FIRST IMPRESSION: YOUNIQUE.

Whenever a new make up brand pops up, we're always pretty eager to try (at least I am) so after winning a competition through my local Younique Representative on Facebook I thought I'd write a post on my first impressions on the brand.

Admittedly, I'm not too keen on the constant social media posting, but I really liked these three shades of lipstick, Stinkin' Rich, Loaded and Upper Class - one red, one darker brown tone and a pink tone nude (my favourite). The lipsticks are amazing! Really moisturising and long lasting. The packaging is lovely and sleek too - overall I'm pretty impressed. I look forward to trying some more Younique products!

ACNECIDE: MY EXPERIENCE.

A while ago, I had a huge breakout - I'm pretty sure it was a reaction to a primer that I tried as my skin started to appear bumpy and textured after using that, however I was impatient and tried to get rid of any blemishes by over-exfoliating - twice a day to be precise. Although the exfoliator was gentle, it was far too much, especially considering you should exfoliate twice a week. I was desperate to get rid of the breakout, but it made it worse.

It got to the point where I was embarrassed of my skin - I've never been one to rely on make up. I never really like to wear masses, and I felt like I had to in order to cover everything up. My Mum dragged me to our local pharmacist and asked them to give me something for my skin - after a short examination of my face, they gave me a 5% Benzoyl Peroxide Gel called Acnecide.. to be quite honest I felt like I had acne.. the spots were large, red and painful and I wanted rid. I started with the gel but was advised that there is a face wash you can use alongside the cream if I didn't feel like it was working. I was also advised to strip back my skincare routine for a while - all my favourite toners and serums had to be put away for a while, and I was to use a mild cleanser twice a day. 

I found the most natural cleanser I owned - a Decleor Aroma Cleanse in the morning, and a Decleor Micellar Oil to remove make up and cleanse at night time. After cleansing both morning and night I applied a generous coat of Acnecide to the affected areas. At first it made my skin itch and feel tight, I remember one day I put it on and my entire face hurt. After a while the pain went away and my skin began to clear, almost every single day I would wake up with more spots, but they would clear up and after time became less frequent. 

I wasn't applying any form of moisturiser out of fear that it would aggravate my skin, however the Acnecide Gel started to dry my skin hugely - I've never had dry skin so I panicked and started mass applying moisturiser, morning, night and before any make up application. I use Benefit's Total Moisture as it's my favourite moisturiser and its the thickest I own. 

I'm now on my second tube of Acnecide, my skin has cleared up dramatically, but it still has a long way to go. I'm starting to slowly introduce some other skincare into my routine, one product at a time. Acnecide however, has become part of my skincare routine and probably will be for quite a while - but that's fine because I can see how much of a difference it is making.  

MY FAVE FIVE: FOUNDATIONS.

Foundation is a huge staple in someones make up bag - it can completely change the way someone looks through creating a flawless base for the beginning of your makeup. I have quite a few favourites, and they are all completely different - from dewy and brightening, to matte and full coverage. At the moment, a foundation is probably my favourite part of my make up routine, it makes me feel much more confident in covering all flaws and redness. I have many favourites but I managed to narrow it down to my five favourites.

My go to staple foundation is Estee Lauder's Double Wear. It's full coverage, and wears for hours which is exactly what I need for long days. It doesn't necessarily have a dewy finish (which is my preference over matte) however I choose to use an illuminating primer in order to create that finish. I apply this with a flat concealer brush and then blend with a beauty blender due to the fact that the bottle doesn't have a pump. A little goes a long long way with this foundation and the bottle has lasted me ages.

Another one of my favourites is Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow by Benefit Cosmetics. Hello Flawless is lightweight and hydrating. It's a buildable, breathable foundation which is one of the many things I like about it - and besides that, gives a dewy finish! Despite the finish, I'll still use a brightening primer (specifically Benefit's That Gal) to give the perfect base to start on. I like to apply this, like all foundations, with a beauty blender however it applies beautifully with a flat foundation brush or buffing brush.

Vichy Dermablend 3D Correction has made an appearance on my blog before (here) but it's great for acne/blemish prone skin. It's a full coverage foundation but definitely doesn't feel that way; it covers, smooths and improves skins texture in one application. The ingredients in this foundation unfold like a second skin, blurring imperfections and create a much more even skin tone and texture.

My last two favourites are from MAC. The first MAC foundation that I tried was the Studio Fix Fluid which I really liked, but once I branched out I found two that I absolutely love! The Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof is exactly that - longwearing and waterproof. I've seen that this has been used by Olympic swimmers, further confirming the fact that the foundation is highly waterproof. I like that it's in a tube that you can squeeze out and due to the full coverage of this foundation (can we tell I like my full coverage?) a little bit goes a really really long way. My second foundation from MAC is the Studio Waterweight which is water based and feels amazing on the skin. It has a dropper in the bottle which you apply directly to the face and blend. The Studio Waterweight is lightweight and buildable - reminding me ever so slightly of a fuller coverage Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow.

