What's in my makeup bag

I assure you, my personal makeup bag is way more extensive than this! However, when I looked at the products I actually used each morning I realised that this is it! Cheap as chips or what! :O

So here goes...

My base consists of Maybelline's Better Skin Foundation in 005 Light Beige. This is actually the lightest shade I could get for my pasty complexion and it works fine in terms of thecolour. In relation to the product itself, well, I can't say you really will have 'better skin in 3 weeks' as I certainly haven't noticed this. I also find if you don't blend it in really, really well (I apply it with my hands, certainly not a technique I use on clients I might add! and 'buff' it into my skin with a foundation brush. If you don't do this you will find the product actually settles into your skin and looks awful around pores. I must admit, it's not something I would be bothered to purchase again, it was a quick purchase and the lightest colour I could manage to find. My preference would actually be No 7 Beautifully Matte Foundation, which is fantastic! Sadly the lightest shade, Calico, is just a touch too dark for me. 

On top of this foundation I tend to use Lily Lolo's Mineral Foundation in Porcelain. I just buff it on with a large kabuki brush. I love the look of this foundation. You can of course use it on it's own if you like a pretty sheer look and have great skin to warrant the sheer look! I on the other hand need the extra coverage from the liquid foundation underneath. 

Now to contour, yep, I need a bit of the ole contouring! I use Sleek's Contour Palette in Light. I have to say, I don't think this is light enough and if you're not careful you can end up looking more oompa loompa than golden goddess! If you're pasty, go lightly and blend, blend, blend!

I use the highlight shade in the middle of the palette down the center of my nose and on my eyelids and sometimes above my cheekbones. It's actually a really lovely highlighter.

Unfortunately I'm not keen on the blush shade in the palette. I think it's way too dark for a pale skin tone and has too much shimmer in it for my liking. Needless to say, this never really gets used.

My blush lately is this pretty Bella Pierre Mineral Blush in Desert Rose. It's actually a lot lighter than in the image above. It goes on as a soft coral/peach shade with a little hint of shimmer in it which is really lovely on pale skin like mine. I buff it on with a small kabuki brush.

Next I work on my brows. As you can see, this Ben Nye Brow Pencil in Taupe has been used a lot! They are quite big pencils so they last a very long time. And I love the shades they have. This Taupe shade is perfect for blondes or those with very light brown hair.

I also work some taupe/brown from Sleek's i-Divine Palette in Au Natural (above) into my brows... again, very much used as you can see from the palette image! It's a lovely shade and as it's matte it works great. This palette, I must admit, it OK. I know people rave about them but they are find for a quick touch up here and there. Really though, they aren't as pigmented as higher end brands (which is probably a no brainer) and these aren't something I would ever use on clients. For my own makeup bag though, they work OK. 

Mascara! I must admit, I got this Estee Lauder Mascara as a freebie. A brand I rarely buy (apart from their lipsticks which I love!). But this mascara is really lovely. It never looks clumpy and gives a nice amount of volume to my lashes without making them look like spiders legs.

And finally, lips! I got these pots of Calvin Klein Lip Gloss recently in TK Maxx and they are very pretty indeed! I use this Rose shade which is very sheer and adds just a small hint of colour to my lips. It feels very much like a lip balm to be honest, but it's great for daytime if you want a very natural look.

So there you have it, my personal makeup bag, compact and does the job :D

Sleek 'Face Contour Kit' and 'Corrector and Concealer Palette' Review

Oh deary me it has been far too long..... I'm talking again today about one of my favourite affordable makeup brands, Sleek Makeup. As much as I love them, they do have a tendency to be quite a hit and miss brand. However when they get it right, they get it really right.

Contouring is an absolutely intricate part of makeup since Kim K showed us exactly how her makeup is done. Realistically, the amount of product used to create her look isn't going to fair very well in the average persons day to day makeup, however there's no harm in doing a more understated version of said effect. Our pale Irish complexion can be very tricky when it comes to this, so I generally prefer to use a powder product with a light hand. Enter Sleek...

This kit comes in 3 different colours. I, of course chose Light :) You get a lovely matte contour powder along with a complimentary highlighter. I was very impressed with this palette from off the bat. (I swatched the products quite heavily here so they would show up well in the photo)

The contour colour works well with my whiter than white complexion provided I build the product up slowly. The highlighter gives a beautiful glow, and the tone is gorgeous. I brush this across my cheekbones, down the centre of my nose and put a little on my cupids bow. As a little goes a long way, this is an absolute steal at  €6.49 in Boots.

Of course for the perfect complexion you cannot be without a good concealer! And of course Sleek do a palette to cater to our blemish covering needs.

These come in a variety of 5 different shades, and surprise surprise I've gone for the palest again! In the palette we have a correcter, a concealer and a setting powder. I really like this palette. The corrector and concealer give a nice amount of coverage with feeling too heavy on the skin, and the powder sets them just nicely with being cakey.

As someone who has quite a bit of pigmentation and redness in their skin, concealer is an absolute must for me. I carry this everywhere for quick touchups, and am very impressed by its staying power so far. Again at €6.40 in Boots right now you really can't go wrong!

Til next time,

Toodles,

Sleek Matte Me Lip Cream

Hey hey hey :) So back with another review today. In general I don't like putting up negative reviews, however when I'm reading blogs myself I like to get an honest review. I also had very high hopes for this product.....

So this is Sleeks Matte Me Lip Cream. The blurb from the site reads as follows : 

"Sleek Matte Me is a lipgloss with a smooth matte finish that glides on in one smooth application, with no need for a second coat."

The light as air texture provides you with comfortable wear for hours, that doesn't cake, flake or dry out, ensuring long lasting colour all day."

The colour was the first thing that caught my eye. Lately I have been venturing into the more vibrant colours for lips so this shade was a must have! Also I love the look for a matte lip (provided it doesn't look dried out). Let me show you want the colour looks like when first applied:

The pictures aren't showing quite how vibrant it is on the skin. It's a quite bright, which I love. Unfortunately it's the only thing I love about it. When first applied it wasn't nearly as pigmented as I imagined. I had to build about three layers on to my lips to get it as opaque as I felt it should look. I immediately noticed it felt dry and tight on my lips. I would have taken it off there and then but I was running out the door to a shoot. Needless to say after an hour and two drinks from a water bottle, it had faded greatly and started to flake. I tried to reapply over the remainder but this just made the flaking worse. So off to the bathroom I went, scrubbed off the last, and stuck with Carmex for the rest of the day. It has since gone in the bin! One of my least favourite lip products ever :(  

If you do want to pick this up(!), it's available in Boots priced at €5.99

Till next time,

Toodles,