppers and golden glitters are the colours to go for - they correspond to the traditional autumnal shades and look great both daily and nightly. I absolutely love taupe and cranberry colours in the crease of my eye; they help to contour the lid so much and create the prettiest effect. Also, I adore wearing golden glitters on the eyelid too because of how simple is it to create.

Finally, the moment you've all been waiting for - my favourite berry red lips for this Autumn/Winter. Want a matte finish? Go for Rimmel's Kate Moss lipstick in 107 or the Nars Audacious lipstick in the shade Charlotte! If you're looking for a more satin finish then you definitely want to opt for Mac's Rebel or Makeup Up Revolution's Rebel With Cause - how ironic that they have similar shade names?! Lastly, if you're a glossy type of gal, I totally recommend visiting Revlon and picking up Parisian Passion from their Lacquer range. 

What are your must-have beauty products for A/W?!

Lots of love

Drugstore Dupes for those Highend Holy Grails

Drugstore Dupes for those Highend Holy Grails

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What could a beauty blog viewer love more than being introduced to a bargainous version of their fave product(s)/one they've been longing for for about 13 and a half years?! Take a wild guess at what I've got in store for you all today? I'm thrilled to announce that I'm back to beauty (finally!!!) - I've missed this too much. So...what other way can I make up my insane lack of makeup based content than a cheeky deal for you all to get your hands on - it's a good 'un! It get's better...I thought I really owed it to you so I've made sure to find a few dupes for some all time favourite highend beauty products.

Mac Studio Fix NC15 VS Bourjois 123 Perfect 51

In terms of colour, both in the bottle and on the face, these foundations are identical. They are both cool-toned, which is fabulous to counteract my blotchy red areas and are the closest matches to my skin colour I've ever found. When it comes to coverage, these are the ones I go to for that medium-full, flawless finish. Each dry to give a satin/matte finish, which you may think is strange considering I have dry skin. However, neither cling to dry matches or focus on any rough areas I may so have. The only problem is, the MAC one can become very cakey looking on the face so to avoid that, apply thin even coats on top of each other making sure to buff lightly into the skin. Onto lasting power now, I must say that if you like your makeup to last all night, I advise to pay that little bit extra and purchase the MAC option. This is because it last roughly 4 hours more than the drugstore one.

Nars Radiant Creamy Concealer VS NYX HD Photogenic Concealer

For those looking to eliminate dark circles, imperfections and redness, don't hesistate to carry on reading! Not only do these both give an insane full coverage (a fundamental feature in my case - when choosing a concealer to hide those dark, zombie undereyes) but they both glide effortlessly onto the skin without dragging or irritating my skin. I've found in the past that some concealer wants can be quite rough and make my eyes red/sore. The only difference I can state about these two is that the NARS one feels much more luxurious and fulfilling on the skin, the formula is heavenly and sinks perfectly in places you wish to be rid of and correct. Finally, both concealers have a great tendency to last the entire day without creasing - HUGE BONUS! Grab your hands on either of these if anything above ticked your concealer hunting list.

Benefit Rockateur VS Bourjois Jasper Rose

In the photos, we can see that there colours look slightly 'off' - Rockateur has minor peachy tones whereas Jasper Rose is just plain pink. Despite this colour mishap at first glance, when applied to the cheeks, I kid you not, they give off the same healthy, rosy glow. A little goes a long way; each product being so high on the pigmentation scale means only a sweep on the brush can give you your desired look. Anyone who is still unsure of splashing out £24 on a single blush, I suggest you go down to boots and get your hands on this before purchasing. 

Benefit They're Real VS Collection Lenthening Mascara

The couple claiming to both lengthen and define are neck and neck. Using Collection's mascara sincerely surprised me - I was not expecting it to match that of Benefit's infamous They're Real. With alike wands, the formula is applied in the exact same way. Bottom lash application is also simple as the wand ends are very slim so are able to get in there without being too messy. Honestly, I cannot fault the Collection mascara in any way; the final look on the eyes are very very V E R Y similar so similar I may do an in depth review on these two just to prove how much. The only things I could mention, if I was to be really picky, is that the Benefit one is easier to remove and overall slightly lengthens the lashes by 1mm more. THE BEST DUPE OF THE POST!

Urban Decay Naked Lipgloss Liar VS Barry M Toffee Ligloss

Urban Decay's Naked collection is an evergrowing love of every beauty fanatic nowadays. More recently, I have seen people purchasing the beautiful rose gold lipgloss tubes, which I have to say I'm in love with deeply. In my collection, I realised I have a lipgloss that can be compared quite closely. Regardless of the differentation in colours (seen in swatches above) the Barry M lipglosses have a dupe-like formula to that of the Urban Decay lip products. Both with a smooth glossy finish, you would not be able to tell the difference on the lips aesthetically and personally - a great bargain if I do say so myself. The only downfall is that the UD ones have better pigmentation and the Barry M ones can become rather sticky after several layers of applicance. 

Chanel Coco Rouge Lipshine Satisfaction VS L'Oreal Collection Privee Cheryl's Nude 

My all time favourite nude is Chanel's Satisfaction - not too pale, not too dark. Personally, I believe this to be a very sophisticated and flattering colour regardless of skin tone/preference. L'Oreal's nude collection could mirror that of this gorgeous Chanel shade; with 6 colours in the range, you can find your perfect nude for a cheaper price. In my opinion, Cheryl's Nude strikes drugstore Satisfaction to a T - I'm really into a nude lip this Summer. If you want that more luxurious feel and richness on the lips, you can go all the way and pay £25 for Satisfaction! Equally, each have a very subtle finish and pigmentation on the lips which makes it evermore the classier - I'm just in love with this lippie!

Mac Lady Danger VS E.L.F Velvet Rope

Hot, orange goodness to brighten up your Summer, Mac's Lady Danger and E.L.F's Velvet Rope can help you make a statement this season. Despite the different finishes, you can save £12 to get an exact colour match. As Lady Danger is has a matte finish, it is therefore longer lasting and can honestly stay on your lips for an entire day/night. On the other hand, E.L.F's moisturizing formula has a slightly glossier finish so can end up rubbing off in a couple of hours. It's down to you to decide - moisturzing, cheap but not long-lasting or matte, long-lasting but expensive?

Nars Audacious Charlotte VS Rimmel Kate Moss 107

Colour - With Rimmel's Kate Moss 107 shade being the Autumn craze over the last few years, I would like to inform all you owners of this berry beast that it mimicks that of the Nars Audacious Lipstick collection. Deep berries are my go-to every Autumn/Winter, like most beauty bloggers, so I thought I'd share this good lil dupe. The shades are very alike in the swatches above, as well as looking identical on the lip. Lasting power is 10/10 for both but the formula can become very drying and flake with the Rimmel option. To avoid this from happening, all you need is a little bit of lip balm to apply beforehand and your flaking nightmare will be over. 

Mac Rebel Lipstick VS Maybelline Colour Drama Berry Much

Colour - I won't declare this as the classic 'save the best till last' but this dupe comes close to one of my faves. Being a huge fan of the Maybelline Colour Drama pencils has become no surprise to me, the easy application, the rich colour, the variety in colour range and longevity of the product has been a massive YES from me! I would totally compare the darkest shade, Berry Much, to one of my Mac holy grails - REBEL! Similar in both satin finish, formula and intense berry colour you cannot go wrong with this dupe. For a third of the price, I would totally recommend all of my viewers to get your hands on this, especially before Autumn approaches.

What are your favourite dupes? 

Lots of love