182. What's In My Everyday Make Up Bag?

I love looking for new make-up. In fact, Superdrug is probably my second home. I'm always on the look out for new products that are affordable and, frankly, do what they're supposed to. That's why I wanted to share, with you lovely lot, the contents of my Everyday Make Up Bag. These are the products that I use every single time I apply make-up; whether it's for work, a meal out or something more special, this is my go to selection of products to achieve that everyday look.

First up, skin. I've been using my two main skin products for such a long time now that I've actually lost track, but it must be well over a year! I start off by applying Seventeen's Phwoarr Paint, in Fair, under my eyes to eliminate any dark patches, as well as dabbing it on any ugly spots that have popped up. It reminds me of Benefit's Boi-ing concealor, which is equally good but a helluvalot more expensive. At just £5.49 you really can't complain - this stuff lasts months and works wonders. 

Next up, I use Rimmel's Match Perfection foundation in Ivory 100. It's a lovely, runny but not watery, liquid foundation and it applies seamlessly with a foundation brush. You hardly have to use any of it to get a good, medium coverage and, at just £6.99, it's definitely worth it. I get through a bottle of this every two months, and that's with daily use. 

To ensure my make-up stays put all day, I use Maybelline Matte Maker powder, in Classic Ivory. I apply this pressed powder with my Real Techniques powder brush all over my face, especially around my nose, chin and forehead as these are the areas where my foundation seems to want to escape from my face! The powder is only £3.99 and lasts a good few months for me. It's very handy for carrying around in your handbag whenever you need to get rid of that shine too. 

Finally, to add a pop of colour, I apply Bourjois Blusher in Rose De Jaspe to the apples of my cheeks and brush upwards and outwards, with the Real Techniques blush brush. It's a gorgeous deep, shimmery rose pink and is subtle enough to avoid the clown-like look, but pretty enough to make your skin look just that little bit healthier. I've been using this blusher for about six months and it's still about half full, definitely worth the modest £7.99 that I spent on it.

Once I've got my skin looking clear and healthy, I move onto my eyes. First up, my eyebrows which I think deserve a good bit of attention. I've always loved dark, statement brows but - unfortunately, being blonde, pale and with the tendency to frown a lot - I can't quite pull the Cara Delevigne look off. Instead, I try to find some middle ground by using the Collection Work the Colour Eyebrow Kit, which is just £3.99. I use the middle shade and apply it with the brush which is included in the palette, it's a double ended brush and is perfect for shaping and filling in your brows, giving off a natural look but enough definition for your eyebrows to really stand out.

Once my brows have been tamed, it's time to tackle the make-up nightmare that is liquid eyeliner. I've been applying liquid eye liner for a good 8 years now and I've done it the same way the entire time, so I don't struggle with it nowadays, but that may also have something to do with the eyeliner that I choose to use. I've recently been using Seventeen High Drama liquid eyeliner which I picked up for just £3.99 in Superdrug and it's honestly so good. I've never been sucked in to buying expensive, high-end eyeliners as I honestly believe that the budget versions do just as good of a job (in fact, I prefer this to my old Eyeko eyeliner which was triple the price!). This eyeliner creates a solid black silhouette around your eye and lasts all day long, even in the heat or the rain. I'd recommend it to anybody, plus the shape of the brush makes it so easy to apply, especially for those cat-flicks!

In an attempt to make myself look less zombie like, I use a white eyeliner pencil, in the form of Maybelline's Big Eyes Liner. I apply the eyeliner to the inner corner of my eye, both on the top and bottom water lines, as it really helps to make my eyes look brighter and wider. The eye liner is only £4.99 and includes both a black and white eyeliner pencil, so it's a real bargain!

Last but certainly not least, the mascara that I've sworn by for years: Max Factor's False Lash Effect, in black. At £10.99 it's actually, by far, the most expensive item in my make-up bag but it probably also lasts the longest. I find that the brush is brilliant for even, all over coverage and doesn't give me lashes that spidery effect which is all too common nowadays. I've tried numerous mascaras over the years but I always come crawling back to False Lash Effect as it really is just so good, even when the gods forgot bless you with gloriously long, thick lashes. 

So, ten minutes after unzipping my make-up bag and letting the contents spill out all over my bed, I just add a slick of colour to my lips depending on my mood, and I'm good to go!

