A SNEAK PEEK INTO MY FREELANCE KIT.

I love looking into what people carry in their freelance make up kit, I'm always looking to learn, build and branch out with the products I use. I like to carry a large variety of products, brands and consistencies as you never always get to have a trial with clients, obviously if you get to have a trial it's a lot easier to condense and only carry the products that you need. I actually only carry products that I've tried on myself beforehand - they aren't always products I like on myself but they are always products I know work amazingly.

First of all, it's important to carry a large amount of hygiene products - I always carry some surgical spirit to sanitise brushes and products, I also always carry hand sanitiser to ensure that my hands are as clean and hygienic as possible. Disposable mascara wands and doe foot applicators are a must for lipglosses and concealer application - great for getting into little tubes! And lastly boring bits, such as wipes, cotton buds and cotton pads.

For skincare, I always carry a cleanser. toner and moisturiser. I use a Clarins One Step Cleanser as it's much easier to carry a water style cleanser than an actual wash off one, I carry Pixi Glow Tonic and a Liz Earle Skin Tonic in order to cover both bases for dry or oily skin, as well as a few moisturisers - at the moment this is Clinique Dramatically Different Moisturiser and Benefit Triple Performing Moisturiser. I carry one of my all time favourite products which is Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream which works as a great lip balm for those with especially dry lips, but I always use a small amount to prep the lips regardless of how dry they are. I carry a couple of prep sprays as well - Urban Decay Quick Fix which is a hydrating spray, and B6 which is great for oily skin.

Primer wise I carry three - two mattifying, and one illuminating. I carry Benefit Porefessional which I use on everyone as it blurs the skin and I like to mix it with an illuminating primer sometimes, I also carry Benefit Porefessional Matte Rescue. One of my illuminating primers of choice is the Estee Lauder Illuminating Primer, and the Illamasqua Satin Primer. Another primer that I absolutely adore is Stila One Step Correct which is a colour correcting primer.

Foundation wise I have quite a few and it would take a while to go through them all but a few I carry are Illamasqua Skin Base, Urban Decay All Nighter and Mehron HD Celebre Foundation which is a cream. I actually have the Mehron Foundation Palette which is great for me to be able to mix the perfect colour of foundation for my client. For concealers I carry Benefit Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer, Benefit Boi-ing Brightening Concealer and Benefit Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer. Working for Benefit, I absolutely love their concealers and in the job photographed above I was actually able to use Boi-ing Airbrush on my clients before the official launch! I carry mainly translucent powders as it saves time - I have a MAC Prep + Prime translucent, RCMA No Colour Powder and Bare Minerals Translucent Ready powder.

For cheek colour I carry two Benefit blusher palettes - Cheekathon and Cheek Parade. These include everything that I would reach for including Rockateur and Hoola Bronzer - in fact there are a few duplicates which is great! I also have The Balm Manizer Sister trio so I have a highlighters for different skin tones. I also have Naked Illuminated by Urban Decay which is great for the tops of collarbones and shoulders.

Onto eyes and I carry Urban Decay Primer Potions in a variety of styles - my favourite is Eden, I also carry all three Urban Decay Naked Palettes and Urban Decay Naked Ultimate Basics as they seem to cover all bases in terms of colour. I carry Urban Decay Polyester Bride as it's quite a pigmented white colour which is great for the inner corner and the browbone, and Illamasqua Pigment in Furore which is a lovely champagne glitter. Another small favourite of mine is Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes palette which is a soft pink and brown trio of shadows which is great for bridal makeup.

I have a couple of eyeliner pencils from Soap and Glory that I got in a set over Christmas, a couple from Urban Decay and from Rimmel. In terms of mascara I carry four and four only - Benefit They're Real and Roller Lash in black and brown - I actually couldn't think of any other mascaras to use as they've been my favourite for so long now. I also carry Benefit They're Real Tinted Lash Primer to amp up the volume slightly.

Brows again are entirely Benefit - Ka-Brow is great as it's waterproof and long wearing, Gimme Brow is great for a natural brow look too. I then carry Ready Set Brow to set and then High Brow pencil to highlight and define. These are my go to in my kit, but I do have other options in my collection if necessary.

