I’m baaaaaaaaaaaaack. Well, I’m still away visiting family and friends but the blog is back in action! It occurred to me the other day that I’ve never done a “favourites” post. Some beauty bloggers do this monthly, but I don’t know if I’ll be committing to that. I’ll see if that’s feasible for me. For now, I want to briefly talk about my staple items that I can’t beautify myself without and a couple of items that I’m obsessed with this season.

Prepping and Priming:

• Loreal Resurfacing Primer- I am a big time believer in face primers. Unless your skin is perfectly smooth, almost pore-less and you produce no oil, you should definitely be wearing a primer underneath your makeup. It doesn’t matter if you wear a powder or liquid foundation, primers are your friend. This one is silicone-based, fills in my pores and provides a smooth surface for my liquid foundations. As a bonus, it’s super affordable(£11) and easy to find (drugstores).
• Urban Decay Primer Potion- I have bemoaned my ridiculously oily eyelids many times on this blog. Eye shadows (cream or powder) that claim a long wear-time break down on me without this stuff. It’s the only eye priming product that has proven its worth on my lids. It comes in different finishes and colours (colourless, satin champagne colour, matte cream colour). Now that Urban Decay has finally gotten their heads out of their asses and changed the packaging, I now get my money’s worth (£14.50).
• Lancome Cils Booster XL- Besides my brows, mascara is the second thing I will throw on if I have very little time to beautify before leaving the house. I don’t use mascara without Lancome’s lash primer (£18.50). It seriously adds mere seconds to my routine, so it’s not too much of an imposition. The effect is has is amazing! It adds white fibres to your lashes to make them thicker and longer in preparation for your mascara. The result is that you get length and volume without having to do double and triple coats of mascara. So avoid the tarantula look, and use a primer!

• MAC Paintpot in Groundwork- Not only are my eyelids greazzzy, they are also a bit dark. Whether I am wearing elaborate eye shadow or keeping it simple, I layer UDPP with a paintpot to extra staying power and to subtly lighten up the colour of my lids. You use so little of this product that it can easily last for years (£13.50). Just keep the lid on tight at all times!
• MAC Select Cover-up in NW40- I use this as my under eye concealer (£13.50). This is one shade lighter than the foundation I normally wear from MAC (Studio Fix Fluid in NW 43). It’s richly pigmented, creamy and luminous: exactly what an under eye concealer should be. I use the product in an upside down triangle shape that extends down the tops of my cheeks and out to the corners of my eyes to bring more light to the centre of my face.
• Illamasqua Pure Cream Pigment in Androgen & Emerge- These multi-use cream pigments can be used as eye shadow base, cheek colour (depending on complexion), and lip colour, among other things. If I want to contour and highlight my face, I use a mix of these pigments underneath my eyes before my concealer. This helps to dissipate the blue-grey shadows underneath my eyes (orangey colours neutralize bluish hues). They also last forever (£17.50)!
• MAC Brow Pencil in Stud- You guys already know how I feel about eyebrows. I won’t rehash that here. I will say that if I only have 2 minutes to do something to my face, I will spend those two minutes on my brows so that I look like an actual person. Get the brows right and the rest of your face doesn’t really matter that much. This blackened-brown pencil (£11.50) is a new addition to my stash, but it has quickly become an essential. It is self-sharpening, waxy without looking fake, and very thin and precise. I still use a powder to fill in the colour of my brows, but the pencil helps me to fill out the shape in a natural way.
• Loreal Voluminous Mascara in Carbon Black- Best. Drugstore. Mascara. Ever. Seriously. My number one mascara is Lancome’s Hypnose (slowly tipping to Hypnose Drama (£20.50)), but when I’m being cheap I use Loreal’s mascara (£8.49). The brush is this and lush without being impractical. I also use fewer coats to achieve the look I want.

• NARS blush in Torrid- Usually, I’m not a fan of shimmery blushes because they can accentuate large pores. Nars is different. Their blushes, while shimmery in the pan, beautifully diffuse light on the skin so that it looks like you are lit from within. On darker skin, the apricot-coral hue of “Torrid” (£20.50) achieves the same natural glow that “Orgasm” induces on lighter skin tones. This is my go to blush if I’m in a hurry or if I’m travelling and want to bring minimal products. The packaging is slim and sexy and the colour is compatible with a number of looks. Obviously, it’s time for me to get a new one!
• Sleek Contour Kit in Medium- Sleek has done a perfect job with their contour kits (light, medium and dark). They managed to get the finish and the undertones right (£6.50). As a bonus, the kits come with a highlighter as well. The latter doesn’t get much use from me because it’s not as amazing as the contour powder. I prefer to use the medium shade so that my contour lines are not as obvious. I love looking like I’ve got cheekbones made of steel and this contour powder inches me towards that look. The kits are also super affordable, so you can get more than one to achieve different looks or use them for your brows as well as eye shadow!
• MAC Matte lipstick in Prince Noire- I did a recent FOTD using this lipstick to illustrate the Fall vamp look. This lipstick (£13.50) brings instant drama to my face and requires little eye makeup, so it’s a time-saver! This is my go-to lipstick this autumn/winter, especially if I have little time to get ready. I want to wear it as much as I can before the spring because it will be terribly out of place by then.

Do you use any of these products in your daily routine? If not, what are some of your faves? I love discovering new products .