What about your make-up essentials?

Have you tried any of my favourites?

168. From Fugly to Fresh Faced in 30 Seconds (Superdrug BB Cream)

We all have 'those days' where we either a) look crap, b) feel crap or c) both. Today is one of those days for me. I've woken up full of cold with a sore throat after a night of wee-break interrupted sleep and a whole load of new spots on my chin to keep me company on my day off.

As luck would have it, I treated myself to some of Superdrug's own BB Cream in the shade 'Light' yesterday on my lunch break, after a tip off from a friend. Sometimes you can't be bothered to spend twenty minutes applying a full face of make up, for example when you're having a day like I'm having (tired, ugly, poorly, I could go on and on...) and, on days like these, BB Cream is a total lifesaver.

Superdrug's BB Cream claims to act as a 5-in-1 Skin Perfecting Day Cream which conceals imperfections and enhances skin tone, provides 24 hour hydration, antioxidant protection, has UVA/UVB filters and contains SPF 15. It's a win-win situation. Great skin with minimal effort. But is that the case in reality?

I applied a generous blob (seriously, is there a better word for it?) to the entirety of my face, blending it in downwards motions and ensuring it was subtly blended into my neck to avoid the dreaded tide lines, as we called them in school. 

The BB Cream gave my skin a nicer, more even tone without that heavy feeling that you sometimes get with a full face of make up, but it didn't cover up the dark circles under my eyes or any of my particularly prominent spots. I touched it up with a light dusting of powder and was pretty impressed with the result, and in less than a minute too.

I quickly filled in my eyebrows and added a slick of mascara to complete the look and I was good to go. Although I wouldn't head out for a busy day in such minimal make-up, it's perfect for when you need to nip to the shops, you've got a couple of quick appointments to get to, or you're running late for work and just need a helping hand.

Superdrug's own brand range of BB Cream's are currently on offer at better than half price on their website and in-store, at just £3.48 for 50ml. The Light BB Cream is currently out of stock on the website but you can always check out your local store to see if they have it in stock. 

108. Beauty // Bourjois Beauties

I'm a sucker for a bargain so when I saw that Superdrug had a special offer on Bourjois products, I couldn't resist.

Since my Sleek FaceForm palette ran out last month, I've been on the look out for a gorgeous, rose coloured blusher and Bourjois' 'Jasper Rose' blush really caught my eye. For starters, the packaging is adorable - the little pot is so cute and handy! It's got a beautiful pigment, so much so that it looks more like a blusher and a highlighter blended together. 

I find that I have to apply a fair bit - which I do with my Real Techniques blush brush, rather than the small, flat brush provided - to get my desired look, but it is also fantastic at contouring and I feel that it makes my cheekbones stand out more, without looking over the top. 

I also picked up a new powder, in the form of Bourjois' Healthy Balance in Vanilla. It claims to provide a 10 hour matte finish and a healthy glow but I have to admit, I haven't been bowled over. The packaging is lovely and the sleek design means that you can take it just about anywhere with you, but I don't think that it is suited to my skin at all.

Within a couple of hours of wearing the powder, my skin begins to look almost scale-y (y'know, like a lizard?) and my pores look huge. One thing that I've also noticed is that, by the time I get in from work, it looks so patchy and my skin can be, in parts, pale and, in others, very orange which is a look that I've managed to avoid even with the cheapest of powders, so to say I was disappointed is - unfortunately - an understatement. 

I've never been a particularly good sleeper and, since starting working for the company I'm with now, my sleep pattern has been more erratic than usual. I struggle to drop off in the evenings and find it even harder to get out of bed in the morning, so under-eye bags are somewhat of a problem for me. So when I spotted Bourjois 123 Perfect CC Eye Cream, I knew that I had to add it to my everyday make-up kit!

It's a liquid concealer which is quite thick in consistency. Unlike a lot of concealers that I've tried, it doesn't appear cakey or begin to crack after it's been on for a while; it just blends really nicely either under or over my foundation and lasts all day. 

I can honestly say that the skin beneath my eyes now looks the same colour as the rest of my face which - for me - is a success! I'd definitely recommend this concealer although I don't think it lives up to it's claim of being an 'illuminating' concealer. 

Have you tried any of these products?

Which of Bourjois' products would you recommend?