What's in my Travel Makeup bag?

As some of you may know, on Saturday I'm going away to Italy for a week. Of course this means that I must let you all know what makeup items I'm taking with me, it's only right.

Makeup bag- Primark

Face

For my face I've only packed the bare minimum. For powder I've packed the Maybelline Matte Maker Pressed Powder, for concealer I've packed the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer and to add a bit of a glow to my cheekbones (who doesn't want that) I've packed the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder.

Eyes/brows

I've tried to pack the bare minimum for my eyes and brows but it's very difficult to choose, any eye makeup obsessive will understand me. To line my eyes I've packed my holy grail (yes I said it, it is my holy grail) Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner. I had some difficulty choosing between all of my mascaras (I have far too many) so I ended up deciding on two, the Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara and the MUA Mega Volume Mascara. To add a bit of colour to my eyes I've chosen to take my Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze' as it's really versatile and easy to use. For my brows I'm taking the MUA Intense Colour Eyeliner in 'Rich Brown' and even though it's an eyeliner, I have incredibly dark brows and this is the only pencil that matches, or comes anywhere close for that matter (oh the joys of having dark hair). To set my brows I've taken my MUA Clear Mascara, that isn't so clear anymore. I should probably buy a new one, it looks pretty gross. Finally to curl my little lashes I'm taking my cheap and cheerful Primark Eyelash Curlers as they do the job perfectly.

Lips

This was by far the hardest decision to make. It took me almost half an hour to choose 2 lip products. Knowing me though, by the time this post is up I'll have probably changed my mind again, sigh. The two lip products I've chosen are my MUA Power Pout in 'Runway' and Collection Cream Puff in 'Cotton Candy' (review here).

Brushes

For brushes I've cut it right down, I'm just taking the basics and the ones I will definitely need. For my eyes I'm taking the Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush as it's my favourite brush for blending out cream shadows.  For my face I'm taking my Real Techniques Contour Brush for applying highlighter, my Real Techniques Expert Face Brush for blending in concealer and my Real Techniques Powder Brush for, you guessed it, putting on powder.

As you can see I have tried to cut the amount of makeup I take with me down, but being a beauty junkie it's pretty hard. 

I'll be back again, as usual, on Sunday with 'What's In My Travel Skincare Bag' which will be scheduled (ooh er, how fancy) but I will have WiFi in Italy so I will be able to reply to comments in the evenings. I'll probably be a bit quiet on the social media side of things though.

Top 10 Under £10- Makeup

We've all had times where we're standing in a Boots or Superdrug with money in our pockets and we quite frankly, have no idea what to buy. It can be quite overwhelming sometimes, there's just so much to choose from. You're just left standing there trying to decide between a new mascara, or a new eyeshadow. It's a difficult decision. I have constructed a list of my top 10 makeup products under £10, so that all of you lovely people don't have to go through the 'I don't know what to buy because I want it all but I don't have enough money' dilemma. And if you're a newbie to makeup, this may be quite helpful to you too as I'm sure spending £15 on a MAC lipstick or £22 on a highlighter sounds a teensy bit extreme. It was incredibly difficult narrowing all my favourite products down to only 10, but after lots of um-ing and ah-ing I finally whittled them down.

The first item that has crept its way into my top 10 is the MUA Undress Your Skin Highlighting Powder. Highlighter is something I've just recently been getting into and this has got to be one of the best I've tried. For £3 (yes you read that right), you really can't go wrong. 

I have read a few reviews saying that the packaging is 'tacky' which I 100% disagree on. I think that it's very simple, pretty and sturdy. 

Can we all just take a moment and admire how beautiful this highlighter looks? At a glance, this looks like a MAC highlighter. 

This isn't the most pigmented highlighter ever, but with one swipe you can pick up enough product to make your cheeks all glowy (not vampire glowy) and fabulous. As you only need a small amount of this, I'm sure it will last agesss. It can be a hard to find these in store, it took me 3 weeks to find one *sigh*, but you can get them here from the MUA website.

The second item that has found it's way into my top 10 under £10 is the Barry M Natural Glow Shadow and Blush Palette, here's a challenge, try saying that quickly. I know what you're all thinking, 'Barry M, doing eyeshadow palettes? This can't be true'. Well indeed it is.

This palette, from the outside, looks like a Stila palette *thumbs up* and it is quite sturdy. I really love the big mirror you get inside as it can be used when travelling. 

All the shadows are really nicely pigmented but the blush is hardly pigmented at all. It does however make a really nice highlighter and it's not completely useless (yay!).

At £6.49 this palette is really good value for money and it has a really good range of colours. 

The third item that has sneaked it's way onto my list is the Maybelline Colossal Volum' Express Mascara. This is (dare I say it?) my holy grail mascara. As I have naturally quite long eyelashes, I always go for mascaras that promise to volumise your eyelashes. This mascara promises '9x the volume'. Now I wouldn't say it gives quite that much volume but it definitely makes a dramatic difference and creates the effect of fuller lashes. It doesn't flake or smudge during the day and my eyelashes look the same at the end of the day as they do when I first apply this mascara.