There are so many foundations that I love, including more from Illamasqua, Urban Decay and even high street brands such as Rimmel and Revlon, and so many more that I'd love to try! What are your favourites?

STILA ONE STEP CORRECT

Stila's One Step Correct is possibly my all time favourite primer - I rarely use an entire bottle and get a second but this one, I have! It's a tone correcting and brightening serum that instantly colour corrects, brightens and helps improve skin imperfections.

This product is a huge must in my make up bag and it's appearance always gets my friends asking what it is - it's a triple helix design including green, lavender and peach tones to colour correct the face.

• Green tones instantly neutralises redness and conceals blemishes.
• Lavender tone counteracs sallow undertones and creates a vibrant, energised look.
• Peach tone brightens, illuminates and helps diminish the appearance of sun spots and darkness.

One Step Correct also contains Stila's Youth Revival Bio-Available Mineral Complex which helps with brightening and anti-aging. The creamy formula blends perfectly into the skin, doesn't settle into pores or fine lines, making your skin look amazing, radiant and flawless!

VICHY DERMABLEND 3D CORRECTION.

I was kindly gifted some products by Vichy, one of which was their 3D Correction Foundation from the Dermablend range.  I'm a huge lover of a full coverage foundation to hide any imperfections and my lovely red rosy cheeks - I've tried a few, and I'd always wanted to try ones from Vichy as I'd heard that they were great for full coverage, and amazing on blemished skin.

3D Correction gives a flawless matte finish, and you only need the tiniest amount! The consistency is thick, but doesn't feel or look heavy on the skin which is incredible as quite often than not if a foundation has a thick consistency it appears thick on the skin. Vichy claim that the 3D Correction corrects colour and levels skin texture - they also claim that it visibly reduces the appearance of imperfections and I can safely say, after suffering from a vicious breakout, that it definitely has done so! My breakout has gone down dramatically after a few uses of 3D Correction.

I'm obsessed with this foundation - it's oil free, SPF 25, hypoallergenic and even paraben free. Lots of things that I look for in a foundation. I would 10000% recommend this to everyone, whether you have imperfections that you need to conceal or not. Full coverage and fantastic!

KYLIE JENNER LIP KIT.

The Kylie Jenner Lip Kits are growing ever popular, especially at first when there was next to no stock available. The Lip Kit consists of a liquid lipstick and a matching liner, and I love a good lip liner so this was an important part of the kit for me.

I managed to get my hands on Candy K which is a gorgeous nude colour - I was expecting a more pink nude, however it dries as a more brown toned nude which isn't a problem as I still like those kinds of colours.

Like any lip product I wear, I always use a lip balm before applying - liquid lipsticks are notoriously drying so keeping my lips hydrated is key. I also top up with a lip balm throughout the day if I feel as though my lips are drying out.

I absolutely love the formula of Candy K, although slightly drying (as with any liquid lipstick), it's long lasting and really pigmented. I also love the lip liner and frequently wear it alone! Well worth the money, although the customs charges were disappointing! I look forward to trying some more colours, hopefully a pink and a red next time!

BENEFIT CHEEKATHON PALETTE.

Benefit's Box'O Powders are infamous - long lasting, pigmented blushes in a range of colours - pinks, corals, plums, there's something to suit everyone.  Earlier this year Benefit created the Cheekathon palette, extremely similar to the palettes usually released around Christmas; Real Cheeky Party, and this years Blushin' Babe, except in this one, every single blusher is full size!

The palette consists of Coralista, Dandelion, Rockateur, Dallas and the ever popular, Hoola bronzer. I like to use Hoola to bronze up the face and any of the other colours to add a pop of colour to the cheeks - sometimes it's Rockateur, sometimes it's Coralista, and coming more into the Winter months it can be Dallas - I tend to change it up a lot.

The palette itself is worth £117 but it's sold for £44.50 - thats £8.90 a blusher.. insane value for money really. Benefit's Cheekathon palette is exclusive to House of Fraser and you can purchase it here.

VICHY DERMABLEND CORRECTIVE STICK.

I was super excited to receive the Vichy Dermablend Corrective Stick in the post as it's something I've wanted to try for a long time now. At first I was unsure whether it was a concealer or foundation - and although listed as a concealer, I'm sure it could be something you could use as both.

I like to apply mine directly to the skin around any blemishes and blend in. The formula is smooth, oil free and easy to work with. It also has an SPF 30 and claims to be waterproof, although I haven't personally tested that myself.

