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.

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?

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?

LIBBY'S NATURAL PROM MAKEUP.

I recently had the pleasure of working with Libby to create a prom makeup look; she wanted something natural as she doesn't really wear much makeup. We had a trial a couple of weeks before, and unfortunately on the day a few things had to change as Libby wasn't feeling too well. She had chosen a fitted, navy lace gown for her prom and she looked absolutely stunning! I thought I'd write a post about the application and the products that I used - be warned, there are quite a few Benefit products! 

I started by getting Libby to remove any traces of makeup with a makeup wipe - she doesn't usually wear a lot so there wasn't much there to remove. I then went in with Liz Earle's Instant Boost Skin Tonic and the Freedom Makeup Moisture Cream to tone and moisturise the skin. I also spritzed a little of the Freedom Makeup Priming Water across the skin and allowed that to sink in. I used Benefit's It's Potent! Eye Cream as a treatment underneath the eye whilst I started applying the eye makeup. 

I primed the eyelids using Benefit's Lemon Aid - I usually use Benefit's Air Patrol but silly me had forgotten to pack it in my kit! I decided to use the Benefit Big Beautiful Eyes Palette - we had used it at the trial and Libby really liked it - it's honestly one of my go to palettes for any natural, feminine look. I used the pink shade all over the lid, the lighter brown over half of the lid and the darker, matte brown through the crease and on the outer corner of the eye. I then lined the upper lashline with Benefit's They're Real Push Up Liner - again this is an absolute go to for me. It's so easy to use and is completely waterproof. We had discussed winged liner beforehand, but as Libby was heading to prom and there were bound to be tears we decided against it - as much as it's a highly waterproof gel formula, I didn't want any chances of it smudging. We then used Benefit Roller Lash (I told you, lots of Benefit products) on her lashes - this is brilliant at curling the eyelashes without an eyelash curler as it has small hooks in the mascara wand that really help to create a brilliant curl. I used the Benefit Browvo Conditioning Primer to prime the eyebrows and the Freedom Makeup Brow Pomade to fill. I then applied a little bit of Benefit's Gimme Brow to finish the brows and give them some texutre. I patted a small amount of Illamasqua's Loose Pigment in Furore in the centre of the eyelid and as a browbone highlight - this brow highlight really pulled together the entire eye look.

I went back to face, wiping away any fallout, and priming with Benefit's Porefessional - this smoothed Libbys already flawless skin to create the perfect base for foundation. The foundation I used was the Rimmel Match Perfection - again, as Libby was feeling unwell I decided not to use a heavy base. I used Benefit's Boiing in Shade 1 as a concealer underneath the eyes and on any blemishes. I then used the Chanel Soleil Tan De Chanel to bronze and contour slightly - this is a cream product so it's lovely and natural to use. I then used Benefit's Rockateur as a blusher which I love as it has that beautiful rose gold colouring and is extremely subtle, and The Balm's Mary Lou Manizer to highlight the face on the tops of the cheekbones, and cupids bow.  

I used Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream to prep the lips for any colour - lined and slightly filled the lips with Revlon Colour Stay Lipliner in Natural, and filled in the lips with MAC Velvet Teddy. Finishing off with gloss and I used the L'Oreal Infallible Mega Gloss in Protest Queen.

I loved working on Libby's face - she's such a natural makeup she didn't need that much makeup but I still wanted to make her feel beautiful for her prom night.