Let's face it, we all know someone who's an MUA and scroll through their Insta wishing for their artistic skills to apply makeup as well as they do themselves - but we can't, we are basic bitches, on a basic wage and uneven winged eyeliner. If that's not you, it's me. My new obsession has become watching makeup tutorials and vlogs, I have so many favourites and I make sure I am always up to date. I would never class myself as a makeup fanatic, I have good and bad makeup days. On a day to day basis, I NEVER wear makeup, the only time I tend to decorate my face is when I'm going out and I don't want to look like a toe. In all honesty, I don't want to waste product and I don't even have the effort to wake up 2 hours earlier. If my skin is bad, I will put some tinted moisturiser on to cover up any blemishes. The makeup looks I see in on social media is crazy, what people have started doing to their eye makeup is pure art. I thought I would share with you my current makeup base products, and I will give you a review on each product. The products I own vary from drugstore to high end, I don't care about the brand of the product as long as it works for me.
Of course I start by moisturising my face with my go to Simple hydrating light cream, I have reviewed this product in my skincare post but it is honestly the best moisturiser I have tried. I then apply the Smashbox pore minimizing primer around my nose area and in the crease of my chin, as this is where my pores are enlarged. After that, I apply a small amount of Benefit's Porefessional under my eyes and the base of my chin to smoothen out my skin and fill in my pores. My favourite tiny product is the MAC strobe cream, it adds a subtle glow under the skin (I even use this when wearing no makeup, as it makes my skin look glowy and healthy). Then finally, I add a drop on each cheek of my Huile 27 bio-nourishing cell regenerating oil. This hydrates my skin, allowing my foundation to blend easier and give a dewy finish as it can sometimes look dry on my skin, as I have normal-dry skin naturally. This product is very high end and on the expensive side, however it is worth every penny.
No7 Instant Radiance foundation is the only foundation that has worked for me, I have tried a numerous amounts of foundations and this has been the only one I have loved. There are still many I haven't and want to try, but for now this is what I wear. It is very light weight, with a buildable coverage. It covers the redness of my skin and any blemishes I have, but I wouldn't class it as a full coverage foundation. It advertises as a luminous foundation which revitalises a tired face, which I don't believe it does. It is quite a dry formula, hence why I mix it with my Huile oil. This is my second bottle I have purchased and I think I may try something new once it has ran out.
FINALLY!! I finally got my hands on the Makeup Revolution concealer in the shade C3. It is insane, every review I have watched, read and seen has told the truth. It really does what it says on the tin, it gives a lighter under eye with an airbrushed finish. It seamlessly blends in with my No7 foundation which is a relief, and gives a full coverage look. I use this to carve out my brows, place under my eyes, base of my chin, down the bridge of my nose and in my T zone. The concealer I used before was the Maybelline Anti-age eye eraser, in the shade light. For me, it was good, but I could of done with a shade below as I like a bright under eye. It is a good concealer as it is a buildable coverage and the sponge applicator is really nice to use as you don't loose any product.
Bloody hell, my mirror could do with a clean, but I have recently started to use cream contour when going out out. I was nervous about trying it, as I didn't know how good I would be at blending it but it seems to turn out ok in my opinion. I use the Sleek contour palette in medium, which is so good. It is the only cream contour I have ever used so I can't compare it to any other, it is a affordable drug store product, which I think is fab enough.
I then set my under eye with NYX HD translucent finishing powder, it is soooooo good! It has no flash back, works just as good as baking with Laura Mercier powder. It gives me a smooth, brightened eye which is what I live for. I also use my Chanel natural finish translucent 2 powder, under my contour, my chin and around my T zone to give an enhanced flawless look. It comes with a pad to apply the powder with, but it isn't the best, so I use my own fluffy brush to apply it. Comparing the two, if I could choose one, it would be NYX just because it is more affordable and gives a better finish.
I usually do my eyebrows first, but just because it is a basic product haul, it didn't feel the need to place it in order. I use my holy grail of Wunderbrow in the shade Blonde, it is amazing. I don't know how I lived before my mum introduced me to this product. It's a long wear gel, that works perfectly for a base of a brow. It advertises that you can just use this product, but personally I like a more defined darkened brow. It claims to be smudge-proof which it definitely is, it is honestly amazing, I won't ever stop buying it. I then use the brown shade from this palette above called Autumn Leaves, by Elizabeth Arden. To finish off I would then use Brow Drama by Maybelline in the shade medium brown, which helps define my natural brow hairs to make them visible.
On top of my contour, I use 3 different bronzing powders. I use Bourjois Paris bronzer to contour my nose and jaw line, as it is a subtle bronze and not too over powering. I then use my H&M bronzing powder in Tan (powder on the left), with a big fluffy brush to warm up my face, as I love a bronzed glowy look. I then finish with my bronzer that is a hot mess, I have lost the lid, hit the pan, urgh it just doesn't look attractive. However, it is one of my favourite products, unfortunately I cant tell you the brand because I have forgot and it doesn't say on the back, yet the shade is golden 01. I love a shimmery bronzer, in the sun it has it's own highlight. Not only that, but for me it is my favourite shade of bronze.
Now the best part, HIGHLIGHT!! Let dat bitch glow. I have had this highlight for about 2 and a half years, no lie. It is the open pan one, because again the lid broke off, but it is insane. It is the Makeup Revolution highlight in golden lights. I combine it with the Seventeen pink bronze shimmer brick, as it creates a perfect champagne colour. They are both super affordable and glowy AF - I highly recommend them both. I don't use the Seventeen shimmer brick on its own though, as it is too pink for me.
For christmas my Auntie got me the new Benefit Mascara Roller Lash. It is a nice natural mascara, that I build up as the brush thistles are quite small and don't hold much product. It does the job, and give my eyelashes a natural vibe. It is a good mascara when wearing fake eyelashes, as it allows my own eyelashes to blend in with the fake ones, but doesn't transfer much product onto the strip lashes themselves.
I haven't included any eyeshadow palettes I use because there are so many, but I do have a go to lip combo. I firstly use my Body Shop lip scrub in the Bubblegum flavour, it is so tasty I just want to eat it all. I then combine MAC's Boldly Bare lip pencil and MUA Luxe's velvet matte lipstick in the shade Ten. Both of them give me the perfect beige nude which I love, I hardly ever wear coloured lipsticks as I don't think they suit me.
I have never used a setting spray before this, but it is honestly so refreshing applying it. I use the Makeup Revolution pro fix illuminating fixing spray. It definitely holds my makeup in place, after testing it on nights out, but again I cant compare as I haven't tried any others. When I spray my face I literally don't want to stop, its too nice.
So thats my basic bitch makeup products, I'm sure there are plenty of better products out there to use, more high end. I like the products I have at the moment but there are some I really want but just don't have the funds as I am currently saving for a summer holiday with my other half, which I am extremely excited for.
Ciao Senorita's,
Lots of love Els xx