The beauty market is full of so many products; new launches, classics, top end to budget...there is just so much to choose from. It is indeed a very saturated place and it can be very confusing when you want to create a natural look but get good value for money. I admit to being a fairly cautious person when it comes to new products as I do have my favourites, and I know how valuable a good blogger review can be. I do understand that paying a little more for your makeup can really be worth it, not just in usability but the finish can be a lot more effective and professional than budget products.
So I thought I would write a simple list of six of my 'desert island' cult products, the ones that I cannot live without, that I use day in day out, that take me from work to evening date, which acheive that beautiful model off duty look, which I love the most.
This is an absolute winner for me, the consistency is perfect for acheiving a dewy look whilst not getting too shiny. It is best used with a primer to ensure that you get an even coverage. I apply it using the real techniques buffing brush (linked to a starter kit) which allows you to really work the product into your skin to get it looking flawless...'my skin but better'. As with most YSL makeup, you can tell by the texture that it is packed with all the best skin products -tightening, moisturising and brightening to compliment the lovely even coverage. It has a light to medium coverage which is buildable, and the available shades are the perfect balance between adding colour to your skin whilst not being yellowy.
If you are thinking of buying this product, I'd recommend getting a consultation to match with your skin colour. I find with YSL foundations they just sink into the skin, so this can be a matter of seconds. It's an essential step to getting that perfected look, and it really does help to make you look polished. There's nothing worse than a bright orange tide line!
A classic, award winning product, I see this as the touche de teint's best friend, they just work perfectly together. Best used after foundation application on the dark circles around the eyes, down the edges of the mouth, above the eyebrows, on the cheek and brow bones. This has light reflecting particles which instantly gives you that look of having had a great night's sleep! You can really notice this in photographs, it feels as though you are using a professional product. It's a clear winner for me, because as soon as I run out, I know I have to buy another. Nothing compares to touche eclat, and I couldn't recommend it more.
I'd recommend getting one shade lighter than your foundation, as this gives the illusion of youth, health and energy!
This bronzer is a cult classic again, it's perfect for contouring and bronzing all year round as it is completely matte. It is a good mix of ashy and warm, which is why it is so versatile. There is only one shade of hoola but it works perfectly even when I am at my most fair. It's incredibly pigmented, it can last me around 8 months!
The one pitfall of hoola is the packaging, despite coming with the perfect mini brush for contouring, the packaging is cardboard which tends to get a bit dog-eared in my makeup bag after a while. It also catches all the excess product and ends up looking a little dirty. However this doesn't detract from how great an all rounder this is.
I had been previously lusting over the Anastasia Beverly Hills highlighting palettes, but as they are very often sold out I managed to hunt down this dupe from Sleek in superdrug. It is an absolute steal at only £12 but also gives a very professional highlight. I tend to sweep my brush across the bottom two shades, saving the top pink creme product for my brow and cheek bones. This with the YSL touche eclat are the perfect combination. The Solstice palette is so ridiculously pigmented for a high-street product, I couldn't recommend it more for those who want that pro look on a budget.
Having stuck religiously to a MAC oldie, I recently had a brow consultation at Benefit where I was introduced to Precisely My Brow....and Oh my, was I converted. Benefit has recently invested heavily in revamping their brow range and it has trumped my expectations. It has everything I want in a brow product, a spoolie and a gentle twist pencil which has a powdery, blendable consistency. It makes getting that strong brow so acheivable and easy. I have to admit I was afraid of getting that stenciled on look, but I think this is counterbalanced by the range of colours this pencil is available in, you will most definintely get a very good match. I think there's around 15 colours. The packaging is beautiful in a sort of potion style silver wand, I really enjoy using it and with the lids on either end it's perfect for chucking in your handbag for touch-ups throughout the day. So those of you who want to embrace the brow, definitely pick up one of these.
I know lots of bloggers use this as it is the perfect nude. There's not a lot to say about it other than that, if you need a go-to shade then this is perfect. I tend to stick to nudes or a bold red, but this is such a sophisticated colour it looks little more grown up. Any OPI product speaks for itself as being the industry leader, so the benefit of paying a little more is knowing that it won't go claggy, sticky or streaky. Definitely worth the money in my opinion.
So there's my favourite beauty cult classics. I've written a lot more than I anticipated...! I clearly love beauty a lot!
Sophie x