Finally onto lips, I carry an OCC Lip Primer, a Freedom Makeup Lip Palette in Nude, I also have the Red. Urban Decay Vice Lip Palette is great but the pans aren't huge. Some Urban Decay, NYX and Revlon Lip Liners and Estee Lauder, Kylie Jenner and L'Oreal Glosses. Lip options can always be quite personal so I always give my client the option to bring their own if they would like.

So that's about everything I carry, although I always like to swap things out for different jobs. I love expanding my kit and usually have a list as long as my arm of things to add to it!

BENEFIT BOI-ING AIRBRUSH CONCEALER.

Benefit have recently relaunched their concealer range as a big 'Boi-ing' family. Lots of people familiar with the brand will know Boi-ing as a high coverage, heavy duty, 'industrial strength' concealer which is great for heavy duty dark circles, redness and blemishes. Concealer is the second biggest growing category in makeup for Benefit Cosmetics, and is usually the first product someone just starting out in makeup will purchase which is one of the main reasons Benefit decided to rebrand.

The Boi-ing franchise now consists of FOUR different concealers, that all have a different purpose.
- Boi-ing Industrial Strength Concealer, which is the Boi-ing we all know and love. Great for blemishes, redness and heavy duty dark circles.
- Boi-ing Hydrating Concealer, formerly known as Fake Up. This one is a stick form, with a hydrating ring made up of Vitamin E and Apple Seed Extract, this one is a sheer coverage, and great for dryness around the eye area.
- Boi-ing Brightening Concealer, formerly known as Eraste Paste. This one is full coverage with a melon pigment to erase those blue and purple tones in your dark circles.
- Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer, which is new to the collection and gives a gorgeous blurred airbrush finish to the face. This is great for uneven skin tone, pigmentation and dark spots.

I've been a fan of the range for a while, however after trying Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer I think I'm beginning to find a new favourite. It's a gorgeous sheer-medium coverage which is buildable. It's a mousse like consistency, so is great for the flawless airbrush finish.

You can use Boi-ing Airbrush Concealer in a variety of ways..
1. Alone, for sheer-medium coverage.
2. Under the eye, or on blemishes like a regular concealer.
3. It's great as a lip primer because of the lightweight, hydrating feel.
4. You can use it to carve out the brow, to create beautiful definition.

I've been applying a sheer foundation and then using a sponge to apply Boi-ing Airbrush over the top to increase the coverage in the areas that I need it.

Have you tried any Benefit concealers? Let me know! 

REVISITING VICHY 3D CORRECTION.

Last year I was gifted some products from Vichy - one of my favourite skincare brands. I've recently rekindled my love for their Dermablend 3D Correction Foundation. I dug this out of my dressing table after trying the Clarins Pore Perfecting Foundation and I thought that this one was so similar I had to use it again to compare the two.

I'm a huge lover of a full coverage foundation that hides my imperfections but still looks natural - I always heard about Vichy Dermablend which is why I was so excited to receive this from them! It's a matte foundation that is hydrating (not drying as you would usually find) and it corrects the appearance of the skin including any scarring or blemishes. It's enriched with salicylic acid and eperulin which soothes the skin and reduces any imperfections so it's great for acne prone, oily skin.

I like to apply this with a beauty blender or buffing brush - I find it's quite thick without feeling thick on the skin which is fab as nobody likes a heavy feeling foundation. Due to the thickness you don't need a lot of product and a little really goes a long long way.

I'm super happy with this foundation - it's amazing coverage and an amazing dupe for the new Clarins Pore Perfecting Foundation! I've loved reusing it since the first time I tried it - I recommend it to everyone who likes a full coverage foundation that doesn't look or feel heavy!

THE ORDINARY HYALURONIC SERUM.

I've recently discovered The Ordinary which is a branch of iconic skincare brand Deciem. The Ordinary seem to stock amazing quality skincare products at purse friendly prices and one of my recent finds is the Hyaluronic Acid. For those who don't know, Hyaluronic Acid is great if you need intense hydration. HA can attract up to 1,000 times its weight in water so is great for providing the hydration your skin can so desperately seek.

I was drawn to this product as I know that Hyaluronic Acid is a staple in almost every skincare routine and is also one of the key ingredients in one of my favourite products, Advanced Night Repair by Estee Lauder, so at £6, I thought I'd give this a go. After only a few days of use I'd absolutely fallen in love with it.

