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?