I am obsessed with this concealer and I've used it every day since I received it - I like a full coverage concealer and am used to the likes of Benefit Boiing, or MAC Pro Longwear concealers and I can safely say that this has been replacing those for a while. This is one of Vichy's bestsellers and I can certainly see why.

ESTEE LAUDER ADVANCED NIGHT REPAIR.

So many women swear by Advanced Night Repair. The ladies from the Estee Lauder counter at work swear by Advanced Night Repair and I can certainly see why! 

At the moment, I won't lie, my skin is absolutely atrocious. Something unknown has caused my skin to break out horrifically and I'm absolutely heartbroken as I was just building a brilliant friendship with my skin and now I feel like I've been betrayed. I'd used Advanced Night Repair before and loved it, however that was only a sample and that sample is long gone. I got myself another sample, just to make sure I love it as much as I did the first time, and I do. 

Estee Lauder's Advanced Night Repair is advertised as an anti-aging serum, it's also advertised as something that gives you more beautiful looking skin every day - and that's something that I need most at this moment in time. It basically maximises the power of your skin's natural nighttime renewal and has been tried, tested and proven on over 500 women - that's really something!

I've been using it for a while now, and I can already see a difference! My skin looks smoother, more hydrated, and stronger - I can tell that it's repairing itself from my monster breakout! It's also been making my skin appear a lot less dry which is amazing as that's never something I'd really struggled with until lately, and it's really helping with that which is great.

The regular size bottles have a dropper so that you can apply a few drops to your fingertips and then apply to the face, but the travel size ones have a normal bottle so I've been pouring a small amount into my hands and then applying straight to my face. I love it - it's oil free, and fragrance free and it's amazing!

URBAN DECAY PRIMER POTION.

I can get quite oily eyelids so an eyelid primer is an absolute must for me. I've tried loads including Avon, and Benefit (although I love Benefit's Air Patrol) but the Urban Decay Primer Potion is my favourite by far. It's quite a thick consistency and allows the eyeshadow to completely stick to my eyelid without budging all day. 

I chose mine in the shade Original which dries invisibly however they do have different shades including Minor Sin which is a champagne shimmer, Eden which is completely mattifying and one specifically for Anti Aging so again, just like their setting sprays there really is something for everyone. 

There's not a lot to say on this one, besides the fact that it's the best eyelid primer I've ever used. Keeps my eyeshadow on all day with minimal creasing - just what I like! 

What are your favourite eyelid primers?

URBAN DECAY ALL NIGHTER SETTING SPRAY

A setting spray is a staple in my every day make up - my skin tends to soak up my make up so I like to set it as much as I can without losing the effect of my makeup. Sometimes I find that using a powder to set (baking especially) can really make my skin look matte, and sometimes even dry, and that's not something I like as I usually go for a dewier, more natural finish.

The Urban Decay setting sprays are notoriously good, I've used others - from ELF, Avon and Freedom Cosmetics but none of them seem to do it as well as Urban Decay do! They have a few to choose from, including one for oilier skin so there really is something for everyone. I use the All Nighter Setting Spray which is suitable for all skin types and as at the moment mine is combination, it seems to be the best choice for me.

The All Nighter Setting Spray is a weightless mist that allows your makeup to look gorgeous for up to 16 hours! This is great way to stop the makeup melting, or settling into fine lines, and it definitely stops my face absorbing the makeup to the extent it usually does. Before application, just give the bottle a quick shake and then mist 2-4 times in a X and T formation.

I absolutely love this! It makes a huge difference to my makeup so I've started using it on an almost daily basis! Have you tried any setting sprays? Let me know what you thought!

URBAN DECAY BLACKMAIL LIPSTICK PALETTE.

The Urban Decay Vice Lipsticks have been hugely popular so I was eager to see which colours they would put in their limited edition Vice Palette. There are twelve shades to choose from and they are such a huge variety - I can imagine it was difficult to narrow it down from the 100 shades that Urban Decay released earlier this year.

The palette includes some dark colours, bold and bright colours and versatile neutrals (something I lean more towards). Something I really like about the palette is that not only have they given a variety of colours, they've also given a variety of finishes - including cream, matte, mega matte and shimmer. They've got dark shades like Blackmail and Firebird, bright shades such as EZ and 714, neutrals like Vanished, 1993 and Ex-Girlfriend and those to experiment with such as Big Bang and Conspiracy.. I'm eager to try them all! 

The palette also comes with a great retractable lip brush which I'm also really looking forward to trying as I love trying out new brushes - hopefully this is one that I'll love! I haven't even tried this palette although I have tried a couple of shades from the Vice Collection and those are great so I'm eager to try some new shades!

I'm super excited to use this palette - what are your favourite colours from the Urban Decay Vice Collection?