Make Up Haul

Hello!

Today I'd thought I'd show you some of my most recent make up purchases. I've been building up my collection for the last few months, and thought it was high time that I showed you and gave you a bit of an update of what I'm using.

So, I'll start with my trip to Colchester back in January where I picked up some pieces from Benefit. The Benefit counter in the Debenhams in Colchester is probably my favourite of the ones I've visited. The staff are so friendly and helpful, and I never feel like I'm sitting through a sales pitch. I feel I actually WANT to buy something, rather than that I should because they're telling me to.

I bought Hello Flawless Powder Cover-Up in the shade "Ivory: I Love Me", which is the second lightest. It's comes with a small brush underneath the powder section of the compact, which has a mirror in the lid, so it's perfect to have in your bag as you don't need to take a separate brush or mirror. The powder has a very silky texture and contains SPF 15, which is always handy. I use this to keep shine at bay and so far I'm loving it. It's very light, but doesn't offer a huge amount of cover up. Paired with a concealer it would be good for anyone that feels comfortable going foundation free, but if not, it goes excellently over the Hello Flawless Oxygen Wow foundation, which is also from Benefit. I'm looking forward to using this powder over the summer so I can mattify my face when it's hot.

Retails at £25.50

I also bought a new concealer as the I felt the Rimmel Hide the Blemish stick I was using was a bit chalky. I didn't blend as well as I'd initally though and ended up looking quite cakey. It was also quite drying on my skin, which isn't great as I already have very dry patches of skin. When I relayed all this to the lovely girl at the counter, she tested a couple of different concealers on my hand for consistency and I went for Fakeup in the shade "Light 02" which is a hydrating, crease control concealer. Surrounding the pigmented section is a hydrating balm, so with every application comes a moisturising layer that helps to stops blemishes and other dry areas of skin becoming more dry. I bought it for my dark circles and so far, it works like a dream!

Retails at £18.50

Finally, I picked up the PoreFessional: Agent Zero Shine which is a real game changer! It's described as a shine vanishing pro powder, and I really think it's lives up to name. It's a one shade fits all, and I can vouch for it matching it perfectly with my pale complexion, can't be sure what it's like on darker tones. It minimises shine and the appearance of pores - both things I'm after in a product. When worn with the PoreFessional primer balm, it works wonders! I absolutely LOVE it! To use it, you twist the cap to open up the holes and tap a small amount into the lid. The bottom of the container twists off to reveal a small powder brush - like Hello Flawless, another handbag space saver. You simply swirl the brush in the product and apply to the face. Benefit are marketing the product as the pore (4) o'clock face saver, which is generally the time your make up might have started to slip off, or you might be feeling the shine. That said, you can obviously apply this at any time of day and see brilliant results.

Retails at £23.50

Next I'll talk you through products I bought when I visited Leeds back in February. I went to Illamasqua for the first time and fell in love with eeeeeeeeverything! Like Benefit in Colchester, the staff in the Leeds branch of Illamasqua are seriously lovely as well. I didn't feel products were being pushed on, just that she wanted to show me how they worked and looked. I genuinely got the feeling she just enjoyed peoples make up and making them feel good.

I picked up the Sculpting Powder Duo in the shades "Heliopolis and Lumos". Heliopolis the the neutral colour used to deepen cheek bones and create more definition to the face. It could also be used for slimming the forehead, chin and nose. Lumos is used to highlight and illuminate, which it does beautifully. These are very highly pigmented, which allows for layering if you prefer a heavier look. So far I'm really loving it. I've always thought I have chubbier looking cheeks but this helps me create the defining features of a more angular face, which I really like.

Retails at £26.00

I have bought a few items from Amazon.co.uk as well, which is simply because it's more convenient than travelling to get certain things, especially if you already know what the product will be like.

I bought an Evolution of Smooth lip balm in the pomegranate and raspberry flavour. I saw Kim Kardashian raving about this a while ago and wanted to give it a try. To be completely honest, these aren't anything that special in my opinion. I do prefer the shape as opposed to a regular lip balm tube, but I don't find the product itself to be that amazing. It's not very long lasting, but it smells pretty good. They are just an average lipbalm. I may repurchase but it's not at the top of my list.

Retails at $3.29 from the EOS website

I also bought some Real Techniques brushes. I've wanted these for ages, and it got to the point where quite a few of my brushes needed replacing anyway, so I finally got to try them. I wasn't disappointed as these are brilliant brushes! I bought the powder brush, blush brush, setting brush for contouring, a retractable lip brush and a couple of shading brushes. I particularly like the shading brushes as they're the perfect size for defining the crease of the eye lid.

These start from £7.99 in Boots

I also bought a Sleek lipstick in the shade "Stiletto". It looks like a seriously bright red in the tube, but it can be used over lipbalm for a softer raspberry colour. I like how versatile the colour is but I wouldn't say it's any better than any other lipstick I've used.

Retails at £4.99 from Boots.

Last, I went to Birmingham to visit another friend and took a little trip to Selfridges & Co, and Boots.

When I'd been to Illamasqua in Leeds, I tried the Powder Blush in "Ambition", a pink with gold tones. I didn't buy it then but kept wishing I had, so picked up when I was in Birmingham. I don't use a lot of it as it is very pink, but it does beautifully with the Sculpting Duo so I'm really happy with it. It gives you that rosey look you get when you're outside, very pretty colour.

Retails for £18.00

Finally, I went to Boots and picked up my first 2 Real Techniques brushes which were the Expert Face brush for foundation - perfect shape and size for buffing liquid foundation into the skin - and the Fine Liner brush, which has a silicone brush, much easier to clean and helps create a finer, neater line when apply gel liner.

As mentioned before, these retail from £7.99 upwards in Boots.

So that's everything. If you've stuck with me this long, I officially love you!

Have you bought anything I should try? Leave it in the comments!

IOTD - Greta Gerwig

SOTD - Season of Love by Shiny Toy Guns