The tube makes it really easy to find in the mornings when I'm still half asleep and raking through my ridiculous stash of mascaras. 

In terms of the brush size, it's not massive but it's not tiny. It's, as Goldilocks would say, just right! For £7.99 this mascara will remain a staple in my makeup bag, unless I find a better one.

Lipstick was a hard one to choose, but in the end I just went for my favourite lipstick of the moment which is the Kate Moss Matte Lipstick in Shade 107. I'm not going to speak about this too much as I did a full review on it here.

It's so beautiful. Don't you agree?

No matter how many times I swatch this, I'll never get over how pigmented it is!

Now I have a love-hate relationship with this next item. I used to hate it but now I love it, but then some days I hate it again. It's very strange. But when I love it, I really really love it, which is why I've decided to put it in this post. It's the oh so famous Rimmel Stay Matte. This has got to be the most hyped up powder ever. Everyone and their mothers talk about it. If you haven't heard of it, then where the heck have you been!?

Apologies for the battered packaging, this little guy has been everywhere with me, hence the reason it is no longer 'Stay Matte' but 'Sta Matte'. 

I have the shade '001 Transparent' which I feel is the best shade as you can build it up as much as you like without it going cakey. This keeps me matte for around 4 hours before I have to touch up but so far, this is the longest any powder has kept me matte.

It lasts ages, I've had this for about 8/9 months and I've only just hit pan, anyone else get really excited when they hit pan? Or just me? Probably just me. 
Anyways, even though I sometimes hate this powder, the majority of the time I love it, so if you want to hop on the bandwagon (if you haven't already) then go out and get this, go on, I dare you;)it's only £3.99 after all.

The sixth item is a very predictable one. If you haven't heard of this, then I think you need to come out from that rock you've been living under because I genuinely do not know one person that hasn't talked about this concealer. And, if you haven't already guessed (and seen the photos) it's the Collection Lasting Perfection Concealer.

This concealer is just the best concealer ever. It covers spots, under eye circles and redness perfectly. One tube lasts AGES, and it just seems never ending! 

 I have managed to preserve this tube and prevent the writing being rubbed off (yay me) but be warned, the writing does rub off and does ruin the inside of makeup bags.

I have the shade 'Fair' which is the lightest shade there is. In summer I'm the next shade up but in winter I turn into a vampire, and this matches perfectly. 

As you're all probably very well aware, this concealer has a doe foot applicator. It can be a little unhygenic but I wash mine every so often so I'm not spreading bacteria around my face (anyone else?). I'd recommend this concealer to anyone and I don't know how I survived without it before. And it's only £4.19, what's not to love?

Staying on the 'facial area' my next item is a blusher. Now I'm not usually one for blusher, I'm quite often very heavy handed and end up making myself look like a clown but Natural Collection's Blush in 'Peach Melba' is perfect for me.

In the pan, this blusher looks quite brown toned, but on your cheeks it gives such a natural rosy flush.

This blush isn't insanely pigmented, but I find that to be a good thing as I can't really apply too much and make myself look like a clown. The pot is also a really nice size for travelling. This blush was only £1.99 and I'll definitely be going back to Boots and seeing what other shades are on offer.

We're getting there(finally). My 8th item of choice is the Maybelline Colour Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze'.

This is yet again another incredibly hyped up product in the beauty blogging and YouTube world. This is just the perfect eyeshadow, in terms of lasting power and colour. One quick swipe is all it takes to tranform your eyelids from dull and dreary, to glittery and gorgeous! 

Well hello there fantastic pigmentation, how you doin'?

These are perfect for throwing on in a morning when you have very little time to get ready and also for parties or meals out etc. Sometimes I like to apply this all over my lid and then blend out the edges with my Real Techniques Deluxe Crease Brush to create a (sort of) smokey eye.

You really cannot go wrong with these and I can't recommend them enough!

If you've been following my blog for a while, you'll probably already know what eyeliner I'm going to recommend, it's my holy grail eyeliner and I've just recently purchased my 5th one. That's how much I love it.

It's the Collection Extreme 24hr Felt Tip Liner. When I first got this it was by accident and I'd actually meant to pick up a pencil liner, but that mistake was one of the best mistakes I've made before. This baby doesn't smudge at all, stays in place all day and is as black as anything. 

 

I've spoken about this so many times before, so instead of rambling on about it, I suggest that if you're a liquid eyeliner wearer, like myself, you should go out and get this! Go on, you won't regret it!

The final item in my top 10 under £10 is the Real Techniques Expert Face Brush.

 Sooo many people have hyped this brush up, and being my usual curious self, I finally gave into the hype and asked for it for my Christmas. This brush is everything I expected it to be and more. 

As you can see, the bristles are very dense and this results in you getting a very flawless finish. This brush is so so so so soft (not got quite enough so's) and it's my go-to brush for applying foundation. It literally gives you the most perfect, airbrushed finish ever and I cannot describe my love for this. And for £8.99, you can't say no!

And finally you have reached the end of this post! I hope it wasn't too long (although it was rather lengthy) and it helped some of you in some way! If you've tried any of the products mentioned in this post please let me know your thoughts on them!

