Prior to a few days ago, my makeup lived in a drawer in my very ancient and childish bedside cabinet and in various bags. A lot of it is sticky, fruity 12-year-old-girl lip-glosses, ancient bottles of dried up nail varnish and garish eyeshadow. However, a lot of it is also makeup that I have bought, known how to use properly and used over and over again.
I began to really care about makeup about three years ago. My skin began to deteriorate as I got closer to leaving secondary school - my anxiety developed a lot during sixth form and I also managed to make a very misguided decision with regards to my choice of friends. I didn't apply makeup correctly at all until very late in summer 2013, which is when I started watching beauty bloggers like Zoella and Sprinkleofglitter. I actually stumbled across the entire beauty blogging YouTube community when watching a DailyGrace video. YouTube is an amazing thing.
Since then I've spent too much money and thrown myself into the makeup world. Makeup is an incredible thing - anything that enhances female confidence and allows people to express themselves in their very own, personal manner is a good one in my book. I am still learning, of course - contouring and liquid eyeliner are my current nemeses - but my goals of appearing endlessly glamorous are getting slightly closer.
A few days ago I watched Zoella's makeup collection video (the most calming and satisfying types of videos) and I decided to clear out just the one drawer in my desk for my own makeup 'collection'.
This was quite eye-opening. Looking at all the makeup you own in one glance is enough to stop you buying any more ever again! Typically the morning I did this, I had ordered 2 brushes and an eyeshadow palette from feelunique. Oops. The next time I feel the urge I'll just open the drawer and look at it for a bit.
I thought I might talk about some of my favourite makeup products and also how I organise them. I used Glossybox lids (another reason I have so much, although there are a few things in this drawer that I would never ever use) for my (26, ahem) lip products and my eye makeup. The rest was made up by concealer/powders/foundation etc. It mostly fit in nicely.
As a combination skin girl, I love my powder. My T-zone always needs a touch-up after a couple of hours, especially if I've been out for a walk (I am so unbelievably unfit). I used Rimmel's Stay Matte for a while, which was fine and very cheap and easy to repurchase, but the packaging was a little vulnerable and it seemed to run out very fast. I eventually turned to a more expensive option.
MAC's Mineralise Skin Finish powder looks so pretty and leaves me looking slightly glowy. It seems to settle better on top of my foundation and concealer (the Rimmel one had a tendency to drag my concealer slightly away from the areas it was intended to cover as I applied it) and the packaging is much more durable. I bought this 4 months ago and I don't think I'll touch pan for the same time again. That makes the £22 price tag a little less scary. I will probably buy this again, but I am also eyeing up their translucent setting powder. Decisions, decisions.
(MAC Mineralize SkinFinish Natural in Light)
The little pot you see in the middle of the picture is a Stila blush that I am absolutely obsessed with at the moment. I initially bought it under the impression it was a contour/highlight product (??self??) but even when I discovered its true purpose I loved it. This is so subtle and pretty - perfect for any day, any season. I am constantly wary of putting too much blush on (I have a So Susan blush that I cannot make subtle. It always makes me look like I'm having a hot flush), but not with this product. This was £15 and will last me a long time, too!
(Stila Baked Cheek Duo in Pink Glow)
Now we come to one of my All Time Faves. Soap and Glory is one of my favourite brands ever (more so for their bath/body than anything else, tbh) and I was looking for a highlighting powder for summer in Boots one day - this caught my eye. It is a slightly pink highlight, but perfect for gently swiping across cheekbones and nose for a little extra glow. I can't quite remember how much this was (£11 rings a bell) but it will last me forever. Also that packaging is amazing. It looks a bit weak and can get extremely grubby, but a little magnet stops any product getting out or anything leaking onto the product. Love it.
(Soap & Glory Glow All Out Luminizing Radiance Face Powder)
Eyeshadow palettes!! I have three that I go back to most of the time. In the photo, the palettes get older as you go right.