It comes in a sleek, matte glass bottle which I absolutely love, and again, like ANR has the dropper packaging, although it seems to work for this product as it's not as thick. I apply morning and night time and it seems to be doing wonders for my skin. I feel 100% hydrated, my skin never feels tight or oily (which is a bonus).

I'm looking forward to trying some other bits from The Ordinary, the range is extensive and budget friendly which is great for everyone!

URBAN DECAY: THE FULL SPECTRUM PALETTE.

Urban Decay's Full Spectrum Palette is a beautiful brightly coloured, highly pigmented set of 21 eyeshadows - from bold brights to matte white colours, it's a gorgeous rainbow spectrum of colours that gives you endless amount of options of colours and even different finishes as there are matte colours and shimmer colours too. There really is something for everyone. 

When I saw this palette I was so eager to try it - although I don't usually wear colours I knew that Urban Decay eyeshadows have some serious pigment and staying powder and teamed with their Primer Potion create the perfect pairing.

You could add any of these colours to a neutral eye for a pop of colour or use solid colour to create a gorgeous colourful eye look - I actually sometimes dress as Elsa for children's parties and the pinks and purples in this are perfect for the make up I do for those. I was sceptical at first, but I've found the colours are wearable, I've found myself wearing the greens and purples throughout the day which is something I never thought I'd do. I even found myself trying a sunset eye using pinks, oranges, purples and yellows.

Have you tried this palette - what are your favourite combinations?

MY VICHY FAVOURITES.

I've been loving Vichy products for quite a while now. I've been using the Normablend BB Cream for a while and has in fact become a staple for both myself and my freelance kit as it's a great lightweight product that contains Salicylic Acid meaning it's ideal for problematic skin. It gives a gorgeous skin like finish and it definitely doesn't ever look like you are wearing a lot - perfect for every day wear.

A second and an old favourite of mine is the Purete Thermale Eye Makeup Remover. This is a biphase remover so you have to shake to activate otherwise it can leave an oily residue on the skin. This is one of my all time favourite make up removers and is really affordable too. A little goes a really long way so you can make the bottle last ages. It removes the most stubborn of makeup including waterproof products and eyebrow makeup too.

I was sent the Pore Purifying Mineral Mask last year and I basically fell in love with it instantly. I prefer a clay or a gel wash of mask as opposed to a peel off mask as I can really feel the difference in my skin. This mask is infused with Kaolin and Bentonite Clay so dries quickly and draws out andy imperfections in the skin. It really reminds me of the GlamGlow Supermud Clearing Mask but with a much kinder price!

A final favourite is the Dermablend Setting Powder. It's loose and translucent so perfect for my freelance kit and perfect for everyone as it doesn't have a colour. It's perfect for setting your foundation and undereye and also for baking - it's lightweight and gives no coverage due to the colouring. I rarely use a powder so this has made its way into my kit so I'm glad I get to show everyone how great this powder is.

MY BROW ROUTINE FEATURING BENEFIT COSMETICS.

Brows are such a huge part of make up lately - over the past couple of years or so they really have blown up and completely taken over. Benefit Cosmetics have a huge nine piece brow collection, and I have to admit, there really is something for everyone no matter how you like to wear your brows.

I have a couple way I like to do mine, but my favourite is using three Benefit products - Ka-Brow, Gimme Brow and High Brow. First of all I use a spoolie to comb through my brows, The front of one of my eyebrows grows upwards, so I brush them both upwards to achieve some form of symmetry - remember, they don't have to be identical - eyebrows are sisters, not twins!

I then use an angled brush to draw a line underneath the brow using Ka-Brow which is a cream gel dipbrow formula which has 24 hour waterproof wear, smudgeproof too which is great! I use shade 3 which is a medium brown and can be built to be dark, or used softly so it really is a universal colour. I've been using a Benefit Angled Brush to apply, but I like those from Urban Decay and from both Real Techniques collections. I start the line from the arch and draw toward the tail end so that I'm distributing the majority of the product, then use the remainder of the product thats left on the brush to line under the front section of the brow - this creates that 'ombre' effect, meaning that the front portion of the brow is a lot softer.

