Top 3 Mascaras

I love mascara and if I didn't use it daily then my eyelashes would look non-existant. I find it hard to make my eyelashes look remotely long and a couple of years ago I relied on false eyelashes. After the glue had ripped out near enough all of my eyelashes I thought it would be best to put down the eyelashes and opt for mascara.
I've never been able to find a 'perfect' mascara, however I do have a few mascaras that are close enough to being perfect. I like mascaras that have multiple purposes, for example, lengthen, separate and volumise.

Here are my Top 3 Mascaras, in order of most favourite to least favourite:
1.) MAC Zoom Lash
2.) MAC Haute & Naughty Lash
3.) Urban Decay Waterproof Big Fatty Masacra

So let's start off with my favourite mascara, MAC Zoom Lash. This mascara retails at £13.50 and can be purchased from any MAC counter or free standing MAC store. As far as I know, this mascara is only available in black.

This mascara is amazing, not only does it separate your lashes perfectly, it also does a brilliant job of lengthening your lashes.

I also find that the wand is a perfect size, there's nothing worse than using a mascara that has a brush the size of a bumble bee, it's like attacking your eyes with a nasty thing! The wand is great, it's not too big, it's long enough to coat all of your eyelashes and the bristles are nicely spaced out meaning your eyelashes can freely move through the bristles.

My other favourite mascara has to be MAC Haute & Naughty Lash. This mascara has 2 mascara wands, yes 2! :D The wand with the pink handle is designed for lengthening your lashes and the wand with the purple glittery handle is designed for volumising your lashes. This mascara retails at £17.50 and can be purchased from any MAC counter or any free standing MAC store.

The lengthening brush:

The volumising brush:

I absolutely love the concept of this mascara, it's great how it gives you the option of having both natural or deep and dramatic eyelashes. 

When using this mascara I first lengthen my eyelashes using the pink wand and then use the purple wand to create maximum volume. 

Last but not least is my Urban Decay Waterproof Big Fatty Mascara. This mascara comes in 2 sorts, waterproof and non-waterproof. It retails at £15.00 and can be purchased from Debenhams.

This mascara is amazing for giving your lashes uber volume, my lashes look so much fuller and thicker when using this lovely mascara.
The only little teeny weeny problem with this mascara is that the brush is quite big so if you like small headed brushes then this probably isn't for you. However, the tip of the brush is fab for using on smaller lashes.

The low down...
MAC Zoom Lash:
-Great for separating lashes and also lengthening lashes.
-Small, long brush.
-Relatively inexpensive.

MAC Haute & Naughty Lash:
-Great for volumising lashes and also lengthening lashes.
-The brush heads are a nice size.
-A little expensive but then again you're in effect getting 2 mascaras.

Urban Decay Waterproof Big Fatty Mascara:
-Great for volumising lashes.
-Quite a large brush.
-It's a little more expensive than other high end mascaras.

Thanks for reading! If anyone has any questions then please feel free to comment below.

Top 3 Concealers

I absolutely love concealers and I have to say that without them, I don't know what I'd do. They hide any little imperfections and are so handy for early morning get ups, no more nasty under eye bags!

I have quite a large collection of concealers but I thought I'd show you my top 3 concealers. 

Here are my Top 3 Concealers, in order of most favourite to least favourite:

1.) Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer 

2.) Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer Kit

3.) MAC Studio Finish Concealer

So let's start off with my favourite concealer of all time, the Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer! :D The Collection 2000 lasting perfection concealer is available in 4 different shades and retails at £4.19. I use the shade '01 - Fair'.

This concealer has to be the best concealer ever, it's better than the majority of high end concealers that I own! 

Not only does this concealer give you an amazing coverage, it also lasts all day too. Before the writing on the tube kindly rubbed off, it stated that the concealer lasts 16+ hours and I have to say that the bottle didn't lie! The only way this little baby will move is if you remove it with makeup cleanser. 

The concealer is pretty thick but that would be expected with a full coverage concealer. The thickness isn't really an issue for me as it's really blend-able, I either use my finger or a brush for blending. 

The only downfall to the concealer is that it's only available in 4 different shades meaning not everyone can use this concealer. I was pretty lucky because the lightest shade matches my skin tone perfectly.

Overall it's a great concealer and it's definitely purse friendly! I would have expected this concealer to be a lot more expensive than it is due to the high quality and longevity of the concealer.

My second favourite concealer has to be the Bobbi Brown creamy concealer. The Bobbi Brown creamy concealer kit consists of a concealer and a setting powder, it also retails at £23.50 and is available in 14 different shades. I use the shade 'Porcelain'. 

The one thing I love about this concealer kit is that it has both a concealer and a setting powder meaning there's no need to go out and buy a separate powder. I also think it's great how there are 14 different shades available, there's most definitely a shade to suit everyone!

The concealer itself is lovely, it's not too thick, it applies really well and it would suit any skin type. My mum has very dry skin and was weary about trying the concealer because she thought it would settle into the dry bits of her skin, but the good thing is that it didn't settle at all.
You would have imagined this concealer to be a full coverage concealer but it's really not, I would say it's a medium coverage but could be build-able to create a full coverage. It's a great concealer for those who want the option of having either a medium/full coverage concealer.

This concealer hides imperfections well and I find that it doesn't feel heavy on the skin, I tend to wear this concealer when I have a spot or two as I find that it hides them well but it also makes me feel like I'm not wearing any makeup. It's such a comfortable concealer to wear, and I love it!