Autumn/Winter Makeup Essentials

So it's now well into Autumn and Winter is fast approaching. During the colder months, my makeup changes so I thought I would share my 6 main makeup essentials for Autumn/Winter. Enjoyy!

The first item that is a must during Autumn/Winter, isn't necessarily makeup but I just had to put it in. I also mentioned this in My Daily Makeup and it's my Burts Bee's Lip Balm.

This is one of my all time favourite lip balms. I have tried everything, from Blistex to Vaseline, but none work on my very dehydrated, chapped lips. This is the only lip balm that actually does something. I apply a generous amount of this before applying lipstick/lip gloss and before I go to bed. When I take my lipstick/lip gloss off at the end of the day and when I wake up, my lips are as soft as a baby's bum (liking my metaphor there). I just don't know how it does it!! And just as you thought I couldn't praise this lip balm any more, the smell. Oh sweet lord it smells like peppermint which, if you know me well, is my favourite smell EVER. I could ramble on about this for hours but I'm going to stop and suggest that you go to your nearest Boots as soon as possible and pick one of these up, you will not regret it!

The second and third items I think are a must have are lip colours. I have chosen 2 that I have been wearing the most this season and that I think would suit everyone.

The first lip product I have chosen is my Kiko Smart Lipstick in the shade '904 Strawberry Pink'. Some people may say this is a 'summery' colour but I think it's perfect for this time of year.

Personally I love the Kiko smart lipsticks. They're creamy, pigmented and have incredible staying power. There is also a HUGE shade range and they really are not expensive at all. I picked this shade up, along with shade '905' (mentioned in My Daily Makeup), when I was in France and I will be picking up A LOT more shades when I'm in Milan next Easter.

I love this colour. It does look a bit darker on the lips than in the swatch above, but it doesn't look too 'over the top' and is perfect for school. It smells AMAZING, like white chocolate magnums is how I describe it to everyone. I would suggest that you all go and check Kiko out because they are one of my favourite brands, their products are amazing and great value for money!

The second lip product I have chosen is also from Kiko. It's the Kiko Extra Volume Lipgloss in '27 Opal Rose'. 

I purchased this at the same time as the lipstick and boy I'm glad I did. It is so so pigmented and can be worn alone, or over a lipstick (it goes really well with the lipstick I just mentioned). I don't find it to be sticky in the slightest and it also has the 'white chocolate magnum' smell which is an added bonus! The lasting power of this is also remarkable. Because it's so glossy you wouldn't expect it to last for long, but I have worn this for around 6 hours once, including eating and drinking, and even then it was only just starting to wear away. The glossiness had gone after around 2 hours and left more of a stain, but I'm not complaining. Unfortunately this shade was limited edition and is no longer available but I believe a similar shade is '19 Pearly Cranberry'.

The fourth and fifth makeup item's I have chosen are eyeshadow's. The first eyeshadow I have chosen is my Maybelline Color Tattoo in 'On and On Bronze'. 

Now I talked about this is my last post, so I'm not going to ramble on for too long, but this is my perfect colour for this time of year as I like to stick with golds/bronzes/coppers etc. This is hands down my favourite autumn/winter eyeshadow and I have a feeling that it won't be off my eyes much. It also creates the perfect base for other eyeshadows which makes it even better. For a more 'in depth' mini review, read my October Favourites post.

The second eyeshadow isn't actually just one eyeshadow, it's actually a whole palette. It's my MUA Undress Me Too Palette. This is the only eyeshadow palette I actually own but I love it.

I don't use all of the shades at this time of year but the shades I do use are;

Devotion,

Fiery,

Dreamy,

Tranquil,

Wink,

And Obsessed.

I love all of these colours but my absolute favourite has to be Wink. It's a lovely rose gold sort of colour and just looks so so nice on the eyes. Just a quick side note, the colour I have hit pan on is the one I use for my brows so that is why I haven't mentioned it. 

Below are swatches of all the eyeshadow's mentioned. 

I love this palette and even though there are some dud colours (the black one in particular) I would recommend to anyone just starting out with makeup as you can do some really nice eye looks with the good colours.

The final product that I feel is essential for Autumn/Winter is a foundation. Now up until recently, I hadn't touched foundation for about 3 months, but now it's been getting colder, I've been reaching for my Max Factor Colour Adapt foundation.

This foundation gives a medium coverage but it is buildable. I think for autumn and winter, medium to full coverage foundations are great as I find my skin goes a bit crazy and I like to cover up imperfections and blemishes etc. I'd say that this is a cream to powder formulation as it goes quite powdery, but not cakey, when it sets. I love this as it dries matte and actually helps keep me matte all day. This does tend to cling to dry patches so I do have to be careful. 

I have this in the lightest shade '40 Creamy Ivory' as I'm like a ghost in Winter and it matches perfectly. Max Factor are one of the only brands that do foundations pale enough for my skin, so I always try and use foundations from them.

This is my new favourite foundation and I would recommend to anyone with oily, combination or normal skin.

Anddd, that is it for today's post. I really hope it was helpful and you enjoyed reading it. Please comment down below if you've tried any of the products I mentioned or if you would like to try any, or even if you have any product recommendations for me as I love trying new things:)