After lining underneath, I line the top from the arch to the tail to create a better and more defined end of my brow. The ends of mine are soft and sparse, so I use this method to extend and define them. I then use the brush to fill in the shape that I've created, focusing the majority of the product at the end of the brow and using a soft amount at the front.

After I've filled with Ka-Brow, I use Gimme Brow (I use shade 3 which is a medium brown) against the brow hair to give texture, and then comb back through to set the hair in place. Due to the way my brow hair grows I use the Gimme Brow to comb upwards at the front of the brow to give my brow a bit more shape and definition.

To complete the look, I draw a line of High Brow underneath the brow from start to end and then blend. The High Brow is a linen pink pencil which helps to create a freshly waxed appearance to the brow, but it also highlights the brow and helps to open the entire eye area. I often use this the entire way around my brow to create a 'halo brow' look which can really help to create a strong defined brow look.

I absolutely love the new Benefit Brow Collection! Have you tried it? Which products are your favourites?

MY MAKEUP VANITY.

One of my favourite things to watch on YouTube are other peoples make up collection and storage videos - I'm a bit of an organisational freak and I find things like this really satisfying. I don't have a YouTube channel so I thought I'd write a blog post about my make up collection and storage instead.

Ever since I was a little girl I'd always wanted a dressing table, but for years and years I shared a room with my brother so I could never have one. When we moved into this house and I finally got my bedroom, I wasn't as hugely interested in cosmetics as I am now so I had a desk for my studies instead. It wasn't until after my second year of university that I finally got the dressing table I'd always wanted (I was kindly gifted a dressing table by my fiances Grandmother but it's far too big for my room so it's sat in storage waiting to be used) and that was when my parents surprised me by redecorating my bedroom for when I moved home.

My dressing table is from the Chantilly collection in Argos, and the rest of the furniture in my room matches it. My stool was reupholstered by my Mum after she'd found it at a quaint antiques fair. The dressing table only has one drawer, so I followed suit and found some plastic drawer inserts from Muji to organise my own personal collection (my makeup kit is stored in separate storage).

On top of my dressing table is my gorgeous three way mirror - this is from eBay and was watched by three different accounts to ensure that I would get it. The mirror on the right hand side is a magnifying mirror from Argos, and the fake peonies are from The Range. The pot they are stored in is an old fashioned candy jar from BHS which I used to use to house my make up brushes. On the right hand side of the mirror I have two wicker candle holders from ASDA which I use to house my brushes - one for face brushes and one for eye brushes.

So in the large insert on the far left is my primers and foundations - I don't have many primers and in here I keep my favourite ones. There's usually an Estee Lauder Illuminating Primer but I've run out, so at the moment there's Benefit's That Gal, and Stila One Step Correct which I absolutely love! I always lean towards an illuminating primer as opposed to a mattifying primer as I feel as though it suits my skin a lot more. I also then have my favourite foundations - MAC Studio Waterweight, Estee Lauder Double Wear, Vichy 3D Correction, MAC Pro Longwear Nourishing Waterproof, and the small white tub is a sample of Clinique Anti Blemish foundation which I'm trialling at the moment and I absolutely love it.

In the large insert on the right of this is where I keep my concealers and setting powders. In here I have two miniature Benefit Boiing - in shade 1 and 2. I also have an Erase Paste and Fake Up (both also from Benefit). I then have a Bourjois Radiance Reveal Concealer, Rimmel Wake Me Up, Collection Lasting Perfection, MAC Pro Longwear, a Yves Saint Laurent Touche Eclat in the limited edition packaging and then another Touche Eclat style pen which is from Estee Lauder. The two powders I have in here are my MAC Prep and Prime Translucent Loose Powder and MAC Pro Longwear Pressed Powder.

Next to this insert is where I keep my blushes/bronzers. I won't lie I will more often than not use palettes of blushes that are kept in separate storage but in here are my most used. Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel is a staple and was my graduation present to myself, and I also keep my Hoola bronzer which is an an absolute must have of mine. I then have a minature of Benefit Benetint and then I have Dandelion Dew which is a liquid blusher from Benefit. Highlighter wise I have the Sleek Solstice Palette which I use almost every single day. The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer and then a miniature of High Beam by Benefit. In here I also keep my Urban Decay Primer Potion which I have in Original.