I bought this very pretty NARS palette with a Selfridges voucher that I got for Christmas last year (thanks Mum). The picture makes the palette look a little more orange than it is - the first colour is a translucent pink with gold shimmer, the second a deep pink also with gold shimmer. I tend to wear this on more special occasions (going out, dinner etc) as it's more glittery than my other palettes. Am I the only one who balks at the idea of wearing glittery eyeshadow every day? This palette is lovely as it's easy to do the proper whole eyelid + crease routine. It's also very pigmented, so you have to be careful with that darker colour. I tend to use a single eyeshadow I got in a Glossybox a while back for the inner corner of my eye (a beautiful white shimmer). As my only NARS product, I cherish it <3
(NARS Eyeshadow Duo in Kuala Lumpur)
Another Soap & Glory constant in my makeup life. This is literally the most perfect everyday palette ever. I pretty much used this every day during my first year at uni and I will continue to do so for year 2. I tend to use the bottom right shade the least, but the other three are so perfect for an easy everyday look. Pink T all over the lid (top right), Mudhoney in the crease (bottom left) and Vanilla in the inner corner and over my browbone (top left). Easy peasy. I am hitting pan with Pink T; I'm not too sure how much I'll use this palette once it runs out - the trio works so well together and I'd have to find a similar pink. It has lasted me a very long time, though, so it was a good run.
(Soap & Glory Lid Stuff in What's Nude)
An oldie but a goodie! I'm pretty sure my mum passed this on to me (although this has Clinique's newer packaging) and I LOVE it. That little sponge brush is awful, obviously, but this palette creates the most lovely smoky eye. The far right shade is more subtle than it appears (Stone Violet). That goes all over the lid, and then the cream shade (French Vanilla) goes in the corner of the eye for a slight highlight. Night Plum is gently dusted in the crease/outer third of the eyelid and the leftovers are smudged over the lash lines in the place of eyeliner. Beauuuutiful. Also those names are delightful. Oh Clinique, if I had all the money in the world...
(Clinique Colour Surge Eye Shadow Trio)
This is where I think I need an intervention. I have 26 lip products in my makeup drawer next to me as I write this. Twenty six. Three of these colours are so hideous (at least on me) that I doubt they'll make it out again. However, there are many products - crayon, stick, gloss alike - that I adore. I picked out two lipsticks and one ~crayon~ to demonstrate my love.
This is my only Rimmel lipstick and I haven't worn it for a while - night out wintery lipstick, I think. It's a dark fuschia and it looks looovely. I have slightly yellow teeth (stronger, apparently - rawr?) so the blue tones in this are a blessing. It also smells amazing. It has great staying power and feels really moisturising. Plus it's about £5? I think? Amazing.
(Rimmel Lasting Finish Lipstick in 086 Sugar Plum)
My chubby stick!! My very own!! I lusted after my mum's for so, so long and when I finally got my hands on one I was ecstatic. I have a darker shade than she does. These are so beautifully moisturising and comfortable. I suffer from weird lip dryness (I used to need to put lip balm around my lips to feel like they were moisturised) and this is amazing for it. I don't need to do a MirandaSings type look to feel like my lips aren't disgustingly dry. What I really love about these is how subtle or bold you can make your lips look. A quick once over - slight colour, lips look lovely and moist but it's not too dramatic. A few more layers - beautiful, glossy lips with a striking colour.
(Clinique Chubby Stick in 07 Super Strawberry)
Finally, we come to probably my favourite lipstick at the moment. I think Topshop is one of the most surprisingly incredible makeup producers ever. They just make some of the loveliest cosmetics - eyeliners, lipsticks and nail varnishes in particular. I have three of their eyeliners in this very makeup drawer. Anyway, this lipstick is a very pretty and wearable pink - slightly muted, but still bright and summery. Can you tell I'm not too adventurous with my lip colours?? These lipsticks have a slightly chemically smell, but it's not unpleasant and goes away once it's on. I just love this so much, and I'll need to take a trip to Topshop soon for more and more!!
(Topshop Lips in Beehive)
There you are. Some of my favourite cosmetic products. Thanks for letting me rant on about them like one of those slightly irritating department store staff who accost you in the beauty section!! Let me know your own favourite powders/eyeshadows/lip products. I am always looking for new things, as you may be able to tell. Possibly need to control myself slightly. At least it's just one drawer and not an entire IKEA Alex.
Thanks for reading!!
Catherine
xxx
