The Best Of Beauty Challenge: Make Up Must Haves

Before I even begin, for the past few weeks of doing this blogger challenge I have scoured through what feels like hundreds of posts (Which is about right as I've read other posts on those blogs too. I'm nosy and love a new read!) Each time I see the effort and thought put into each one and I feel so annoyed at my crappy half put together posts and even worse photos. So to all of you out there who are doing this and in general - well done and thank you for taking such pride in your blogs and giving us readers such wonderful things too see and read about. Sappy moment over!

This is the 3rd week of the Best of Beauty Challenge that Sam from All The Buzz  is hosting. Oh my goodness this weeks one was so feckin' hard, make up must haves! I just wanted to throw every piece of make up I owned on the floor and point. Not even write about it all, just point. No explanation needed. Then I realised that that wouldn't be productive at all and I'd need to send out quite a few blogger invites. We wouldn't all fit in my room. Bare with me while I narrow it down as much as I can. It hasn't been easy.

Now theres just no point in me going out of the house if I haven't got that skin under control, those pesky spots and blemishes need to take a hike! Which means I'm running like a hooligan for the concealer. Right now I just can't get enough of Catrice and the All Round Concealer palette. A green for redness, pink for dark circles and three different shades of skin tone concealer makes my heart beat a little faster if I'm being honest. I'd take it to bed with me if I didn't think it would melt. And to top if off nicely, this is the only kind of concealer palette I've used that doesn't irritate my skin. Mammy, hold me!  

And what better way to cover the now multi coloured face then with a bloody good foundation? How did people live with themselves before foundation was made? Ok, slightly over dramatic but you get my point here, I'm that serious about a good one. I've just bought Wet'n'Wild Coverall cream foundation and it was meant to be. It has surprisingly full coverage for such a cheap little tube and I will be buying them all, so no need to look out for them. Sorries xox

I'm not sure if this really counts, but I couldn't put on half the slap I do if I didn't have a brush to help put all that cement in place. I'm only a novice when it comes to brushes, but I have high hopes to one day own some fancy real techniques *swoons*. Until then, I have my amazing Sleek blender brush and my Sarah Ashton eye shadow and powder brushes that are my favourites by far. (I may have just under 20 eye shadow brushes, but we wont go there.) These little beauts are reached for daily and do the job just fine!

I am obsessed with having oily skin and use pressed powder like its going out of fashion. (Soo Fetch, right?) The one I'm using right now is Seventeens Miracle Matte pressed powder. This is my 3rd and I think it works really well. Once I put enough on to cover a fleet of runway models, it doesn't budge for the day and I only have to touch up a little (mostly out of paranoia) It even has a handy mirror and a little applicator if your so inclined. 

Lastly I do not have eyes until the eyeliner goes on. Its just a fact of life that I and many others have come to terms with. (When I say many others I mean screaming 'don't LOOK at me, I haven't got my face on yet!!' Yes, I am one of those needy make up people) Essence has been my friend for many years and this is easily my 25th little €3 tube of liquid black eyeliner. The brush applicator is so easy to use and it takes a swim in the deep end of the pool (speaking from experience, unfortunately) for this to start budging. Perfect.

If your looking for more posts like this, make sure and follow the hashtag #BOBBlogChallenge on twitter! 

Whats In My Make Up Bag?

Please excuse the messy products! They get like that every 5 minutes from being together in my makeup bag :/

I said I'd do this post, I told myself many a time and even sat down to do it a few times but it well, you know the story!  So, whats always on my face and in my make up bag, keeping in mind that I don't use a lot of make up because A. I'm not bothered to spent that long on it and B. See A again. - I got the No7 bag as part of a set well over 2 years ago and never used it, only discovering it again when I was rooting through a draw last month. (I just realised I have forgotten to take a photo of it, I'll put it up in a future post, silly me!)

First off whatever foundation I happen to have floating about. Currently its Rimmels Match Perfection in the lightest shade, ivory that tends to be on offer for €6 or €7. I like this one and have repurchased it over 4 times now. It only has a light to medium coverage and I think the next time I go to buy one I will be looking for something to suit my blotchy uneven skin tone to cover it a bit better. It has an average lasting/staying power that would be fine for a lot of you girls out there but for me its only ok. I really love the smell of this too, little added bonus! 

Next is Rimmel again, my concealer of choice for about 5 plus years now, hide the blemish concealer. This is a classic, great coverage and something that really stays put once you put it on with a quick sweep of finishing powder to set it. I love this and it lasts ages too. Around the €5 mark.

My pressed powder is the Natural Collections cheap and cheerful in cool. Its the one I have been reaching for the most considering the price, how much I use it, that it lasts forever and oddly enough for something so cheap it doesn't break or go all over the place, score. It's less then €3. As you can see from the photos I'll need to be repurchasing this asap!

This trio of eye shadow is from 17 and called Matallio Coffee. As you can tell from the pictures I have used it to death and it has to be the best trio I have ever owned. Light, medium and dark brown shimmer shades that you can create a bundle of different looks with? One please! There isn't a lot of fall out with this, the colours pop by using just a little and they stay put. I never tend to use an eye primer either with this.I have a feeling this was about the €7 mark but its been ages since I've got this so do double check. On my last visit to Boots I went looking especially for this only to find that it was out of stock - devastated! But I will find it as soon as I can, cheeky thing hiding on me.

For eyeliner I use the forever trusty Essence Liquid In in black - about €2.99. I have loved and used Essence for years now and this is there most amazing formula to date. It has amazing staying power and is 100% water proof (trying to get it off can be tricky without proper eye make up remover) and the little applicator is easy to use, giving loads of product with just one stroke of the brush. For my waterline I use Rimmel's super duper Exaggerate Waterproof Eye Definer in 261 Noir - about €6. You don't need to sharpen this pencil as the product just twists down and it also has a built in smugger on the other end for days when using liquid eyeliner is just too much or when you want to get the smoky eye effect. This glides on so easy which is a must for me, who else hates when eyeliner snages on your lid? Ahh! It comes in 6 shades and I might just have to nab the purple shade when I see it next. 

Maybellines Volume Express Mega Plush is currently in my make up bag, but its not my favourite mascara at all. When I bought it about 2 months ago I expected great things from hearing the fuss it was causing. It had a fancy flexibly brush and it was a gel-mousse with 40% less hard wax which was meant to be easier to use and wear. Eh no. The brush bristles aren't as good as some I have used and using the flex on the brush is hard. I don't think it was worth the €7.99 (on offer) I paid for it and once I have used this up I'll be glad to see it gone. 

Lastly to finish off my eyes I use Benefit's Eye Bright on my lower water line just to brighten up my eye. This is a pricy one at €21.50.

And that is all that I keep in my make bag and use daily. I can almost here to intake to breath here but I don't use moisturiser or primer, and rarely do anything to my eyebrows. I might get better one day, but I've  feeling I've a bit to go yet! As always I hope everyone is having a fab day! Talk to you all soon.