On the right hand side of this I have some medium sized inserts where I keep lip products, mascaras and then I also have inserts for lipliners and brow products. In the brow insert I'm not ashamed to say every single brow product in this is from Benefit Cosmetics. Working for Benefit I use their brow products every single day, but I think I can safely say that even if I didn't work for them, the brow products I use would probably still be Benefit as I love them that much. So in here I have Ka-Brow in shade 3, Gimme Brow in shade 3, Precisely My Brow in shade 3, 3D Browtones in shade 2, High Brow, High Brow Glow and Ready Set Brow.

Next to the brow insert are my lipliners which I don't own millions of but I still absolutely love lipliners. I have a couple from Urban Decay in Rush and Stark Naked, Pillow Talk by Charlotte Tilbury, Candy K from Kylie Cosmetics and then Subculture, Soar and Cherry by MAC. Here I also keep my pencil sharpener which is a dual one from Benefit.

In my lip insert I keep mainly lipsticks but also a gloss and a liquid lipstick - I have a Rouge Volupte Shine from YSL, two Benefit Double The Lip Lipsticks in Revved Up Red and Lusty Rose, Dynamic by Estee Lauder (if Kendall can pull it off, so can I), Whirl, Mehr, Ruby Woo and Velvet Teddy by MAC, Rush and Stark Naked by Urban Decay. I also have Candy K by Kylie Cosmetics, Posie Balm by Benefit and then a NYX Butter Gloss in Tiramisu. These are my staple colours and are mainly nudes or brown nudes - I do have a couple of reds in here but they are rarely worn.

I then have mascaras and eyeliners - my most used being Benefit's They're Real which I usually team with the They're Real Tinted Primer. I then have Benefit Roller Lash, Rimmel Volume Colourist, L'Oreal False Lash Sculpt, Estee Lauder Sumptuous Extreme and Too Faced Better Than Sex. I also have my Benefit They're Real Push Up Liner in Black and the NYX Jumbo Eye Pencil in Milk. I also keep my Beauty Blender in here and a Benefit Single Eyeshadow in Nude Swings which is a gorgeous champagne shimmer colour.

I keep my Urban Decay All Nighter Foundation, B6 Prep Spray, All Nighter Setting Spray and EOS Lip Balm in the gap underneath, and in the gap to the right I keep my Urban Decay Naked Illuminated Powder in Luminous, alongside my Estee Lauder Revitalising Supreme Moisturiser, Nuxe Reve De Miel Lip Balm, Vichy Normaderm BB Cream, Benefit Big Easy and Urban Decay One and Done. Also, hiding somewhere in there is my Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette which is my every day staple really - I love the colours.

Lots of products in a small tidy space. It means I know where everything's kept and if anyone else was to look in there they'd probably find what they need too. I often have a little shuffle around but everything stays in the same insert, just a different order!

MY FAVE FIVE: NUDE LIPSTICKS.

Lipsticks are huge business - just think of Urban Decay who released 100 shades of lipstick in their Vice Collection, and Smashbox who topped that earlier this year! I love experimenting with different colours, I love dark reds and purples as well as nudes but when it comes to wearing lipstick in public it's either a very sheer wash of colour or a nude. I'd love to be braver in terms of colour!

MAC Mehr is one of my go to colours - a pink tone, very similar to MAC Soar lip liner (to be quite honest, they're usually applied together) - I love the MAC Lipsticks though, and that's obvious even down to the fact that there are two MAC Lipsticks in my top five. I love the creamy consistency and the longevity, not to mention the sleek packaging of them . MAC Velvet Teddy is the second nude I was going to mention which is a light brown tone, I pretty much always pair this with Subculture lip liner.

Urban Decays range of lipsticks is crazy, 100 colours and a variety of finishes - I have two, and Stark Naked is a gorgeous nude shade. Stark Naked is a comfort matte, a brown toned nude that I feel would match everything and anything. I really like the consistency of the lipsticks, not too hard that you have to put a lot of pressure on to apply (yes I have come across lipsticks like that). I have the matching lip liner and they create the perfect lip combo.