Last but not least is my MAC studio finish concealer. The MAC studio finish concealer retails at £13.50 and is available in 15 different shades. I use the shade 'NW20' although I do think it's a little dark for me.

This concealer is such a good concealer, it covers up anything, from spots to tattoos! It's most definitely a full coverage concealer and I have to say that it's the best full coverage concealer that I own. 

The concealer can be quite drying so if you have dry skin then this probably isn't for you, I can imagine this concealer settling into dry bits of skin. I also wouldn't recommend using this concealer under the eye area as it doesn't really blend that well. I know MAC SA's do recommend this concealer for using under the eyes but honestly, it's not blend-able so you'd end up with patches underneath your eyes. 

I like how this concealer is available in a good variety of shades, it's just a shame that 'NW20' is a little too dark for me, clearly the MAC SA didn't have a clue what she was doing. I think this concealer is relatively inexpensive, in comparison to other high end concealers.

Overall, this concealer is a good full coverage concealer and it's great for hiding little demons on your face. 

Swatches...

From left to right; MAC Studio Finish Concealer, Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer, Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer.

The low down...

Collection 2000 Lasting Perfection Concealer: 

-Great for imperfections and under the eyes. 

-Full coverage.

-Good for those on a budget.

Bobbi Brown Creamy Concealer:

-Great for imperfections and under the eyes.

-Medium/Full coverage.

-Quite expensive but good value for money.

MAC Studio Finish Concealer:

-Great for imperfections.

-Full/Maximum coverage.

-Not ideal for dry skin.

-Relatively inexpensive.

If you have any questions then feel free to comment below :) Thanks for reading!

Top 3 Eyeshadow Primers

Eyeshadow primer is probably the most essential product to use before applying eyeshadow. I always apply eyeshadow primer even if I'm just wearing a bit of eye liner, mascara and a wash of colour. Not only do eyeshadow primers keep your eyeshadow on a lot longer but they also help to intensify the colour of your eyeshadow.

My top three eyeshadow primers have to be Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base, Urban Decay Primer Potion and MAC Paint Pot in 'Soft Ochre'. 

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - £18.50 - Available at Nars

The applicator...

A swatch...

Nars smudge proof eyeshadow base is such a great primer and I'd say that in terms functionality, this primer has the best functionality out of the three primers. The Nars smudge proof eyeshadow base has three functions;

1.) It extends the wear of eyeshadow, eyebrow pencil and eyeliner.

2.) It instantly transforms into a matte finish. This doesn't effect the finish of the eyeshadow it just create a matte canvas.

3.) It maximises colour intensity therefore making your eyeshadow look a lot brighter and generally a lot better.

The Nars smudge proof eyeshadow base also prevents smudging, creasing and caking, this is ideal for people who suffer from oily eyelids as it'll prevent your eyeshadow from fading and also creasing. 

The Nars smudge proof eyeshadow base is also colourless meaning no white eyes...YAY! Some people may see this as a negative as you cannot see where you've applied the primer once you've blended it into your eye. This doesn't bother me at all, you just have to make sure you've fully applied it to your eye. 

This little beauty is a costly £18.50 but it really is amazing. I've had the primer for 4 months too and there's still a lot more left, so you really do get your money's worth. 

Urban Decay Primer Potion - £14.50 (15ml) - Available at Look Fantastic

The applicator...

A swatch...

Urban Decay Primer Potion is probably the most talked about eyeshadow primer there is and I can understand why. It's such an great primer, not only does it keep your eyeshadow on all day but it also makes your eyelids feel soft. In my opinion this primer is the most blend-able out of the three primers. 

Here's what Urban Decay state;

"Eyeshadow Primer Potion is coveted by makeup artists and makeup junkies alike because it guarantees more vibrant eyeshadow that lasts for 24+ hours and NEVER CREASES! Once you experience its powers (plus how smoothly it glides on – an added bonus) you’ll never want to live without it. Original formula dries down invisibly."

I couldn't agree more with this statement and I honestly can say that Urban Decay are 100% truthful in what they say. Primer Potion really does make your eyeshadow last, in anything I'd say it'd last a lot more than 24 hours. I have never experienced any form of creasing when using Primer Potion and I genuinely think that it could turn an awful eyeshadow into something great. It'd be interesting to see if Illamasqua Liquid Metals would crease when using this.

The Primer Potion is also colourless once applied to your eyes. The primer does take a while to dry so be patient, I'd let the primer dry for around 5 minutes before applying your eyeshadow.

MAC Paint Pot in 'Soft Ochre' - £13.50 - MAC Cosmetics

A swatch...

MAC Soft Ochre probably isn't my HG primer but it acts as a great base for eyeshadows. I usually apply this underneath brown toned eyeshadows or sometimes use it on it's own when wearing eyeliner and mascara. 

MAC Paint Pot is available in a wide selection of colours, and they are generally used on their own but they are great for using as an eyeshadow base. MAC Paint Pots are long lasting and they also create a seamless coverage without looking cakey, they also prevent your eyeshadow from creasing. 

MAC Paint Pots aren't exactly the most blendable and they do dry fast which means you have to work quick with them. 

Overview

Nars Smudge Proof Eyeshadow Base - Practical for everyday use but I recommend using this with vibrant eyeshadows.

Urban Decay Primer Potion - Practical for everyday use, definitely my HG primer!

MAC Paint Pot in 'Soft Ochre' - Great for using on it's own or with brown toned eyeshadows. I think this would be good for using with pigments too. 

Hope you liked this post!

:D