Estee Lauder's Dynamic is a gorgeous pink toned lipstick, not as matte as the MAC lipsticks, yet not a satin finish either. It's a beautiful colour, and these kinds of darker, nude pink shades are my favourite to wear. Again, just like the others, it applies so easily to the lip and it's comfortable too.

Benefit Cosmetics are releasing some new lipsticks next year (keep your eyes peeled), and one of my favourites is Lusty Rose, released as part of the They're Real Big Sexy Lip Kit. These are a combined lipstick and lip liner and you can read more about them here. The minute I saw Lusty Rose I knew it would become a staple colour for me as it's so similar to the colours I already lean towards.

MORNING SKINCARE: STRIPPED BACK

Due to my use of Acnecide Benzoyl Peroxide Cream (read about that here) my morning skincare is pretty short and sweet and mainly consists of cleansing any dirt out of my skin from the night before. I'm pretty groggy in the mornings, so cleansing my face first thing really helps to wake me up. I tend to let the hot tap run for a while to warm up the water. After a night time application of Acnecide you never know what kind of mess will pop up on my face overnights so a hot flannel has become my new best friend. I lay the flannel on my skin for a while, but also use it to clean away any excess dirt from around my eyes ready to put my contact lenses in.

After laying a hot flannel on my face for a while, and gently rubbing around my eyes, I used the Decleor Aroma Cleanse which is a 3 in 1 cleansing and smoothing mousse to cleanse my entire face. This cleanser is gentle, which is usually what I need in the morning. I rinse the cleanser off, pat my face dry and then apply a light coat of Acnecide. I'm aware that a product such as this can pull any dirt and imperfection to the surface of the skin and that's not something I want to appear on my face throughout the day, so I always apply a lighter amount in the morning. Once the Acnecide Gel has dried, I apply a moisturiser - at the moment it's Benefit's Total Moisture which has Mango butter in which is great for my dry skin happening as a side effect of the medicated cream. 

That's my skin all ready and prepped for make up - or lack of if it's a day off of mine. At first applying the gel every morning and night was a bit of a chore but it's allowed me to get a real cleansing routine. 

MY FAVE FIVE: CONCEALERS.

Concealers are an absolute must have in my life right now - mainly for blemishes but also for the dark circles that come alongside this rotten cold I have at the moment. Just like my foundations, I have a few favourites and they all really do different things but I love each of them just as much and I'm not entirely sure I could choose between them.

One of my all time favourite concealers is the Collection Lasting Perfection concealer which retails at about £4.19 - one of the many reasons I love it is probably the price - a cheap concealer that actually works is always a good thing in my eyes, but also because of the versatility of the product. It's amazing both under the eye and on any blemishes. The doe foot applicator is small enough to fit right into the inside corner of the eye and brighten the entire area. Collection - well done!

Fake Up by Benefit was the first Premium concealer I ever purchased, not to mention the first Benefit product I ever purchased (look where that got me!) I love the fact that it's so hydrating - so great under the eye as the eye area is so delicate. It's great on blemishes too as it doesn't dry them out! I use the lightest shade in a 'magic v' under the eye and blend out with a brush (or my finger if I'm being quick).

MAC Pro Longwear is popular, a full coverage concealer that's great on blemishes and has amazing staying power. I used to use this when I needed a full coverage stay all day concealer when I was doing long, or double shifts. The frustrating thing with this concealer is that it's a pump as opposed to a doe foot or stick applicator - this means that sometimes it gives off too much product and once it's out it can't be put back! I've learnt that half a pump is the right amount for under my eyes and any more if I have any blemishes that I need covering.

Bourjois Radiance Reveal concealer is another high street concealer that I adore - it's a new find but it's incredible and compact so you can throw it in your bag and go! It's gorgeous and easy to blend. I love this under the eye as the shade I chose is a little light so it gives this amazing, radiant, bright under eye.

My final concealer is Benefit's Erase Paste - only a recent discovery from my work allocation, Erase Paste is a pink colour corrector that brightens and counteracts any blue or purple discolouration around the eye - that means those pesky dark circles. It's quite a thick consistency at first but after some blending it's amazing - hands down my favourite concealer for under the eye.

I love concealers! Have any of you got any favourites?

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!